USWNT in She Believes Cup Sat vs Japan 12:30 TNT & Tues 4/9 in ColumbusMallory Swanson and Catarina Macario will make their returns to the USWNT Sat as part of the 23-player roster for the She Believes Cup, U.S. Soccer. Two new names are also joining the roster and earning their first senior national team call-ups, both playing for European clubs: 21-year-old Paris Saint-Germain defender Eva Gaetino and 16-year-old Ajax midfielder Lily Yohannes. The question is do Mallory and Macario start or come off the bench vs Japan (presumably the weeker of the 2 games)? These will be the final two matches for Twila Kilgore as USWNT interim coach. Permanent head coach Emma Hayes will take over beginning with the June window, with Kilgore remaining on the staff as an assistant. The USWNT will play in a reformatted She Believes Cup that has a semifinals and final as opposed to a round robin tournament. They will play Japan in the semifinals in Atlanta on Sat April 6th at 12:30 pm on TNT, and then will face either Brazil or Canada in either the 3rd place match at 5 pm or the final at 7 pm on April 9th in Columbus, Ohio ( tixstill available- the OBC is going over) on TBS.
Indy 11 vs Louisville Sat 4 pm on CBS The Boys in Blue head south Saturday for the first installment of the LIPAFC rivalry in 2024 live on CBS at 4 pm. Indy is coming off a 2-1 loss to Detroit City FC to fall to 1-2-1 on the season, while Louisville defeated Birmingham Legion FC 5-0 to sit perfect atop the USL Championship’s Eastern Conference standings at 3-0-0.
LIPAFC The Louisville-Indianapolis Proximity Association Football Contest dates back to 2015 with Louisville holding the 10-5-6 advantage. Nineteen of the 21 matches have taken place since Indy joined the USL Championship in 2018 (2 playoff), with Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup matches in 2015 and 2016 making up the remaining two. The Boys in Blue were 1-1 in those match-ups. Indy is looking for its first road win since a 2-1 victory on May 29, 2021. Saturday marks the 22nd overall meeting between the sides all-time, with Louisville leading 10-5-6.
Champions League Elite 8 — starts April 9th & 10th on CBS
GAMES ON TV
Sat, April 6
7:30 am USA Crystal Palace (Richards) vs Man City 7:30 am ESPN+ Norwich City (Stewart) vs Ipswich Town (Champ) 9 am CBSSN AC Milan (Pulisic, Musah) vs Lecce 9:30 am ESPN+ Union Berlin vs Bayer Leverkusen 10 am USA Aston Villa vs Burnley 10 am Peacock Fulham (Robinson, Ream) vs New Castle United 12:30 pm TNT, Max, Telemundo USA Women vs Japan 1 pm para+ Lazio vs Juventus (Weah, McKinney) 7:30 pm Fox LAFC vs LA Galaxy 7 pm CBS Indy 11 @ Louisville Sun, Apr 7 10:30 am NBC Man United vs Liverpool 11:30 am NBC Sheffield United (Trusty) vs Chelsea 11:30 am ESPN+ Wolfsburg vs Mgladbach (Scalley) 1 pm USA Tottenham vs Notthingham Forest (Reyna) 2:30 pm ESPN+ Bayer Levekusen vs Wolfsburg 4 pm Fox Atlanta United vs Chicago Fire
Tues, Apr 9 3 pm CBS, Arsenal vs Bayern Munich UCL 3 pm Para+ Real Madrid vs Man City UCL
5 or 7 pm TBS, Universo, Peacock USWNT vs Brazil/Can winner Columbus, OH 8:45 pm Fox Sport 1 Columbus Crew vs Tigres CCL 10:30 pm FS1 New England vs America CCL Weds, Apr10 3 pm CBS PSG vs Barcelona UCL 3 pm Para+ Atletico Madrid vs Dortmund UCL 10:30 pm Fox Sport 1 Monterrey vs Inter Miami (Messi) CCL 8:15 pm FS1 Heredino vs Pachuca CCL Thurs, Apr 11 3 pm CBSSN AC Milan (Pulisic, Musah) vs Roma Europa 3 pm Para+ Liverpool vs Atalanta 3 pm Para+ Leverkusen vs West Ham United 7 pm ESPN+ Miami FV vs Tampa Bay Rowdies (Jordan Farr)
U.S. women’s national team midfielder Korbin Albert’s social media activity will soon be under the microscope – perhaps even more than it was last week, when her reposting of anti-LGBTQ content was resurfaced online and addressed by former USWNT star Megan Rapinoe.
This weekend, the USWNT opens SheBelieves Cup against Japan in the annual invitational tournament played between the U.S. and select international teams.
For the past two years, the USWNT has advocated for trans rights at the tournament – a track record of advocacy that feels especially important in light of transphobic and homophobic sentiments that continue to permeate American society, and after Albert’s social media activity. It’s a jarring contradiction to the way the USWNT has historically spoken out to advance reforms or to advocate for equal rights.
At the center of this discussion are videos Albert reposted to her TikTok account, including one of a sermon given in a Christian worship space talking about how being gay and “feeling transgender” is wrong. Among the posts on her TikTok profile was one from 2023, showing her family taking turns stating that “their pronouns are U.S.A.,” with Albert participating in the video. The post no longer appears on her profile as of Tuesday.
Albert also liked a meme on Instagram of an airplane landing with a caption reading “God taking time off performing miracles to make sure Megan Rapinoe sprains her ankle in her final ever game.”
Rapinoe has been an outspoken advocate of LGBTQ+ rights and trans rights in particular. She responded to Albert via her Instagram story, asking, “Are you making any type of space safer, more inclusive, more whole, any semblance of better, bringing the best out of anyone?” She later stressed to The Athletic that while Albert’s activity inspired the post, her focus is on the queer lives at stake, whether they be at risk through anti-trans commentary online or targeted legislation.
Rapinoe signed off her message with “Yours Truly, #15.” Albert wears the No. 15 shirt for the USWNT, a number made available after Rapinoe’s retirement last fall.
Albert wears No 15 against Brazil in March (John Todd/ISI Photos/Getty Images)
Queer and trans youth remain at higher risk of bullying, facing legislative hurdles and attempting self-harm. The Trevor Project’s 2023 U.S. National Survey on the Mental Health of LGBTQ Young People found that 41 percent of LGBTQ+ young people seriously considered attempting suicide in the past year, including roughly half of transgender and nonbinary youth. Additionally, the Trevor Project found that transgender and nonbinary youth were 2 to 2 1/2 times as likely to experience depressive symptoms, seriously consider suicide and attempt suicide compared to their cisgender LGBQ peers.
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Albert later apologized on Instagram, saying, “I truly believe that everyone should feel safe and respected everywhere and on all playing fields.”
The 20-year-old midfielder is not the only player on the team or in women’s soccer to hold conservative views. As noted by a former USWNT player in 2018 after Jaelene Hinkle’s public refusal to wear the team-issued rainbow pride jerseys, there have always been people in the locker room “that are not okay, or in agreement with, the (gay) lifestyle.” The difference with Albert, as it was in 2018 with Hinkle, was that other conservative players had kept their anti-LGBTQ opinions to themselves and the team managed to go out and play together.
Now, that dynamic may be challenged as SheBelieves opens in Georgia, a state where anti-trans rhetoric from high-level leadership is pertinent and playing out in real time.
Last Tuesday, the state senate passed House Bill 1104, originally intended to provide mental health resources for young student-athletes, but which now includes language that bans transgender girls from competing on girls’ public school teams and bans them from locker rooms that match their gender identity.
In past similar situations, the USWNT has been a direct advocate for the queer and trans community, many of whom make up a passionate part of their fan base. The 2022 SheBelieves Cup took place in Frisco, Texas. During the tournament, Texas governor Greg Abbott issued guidance to the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services asking employees to report trans children and their parents to state authorities, referring to gender-affirming care as a form of “child abuse.”
On the night that letter was sent, several USWNT players wore athletic tape around their wrists with the message “Protect Trans Kids.” After the game, midfielder Catarina Macario (who displayed her wristband after scoring in the first half) said it was an idea prompted by Rapinoe — and one that she and others were determined to amplify.
Macario shows her wristband after scoring against Iceland in February 2022 (Brad Smith/ISI Photos/Getty Images)
“With the platform we have, we really wanted to show why this team is different and why we do things that are much bigger than just the game,” Macario said. “It was just a way to show awareness, especially because we were playing in Texas.”
The U.S. opened the following SheBelieves Cup in Florida, another state that had enacted anti-trans legislation. The players wore tape on their wrists again, this time with the words “Defend Trans Joy.”
Those games were played as the Missouri state legislature was reviewing a wave of proposed legislation along similar lines as Florida and Texas. Becky Sauerbrunn, a Missouri native and the team’s captain, wrote an op-ed piece for the Springfield News-Leader that left no questions about why she felt strongly opposed to the motions, stating that the proposals “don’t consider any of the actual challenges to women and girls in sport.”
“I have been championing gender equity in sport for a long time,” Sauerbrunn wrote in part, “and I am done seeing transgender youth being cruelly targeted to score political points. Transgender people are exactly that, people — not tools to be wielded in a climb up the political ladder.”
This wasn’t the case of a team’s captain championing a cause in isolation. The piece resonated within the locker room.
“I did read what Becky said, and she is a true leader,” Alex Morgan said at the time. “Not only within our team, but standing up for trans kids and being an ally and advocate for a lot of groups who are targeted.”
The USWNT’s advocacy has not been limited to SheBelieves Cup and trans rights. Albert has only just begun to be introduced to a team with a years-long history of taking visible stances on an array of political and societal issues. Sauerbrunn said it was a crucial part of representing the United States on its national team, and Morgan agreed.
“When I represent this country, it’s knowing that it is a great country, but it’s also a country that has a lot to work on,” Morgan told Time ahead of the 2019 World Cup. “But I’m willing to be a part of that, to put the work in, to make it as good as it can be.”
The USWNT has been a political body almost by virtue of its very existence, as women’s sports are inherently political.
USWNT players such as Rapinoe have used their platform for advocacy (Patrick T. Fallon/AFP via Getty Images)
In the United States, women were denied the ability to play organized sports until the landmark Title IX legislation passed in 1972, protecting people from discrimination based on “sex in education programs or activities that receive federal financial assistance.” It took 13 more years for the first version of the USWNT to form, and nearly a full 20 before it played in the first Women’s World Cup.
With that context in mind, it’s inherent that today’s USWNT players are not just athletes, but also symbols of societal progress – whether they desire that label or not. Yet USWNT players tend to be highly aware that to represent one of the world’s most diverse nations in this particular arena — especially given the on-field prominence of the team — is a rare platform for advocacy.
Individually and as a group, USWNT figures have spoken out about racial justice in the weeks following the murder of George Floyd and the death of Breonna Taylor. They’ve fought for equal pay in their own labor deal with U.S. Soccer, even as the federation’s lawyers argued that they deserved less because the “overall soccer playing ability” for the men’s national team is “materially influenced by the level of certain physical attributes, such as speed and strength, required for the job.” After striking that deal, they’ve advocated to improve working conditions for other national teams, including Spain, Canada and Jamaica.
Publicly, all of this opened the USWNT up to a wave of criticism from detractors who felt their full focus should be on kicking a ball.
With Rapinoe’s retirement and veteran captain Sauerbrunn not rostered, the USWNT will enter this year’s SheBelieves with a group dynamic that is still in flux, playing under an interim coach until the arrival of Emma Hayes in May.
The next generation of players is already putting its stamp on the team’s on-field identity. In light of Albert’s social media behavior, this year’s SheBelieves may show us how that generation intends to shape its off-field identity as well.
(Top photo: Robin Alam/Getty Images)
Catarina Macario, Mallory Swanson discuss USWNT returns: ‘You can’t take your health for granted’
Two players that the United States desperately missed during the 2023 Women’s World Cup are back in national team camp, with Mallory Swanson and Catarina Macario both returning for the SheBelieves Cup after long injury recoveries.Swanson suffered a torn patellar tendon on April 8, 2023 in a national team game against the Republic of Ireland in Austin, Texas. Macario tore her ACL on June 1, 2022 while playing for her now-former club, Lyon. Macario’s last appearance for the USWNT was in a friendly against Uzbekistan on April 12, 2022 in Chester, Pennsylvania.“I think the first thing that comes to my mind is just being grateful,” Swanson said about her return. “One thing that I learned throughout my injury was that you can’t ever take life for granted. You can’t take your health for granted.”Both players ended up missing the World Cup. Their absences were a huge blow to the USWNT’s chances as they both played critical roles in the starting XI, and their return could be key for the USWNT’s Olympic hopes.Swanson said that there was a moment after her first surgery that she thought she might still make it back in time for the World Cup. “I remember texting my surgeon and being like ‘How long is this recovery,’ and he was like ‘Six months,’ and I was like ‘Oh, I can make it four. I’m gonna do it,’” she said.
But, as she revealed on The Women’s Game podcast in February, she suffered a septic infection in her knee after the first surgery and had to have a second surgery to remove the infection.“And I think that was the point that really slowed me down,” she said. “And looking back at it, I’m very thankful for how everything worked out because ultimately I learned a lot about life. I’ve never gone through something like what I went through and I think it gave me some time to evaluate myself, evaluate my life, and also take a step back and enjoy, honestly, being with my husband in Chicago.”Meanwhile, Macario was rehabbing in London during the World Cup and said it was difficult to watch the tournament. But it was also a sunny summer in the city, which helped.“(The sun) helped a lot to feel like I was a little bit back home in San Diego or Brazil,” she said. “I just tried to focus on the little things that I could control, and obviously it did take a lot longer than I expected, which was devastating. But the most important thing is that now I’m back and I hope that I can contribute to the team as much as possible leading up to the Olympics and this tournament as well. I just feel like I’ve been very, very blessed with all the people around me showing so much support and love and not feeling rushed to come back.
“Even though I could have had two children by now,” Macario added, laughing.
The USWNT will face Japan on Saturday, April 6 in the first of two games for the nation in the truncated SheBelieves Cup. Before joining the USWNT in training, Swanson and Macario returned to play for their respective clubs and have looked in good form. Swanson played a full 90 minutes for the Chicago Red Stars last weekend, scoring a goal against the Orlando Pride. Macario has been building her minutes for Chelsea since her return to play on March 3 as a substitute against Leicester City, a game in which she also scored a goal.Being able to get back into the rhythm of games with their clubs has been a matter of communication between themselves, their clubs, and U.S. Soccer, and some good timing. Macario, of course, can go directly to future U.S. head coach Emma Hayes at Chelsea for feedback, but said she ultimately left the loading to the experts.“I know that Chelsea and U.S. Soccer, they’re basically having meetings all the time and just try and figure out the right way to manage me in order to allow me to be in this environment for as long as possible,” she said. “Considering that I’ve been out for so long, we do have to take certain things into consideration.”wanson, who also played 80-plus minutes in two NWSL games before that last weekend, didn’t hide that it was a grueling transition.
“I was just like, ‘Welcome back!’ I forgot how hard (playing 90 minutes) is,” she said. “I think with U.S. Soccer and then with the Red Stars and talking to (head coach) Lorne (Donaldson), I think the timing actually worked out pretty well being able to use preseason and those preseason games as games that I can build minutes in.”
SheBelieves will be the last games under interim head coach Twila Kilgore. Emma Hayes will arrive in June for two friendlies against South Korea, which is a short window for both Swanson and Macario to get back up to speed with the national team as well as to adjust to newer and younger teammates who have joined the pool, including Jenna Nighswonger, Olivia Moultrie, and Jaedyn Shaw. There are also newcomers like Eva Gaetino and Lily Yohannes, whom Macario got a chance to see up close when Chelsea faced Ajax in the first leg of the Champions League quarterfinal.
“She’s a tremendous player. Really sweet girl. I honestly cannot believe that she’s 16,” said Macario. “She just reads the game so well and you can really see that. Ajax, they had a tremendous run in the Champions League and I do feel like that was a lot thanks to her.
“I remember joking around with her after the first game, I was like, ‘Oh, you’re American, right? You’re gonna join us?’ or something like that. And then I find out a few days later that she was called into camp. So that was really sweet.”Both Swanson and Macario were clearly in good spirits, laughing as they answered questions and ruminated on returning to play together after long recoveries.
“I feel like it’s always once something’s taken away from you, you always have a new perspective on it,” said Swanson. “I’m very just grateful to be back in this environment, back with this team and wearing the crest because it means so much.”
Macario described how it felt to step back on the field when she substituted in for Chelsea against Leicester. She said it felt the same being back in USWNT camp.
“It just really felt like a dream, just felt surreal,” she said. “It almost, looking back in the 641 days that it took, it just kind of all happened in the blink of an eye.
“I felt like crying but at the same time not because well, first of all, I’m in public and I hate crying in public. … I think probably the biggest thing was just getting over that mental hurdle that was like, ‘OK, I’m safe, I’m good to play again. I got this.”
(Top photo: Getty Images)
Alex Morgan, Lindsey Horan on Korbin Albert social media activity: ‘Disappointing and extremely, extremely sad’
“We just want to address the disappointing situation regarding Korbin that has unfolded over this past week. We’ve worked extremely hard to uphold the integrity of this national team through all of the generations, and we are extremely, extremely sad that this standard was not upheld,” Horan began. “Our fans and our supporters feel like this is a team that they can rally behind, and it’s so important that they feel and continue to feel undeniably heard and seen.”
Albert had engaged with content on TikTok that runs counter to the U.S. team’s long-running and public support of LGBTQ+ rights. Her activity included reposting videos — one of which included a sermon given in a Christian worship space talking about how being gay and “feeling transgender” is wrong. She also liked content about Rapinoe being injured in her final game.
“We stand by maintaining a safe and respectful space, especially as allies and members of the LGBTQ+ community,” Morgan continued in the statement. “This platform has given us an opportunity to highlight causes that matter to us, something that we never take for granted.”
Morgan stated that the team has also had internal discussions over Albert’s social media activity, and those discussions “will stay within the team.”
Mal Swanson and Catarina Macario were the two players originally scheduled for the virtual media availability, and Swanson declined to get into any specifics about those conversations when asked.
“We’ve had internal conversations and ultimately, those just stay internal,” Swanson said.
Morgan stressed at the end of the prepared statement that such an internal discussion would not be avoided, even if unpleasant. “One thing to also to know is that we have never shied away from hard conversations within this team,” she said.
In Albert’s apology, posted on March 28, she wrote in part, “I’m really disappointed in myself and am deeply sorry for the hurt that I have caused to my teammates, other players, fans, friends and anyone who was offended. I truly believe that everyone should feel safe and respected everywhere and on all playing fields. I know my actions have not lived up to that and for that I sincerely apologize. It’s an honor and a privilege to play this sport on the world stage and I promise to do better.”
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UPDATE (4/5): On Friday, USWNT interim head coach Twila Kilgore followed up on Horan and Morgan’s comments by saying, “It is disappointing when somebody falls short of the very high standards that we set within this team. This team has always been a beacon of respect, inclusion and demonstrated great allyship through actions for underrepresented and marginalized groups, including the LGBTQ+ community. And we will continue to do so.
“As Lindsay and Alex mentioned, this team has never shied away from hard conversations and today we’re here continuing to work on getting better, continuing to work on preparing ourselves to make ourselves proud, make our fans proud and put ourselves in the best position to continue to look towards success as we start this tournament.”
Kilgore added that Albert is available to play in the SheBelieves Cup. The U.S. will face Japan in their opening match on Saturday at 12:30 p.m. ET.
USMNT up to 11th in latest FIFA men’s world rankings, England down to fourth
The USMNT have climbed up to 11th in the latest FIFA men’s world rankings, while England have dropped to fourth.Following their CONCACAF Nations League victories over Jamaica and Mexico in March, Gregg Berhalter’s U.S. side have moved up two places to 11th, just behind Croatia who complete the top 10.Gareth Southgate’s England, though, have failed to secure a victory in their last three games, drawing with Belgium and losing to Brazil during the March international break, having drawn with North Macedonia in their final European Championship qualifier in November.
Germany, who host the European Championship this summer, remain 16th.
Argentina, who won the World Cup in 2022 and have only lost one of their last 12 games since the competition, are still ranked as the world’s No 1 side.
France remain in second while Belgium, who are unbeaten in their last 13 games, move up to third from fourth place.
Indonesia are the biggest climbest in the most recent rankings, moving up eight places to 134th, while Vietnam suffered the biggest drop, going down ten places to 115th.
It’s really getting to crunch time and despite La Liga taking a break this weekend for the Copa del Ray final there is a lot of action to watch as the Old Firm derby and some key Championship matches add themselves to the mix. Here’s what we’re watching:
Friday
Eintracht Frankfurt v Werder Bremen – 2:30p on ESPN+
Timothy Chandler has appeared in three straight matches and four of the past five for Eintracht Frankfurt though all four appearances have been with under five minutes remaining in the match. Frankfurt drew with Union Berlin last weekend and remain in sixth place on a little tier by themselves; they are nine points back of fifth place RB Leipzig and five points ahead of seventh place Augsburg.
Saturday
Norwich City v Ipswich Town – 7:30a on ESPN+
We’re keeping an eye on the English Championship as well this weekend where Josh Sargent and Norwich City take on league leading Ipswich Town. There are a couple of tight races in the promotion hunt with three teams, including Ipswich Town separated by just two points and battling for the top two spots and automatic promotion. Sargent and Norwich city are involved in the second race which is for sixth place and the final promotion playoff position. Currently Norwich hold the position by four points over Haji Wright’s Coventry City but Coventry have a game in hand so it’s still a wide open race with six matches to play and there are three other teams just two points removed from Coventry as well that will be looking to sneak in.
Crystal Palace v Manchester City – 7:30a on USA Network
Chris Richards picked up a knock last weekend against Nottingham Forest and is expected to miss a couple of weeks for Crystal Palace who take on Manchester City on Saturday morning. Palace are coming off a 1-0 loss to Bournemouth and their recent run of form has included draws to relegation candidates Forest and Luton Town but they remain eight points out of the relegation scrap heading into a brutal final stretch of the season that will see them play five of their seven matches against top eight opponents including City and league leading Liverpool.
AC Milan v Lecce – 9a on CBSSN
Coming off of International break Christian Pulisic and Yunus Musah were both substitutes last weekend, typical for Musah but an extra rest for Pulisic after long travel. Milan defeated Fiorentina 2-1 and hold a six point advantage over Juventus for second place in Serie A. This weekend’s opponent is Lecce who are five spots, but just four points, removed from relegation in what is a tight lower third of the Serie A table.
Union Berlin v Bayer Leverkusen – 9:30a on ESPN+
Brenden Aaronson saw a second straight start last weekend as Union Berlin played Eintracht Frankfurt to a scoreless draw. After their incredibly rough start to the season Berlin have straightened things out a bit and are now nine points clear of relegation but things will be quite challenging this weekend as they face a Bayer Leverkusen side that is running away with the Bundesliga title and undefeated in 40 straight matches.
Heidenheim v Bayern Munich – 9:30a on ESPN+
Lennard Maloney returned from injury last weekend and saw a minute off the bench in Heidenheim’s 3-3 draw with Stuttgart after missing the past three matches due to injury. Heidenheim have avoided the relegation scrap in their first year following promotion but are winless in their past six matches heading into their fixture against Bayern Munich who are having a down year but handled Heidenheim 4-2 in the first meeting between the clubs this season.
Fulham v Newcastle United – 10a on Peacock
Tim Ream has not been seeing minutes recently but Antonee Robinson continues to play nearly every minute for the EPL side, he’s over 3,100 minutes for the club across all competitions this season with seven matches (and 630 minutes) still remaining to play. Fulham are coming off a bad loss to Nottingham Forest but remain in thirteenth place, five points behind their opponent this weekend Newcastle, who are in eighth.
Luton Town v Bournemouth – 10a on Peacock
Tyler Adams was back in a big way last weekend, picking up man of the match honors while going the full 90’ in Bournemouth’s 2-1 win over Everton. Adams received an understandable break mid-week given that he’s just returned from injury as Bournemouth defeated Crystal Palace 1-0. Bournemouth have won three straight and the nine points has they well clear of the relegation zone and in the middle of the table as they take on a Luton Town side that currently sit in the relegation zone, three points from safety and are looking for their first win in twelve matches.
PSV Eindhoven v AZ Alkmaar – 12:45p on ESPN+
Sergino Dest, Malik Tillman, Ricardo Pepi, and PSV saw their undefeated Eredivisie campaign come to an end last weekend with a 3-1 loss to NEC Nijmegen but bounced back midweek with a 2-0 win over Excelsior. PSV still hold a nine point lead for the league title with six matches remaining. They take on fourth place AZ Alkmaar who they defeated 4-0 in December which included Malik Tillman assisting on a Sergino Dest goal.
LAFC v LA Galaxy – 7:30p on Fox
Timothy Tillman and Aaron Long will start for LAFC as they take on the LA Galaxy in the most recent edition of el Traffico. The Galaxy are currently leading the Western Conference while last years champions, LAFC, are off to a slower start, currently in 9th place.
Sunday
Rangers v Celtic – 7a on CBSSN
Cameron Carter-Vickers and Celtic have a one point lead over Rangers who have a game in hand as they head to Ibrox Stadium for the latest edition of the Old Firm Derby with huge title implications. Carter-Vickers has dealt with some injury issues this season but has started four straight for Celtic including wearing the captains armband in the last three.
Hoffenheim v Augsburg – 9:30a on ESPN+
John Brooks has returned from his red card suspension and will be available for Hoffenheim as they take on Augsburg who are three points ahead of them in the table, with both teams looking unlikely to threaten for European qualification nor be threatened by relegation. It remains to be seen whether Brooks will return immediately to the starting lineup, he has been in and out of the lineup a bit this season and cards have been a bit of an issue recently; in addition to his early red card that led to his suspension Brooks has received a yellow card in three of his previous four matches.
Monaco v Rennes – 11:05a on beIN Sports
Folarin Balogun didn’t get the start last weekend but came on as a sub and netted two goals in Monaco’s 5-2 win over Metz last weekend. With the win Monaco remained within a point of second place and three points ahead of Lille in the race for the final Champions League spot.
Wolfsburg v Borussia Monchengladbach – 11:30a on ESPN+
Wolfsburg snapped an eleven match winless streak last weekend as they defeated Werder Bremen 2-0 with Kevin Paredes starting yet again. The win gives Wolfsburg an eight point cushion over Mainz for relegation and leaves them tied with Joe Scally, Jordan Pefok, and Borussia Monchengladbach who fell to Freiburg 3-0 last weekend.
Sheffield United v Chelsea – 12:30p on NBC
Auston Trusty started at left-wingback for Sheffield United on Thursday in the team’s 3-1 loss to league leading Liverpool. The loss leaves Sheffield on track for both relegation and a historic goals-allowed number. On Sunday they face Chelsea who broke back into the top ten with a 4-3 win over Manchester United on Thursday.
Tottenham Hotspur v Nottingham Forest – 1p on USA Network
Matt Turner wasn’t on the field but he did make it into the refs book on Tuesday as he picked up a yellow card for kicking a ball onto the field to delay a Fulham restart as Nottingham Forest needed a full team effort to pull off the 3-1 win. Giovanni Reyna saw minutes as a substitute for the second straight match, coming on in relief of Morgan Gibbs-White who had already picked up a goal and an assist in the match.
Juventus v Fiorentina – 2:45p on Paramount+
Weston McKennie was also given a bit of a rest coming out of the international break and was brought on as a halftime substitute in Juventus’ 1-0 loss to Lazio in league play. Midweek Juventus bounced back to win the first leg of their Copa Italia semi-final matchup, also against Lazio, 2-0. Timothy Weah came on as a late substitute in both matches and picked up a yellow card in each one as well. On Sunday Juventus will take on tenth place Fiorentina who are also coming off a midweek Copa Italia win, 1-0 over Atalanta.
“Tyler has been always (talkative). He’s a captain with the national team. Even in the trainings, he’s going to be arguing. If he’s losing, he’s not gonna be happy. He will be demanding with the others. And this is a very good thing to have in the team.”The above quote is from Bournemouth manager Andoni Iraola, when asked about Tyler Adams’ leadership qualities just after Tyler’s first start of the season Saturday against Everton. The 25-year-old from Wappingers Falls, N.Y. went the full 90 in the Cherries’ 2-1 win, and was named Player of the Match. Heat maps that wouldn’t look out of place at a Jackson Pollock exhibit — paint sprayed across the entire canvas — will do that for a player.So is it safe to say that Adams is back? Well, based on the fact that he didn’t come off the bench in Bournemouth’s 1-0 win over Palace on Tuesday, it could be a case of the USMNT midfielder still working his way back to full-full fitness. But for a player as focused, vocal, and intense as Tyler, it would seem that he’s going to be tough to keep off the pitch for long.”He wants to go for all the balls,” continued Iraola. “He’s very instinctive and he wants to cover a lot.”Here’s to hoping he gets the chance to continue to provide cover in the Cherries’ next match: a visit to Luton Town on Saturday.Elsewhere in England …Four USMNTers were at the City Ground on Tuesday, as Nottingham Forest beat Fulham 3-1 in the most recent Premier League Bowl. Highlights of the match included: Antonee Robinson (26; Liverpool, ENG) playing his 12th straight complete game for Fulhamerica; and Gio Reyna subbing on in the 77th minute for the Tricky Trees, meaning in the last week the 21-year-old from Bedford, N.Y. has seen more playing time (45 minutes) than he had the entire two months prior (41). Tim Ream (36; St. Louis, MO) and Matt Turner (29; Park Ridge, NJ) did not see any action, although Matty T showed he’s a dawg who’s always up for a dawgfight, after getting a yellow card for barking at the ref from the bench. In the Championship, Haji Wright (26; Los Angeles, CA) made it five goals in his last six games for Coventry City, popping in a far-post worm-burner (Watch) in the Sky Blues’ 3-1 win at Huddersfield Town on Friday. Not to be outdone, Josh Sargent (24; O’Fallon, MO) made it four in his last six with a lovely little set-piece first-timer (Watch) in Norwich City’s 2-1 win over Plymouth Argyle on Friday. And then Duane Holmes (29; Columbus, GA) completed the end-of-week Americans Abroad Hat Trick by driving one home from close range (Watch) in Preston North End’s 3-0 win over Rotherham United. Good Friday, indeed.Balogun Brace Built by Extra Train Rides, Extra Training:We at ASU could not be any happier for Folarin Balogun (22; London, ENG), after the USMNT striker scored his seventh and eighth goals of the season (Watch) as a sub in Monaco’s 5-2 win at Metz on Saturday. The off-the-bench brace was the first by an American Abroad in Europe’s Top 5 leagues since Charlies Davies did the same for Sochaux in 2009.The current campaign has been a bit of a struggle for the former Arsenal forward, whose summer arrival with the French club was met with lofty expectations after joining for $44 million on the heels of 22 goals for Reims in Ligue 1 in 2022-23. But after scoring three goals in his first five games for Monaco, Balo has been in and out of the starting lineup for Les Rouge et Blanc, only scoring three times since October 7 before his brace over the weekend.While his goal-scoring struggles have been front and center for all to see, something that had been kept behind the scenes until now was the hard work and sacrifice Balogun originally put in to become a high-level finisher. Speaking to the Inside Track podcast, individual instructor Saul Isaksson-Hurst talked about how Balogun, then with Arsenal, would take the train from London to France on his off days to get extra one-on-one training with the former Arsenal, Chelsea and Spurs academy coach.“Flo would be doing a finishing session at Arsenal, but there would be six or seven other players there and it may not be specifically on what he needs to work on,” said Isaksson-Hurst. “Flo used to come back on the Eurostar on his days off to do sessions and then go back. He’s another really committed young pro.”Here’s to hoping the hard work done years ago continues to pay dividends for one of America’s finest.News and Notes:After his assist against Lazio in Juventus’ 2-0 Coppa Italia win on Tuesday (Watch), it’s now 10 dimes in all comps for Weston McKennie (25; Little Elm, TX) this season. Half of these have been to Dusan Vlahovic, so naturally Wes gave him a friendly shout-out on IG.Malik Tillman (21; Nürnberg, GER) had an assist (Watch) — his 11th of the season — in PSV’s 2-0 win at Excelsior on Tuesday. The victory comes on the heels of their first league loss of the season on Saturday, a 3-1 defeat at NEC Nijmegen, which ended a remarkable 26-match undefeated streak to open their Eredivisie campaign.Brenden Aaronson (23; Medford, NJ) got the start and played 65 minutes in Union Berlin’s scoreless draw at Frankfurt on Saturday. The Iron Ones are now undefeated in Aaronson’s last three starts.Alex Zendejas (26; El Paso, TX) scored his fifth in his last six games for Club America (Watch) in a 4-0 win at New England Revolution Tuesday in the CONCACAF Champions Cup.Gianluca Busio (21; Greensboro, NC) scored his sixth goal of the season for Venezia (Watch) in their 3-2 loss at Reggiana Monday. The Canal Boys are now one point out of the Serie B automatic promotion spots with seven matches to play.In Spain’s second tier, Konrad de la Fuente (22; Barcelona, ESP) bagged a brace (Watch) in Eibar’s 5-1 win over Eldense on Sunday. Los Armeros are in second place — hence, in the automatic promotion spots — with nine matches to go in LaLiga2.Parting Shots:Massive congrats to teen striker Joel Imasuen for making his Werder Bremen first-team debut in the Green-Whites’ 2-0 loss to Wolfsburg on Sunday. The 19-year-old born in Atlanta, Ga. came on in the 89th minute of the match, having earned his place in the senior squad thanks to 27 goals in 21 matches for Werder Bremen II this season. Imasuen played with Hertha Berlin from 2016-21, then spent a season with Viktoria 1889 Berlin before joining Werder Bremen in 2022.
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Wow Dos a Cero again !! The US Men dominated Mexico from start to finish leaving little doubt who the top team in CONCACAF is as the US has now won this competition for the 3rd straight time and it gets worse for Mexico each time. The US men were got fantastic goals from Tyler Adams in his return to play for his nation in over a year – this blast from distance. (Proper Spanish) Then Pulisic worked his magic and Gio Reyna finished on the rebound making it Dos a Cero. (Full Highlights) The US has better players and they are simply playing better. After obviously looking ahead against Jamaica needing a 95th minute goal to take it to ET and win easily 2-0 It was Gio Reyna who again was darn near the man of the Match for a second straight game for the US. You could argue he’s locked down the #10 slot no matter what is happening with his club Nottingham Forest (idiots). I for one am sick and tired of hearing the Gregg Berhalter bashing – this team seems to love him, plays for him – and excels for him. Do I love GB – no but lets see how he does in Copa America this summer before making further judgement. Certainly a final 4 birth should be expected at least this summer but we’ll see. (lots of stories below)
USWNT in She Believes Cup Next Sat 4/6 vs Japan 12:30 TNT & Tues 4/9 in ColumbusMallory Swanson and Catarina Macario will make their returns to the USWNT next week as part of the 23-player roster for the She Believes Cup, U.S. Soccer announced on Tuesday. Two new names are also joining the roster and earning their first senior national team call-ups, both playing for European clubs: 21-year-old Paris Saint-Germain defender Eva Gaetino and 16-year-old Ajax midfielder Lily Yohannes. These will be the final two matches for Twila Kilgore as USWNT interim coach. Permanent head coach Emma Hayes will take over beginning with the June window, with Kilgore remaining on the staff as an assistant. The USWNT will play in a reformatted She Believes Cup that has a semifinals and final as opposed to a round robin tournament. They will play Japan in the semifinals in Atlanta on Sat April 6th at 12:30 pm on TNT, and then will face either Brazil or Canada in either the 3rd place match at 5 pm or the final at 7 pm on April 9th in Columbus, Ohio ( tixstill available- the OBC is going over) on TBS. The USWNT defeated Canada and Brazil in the knockout stage on their way to claiming the inaugural W Gold Cup title.
Indy 11 face Detroit City Sat night 7 pm at the Mike
The Boys in Blue continue their homestand Saturday, hosting the first Eastern Conference foe of the season in Detroit City FC. Kick is slated for 7 p.m. ET and will air locally on WNDY, while streaming on ESPN+. Single-game tickets are available now for all matches via Ticketmaster. Season Ticket Packages can also be purchased, as well as tickets for groups and hospitality areas. For more information on these options click here.
Huge Game Weekend
Some huge games this weekend as Germany has Bayern Munich vs Dortmund on ESPN Saturday at 1:30 pm and Sunday gives us a massive EPL battle for 1st as Man City hosts Arsenal on Peacock of course at 11:30 am. Too bad NBC doesn’t give Crap about soccer in the US – that game on USA or NBC would really grab a nice viewership on Sunday. Great to see NWSL on ESPN at 3:30 pm KC vs Angel City right after the Bayern game. Fox gives us MLS Sunday Atlanta United vs Chicago Fire at 4 pm. So hard to watch MLS these days. Of course FS has the CCL Cup games Tues/Wed night. (See schedule below). Oh and Indy 11 @ Louisville City next Sat on CBS, with Champions League next Tues/Wed on CBS as well.
Champions League Elite 8 — starts April 9th & 10th on CBS
GAMES ON TV
Sat, MAr 30
7:30 am USA New Castle United vs West Ham
10:30 am ESPN+ Borrusia Mgladbach (Scally, ) vs Frieburg
11 am USA Nottingham Forest (Turner, Gio) vs Crystal Palace (Richards)
11 am Peacock_ Bournemouth (adams) vs Everton
11 am Peacock Sheffield United (Trusty) vs Fulham (Robinson, Ream)
1 pm para+ Lazio vs Juventus (Weah, McKinney)
1:30 pm ESPN Bayern Munich vs Dortmund
1:30 pm NBC Aston Villa vs Wolverhampton
3:30 pm ESPN KC Current vs Angel FC FC NWSL
3:45 pm Para+ Fiorentina vs AC Milan (Pulisic, Musah)
6:30 pm Ion Portland Thorns vs Racing Louisville NWSL
7 pm ESPN+ Indy 11 vs Detroit
Sun, Apr 1
9 am USA Liverpool vs Brighton
11:30 am Peacock Man City vs Arsenal
3 pm ESPN+ Real Madrid vs Atletic Club
2:30 pm ESPN+ Bayer Levekusen vs Wolfsburg
4 pm Fox Atlanta United vs Chicago Fire
Tues, Apr 2
2:30 pm USA New Castle United vs Everton
2:30 pm Peacock Notthingham Forest vs Fulham (Robinson, Ream)
3 pm Para+, CBSSN? Juventus (Weah, McKinney) vs Lazio
7 pm Fox Sport 1 Columbus Crew vs Tigres CCL
9 pm FS1 New England vs America CCL
Weds, Apr 3
2:30 pm USA Arsenal vs Luton Town
3:15 pm Peacock Man Vity vs Aston Villa
3 pm CBSSN? Forentina vs Atalanta
8 pm Fox Sport 1 Inter Miami (Messi) vs Monterrey CCL
10 pm FS1 Heredino vs Pachuca CCL
Thurs, Apr 4
2:30 pm USA Liverpool vs Sheffield United
3:15 pm Peacock Chelsea vs Man United
Sat, April 6
12:30 pm TNT, Max, Telemundo USA Women vs Japan
Tues, Apr 9
3 pm CBS Champions League
5 or 7 pm TBS, Universo, Peacock USWNT vs Brazil/Can winner Columbus, OH
USMNT’s Tyler Adams and Gio Reyna went from fitness doubts to Nations League game-winners
By Jon Arnold Mar 25, 2024 The Athletic
When Tyler Adams lined up a shot from nearly 30 yards out, both United States center backs, up for a corner kick, had the same thought: “Time to run back and defend.”“Usually, when Tyler shoots, you go ahead and get back into your position,” Chris Richards said.“Row Z,” added Tim Ream. “I thought, ‘OK, there’s a goal kick coming.’”Instead, the center backs’ runs were towards Adams, celebrating a goal unlike any he had scored before in a mob with a full group of jubilant teammates. The midfielder made his first start for the U.S. since the 2022 World Cup in Sunday’s 2-0 win over Mexico in the CONCACAF Nations League final following almost a whole year out through injury, as the USMNT captured the competition’s title for the third time in a row.
Adams had never scored a goal from outside the box in his professional career and rarely even shoots from distance, but felt the time was right to change that.“When the ball came to me and I felt like I had time on the ball, it was a no-brainer,” Adams said.Adams came off at halftime due to a minutes restriction agreed between the USMNT and Bournemouth, the Premier League club that was surely hoping Adams would return to England following this international break a bit fitter and much more confident.“Now I feel like I can shoot whenever I feel like,” Adams said, sporting his medal after the match. “I’ve been practicing that in my rehab recently. It was a good feeling scoring that one.”Adams and Gio Reyna both came into the game with rust: Adams having played 20 league minutes this season and Reyna 309 between Borussia Dortmund and Nottingham Forest. They were the two core pieces of the U.S. team that had the most question marks around their match fitness. Coach Gregg Berhalter opted to start both on Sunday and enjoyed the rewards, with Reyna adding the second goal.Once Ream got over the shock of seeing Adams’ long-range effort beat goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa, he was able to reflect more deeply on Adams’ return to the field, coming back from a pair of hamstring injuries that required surgery and putting in a solid shift in the first half of a final.“To see him rewarded after the amount of work he’s had to put in to get back to where he is, I think that’s the most impressive part,” the defender said.
Adams was mobbed after his goal (Darren Carroll/USSF/Getty Images for USSF)
That Adams and Reyna scored the goals and had a huge influence on proceedings may be a return to normal instead of a big shock for the U.S. side. The 25-year-old Adams and 21-year-old Reyna have long been seen as some of the brightest stars of a promising generation of U.S. players who have raised expectations around this squad.The surprise may be just how much they contributed — and that they did so from the opening whistle.Mexico coach Jaime Lozano said after the match he and his coaching staff expected to see Reyna from the beginning but perhaps not Adams after the midfielder’s long night against Jamaica, in which he was brought on in the second half of Thursday’s semifinal, only to be taken off again in extra time due to that minutes restriction.Still, he said, they’ve watched Adams since he was a young player and are well aware of his skills.“Today, he had a great goal, which I think changed the course of the game,” Lozano said. “We know, despite the fact that they came in (out of rhythm), that they’re totally international-quality players.”
Reyna, meanwhile, was named player of the tournament after assisting two goals in extra time in the semifinal to go with Sunday night’s insurance score. His performances merited it, but after the drama that surrounded Reyna, his family and Berhalter following the 2022 World Cup, seeing the coach run down the touchline to celebrate the title-clinching goal with Reyna last night wasn’t what many might have imagined in the aftermath of that fiasco.Other national teams might have frozen Reyna out, but since returning as U.S. manager in June 2023 after a brief hiatus following that World Cup, Berhalter has worked slowly to reintegrate Reyna into the team.“I think when I took over the team again, I talked about needing time,” Berhalter said. “The more that we worked together and the more that he believed that intentions were true and our whole staff has his best interest in mind, I think we started to gain trust.”“If we didn’t put it in the past, it would’ve been affecting the team, and I think that was most important for both of us: to put it in the past and focus on the team,” Reyna said. “I think the last few camps since we’ve been back together, they’ve been pretty successful camps.”
Reyna was named player of the tournament (Darren Carroll/USSF/Getty Images for USSF)
Increasingly, it feels that when it’s a successful camp for Reyna, it’s a successful camp for the U.S. and vice versa. After a stingy Jamaica nearly denied the U.S. any scoring opportunities in 95 minutes of the semifinal, Reyna unlocked the Reggae Boyz and lifted the U.S. into the final.On Sunday, Reyna was there to finish a move just after the hour mark, surging into the box to apply a strong finish to an attempted clearance. His hit on the half-volley beat Ochoa to the near post and doubled the lead Adams had given the U.S.“I think both of us came in ready to perform,” Reyna said. “I don’t think the outside noise of maybe not getting enough minutes really affects us. The body of work we’ve shown in the first few days of training here, and the preparation, really shows what we’ve done and I’m just super-happy for him and also pumped up for me, to be honest.”
The hope for the U.S. now is that both players not only excel upon their return to their clubs in England but that they stay healthy and gather strength. While Berhalter was thrilled to have 45 minutes from Adams and 78 from Reyna last night, he’ll hope to soon have 90 from both.That will be especially important in the Copa America on home turf this summer, which the U.S. begins June 23 against Bolivia. The matches only get more difficult from there and Berhalter must have Reyna creating and Adams patrolling the midfield
USMNT’s Nations League win over Mexico was expected – that’s what made it important
That the opening goal of the CONCACAF Nations League final happened the way it did — a blistering shot uncorked 30 yards out — felt fitting for the environment around this U.S. men’s national team this week. The pressure had been building up in the days ahead of Sunday’s game and was bound to explode — positively or negatively.The U.S. was coming off of a less-than-decisive 3-1 win over Jamaica in the semifinal on Thursday that required a last-gasp own goal to take it to extra time — a performance significantly below expectations for a U.S. team that’s believed to be capable of more than any that came before, and with a U.S.-hosted Copa America just months away. U.S. coach Gregg Berhalter chuckled to himself on Saturday when asked by a media member whether it was true that they had more pressure on them than Mexico ahead of the big occasion. Berhalter tried to deflect, pointing out that Mexico was coming off of a dominant semifinal win (3-0 against Panama) and would be expected to continue that against their bigger rival. But Berhalter’s smile was also an acknowledgment of the truth: the U.S. — and Berhalter — had more to lose. Nothing but a win on Sunday would have been enough, and Tyler Adams’ goal late in the first half brke the pressure of expectation in the U.S.’s 2-0 win. “There’s always going to be talk,” said Gio Reyna, who scored the second goal on 63 minutes and was named player of the tournament. “And I think looking into Jamaica was a bit much. It obviously wasn’t our best performance, but it’s one game. Not every team can play well every game and we responded really well tonight.”While neither team dominated the final, the U.S. never looked overwhelmed, circulating the ball and probing Mexico for weak points. They gave up very little defensively. Mexico had to chase the result in the last half-hour after Reyna doubled the lead. While El Tri had some half-chances, they never truly threatened the U.S.he postgame press conference for Mexico coach Jaime Lozano had a clear tilt to it: El Tri were chasing the U.S. now. How could they catch their biggest rivals? There was no doubt which team was favored — a sign of how far the U.S. has come since Berhalter first took over.The U.S. was smashed by Mexico in September 2019, a 3-0 loss in Berhalter’s first year that altered the course for this group. After that loss, the U.S. became a more transitional, high-pressing and physical team. They learned the intensity it would take to win those big games against their rival. That result, six meetings ago now, is the last time Mexico beat the U.S.
The U.S. was able to limit Mexico’s chances throughout the final (Shaun Clark/ISI Photos/Getty Images)
But while Sunday’s win was a requirement, it will bring little relief ahead of the Copa America. If anything, a third straight regional crown will only ramp up the hopes that the U.S. can do something special against bigger opponents in a tournament that will include the likes of Lionel Messi’s World Cup champions Argentina and world power Brazil.“I would say that, as a federation, those teams (such as Argentina and Brazil) have proven something already; they’ve won everything there is to win,” Adams said. “That’s kind of the role model, so to speak, of what the U.S. wants to become and kind of: ‘How do we get there?’.“I would say that we’re making the right steps in order to get there. Obviously, people want us to be there tomorrow and win a World Cup, but that’s not an ideal situation. We need to go through a lot of ups and downs before we get there. But steps like this tonight, playing in finals, getting that experience now, winning three in a row, this means something… We’re learning how to win in pressure situations.”The Nations League tournaments have served as markers for this group.The first win, in June 2021, was crucial in that it was a validating moment for a young team asserting itself in the region. That they battled back twice from deficits to win, 3-2 after extra time, showed the character of a group that has shined through since on multiple stages, including at the following year’s World Cup in Qatar.Last year’s dominant 3-0 semifinal win over Mexico only reinforced the U.S.’s position atop CONCACAF but, more importantly, it showed off the growth of Reyna playing in a central role. After the off-field issues in and after Qatar, Reyna came back into the group in 2023 looking to show he could be the influential playmaker the U.S. fans hoped he would be, and he then assisted on both goals in a 2-0 win over Canada in the final before being substituted for the second half due to a leg injury.
Adams celebrates his long-range goal (Omar Vega/Getty Images)
Reyna continued that impact into this year’s tournament, setting up both goals in extra time against Jamaica and then scoring in Sunday’s final. He went through the mixed zone still holding his trophy as player of the tournament.This Nations League final was never going to be the same type of marker for this group — not with the Copa America just around the corner. Instead, it served as almost a checkpoint. The U.S. was supposed to win this game. And that, in itself, spoke to the difference of this cycle.The U.S. isn’t going to be considered a young team anymore. They are expected to get results. “I think it’s something that we do respond to,” Berhalter said. “When the guys feel like we’re pressured, then we come out and we play really good performances. In the last World Cup, as soon as they got to camp, it was like, focus, focus, focus, they were on it. And the same thing in this camp as the camp went on. So I know they’re focused.“For me, it’s about really taking advantage of every single opportunity we have because, before we know it, ’26 (the World Cup being co-hosted with Canada and Mexico) is gonna be here.”(Top photo: Shaun Clark/ISI Photos/Getty Images)
UNITED STATES
Gio Reyna has been ‘killing it’ for the USMNT. Can he now do it at the club level?
Published Mar. 25, 2024 3:52 p.m. ET
ARLINGTON, Texas — The look on Gregg Berhalter’s face was the epitome of glee. In the 63rd minute of the Concacaf Nations League final, Gio Reyna perfectly positioned his body over a bouncing ball at the top of the penalty box and struck a low volley past Mexican goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa. It was a spectacular and technical goal that gave the United States men’s national team a 2-0 lead over their rival.The score went unchanged for the remainder of the match, and the U.S. fought against a feisty and physical opponent to hold on and win its third straight CNL title.After Reyna scored — his second goal of the tournament — he ran to the right corner flag while pointing at the U.S. crest on his chest. His teammates — those on the field and on the bench — joined him in a jumping-up-and-down-in-a-circle celebration. Berhalter sprinted down the touchline to join the group with a joyous smile that took up his whole face. Despite playing outside of Dallas, the crowd was pro-Mexico and the opposing fans roared with boos after Reyna’s goal. As the American players celebrated, nearby fans threw cups of beer at them. Seeing this happen in real time, Berhalter made his way to Reyna and tried to shield him from any other flying objects.A little while later, Reyna was subbed off in the 75th minute. He was on a minutes restriction, was starting to cramp up, and the USMNT had the lead in hand, so it made sense. When he stepped off the pitch, Berhalter put his arms around the player for a second. They both seemed happy.
“[He said] something along the lines that he was proud of me,” Reyna, who was named the tournament’s best player, said after the match.
“It was a long night, a lot’s been happening since the game,” Reyna said smiling, a nod to the beer and goggles celebration the players had in the locker room after the win, “and I just couldn’t tell you word for word. But it was just something nice. It wasn’t anything too special, but it was nice.”This is all a testament to how far both Berhalter and Reyna have come since the drama that ensnared their relationship at the 2022 World Cup. After the Americans were eliminated in the round of 16 of that tournament 15 months ago, Berhalter revealed that he nearly sent an unnamed player home due to a poor attitude in training. It was eventually discovered that the player was Reyna. His parents – former USMNT captain Claudio Reyna and former USWNT player Danielle Egan – retaliated by bringing up a decades-old domestic violence incident between Berhalter and his now-wife to U.S. Soccer. Berhalter’s contract expired shortly thereafter, though he was re-hired a few months later.In the aftermath, there was a lot of interest in the relationship between Berhalter and Reyna. Would Reyna be called into camp? Would he start? How would the vibes be? How would it affect the team? Etc, etc.
Reyna was recalled to the USMNT last October, and started the final four matches of 2023. In the USMNT’s semifinal win over Jamaica on Thursday, he had two beautiful assists in extra time that helped the squad to a 3-1 win. Following that game, Reyna spoke with reporters for the first time since everything transpired after the World Cup.
“Obviously, what happened, happened,” Reyna said. “But I think both of us are so far past it, and just so focused on the group that it’s not even an issue at all anymore. We’re just so far past it.”
He essentially repeated those sentiments late Sunday night, adding that he felt like this was all water under the bridge after their first camp back together last year.
“If we didn’t put it in the past, it would have been affecting the team and I think that was most important for the both of us,” Reyna explained. “I think the last few camps that he’s been here and we’ve been back together, it’s been pretty successful. So yeah, like I said, it’s in the past. It’s pretty simple.”
Time heals. Even if it didn’t, there’s no way Berhalter could avoid Reyna, who, at just 21 years old, is establishing himself as one of the most valuable players in the team.
“The kid’s unbelievable, honestly,” said Tyler Adams, who also scored a banger of a goal to put the USMNT up 1-0 right before halftime. “So many people talk about the noise that surrounded him and everything that he went through. But at 21 years old, every single one of the players on our team has gone through a situation like that. Maybe not as extreme, of course, because it was surrounding a World Cup and we didn’t play in a World Cup at 21.
“He’s got that grit, he’s got that intensity, and when he plays like that every night, he’s gonna be playing at a big club very soon.”
Last month, Reyna joined Nottingham Forest on loan from Borussia Dortmund for the remainder of the season. Minutes have been sparse for Reyna, and there were questions about his fitness entering this camp. He played 75 minutes against Jamaica, coming on at halftime and playing through extra time; then 75 more in the final against Mexico.
“He was determined to grind through it and power through it and I thought he was doing really well,” Berhalter said.
Berhalter, who said he and Reyna “started to gain trust” and were patient in rebuilding their relationship after the World Cup fallout, gushed about the young player’s talent.
“He can unlock defenses and he just has these qualities that are really good,” Berhalter said. “I also believe, and I’ve said this before, that he can be a midfielder. I think that’s the next evolution for him because he can control the tempo so well and he can make final passes when he gets the ball in pockets in transition and he’s a good finisher.”
Berhalter and Reyna both hope that Reyna can use this momentum as a springboard to get more minutes with his club. And for the USMNT, it’s especially heartening to see a confident and healthy Reyna in form with Copa America looming this summer.
“He’s killing it here,” defender Chris Richards said of his teammate. “Hopefully he continues that form.”
Laken Litman covers college football, college basketball and soccer for FOX Sports. She previously wrote for Sports Illustrated, USA Today and The Indianapolis Star. She is the author of “Strong Like a Woman,” published in spring 2022 to mark the 50th anniversary of Title IX. Follow her at @LakenLitman.
USMNT late week viewing guide: Back to the grind
Haji Wright, perhaps Josh Sargent, and others re-start club season on Friday
Friday
Huddersfield vs Coventry, 11a: Haji Wright and Coventry (8th) meet relegation-zone Huddersfield (22nd of 24 in the Championship).
Norwich City vs Plymouth Argyle, 11a on ESPN+ (free trial): Josh Sargent and sixth-place Norwich look to maintain promotion playoff position against Plymouth (18th).
América vs San Luis, 10p: Alejandro Zendejas and América are second in the Liga MX Clausura with 12 games played; San Luis are 13th of 18.
Ukraine qualify for Euro 2024: ‘The world is going to watch and see we never give up’
More than 40 members of Ukraine’s national-team party were spread around the centre circle of Wroclaw’s Tarczynski Arena.Players, coaches and backroom staff locked their gaze on the 30,000 spectators sporting blue and yellow as they revved up their version of the Viking thunderclap. Iceland, the architects of that celebration during the 2016 European Championship, could only listen in despair having lost this Euro 2024 play-off final to a late strike from Chelsea forward Mykhailo Mudryk.Strangers embraced. Families posed for photographs draped in Ukraine flags. Others video-called, possibly home to war-torn Ukraine, sharing the moment with others unable to experience first-hand this release of emotion around 600 miles (1,000km) away in south-west Poland.kraine had done it.Ukraine’s players address the crowd (Sergei Gapon/AFP via Getty Images)
Despite enduring over two years of Russian invasion and indiscriminate bombing with millions of its citizens displaced, a weakened domestic league and home advantage for matches long since diluted, Serhiy Rebrov’s side had come through two tense play-off matches to qualify for this summer’s Euros — a mountain they had failed to climb two years ago when pursuing a World Cup spot, losing to Wales at this final stage.
As Oleksandr Zinchenko, the captain, led his team around the pitch to celebrate a second comeback victory in five days, the 2-1 win over Iceland following a similar late success by the same scoreline away against Bosnia & Herzegovina, a guttural chant reverberated around the arena.
“Z-S-U! Z-S-U! Z-S-U!”
The acronym stands for ‘Zbronyi Syly Ukrainy’ — the Armed Forces of Ukraine. These Ukrainian supporters — almost all draped in the nation’s blue and yellow flag — were reminding the world of why this victory was not just a footballing triumph.
This was not so much a lap of honour as a vignette of how conflicting it is to be Ukrainian today; jubilant at a second major finals qualification via play-offs from seven attempts, yet acutely aware of how small sport seems in the shadow of war. United in a foreign city, but separated from loved ones across the border; grateful for international support, yet fearing that their struggle is fading from the public consciousness.
“I’m all emotioned out — it’s one of the most important, if not the most important, win for Ukraine in its history,” says British-Ukrainian journalist Andrew Todos, founder of Ukrainian football website Zorya Londonsk.
“It is the context of having to make the tournament to give the country a massive important platform. People are going to see the country and hear about the war carrying on during the build-up and the weeks that they are in the tournament.”
English-born drummer Andriy Buniak (bottom) of Ukrainian folk band Cov Kozaks with Andrew Todos (third right) and Myron Huzan (right) (Jordan Campbell/The Athletic)
The Ukraine FA, drawn as the hosts, chose Wroclaw for this play-off final because they knew it would be their best chance of approximating a home advantage. The 1-1 group-phase draw with England here in September attracted a crowd of 39,000 and Wroclaw has been one of the main cities to which Ukrainians have fled over the past two years.In 2018, there were already suggestions that one in every 10 Wroclaw residents was Ukrainian. The city’s university status means family reunions have driven that number up to around a third of the population. It would have been slightly higher again on Tuesday, with the city transformed into a ‘Little Kyiv’.
Drummers dressed in traditional attire beat a rhythm for jolly sing-alongs and heartfelt rallies in the market square. Every act of joy from the Ukrainian contingent quickly felt like an expression of defiance.
The constant was a sense of unity, captured by the charity match played earlier in the day between a team of former players and the ‘potato soldiers’, a nickname coined by organiser Mykola Vasylkov for the amount of food his team have delivered to the front line thanks to fundraising assistance from national-team players.
“‘No Football Euro without Ukraine’ has been our message — now we’ve done it, ” says Vasylkov, who was part of Andriy Shevchenko’s setup during his five years as Ukraine manager.
Vasylkov helped then manager Shevchenko in the Ukraine setup (Jordan Campbell/The Athletic)
The majority of the Ukrainians in attendance at last night’s play-off had lived elsewhere in Europe for some years before the conflict. Unless they receive special dispensation, males between the ages of 18 and 60 are banned from leaving the country.
Unable to fight for the cause in the conventional sense, this was the day when the diaspora played their part. Goalscorers Viktor Tsygankov and Mudryk, who play for clubs in Spain and England, and an eclectic fanbase combined to put their country on the map at this summer’s tournament in Germany.
“There were amazing emotions and atmosphere in the dressing room — these days wearing the Ukrainian badge on our chest is something special,” says Zinchenko. “The feelings inside are so hard to describe as, today, every Ukrainian was watching our game.
“All the video messages we received before the game from Ukrainians, in the country and abroad, from the military who are staying on the front line fighting for our independence and freedom… they were all supporting us. It was extra motivation for us.”
Zinchenko applauds the fans after Ukraine’s win (Andrzej Iwanczuk/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
It was only last summer that Zinchenko used Arsenal’s pre-season tour in the United States to call for American F-15 fighter jets to be given to Ukrainian forces. He did not want the world to become fatigued and forget his compatriots’ suffering.“It (Euro 2024) will be so important,” he says. “We all understand that. All the world is going to watch this competition as it’s one of the biggest in the sport. It’s an unreal opportunity to show how good we are as a team and how good it is to be Ukrainian.“Our people are about never giving up and fighting until the end.”
Iceland’s population of 375,000 is dwarfed by Ukraine’s estimated 34million and their FIFA ranking of 73rd is well below their opponents’ 24th, so Zinchenko and his team-mates were hardly underdogs last night — but Ukraine’s players still have to cope with the mental toil of having family members enduring life in a war zone.
When Ukraine missed out on a place at the most recent World Cup in its June 2022 play-offs, winning 3-1 away to Scotland in their semi-final but then being beaten 1-0 in Cardiff by a Gareth Bale shot that took a big deflection, their domestic-based players had only been able to feature in friendlies against club sides for the previous seven months. That was not the case this time, but four of the starting XI and 11 of the 23-man squad are based in Ukraine.
The domestic league resumed in that summer of 2022 but it has dropped in quality as most of its top foreign players have left, and only in the last month have small crowds been allowed into top-flight games again. They are only able to do so with the provision of air-raid sirens, and with bunkers to shelter in readily available.
Ukrainian fans celebrate qualification (Andrzej Iwanczuk/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
During that play-off final, footage appeared of Ukrainian soldiers in the trenches watching the match on their phones. That connection to home was strong in Wrocław on Tuesday.
“I work in the army and brought a flag that Ukrainian soldiers signed,” says Artem Genne, a London-based fan, holding up the message “Keep up the good work for peace and prosperity in Ukraine”, sporting the signatures of different regiments. “We went to visit the team the day before the game and we got a picture of them with the flag to send back to the troops and boost morale.
“Some family members live near some military facilities and they have been witnessing lots of attacks. Many of my friends live in Kyiv (the capital) and they were sending me footage from their balconies of windows being smashed. It goes on every day and, even though we are not there, it still affects you knowing your friends are in underground shelters.”
Artem Genne and a friend hold up their flag signed by Ukrainian soldiers (Jordan Campbell/The Athletic)
Roman Labunski travelled from Berlin in West Germany, over 200 miles, with his wife and two sons to be at the game.
His eldest son Nathan, 13, has only ever been to Ukraine twice, but was on his father’s shoulders during the 2014 Maidan revolution. He witnessed something en route to the stadium that served as a wake-up call.
“We saw lorries carrying tanks to the border,” Roman says. “It reminded us that we’re still able to do something safe and fun. I sometimes feel guilty that I am not living it, as my cousins came to stay with us after the invasion but went back after they thought it was safe. Now they are facing rockets again.
“It is not just football that we wanted to win for, and the team know that. It is no longer that they are up here and the fans are down there. We feel together with them now. The Euros will bring everyone back home some hope and happiness.”
Aron, Natan and Roman Lanunski travelled to Wroclaw from Berlin (Jordan Campbell/The Athletic)
Although most at the game had moved away from Ukraine years earlier, there are those who only narrowly avoided life on the front line.
Serhii was a 16-year-old living in a village 5km from Kyiv when a column of Russian tanks started moving towards the capital.
“It was the last town not to be occupied. If that had happened, it would have been a big problem for Kyiv,” he says. “Once the war started, I moved west; then to Germany for seven months before going home.
“Now I have been living in Chelm (just over the border from Ukraine in eastern Poland).”
Fedir (centre) and Serhii (right) in Wroclaw’s market square (Jordan Campbell/The Athletic)
His friend Fedir is from Vinnytsia, a city south-west of Kyiv.
“The Polish people have been very kind and welcoming to us,” Fedir says. “We appreciate this support from them, but it is lower than it was two years ago. This war is making everyone tired. Ukrainians, Polish. People are starting to forget about it. We are not.”
Vitaliy is part of the select group of fighting age who has permission to cross the border, due to his work in Denmark dating back to 2010.
“I grew up with the stories of my grandparents not being able to read Ukrainian books, so it was not a surprise to me when war came,” he says.
Vitaliy (left) with his family outside the stadium (Jordan Campbell/The Athletic)
“They try to tell us that western Ukraine is not the same as the east — whether it’s language, culture, history.
“That is why football is so important. Since we got independence, we are more able, as a people, to resist and see things for ourselves. We have our own identity and this summer is our chance to show that to the world.”
(Top photo: Sergei Gapon/AFP)
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US Men Defend Nations League Title vs Mexico Sun 9:15pm on Para+, Univision
The US Men look to defend their 2 Time Nations League Crown tonight as they face Mexico at 9:15 pm. The US needed a miracle goal in the 95th minute to take the game to ET where they pulled off the 3-1 win on two goals by Haji Wright off beautiful passes by Gio Reyna. Reyna certainly proved he belongs as he unlocked the tight Jamaican D over and over again. Jamaica scored 40 seconds in and parked the buss with 10 players behind the ball and in the box. The US struggled to unlock things until Reyna came in with Haji Wright. Obviously Dest will be back in at right back as Joe Scally had a tough game coming off at half time as the US looked for more attack. Otherwise not sure what changes GB might pull. I still kind of like Gio coming in at half time -but we will see. This game should be more wide open which should help the US as honestly we are a better fast break team rather than 75% possession team.
Great to see Tyler Adams back on the field and healthy for the US Men !
Indy 11 tie Home Opener Sat night 7 pm at the Mike
Indy Eleven and Sacramento Republic FC played to a 1-1 draw in the Boys in Blue’s home opener on Saturday night at Carroll Stadium. The Eleven found themselves on the wrong side of an own goal in the 31st minute, but answered back almost immediately when Augi Williams found the back of the net for the first time this season off and assist from Max Schneider. The Boys in Blue continue their homestand next Saturday, hosting the first Eastern Conference foe of the season in Detroit City FC. Kick is slated for 7 p.m. ET and will air locally on WNDY, while streaming on ESPN+. Single-game tickets are available now for all matches via Ticketmaster. Season Ticket Packages can also be purchased, as well as tickets for groups and hospitality areas. For more information on these options click here.
Former Carmel FC Players Doing Well
Congrats to former Carmel FC player Rosie Martin daughter of former Carmel FC coach Andy Martin and Lisa Martin has signed with University of Illinois Chicago to play D1 soccer.
Congrats to former Carmel FC player, Sophomore Maverick McCoy son of former FC coach Wade McCoy as they won the 20U Academy Cup last weekend. Center back Maverick also got to join the Indy 11 in some preseason friendlies and was on the bench last night for the home opener !!
Maverick was on the bench last night for the Indy 11 home opener !! Here with his dad Wade – Congrats ! The New US kits for Copa American & The Olympics have dropped – what do you think? Champions League Quarterfinals – Draw -A who’s who of Euro soccer – Real Madrid vs Man City – wow.
GAMES ON TV
Thurs, Mar 21
3:45 pm Fox Sports 2 Wales vs Finland Euro Qualifying
7 pm FS1 US Men vs Jamaica — Nations League Semis
9 pm FS1? Mexico vs Canada – Nations League Semis
Friday, Mar 22
1 pm FS2 Norway vs Czech Republic
3:45 pm FS2 Netherlands vs Scotland
8 pm Amazon Prime Orlando Pride vs Angel City NWSL
Sat, Mar 23
1 pm FS2 Ireland vs Belgium
2 pm Apple MLS NY Red Bulls vs Miami (Messi)
3 pm FOX England vs Brazil
4 pm CBSSN Canada vs T&T Copa Qualifier
7 pm TV 8? Indy 11 vs Sacramento
7:30 pm Apple MLS Cincy vs NYCFC
7:30 pm Ion Washington Spirit vs Bay FC NWSL
10 pm San Diego Wave (Morgan) vs KC Current NWSL
Sun, March 24
6 pm Para+ TUDN Concacaf 3rd place game
7 pm ESPN2 Portland Thorns vs NY/NJ Gothem NWSL
9 pm Para+ TUDN CONCACAF Finals – USA vs Mexico
Mon, Mar 25
4 pm Golazo US Men U23s vs France U23s
Tues, Mar 26th
3:45 pm FS2 Germany vs Netherlands
10:50 pm CBSSN Argentina vs Costa Rica
Sat, April 6
12:30 pm TNT, Max, Telemundo USA Women vs Japan
Tues, Apr 9
5 or 7 pm TBS, Universo, Peacock USWNT vs Brazil/Can winner Columbus, OH
Former U.S. men’s national team forward Herculez Gomez has said Gregg Berhalter isn’t the right coach to lead the USMNT to the 2026 World Cup.Gomez made his comments in the aftermath of the USMNT’s wild 3-1 extra-time win over Jamaica in the Nations League semifinal.The U.S. was just seconds away from a stunning defeat, but a Jamaica own goal with the last kick of the match sent the game into extra time. From there, Gio Reyna assisted Haji Wright for two goals to seal a spot in the final.Ahead of the USMNT’s match against Mexico on Sunday, Gomez voiced his concerns over Berhalter. “There are going to be many people out here who say, ‘Well, they made it to the final.’ Gregg Berhalter was two seconds away, was a play away from everybody calling for his head, from everybody saying this isn’t the man to lead this team,” Gomez said on ESPN’s “Futbol Americas.”“And I don’t think I feel too much differently today after this game as I did before it. Gregg Berhalter may be a good coach at a certain level. He’s not the coach for the U.S. men’s national team at this level, not the coach to lead the U.S. men’s national team to the World Cup in 2026.”
Berhalter led the USMNT to Gold Cup and Nations League titles, and a World Cup knockout round spot in his first stint as head coach, but his second go-round hasn’t been convincing as of yet. The coach returned to his position after last summer’s Gold Cup, producing expected wins against the likes of Oman, Uzbekistan and Ghana. Meanwhile, the USMNT has underwhelmed in defeats against Germany and Trinidad and Tobago, as well as during Thursday’s win over the Reggae Boyz.The pressure will be ramped up ahead of Sunday’s final against Mexico, and especially heading into this summer’s Copa América on home soil.
The USMNT needed an answered prayer to beat Jamaica. What was the problem?
By Jon Arnold Mar 22, 2024
When the goalkeeper ran into the opposing penalty area and the tactics had become unimportant, Gregg Berhalter did the last thing he possibly could.“You prepare, you work hard, you move everybody up in the penalty box and you pray,” the United States manager said Thursday night. Where set pieces and schemes didn’t work, petitioning a higher power did: The U.S. equalized Jamaica in the final moment of regulation on a flukey own goal and sent their CONCACAF Nations League semifinal to extra time.Given the gift of an extra 30 minutes to set things right, the U.S. took advantage. A double by Haji Wright in the added period propelled the Americans to the victory, but it was clear that the 3-1 final score was makeup on the pig of an ugly performance, one that required a stunning late own goal Berhalter called ‘miraculous’.How did the U.S. get to this point? The Jamaica team that gave it so much trouble was depleted by injuries and suspensions, most notably keeping the likes of Premier Leaguers Leon Bailey and Michail Antonio off the pitch. The U.S. still needed desperate prayer answered in the form of a goal off the head of its center back and then an opposing forward.The team conceded a goal it shouldn’t have conceded after just 34 seconds, forgot the attitude it needed to have in a region where every match promises to be feisty and needed a boost from reinforcements like Gio Reyna and Tyler Adams, who weren’t able to put in a full 90-minute shift Thursday.Jamaica always intended to come out in a defensive posture, and the early goal played right into the plan. “We have to improve – especially against a 5-4-1,” Berhalter said. “To me, it’s about speed of ball movement, combinations particularly in wide areas to get behind them and hurt the defense. We didn’t do that enough. When we did, we created chances. I think the expected goals was 2.6, so we had enough there but it wasn’t consistent enough.“You can see this team hasn’t played together for four months. It’s clear.”
Berhalter made numerous adjustments in the second half (Stephen Nadler/ISI Photos/USSF/Getty Images)
After allowing that first-minute goal to fullback Gregory Leigh, who popped up at the back post without a defender anywhere near and headed in a cross from Bobby De Cordova-Reid, the U.S. had to make immediate adjustments. Jamaica was able to rely on its strengths, snuffing out potential opportunities for the U.S. to break in transition and muscling players off the ball often when the U.S. did make forays into its attacking third.“You can’t give up the first goal in 45 seconds. That can’t happen,” Berhalter said. “Then it’s patience, perseverance. We had 940 passes in the game, so we had enough but to me it’s all about what you’re doing in the wide areas. You’ve got to draw them out of position…It’s all stuff we need to keep learning from.”
The late goal wasn’t the United States’ only bit of fortune – it was lucky to not be down by more than a goal as it chased the game. While Jamaica was happy to defend its lead and let the U.S. dominate possession of the ball, it had a few scoring chances it should have finished. None will be more frustrating for Jamaica than the chance just after the hour mark when forward Renaldo Cephas was alone in front of Matt Turner, only to send a weak effort into the U.S. goalkeeper’s arms.“We should’ve killed the game off in these 90 minutes, but it really, really hurts and I feel for the guys doing so well in the 90 minutes and then conceding a goal with the last touch of the game,” Jamaica manager Heimir Hallgrimsson said. “Psychologically, it was a blow to concede this goal at the end. You kind of saw it mentally and physically in (extra time) that we were missing the power we had in the 95 minutes.”Cephas got the starting nod Thursday as the Reggae Boyz dealt with a number of key absences. Aston Villa star Bailey was kept out of the camp because of disciplinary reasons, and West Ham United forward Antonio was a late scratch with a shoulder injury. Fellow attackers Demarai Gray and Shamar Nicholson missed the contest with suspensions.
Haji Wright scored both of the United States’ extra-time goals (Shaun Clark/Getty Images)
With all those absences, Berhalter felt his U.S. team forgot an important lesson about playing in this part of the world: The opponent will be open to muddying things up and giving one of the region’s traditional powers everything they can handle.“The pregame talk is the normal CONCACAF speech: It’s not going to be easy, guys. It’s going to be a very difficult game,” the manager said. “I think somewhere along the line it goes in one of their ears and out the other. They don’t really understand it. Because this was a typical CONCACAF game. We’ve all been a part of a ton of these games”Though typical in some ways, the Jamaican game plan was not without its quirks. Among the most impactful to the U.S. was the usage of Philadelphia Union center back Damion Lowe as a roaming destroyer in the midfield, which made it tough for the U.S. to pursue their best lines of attack. The team slogged through the first half, looking for a response to the first-minute goal that never truly came.“Obviously not our best day. Obviously not my best day,” U.S. winger Christian Pulisic said after. “But on days like that when you find a way to win, it says something about the team spirit. We just kept pushing and pushing and it came right at the end.”
That continued push in the second half came in part thanks to Berhalter’s addition of Reyna to the attack and Adams’ return to the midfield after more than a year away from the national team with a hamstring injury. Both players were on minutes restrictions and will have their fitness monitored ahead of Sunday’s title decider, Berhalter said.Reyna said he was looking to “just affect the game. It was pretty simple. Not our best performance today, and I just try to bring a bit of life to the team and luckily was able to do that.”Adams showed frustration coming out of the contest, which Berhalter attempted to assuage as best he could, with a hint of amusement. After subbing on the midfielder in the 63rd minute, Berhalter took him off in the 100th. Beyond the minutes cap, the motive was clear: The U.S. now has a final to prepare for and lots of work to do.
Against Mexico in that final, they may not be as lucky, but they may need it more.
Is Gregg Berhalter a good coach for the USMNT?
Ryan O’Hanlon Jeff Carlisle ESPN+ mar 18, 2024, 09:35 AM
Gregg Berhalter’s tenure as manager of the U.S. men’s national team has divided opinion from the start.
Yes, he’d helped the Columbus Crew punch above its weight as the Designated Player era in MLS entered its second decade. But he was hired while his brother was the chief commercial officer at the U.S. Soccer Federation, raising questions about a potential conflict of interest.
On top of that, his hiring seemed to some like a retrenchment back to the relatively small and insular community of U.S. Soccer. After the disastrous reign of Jurgen Klinsmann — the ultimate outsider and a critic of U.S. Soccer — no more outsiders would be leading the way.
Despite such concerns, Berhalter then went on to lead the U.S. through a successful 2022 World Cup qualification campaign, which helped erase memories of the USMNT crashing out four years earlier thanks to a hole Klinsmann dug early on in qualifiers. Once in Qatar, the Americans under Berhalter reached the round of 16, which was neither a high nor low mark for the USMNT. Some felt Berhalter met expectations at the World Cup, but others questioned whether the team should’ve done better with a group of players widely viewed as the best U.S. generation ever.
Just over five years since Berhalter was first hired, opinion remains divided among players, coaches and fans: Is Berhalter actually a good coach?
ESPN analyst Ryan O’Hanlon will delve into the numbers to see how Berhalter stacks against his USMNT predecessors. Has there been discernible progress on the field? Is the team winning more often than it used to? Has Berhalter been able to institute the kind of cohesive attacking style that USMNT fans have been calling out for? And most importantly, does he have the team performing at, above, or below the level of its talent?
But there are also aspects beyond the numbers to consider. Can Berhalter manage the egos of these players and get them pointed in the same direction? Do the players in the USMNT locker room trust him? And is his tactics-heavy approach the right fit at the international level? ESPN national reporter Jeff Carlisle spoke to former players and colleagues to get answers.
“I thought he was an excellent coach — very, very good tactically,” former Columbus Crew and U.S. international defender Michael Parkhurst told ESPN. “And just understanding the game, no detail went unnoticed.”
Former U.S. international forward and “Fútbol Americas” host Herculez Gomez takes a different view: “I don’t think he’s the best coach for the U.S. men’s national team. That doesn’t mean he can’t be a good coach. I just think he’s a very inexperienced coach.”
Trust between player and USMNT coach must be “unbreakable”
Part of what makes answering some of these questions difficult is that Berhalter does some of these things well for the most part, only to get tripped up enough to cast some doubt. Man-management is a primary example for his critics.
Gomez feels there are other times when Berhalter has broken trust with some players, like when he left Zack Steffen off the World Cup roster.
“If I’m a player and I see what he did to Steffen, I think that could happen to me,” he said. “Steffen was one of his guys. There are things that you don’t do as a coach to break trust for the player. And I think he’s done a few of those things.”
Steffen, who played under Berhalter in Columbus, said Berhalter hadn’t communicated his plan going into the World Cup, which the coach later said was focused on having an undisputed No. 1 in goal rather than goalkeepers battling for position. “I didn’t hear about that until a couple of months later,” Steffen told ESPN last year. “I heard someone say that, but I thought it was a rumor. He and I have a long history and, yeah, I thought it was a little bit different than it was.”
When a team is going through difficult periods, Gomez added, trust with players is all a coach has, and “that should be unbreakable.”
There have also been moments when Berhalter has shown a deft hand in managing players. The incident in World Cup qualifying when midfielder Weston McKennie was sent home for violating COVID-19 protocols was a delicate moment for the team. But Berhalter was firm in his discipline, gradually brought McKennie back into the fold, and the player was a key contributor during qualifying and at the World Cup.
Tim Ream was largely on the outside of the U.S. national team during World Cup qualifying, but Berhalter maintained communication with the Fulham defender, and when injury struck the likes of Miles Robinson and Chris Richards, he reached out to Ream from a position of strength rather than desperation.
Berhalter also seeks to connect with his players beyond what happens on the field, and his ability to recruit dual nationals such as Sergiño Dest and Yunus Musah has been impressive.
“I just think he’s someone who lives, sleeps, dreams… I mean, everything about the game is what Gregg cares about, but he also cares about people,” said current Minnesota United midfielder Wil Trapp, who played for Berhalter both with Columbus and the USMNT. “And I think that’s something that sometimes maybe isn’t always seen from the outside. But being on the inside, and knowing him for as long as I’ve known him, I mean, he cares deeply about his players, about their families, about them just beyond the soccer players.”
Former U.S. assistant coach Luchi Gonzalez lauded Berhalter’s ability to give honest feedback. The strain on Berhalter’s relationship with Reyna was due in part of just such an exchange when the manager informed the player of what his role would be prior to the World Cup — although Gonzalez admitted “no one’s perfect,” he’s convinced that in most situations, Berhalter has navigated communicating with players well.
“Berhalter was the best that I’ve ever experienced in terms of just honesty,” Gonzalez said. “Like feedback, critical, demanding, simple, concise, but yet supportive. Like, ‘Hey, you have the opportunity to respond and improve the situation or, or continue the situation.’ But with the staff and players, he was just always honest. And I think people, whether they liked what they heard or not, they respected it, and they wanted to respond to it.”
De la Torre: Doing ‘everything I can’ for a USMNT spot
Celta Vigo’s American midfielder Luca de la Torre discusses his hopes of securing a USMNT spot in the future.
That approach appeared to carry the day during the last World Cup cycle. The USMNT looked bought-in during the tournament, and that vibe has continued as Berhalter has continued this cycle. “The relationship is good,” said U.S. midfielder Luca de la Torre during an appearance on Fútbol Americas. “I think what I like about Gregg is that he’s a coach who players can be honest with, and he doesn’t seem to hold it against them.”
The team’s top player and captain, Christian Pulisic, is firmly in Berhalter’s camp as well, and he voiced support for Berhalter to continue as USMNT manager after the World Cup.
“Berhalter is someone who has grown on me a lot over the years. I’ve learned a lot from him and have grown so much as a player,” Pulisic said during a 2023 interview with ESPN. “It’s underappreciated what he’s done to create that environment, which was so special within that [World Cup] team. He’s helped a lot of players improve in a lot of ways.”
How tactical is too tactical for the international game?
Berhalter’s reputation is that of a tactics obsessive. His Columbus teams were heavy on possession, and this required countless hours spent on the practice field in a bid to fine-tune his system. He carried that approach with him to the USMNT. No detail was too small there, either.
Trapp recalled how Berhalter would stop training if a player strayed two to three meters out of position. “He’s showing you, ‘No, I can’t have you doing that and here’s why,'” Trapp said.
There is near universal agreement, even among Berhalter’s admirers, that the approach isn’t for everyone. There comes a point where the tactical detail morphs into information overload.
“For some players, they eat every ounce of it up and they love it,” said current Houston Dynamo general manager Pat Onstad, who was on Berhalter’s staff in Columbus. “And then for other players, after 30 seconds, they zone out and they’re off on their own. But that doesn’t mean, as a coach, that you sit there and say, ‘OK, well I’ll just cater to the 32nd guy, and that’s it.’ I think his passion and eye for detail, and the organizational part of it is infectious within the group.”
But can a system that requires so much repetition work at an international level, where time on the training field can be limited? Trapp, who made the bulk of his 20 international appearances under Berhalter, recalled how the manager would send video clips out to players in advance in a bid to spoon-feed them information, which would help players hit the ground running once camp begins.
Berhalter has admitted that he has at times simplified his approach. Following the last international window before the World Cup — which included a blowout loss to Japan — Berhalter stated that he piled on too much information to a group that he hadn’t seen in three months.
Joe Scally, during the six-month period in 2023 where it was uncertain Berhalter would return as manager, made it clear he wasn’t a fan of the approach, calling Berhalter’s tactics “confusing,” adding that the U.S. needed a manager “that definitely understands we’re not a club team. We need to just understand simple tactics, simple system that we can all apply that brings out the best in all the players. Not something to where it’s too complicated and you’re overthinking on the field.”
That said, Scally did feel the U.S. played well during the World Cup, though even there Berhalter’s system had its drawbacks. “As a player, when you’re on the field and you’re overthinking things it leads to silly mistakes and silly things where you’re not yourself and you can’t express yourself,” he said. “I think that was one of the things that didn’t work out.”
But Berhalter is now five years into his tenure. The tactical foundation has been — or at least should be — established. “Now that the team’s been together for a while and things are expected, I think it’s a little bit easier — it should be this time versus the first go around,” Parkhurst said.
Berhalter, the idealist vs. Berhalter, the pragmatist
There have been times during Berhalter’s tenure with the USMNT when he has stubbornly clung to his approach, sometimes to the team’s detriment.
During his first 20 months, Berhalter was adamant that the U.S. play out of the back. in September 2019, the USMNT hit its nadir in a 3-0 defeat to Mexico, a match in which El Tri pressed the U.S. into oblivion. What followed was an evolution in which the U.S. mixed in more direct play with possession and the USMNT defense stabilized as a result — but it also left many wondering what took Berhalter so long?
That stubborn streak showed itself at club level, too. Parkhurst, who indicated he loved playing under Berhalter’s intricate system, said that if he had one critique of Berhalter, it would be “understanding when to adapt.”
There have, however, been moments when he would relent. Parkhurst recalls conversations during the run-up to the 2015 MLS Cup final about how to handle the New York Red Bulls‘ high-press. The Crew’s tendency to play out of the back played right into the Red Bulls’ hands, so when the Eastern Conference final came around, Berhalter at last decided to take a more direct approach, using the aerial skills of Kei Kamara.
“That was the first time in two years that we were like, ‘Hey, forget it. Let’s just kick the ball long and play for seconds up there. We’re the better soccer team, and we can win as long as we don’t turn the ball over 20 yards from our goal,'” said Parkhurst.
The move paid off as Columbus prevailed 2-1 over two legs to reach that year’s MLS Cup final.
How Berhalter is hoping to build the USMNT towards the 2026 World Cup
Gregg Berhalter explains how the USMNT are working towards the 2026 World Cup in North America.
That is by no means the last battle between Berhalter, the idealist, and Berhalter, the pragmatist. Onstad recalls that following another encounter with the Red Bulls, one in which Columbus again prevailed by being more direct, Berhalter said, “We’re never doing that again. That’s not who we are.”
Throughout World Cup qualifying, Berhalter the pragmatist had the edge. This was especially evident in the road win at Honduras, when a trio of halftime substitutions sparked a come-from-behind, 4-1 win.
The push and pull of Berhalter’s instincts was evident at the World Cup as well. The Americans’ inability to deal with and adapt to Wales‘ insertion of target forward Kieffer Moore cost the team two points in a disappointing 1-1 draw. The U.S. played more within itself in the 0-0 draw with England, but in the round of 16, Berhalter appeared to play right into the tactical hands of Dutch counterpart Louis van Gaal, having the U.S. push forward and leaving far too much room on the counter.
“He sticks to it, and you think your team can do it,” said Parkhurst. “On the one hand, he’s got good confidence in guys. But I do think there’s times to mix it up a little bit. Otherwise it just becomes too easy sometimes.”
Do the stats say the USMNT is doing better under Berhalter?
To answer the question of “Is Gregg Berhalter actually a good coach?” we have to ask ourselves two smaller questions.
The first: “How good has the USMNT been with Gregg Berhalter as the manager?” Although that gets conflated with the question of whether or not Berhalter is a good coach, it’s a different question focused purely on the USMNT’s results. And in short, the answer is, the USMNT has done pretty damn good.
Across the history of the USMNT, 10 men have coached the team for at least 15 games. Here’s how their longevity stacks up:
Given that soccer wasn’t truly professionalized in the United States until the early 1990s, we just don’t have the same kind of historical record for the national team that, say, England or Brazil might have. Fourteen different men have managed at least 15 games for England, while 17 have done so for Brazil.
Bruce Arena, then, sort of brought the USMNT into the modern era. He also brought the USMNT further than they’ve ever gone in a modern World Cup: to the quarterfinals, where they lost 1-0 to eventual runners-up Germany. And the USMNT really outplayed Germany in a number of ways: more touches in the penalty area, controlling nearly two-thirds of final third possession, and creating more chances.
The bigger the circle, the higher the expected-goal value of the attempt:
Across his tenure, Arena’s team scored 1.64 goals per game and conceded 0.75 — respectively the fourth- and second-best marks among the 10 qualifying USMNT coaches. However, another coach ranks first in both goals scored (2.02) and goals conceded (0.65) per game.
It’s Gregg Berhalter:
Now, this doesn’t adjust for the quality of the opponent or the type of match. And the tricky thing about assessing international managers is that they don’t coach many games that matter. Friendlies are games where neither team is trying to optimize to win the match: Both sides want to win, but the personnel decisions both before and during the match aren’t totally aligned with getting three points. Plus, it’s never clear how hard the players themselves are playing in friendlies.
So, then, performances in friendlies don’t really matter all that much. But then when you eliminate friendlies, you’re left with the Gold Cup, World Cup qualifying, the World Cup, and possibly the Copa America and/or Confederations Cup. That’s maybe 20 games, total.
In other words, no two USMNT managers manage against the same schedules of opponents, and they all manage too few competitive matches to really put too much weight into those games, either. To start to get around that, though, we can look at the Elo rating of the team.
Initially developed for chess, the Elo system adjusts a competitor’s rating after every match. If you win, your rating goes up; lose, and it goes down. As the World Football Elo Ratings describe their own methodology, they apply “the Elo rating system to international football, by adding a weighting for the kind of match, an adjustment for the home team advantage, and an adjustment for goal difference in the match result.”
Since the system is based only on results, and results are quite random over a short sample, we’re only going to look at the USMNT managerial stints that have lasted for 50 games or more. Here’s how they stack up, based on where the team’s Elo rating was at the start of the tenure and where it was by the end:
• Bora Milutinovic (April 1, 1991-April 14, 1995): 1601 to 1619, up 18 points • Steve Sampson (Aug. 1, 1995-July 30, 1998): 1708 to 1697, down 11 points • Bruce Arena (Oct. 1, 1998-July 31, 2006): 1696 to 1775, up 79 points • Bob Bradley (Dec. 1, 2006-July 31, 2011): 1775 to 1738, down 37 points • Jurgen Klinsmann (July 29, 2011-Nov. 21, 2016): 1738 to 1735, down 3 points • Gregg Berhalter (Dec. 2, 2018-Dec. 31, 2022): 1743 to 1819, up 76 points
Despite experiencing the biggest start-to-finish decline, Bradley’s team also reached the high-water Elo mark for the program after their victory against Spain in the semifinals of the 2009 Confederations Cup. But Bradley’s tenure aside, these ratings check out: Milutinovic stabilized the program for the 1994 World Cup, Sampson was a disaster, Arena guided the team to a new level, and Klinsmann was supposed to “Europeanize” Bradley’s squad, but ultimately made it worse.
With Berhalter, though, what we’re left with is a coach whose team scores more goals than any U.S. manager ever, concedes fewer goals than any U.S. manager ever, and improved by a good degree over his first four-year stretch as coach.
If you’re wondering why the team’s rating jumped so much under Berhalter: The two cup-final wins over Mexico were worth massive points, and then the World Cup was an overall success, too. In Qatar, the rating dipped by a point after a draw with slightly lower-ranked Wales. It jumped by 13 with the draw with England, then a further 30 with the win over similarly ranked Iran, before dipping by 20 after the 3-1 loss to the Netherlands, who were ranked third in the world at the time. All in all, these World Cup performances bumped the USMNT’s rating up by 22 points.
How much of the USMNT’s success can be attributed to Berhalter?
All of that now brings us to the second question: “How much of this is due to Gregg Berhalter vs. the players he has?”
To his credit, Berhalter has changed the way the team plays. TruMedia doesn’t have advanced data for every USMNT manager, so unfortunately we can only compare him to Klinsmann’s full tenure and Arena’s second tenure. In competitive matches under those two, the team averaged about 3.1 possessions won in the attacking third per game, and they moved upfield at about 1.8 meters per second.
Under Berhalter, the pressing has increased — massively. The number of possessions won in the attacking third per game has leapt up to 5.8. And that’s been paired with a much more measured approach in possession — the ball has moved upfield at a rate of 1.4 meters per second under Berhalter. The current USMNT coach is clearly attuned to the tactical ideas at the highest levels of the game, and we’ve seen this show up in how his team plays. He deserves credit for implementing some kind of stylistic shift in the international game, where stylistic shifts are quite difficult because of how little game and practice time a national team coach gets with his players.
At the same time, wouldn’t we just expect some of this to happen naturally since the majority of the USMNT roster is made up of players who are playing their club ball at the highest levels of the game? These are players who are exposed to advanced pressing and possession approaches, day in and day out under their club coaches.
While it’s difficult to compare the quality of USMNT talent across eras in any kind of objective way, there’s seemingly a new stat about record contributions from Americans in the Champions League every week at this point. Previous USMNT managers weren’t as fortunate, and in fact Klinsmann frequently butted heads with the commissioner of MLS over his very public criticism of the U.S.-based league and his expectation that Americans challenge themselves in Europe. Klinsmann, for all his pushing — which included creating a Europe-based technical advisor position to scout and recruit players abroad — never enjoyed the European-based player pool that Berhalter has.
So, of course the team is better — the players are better!
It may be that 2023 was a wasted year by the program and one where Elo ratings don’t provide much value, but at the end of 2022, the USMNT was the 23rd-best team in the world, per the Elo ratings. That might seem like a disappointment relative to the talent level, but in 2022, it’s not like American soccer players were tearing it up across Europe. They were in Europe, but most of the USMNT’s best players had the worst seasons of their careers in the 2022-23 season. On top of that, the U.S. had the youngest team at the World Cup weighted by minutes played.
Per the transfer-value estimates from the site Transfermarkt, the USMNT has roughly the 21st most-valuable squad in the world — and that’s right around the level they’ve played at under Berhalter. He hasn’t made the team better, and he hasn’t made the team worse.
A ringing endorsement, huh?
Yes, Pep Guardiola and Jurgen Klopp would do a better job managing the USMNT than Berhalter has. But they’re not going to manage the USMNT any time soon. The reality is that most of the top managers in the world do not want to manage national teams for an extended period of time. The quality of play is nowhere near as high as the club game, the pay isn’t as good, there’s barely any time to train, and you don’t really get to pick your players. Despite every big-name unemployed manager getting linked with the team, the USMNT just isn’t choosing from the same coaching pool as Premier League teams.
A couple weeks ago, I proposed a theory of managerial value to someone who used to work for one of the biggest clubs in Europe. In short: There are a couple managers who are guaranteed to make your team better, a ton of managers whose long-term impact will be indistinguishable from each other, and then a couple managers who will actively make your team worse.
This person agreed with the first two parts but then corrected that final categorization. No, they said, there are a ton of coaches out there who will make your team worse, too.
And so, the USMNT really does seem to have a coach who will get the American players to play roughly to the level of their collective talent. That level of talent is somewhere within the range of No. 15 to No. 30 among all national teams, which means that with a favorable draw, some luck, and perhaps some home-field advantage, it’s plausible the U.S. men can make a run at the next World Cup.
The U.S. Soccer Federation could take a swing for that tiny first group of coaches who will make the USMNT better, despite an even tinier number being available for national-team employment. What’s the harm in taking a shot to vault away from that second group of coaches who don’t make much of a difference?
Well, there’s always a chance you end up with someone from the third group: a coach who actively makes the team worse. Remember what happened before the 2018 World Cup? The USMNT didn’t even qualify.
Awaiting a signature USMNT win
There is a school of thought that the experienced crop of USMNT players has outgrown Berhalter as a manager. The U.S. player pool is at a point where you don’t have to look hard to find Americans in the top five leagues of Europe.
“I think we talk about this generation and how young they are and how green they are, coming into their own,” said Gomez. “We’re talking about this team being green and these players getting minutes at Juventus, at Chelsea, at Milan, at Leipzig, etcetera. Well, our coach is probably the greenest one in this program then, because he had Hammarby [in Sweden] and had the Columbus Crew. So, I just don’t think he is at the level of the pool.”
There is also a bit of a fantasy that the likes of Guardiola, Klopp or Jose Mourinho will be intrigued enough by what the U.S. has to offer as a country that they might be willing to take the plunge with the USMNT. That ignores some economic realities. Coaches like that are well outside of the U.S. Soccer Federation’s price range, yet the dream of hiring a foreign coach exists.
Part of the reason why those dreams persist is that Berhalter’s record works against him here. According to ESPN Stats & Information, his record against teams above the U.S. in FIFA’s rankings is 3-4-6. All three of those wins have come against a Mexico side that is widely regarded as the worst El Tri side in a generation.
Granted, when the U.S. beat Mexico in extra time at the 2021 Concacaf Nations League, it initially was counted as a signature win given that it was the first U.S. victory over their fierce rivals in a competitive fixture since qualifying for the 2014 World Cup. It was a big step forward for this generation of players.
But now, the stakes have been raised. It is no longer enough just to beat Mexico. There needs to be a win — preferably more than one — against a top side. The 3-1 defeat against Germany last October was sobering to say the least. How much of that is on the players is another one of those endless debates.
“I do understand that we have a super talented team that are playing in big games over in Europe, so it’s just fantastic,” said Parkhurst. “But shoot, we’re still far away from the top, top teams in the world.”
Berhalter is on record as wanting to change how the USMNT is perceived. In that sense, this summer’s Copa America will be revealing, especially as it relates to the question of whether Gregg Berhalter is a good coach.
Picking the USMNT’s 23-man roster 100 days out from the 2024 Copa America
By The Athletic StaffMar 13, 2024
Should USMNT call up a Burnley winger to stop him from representing Italy, Canada or Nigeria?How much should the Olympics be a factor in who Gregg Berhalter picks for the Copa America?Does Mark McKenzie deserve a call-up after his impressive season at Genk?The Copa America is just 100 days away, so six of our writers have done the hard work for Berhalter and chosen the 23 players they would pick for this summer’s tournament on home soil…
My split looks odd because of the small number of “forwards” listed here, but dropping from a 26-man to a roster of 23 means versatility is going to be crucial in how Berhalter thinks about his squad. There are multiple players here who provide that sort of positional flexibility and protection.
Kevin Paredes is listed as a defender because that’s how he was registered on the USMNT’s 60-man preliminary roster for the Nations League, but he is capable — and has mostly played — as a left winger for his country. Joe Scally can play as both a left and right back, as can Sergiño Dest. Gio Reyna and Malik Tillman are both listed here as midfielders, but both can play as a winger and have for the USMNT in the past.
Realistically for a 23-man roster, it isn’t sensible to bring three No. 9s, but I’m not sure there’s a winger who deserves a roster spot over any of the three strikers. If Berhalter opts to take just two strikers, it makes the most sense to play Ricardo Pepi or Folarin Balogun in the Olympics because they’re age-eligible (The Olympics are a U-23 tournament on the men’s side). Neither striker has lit up their respective leagues (the Eredivisie in the Netherlands and Ligue 1 in France), while Josh Sargent has been very good for Norwich City in England’s second tier since returning from injury in December. Pepi was the final cut from the 2022 World Cup roster and that was a mistake. You wonder whether that decision will weigh into the Copa choices, as well.
For now, I’ll cop out by bringing all three strikers and one fewer winger because Paredes, Reyna and Tillman give plenty of cover.
(Broer van den Boom/BSR Agency/Getty Images)
The rest of the squad essentially picks itself. I took Drake Callender over Patrick Schulte as the third goalkeeper, Paredes over Kristoffer Lund due to his ability to play on the wing and Luca de la Torre over Brenden Aaronson due to form and function.
Jeff Rueter’s USMNT squad for Copa America
Generally, this roster is built to have minimal overlap with the Olympic squad playing later in the summer — if any at all.
These are the three most in-form goalkeepers, with Patrick Schulte being better in line for the Olympics.
Mark McKenzie is quietly putting together a very strong season with Genk in Belgium, and could offer a more mobile and long-range passing alternative at the back.
I’m using two roster slots on midfield cover given Tyler Adams’ lack of playing time over the past year; Johnny Cardoso has played himself into must-select status with Spain’s Real Betis, while Lennard Maloney has been dependable for German club Heidenheim. Malik Tillman could factor for minutes along the forward line, while Reyna (who I almost talked myself into making the Olympic roster headliner) could tuck into an advanced midfield role.
(Howard Smith/ISI Photos/USSF/Getty Images for USSF)
Players I left off with an eye on the latter tournament include Pepi, Taylor Booth, Diego Luna, Schulte, Paredes, and Jordan Morris, who I’d tap for an over-age slot.
John Muller’s USMNT squad for Copa America
For the first time in the Berhalter era, the USMNT squad feels set — we pretty much know who’s in, who’s out and who’s a starter when fit. So let’s have a little fun with the depth spots, yeah?
Luca Koleosho is not a USMNT player, but he’s also not yet cap-tied to Italy, Canada or Nigeria, all of which would very much like to have the gifted young Burnley winger. Berhalter has been talking to Koleosho for a while about bringing him into the fold and a Copa America invite is the best recruiting tool he’s got.
(James Gill/Getty Images)
Same deal with the highly touted 17-year-old Barcelona goalkeeper Diego Kochen, who’s being courted by several countries. Callender hasn’t shown many signs that he is America’s goalkeeper of the future. Schulte can start in the Olympics. Berhalter should use the third goalkeeper spot at the Copa — which never really matters anyway — to make Kochen an offer he can’t refuse.
Of the other picks here, only Jesus Ferreira is controversial. He shouldn’t be. The USMNT’s 13th-highest goalscorer of all time remains weirdly underappreciated despite years of being one of the most consistent strikers in MLS and for the national team. He’s also got a different profile than Balogun, which gives Berhalter the flexibility to switch up his striker tactics or even play both guys together.
Elias Burke’s USMNT squad for Copa America
It will be interesting to see who Berhalter opts for in goal against Jamaica this month, given Matt Turner’s loss of form at Nottingham Forest of the Premier League and Ethan Horvath’s strong displays for Cardiff City since joining the Championship club on loan in January. Cardiff is on a four-match winning streak at the time of writing, with Horvath a significant contributor. Could he displace the previously undisputed No. 1 between now and the start of the tournament? Probably not, but it’s worth keeping an eye on.
Six of the eight defenders pick themselves, but I’ve gone with Auston Trusty and Paredes to round out the selection. Trusty can play as an outside center back and Paredes is comfortable at wingback, giving Berhalter the option to play five in defense against more formidable opponents.
Of the seven midfielders selected, only four may expect to start. You’d imagine Berhalter to be pragmatic with an Adams-Yunus Musah-Weston McKennie trio for the final group game against Uruguay, but Reyna’s creativity may be called upon for games against Bolivia and Panama, in which the USMNT is favored. Watch out for Cardoso, who has adapted to life in La Liga with Real Betis well and can play as a No. 6 or further forward, and could deputize for Adams if his fitness struggles continue. His excellent side-footed finish from outside the box in a 3-1 win over Athletic Bilbao last month exemplifies his quality.
(DAX Images/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
In attack, you’d expect Tim Weah and Christian Pulisic to flank one of Balogun, Pepi and Sargent, who all have decent claims to the starting role. Pepi has fared best in a USMNT shirt of late, and Balogun has the most pedigree, but Sargent is in the best form with 12 goals in 17 appearances in this season’s Championship. Malik Tillman and Reyna can cover in wide positions if Weah and Pulisic struggle.
Tom Bogert’s USMNT squad for Copa America
With the Olympics on the back of Copa, many younger players who could challenge for bottom of the roster squad spots should prioritize playing time in Paris. The likes of John Tolkin, Gabriel Slonina, Diego Luna, Chris Brady, Cade Cowell and others come to mind as players who maybe could make the squad but wouldn’t get much game time.
It probably would make the most sense to suggest Pepi is better served playing every minute at the Olympics instead of being maybe third-choice at the Copa America, but that would take convincing both Pepi to skip the Copa and also PSV Eindhoven to release the forward for the Olympics, with the tournament ending on the same August the new Dutch league season starts. I don’t think that will happen.
One of the forwards who miss out on Copa (likely one of Brandon Vazquez and Haji Wright) should be an over-age addition to the Olympic squad.
The toughest overage omissions from this group are Cameron Carter-Vickers, Trusty and Brenden Aaronson. Berhalter has almost seemed to prefer Miles Robinson and Walker Zimmerman when available, hence my lean there.
Greg O’Keeffe’s USMNT squad for Copa America
The first two goalkeepers pick themselves but it was tough deciding between Slonina, who has been building hard experience at KAS Eupen in Belgium, and Callender. Ultimately the latter gets the nod because of his performances and the level of training he’ll have been experiencing with the Lionel Messi/Luis Suarez super-charged Inter Miami.
My defense leans on Premier League performers but Bundesliga duo Scally and Paredes, who has performed well since winning the USMNT young player of the year for 2023, offer versatility. In midfield, I wanted to find room for Maloney but in the end de la Torre’s extra creativity pushed me his way, with the more defensive roles well covered.
The attacking options are solid. Pepi can be a real game-changer from the bench, and Sargent’s injury-truncated season may be peaking by July. Pulisic walks into the team and can provide mastery out wide, Weah’s impact is clear and it’s the gifted Balogun who surprisingly has the most to prove in order to get more minutes than Sargent or Pepi.
(Top photos: Getty Images)
Tyler Adams returns for Bournemouth just in time for USMNT: ‘It felt natural’
One long year and two long days after his last Premier League match, Tyler Adams is finally back where he belongs.The 25-year-old came on from the substitutes’ bench on Wednesday evening as Bournemouth fought back from three goals down at the Vitality Stadium to beat Luton Town 4-3. Though it took head coach Andoni Iraola 71 minutes to call his number, he was in game mode well before kick-off.“It felt natural,” Adams told The Athletic. “I’ve had an amazing rehab process. I played a reserve game last week and only played 30 minutes but still, just to get in the chaos of the game, look around, check your shoulder, know where you are on the field, and adapt to new team-mates; it’s been really good and it was easy to come into that game with the boys flying as soon as we got those three goals back.“You could see the confidence in the team. I was so excited to be out there.”While his team-mates conducted their pre-match warm-ups in puffer coats and jogging bottoms, Adams braved the nine-degree (48 degrees Fahrenheit) cold in a light zip-up top and shorts. As the other substitutes watched their side close the deficit from the bench, Adams ran intensely on the sideline and gestured for every foul. Though he had never played a Premier League minute as a Bournemouth player, he looked every inch a leading figure.He entered the field with the scores level and slotted into the No 6 midfield position just ahead of the defence. His first touch was calm and assured, as was almost every touch after. He completed 10 of 13 passes, a 77 per cent success rate.
Twelve minutes later, Antoine Semenyo scored the winning goal. It was only the third time in Premier League history a team had come back to win after trailing by three goals at half-time.Once Bournemouth went ahead, he provided a calming influence. He took the responsibility of talking his midfield partners through the game and gesturing with a pointed finger to his head that his team-mates remain focused.“It’s just instinct,” Adams said. “I’ve been a leader my entire life. It’s a role I don’t shy away from taking, especially on this team where there is a lot of chaos in the game. I just wanted to try to come in and have a calming presence in the game.“You can see immediately — once you start communicating, it makes everything around you go dull. We wanted to slow the game down when we had the opportunity to.”While it was all smiles from Adams post-match, he has had to draw on his reserves of resilience over a difficult year in England.
Adams last saw Premier League action last season with Leeds United (George Wood/Getty Images)
The initial hamstring injury he suffered a year ago was one of the many factors in Leeds’ eventual fall to the Championship last season and may ultimately have damaged his prospects of a move to Chelsea last summer.It did not deter several suitors from trying to prise him away from Elland Road, with Leeds battling to keep a player they viewed as a strong leader, quality midfielder and a potentially positive influence on a dressing room trying to win promotion.But before a key summer for the USMNT, he wanted to play in one of Europe’s top leagues and when a move to Stamford Bridge fizzled out, Bournemouth’s interest was a chance to do that.
Bournemouth did not share what Leeds perceived as Chelsea’s doubts over the timeframe of his recovery and were keen to activate his relegation release clause before it ran out last August, allowing them to get on with a complicated medical for a player who, back then, had already been absent from full training for more than four months.
Bournemouth’s California-based owner Bill Foley is trying to ramp up the club’s commercial performance, widen its fanbase and replicate elements of the success he has achieved in ice hockey’s NHL with the Vegas Golden Knights. In Adams, he was landing the USMNT’s captain, one of the pin-ups of soccer in the States.
So it was with high hopes that he headed to the Vitality Stadium, hoping to become an integral part of an upwardly mobile club, stabilised in the top flight and with owners who appreciate his worth in every sense.
Bournemouth have remained true to that criteria but much to Adams’ frustration up to now, he has been unable to play his part — on the pitch at least.
A return of the hamstring problem that plagued his time in Yorkshire meant that until Wednesday, he had appeared just once: as a 70th-minute substitute in a Carabao Cup win against Stoke City in September.
Adams’ attitude, despite his disappointment and frustration, has been exemplary.
He was understandably down when he had to start over again but recovered to become an upbeat presence around the club, settling in quickly despite being injured. He has been out running on the grass, although not always with the team as his return was carefully managed, for a while now.It helped Adams’ recovery that he had a friend in fellow midfielder Alex Scott, who was also in similarly trying circumstances.
Adams has become close with Scott, who also joined in the middle of a rehab process after sustaining a serious knee problem at former club Bristol City.
It also helped that Adams has also been made to feel part of the club, featuring regularly in club content despite not being as involved on the pitch.
After his low-key return to the pitch for the club’s development squad last week, under-21s manager Alan Connell was glowing in his appraisal
“Tyler is a lovely lad,” Connell told the club website afterwards. “Just from seeing him around the building every day, he’s very humble and very hard-working.“Obviously, he was probably our marquee signing last summer, so it was great to have him train with us and you could just tell straight away he wanted to train well, get back and play some competitive football.”The New Yorker was then on the bench for the senior squad and even if he didn’t make it onto the pitch for the 2-2 draw with Sheffield United, it was another psychological step forward.
Adams’ last appearance for the U.S. was at the 2022 World Cup (Danielle Parhizkaran/USA TODAY Sports)
After returning to action in the Premier League, Adams now turns his attention to international duty.
Despite remaining a key player, he has not represented the USMNT since the World Cup. Understandably, U.S. head coach Gregg Berhalter is eager to get him back in the squad with this summer’s Copa America on the horizon.“Once we heard (he was fit enough to play), we jumped at the idea (of recalling him) because he means so much to the team both on and off the field,” Berhalter said after announcing his squad for the Nations League match against Jamaica. “It’ll be nice to get him back.“
It’s hard to imagine there’s anybody on the roster who will be looking forward to the international break more than Adams, who wears the armband with pride. Still, while his return was a goal short of a fairytale, he will not get ahead of himself. Between now and Copa America, it is about playing as much as possible to ensure his place at the base of Berhalter’s midfield.“It’s exciting, man. Really, really exciting,” Adams said. “The past year has been really difficult, but those are some of my closest friends on that team.“You can’t rush the process. I figured that out the hard way through being injured a bunch of times. (USMNT) has a good run of games and a lot of good competition, and I want to have a big role within the team. Obviously, Copa America is something to look forward to. It’s another big opportunity to play in a tournament.
“It’s one that we want to pursue and possibly win on home soil. One hundred per cent.”
(Top photo: Robin Jones – AFC Bournemouth/AFC Bournemouth via Getty Images)
USMNT Olympics draw: U-23 team will play host nation France in opening game
By Jeff Rueter and The Athletic Staff Mar 20, 2024
The U.S. men’s under-23 national team was drawn into Group A in the 2024 Olympics, where it will face the host nation France, New Zealand and the winner of an intercontinental playoff between a team from the Asian Football Confederation and Guinea in the group stage.The draw offers the U.S. a marquee occasion with a place in the opening game of the tournament, where it will meet a familiar face on the sideline. Legendary striker Thierry Henry, who played and coached in MLS after a successful European career, will lead France’s team as head coach at the tournament. Henry also appears on CBS Sports’ coverage of the UEFA Champions League.Unlike the FIFA World Cup, the men’s Olympic soccer tournament functions as a U-23 competition, through three over-age players are allowed on each 18-man squad.The U.S. appearance in the men’s soccer tournament at the Olympics will be its first since 2008.
How was the draw done?
Rather than using FIFA’s rankings as is tradition in World Cups and continental tournaments, the pots used for the Olympic draw were determined by nations’ past performances in the Games. The ranking system is based on the total number of points obtained in the last five editions of the men’s Olympic football tournament (three points for a win, one point for a draw, no points for a loss) covering the 2020, 2016, 2012, 2008 and 2004 Olympics. As a result, the United States’ fourth-place finish in 2000 — the best in program history — had no impact on where the team fell in the ranking.
The United States was in Pot 3 for the draw, alongside Egypt, Mali, and the third-ranked qualifier from Asia (to be determined in May). The draw presented some potentially tricky opponents: namely, France and Argentina in Pot 1, and Spain and Morocco (won CAF) in Pot 2.As the draw for Pot 3 began, the United States caught a break when the first-drawn side, an as-yet undetermined third-place finisher in AFC’s qualifying, was unable to be drawn into Group A. As a result, that team was assigned to Group B — the strongest group through the first two rounds boasting Argentina and Morocco. Rather than facing a pair of programs coming off of top-four finishes at the 2022 World Cup, the USA was drawn into Group A. Along with host nation France, the United States joined New Zealand — which reached the quarterfinal in the Tokyo Olympics — and whichever side wins an intercontinental playoff between Guinea and the fourth-place finisher in AFC qualifying.
Who are the USMNT’s opponents?
New Zealand breezed through Oceania qualifying in August and September. They won their opener over Papua New Guinea after their opponent forfeited, then beat Fiji, Vanuatu, and Fiji (a second time) by a combined 20-1 margin. Many players on their roster play in their domestic league, although 21-year-old forward Jesse Randall lines up for USL Championship side Charleston Battery.
France boasts one of the best youth development pipelines in the world these days, and should field plenty of promising players under Henry’s management. Among them are Nice midfielder Khéphren Thuram, Lyon forward Rayan Cherki, PSG forward Bradley Barcola and Chelsea wing back Malo Gusto.
The United States has a pool of players playing regular minutes for senior clubs, both in MLS and abroad. Among the most likely players to be included are former FC Dallas homegrown Bryan Reynolds, New York Red Bulls defender John Tolkin, Eintracht Frankfurt midfielder Paxten Aaronson (on loan with Vitesse), and Real Salt Lake playmaker Diego Luna.
Full Olympic men’s tournament draw results:
Group A
France
USA
ICP AFC-CAF
New Zealand (pot 2)
Group B
Argentina
Morocco
AFC 3
Ukraine
Group C
AFC 2
Spain
Egypt
Dominican Republic
Group D
AFC 1
Paraguay
Mali
Israel
This story will be updated.
USWNT drops to a record low in FIFA rankings: What it means and why it happened
The USWNT has dropped to No. 4 in the latest FIFA rankings released on Friday, marking the first time the program has fallen out of the top three since the establishment of the rankings in 2003.
In its announcement, FIFA said the USWNT drop is thanks to the team’s 2-0 loss to Mexico in the group stage of the CONCACAF W Gold Cup, though the team later went on to win the tournament.
Spain retained the top spot in the rankings, with England moving up two spots to No. 2, France staying at No. 3, and the U.S. dropping two spots to fourth.
How did recent results impact rankings?
The formula used to compute FIFA rankings is weighted to bias recent results, and the impact of that formula can be seen throughout the top spots.
Spain benefited from their UEFA Nations League win over France in February. France, on the other side of that final, did not lose any ground despite the loss to Spain. England’s 5-1 win over Italy and 7-2 victory over Austria in February provided the momentum to send the Lionesses to second place on the rankings for this edition.
The USWNT had never dropped below third place on the FIFA rankings in the team’s history, which in itself was a new low following the 2023 World Cup. Since the establishment of the women’s rankings in 2003 and until August 2023, the U.S. had never been outside of the top two.
While the loss to Mexico may have been costly on the rankings, ultimately it may have served as a necessary gut punch for the USWNT as it entered the knockout stages of the Gold Cup, defeating Colombia, Canada and Brazil en route to the trophy.
Why do these rankings matter?
The FIFA rankings are often used to determine seeding or pots for international events. Notably, this includes the Olympics, which the USWNT will participate in this summer.
Still, the U.S. drop may not have much of an effect on the upcoming 2024 draw — England/Great Britain did not qualify for the tournament, and France will be serving as host, so the USWNT’s drop to fourth may not actually have too much impact.
USMNT forward Haji Wright settled a cup classic – like Coventry City, he is on the up
Perhaps the biggest compliment you could pay to Coventry City in the wake of their FA Cup quarter-final success against Wolverhampton Wanderers is that it did not feel like a shock.Sure, this was a Premier League side getting knocked out by one from the division below. The nature of the 3-2 victory — Coventry were behind after 90 minutes but scored two stoppage-time goals — also conferred smash-and-grab credentials. But no one who has watched City this season, whether quietly clawing their way up the Championship standings or racking up the goals in earlier rounds of this competition, will have had them pegged as no-hopers before kick-off.
No one who has been listening to the mood music coming from the club, either.
Exhibit A: “The club feels in such a good place. It’s ready to take off.”
Exhibit B: “We’re on the cusp of doing something great. It’s close.”
These quotes were given some eight months apart. The first was manager Mark Robins’ assessment of the mood at the club in May 2023, before the Championship play-off final against Luton. The second dates back to the start of February, when a 12-game unbeaten streak in all competitions had filled record signing Haji Wright with optimism.
Wright celebrates his last-gasp winner (Marc Atkins/Getty Images)
Both referred primarily to Coventry’s hopes of returning to the Premier League — painfully thwarted last season but now very much alive again. The FA Cup was a fun diversion, a little extra-curricular adventure — at least, it was until Saturday lunchtime, when it became part of the A-plot, simultaneously a gift to the fans and proof of concept.
“The players will take that confidence into the rest of the season,” said Robins at Molineux. “There’s a Wembley trip for everyone to get excited about. This is just another reward for all the hard work that they do.”
To say that it has been a long journey to this point would be to undersell it by an order of magnitude. After being relegated from the Premier League in 2001, Coventry stumbled into football’s shadowlands. They became a middling second-division team, then a struggling one. In 2012, they sunk to League One; five years later came the ignominy of demotion to League Two. This would have been grim for any club — for one that had spent 34 consecutive years in the top flight from 1967, it was hell.
When Robins took over as manager in March 2017, he found a club on its knees. The fans were alienated, morale among players and staff was non-existent. “It was done,” Robins said last year. “It was done. You could that feel everybody had given up. It was as bad as any club I’d ever worked at. Terrible.”
The way they reset after last year’s play-off disappointment was typical. Coventry sold their two best players, Viktor Gyokeres and Gustavo Hamer, but used the income smartly. In came a host of capable — and cheap — defenders, plus Japan winger Tatsuhiro Sakamoto, Everton striker Ellis Simms and Wright, a seven-cap United States international signed from Turkish club Antalyaspor for £7.7million ($10m at today’s rates).
That was a sizeable investment but one that is paying off handsomely: the 25-year-old’s winner against Wolves, guided delicately into the far corner, was his 15th goal of the season in all competitions. Continued form like this has put him back in Gregg Berhalter’s thinking – he was overlooked for the recent Nations League squad but has now joined as an injury replacement for Norwich City striker Josh Sargent.
Wright enters the Nations League window with more World Cup appearances (four) than senior U.S. appearances of any other type (three).
Wright played four times in the World Cup in Qatar (Julian Finney/Getty Images)
Five of the players who started on Saturday arrived in the summer — it would likely have been six were Sakamoto not injured — and it was perhaps inevitable that all of the new faces would take time to gel. As recently as November, Coventry were in the Championship relegation zone. Instead of panicking, however, they just knuckled down, confident in the methods that had dragged them back from the brink.
Some credit is due to Doug King, the local businessman who completed a full takeover of City in January 2023, ending the club’s association with the deeply divisive Sisu Capital. The deal he signed to keep Coventry at the CBS Arena — their on-off home since 2005, formerly known as the Ricoh Arena — for five seasons was a popular move, as was the restoration of the company name to Coventry City Football Club Limited. Under SISA, they had been operating under the crushingly corporate Otium Entertainment Group Limited.
But the star of this story is, of course, Robins. There is real intensity behind the unassuming exterior, which might explain his knack for unlocking untapped potential and his apology for celebrating in front of a ballboy at Molineux.
Witness the form of Kasey Palmer, who has blossomed since arriving from Bristol City two years ago, or that of Callum O’Hare, a kind of hall-of-mirrors Jack Grealish, now one of the Championship’s most watchable players.
Simms, the two-goal hero against Wolves, could also be put in that category, as could Wright, who cited Robins’ faith as a major factor in his and Simms’ recent uptick in form.
“Ellis and I didn’t have amazing starts here but he believed in us,” Wright said after his winner. “Now we are in a spot where we can show ourselves.”
The same is true of the club as a whole. Coventry are through to their first FA Cup semi-final since 1987, when they went on to win it. It will be a tough ask to repeat that feat, but it is impossible to ignore the momentum building behind Robins and his men. It could take them further in this competition — and, who knows, all the way back to the Premier League.
Memphis, Tenn. (Saturday, March 16, 2024) – Indy Eleven leaves Memphis victorious, 2-1, against Western Conference opponent Memphis 901 FC in the second game of the season-opening road swing. The Boys in Blue improve to 1-1-0 in 2024 and Memphis 901 FC drops to 1-1-0.
Preseason hero Jack Blake drew a well-earned penalty and converted that penalty into an early 1-0 lead in the 26th minute. Later, a cross from Aedan Stanley would lead to chaos in front of the net where Douglas Martinez would rainbow the ball over the keeper and head the ball into the back of the net, doubling the lead for Indy in the 42nd minute. The Boys in Blue looked stout on defense in the first half keeping Memphis to zero shots on goal. In the 46th minute, Memphis 901 FC defender Oscar Jiménez was awarded his second yellow of the day leaving his team a man down for the rest of the match. The second half began less eventful for both squads, with both teams making a handful of subs and lots of back-and-forth soccer. Finally, in the 91st minute, Memphis cut the lead in half as defender Abdoulaye Cissoko scored off a bicycle kick. The goal increased pressure on the Boys in Blue in the final minutes but they ultimately held strong to win the match 2-1.
USL Championship Regular Season Memphis 901 FC 1:2 Indy Eleven Saturday, March 16, 2024 – 4 p.m. ET AutoZone Park – Memphis, Tenn.
Scoring Summary IND – Jack Blake 26’ IND – Douglas Martinez (Aedan Stanley) 42’ MEM – Abdoulaye Cissoko 91’
Discipline Summary IND – Callum Chapman-Page (caution) 8’ MEM – Oscar Jiménez (caution) 15’ MEM – Tulu (caution) 25’ IND – Daniel Barbir (caution) 35’ MEM – Oscar Jiménez (Second Yellow, election) 46 IND – Douglas Martinez (caution) 57’ IND – Ethan O’Brien (caution) 90 +3’ MEM – Abdoulaye Cissoko (caution) 90 + 4’ MEM – Akeem Ward (ejection) 90 + 7’
Indy Eleven line-up (4-3-3): Yannik Oettl, Aedan Stanley, Danny Barbir, Callum Chapman-Page (Macca King 72’), Josh O’Brien, Tyler Gibson (Captain) (Ethan O’Brien 90+3’), Cam Lindley, Jack Blake, Sebastián Guenzatti (Elliot Collier 72’), Augustine Williams, Douglas Martinez (Karsen Henderlong 63’)
Indy Subs: Jay Klein, Roberto Molina, Hunter Sulte
Memphis 901 FC line-up: Tyler Deric, Akeem Ward, Carson Vom Steeg, Tulu, Oscar Jiménez, Emerson Hyndman (Lucas Turci 45’), Zach Duncan, Samuel Careaga, Bruno Lapa (Dylan Borczak 72’), Luiz Fernando (Marlon 45’), Nighte Pickering (Neco Brett 72’)
How can NWSL fans watch every match this season? What to know about broadcast, schedule changes
By The Athletic Soccer staffMar 15, 2024
By Jeff Rueter, Meg Linehan, Melanie Anzidei and Steph Yang
Welcome to the 2024 season of the National Women’s Soccer League. This season, which kicks off with four matches on Saturday, is different from its predecessors in a few ways — primarily with the addition of two expansion teams, and the league’s biggest broadcast deal to date. The Olympics are also happening, which has prompted the league to take a midseason break and host an international club tournament while the U.S. women’s national team competes in Paris.
How you can watch the NWSL is changing in a major way this season, too. So we’ve put together this preview with everything you’ll need ahead of the regular season kickoff (and Friday night’s Challenge Cup match) from how to watch to major storylines, plus the USWNT and international connections across the 14 teams.
To keep following The Athletic’s NWSL coverage, don’t forget to follow the league and your team(s) of choice by managing your feed. And to make sure you don’t miss any of our coverage, subscribe to our women’s soccer newsletter Full Time. It’s our biggest stories paired with Full Time exclusive insights delivered straight to your inbox every week. With the season starting, we’ll be sending out each edition on Monday to make sure you’re all caught up from every NWSL weekend.
How to watch
121 of the 189 total NWSL regular season games this year have been spread out across four different partners as part of its new four-year broadcast deal: CBS, ESPN, Amazon Prime Video, and Scripps’ ION (Fun fact: ION was originally launched as PAX TV, which was the original TV network for WUSA broadcasts). Each partner has their own slate of games, and the remainder of the games will stream on the league’s NWSL+ service.
We’ve laid out what you need to know to watch all the games below if you are a viewer in the United States; we’re still waiting on international broadcast information.
Prime Video
Amazon will broadcast Friday night matches.
You do not need an Amazon Prime membership to use Prime Video, although Amazon clearly wants you to get a full Prime subscription based on how difficult it is to only subscribe to Prime Video or even dig up the information that you can subscribe to Prime Video on its own.
If you do not have an Amazon Prime account, you can currently still sign up for Prime Video on its own as a regular Amazon member. If you do have Amazon Prime, then Prime Video should be included as a service, although going ad free will cost an additional $2.99/month.
Cost: $8.99 per month
To watch, log in to your Amazon account, open the drop down menu that lists all of Amazon’s services, look under “Digital Content & Devices,” and choose Prime Video. Once on the Prime Video page, under the “Home” drop down tab, and choose “Sports.”
ION will air Saturday night doubleheader games at 7:30 and 10:30 PM ET.
You can either check to see if ION is on linear television in your area, or you can sign in with select existing streaming services.
Cost: If you use a TV antenna and can find ION’s broadcast signal in your area, you can watch for free.
CBS
CBS will air games on the CBS television channel or CBS Sports Network. CBS games will also stream on Paramount+, but CBSSN games will not.
Cost: $5.99 per month or $59.99 per year for the basic Paramount+ Essential plan.
ESPN
Games will be spread across ESPN, ESPN Deportes, and ESPN2, while also streaming on ESPN+. Crucially, if the game is on an ESPN channel, it will also stream on ESPN+, which isn’t the case for CBS Sports Network and Paramount+.
Cost: $10.99 per month or $109.99 per year for an ESPN+ subscription.
NWSL+
The league will stream the remainder of their games on NWSL+. The app can be used on iOS and Android devices, and can be added to Apple TV, Fire TV, and Roku.
The season kicks off with the Challenge Cup, which has been reformatted from a season-long tournament to a one-off game between the 2023 champions, Gotham FC, and the 2023 shield winners, San Diego Wave. It’s a smart move to decongest the schedule and create a more meaningful game for players and fans, as well as to hopefully set the tone for the rest of the season by beginning with a bang.
For the rest of the season, everything will obviously be influenced by having two new expansion teams. They have historically done poorly in the NWSL by virtue of being so new and needing to work out the kinks. There are exceptions of course; the aforementioned shield winners, the Wave, played their way to the semifinals in their inaugural season and came third overall in the regular season under the stellar coaching of Casey Stoney. And with several teams having retooled themselves under new ownership, there’s a lot of hunger out there to see what they can be with a clean slate. Whether it’s the Portland Thorns, who were just one win shy of the shield, or the dead-last Chicago Red Stars, there are exciting storylines anywhere you look up and down the table.
Mid-summer Olympic tournament
The NWSL announced that they will host an international club tournament while the league takes a break from July 15 to August 18 for the Olympics. There’s no word yet on which clubs might be involved, although based on other tournaments like the International Champions’ Cup and The Women’s Cup, it’s a strong bet that the NWSL will look to clubs from England, France, and Germany. Some NWSL teams also have relationships with Liga MX Femenil clubs, potentially bringing Mexico into the running, too.
Expanded postseason
With two more teams entering the fold this season, the NWSL Playoffs will have an additional two qualifiers. The top eight teams from the regular season will advance to the postseason, playing a single-elimination knockout bracket from November 9 to November 23. In recent seasons, the top two teams enjoyed a first-round bye, but there will be no earned respite in the new format. This makes for a cleaner bracket and an increased chance for the kind of chaotic upsets we’ve all come to love.
Championship
Of course, there is a championship trophy (a very nice, upgraded one, in fact) ultimately on the line. Defending champs Gotham FC don’t have a worst-in-the-league chip on their shoulder to motivate them anymore, while heavy hitters in the Wave and Portland Thorns will be seeking dominance again. There’s also the North Carolina Courage, who seemed to be just on the cusp of becoming that team to be feared when they got knocked out of playoffs.
Big storylines
Gotham FC superteam
The reigning NWSL champions had a busy offseason. In a span of five days, and after weeks of reports, Gotham FC announced a flurry of blockbuster signings that brought national team stars Crystal Dunn, Tierna Davidson, Emily Sonnett and Rose Lavelle to NJ/NY. The USWNT regulars joined an already-stacked roster that included Lynn Williams, Midge Purce, Kelley O’Hara and World Cup winner Esther Gonzalez. Rightfully, many are calling Gotham FC the NWSL’s newest “super team” — and it’s a title the franchise is ready to defend. In a crowded room welcoming the Class of ‘24, GM Yael Averbuch West told reporters: “We enjoy that type of pressure. I think it’s a more enjoyable pressure than trying to climb from the bottom to the top.”
But stacking your roster with high-demand internationals is a gamble in an Olympic year. Already we’re seeing the double-edged sword: head coach Juan Carlos Amorós told media during the team’s preseason tournament in Colombia, “It’s no secret. We’ve got a lot of players that are not here. At the moment, we have 12 (out of) 30 players available for the team. We’ve completed the team with 10 trialists and that’s how we are operating, so we know we are doing the best we can. And I’m very, very proud and I’m very happy with how the team is developing (and) doing, despite only 50% of the player base over here.”
Expansion team performance
Two years after Angel City and San Diego furthered the NWSL’s westward expansion, the league’s geographic reach continues to grow with the debuts of Bay FC and Utah Royals FC. Both sides are beginning a coach who is untested at this level: Albertin Montoya for Bay and former USWNT forward Amy Rodriguez for Utah. Given Bay’s extreme spending on the top of its roster (more on that below), Utah following previous conventional wisdom of building around players made available by NWSL rivals and top draft selections feels modest by comparison. The NWSL is hard to predict at the start of a year, of course, and Utah will hope the lack of acclimation needed for its players can allow them to start the year strong.
There’s been some hand-wringing about the NWSL’s ability to keep up with the Joneses in the global market, but this flurry of offseason deals is strong evidence for the continuing ambition to keep the NWSL entertaining and competitive, as well as a signal about (some) clubs’ willingness to spend — especially with the coming salary cap increase and the ongoing injection of cash from wealthier and wealthier investors. Of course there’s an entire season to see if these clubs can turn ambition into on-field results, but if any of them manage to find the right formula of personnel, coaches, and tactics with their marquee names, it’ll push other teams across the board to keep searching for competitive advantages.
New owners, new ambitions
In addition to expansion teams, two teams will also enter the 2024 season under new ownership: Portland Thorns FC and the Chicago Red Stars. For both of these teams, it’s the long-awaited fresh start following the abuse scandal that came to light in 2021, with Merritt Paulson and Arnim Whisler first stepping back, then eventually selling their respective clubs.
In Portland, Lisa Bhathal Merage leads the new ownership group (one that also owns the NBA’s Sacramento Kings), which has promised to keep the Thorns in Portland and build a new training facility. In Chicago, Laura Ricketts’ takeover got over the line before the close of the 2023 season, but following her first offseason in charge and with new head coach Lorne Donaldson and a healthy Mal Swanson, righting the Red Stars ship is a project that is finally, truly underway.
The majority of the USWNT plays in the NWSL — and as mentioned above, Gotham FC is now the team stacked with a ton of both U.S. national team talent and some big international names too. While this isn’t a complete list by any stretch, watching the NWSL is essential to understanding the USWNT.
Plenty of teams carry both veteran and youth talent — just look at the San Diego Wave, with Alex Morgan leading the front line, joined by center back Naomi Girma (expected to be the heart of the USWNT’s defense for the next few cycles) and Jaedyn Shaw (who impressed at the W Gold Cup and can’t stop scoring).
Expect plenty of focus on Mal Swanson’s return to the field in Chicago, but Alyssa Naeher’s performance in goal for the Red Stars could be instrumental in her bid to stay the No. 1 option for the U.S. Over at North Carolina, Casey Murphy will be getting her own reps in goal, and Ashley Sanchez gets a fresh start with the Courage after a surprise trade from the Washington Spirit.
If you want to keep an eye on players fighting for spots for the 18-player roster for the Olympics, the Portland Thorns might be one of your better options. Sophia Smith is part of a deep forward pool, but it’s midfielders Sam Coffey and Olivia Moultrie who are still building their cases ahead of Emma Hayes’ USWNT arrival later this spring.
The NWSL is also home to some of the most notable stars in women’s soccer globally, like Brazilian icon Marta and Canada’s longtime captain Christine Sinclair, who both recently retired from the international stage. There’s a high chance this coming season could be their last at the club level too, paving the way for some emotional farewells.
In addition to the record-breaking international signings already mentioned, other players who shined on last summer’s world stage also recently found their way to the NWSL — like South Korea’s Casey Phair, who, at 16, became the youngest player to ever play in a World Cup and recently signed with Angel City, and Gotham FC’s Esther, who was part of Spain’s World Cup-winning team. A record 16 World Cup teams featured talent from the NWSL player pool, according to the league.
Our Power Rankings are derived from a combination of key season statistics (points per game, goal differential, expected goal (xG) differential), recent performance, the Opta computer ratings, and the observations of our writers.
So, who’s climbing the table? Who’s in free fall? We’ve ranked all 29 clubs in the league after Matchday 4. Let’s dive in.
The Crew were free flowing, gorgeous every time they went forward and Cucho Hernández was cooking. Basically, it was a pretty normal game for Columbus as they made the vaunted RBNY press look pedestrian en route to a 3-0 win.<img alt=”
It’s easy to say that Inter is Team Lionel Messi, and when the greatest player of all time is on the pitch Miami will rightly be Messi-centric, but they fared pretty well without him in the second half of last season. Their first match without their maestro this season went well too, as Luis Suárez scored twice to win 3-1, in D.C. There’s more to this team than Messi, still.
Cincy didn’t look so hot in the first half, but they got Lucho Acosta on at halftime and suddenly, they were well on their way to a 2-1 win in New England. Shockingly, playing the MVP makes a big difference.<img alt=”
Everyone knows Giorgos Giakoumakis is a heck of a goal scorer, but he flashed his creativity with a great pass to set up Saba Lobjanidze‘s goal as Atlanta rolled to a 2-0 win over Orlando.
RBNY’s typically excellent press was ripped apart by the Crew in a 3-0 loss. The Red Bulls have looked good this season, but there’s still a gap between them and the league’s top teams.<img alt=”
There’s nothing more reliable than Dániel Gazdag from the penalty spot. He’s converted every spot kick he’s taken for the Union, but his latest wasn’t enough to deliver victory as Philly had to settle for a 2-2 draw in Austin.
Eric Ramsey made a good first impression in Minnesota with a 2-0 win over LAFC. It’s too early to get a read on the Loons’ new boss, but he has so much talent at his disposal and Emanuel Reynoso made his return from injury over the weekend. With him in the fold, Minnesota has every reason to believe the MLS Cup could head north.
Joseph Paintsil has only played four MLS matches, but he’s already making his case as one of the best players in the league. If the rest of the Galaxy could give him a little more help, they wouldn’t be settling for a 3-3 draw against St. Louis when they should have eased to victory.
Laurent Courtois will spend a lot of time in the video room figuring out how to tighten up the CFM defense, but there’s nothing anyone could have done about the Fire’s windswept 99th-minute winner that beat Montréal 4-3.
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A young group of US Ladies is set to take the field Tuesday night at the US Women usher in the youngsters for the Women’s Gold Cup defense on ESPN + and Paramount+ at 10:15 pm. The US should have no issues in the first game until facing Argentina in the 2nd game of the group stage this Friday 10:15 pm. With the games all taking place in LA – it will be late night games for the US on all 3 set of Group stage matchups. (Games included in the TV Game schedule below). I am looking forward to seeing Mia Mishel and Jaedyn Shaw up top along with Trinity Rodman in the all under 23 forward line-up with Alex Morgan not called up – who can put the ball in the net? The midfield figures to be the same with Horan and Lavelle holding down the fort I presume – but Albert from PSG will be fun to watch. I suspect the backline will feature stalwarts Girma, Emily Fox and Davidson – who slides in beside Girma will be the question? I assume someone other than Naeher will get the net duties – probably Casey Murphy. I see the US winning this first warmup game 3-0.
Here’s the full Gold Cup roster:
GOALKEEPERS: Jane Campbell (Houston Dash), Casey Murphy (North Carolina Courage), Alyssa Naeher (Chicago Red Stars).
DEFENDERS: Abby Dahlkemper (San Diego Wave FC), Crystal Dunn (NJ/NY Gotham FC), Tierna Davidson (NJ/NY Gotham FC), Emily Fox (Arsenal FC), Naomi Girma (San Diego Wave FC), Casey Krueger (Washington Spirit), Jenna Nighswonger (NY/NJ Gotham FC), Becky Sauerbrunn (Portland Thorns)
MIDFIELDERS: Korbin Albert (Paris Saint-Germain), Sam Coffey (Portland Thorns FC), Lindsey Horan (Olympique Lyon), Rose Lavelle (NJ/NY Gotham FC), Olivia Moultrie (Portland Thorns FC), Emily Sonnett (NJ/NY Gotham FC)
FORWARDS: Mia Fishel (Chelsea FC), Midge Purce (NJ/NY Gotham FC), Trinity Rodman (Washington Spirit), Jaedyn Shaw (San Diego Wave FC), Sophia Smith (Portland Thorns FC), Lynn Williams (NJ/NY Gotham FC)
Indy 11 Beat Columbus Crew II
Jack Blake scored three first-half goals to help lead Indy Eleven to a 7-1 victory over Columbus Crew 2 on Sunday afternoon at Grand Park. Blake now has a team-leading six goals through four matches of the 2024 preseason. The midfielder scored three in 30 matches last season. The Boys in Blue also picked up goals in the first 45 from Sebastian Guenzatti and Douglas Martinez. Cam Lindley dealt out a pair of assists, giving him three this preseason, while Augi Williams chipped in one. The second half saw Martinez score his second of the match off Lindley’s second assist, while Augi Williams connected from the penalty spot to increase the lead and close out the scoring for the day. Preseason action continues Saturday at Lexington SC. The match is closed to the public.
Complete Preseason Schedule Tuesday, Feb. 6 at Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC | D, 0-0 Saturday, Feb. 10 vs Chicago Fire FC II | W, 2-0 Tuesday, Feb. 13 vs. Indiana Wesleyan University | W, 5-0 Sunday, Feb. 18 vs. Columbus Crew 2 | W, 7-1 Saturday, Feb. 24 at Lexington SC | Closed to the public Thursday, Feb. 29 vs. Detroit City FC | Closed to the public Friday, March 1 vs. Forward Madison FC | Closed to the public
Indy opens the 2024 slate on a two-match road swing beginning at non-conference foe Oakland Roots SC on March 9 before returning home to host 2023 Western Conference Champion Sacramento Republic FC at Michael A. Carroll Stadium on March 23. Single-game tickets are available now for all matches via Ticketmaster. Season Ticket Packages can also be purchased, as well as tickets for groups and hospitality areas. For more information on these options click here. The Defending USL WLeague Champion Indy 11 Women announced their summer schedule this week with 5 matches at Grand Park.
Games on TV –
Concacaf Champions Cup for MLS, the best teams in Mexico and the top teams from Central American, and is back – full schedule. Europa League Round of 32 on Thursday gives us American’s Pulisic & Musah and AC Milan traveling to French club Rennes at 3 pm up 3-0 on CBSSN & TUDN, & Unimas. While also at 3 pm American Johnny Cardoso and Real Betis travel to Zagreb on Paramount+. Pregame show starts at 2 pm. (see full Europa League schedule below) Pulisic finally got back on the board this weekend with a goal and assist for AC Milan – albeit in a shocking loss 4-2 loss on the road.
Tues, Feb 20: Inter Milan vs Atletico Madrid, PSV Eindhoven (Dest, Pepi, Tillman) vs Borussia Dortmund (return legs: Wednesday, March 13). Wed, Feb 21: Napoli vs Barcelona CBS 3 pm, Porto vs Arsenal TUDN Para+ (return legs: Tuesday, March 12).
Huge Congrats to our Carmel FC Goalkeepers who traveled to Memphis this past weekend to represent Indiana @ the ODP Tourney. CFC GKU!!
Tim P. Carmel FC U16 Boys Gold Olivia A Carmel FC 2012 Girls
working of pictures of our other 2 GKs who participated – PS – GK Training Thur 5 pm & 5:45 pm Badger Field House
Heading over to Badger at the Fieldhouse for Training or Friday night or Sunday games? Try out the Best BarBQ in Town right across the street (131st) from Northview Church on the corner of Hazelldell & 131st. RackZ BBQ. Lets start with the BEST Brunswick Stew in Indiana — I am here to tell you my buddy Ryan has it – perfect for this cold whether during the winter. Come by or get it to go on the way home. I went for lunch today and stew was fantastic !
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USMNT midweek viewing guide: Champions are back in business
Our PSV trio of Dest, Pepi, and Tillman face Dortmund in Champions League knockouts, while Pulisic and Musah make their way in Europa League.
Everton vs Crystal Palace, 3p on USA, Universo, Fubo, Sling, Telemundo Deportes En Vivo: Chris Richards and Palace visit Everton in Premier League action.
Also in action:
NAC Breda vs Cambuur, 2p: Agustín Anello and Cambuur visit Breda in the Eerste Divisie.
Tuesday
PSV vs Borussia Dortmund, 3p on Paramount+, TUDN USA, UniMás, Fubo (free trial), and ViX: For anyone who has been frustrated with Dortmund recently and wanted to root against them, here’s your chance. PSV Americano, featuring Sergiño Dest, Ricardo Pepi, and Malik Tillman face Dortmund in the Champions League round of 16.
Deportivo Saprissa vs Philadelphia Union, 10p on FS2, TUDN, Fubo, Sling: Jack McGlynn, Quinn Sullivan, and the Union visit Costa Rican powerhouse Saprissa in the Concacaf Champions Cup.
Also in action:
Cardiff City vs Blackburn Rovers, 2:45p: Ethan Horvath and Cardiff face Duncan McGuire just kidding, Blackburn weren’t able to finalize his loan from Orlando City.
St. Louis City vs Houston Dynamo, 8p on FS2, Fubo, Sling: Aziel Jackson and St. Louis meet the Dynamo in Concacaf Champions Cup play. Houston are without a serious USMNT prospect, but do feature Panamanian international Adalberto Carrasquilla.
Necaxa vs Chivas, 10p: Cade Cowell and Chivas visit Necaxa in Liga MX.
Wednesday
Inter Miami vs Real Salt Lake, 8p on MLS Season Pass: Drake Callender, Julian Gressel, Noah Allen, DeAndre Yedlin, and Miami host Diego Luna, Fidel Barajas, and RSL to kick off the 2024 MLS season.
Independiente de La Chorerra vs New England Revolution, 8p on TUDN, Fubo: DeJuan Jones, Noel Buck, Esmir Bajraktarevic, and the Revs travel to La Chorrera, Panama to face CAI in Concacaf Champions Cup.
Also in action:
Cavalry FC vs Orlando City, 10p on FS2, TUDN, Fubo, Sling: Ah, there’s Duncan McGuire. He and Orlando City journey north to meet Canadian side Cavalry in the Concacaf Champions Cup.
América vs Mazátlan, 10p on TUDN, UniMás, Fubo: Alejandro Zendejas and Club América host Mazátlan in Liga MX.
Thursday
Rennes vs AC Milan, 12:45p on Paramount+, TUDN, CBS Sports Network, Fubo, ViX: Christian Pulisic, Yunus Musah, and Milan make the return trip to Rennes, having won 3-0 at home in the first leg. If they advance on aggregate, they move into the Europa League round of 16.
Dinamo Zagreb vs Real Betis, 12:45p on Paramount+, ViX: Johnny Cardoso and Betis have their work cut out for them, having lost 0-1 to Zagreb in the first leg at home. They’ll need to mount a comeback if they hope to advance past the Europa Conference League round of 32.
Also in action:
Moca FC vs Nashville SC, 7p on FS2, Fubo, Sling: Walker Zimmerman, Shaq Moore, new arrival Tyler Boyd, and Nashville SC travel to the Dominican Republic to open their Concacaf Champions Cup campaign.
Cavalier SC vs FC Cincinnati, 9p on FS2, Fubo, Sling: Brandon Vázquez has left FC Cincy for the Rayados of Monterrey, but Cincinnati still has USMNT-relevant players like Miles Robinson, Lucho Acosta, Matt Miazga, and Roman Celentano. They travel to Jamaica to open Concacaf Champions Cup play.
Friday
Utrecht vs Heracles, 2p: Taylor Booth and Utrecht host Luca de la Torre’s old club, Heracles Almelo, in Eredivisie action.
Coventry vs Preston, 2:45p: Haji Wright and Coventry face Duane Holmes and Preston North End in the Championship.
Juárez vs Monterrey, 10p on FS2, FOX Deportes, Fubo, Sling: Brandon Vázquez and Monterrey face the Bravos of Juárez in Liga MX.
Also in action:
Holstein Kiel vs St. Pauli, 12:30p on ESPN+: Manager Fabian Hürzeler and St. Pauli are tied with Holstein Kiel atop the 2. Bundesliga table. Born in Houston, Hürzeler has led St. Pauli to just 1 loss in 21 league matches this season. Former FC Dallas homegrown defender Nico Carrera is on the books at Holstein Kiel, but has only played for their reserves this season (in the fourth-tier Regionalliga).
Charleroi vs Genk, 2:45p on ESPN+ (free trial): Mark McKenzie and Genk visit Charleroi in Belgium’s top tier.
USA vs. Dominican Republic, 2024 W Gold Cup: What to watch for
The United States Women’s National Team take the field tomorrow against the Dominican Republic as they embark on a new journey with the start of the 2024 W Gold Cup. The inaugural tournament is the first chance in 2024 the USWNT have to play, and it’s the first opportunity to win a trophy.
2024 is a year of transition for the USWNT, as Emma Hayes will take over as head coach towards the end of May and Twila Kilgore continues to manage the team on an interim basis. There seems to be a movement of youth entering to establish a new younger core of the team. At the same time, they balance this transition with 2024 being a year of importance, with the W Gold Cup and Olympics serving as opportunities to claim a championship. The USWNT want to begin by claiming this inaugural edition of the W Gold Cup.
Their first opponent are Las Quisqueyanas, the upstarts from the Dominican Republic who have shocked everyone by getting to the group stage of a major tournament for the first time. They won’t back down and they will once again be looking for the monumental upset, so the USWNT cannot take them lightly as we embark on the maiden voyage of the W Gold Cup.
FORWARDS (6): Mia Fishel (Chelsea FC, ENG), Midge Purce (NJ/NY Gotham FC), Trinity Rodman (Washington Spirit), Jaedyn Shaw (San Diego Wave FC), Sophia Smith (Portland Thorns FC), Lynn Williams (NJ/NY Gotham FC)
*Becky Sauerbrunn replaced Alana Cook, who was withdrawn due to injury, on the roster
What To Watch For
Time for the new era? With some of the younger players getting their first shot at a major title, could we see a shift in USWNT’s approach by playing them? Players like Mia Fishel, Jaedyn Shaw, Korbin Albert, and Jenna Nighswonger could factor into this match to show that the future is now. We await the lineup to see where Kilgore decides to go.
The midfield needs to be dynamic and crisp. The USWNT always struggle when their midfield isn’t dynamic and sharp with the ball. They have to be the ones to maintain possession and keep the ball moving forward, while also relieving pressure from the back line by keeping the ball in front of them on defense. Finally, crisp passes are the key. When we’re sloppy with the ball, it makes for a long day.
Don’t gift any hope to the opposition. The Dominican Republic is looking for the upset. The USWNT need to get out quickly and never let Las Quisqueyanas get any belief that they can pull off the shocker.
The 2024 Concacaf W Gold Cup starts this coming week, and 12 teams will fight for the chance to make history as the first champions of this tournament. 8 Concacaf teams are joined by 4 teams from CONMEBOL – Brazil, Argentina, Colombia, and Paraguay – in 3 groups, where the top 2 will advance as well as 2 of the 3rd place teams.
Group A figures to be an intriguing one, with the best team in Concacaf, the United States, taking on a couple of teams in Mexico and Argentina that desire to break into that next level of teams in the world and the Dominican Republic, who are looking to continue to provide the upset. It will be the group that likely commands the most attention, but the action on the field will surely bring some fireworks and tense moments for fans of each of the teams. We’re looking forward to these 4 teams challenging each other for Group A supremacy
Schedule
Tuesday, February 20th
USA vs. Guyana/Dominican Republic
Mexico vs. Argentina
Friday, February 23rd
USA vs. Argentina
Guyana/Dominican Republic vs. Mexico
Monday, February 26th
USA vs. Mexico
Argentina vs. Guyana/Dominican Republic
United States
The USWNT enter 2024 looking to re-establish themselves as the best team in the world. They are first focused on setting the pace in this competition and find the focus and drive that made them invincible for so long. They’ve brought in some younger players who are hungry to produce goals and defend, and it feels like the beginning of some change in the program. However, having younger players on the team means it’s the first time for many of them in big time competition like this tournament. That’s where the World Cup veterans need to lead the way and help the team take care of business.
FIFA Ranking: 2
Odds of Winning Group: Clear favorites
One to Watch: Mia Fishel is ready to announce herself officially on the international stage. Look for her to make a big impact up front.
Argentina
La Albiceleste enter this tournament looking to make a statement that they can move into the conversation as one of the best teams in the Americas. They have finished 3rd in the two most recent Copa América Femenina tournaments, and this is an opportunity for them to take the next step. However, Argentina have to overcome some history in this group: they are are 0W-5L-0D against the United States and 1W-8L-1D against Mexico all-time. To win this group, they will need to beat at least one of those teams.
FIFA Ranking: 31
Odds of Winning: Needs Help
One to Watch: Mariana Larroquette has 22 goals in 79 caps for Argentina, and she will look to provide some more goals for the team up front.
Mexico
Mexico enters the W Gold Cup with something to prove. They failed to qualify for the 2023 Women’s World Cup as well as the 2024 Summer Olympics, so they’ve been working hard from within to improve their squad. They’ve brought in some younger budding stars, some of whom won the gold medal at the 2023 Pan American Games. Now, they want to bring it in a tough Group A and re-establish Mexico as one of the teams to beat in this region.
One to Watch: Diana Ordóñez has become a star in the making in her short time on La Tri, and she could be poised for a breakout at this tournament.
Dominican Republic
Las Quisqueyanas upset Guyana in the Gold Cup Prelims to advance to the group stage. They’re complete underdogs in this group, but they will not be scared of any team they take on. This is the first major tournament that the Dominican Republic has qualified for in their history, and they want to continue to make history with this group.
FIFA Ranking: 107
Odds of Winning: Slim To None
One to Watch: Kathrynn González scored the lone goal in the Dominican Republic’s win over Guyana, and she’s going to be a player to watch as they enter the group stage.
USWNT’s Lindsey Horan apologizes for ‘poorly expressed’ comments
U.S. women’s national team captain Lindsey Horan opened her time in front of reporters by addressing the reaction to her comments on American fans’ knowledge of soccer, made in an interview with The Athletic published earlier this month.“First and foremost, I would like to apologize to our fans,” Horan said while speaking during a virtual availability ahead of the CONCACAF W Gold Cup. “Some of my comments were poorly expressed, and there was a massive lesson learned for me.”In her interview with The Athletic, Horan shared frustrations with how viewers of matches took commentary at face value before joking that her mother did it while watching USWNT matches. On Thursday, she took time to clarify and express her appreciation for the fans.
“When I think about our fans, I love them so much. The team loves them so much, and I can’t begin to explain how much they mean to us. Every time we step out and train, every time we step out and play in games, you know we play for you guys,” Horan said. “You’re our inspiration, our motivation, and seeing you wear our jerseys and seeing you screaming our names, and chanting USA, that’s what we play for and I never wanted to take any of that away.“Continuing on that, the soccer culture in America is changing and growing so much in such a positive way. For me to experience that firsthand, playing for this U.S. women’s national team but also in the NWSL and for the Portland Thorns, is something just so amazing. It is my absolute honor, and I will always say that, to be able to put on this crest every single day. To be in this environment, to go out and play in front of our fans and represent this national team, that is something — again, it is my greatest honor. … The last thing I ever wanted to do was to offend anyone in that manner. So again, I deeply, deeply apologize.”When asked to elucidate what she wanted to express with her original comments, Horan replied that she did not think that “what I meant really matters right now.” She said that she’s just “a football brain” who loves watching as much soccer as possible.“I love talking about it, and the way people talk about Man City, Arsenal, the old Barcelona,” she said. “That’s what I want people to say about us. I want people to talk about how incredible we are on the ball, the possession, the style of play, the technical ability, the tactical changes mid-game, these types of things.”Horan said she apologized because of how she felt and that she wanted “to express how much the fans mean to me personally.”On the matter of the tournament ahead of them — the inaugural W Gold Cup — Horan joked that the goal is “the trophy.”More seriously, she said that the team’s main goal is to win, but it’s also a perfect preparation for the Olympics due to the tournament format and timing. “What we do here can really train us and mentally prepare us for what we might have to deal with in France,” she said. “We take each game at a time and we get better throughout the tournament, and we keep increasing now what we’re trying to do and how we’re trying to play.”
Horan stressed multiple times that she believes every player on the roster needs to be utilized throughout the Gold Cup to help get some players tournament minutes and more time on the field — and that the USWNT must take advantage of this time on the field together ahead of the Olympics.“It’s not just the new young ones, it’s all of us,” she said. “We’re all progressing together and we remain a team. Everyone needs to get on the same page leading into the Olympics, but first off, the first game here at the Gold Cup.”(Photo: Brennan Asplen, Getty Images)
Concacaf W Gold Cup preview: USWNT’s chances, format and more
Cesar Hernandez ESPN
Feb 19, 2024, 11:02 AM ET
An invaluable chance for redemption is within reach for North America’s two major powerhouses in women’s national team soccer. After the United States and Canada failed to live up to expectations in last year’s World Cup, the latest script for both sides can now be rewritten during the inaugural Concacaf W Gold Cup, a 12-team international women’s tournament that is set to kick off for the first time on Tuesday.
Featuring eight Concacaf representatives and four guests from Conmebol (South America), a chance to make a claim as the best in the Americas will be on the line for not only high-profile squads like the U.S. and Canada, but also a handful of dark horses that are on the rise. The teams are split into three groups of four, with the top two from each group and the two best third-placed teams then moving onto the knockout round that concludes with a final at San Diego’s Snapdragon Stadium on March 10.
Looking ahead to the tournament’s debut, there’s plenty of intrigue about how it will all play out and on the possible impact it can have for the women’s game, but before discussing what it means to those involved, let’s first dive into how and why the W Gold Cup came about.
The creation of the W Gold Cup
In an effort to increase the number of women’s national team games within the region, Concacaf, FIFA’s governing body for North American soccer, revealed a new four-year calendar in 2020 that would lead up to a revamped World Cup qualification tournament (eventually named the “Concacaf W Championship”) in 2022, as well as a brand new “Women’s Concacaf Nations League” in 2024.
“The new calendar prioritized more official match dates for all women’s senior national teams in Concacaf, and ensuring an elite competition to showcase the highest level of women’s international football,” according to a press release that included the qualification routes for both tournaments. “Through this new calendar, Concacaf will more than double the number of official senior women’s national team matches compared with the current cycle of competitions.”
Additional details were added in 2021. Along with qualification for the 2023 Women’s World Cup, 2022’s Concacaf W Championship would also provide a path into the 2024 Olympics. The two invitees into the Olympics were then also granted entry into 2024’s Women’s Concacaf Nations League Final tournament, which was rebranded as the Concacaf W Gold Cup.
Why Herc won’t call Alex Morgan’s exclusion from USWNT roster a snub
Herculez Gomez explains why he wouldn’t label Alex Morgan’s absence from the USWNT’s CONCACAF Gold Cup roster a snub.
While the U.S. (winners of the 2022 Concacaf W Championship) and Canada (Concacaf W Championship finalists, Olympic play-in winners) claimed those two invitations, the rest of the Concacaf region would go on to take part in a preliminary “Road to the Concacaf W Gold Cup” competition. Resembling a Nations League structure that has recently been used to provide more meaningful games for men’s national teams, but with different branding, women’s national teams were now given a chance to do the same.
Building up to this month’s W Gold Cup — which, like the men’s Gold Cup, is to be played every four years according to the tournament’s 55-page regulations — a long-awaited push for more official games in women’s soccer was underway.
“The W Gold Cup Final [tournament] will not only crown the champion of what is now Concacaf’s flagship women’s international competition, but it will also cap off a 4-year cycle where teams from the region will have competed in a minimum of 195 official matches, which represents 118% increase in comparison to the previous four-year cycle,” stated a press release in 2021.
“Together, the 2021 Concacaf W Qualifiers, 2022 Concacaf W Championship, 2023 Road to Concacaf W Gold Cup, and 2024 Concacaf W Gold Cup will accelerate the growth of Women’s Football and provide a consistent structure of matches and competitions for our Member Associations.”
More matches are undoubtedly better for countless mid-to-lower tier teams in Concacaf that don’t have the same opportunities or resources as those regional powerhouses above them. Providing a pathway to a tournament like the W Gold Cup, and the additional platform through it, is also crucial. Looking at those powerhouses though, this isn’t to say that the U.S. and Canada can’t benefit from the W Gold Cup either. Aside from eagerly wanting to bounce back from disappointment on the global stage with a continental title, there is significance beyond another championship for the traditional giants of Concacaf.
Olympic prep and showcasing a new generation
“This Gold Cup is amazing preparation for us for the Olympics,” said U.S. defender Emily Fox during a recent press conference. “It’s the longest time we’re going to have together as a team [before the Olympics], an entire month. So I think for us, our focus is on the Gold Cup and on the tournament and how we can learn from it and prep for the Olympics.”
While both the U.S. and Canada have explicitly noted that winning the W Gold Cup is the goal, there’s also the added benefit of having an extended period of time to train and take part in official matches just months before Paris 2024. It’s worth noting that of the 12 teams that will take part in women’s soccer at the Olympics, four (the U.S., Canada, Brazil and Colombia) will be in the W Gold Cup.
“It’s such a cool opportunity to have a major tournament like this that kind of exemplifies the Olympics and gets us prepared for that,” said U.S. captain and midfielder Lindsey Horan. “What we do here can really train us and mentally prepare us for what we might have to deal with in France, but first and foremost, this is a major tournament itself and we want to win.”
For Canada head coach Bev Priestman, it could also help ease some roster-related headaches. “I don’t know about you, but trying to get this to a 23 [player] roster was very hard and then to try and get it to 18 [players for the Olympics] — I think some of the principles that we’ve used in terms of trying to think about this Gold Cup is about players who could play in multiple positions, fitness.
“All these sorts of things around Olympic rosters is going to come into play,” said Priestman, who recently extended her coaching contract to 2027 last month. “We won’t be where we want to be in July by this Gold Cup, but what I hope we can do is continue the positive momentum in terms of what we’ve seen on the pitch. I think absolutely, we’re here to try and win this thing, but we also have July in mind.”
Through that process, there’s also a noteworthy changing of the guard for both teams that will be tested in the W Gold Cup.
For the U.S., 11 members of the roster are 25 or younger. In a transitional period under interim coach Twila Kilgore (prior to Chelsea Women boss Emma Hayes taking the reigns in the summer), and without the likes of goalscoring veteran Alex Morgan or a retired legend Megan Rapinoe in the squad, prominent roles are up for grabs.
“It’s just a great opportunity to get in with the team and show myself,” said Jenna Nighswonger, the 23-year-old defender that won an NWSL title and Rookie of the Year award in 2023 with NJ/NY Gotham. “I think we’re going after gold obviously in this tournament and every game is looking to help us for the Olympics.”
“The younger girls coming in are so, so talented. They have such a bright future and they bring creativity and flair on the field,” said U.S. defender Abby Dahlkemper after a recent training session. “They’re fearless and passionate, they fit in and they gel in really well with the group. It’s an exciting time for this team, just kind of seeing the progress of younger players coming in.”
Canada are also looking forward to the impact of younger names. Without the iconic Christine Sinclair who retired from international play in late 2023, and through a roster (like the U.S.) that has 11 players that are 25 are younger, more will be expected from youthful call-ups that now have a chance to thrive at the W Gold Cup.
“I’m excited to see people step up and I don’t mean one individual, I mean a group of people now,” said Priestman. “Whenever you have a veteran group around, not by design just by nature, people kind of take that back seat a little bit more, but what I started to see at the back end of last year is people grabbing the reins a little bit.”
Underdogs from Latin America and the Caribbean
Of course, this tournament is much more than just the U.S. and Canada. Circling back to additional games provided in Concacaf and the ongoing development of women’s soccer across the globe, long gone are the days when elite squads could coast through competitions.
“Within my experience of being on the national team, the growth of Caribbean teams and Latin American teams have been huge…in general, I think as a whole, everyone [in women’s soccer] is getting better and better, which we love to see,” said Fox. “We saw that in the Euros, in Concacaf for [World Cup] qualifying for us, and then also in the World Cup last year. So I think for us, going into the Gold Cup, we know each game is going to be a challenge and a lot of teams have really amazing individual talent.”
That talent is best highlighted by Colombia’s young phenom Linda Caicedo, who was runner-up for 2023’s The Best FIFA Women’s Player award. In the same manner that she was a breakout star at the World Cup as Colombia reached the quarterfinals, other up-and-coming names from Latin America and the Caribbean can make a name for themselves in an official tournament like the W Gold Cup.
“These aren’t friendlies anymore,” stated Horan. “It’s tournament play and each team gives a different kind of game in tournament play. You’re going out to win games, you’re going out to get points…these teams are going to make it difficult for us.”
With recent World Cup experience under their belts and promising runs through the Road to Concacaf W Gold Cup, Costa Rica and Panama could pose a threat in this tournament. Elsewhere, marquee invites from Conmebol like Brazil, Argentina and Colombia won’t be walkovers after finishing in the top three of 2022’s Copa America Femenina. As for Colombia, no team in the W Gold Cup went further than them in the latest World Cup.
“The tournament is giving us totally different styles of play, which is brilliant, in terms of confederations and styles within South America, Concacaf,” said Canada’s Priestman. “It’s a great test for us.”
Of the rising teams, Mexico also look the most capable of possibly upsetting the order. Boosted by the hiring of new head coach Pedro Lopez, the women’s national team charged through 2023 without a single loss in all competitions. One week before the start of the W Gold Cup, and seeking redemption for his team that failed to qualify for the World Cup before he was hired, Mexico’s manager provided one of the more noteworthy pre-tournament quotes that conveys the confidence of a squad that has benefitted and grown through additional matches in their international calendar.
“Like a wolf in sheep’s clothing,” said Lopez when asked about the state of his roster. “In other words, people are seeing the sheep on the outside, but inside there is a wolf that wants to come out and wants to vindicate itself in front of the entire world.”
Will all go to plan for the U.S. and Canada as they search for a title and prepare for the Olympics? Will an underdog step out from the shadows and make a statement in the inaugural women’s tournament?
We’ll begin to find out when it all kicks off on Feb. 20.
MLS Season Preview: The Messi Effect
With a full offseason to prepare, Inter Miami and all of MLS are ready to reap the benefits of having the world’s biggest soccer star
One evening in late January, just days after starting their 25,000-mile preseason tour — the most extensive ever for an MLS team — in El Salvador, Lionel Messi and his Inter Miami teammates boarded a boat at the Port of Miami clad in matching pink hoodies. Fortunately for the soon-to-be-weary travelers, they wouldn’t be setting sail that day.
The team joined hundreds of VIPs inside a domed theater aboard Icon of the Seas, Royal Caribbean’s new 1,198-foot cruise liner, to christen the ship and celebrate the club’s most lucrative corporate partnership to date. The players took the stage and removed their hoodies to reveal the club’s new black away kit for the 2024 season, featuring the cruise line brand’s recognizable crown-and-anchor logo.
The affair concluded with Messi, dubbed “The Icon of Icon” as part of a personal endorsement deal with the cruise line brand, placing a soccer ball atop a pedestal, at which point a bottle of champagne was sent whizzing down a zip line to ceremonially shatter on the bow of the ship.
Much like the international tour that also saw Inter Miami play exhibition matches in Saudi Arabia, Hong Kong and Japan from Jan. 19 to Feb. 15, the celebration of an eight-figure-a-year sponsorship agreement — the largest ever for an MLS club — would have been unthinkable prior to Messi’s arrival last summer.
Also previously unthinkable: the more than $200 million in revenue that Inter Miami Chief Business Officer Xavier Asensi expects the club to pull in during the 2024 season, Messi’s first full campaign in MLS. That would be a more than 60% increase from last season and four times what the club earned in 2022. Last year, LAFC topped MLS clubs in revenue at approximately $140 million, with Inter Miami second at $125 million. This year, thanks to Messi, Miami figures to take the top spot.
“People understand that we are living part of history, that we are contemporaries of something that will go into the history books of sports,” Asensi said. “People understand and want to be a part of it.”
After years of courting arguably the greatest soccer player of all time, Inter Miami signed Messi to a two-and-a-half-year contract last summer worth $50-60 million annually in salary, equity in the club and signing bonuses. The deal also includes an option for an additional year in 2026. On top of his compensation from the club, Messi will receive a share of revenue from international subscriptions to the MLS Season Pass streaming service as part of a separate agreement with Apple.
Inter-esting Development
Xavier Asensi’s revenue projections for the club in 2024 will likely place Inter Miami tops among all MLS clubs.
$200M: Expected club revenue in 2024 $125M: Approximate club revenue in 2023 $50M: Club revenue in 2022
Asensi expects Inter Miami’s sponsorship revenue to be just under $60 million this season, roughly double the amount the club generated last season. That’s compared to a mean year-over-year increase of 15% for all clubs, according to the league. The average sponsorship revenue for an MLS team is approximately $17 million, according to industry sources, and revenue in the high $50 million range would put Inter Miami above some teams in the older traditional North American sports leagues.
In addition to Royal Caribbean, the club last season signed a jersey sleeve deal with Fracht Group, a Swiss logistics and freight forwarding firm. This offseason, it has forged renewals at higher rates with several partners and added new sponsors such as battery brand Duracell and Argentinian winery Trapiche. Several additional announcements are expected this week.
MLS Commissioner Don Garber said Inter Miami’s success in attracting major global partners following the Messi signing could serve as motivation for other clubs to take big swings of their own.
“We can now look at the success of the commercial business in Miami and show many of our other clubs that if you could think about your business differently, you could attract the attention of partners in ways that are not just about local and can be more about global,” Garber said.
Inter Miami has also roughly doubled prices for season tickets from 2023 and added 1,000 seats at DRV PNK Stadium, its temporary home in Fort Lauderdale, bringing capacity to 21,550. Asensi said the club aims to continue increasing capacity until the team moves to its new $350 million stadium in the forthcoming $1 billion Miami Freedom Park development (likely during the 2025 season). About 75-80% of seats will be sold to season-ticket holders, with the rest earmarked for single-game sales.
Inter Miami Chief Business Officer Xavier Asensi predicts the club will bring in $200 million in revenue in 2024.COURTESY OF INTER MIAMI CF
While the club declined to share specifics on revenue expectations from the team’s preseason tour, Asensi said the appearance fees the club received from international promoters were significantly higher than what FC Barcelona received for its own exhibition matches when he worked at the Spanish club from 2010-2021.
“There will always be a before Messi and an after Messi,” said club co-owner Jorge Mas. “Commercially there has been a significant impact on the club’s revenue base and it is only Year 1.”
Inter Miami has naturally been the primary beneficiary of its investment in Messi joining MLS, but other clubs have also scored from the Messi Effect. Prior to hosting Inter Miami last Oct. 4, the Chicago Fire were averaging just 14,880 fans at Soldier Field and hadn’t sold any suites annually for the 2023 season. The Oct. 4 match against Miami drew a crowd of 62,124 and set an MLS record for the highest-grossing single match ever with roughly $10 million in ticket revenue. The Fire also leveraged that match to keep fans coming back to Soldier Field.
When it became clear prior to the match that Messi wouldn’t play because of a leg injury, the Fire offered fans a $250 credit toward a season-ticket membership for the 2024 season. Fire President Dave Baldwin said that of the 3,400 new season-ticket holders the team added for this season, 700 utilized the credit from the Inter Miami match. The team also offered a free suite for the Inter Miami match to anyone who signed up for a 2024 annual suite. That promotion delivered 15-20 of the 43 annual suites that the Fire have sold for 2024.
Using teams like the Fire as case studies, MLS’s newly established club performance group is now advising teams on how to make the most of their opportunities to host Inter Miami.
“Our focus is on retention,” said MLS Chief Club Performance Officer Chris McGowan. “If you have a lot of new people coming into the system, you want to make them lifetime, lifelong fans, and that’s what our opportunity is [with Messi]. So, we’re spending a ton of time evaluating great retention ideas for making new fans and new customers feel like they want to stick with it and become long-term season-ticket holders.”
Commissioner Don Garber (right) is watching the number of players following Messi to the U.S.GETTY IMAGES
Sporting KC, one of only three Western Conference teams scheduled to host Inter Miami this season, has moved the April 13 match from its 18,467-seat home field at Children’s Mercy Park to the Kansas City Chiefs’ 76,416-seat Arrowhead Stadium to maximize ticket revenue. Heading into 2024, season-ticket sales leaguewide are up 15% compared to this time last year.
Eastern Conference teams have also used their guaranteed home game against Inter Miami as a selling point for potential sponsors. Scott McIntyre, CEO of Virginia-based consulting firm Guidehouse, said D.C. United’s early-season visit by Messi to Audi Field was one of the top benefits of signing on as the club’s front-of-kit sponsor this year.
“It’s our brand on the front of the jersey, and [there will be] so many eyeballs becoming familiar with Guidehouse as a name during a game that features one of the sport’s leading global figures,” McIntyre said. “I’m also looking at it from the standpoint of somebody who’s going to be in the stands watching that game with my kids and my wife, so I’m excited as a fan and a sponsor.”
At the league level, the biggest early impact of the Messi Effect can be seen in adoption of MLS Season Pass. Apple and MLS have kept information about the subscriber count for the streaming service close to the vest, but two sources with knowledge of the data said the number of subscribers at the end of the 2023 season had eclipsed 2 million. That figure, which includes users who joined later in the season at pro-rated prices, is more than twice as many subscribers as the service had at the All-Star break, just prior to Messi’s Inter Miami debut on July 21. That match came in the revamped Leagues Cup between MLS and Liga MX clubs that gave an immediate boost of awareness to a key part of MLS’s growth strategy, and that awareness only accelerated as Messi led Miami to the title, the club’s first trophy in its four years of existence.
A special talent requires a special schedule, and when the new season starts this week, Messi and Miami will be out front. The club’s opener, a home match against Real Salt Lake, will be the only game to take place on Wednesday. The league’s 27 other teams will start their seasons three days later.
Messi missed Miami’s game at Chicago last year, which set a single-game revenue record at roughly $10 million.GETTY IMAGES
Heading into the first full year with Messi in the league, Garber said MLS is focused on how it might adapt its overarching commercial strategies to maximize the global superstar’s long-term impact.
“Ticket sales, sponsorship sales, subscription sales — the revenue will continue to follow Messi being in our league, but to me, it’s way more important to look at it strategically,” Garber said. Though he said it was too early to discuss specific plans, he pointed to player acquisition, corporate sponsorship and consumer products as areas that could see significant change in the Messi era.
More than anything else, Garber believes Messi’s decision to join MLS will organically influence more top talent from around the world to consider plying their trade in MLS. It’s already started to happen; last December Uruguayan striker Luis Suarez signed with Inter Miami to team up with Messi.
“Major League Soccer, due to Messi’s desire to come to our league and choose Major League Soccer and Inter Miami, we’re part of the global conversation,” Garber said. “As you read interviews with players around the world, the biggest names in the sport, MLS is constantly part of the message. That dynamic is something that I think will be part of the next generation of MLS growth for years to come.”
Americans Abroad Newsletter for this week
“He hasn’t been sitting on the bench as much as I have but when we do, we normally sit next to each other. We’re usually watching the game and talking about stuff. We have a good relationship. I knew something about him before I came, but we didn’t have this special connection then.”—Ricardo Pepi, on the friendship he has developed this season with PSV and USMNT teammate Malik Tillman. (The Athletic)PSV’s American Trio Makes European History:In a season filled with watershed moments for Americans Abroad, Tuesday saw yet another historic event for U.S. players in Europe.When Ricardo Pepi (21; El Paso, TX) subbed on in the 75th minute of PSV’s match against Borussia Dortmund on Tuesday — joining Sergiño Dest (23; Almere, NED) and Malik Tillman (21; Nürnberg, GER) on the pitch — it marked the first time ever that three USMNT players appeared in the same match for a team in the UEFA Champions League knockout round. And earlier in that same game, Dest and Tillman became the first Americans to start together in a Round of 16 UCL match. The U.S. trio did its part in helping the Dutch leaders earn a hard-fought 1-1 draw against the legendary German side, with Dest constantly proving to be a handful on the left, while Tillman drew the penalty that led to PSV’s only goal of the night. Overall, a night to savor for U.S. fans, with an American trio playing side-by-side-by-side on Europe’s grandest stage. Then last Friday, Pepi made his first-ever league start for PSV in their 2-0 win over Heracles to extend their lead at the top of the Dutch table to 10 points.Beyond their shared levels of success on the field, the three Americans have also become quite close off the pitch this season, as shown in a feature written about them in The Athletic. The levels of respect the three have for each other is apparent throughout the piece.Tillman on Dest: “He is crazy in some ways. Well maybe not crazy but different from other guys. For example, the red card after Trinidad (in November’s CONCACAF Nations League defeat). He’s not like that at all off the pitch. He’s a good guy. He’s calm.”Pepi on Tillman: “I knew he was a good player before he came here. But just watching him on the pitch; some of the turns he makes and how aware he is of players around him, his technique, it’s great. He’s great in between the lines and can really give that final ball. Some of the moves he makes it’s like, ‘Woah, I didn’t see that coming’.”Love to see these levels of friendship and rapport being forged abroad for three of our own. Hopefully this will all pay dividends back home, both during March’s CONCACAF Nations League, and then Copa America in the summer.Pulisic Back in the Goals, Baby!After going nearly a month-and-a-half without finding the back of the net, Christian Pulisic (25; Hershey, PA) is back in the goals for AC Milan. And back with a banger, at that.Coming on as a second-half sub at Monza, CP11 found his chance in the 88th minute, gathering the ball on the right side of the box before unleashing a left-footed howitzer (WATCH) that brought back the famous “Come on, baby!” shouts from ecstatic Italian commentators. This after Puli assisted on Olivier Giroud’s goal in the 64th minute (WATCH).Having gone down to 10 men in the 52nd minute, Milan was unable to get a result on the road, and ultimately lost the match, 4-2. But it’s great to see Puli! Puli! getting Sic! Sic! once more. The Rossoneri remain in third place in Serie A, just two points behind Wes, Weah & Juventus.Brenden’s Bundesliga Bangerfreude:Life in the German top flight likely hasn’t gotten off to the fast start that the über-speedy Brenden Aaronson (23; Medford, NJ) quite would have hoped for. After joining Union Berlin from Leeds on loan in the summer, the USMNT attacker saw his side lose nine of their first 11 matches to start the season, leading the club to part ways with beloved coach Urs Fischer in November. This was followed by rumors that Aaronson’s loan to the German side could be cut short during the January window, which would have sent him back to the English Championship far earlier than expected. What’s the German word for finding joy in another person finding the back of the net? Bangerfreude? We’ll go with Bangerfreude.Aaronson scored for the first time in league play on Saturday, converting a vital 84th-minute match-winner in Union’s 1-0 victory at Hoffenheim. The goal was a poised and confident hit by Garden State Götze (WATCH), which will hopefully give B.A. and his teammates just that going forward.“It’s been a really tough season. A lot of ups and downs, but I think this is refreshing, and it pushes us and gives us confidence going into the next one,” said the American after the game.Union Berlin sporting chief Oliver Ruhnert, meanwhile, was very … German? … in his praise of the USMNT player afterwards. “Brenden is a super footballer who must accept the fact that in football a certain physical aspect is needed to win the ball & contest challenges.”Here’s to hoping a corner has been turned for Medford Messi either way.News and Notes:Josh Sargent (24; O’Fallon, MO) is on NBA Jam levels of fire for Norwich City. The USMNT forward scored a brace in Saturday’s 4-1 win over Cardiff City, giving him 10 goals in 13 league matches this season — even earning the O’Fallon d’Or (a.k.a. “Third First Michelob Ultra Of The Day”) from Rog himself. Only downside was the goals came at the expense of American keeper Ethan Horvath (28; Highlands Ranch, CO), though Horvath was off-the-line superb in Cardiff’s next match, a 0-0 shutout draw with Blackburn on Tuesday.Antonee Robinson (26; Liverpool, ENG) had an assist in Fulham’s 2-1 loss to Aston Villa on Saturday (WATCH). Cottagers are a bit up and down as of late, but it’s tough to find a left back hitting Jedi’s levels these days.Griffin Yow (21; Clifton, VA), take a bow. DMV Donovan had some hit for the match-winner (WATCH) in Westerlo’s 2-1 win over Standard Liege in Belgium, and is now up to six goals on the season. American teammate Bryan Reynolds (22; Fort Worth, TX) also went the full 90 in the win, as De Kemphanen (“Gamecocks”) are up to 10th in the Jupiler Pro League. Johnny Cardoso (22; Denville, NJ) was excellent in midfield in Real Betis’ 0-0 draw with Alaves on Sunday, and has now been nominated for the LaLiga U-23 January Player of the Month, alongside the likes of Eduardo Camavinga and Lamine Yamal. ESPN NL is reporting that FC Utrecht star Taylor Booth (22; Eden, UT) will be out 4-6 weeks with a knee injury suffered in the 22nd minute of Utrecht’s 1-0 win at FC Twente on Sunday. We know you’ll be back in the goals soon, Taylor.After back-to-back substitute appearances, Gio Reyna (21; Bedford, NY) did not see the pitch in Nottingham Forest’s 2-0 win over West Ham on Saturday.
World Cup 2026: How do I get a ticket? Are tickets for sale? How much do tickets cost?
The next World Cup will be jointly hosted by the U.S., Canada and Mexico and will take place from June 11 to July 19, 2026.It will be the first tournament to include 48 teams, expanded from the previous number of 32, meaning there will be more games than ever — 104 in total.The tournament is a long way off, so details on tickets are thin on the ground, but this is what we know so far.
Where are the matches?
The World Cup will take place across 16 cities in three countries, more than any tournament before.Three of these locations are in Mexico: Monterrey, Guadalajara and Mexico City.Two others are on either coast of Canada: Vancouver and Toronto.The remaining 11 are in the USA: Miami, Boston, San Francisco, Seattle, Philadelphia, Los Angeles, Atlanta, Houston, Kansas City, Dallas and New York City.That U.S. list gives the nearest big city to each stadium. Some venues are located in lesser-known settlements nearby, such as East Rutherford in New Jersey for New York and Santa Clara for San Francisco.
Akron Stadium in Zapopan, Mexico (Sergio Navarrete/Getty Images)
How does the tournament work?
Since 1998, World Cups have had 32 teams, enabling a neat symmetry, but this one is bigger and 48 teams means a somewhat more complex format is necessary.The tournament used to have eight groups of four teams in which each country played each other once. The top two in each group then progress to four knockout stages — a round of 16, then quarter-finals, semi-finals and the final.The USA, Canada and Mexico all qualify automatically. The remaining 45 slots will be filled through qualifying competitions, which take place separately on each continent.n 2026, there will still be four teams in a group and the top two will still progress to the next stage, but there will be 12 groups rather than eight.And the eight best third-placed teams — of 12 — in the groups will also progress, a similar format to the European Championships (which has 24 teams).Thirty-two teams will progress to the knockout stage, meaning an extra knockout round, before the tournament continues from the round of 16 as it has in previous tournaments.
Where are the biggest games?
The U.S., Canada and Mexico will play their three group games in their home country.
Mexico City’s Azteca Stadium, which hosted the 1970 and 1986 World Cup finals, will host the tournament’s opening game. The U.S. will host 78 matches overall, while Canada and Mexico will host 13 each.
All of the quarter-finals and both the semi-finals will be in the U.S., along with the final. The quarter-finals will be in Boston, Los Angeles, Miami and Kansas City, while the semi-finals will be in Dallas and Atlanta.
The 23rd World Cup final will take place at the MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, on the outskirts of New York City, on July 19, 2026.
These stadiums are split into three regions, west, central and east, in an attempt to minimise travel for fans. Nevertheless, the distances within regions are vast, with Kansas City and Mexico City (1,385 miles apart) in the same region, as well as Toronto and Miami (1,239 miles apart).
(Yuki Iwamura/AFP via Getty Images)
Are tickets on sale?
No. With more than two years to go until the tournament kicks off, there is little public information about tickets. A page on the FIFA website simply allows people to register their details to receive information about tickets when it is available. The Athletic contacted the tournament organisers for comment.
How will the ticketing process work?
We don’t know for sure, but looking at previous World Cups as well as similar events like the European Championships, it is possible to make some educated guesses. Tickets for major tournaments are essentially split into three categories. First, there are tickets allocated to member associations — the two countries playing against each other in a given match. These are generally given to supporters on the basis of loyalty, for example by points built up from following the country in qualifiers.How easy these will be to get hold of varies greatly depending on the country — they will be in high demand for the host countries, but easier to come across for nations far away with less of a travelling following.The second category is those tickets given over to sponsors and other members of what FIFA likes to call the “football family”.This does not just mean VIPs in glitzy hospitality boxes. For last year’s Champions League final in Istanbul, only about 40,000 went to fans of Manchester City and Inter Milan. The remaining 35,000 went to sponsors and all sorts of other people with links to UEFA. A small number of these may make their way into the hands of ordinary fans through tickets and giveaways.As the tournament progresses and the games get more glamorous, the demand from sponsors and other “neutral” supporters will get higher.The third is the rest. These are the tickets the public can buy without being a member of any country’s loyalty scheme or part of the football family.
How will these general sale tickets get allocated?
We don’t know for sure but can take a look at how Germany, the host of this summer’s European Championship, is allocating tickets.There have been two stages of ballots in which people can select to buy several tickets in four different categories. Cheaper tickets are generally in higher demand, so it is likely to be easier to get a ticket by entering the ballot in a more expensive category.UEFA has not released details of further ticket sales. Still, there will likely be a limited amount of tickets on general sale between now and the tournament beginning in June, likely for the matches featuring less glamorous teams at bigger stadiums.Demand for tickets in Germany has been extremely high for several reasons.
(Rob Pinney/Getty Images)
First, attending live football matches is a huge part of German culture, so demand from locals is high.Second, the tournament is the only European Championship or World Cup in Western Europe taking place between 2016 and 2028, except Euro 2020, which took place across the continent but saw travel heavily restricted by Covid.This means huge numbers of football fans across Europe want tickets for Germany.It remains to be seen how strong demand will be for World Cup 2026, particularly in cities like Kansas City and Houston, which are not normally associated with football — but things in the U.S. are changing quickly in that respect.
How much do World Cup tickets cost?
We don’t know yet, but we can look at precedent.It is often hard to give a definitive answer to this question because tournament organisers often sell some tickets at low prices, which are in reality very difficult to get hold of, with most fans paying far more.An analysis by German sports consultancy Keller Sports in 2022 found that an average ticket at the Qatar World Cup was £286, rising to £684 for the final. This was a 46 per cent increase on the tournament in Russia in 2018.xcluding restricted view tickets and a special category only available to Qatari nationals, group stage tickets ranged in price from 40 Riyals ($11) to 800 Riyals ($213).This steadily increased in price as the tournament progressed, with final tickets costing between 750 Riyals ($200) and 5850 Riyals ($1,560).There may also be tickets available on secondary resale sites where prices are likely to be far higher.These sorts of platforms are often risky to use in Europe, with football organisations not cooperating with them because of deeply engrained cultural norms against very high ticket prices.But in the U.S., this taboo is not in place and it was perfectly possible to buy a Super Bowl ticket through a credible reseller — if you have $10,000 to spare.It remains to be seen which approach the World Cup will take.
How much do tickets cost compared to the Super Bowl and other major events?
The cheapest face-value tickets for this year’s Super Bowl sold directly by the NFL were about $2,000, far higher than for any major football match.Tickets changed hands for about five times this on the secondary market.Tickets for the final are likely to reach similar eye-watering prices, but if you are not too picky about which game you go to, you will likely be able to get tickets for early World Cup games at far more affordable prices.
Is it possible to attend every game at the World Cup?
Football YouTuber Theo Ogden, known as Thogden, attended every game of the Qatar World Cup in 2022, the first person in history to do this at a tournament.This was possible because of Qatar’s tiny geographical size, although he did have to miss half of several of the games to fit them all in.But there’s absolutely no chance of anyone repeating the same feat in 2026.Over a manic 17 days from June 11 and June 27, the entire group stage will be completed — all 72 games of it. The last four of those days will have six games on each of them, spanning the entire continent of North America.With vast distances between stadiums, fans will have to plan their games carefully.
Real Madrid signed Kepa Arrizabalaga to be their No 1 – now he’s lost his place
Who is Real Madrid’s first-choice goalkeeper?A month ago, we asked that very question in an article on the club’s choice between Andriy Lunin and Kepa Arrizabalaga. Now, the answer seems clear. Lunin is leading the way. This represents quite a turnaround from the situation in the summer, when Arrizabalaga was brought in on loan from Chelsea — right after Madrid’s long-time goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois was ruled out for the season with an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) knee injury — to be Carlo Ancelotti’s number one for the remainder of the campaign.On the day of his presentation as a Madrid player on August 15, Arrizabalaga was glowing, super-happy and having turned down an offer from serial German champions Bayern Munich to take up the opportunity in his native Spain.When he was asked whether his goal was to convince Madrid to decide to keep him beyond his loan spell, he replied: “I hope so. Today is the first day, we’ll see, but hopefully with my performance I can make that happen.”Six months on, that possibility is looking remote.
When Courtois was ruled out on August 10, two days before Madrid’s first La Liga match of the season, some voices at the club believed it was Lunin’s time because it would be complicated to bring in another top-level goalkeeper.But Madrid moved quickly — very quickly — to get Arrizabalaga on board. Lunin started the first two league games, but the Chelsea loanee took over as soon as he’d had a chance to settle in.
“Kepa’s level is very high,” Ancelotti said at the time. “Lunin lacks a bit of experience. They won’t rotate much.”Starting with his Madrid debut on August 25, Arrizabalaga played 13 games in a row: 10 in La Liga and three in the Champions League, conceding 10 goals and keeping six clean sheets. He made some good saves, including an important stop in the October 28 Clasico in Barcelona, where Madrid came from behind to win 2-1.Other performances had perhaps not fully convinced, such as October’s away games against Sevilla in La Liga and Napoli in the Champions League, but the coaching staff were happy with him. Kepa and his family were happy too, and his wife even posted a photo in which she seemed to say goodbye to London for good, five years after his move to Chelsea from Athletic Bilbao.But then Arrizabalaga was injured in the warm-up before the home Champions League match against Sporting Braga on November 8. Coaching staff sources — who, like all those cited here preferred to speak anonymously to protect their position — describe it as the “turning point” that saw the balance changed between the two goalkeepers.
Lunin and Arrizabalaga train earlier this season (Helios de la Rubia/Real Madrid via Getty Images)
Lunin came into the team and saved a crucial penalty that night when what became a 3-0 Madrid win was still goalless. Despite barely having warmed up, he seized his moment and reignited the debate over who should be the club’s starter.
Then Arrizabalaga ended up being out for longer than the two-match absence that was initially expected. He eventually missed four games either side of the November international break, as Ancelotti continued to insist publicly that he was first-choice. “If he is ready, Kepa will play,” he said on November 27. But when the Basque was back fit a few days later, he found himself on the bench not the pitch.
Just before Christmas, Ancelotti said, “I don’t have the idea of rotating goalkeepers. Both are doing well. Lunin has progressed a lot and has shown a lot of confidence and Kepa has maintained his level… in the second part of the season, I will choose one of the two.”Since suffering that injury before the Braga match three months ago, however, Arrizabalaga has played just five times — once in the Champions League, twice in La Liga, once in the Copa del Rey (against fourth-tier Arandina) and most recently in the Supercopa de Espana.That last appearance, in the January 10 semi-final against neighours Atletico, might perhaps be seen as another turning point.Madrid were 5-3 winners after extra time but Arrizabalaga faced some criticism for his role in the goals conceded, and Lunin was preferred for the final against Barcelona four days later, where Madrid triumphed 4-1.In the next league match the following weekend, Ancelotti turned back to Arrizabalaga, but again he looked far from his best as Almeria raced into a 2-0 half-time lead in the Bernabeu, with a third goal ruled out by the VAR, before Madrid eventually came back to win 3-2, thanks to a few more controversial refereeing decisions.Lunin, who turned 25 this week, has been selected to start the five matches since.
Ancelotti has not wanted to publicly clarify who his preferred goalkeeper is, but Arrizabalaga was a spectator from the dugout again as his Ukraine international team-mate performed to his very best in Tuesday’s 1-0 victory away to RB Leipzig in the first leg of a Champions League last 16 tie.
“Kepa’s injury opened up the possibility of Lunin challenging for his place, and he has won the game. Lunin has convinced with his play,” say coaching staff sources, who see the process as something natural and simple.
Sources in the dressing room say the 29-year-old loanee is close with Lunin, describing him as “an exemplary team-mate, as if he were the one who was playing every game”. When Arrizabalaga found himself in a similar situation at Chelsea, in the 2022-23 season, Edouard Mendy was the starter ahead of him and similar things were said of his disposition.Arrizabalaga’s Chelsea contract expires at the end of next season. This summer might be the best chance for the London club to seek a sale, but as previously reported by The Athletic, Madrid signing him then is highly unlikely given Chelsea would ask for around €20million (£17.1m; $21.5m) — a figure the La Liga side would not pay for a backup goalkeeper.Lunin now looks established as Ancelotti’s pick, although Arrizabalaga could well return to the starting XI and further impress before the season is out if an opportunity arises.In the meantime, he has continued training, convinced that he is ready to play and be a starter, although those close to him are no longer sure that he will remain in Madrid.
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Champions League Tues/Wed Knockout Stage Begins on CBS
There is a real David and Goliath feel to Wednesday’s 3 pm battle on CBS featuring Real Sociedad and Paris Saint-Germain — the Basque team based around youngsters developed in their Zubieta academy against the Parisians, a side full of expensive individuals signed by the club’s Qatari owners — and David has a real chance of winning, too. Of course Copenhagen surprised Man United to make this round of 16 can they do similar things to Man City Tuesday on CBS at 3 pm? It all starts with Champions League today at 2 pm.
Tues, Feb 13: FC Copenhagen vs Manchester City 3 pm CBS, RB Leipzig vs Real Madrid 3 pm TUDN Para+ (return legs: Wednesday, March 6). Wed, Feb14: Lazio vs Bayern Munich, Paris Saint-Germain vs Real Sociedad CBSSN 3 pm (return legs: Tuesday, March 5). Tues, Feb 20: Inter Milan vs Atletico Madrid, PSV Eindhoven vs Borussia Dortmund (return legs: Wednesday, March 13). Wed, Feb 21: Porto vs Arsenal, Napoli vs Barcelona (return legs: Tuesday, March 12).
USWNT GOLD CUP ROSTER ANNOUNCED – No Alex Morgan
Very interesting to see all the youngsters on this roster and again no Alex Morgan, Becky Sauerbrunn or Andi Sullivan. The Gold Cup begins Feb. 17 and runs through March 10. The USWNT opens the group stage Tues, Feb. 20 against either Guyana or the Dominican Republic, then plays Argentina Fri, Feb. 23 and Mexico Mon, Feb. 26. All three games are in Carson, California. Now these are blow off games that the US youngsters should dominate – NWSL is in off-season anyway – so why not wait until April to call in the veterans when the She Believes Cup comes to Columbus, OH on Apr 9th.
Here’s the full Gold Cup roster:
GOALKEEPERS: Jane Campbell (Houston Dash), Casey Murphy (North Carolina Courage), Alyssa Naeher (Chicago Red Stars).
DEFENDERS: Alana Cook (Seattle Reign FC), Abby Dahlkemper (San Diego Wave FC), Crystal Dunn (NJ/NY Gotham FC), Tierna Davidson (NJ/NY Gotham FC), Emily Fox (Arsenal FC), Naomi Girma (San Diego Wave FC), Casey Krueger (Washington Spirit), Jenna Nighswonger (NY/NJ Gotham FC)
MIDFIELDERS: Korbin Albert (Paris Saint-Germain), Sam Coffey (Portland Thorns FC), Lindsey Horan (Olympique Lyon), Rose Lavelle (NJ/NY Gotham FC), Olivia Moultrie (Portland Thorns FC), Emily Sonnett (NJ/NY Gotham FC)
FORWARDS: Mia Fishel (Chelsea FC), Midge Purce (NJ/NY Gotham FC), Trinity Rodman (Washington Spirit), Jaedyn Shaw (San Diego Wave FC), Sophia Smith (Portland Thorns FC), Lynn Williams (NJ/NY Gotham FC)
Sites Announced for US World Cup 2026 NJ Gets Final
The sites for the World Cup 2026 in the US – the biggest World Cup ever – have been announced with the US starting group play in LA and Seattle and Finals being hosted in New York/New Jersey. I for one am glad to see Dallas & Texas – not get the final. No way they could handle the crowds of a World Cup of foreigners in their state. Of course our closest games in the Midwest will be Kansas City or maybe Atlanta I guess. I will find a way out to LA & hopefully Seattle – I just hope I can get tix somehow.
Games on TV –
So Champions League is back – starting next Tues and Wed on Para+ and CBS Sports Network (see schedule below). Huge games on ESPN+ on Saturday as the top 2 teams in the German league Bayer Leverkusen hosts Bayern Munich at 12:30 pm while Real Madrid host Genoa at 12:30 in La Liga. Concacaf Champions Cup for MLS, the best teams in Mexico and the top teams from Central American, and is back – full schedule.
Champions League is back Tues/Wed – this the official ball.
10 am CBS Galazo Jordan vs Qatar (3rd place African Cup)
12 noon Para+, Roma vs Inter Milan
12:30 pm ESPN+ Bayer Leverkusen vs Bayern Munich
12:30 pm Peacock Nottingham Forest (Turner, Reyna) vs New Castle
12:30 pm ESPN+ Real Madrid vs Girona
3pm beIN sport South Africa vs Congo African Cup Semi Final
6:30 pm Grand Park Indy 11 (H) vs Chicago Fire II
10:10 pm FS2 Santos Laguna vs Tigres UANL
Sun, Feb 11
9 am USA West Ham vs Arsenal
11:30 am USA Aston Villa vs Man United
12:30 pm ESPN+ Sevilla vs Athletico Madrid
12:45 pm Para+ AC Milan (Pulisic) vs Napoli
3 pm ESPN+ Barcelona vs Granada
3 pm Be In Sport Nigeria vs Ivory Coast African Cup Final
Mon, Feb 12
2:45 pm Para+ Juventus (Mckinney) vs Udinese
3 pm USA Crystal Palace (Richards) vs Chelsea
Tues, Feb 13
2:45 pm Para+,TUDN RB Leipzig vs Real Madrid
3 pm CBS Para+ Kabenhavn vs Manchester City
WEds, Feb 14
3 pm CBS PSG vs Real Sociedad
3 pm Para+ TUDN Lazio vs Bayern Munich
8 pm Fox Sport 2 Tigres UNAL vs Vancouver CONCACAF
10:15 pm TUDN America vs Real Estelli
2024 W Gold Cup, Feb. 20 – March 10
Concacaf Nations League Finals, March 21 – 24
2024 Copa America, June 20 – July 10
2024 Summer Olympics – Men & Women, July 24 – August 10
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Former Indy 11 GK and Carmel FC GK coach Jordan Farr headed to Tampa Bay
Champions League last-16: Predictions, best ties, players to watch and what’s changed
By The Athletic UK Staff and more the Athletic
The Champions League is back on Tuesday with 16 teams still in contention for a place in the final at London’s Wembley Stadium on Saturday, June 1.
The clubs to have made it into the knockout phase include the holders Manchester City and 14-time European Cup/Champions League winners Real Madrid, along with less familiar contenders such as Real Sociedad and FC Copenhagen.
Here, a group of The Athletic writers analyse the eight two-leg ties that will be played out over the next month, pick out the key players and storylines to follow and make their predictions on who will be in the quarter-final draw on March 15.
Which is the most intriguing of the eight ties?
Carl Anka:Inter Milan vs Atletico Madrid should be a fun match-up between two clubs who think Johan Cruyff was important but believe there are also other ways to play football. Styles makes fights, goes the boxing adage. It’ll be interesting to watch two brilliant teams who use wing-backs go head-to-head.
Dermot Corrigan: There is a real David and Goliath feel to Real Sociedad and Paris Saint-Germain — the Basque team based around youngsters developed in their Zubieta academy against the Parisians, a side full of expensive individuals signed by the club’s Qatari owners — and David has a real chance of winning again, too.
Mark Carey: PSV Eindhoven vs Borussia Dortmund looks like a great tie, with both sides built upon principles of intensity and verticality. Peter Bosz’s side are flying in the Eredivisie with their high-octane style in and out of possession, while Dortmund are no strangers to punishing teams in transitional moments. Expect this one to be an entertaining slugging match.
Will things get any better at Barcelona for the exiting Xavi? (David Ramos/Getty Images)
Stuart James: Inter-Atletico is the box-office tie. PSV-Dortmund has the potential to be a wild ride. Porto vs Arsenal will have the celebration police out in force if Mikel Arteta and his players dare to do anything other than walk straight down the tunnel after getting through. But La Real-PSG is the one that intrigues: can a team of largely homegrown players give one of European football’s superpowers a bloody nose?
Sarah Shephard: Napoli vs Barcelona, simply because I’m not entirely sure what to expect from either side. Xavi’s announcement that he will step down as Barcelona coach at the end of the season revealed a man with little left to give, which could have a myriad of effects on his players, while Napoli are far from the team that invigorated Europe last season while winning the Serie A title. This one’s intriguing, but perhaps for all the worst reasons.
Round of 16 fixtures
Tuesday, February 13: FC Copenhagen vs Manchester City, RB Leipzig vs Real Madrid (return legs: Wednesday, March 6). Wednesday, February 14: Lazio vs Bayern Munich, Paris Saint-Germain vs Real Sociedad (return legs: Tuesday, March 5). Tuesday, February 20: Inter Milan vs Atletico Madrid, PSV Eindhoven vs Borussia Dortmund (return legs: Wednesday, March 13). Wednesday, February 21: Porto vs Arsenal, Napoli vs Barcelona (return legs: Tuesday, March 12).
Which player are you most looking forward to watching?
Anka: Martin Zubimendi has been talked up as a potential successor to Barcelona and Spain stalwart Sergio Busquets and as a possible replacement for Thomas Partey at Arsenal. In the here and now, the defensive midfielder is one part of a delightful Real Sociedad side taking on Paris Saint-Germain. The 25-year-old will be key to any success they have in that tie.
Corrigan: As Kylian Mbappe’s future remains such an open question, most La Liga watchers will take any chance to see the French forward playing in a big, competitive game. A match-winning performance against Real Sociedad will increase the expectation at Real Madrid that club president Florentino Perez should do everything possible to finally sign him. Multi-million euro decisions should not be made on two 40/html/container.html
Carey: Strikers are always exciting, but it will be interesting to see if RB Leipzig’s Lois Openda can punish Real Madrid. The 23-year-old Belgian has bagged 14 goals in the Bundesliga (behind only Serhou Guirassy of Stuttgart and Bayern Munich’s Harry Kane) and has been in great individual form since the turn of the year, despite some poor results from Marco Rose’s side.
Openda has been in fine form for a struggling Leipzig team (Maja Hitij/Getty Images)
James: I’ve seen a pass. You must have seen it too. Hakan Calhanoglu, reborn as a deep-lying playmaker these days, pinging a sublime 60-yard diagonal, complete with fade, to take two Juventus defenders out of the game during Inter’s 1-0 win the Sunday before last. Calhanoglu is a joy. Oh, and Xavi Simons, on loan at Leipzig from PSG, is a lot of fun to watch, too.
Anka: My answer to this will be Luis Enrique, at every single round of the tournament. Any season in which PSG don’t win is considered a failure, but misbehave in this one and you may find yourself being linked to the Chelsea job in the summer.
Corrigan: Xavi has claimed that his decision to leave this summer will take some pressure off his Barca team and give them the best chance of success over the remainder of the season. That theory could well be tested against Napoli, and I wonder if a defeat there could mean the former Camp Nou playmaker leaves the job even quicker than he has laid out.
Carey: Thomas Tuchel has had his fair share of criticism in Germany already this season, with Bayern Munich stuttering badly behind a Bundesliga-leading Bayer Leverkusen. A meeting with Lazio is among the easiest of these last-16 ties, so if they don’t win either of the legs convincingly, the heat will truly be on for the manager.
James: The simple answer is Pep Guardiola, given the trophy belongs to City at the moment and they have the easiest last-16 tie. But in the real world, City are already through to the quarter-finals. Defeat for Tuchel would surely be extremely damaging, given that the annual formality of another Bundesliga title for Bayern is, well, anything but a formality this season.
Shephard: Dortmund’s Edin Terzic faces the unenviable task of taking on a man who once sat in his chair (for half a season, at least) and is now thriving elsewhere. Given the way things ended for Bosz in Dortmund, he will be keen to prove a point, and this season has already seen Terzic under pressure thanks to a run of poor form pre-Christmas and an early exit from the DFB-Pokal (Germany’s FA Cup).
Whose fortunes have changed most since the draw in December?
Anka: Xavi sounded weary and burnt out when he announced he’d be leaving Barcelona at the end of the season. Injuries have decimated his playing options and his top striker Robert Lewandowski is 35 years old and entering a physical and goalscoring decline. This isn’t the free-wheeling Napoli of last season (they really should have found a way to beat AC Milan in the quarter-finals) but Barca are far from the favourites for this tournament right now.
Corrigan: Leipzig’s group performances — they won four games and competed admirably against City in the other two — suggested they could be tricky opponents for Madrid. But three straight Bundesliga defeats last month on returning from the winter break led to Spanish media headlines of “Leipzig in ruins”.
Carey: It’s hardly the case that City’s fortunes have “changed”, considering they are the competition’s champions and took maximum points from the group stage. It is more a case that the start of a new year often sees Guardiola’s side find another gear — and after coasting for the first half of the season, they are in serious mode now. The recent returns of Kevin De Bruyne and Erling Haaland from injuries have restored them to title-favourite status in the Premier League. In Europe, you just have to feel sorry for FC Copenhagen.
City are motoring at full speed with Haaland and De Bruyne back (Darren Staples/AFP via Getty Images)
James: Not ignoring the fact that Barcelona were in a mess even before the draw was made, it’s been quite a story since. By my GCSE Grade C-Maths calculations, Their next 12 matches after they were paired with Napoli on December 18 produced 55 goals: five of them scored by Villarreal on their league visit, four by Real Madrid in the Supercopa de Espana final in Saudi Arabia and another four by hosts Athletic Bilbao in the Copa del Rey quarter-finals. On top of that, Xavi has announced he’s stepping down as coach. That apart, it’s been quiet.
Shephard: When the draw was made, Arsenal topped the Premier League table, a point clear of Liverpool and five ahead of City. Now they sit third, two points behind leaders Liverpool and level with City (who have a game in hand). Nobody believed Arsenal had the title sewn up before Christmas, but they seemed much more in control of the situation than they do today.
Who should the neutrals be supporting?
Anka: If you’re the sort of person who likes discovering bands before they start selling our arenas, pay attention to Real Sociedad. They have a squad of talented players on the verge of being snapped up by bigger clubs. Now’s the time to learn about Zubimendi, Kubo and more.
Corrigan: Most of these teams are so well known at this point that we’ve made up our minds whether we like them or not. Atletico could perhaps buck this trend; coach Diego Simeone keeps trying to evolve their style to play more joined-up attacking football, knowing his current squad has a lot more quality in attack than defence. But will many non-Atletico fans really be rooting for them?
Carey: It was the 2018-19 season when Ajax caught the hearts and minds of the neutral fans when they charged to the semi-finals of this tournament before somehow getting knocked out by Tottenham. This season, it’s another Dutch side who could be the dark horses, with PSV not to be underestimated thanks to their exciting attacking unit.
James: “Many would have liked to see us dead. But we are very much alive.” That was Luis Enrique talking in the wake of PSG scrambling through their group (of death) in second place, behind Dortmund and after seeing off Milan and Newcastle. Nothing personal, mate, but plenty of football fans probably feel the same about your Real Sociedad tie. What a story it would be if the Basques, playing their first Champions League campaign since 2013-14 and second in 20 years, made it to the last eight. Get on the San Sebastian bandwagon.
Shephard: Not many people outside of the blue half of Manchester really want to see another City clean-sweep of the major trophies, do they? In which case, you’d have to say FC Copenhagen should be the neutrals’ choice. They were beaten 5-0 by City in Manchester in the group stage of last season’s competition so an upset feels pretty unlikely, but it wouldn’t be an upset if that weren’t the case, right?
Who do you expect the quarter-finalists to be?
Anka: Let’s follow the law of parsimony here: the simplest explanation is most likely the right one. Arsenal, Barcelona, Dortmund, PSG, Inter, Bayern, City and Madrid. The most monied tournament in club football will likely favour the richest teams in it.
Corrigan: Inter-Atletico and Napoli-Barcelona look more evenly balanced, and Atletico seem a lot better positioned than Barca to come through a tight tie at this point.
Carey: It would be great to see some surprises, but the safest bet would be the obvious ones. Arsenal, PSG, Inter, Bayern, City and Madrid look pretty nailed-on, but the games that could throw some doubt would be Napoli vs Barcelona and PSV vs Dortmund.
James: A lot of the usual suspects: City, Madrid, PSG, Bayern, PSV, Atletico, Arsenal, Napoli. Arguably, the two surprises in there are PSV and Atletico. In the case of PSV, they’re unbeaten in the Eredivisie and Sergino Dest could nutmeg a mer… no, I’m not going to say it. Anyway, there’s a lot to like about Bosz’s football ideology. As for Atletico’s progress, Inter are a terrific side but I sense a rejuvenated Alvaro Morata and some classic Simeone s***housery causing them problems.
Shephard: Arsenal, Barcelona, PSG, Atletico, PSV, Bayern, City, Madrid. Sorry, Dortmund fans, but let’s at least try to keep things interesting. (Top photos: Getty Images)
Boys in Blue Open Preseason Action with 0-0 Draw at Pittsburgh
PITTSBURGH (Tuesday, February 6, 2024) – Indy Eleven opened 2024 preseason action on Tuesday afternoon with a 0-0 draw on the road against 2023 USL Championship Eastern Conference regular-season champion Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC. The match proved to be a solid defensive battle with Indy coming away with its first shutout of preseason. Both teams thought they had found themselves a match winner, but saw goals called back for as offside. Indy’s opportunity came early in the 19th minute from Augustine Williams, while Pittsburgh’s chance came with less than 10 minutes to play. Indy is coming of a 13-11-10 season and a trip to the USL Eastern Conference playoffs for the first time since the 2019 season, posting a franchise-record eight road wins during the campaign. The Boys in Blue also had their first pair of all-league selections since the 2020 season.Preseason action continues Saturday with a home match against Chicago Fire FC II. Kick is set for 6:30 p.m. at the Grand Park Events Center and is open to the public.
Complete Preseason Schedule Tuesday, Feb. 6 at Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC | D, 0-0 Saturday, Feb. 10 vs Chicago Fire FC II | 6:30 p.m. | Open to the public Tuesday, Feb. 13 vs. Indiana Wesleyan University | Closed to the public Sunday, Feb. 18 vs. Columbus Crew2 | 3 p.m. | Open to the public Saturday, Feb. 24 at Lexington SC Thursday, Feb. 29 vs. Detroit City FC | Closed to the public Friday, March 1 vs. Forward Madison FC | Closed to the public
USMNT weekend viewing guide: Center of attention
Is a historically strong position becoming an area of weakness?
In an unusual turn of events, it seems that just as fans of the USMNT are seeing offensive output in Europe’s top leagues reach new levels, the center of the defense is taking some hits. It’s a real mixed bag for USMNT players in Europe, as some of our best offensive and midfield players are playing high impact soccer in the top leagues, scoring goals and making an impact. Meanwhile, some of the top centerbacks for the national team are making their way in the top league in the world, but that doesn’t mean the results are all positive. Tim Ream got beat for a tying goal last weekend, Chris Richards is being played all around the back with mixed results, and Auston Trusty’s Sheffield United are on a historically bad pace. There’s quite a bit to keep track of this weekend, so let’s get to it.
Friday
Cadiz v Real Betis – 3p on ESPN Deportes and ESPN+
Johnny Cardoso has started three straight league matches for Real Betis and went 90 minutes the previous two weeks, but he did miss the team’s Copa Del Ray loss to Deportivo Alavés on Tuesday due to an ongoing ankle injury. He has been included in the initial squad list for Friday’s matchup with 18th place Cadiz, who are three points from relegation safety. Betis are currently in 8th place, just two points back of Real Sociedad for a top six finish that would qualify them for Europa Conference League play next season.
Saturday
Union Berlin v Wolfsburg – 9:30a on ESPN+
Brendan Aaronson played just eight minutes for Union Berlin on Wednesday as the team drew 1-1 with Mainz and remained in 15th place in the Bundesliga standings, three points out of relegation. Aaronson’s Union side will be taking on Kevin Paredes and Wolfsburg, who have drawn four straight matches. Paredes has started the past two matches and gone the full 90 for Wolfsburg, who are currently in 11th place, just five points ahead of Berlin.
Borussia Mönchengladbach v Darmstadt – 9:30a on ESPN+
Joe Scally is once again on pace to play over 2,000 minutes in a season for Borussia Mönchengladbach, a mark he will have achieved in each of his three seasons since joining the club. Still just 21 (and having only turned that on New Years Eve), it’s remarkable that Scally has already played over 5,500 Bundesliga minutes in his young career. Scally has started twelve straight for ‘Gladbach, while his USMNT teammate Jordan Pefok has started three straight and has goal contributions in three of the last four matches. The club needs to get back on the winning track, as they have just one win in their past seven matches and are coming off a 3-1 loss to Bayern Munich. This weekend, they will face a Darmstadt team that is bottom of the table with just 11 points in 20 matches.
Werder Bremen v Heidenheim – 9:30a on ESPN+
Lennard Maloney has started every match for Heidenheim this season, and the club is currently in 10th place on a seven game unbeaten streak, though the past four have all been draws. The team has been playing stout defense as of late but have lacked a goal scoring threat.
Fulham v Bournemouth – 10a on Peacock
Antonee Robinson, Tim Ream and Fulham will look to bounce back against Bournemouth on Saturday after giving up a stoppage time goal to Burnley last week that saw the chance for a win slip away. Robinson picked up an assist in the draw while Tim Ream got his first start in two months but was beaten on the final goal as Burnley drew level. 13th place Fulham, who are just seven points clear of the relegation zone, will face a Bournemouth side that are just ahead of them in the table and coming off back to back 1-1 draws.
Luton Town v Sheffield United – 10a on Peacock
Auston Trusty continues to get EPL starts with Sheffield United, but the team has been incredibly leaky at the back, giving up 59 goals through 23 matches, including five last weekend to Aston Villa. The 2.56 goals per game has them on pace to give up 97 goals which would smash the previous high (low?) in a 38 match season, a mark which was set by Derby County in the 2007-08 season when they gave up 89 goals. Perhaps not all hope is lost for USMNT fans, who may remember the 2018-19 Fulham team featuring Tim Ream at centerback. That team gave up 81 goals on their way to relegation, with Ream starting in 24 of those matches. That team was also on pace to break the goals allowed mark before shutting out their opponents in three of their last five matches, though the 81 goals still put them in pretty dubious territory. Sheffield are going to need to find a similar streak if they are to avoid infamy on their way to relegation this season. They face a Luton Town side that is very close to the relegation zone themselves, though they have scored 32 goals this season, a mark which puts them close to the top 10. The teams just played on Boxing Day with Luton Town picking up a 3-2 win.
Nottingham Forest v Newcastle United – 12:30p on NBC
Gio Reyna saw twelve minutes off the bench last weekend in his Nottingham Forest debut, a 1-1 draw with Bournemouth. As expected, Matt Turner was benched in favor of newcomer Matz Sels. Turner was back between the sticks on Wednesday as Sels and Reyna were both ineligible for the FA Cup replay. Turner stopped six shots, plus a penalty during the shootout as his team advanced over Bristol City. It seems unlikely that was enough to return to his starting spot for league play, but Sels was not rock solid last weekend either so the opportunity could return for Turner at some point if he’s able to stay sharp. Callum Hudson-Odoi was injured last weekend, which could accelerate the team’s plans for getting Reyna minutes as well.
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Sunday
Getafe v Celta Vigo – 8a on ESPN Deportes and ESPN+
Luca de la Torre notched a goal and an assist last weekend as Celta Vigo picked up three crucial points against Osasuna last weekend and moved three points out of the relegation zone. It was de la Torre’s third straight start and the team’s third win in seven matches as they look to claw themselves to middle of the table. They will face 10th place Getafe this weekend, who are coming off a 1-1 draw with Real Betis.
Volendam v PSV Eindhoven – 10:45a on ESPN+
Sergiño Dest and PSV Eindhoven came back from a goal down against Ajax last weekend to maintain their unbeaten season in Eredivise play, though it was the second time in three matches that the team has settled for a 1-1 draw. Ricardo Pepi and Malik Tillman both missed the match but are expected to return soon.
Hoffenheim v Koln – 11:30a on ESPN+
John Brooks started his second straight match for Hoffenheim last weekend in a 2-2 draw with Wolfsburg, but picked up another late yellow card and is suspended for this weekend’s matchup with Köln.
Nice v Monaco – 2:45p on beIN Sports
Folarin Balogun broke his scoreless streak as he drew and converted a penalty on Thursday in Monaco’s Coupe de France match with FC Rouen. Unfortunately, the match went to a penalty shootout after ending regulation tied 1-1 and Balogun missed his kick as Monaco lost 5-6. The goal that Balogun scored did break a scoreless drought that has lasted over two months, with his last goal coming in a late November loss to PSG. Despite Balogun’s struggles, Monaco have scored the second most goals in league play but are currently in fifth place as defending has let them down. They take on second place Nice this weekend, a team they trail by just four points.
AC Milan v Napoli – 2:45p on Paramount+
Christian Pulisic and AC Milan defeated Frosinone 3-2 last weekend and remain in third place, though well behind league-leading Inter Milan. Pulisic and AC Milan will have a tough matchup this weekend against seventh place Napoli. Yunus Musah saw just four minutes off the bench last weekend and hasn’t started a match since early December.
Monday
Juventus v Udinese – 2:45p on Paramount+
Weston McKennie, Tim Weah and Juventus will need to keep the disappointment of last weekend’s 1-0 loss to Inter from building into a losing streak as they face Udinese this weekend. The loss saw Inter take a commanding four point lead for the league title with a game in hand. With Inter having lost just one match so far this season, it seems unlikely that they will slip up. Juventus will have to keep the pressure on, which can start by picking up all three points against 16th place Udinese this weekend.
Crystal Palace v Chelsea FC – 3p on USA Network
Chris Richards and Crystal Palace suffered an ugly 4-1 loss to Brighton last weekend and have given up 11 goals in their past three matches. They face a Chelsea side that defeated Aston Villa 3-1 midweek in FA Cup play but has lost their last two league matches while giving up four goals in each.
Comparing the Super Bowl to the men’s World Cup final and Champions League final
Last Sunday, after a made-for-TV event revealed the 2026 World Cup match schedule, FIFA president Gianni Infantino took a subtle shot at the NFL’s Super Bowl. The next men’s World Cup will be played in the U.S., Mexico and Canada, featuring an expanded field of 48 teams and 104 total games. “This will be 104 Super Bowls being played in North America,” Infantino said on Instagram. It was no coincidence that Infantino’s claim came at the start of Super Bowl week in Las Vegas. It was also a reminder that the worlds of soccer and American football both have an eye on each other as they each try to grow their operations. While the World Cup enjoys far greater popularity worldwide, the Super Bowl has cornered the U.S. market — an area of particular focus for global soccer powers over the last several decades. Which may be why some of soccer’s most influential officials are irked by the notion that the Super Bowl could be perceived as a bigger event than the World Cup. Three years ago, CONCACAF president and FIFA vice president Victor Montagliani was asked by a local television reporter in Atlanta why the city, which has hosted the Summer Olympics, would be interested in “an international event.” Montagliani recalled an anecdote about an unnamed NFL owner who told him that 100 million people around the world watch the Super Bowl. “I said, when we have the draw for the World Cup, which is ping-pong balls in a glass bowl, and some legend of the game pulls out a ball and says ‘USA versus Poland in Group A,’ that’s two to three times (the viewership of) a Super Bowl,” Montagliani said. “That’s just to pull balls out of a glass bowl, so that’s not even for the games of the World Cup… I’m not sure how else to answer that question, I think it answers itself.”uper Bowl viewership smashes that of the World Cup final within the U.S. However, if you broaden it to the global numbers for both, it flips far in the other direction. The World Cup final is an unbeatable global behemoth and that’s the problem when comparing the men’s World Cup final with the Super Bowl. You simply cannot get past the numbers.Take last year’s Super Bowl versus the 2022 World Cup final in Qatar. The 2023 Super Bowl between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Philadelphia Eagles set a domestic viewership record with 115.1 million viewers across Fox, Fox Deportes and other digital streams. Another 56 million people outside the U.S. watched the game. Those numbers are impressive, but they’re just a spec in comparison to the “global reach” of 1.5 billion FIFA reported to have for Lionel Messi and Argentina’s defeat of defending champions France in the 2022 World Cup final. Whether that’s a massive exaggeration by FIFA or an accurate viewership figure is debatable, and something The Athletic covered in greater depth here.
A record 18,000 media credentials were issued for the World Cup in Qatar, according to FIFA. This weekend’s Super Bowl in Las Vegas will host over 6,000 credentialed members of the press. It’s the 57th edition of the Super Bowl, and because it’s in Vegas for the first time, it feels like one of the bigger NFL title games in recent memory.It features the league’s two best teams, a potential G.O.A.T. candidate in Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, against San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy, an unlikely hero who was the last player taken in the 2022 draft (a position dubbed “Mr. Irrelevant”). It’ll be a storybook ending in Sin City, no matter who wins the game. And yet, most of the world’s population won’t be watching. That’s why comparing the Super Bowl, a yearly title game between club teams, with the World Cup final, which is played every four years by national teams, misses the mark. The World Cup is a month-long tournament that since 1998, has featured 32 countries from around the world. The 2026 World Cup in North America will be the biggest World Cup ever in the most commercialized country on the planet. Despite Infantino’s dig and Montagliani’s ping-pong ball anecdote, FIFA can take some cues from the NFL, which has mastered the art of merging sports and entertainment. Think about why so many Americans and NFL fans around the world watch the Super Bowl. It’s a spectacle celebrated by parties and calls for it to be made an official national holiday. If the game itself falls flat, the millions watching from home (in the U.S. at least) can still debate whether the commercials were funny or innovative and watch the broadcast for the halftime show. A normal Super Bowl halftime break can run up to 30 minutes — twice as long as any other NFL halftime break — in order to allow organizers to set up and tear down an elaborate concert stage for superstar performers on the field. It’s hard to imagine FIFA extending halftime of a World Cup final for the same reason, but the tournament’s opening and closing ceremonies seem like a compromise. A Super Bowl halftime is also prime ad space, which is why advertising agencies and corporate sponsors will once again put all their eggs in one basket this Sunday, spending $7 million dollars for a 30-second chance to become part of American pop culture. Messi will star in a Super Bowl commercial for the first time this year, cementing his place in the American consciousness.Clearly FIFA hears the noise regarding the Super Bowl-World Cup comparison. The World Cup is a monster on its own, but the Super Bowl has a cool factor that any sporting event would envy. It’s the blue collar mentality of Rocky mixed with the multi-billion-dollar NFL machine. The countless celebrities that attend a Super Bowl, the national anthem before kickoff. It’s simply unique. It’s Apple pie and heavy metal. It’s American exceptionalism. The Super Bowl is Americana at its finest. World soccer’s chief decision makers would love nothing more than to emulate that appeal.Instead of the World Cup final, a fairer comparison would be to set the Super Bowl against the UEFA Champions League final. It’s by far the biggest game of the club soccer calendar. Both the Super Bowl and the Champions League final occur annually and both pit professional organizations against each other, rather than national teams. But yet again, the comparison ends with the viewership numbers. In 2023, UEFA estimated that a global audience of 450 million people would watch at least a portion of the Champions League final between Manchester City and Inter Milan. That’s still more than the Super Bowl’s viewership record. In this case, however, numbers don’t always tell the whole story. A feeling of grandeur is what has traditionally defined the Super Bowl. The build-up to Super Bowl Sunday is a week-long content circus. Nearly 24,000 fans attended this week’s media day event earlier this week at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, the site of Sunday’s Super Bowl. Players from both teams walked onto the stadium’s artificial turf like prize fighters before a heavyweight fight, only to take a seat at a podium and answer questions, with pop star Taylor Swift a particular point of emphasis.
“The (Champions League) final should be bigger,” said Paris Saint Germain president Nasser Al-Khelaifi in 2022. “I can’t understand how the Super Bowl can feel bigger than the Champions League final. The Super Bowl, and the U.S. generally, have this mindset, creativity and entertainment. That’s what I have suggested, to have an opening ceremony to the Champions League, to have one match on the opening night where the winners take on a big team — maybe it is not a good idea, but at least let’s challenge the status quo. Each match needs to be an event and entertainment.”In 2015, Pepsi saw an opportunity to change the tone of the UEFA Champions League final by sponsoring the final’s Kickoff Show entertainment. Since then, international artists like Dua Lipa, Black Eyed Peas, and Camila Cabello have all featured at the start of the global broadcast. But does anyone remember those performances? Comparing the Super Bowl with soccer’s two biggest matches has become an endless debate. What should take precedence, though, are the many ways that FIFA, UEFA and the NFL are moving closer to one another. The three organizations are also gradually moving in on each other’s territories. The NFL continues to expand its brand globally, with the possibility of playing a Super Bowl in London becoming closer to reality. “It is not impossible, and it is something that has been discussed before,” NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said in 2023. Meanwhile, European soccer’s governing body has discussed holding its showpiece event in the United States.So, while the numbers tell a good portion of the story when it comes to differences in popularity and appeal, the Super Bowl, World Cup and Champions League final all have elements envied and emulated by each other.
(Top image: Martin Rickett/PA Images via Getty Images; Kohjiro Kinno/Sports Illustrated via Getty Images; Marvin Ibo Guengoer – GES; Sportfoto/Getty Images; Design: Eamonn Dalton)
The Concacaf Champions Cup is back!
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Maybe you didn’t know it had gone anywhere or maybe you’re asking “What’s the Concacaf Champions Cup?” The governing body in North America, Central America and the Caribbean opted for a name change ahead of a revamped tournament.FotMob – 3 days ago
It’s the same name the continental club championship carried for many years, evoking memories of the glory days of club soccer in the Concacaf region, well before MLS existed or Liga MX clubs had started to exert their power.
What’s different besides the name?
This tournament is going to be big. Like, really big. There are 27 teams competing to be the club champion of the region and things will run from today until June 2.
After teams from outside North America played the Central American Cup and Caribbean Cup, and North American teams qualified through league play or cup competitions, the field is full of squads looking to nab Concacaf’s fourth and final place at the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup – plus secure bragging rights and start the new format off right.
Isn’t Lionel Messi in this?
Yes, Inter Miami qualified to the tournament by virtue of winning the Leagues Cup, but that also grants Miami a first-round bye.
So, will Messi play in Suriname?
Sadly, no. Well, not unless Caribbean champion Robinhood (yes, you read that right) gets to the final and so does Inter Miami. While Tata Martino’s men qualifying for the CCC sent thoughts of Messi globetrotting dancing through the heads of international soccer lovers, the most likely first game for the Herons is a Leagues Cup final rematch against Nashville SC. Win that, and it could be a trip to northern Mexico to meet Monterrey – or a U.S. Open Cup semifinal rematch against FC Cincinnati.
Of course, anything could happen. Moca, of the Dominican Republic, could spring a surprise on Nashville in the opening round, which might see Messi turn up to the DR. Stranger things – like Austin FC’s loss to Violette of Haiti last year – have happened in the CCC.
Strange things happen, eh? Is there a dark horse to back?
While the CCL was ripe for weird first-round upsets, it was like the old bit about the Germans always winning at the end, except it was Mexican teams. Just once in the Concacaf Champions League era did a team from outside Liga MX lift the trophy, with the Seattle Sounders toppling Pumas to win the 2022 edition.
The change back to the historic name recalls a time when teams from Suriname, Guatemala or Haiti could lift the trophy, but that feels extremely difficult this time around. With a first-round bye and a number of strong acquisitions, including bringing former Arsenal forward Joel Campbell back in the summer, Liga Deportivo Alajuelense, known as “Liga” looks to have the best path to be a non-power team in the late stages.
Within those ‘power’ teams, Liga MX squad Toluca takes on Herediano in the first round for the right to play Suriname’s Robinhood. A semi-final run looks totally possible for the Red Devils, especially with Mexico attacker Alexis Vega back at the club.
And the matchups to root for?
It feels like all the region is looking at the Round of 16 when there could be a Clásico Nacional in Mexico pitting Club América against Chivas de Guadalajara.
Chivas has to weather a trip to frigid Hamilton, Ontario and get past Concacaf veterans Forge FC of the Canadian Premier League, while América must keep its head against Real Estelí of Nicaragua.
Clásicos are always intense and always to be celebrated. One with a quarter-final spot on the line as both clubs look to clinch the region’s final berth to the 2025 Club World Cup would be electric.
Beyond that there’s the rematch potential for Inter Miami against Nashville, Orlando City and the Tigres potentially meeting again after last year’s series and – if things get really wild – all three Costa Rican giants on the same half of the bracket. They’d have to get past tough opposition to get to the quarter-finals but Saprissa squaring off with Herediano in that round or Liga in the semifinals would be some of the biggest matches in Central America in quite some time.
Oh, and a past version of Philadelphia Union against Saprissa brought us one of the most Concacaf moments ever. We’ll see if this year’s Round One clash brings the same intensity.
This week has some of the power Mexican clubs flying all over the region. Tuesday night Monterrey is in Guatemala City while América is in Estelí, Nicaragua – a town of fewer than 200,000. Chivas and Tigres both are packing their coats to square off with Canadian Premier League opposition.
And that’s all before someone travels to Paramaribo, Suriname next round.
Whether it’s familiar faces in exotic locales, Lionel Messi popping up in places you didn’t ever think you’d see him or renewed rivalry between teams in MLS and Liga MX, the CCC should have something for everyone. Sit back and enjoy the big, expanded ride.
NJ gets the final, Taylor wins Booth Bowl, LDLT & Sargent surge, McGuire in limbo, and more
ASN’s Brian Sciaretta writes up his kickoff to the week with thoughts on New Jersey getting awarded the big game, Taylor wins the Booth Bowl, Gio Reyna makes his NFFC debut, Duncan McGuire in limbo, and more
BY BRIAN SCIARETTAPOSTED FEBRUARY 05, 202412:05 PM
THE WEEKEND IN American soccer started off slowly. Friday and Saturday gave us very little positive news except for Josh Sargent scoring an important goal. But then came a big Sunday when the U.S. national team learned their World Cup venues for 2026, the battle of the Booths in the Eredivisie was a huge hit, and there were big outings from Luca de la Torre, Johnny Cardoso, and a club debut for Gio Reyna.
Let’s start at the top.
WORLD CUP 2026 TAKES SHAPE
The World Cup 2026 has taken shape, and we now know the locations where the three hosting countries will play their group stage games. And we also know the location of the final.
Like 1994, the USMNT will play two group stage games in Los Angeles. Unlike 1994, they will be on the west coast for all three games (in 1994 they had a game in Michigan).
Los Angeles is great for the USMNT, perfect weather and very easy to get to. It’s not ideal for the U.S. team when it comes to World Cup qualifiers or Gold Cup games where the opposing teams gets more support. But for the World Cup, it’s great.s for Canada’s team, Toronto and Vancouver will get their games.eanwhile, Mexico will open the tournament at Azteca which will be a venue for a third World Cup.
Meanwhile, the final will be in New Jersey at Metlife Stadium which give the Northeast a chance to crown the World Champion. It’s an upset over Dallas, but it FIFA couldn’t resist giving the final to one of the two biggest metropolitan areas of the United States and the Rose Bowl hosted the final in 1994.
BOOTH BOWL
The biggest story from Americans abroad was Booth Bowl 2024 when FC Utrecht hosted Volendam in the Eredivisie. Normally, a matchup between two bottom half Dutch teams wouldn’t register much attention. But on Sunday, Zach Booth started for relegation dwelling Volendam while his older brother Taylor Booth got the start for Utrecht.Zach Booth opened the scoring with his first first-team goal. But then Taylor Booth scored the next two for Utrecht while also scoring the last en route to a 4-2 Utrecht win.
Booth, 21, becomes the third USMNT player to score an Eredivisie hat trick after Michael Bradley and Jozy Altidore (who once had three in one season for AZ Alkmaar).This was a massively important game for Taylor Booth who hasn’t had a great season entering into this game. Utrecht was reportedly willing to listen to offers over a potential transfer in January, but nothing materialized. Prior to this, he had not had a goal all season although had been trending upward with a good showing in a draw against PSV.
In this game, the elder Booth brother went off and raised his stock. Perhaps he was motivated by facing off against his brother. Will it keep him at Utrecht, or will he make a move upward? That depends on him continuing to play well. One big outing against a bad Volendam team can serve as a spark, but it’s not going to define anything.
It might change things internationally as he is in the Olympic U-23 team picture and that team is very deep in the wing and attacking midfield positions. This will keep him at the top of the list heading into the big March camp while also potentially having him in the USMNT discussions. For now, the U-23 team is a more likely call-up.
As for Zach Booth, he’s probably not in the Olympic picture and ha a tough birth year in 2004 as he’s too old for the U-20 team but extremely young for his only U-23 cycle. Right now, he’s playing for his next loan as his parent club, Leicester City, looks set for Premier League promotion while Volendam seem likely to be relegated.
DE LA TORRE CONTINUES RISE
It’s hard to say why, but over the past two months Luca de la Torre has taken his game to another level. He is now playing with offensive bite and is scoring and creating with regularity. On top of that, his defense is also first-rate.
This was on display on Sunday when the San Diego native was the MOTM for Celta Vigo in a big 3-0 win over Osasuna which moved it three points clear of the relegation zone.
His 25th minute goal gave Celta a 2-0 lead and de la Torre scored the goal with a great run into the middle where he changed directions to get in front of his defender for a clear shot from close range.
De la Torre has always had skill but the issue has always been about his final ball, his ability to produce goals and assists. This went back to his days at Fulham and Heracles too. But now at 25, he’s playing his best soccer in relation to production.e is a lock to get called up to the national team, but this will give him a case to play more in a crowded midfield.
JUVE FALL FARTHER BEHIND INTER
Any chances of Juventus catching Inter Milan for the Scudetto took a devastating blow on Sunday with Inter Milan posting a 1-0 win over Juve. That move puts Inter Milan up four points in the race while also having a game in hand. Juve is comfortably in second place and has an overwhelming spot for a Champions League berth.
Weston Mckennie started and played until stoppage time. He was maybe the best Juventus midfielder on the day. He created three chances and was a tireless worker on both sides of the ball. Tim Weah played the final 24 minutes at right wingback but was mostly invisible.
SARGENT SCORES IN NORWICH WIN
On Saturday, Norwich and Coventry in a matchup in the Championships between two teams that started USMNT 2022 World Cup forwards. Josh Sargent for Norwich and Haji Wright for Coventry. In the end, Sargent had the better day and the better result, a 2-1 win for Norwich.
Coventry scored first but it was Sargent who equalized in the 66th minute before Norwich found a winner in the 88th. Wright’s performance wasn’t very effective.
In addition to a big outing for Sargent, what was also important is that he played until stoppage time. This is a signal that he is at or close to full strength/health.
A 6??th goal for Sarge and a huge one at that ????
Watch the match highlights in full ????— Norwich City FC (@NorwichCityFC) February 4, 2024
Sargent is having a good season, despite missing over three months. He has six goals in under 700 minutes and Norwich (like Coventry) is only a point out of the promotional playoffs. But with Sargent now hitting his stride, I like Norwich’s chances of getting into the playoffs. From there, anything is possible.
Sargent is also in a good position with the U.S. national team. While it has mostly been Folarin Balogun and Ricardo Pepi in 2023, Sargent is playing and playing well. Pepi has played well this season, but in a very limited role. Balogun has been hit or miss. Sargent and Vazquez might be the next group pushing, even over Wright or Jordan Pefok.
REYNA MAKES NFFC DEBUT
Gio Reyna made his Premier League debut when he went the final 12 minutes for Nottingham Forest in a 1-1 draw away at Bournemouth. Four minutes after he came on, Bournemouth was reduced to 10 players after a Phillip Billing red card.
Overall, Reyna was nice and tidy in possession. It helped that Bournemouth was bunkering the game out It wasn’t anything dramatically good, but it was a positive first step for Reyna in his club debut. Callum Hudson-Odoi scored a nice goal in this game and he is one of Reyna’s competitors for minutes. But Hudson-Odoi was also on the wrong end of Billing’s red card and we will have to see how healthy he is.
Reyna came to Forest on loan to play and it looks like that will happen. The concern is staying healthy in this physical league when Reyna likes to be on the ball a lot and to take defenders on.
One more note is that Reyna won’t be in action midweek for Forest’s FA Cup replay against Bristol City since he was not registered for the first game. On the other hand, Matt Turner probably will be back for Forest as his replacement, Matz Sels was also not registered at the appropriate time.
It could be the last time Turner is sought out to contribute to Forest.
Go Reyna & Matz Sels were not registered in time for this game. So while Reyna won’t play, Matt Turner probably will #USMNThttps://t.co/rXWKvCDL5M— Brian Sciaretta (@BrianSciaretta) February 5, 2024
PAREDES SHARP FOR WOLFSBURG
Kevin Paredes, 20, has started for Wolfsburg, but the issue for him has always been keeping his form at a consistently high level to lock the starting job down for a stretch. Last weekend, he got a rare start for Wolfsburg and scored in a 2-2 draw with Cologne. On Saturday, Paredes didn’t score but was sharp again in a 2-2 draw against Hoffenheim.
The winger was credited with creating four chances in the game while he also won 6/7 of his ground duels. He also played the complete game and was easily one of Wolfsburg’s best players in the game. This was an important step towards that consistency as he should remain in the team’s starting lineup.
For Wolfsburg, it was the team’s fourth draw in a row and they are winless in five. They are midtable team this year and shouldn’t have much to play for down the stretch. That actually bodes well for Paredes and his minutes in the months ahead.
Paredes is on the cusp of the USMNT and these outings will help. He’s also an Olympic option as well if Wolfsburg would consider releasing him (which seems unlikely) and if he doesn’t go to the Copa America.
With the result, Pellegrino Matarazzo and Hoffenheim skidded to eighth place and is winless in six Bundesliga games. John Brooks went the distance in this game and didn’t really stand out much.
CARDOSO CONTINUES STRONG START WITH BETIS
Johnny Cardoso, 21, made his third straight start since joining Real Betis in January and he is playing very well. That continued in Sunday’s otherwise disappointing 1-1 away draw with Getafe.
In the game, Cardoso was decent with his passing and had 67 touches. He only attempted one long ball. But defensively, he had five interceptions, seven recoveries, and was an extremely impressive 10/12 in winning his ground duels.
Betis now sits in eighth place and is only two points out of sixth place for a Conference League spot. But Cardoso is hitting the ground running and should continue to start.
There is a high degree of likelihood that Cardoso will take a bigger role with the national team until Tyler Adams gets back on the field and gets his form back. That could take awhile since Adams has missed almost a year (not including the 20 minutes he played in the one game where he reinjured himself).
MCGUIRE IN LIMBO
A paperwork issue might have botched the Duncan McGuire loan to Blackburn. Following Blackburn’s dismal 2-0 loss at home to Queens Park Rangers, manager Jon Dahl Tomasson told the media he wasn’t allowed to comment on McGuire’s situation to the media at the request/demand of ownership.
As of now, the club is holding talks with the governing body, but what happens is unclear.
Here are the options per Blackburn beat reporter Elliot Jackson.
Per Jackson when comparing it with a similar and successful appeal last year with a player: “From my understand, this is down to the submission of certain documents whereas last year was more about the time certain documents were submitted.”
If the club accepts the decision, McGuire will probably return to Orlando and reconsider all options this summer. It might not make any sense for him to bind himself to Blackburn for next season given that the club is in a terrible place now.
Think about how bad this day is for Blackburn – lost at home to QPR, now just 5 points clear of relegation & sinking – last 8 Championship games: winless w/ 2points – the McGuire move is on life support – Sammie Szmodic is the best forward in the Championship- now injured https://t.co/nGdEFQm3QP— Brian Sciaretta (@BrianSciaretta) February 3, 2024
The only thing good that can be said about this day is that Reggie Cannon played well for QPR and he’s been one of their better players.
MILJEVIC TO SIGN WITH NEWELL’S OLD BOYS
Matko Miljevic, 22, has not had a good start to his professional career. Born in Miami and raised in Argentina, he started his career with Argentinos Juniors but eventually there were problems with him and his representation (reportedly his family). It got so bad, the club refused to let him train and he went over a year without playing.
Then Miljevic made the move to Montreal and it had a disastrous ending last season when Miljevic was disappointed with his playing time under fellow Argentine Hernan Losada that he registered to play in a Quebec amateur league under an assumed identity without the knowledge of Montreal. This identity was discovered when he was investigated after punching an opposing player in the face. He was banned for life by the Quebec league and Montreal terminated his contract last September.Now Miljevic will return to Argentina (where inflation is north of 200%) and sign for Newell’s Old Boys, the childhood club of Lionel Messi.Miljevic has talent and has played for the U-20 teams of both Argentina an the United States. But he needs to get his act together in order to reach that potential. Will that happen at Newell’s Old Boys?
After bombing out with Montreal and having his contract terminated for playing in an amateur Quebec league under an assumed name where his identity was discovered after fighting with an opponent, American-born attacking midfielder Matko Miljevic, 22, signs with Newell’s Old oys https://t.co/doW805wYo1— Brian Sciaretta (@BrianSciaretta) February 3, 2024
CORONA RETURNS TO TIJUANA
After a few weeks as an unused substitute, Joe Corona returned to the field for Tijuana. It’s not always when an American is a legend for a foreign club, but Corona fits that description. It was his goal in 2011 that sent Tijuana to promotion to Liga MX for the first time. Then the following year, he started for the club in their first Liga MX title.
Sobran las palabras para describir este sentimiento. Volver a casa donde todo comenzo siempre fue un sueño. Con la misma ilusion y motivacion del primer dia que portamos estos colores. Vamos carajo! A poner a @xolos donde se merece???????? Siempre un honor representar esta camiseta. pic.twitter.com/LvEsGUjeGz— Joe Corona (@JoeCorona15) January 12, 2024
After stops in elsewhere Liga MX followed by MLS and then Sweden, Corona, 33, returned to where he is still loved. On Saturday, he started and played 75 minutes in a 3-2 away loss to Pachuca. It wasn’t an ideal return, but Corona was decent and it sets the stage for him returning to the field for the first time in Tijuana.
YANKS IN ITALY
AC Milan needed to come from behind to beat Frosinone 3-2 away on Saturday. Christian Pulisic went 80 minutes and left with the score 2-2. Yunus Musah played the final five minutes. It was an unconvincing performance from Milan and Pulisic was okay, but nothing great. It would be harsh to call this a rough patch, but Pulisic was sharper earlier in the season. He’ll get through it. The same with Musah, too.
In Serie B, it was a heartbreaking day on Saturday for Venezia who saw their hopes for automatic promotion take a hit with a 2-1 loss to first place Parma. Parma found a late winner 10 minutes into stoppage time and with the loss, Venezia fell to fourth place and three points out of second (where the top two are promoted and spots three through eight are into the playoffs for one spot). Gianluca Busio played into stoppage time just before the winner while Tanner Tessmann went the distance.
Both players played relatively well and fit in well at this high level of Serie B. But it was a tough, tough loss against a good Parma team.
Kristoffer Lund went the distance for Palermo in a comfortable 3-0 win over Bari in a win that moved Palermo back into fifth place. The USMNT left back was steady in the win and remains a competent presence in their backline.
Nicholas Gioacchini is still looking for his club debut with Como after going as an unused substitute in a 1-0 away win over Ternana. Como moved into third place with the win.
Andrija Novakovich played the final 33 minutes for Lecco in a 1-0 loss to second place Cremonese. It was the fourth straight loss for Lecco, who are in the basement of Serie B.
YANKS IN ENGLAND
Fulham squandered a 2-0 lead into the 70th minute and had to settle for a 2-2 draw with relegation battling Burnley. Tim Ream and Antonee Robinson both went 90 minutes. Check out this assist from Robinson that I choose to believe against the evidence that it was intentional.
Auston Trusty unfortunately went the distance for last-place Sheffield United which dropped a 5-0 decision at home to Aston Villa. Hopefully he has some confidence next year heading into the Championship. Sheffield United has a -40 goal-differential.
In the Championship, Duane Holmes did not play for Preston North end in a 3-2 win over Ipswich Town. Daryl Dike played the final seven minutes for West Brom in a 1-0 win over Birmingham City. The goal was scored two minutes after Dike came into the game.
Lynden Gooch started and played 58 minutes for Stoke City in a disastrous 5-0 loss at home to runaway leaders Leicester. Gooch left with his team down 2-0.
YANKS IN BELGIUM
It was a near complete wipeout for the Yanks in Belgium.
The loan Yank who did not lose was Marlon Fossey. But even Fossey left his game for Standard Liege in the 85th minute trailing Molenbeek 2-1. He was not on the field for his team’s late equalizer.
Neither Griffin Yow nor Bryan Reynolds played well for Westerlo in a 3-0 loss at home OH Leuven. Reynolds was replaced at the half and Yow came out of the game in the 65th minute.
Gaga Slonina and Eupen dropped another 1-0 decision, this time at home to Mechelen. Slonina did not make any big saves in the game.
Mark McKenzie and Genk dropped a 1-0 decision at home to leaders Union SG. It was a decent but not a standout performance from McKenzie.
Kehveh Zahiroleslam started and played 75 ineffective minutes for St. Truiden in a 4-1 loss to Cercle Brugge. After a two goal performance midweek, Zahiroleslam didn’t have a shot in this game.
YANKS IN GERMANY
In the Bundesliga, Joe Scally and Jordan Pefok both started for Borussia Monchengladbach in a 3-1 loss to Bayern Munich. It was a lackluster performances from M’Gladbach but Pefok assisted on their goal.
Lennard Maloney started and played a solid 90 minutes for Heidenheim in his very defensive midfield-minded role in a 0-0 draw with his former club Borussia Dortmund. Heidenheim isn’t a fun team to watch, but their goal from the onset of the season was just to pick off points to survive. Now in 10th place, they’re doing that. Maloney has a limited role, but he does it well. It remains to be seen if he can play a different role for the USMNT.
Brenden Aaronson played the last 14 minutes for Union Berlin in a 2-0 win over RB Leipzig.
In the 2.Bundesliga, Johan Gomez started and played 67 minutes for Eintracht Braunschweig who had their four game winning streak snapped in a 1-0 loss to Schalke. Braunschweig still sits in the relegation zone.
In a big game in the promotion race, leaders St. Pauli and their American-born manager Fabian Hurzeler posted a big 3-2 win over Greuther Furth. Both Julian Green and U.S. U-23 central defender Maximillian Dietz went 90 minutes in a tough loss.
YANKS IN THE NETHERLANDS
PSV played Ajax to a 1-1 draw with rivals Ajax and are still without a defeat on the season. Sergino Dest was decent against his former club and went 89 minutes. Malik Tillman did not play in this game as he is still injured, and Ricardo Pepi also did not play.
Anthony Fontana was an unused substitute for PEC Zwolle in a 2-0 win over Sparta Rotterdam.
Frensh off his loan to Vitesse, Paxten Aaronson was not in the squad on Sunday in a 2-0 loss at home to Go Ahead Eagles. Vitesse remain in last place, three points from the relegation playoff and seven points from automatic safety.
YANKS IN SPAIN AND FRANCE
In France’s Ligue 1, Monaco and Le Havre played to a 1-1 draw. Folarin Balogun was injured for Monaco while Emmanuel Sabbi started and played 87 minutes for Le Havre. Sabbi drew four fouls but had no shots and was just 3/6 in passing.
In Spain’s Segunda, Jonathan Gomez had a strong outing for Mirandes in a 3-0 win over Villarreal B. Gomez was coming off a tough performance but overall has been trending up in recent months. Konrad de la Fuente played the last eight minutes in a 1-1 draw with Racing Ferrol.
YANKS ELSEWHERE
In Scotland, Dante Polvara started had an assist for Aberdeen in a nice 1-1 draw with Celtic, where Cameron Carter-Vickers did not play.
Scott Pittman started for last place Livingston in a 3-0 loss away to Rangers.
In Portugal, Alex Mendez was unused for last place Vizela in a 1-0 loss at home to Vitoria de Guimaraes. The same was true for Benji Michel for Aroua in a in a 2-1 away win over Portimonense.
In Greece’s Super League, Caleb Stanko went 90 minutes for Lamia in a 4-1 away in over PAS Giannina.
In Hungary’s NB I, Henry Wingo went 90 minutes for Ferencvaros in a 3-1 win over Kisvarda. Ferencvaros are in second, one point behind Paks.
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Pulisic has been on fire at AC Milan Goal, the story GK Matt Turner has returned in goal for Nottingham Forest and made some mistakes but also some huge saves. Nice to see American forward Josh Sargent back on the field for Norwich as he returns from injury and scores in his 1st game back. For Cincy I am glad to see Miles Robinson was signed but I have to admit its past time for him to go to Europe to see if he has what it takes to play at the next level – at 26 this year was really his chance to give it a go in my mind. Seem’s Jessie Marsch concurs.
Regarding Reffing news – over the holiday break congrats to Rebecca Welsh – the first woman to ever Ref an EPL Game at Craven Cottage of Fulham. Also MLS Refs have not agreed to a new deal with MLS and may be forced to strike – see reffing section below.
The US Men will hold their annual Jan Camp of all MLS players as they prepare to play Slovania on Sat Jan 20th in San Antonio. 17 players are uncapped on this roster, including 15 receiving their first call-up to the USMNT. 13 players are age-eligible for inclusion on the Olympic roster, and Berhalter said it was a great opportunity to get them experience with the senior team ahead of an important summer. “This is an opportunity to identify and work with the next generation of players who have the potential to make an impact on our program,” Berhalter said in a statement. “We appreciate the support from MLS and all their clubs so that we can utilize this platform. Our priority is on getting as many players as possible experience in important competitions, and this camp and the match against Slovenia will be extremely valuable in the evaluation process.” The team will convene in Orlando from January 8-16 to begin the 2 week training camp. They will then travel to San Antonio to finish preparations for the match. The match against Slovenia will take place on January 20th at Toyota Field, the home of San Antonio FC.
USMNT JAN CAMP – DETAILED ROSTER BY POSITION (Club/Country; Caps/Goals)
January camps traditionally are just a chance for players to get on the national team radar. In past cycles, they’ve played an important role in identifying MLS-based players who are ready to take the next step in their careers. Nine players from the 2022 World Cup squad earned their first or second cap during a January camp match, including Tyler Adams, Brenden Aaronson, Walker Zimmerman, Tim Ream and Matt Turner. But times are changing, and so is the national team picture. With more and more players leaving MLS sooner to play in Europe, the pool is thinning out in the domestic league. While there are some veteran USMNT players who no doubt would be starters in this camp — Paul Arriola, Jordan Morris and Kellyn Acosta, among them — the purpose of this camp is more to identify players for the pool than anything else. That’s especially true this year, with the Olympics set to be played this summer and the U.S. required to bring a mostly under-23 roster for that competition.That being said, there are some names in this camp that are familiar to USMNT fans, including one who played at the 2022 World Cup (Shaq Moore) and through most of qualifying (Miles Robinson), who no doubt are trying to stay in the national team picture for the Copa America and the 2026 World Cup.
Below is the full roster and what you need to know about this year’s January camp squad.
GOALKEEPERS (3): Drake Callender (Inter Miami), Roman Celentano (FC Cincinnati), Patrick Schulte (Columbus Crew)
DEFENDERS (10): Nathan Harriel (Philadelphia Union), DeJuan Jones (New England Revolution), Shaq Moore (Nashville SC), Ian Murphy (FC Cincinnati), Jackson Ragen (Seattle Sounders), Miles Robinson (FC Cincinnati), James Sands (New York City FC), Nkosi Tafari (FC Dallas), John Tolkin (New York Red Bulls), Caleb Wiley (Atlanta United)
MIDFIELDERS (6): Joshua Atencio (Seattle Sounders), Aziel Jackson (St. Louis City), Jack McGlynn (Philadelphia Union), Aidan Morris (Columbus Crew), Timmy Tillman (LAFC), Sean Zawadzki (Columbus Crew)
FORWARDS (6): Esmir Bajraktarevic (New England Revolution), Cade Cowell (San Jose Earthquakes), Bernard Kamungo (FC Dallas), Diego Luna (Real Salt Lake), Duncan McGuire (Orlando City), Brian White (Vancouver Whitecaps/CAN)
Is the January camp as useful as it once was for U.S. Soccer?
The point of this camp is to identify players who are on the fringes of the national team and could develop into useful pieces. For that reason, the practicality of the January camp probably won’t ever go away. That being said, it’s value to the national team is probably at an all-time low — and that’s a good thing!More U.S. men’s national team players are being identified at younger ages and moving abroad to Europe. More players in Europe are moving up to bigger clubs and competing for titles and playing in the Champions League. The relative youth of the national team pool and the increase in players moving to Europe means the U.S. has to rely much less on something like January camp to find players for the senior team. This camp can now function more as a chance to find players for the Olympic squad.Ultimately, U.S. Soccer wants MLS to continue to produce talented young American players who can eventually help the national team. The January camp has always been a way to identify those players and introduce them to the national team infrastructure. The short-term value of those camps will fluctuate, but the long-term value persists.
Who are some players you might not know much about, and why you should know them?
By nature, the USMNT January camp is typically experimental and inexperienced. Even grading on that curve, this squad is particularly experimental and inexperienced.Seventeen of the 25 players called up are yet to debut for the senior national team. Another five have single-digit caps. Even to a devoted MLS fan there’s a lot of mystery here.The call-ups include New England Revolution winger Esmir Bajraktarevic, an 18-year-old with 613 MLS minutes. Another is Columbus Crew midfielder Sean Zawadzki, a 23-year-old with less than 2,000 career MLS minutes. He was a squad player for the Crew this year as they won MLS Cup. Philadelphia Union fullback Nathan Harriel is another name that hasn’t been on the USMNT radar, ditto for Seattle Sounders midfielder Josh Atencio.
Some more well known MLSers like Brian White, Diego Luna, Duncan McGuire, Drake Callender and more will be looking for their senior USMNT debut.
The clear goal for this camp is to evaluate all options for the Olympic squad this summer. Many won’t stick — there aren’t a ton of roster spots realistically available — but every decision is framed through that lens.
Which players have the best chance to crack the Olympic roster?
Though it’s already crowded with Gaga Slonina and Chris Brady as age-eligible options, all three goalkeepers in the January camp could play their way into contention. All three were key to their teams winning trophies — Patrick Schulte won MLS Cup, Drake Callender the Leagues Cup and Roman Celentano the Supporters’ Shield.
It will be fascinating to see which goalkeeper gets the start against Slovenia and, potentially, the inside track at a spot on the Olympic squad. McGuire is very likely to win a spot at the Olympics, if not a starting role. The breakout Orlando City forward had 15 goals in his first professional season. It’s a bit trickier for White, who would have to be one of the USMNT’s three overage exemptions to make that squad.U-20 World Cup standouts Luna, Jack McGlynn and Cade Cowell are all very likely to be part of that squad, as well.
Center back is a weak position in this Olympic pool. Jackson Ragen and Nkosi Tafari, like White, would have to be an overage exemption to be part of the squad, but each were considered among the top center backs in MLS last year.
Center back and forward are two prime opportunities for overage call-ups, with players like Walker Zimmerman and Josh Sargent contenders for an Olympic call.
John Tolkin and Caleb Wiley are virtual locks for the Olympics, unless either gets elevated into the Copa America squad. The same goes for Aidan Morris.
Who are the players who have the most to gain in this January camp?
The core of the senior team is basically set for Berhalter already. We know that, when healthy, the U.S. team is going to include Christian Pulisic, Tim Weah, Weston McKennie, Tyler Adams, Yunus Musah, Gio Reyna, Antonee Robinson, Sergiño Dest, Matt Turner, Folarin Balogun, Ricardo Pepi and most likely will also include Chris Richards, Tim Ream, Cameron Carter-Vickers, Joe Scally, Brenden Aaronson and Luca de la Torre. That’s 17 players out of 23 and 16 out of 20 outfield player spots. That doesn’t factor in bubble players based in Europe, including Kevin Paredes, Ethan Horvath, Auston Trusty, Tanner Tessmann, Johnny Cardoso and others.It is getting tougher and tougher for MLS-based players to break into the roster. With the competition at center back, Miles Robinson’s decision to stay in MLS is one to keep an eye on. Robinson has to impress in every national team camp in which he gets a chance to prove himself. Once considered a shoo-in starter, Robinson now has to beat out Ream, Carter-Vickers, Richards, Trusty and other European-based center backs, including Mark McKenzie and Erik Palmer-Brown. That he signed a one-year deal with FC Cincinnati that includes an option is intriguing because it potentially gives him wiggle room to jump to Europe if he has a strong Copa America. But first he needs to fight his way into the U.S. lineup.There are some clear areas of need for the U.S. senior team, including depth at left back, winger and at the No. 6 position. That means this is an important camp for DeJuan Jones, John Tolkin and Caleb Wiley, as well as for Cade Cowell and Aidan Morris — all players who could have a legitimate shot to break into the first-team roster if they can continue to develop and play well. Notably, many of those players have been linked with moves abroad and could be the next Americans we see jump to European sides. (Photo of Cade Cowell: Mike Janosz/USSF/Getty Images for USSF)
Three talking points from the USMNT’s all-MLS January roster
U.S. men’s national team head coach Gregg Berhalter has called in 25 MLS-based players for the team’s annual January training camp.The camp, which falls outside a FIFA window, is typically a chance for inexperienced players to catch the coaching staff’s eye and this year will be no different: Of the 25 players called in, 17 are uncapped and 15 are receiving their first call-up.The USMNT will hold camp from January 8-16 in Orlando, and will then head to San Antonio for a friendly against Slovenia on January 20 at Toyota Field.“This is an opportunity to identify and work with the next generation of players who have the potential to make an impact on our program,” Berhalter said.
“We appreciate the support from MLS and all their clubs so that we can utilize this platform. Our priority is on getting as many players as possible experience in important competitions, and this camp and the match against Slovenia will be extremely valuable in the evaluation process.”
Here are three observations from the USMNT’s January roster.
Plenty of new faces
Like any January camp, there will be a host of players involved who have never been with the senior national team.
Most of the 15 new faces are in their early 20s, with FC Dallas defender Nkosi Tafari (26) and Vancouver Whitecaps striker Brian White (27) the two oldest. On the other end of the spectrum, New England Revolution attacker Esmir Bajraktarevic (18) is the youngest player in camp.
Credit: Kevin Sousa-USA TODAY Sports
Aside from that trio, the other 12 players receiving their first USMNT calls are: Josh Atencio, Nathan Harriel, Aziel Jackson, Bernard Kamungo, Diego Luna, Jack McGlynn, Duncan McGuire, Ian Murphy, Jackson Ragen, Patrick Schulte, Timmy Tillman, and Sean Zawadzki.
Only three players on the roster have double-digit caps: Miles Robinson, Shaq Moore, and James Sands. Nashville SC right back Moore is the only player in camp who was on the 2022 World Cup roster.
Olympics on USMNT’s mind
Though this is a senior national team camp, it’s probably useful to think of it more as a joint senior team/U-23 camp with the Olympics now on the horizon.
As the USMNT gets ready to compete in the Paris games this summer, 13 players called into camp are age-eligible for the U-23 tournament. Theoretically, any player at this camp could go to the Olympics as well, with head coach Marko Mitrović able to select three overage players for his roster.
Speaking of Mitrović, he will be on the technical staff for this camp as he looks to get an up-close look at several players he’ll likely name to his Olympic squad.
(Photo by John Dorton/USSF/Getty Images for USSF)
Reassuring the dual nationals
Berhalter has brought in several players who will eventually have a decision to make over their national team future. The USMNT coach will hope that this month’s call will help sway their decisions toward the country in which they play professionally.
Bajraktarevic is very much on Bosnia and Herzegovina’s radar, while Luna said in November that he was still open to representing Mexico. Like the Real Salt Lake star, Atencio is also eligible for El Tri.
Kamungo, meanwhile, was handed his first senior Tanzania call-up last summer, though he’s yet to be capped. McGlynn is also still eligible for Ireland.
(AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko) ORG XMIT: XNP110
We should also mention two dual nationals who somewhat surprisingly weren’t called in: Chicago Fire midfielder Brian Gutiérrez (Mexico) and Inter Miami midfielder Benjamin Cremaschi (Argentina).
Wrexham’s Hollywood owners revel in latest FA Cup win
ByESPN Updated: Jan 7, 2024, 01:19 pm
Wrexham defeated local rivals Shrewsbury at New Meadow to advance to the fourth round of the FA Cup for the second season in a row, much to the delight of their Hollywood owners and famous friends.Ryan Reynold’s and Rob McElhenney’s side defeated Shrewsbury, who play in the division above Wrexham, in a tense affair via a 72nd-minute goal from Thomas O’Connor. The game marked the first time the teams — barely separated by the England-Wales border — have met in almost 16 years.The buzz around Wrexham and its celebrity owners reached new levels during a run un the FA Cup last year when the team beat one Championship side Coventry and then took another, Premier League-bound Sheffield United, to a replay.On Sunday, responding to a video of the goal shared by the FA Cup’s official account on X, McElhenney posted: “You should’ve seen my living room.”Co-owner Reynolds, who watched the game alongside Hugh Jackman, was pictured by the X-Men star celebrating the goal with the caption: “HUGE! ROUND 4.”
Wrexham succumbed to Sheffield United over two games in last year’s invigorating FA Cup run to the fourth round.
Shrewsbury enjoyed the better of the play in the games early stages on Sunday, with Wrexham manager Phil Parkinson noting after the game the difference in physicality between the teams “caught out” his side in the opening exchanges.Tunmise Sobowale missed the most gilt-edged chance for the home team, meeting Jordan Shipley’s cross unmarked at the back post only to blaze his close-range effort way over the bar.Wrexham grew into the game as it went on — though Shrewsbury continued to enjoy the better of the chances — and the Welsh side punished their opponent’s wastefulness as O’Connor’s deflected strike bounced past Marko Marosi in goal to spark wild scenes in the away end.Stout rearguard action from Wrexham saw out the match and the League 2 team now await Monday’s draw to see who they will play in the fourth round.”The FA Cup is a bonus for us, we know that, but we’re representing the club which has great tradition in this competition and every time we go into a game I always remind the lads of that,” Parkinson added after the game.
Ranking the Champions League, Europa League, Conference League favorites
Ryan O’Hanlon, ESPN.com writerDec 19, 2023, 11:34 AM ET
81That was … underwhelming, huh? With the potential for a bunch of blockbuster matchups ahead of the Champions League draw, we got almost nothing of note. According to ESPN BET’s odds, Monday’s draw didn’t shift any team’s championship probability by even a full percentage point in either direction.
However, the path toward the final has at least started to take shape — across all levels of European competition. Is Manchester City a bigger favorite to win the Champions League than Liverpool is to win the Europa League than Aston Villa is to win the Conference League? Is Bayern Munich or Bayer Leverkusen more likely to lift a continental prize? Does David Moyes have a better chance of making the Champions League next year than Xavi does of winning it this year?
Based on the odds from ESPN BET, we’ve ranked the 20 most likely Lifters of European Hardware (LoEH): eight Champions League teams, and six apiece from the Leagues Europa and Conference. All ties have been broken by yours truly, and all stats come from Stats Perform, unless otherwise noted.
1. Manchester City: Champions League, +200
Consider this a big ol’ bucket of cold water for all the “City are as vulnerable as ever” takes out there. Despite playing against (theoretically) all of the best clubs in the world, Pep Guardiola’s team are bigger favorites to win their competition than Liverpool or Aston Villa, both four points ahead of City in the Premier League table, are to win theirs.
In fact, according to data from the site Sports Odds History, City have only had better odds to win the Champions League ahead of the Round of 16 once in the Guardiola era: last season, when they took down the treble. While all of the dropped points make City much less likely to win the Premier League all of a sudden, these odds show that the market isn’t too concerned with City’s quality of play from here on out.
2. Liverpool: Europa League, +225
Here is the expected-goal map of Liverpool’s 7-0 win against Manchester United at Anfield last season:
And here is the expected-goal map of Liverpool’s 0-0 draw against Manchester United at Anfield on Sunday:
That scoreless draw was sort of a microcosm of where Liverpool currently are: disjointed, unbalanced but frequently still dominant.
3. Aston Villa: Europa League, +275
On the one hand, two of England‘s four Champions League teams finished last in their groups and were dumped out of Europe. Best league in the world, huh?On the other hand, English teams are significant favorites to win all three European tournaments. That’s why, despite the Newcastle and Manchester United exits, the Premier League is still very likely to earn one of the extra Champions League places next season:
The battle for the *bonus* UCL ticket!
🏴 England fumbles and loses 2 teams (ManU, Newcastle) ➡️ a FULL point drop in the expected end-of-season coefficient points!
This is a tricky one. Despite easily winning the group, Bayern weren’t particularly impressive in the Champions League. They produced the 10th-best non-penalty xG differential in the group stages — even in what ultimately amounted to one of the weakest groups in the competition. Plus, they’re not even first in the Bundesliga table.
And yet, they’re currently sporting a truly absurd plus-2.13 non-penalty xG differential (per game). That’s more than twice as good as any other team in Germany, and it’s a better mark than anything produced by any team in any Big Five League in any season since 2011.
5. Bayer Leverkusen: Europa League, +500
This is one of the best teams in Europe. Like Liverpool, they should be in the Champions League right now — not the Europa League. Like Liverpool, they’re also probably not quite as good as the defending domestic champ that they’re currently ahead of in the league table.
Leverkusen’s non-penalty xG differential is fantastic, but it’s way below Bayern and even slightly below Stuttgart’s. Among all teams in the Bundesliga, Xabi Alonso’s side have overperformed their nonpenalty goal differential (when compared to their xG differential) by the biggest margin: about 14 goals. Expect some regression in the second half of the season.
6. Fiorentina: Europa Conference League, +525
What happens when you drop a league-average team from one of Europe’s biggest leagues into the third-tier continental competition? The answer is that the market will give them about a 16% chance of winning the thing.
Domestically, Fiorentina have a negative nonpenalty xG differential so far this season — and so, too, do fellow “Big Fivers” in the Europa Conference League, Real Betis and Eintracht Frankfurt. The big difference: Fiorentina have a ticket straight to the Round of 16, while the other two still have to win their qualifying-round matchups to even get there.
7. Arsenal: Champions League, +575
Don’t look now, but Arsenal have the best nonpenalty xG differential in the Premier League through 17 games:
When you’re that good more than halfway through December? You can absolutely win the Champions League.
8. Real Madrid: Champions League, +600
Real Madrid‘s defense was already suspect before this weekend. Although they’ve conceded the fewest non-penalty goals in LaLiga (11), they’re only fourth in xG conceded (17.49). Both Kepa and Andriy Lunin — neither of whom would be confused with the injured Thibaut Courtois when it comes to being a world-class shot-stopper — have saved 2.5 goals more than expected, per Stats Perform’s model.
That seems unlikely to continue, and it might be paired with an even higher quality and quantity of opposition shots allowed. On Sunday, Madrid lost center-back David Alaba to a torn ACL, and they’ve already lost Courtois and center-back Éder Militão to torn ACLs, too. As of now, the center-back options are: Antonio Rüdiger and then either Aurélien Tchouaméni, who is a midfielder, or Nacho, who will be 34 come the first leg against RB Leipzig and who has only played about 500 minutes so far this season.
If Madrid somehow pull this one off, it might be their most impressive Champions League run yet.
9. AC Milan: Europa League, +900
Christian Pulisic is in the form of his life with AC Milan
Herculez Gomez believes you’re seeing the best version of Christian Pulisic, after the American helped AC Milan to the Europa League knockout stages.
The American has converted 2.4 xG into five goals, and his teammates have converted 1.8 xG from his passes into four goals. Among all players to feature in at least half of the available minutes in Serie A this season, Pulisic ranks sixth in nonpenalty goals+assists per 90 minutes (0.84). Flip that to expected goals and assists? He’s sitting in 31st, a 0.39. [stops whispering]
10. Eintracht Frankfurt: Europa Conference League, +900
They did beat Bayern Munich, 5-1, just a week ago They’ve since followed that up with a pair of losses by a 5-0 combined scoreline to Aberdeen and Bayer Leverkusen. They lost three games in the Europa Conference League group stages and they have a negative nonpenalty xG differential in the Bundesliga. Even with a not-so-easy qualifying round tie against Belgium‘s Union Saint Gilloise, they’re still third-favorites to win the Europa Conference League.
11. Lille: Europa Conference League, +1200
And so we enter the Glut of Twelve Hundred; there are eight teams stuck at +1200 odds across the Champions League, Europa League and Europa Conference League.
This is not betting advice, but I’m a little confused as to why Lille don’t have better odds — especially when compared to Frankfurt, who have to play an extra round of games. They’ve hung on to Jonathan David, they won their Europa Conference League group, and they’re a top four or five team in France. We also have close to a half-decade of this team being good enough to challenge for Champions League places.
Why can’t they win it all?
12. Brighton: Europa League, +1200
It’s been something of a down year for the Seagulls; it turns out not even the savviest recruitment in the world can overcome the departure of nearly $200 million of midfield transfers and injuries to a number of key young players. They’re ninth in the Premier League, and they have the ninth-best nonpenalty xG differential in the league.
That said, they’re better than West Ham, while all of the other not-yet-mentioned-non-Champions League teams at +1200 are stuck in the qualifying rounds right now. PSG and Barcelona could both win the Champions League, but they’ll be underdogs against all of the teams listed ahead of them here. Outside of Liverpool and Leverkusen, I’m not sure I’d favor anyone else in the Europa League over Brighton at this point.
13. Paris Saint-Germain: Champions League, +1200
Laurens not confident PSG will take down Real Sociedad
Julien Laurens says he doesn’t like PSG’s chances of progressing past Real Sociedad in the Champions League.
Despite finishing second in their group, Paris Saint-Germain drew the easiest first-place team in Real Sociedad for the Round of 16. That’s after playing Real Madrid and Bayern Munich, at the same stage, in the past two seasons. And despite playing in the toughest group, they had a better nonpenalty xG differential than every team other than Arsenal, Real Madrid and Manchester City through the group stages.
At the same time, the issue with PSG is typically that they look — easily — like the most statistically dominant team in Europe. We just don’t really know how to weigh that dominance compared to the other top teams because their wage bill is four times the size of any other team in France. Except, this season they’re just barely the best team in France, by the underlying numbers, with a plus-0.8 nonpenalty xG differential slightly edging out Marseille‘s second-best mark of plus-0.76.
Maybe they’ve built a team that’s not as able to dominate Ligue 1 but that’s better equipped to manage matches against the best team in the world. Or maybe, without Lionel Messi, Neymar and Marco Verratti, they’re just not as good as they used to be.
14. Barcelona: Champions League, +1200
Laurens picks Barcelona vs. Napoli as the best of the UCL draw
Gab & Juls react to the Champions League round of 16 draw, as Barcelona are handed a tough tie with Napoli.After Saturday’s draw with Valencia, Xavi said, “We have to be one of the least-effective teams in Europe, even though we’re one of the teams that create the most chances.” In other words, we stink at turning shots into goals.Is he right? Here’s a chart:
The farther above the line, the more goals you’re scoring relative to your xG — and vice versa. As you’ll see, Barca are well below the line. Only Manchester United and Koln are underperforming their nonpenalty xG by a bigger degree than Xavi’s team: 29 goals on 36.27 xG. That’s unlikely to continue, but that also doesn’t make their Round of 16 matchup with Napoli any easier.
15. West Ham: Europa League, +1200
This isn’t a particularly good West Ham side. They’ve scored one more nonpenalty goal than they’ve conceded this season, and they’re sporting a slightly negative xG differential through 17 games. They’re basically the definition of an average Premier League team.And well, here’s something of a level-setter for you: An average Premier League team is one of the five favorites to win the Europa League.
16. Real Betis: Europa Conference League, +1200
I’m really interested in Betis’ qualifying-round tie against Dinamo Zagreb … for science. Betis, like many of the other teams mentioned, are an average LaLiga team: slightly positive goal differential, slightly negative xG differential. Although they’re currently in third, Dinamo Zagreb are the dominant team in Croatia, winning 15 of the past 16 league titles. How does Croatia’s super-club compare to a mid-tier team in Spain?
17. Ajax: Europa Conference League, +1200
Through 16 matches, PSV Eindhoven have a plus-50 goal differential in the Eredivisie. Ajax, meanwhile, are at plus-5 — and with a plus-6.8 xG differential, it’s not backed up by much better underlying numbers. This is the worst Ajax team we’ve seen in a while.
18. Roma: Europa League, +1500
There are 14 Jose Mourinho-managed domestic seasons in the Stats Perform database. Overall, his teams have outperformed their non-penalty xG differential by 102 goals — and they’ve done it in 11 of the individual seasons.
The three years they haven’t? The disaster campaign with Chelsea in 2015-16 when he was let go midyear, just a season after winning the league, and then the past two seasons with AS Roma, where his teams have produced a plus-20 nonpenalty goal differential from a plus-41.8 xG differential.
Yes, you have permission to find this to be very funny.
19. Inter Milan: Champions League, +1800
All things considered, Inter’s draw turned out pretty well. Last season’s Champions League runners-up are clearly the best team in Italy this season, and they’re probably one of the best teams in Europe, too.
The main reason they didn’t win their group is that they only turned 10.19 nonpenalty xG into five nonpenalty goals from their six matches. Bad in the short term, yes, but also unlikely to continue in the long term.
Since they finished second to the weakest first-place team, Real Sociedad, they weren’t able to draw Sociedad in the knockouts. Coming into the draw, they had about a 70% chance of drawing one of Manchester City, Bayern, Arsenal, Real Madrid or Barcelona. Dortmund would’ve been the cushiest draw, but Atletico Madrid is the second-best outcome. Simone Inzaghi’s team is flying right now, and they’ll be favored to advance to the quarters, thanks to Monday’s draw.
20. Atletico Madrid: Champions League, +1900
As much as you can, Atleti lost the draw. They’ve been quite good this season — this is Diego Simeone’s best team since the one that won La Liga in 2021 — and they dominated (a relatively easy) Champions League group. Antoine Griezmann and Álvaro Morata are the latest dynamic duo that turns all that defensive solidity into just-enough goal scoring. For all their good work, they earned a pair of dates with a team that’s lost just one of the 23 matches they’ve played so far this season.
MLS referees work stoppage ‘imminent’ amid ongoing CBA negotiations: Sources
Negotiations over a new collective bargaining agreement between the Professional Referees Organization (PRO) and the Professional Soccer Referees Association (PSRA) have not resulted in a new deal and, barring changes over the next 10 days, a work stoppage feels “imminent,” said once source briefed on the negotiations. Another source characterizes the negotiations between the two sides as being “a very discouraging process so far.”If it drags on, a work stoppage could leave MLS needing to find replacement officials at the start of its season and preseason. The current CBA between the PSRA and PRO, which has been in place since early 2019, expires on Jan. 15. The MLS season begins on Feb. 21 when Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami hosts Real Salt Lake.
The PSRA is the union that represents professional referees across Major League Soccer, the second and third-tier United Soccer Leagues and the National Women’s Soccer League. PRO, founded in 2012 by MLS and the U.S. Soccer Federation, oversees the professional officiating landscape in the United States, including assigning games, assessing and educating officials, and identifying new talent. An associated organization, PRO2, oversees officiating in the NWSL, USL, and MLS Next Pro. The PSRA and PRO2 ratified a CBA of their own last year.
“We are bargaining for a contract with the same intensity, focus and dedication we bring to every game as highly trained officials who live for this sport,” PSRA president Peter Manikowski said in a statement to The Athletic. “Right now the parties remain far apart on matters of great importance to our members’ lives and livelihoods. We are frustrated, but remain committed.”
PRO will soon face an additional challenge, as the U.S. Soccer Federation will withdraw its financial support for the organization in the near future, multiple sources briefed on that decision said on Friday. The federation provided nearly $2 million in funding for PRO in 2022, according to its most recent publicly available financial statements.A PRO spokesperson declined to comment to The Athletic except to confirm that CBA conversations are ongoing. MLS and the USSF declined to comment.Multiple sources said this week that the PSRA has a work stoppage fund, with one source characterizing it as “sizable enough for an extended stoppage.” That source described PSRA’s membership as being largely aligned in their unhappiness with PRO’s current offer in CBA negotiations.“Together with others in this league, we have a large role in the gaining popularity and success of this sport,” read PSRA’s statement. “Now, it is time for the Professional Referee Organization and Major League Soccer and to show officials that they, too, value the contributions our members bring to the game.”Multiple sources familiar with the still-ongoing talks described the back-and-forth between PRO and the PSRA over the last month. In December, those sources said, PRO offered an overall 3% pay increase to its referees, while the PSRA had demanded an increase of up to 90%, said once source, with the largest of the increases reserved for its lowest-paid officials, like assistant referees and fourth officials. Earlier this week, PRO increased its offer “marginally,” said one source, offering an overall raise of 4-5%, according to another source briefed on the talks.
If the referees voted to strike, or if PRO locked them out, MLS would be forced to use replacement referees in preseason and potentially when its regular season kicks off on February 21. The crisis would be averted, obviously, if the two sides reached a permanent agreement or even arrived at a temporary extension of the current CBA, something similar to what MLS and the MLS Players Association did during negotiations for the league’s most recent labor agreement with its players.
Though PRO and PSRA deal with professional referees in multiple leagues across U.S. soccer, the pay range in MLS can be instructive on how the scale can vary widely based on experience and position. According to the previous CBA, a copy of which was obtained by The Athletic, so-called “probationary” center referees — refs with less than two years of service — make a base salary of $50,647.90 for their work in MLS, which is supplemented by a match fee of $1,350.61 per regular season match they call. More experienced referees make anywhere from $95,000-$108,000 per year based on the number of matches they’ve called in addition to that same per-match fee. Assistant referees also receive that same $1350.61 per match but their base pay is far less, falling between $16,038-$21,384 depending on experience. A sticking point in the way assistant referees are currently paid under the current CBA, though, is that they do not receive a match fee until the 10th regular season match they’ve called in a season. The per-game rates for all officials slide upwards during the playoffs and for the All-Star game. For his work in this year’s MLS Cup, for example, center referee Armando Villarreal made $6,916.57, around five times higher than the amount he’d get during a regular season match. Video Assistant Referees and Assistant VARs have their own pay range, which is even smaller than the rest of the crew.?
The previous CBA also outlines a handful of other benefits for MLS officials — standard offerings like retirement and health insurance, along with reimbursements for travel, cell phone use, a gym membership and other perks.
This is not the first time PRO and the PSRA have entered a labor dispute. In 2014, after negotiations between PRO and the PSRA soured — with both sides filing complaints against each other with the National Labor Relations Board — PRO locked the referees out, instead choosing to start the season with a collection of former MLS refs and a handful of other FIFA-certified refs. That lockout lasted three weeks, at which point the two sides agreed on a new, five-year-long CBA, the first-ever between PRO and its referees. Things also turned sour in 2019, when the two sides met to hash out the current CBA, with the PSRA again filing an unfair practices complaint with the NLRB and accusing PRO of delaying negotiations for months as the CBA deadline approached. The PSRA eventually voted to authorize a strike, though it never came to that, with the two sides eventually reaching an agreement in February of that year.(Photo: Patrick Smith/Getty Images)
‘I have to set the tone’: Behind the scenes with the MLS Cup officiating crew
“Two minutes!” The call comes from a matchday assistant, letting everyone in the locker room know when they’re expected on the field. Deep inside the bowels of Lower.com field, the home of Columbus Crew, you can feel the dull thud of the public address system and hear the muffled chants and stomps from supporters above. We’re moments away from MLS Cup 2023, and the locker room denizens are pacing around, performing gameday rituals while a boombox in the corner blares. At the moment, it’s “Lose Yourself,” by Eminem.The captain offers final instructions to his teammates.“If we don’t work as a team,” he belts out, “we won’t succeed. So this is it, boys, there’s no tomorrow.”The group huddles together, arms slung over each other’s shoulders in a circle. You can almost smell the nervous energy. Or maybe it’s just the Bengay, or the Tiger Balm.You see, this isn’t the Crew’s locker room, nor does it belong to LAFC, their opponents in this edition of MLS Cup, the final match of the league’s longest-ever season. To arrive at this place, you’ll walk much further down the hall, past the kitchen, the utility room and the small changing area for Crew Cat, Columbus’ feline mascot. Swing the door open, walk past the pile of match balls, the table full of commemorative coins, and the stack of yellow and red cards and you’ll arrive at the changing area for the game’s officials.The league’s championship match is a pivotal moment for every person here. For some, it may be the apex of an often thankless career. The game’s players earned their spot in the championship match via their performances on the field and so has this crew, hand-selected to represent the best American officiating has to offer.Among them is 37-year-old Armando Villarreal, a first-generation Mexican-American who started refereeing four- and five-year-old kids in his father’s rec league in Brownsville, Texas, in the early 2000s. Two decades years later, Villarreal is among the American game’s most distinguished officials, one of the few to earn the right to call FIFA international matches and one of the tiny group to have officiated at a men’s World Cup. Villarreal refereed the very first game of the 2023 MLS season on Feb. 25. Now, nine months and 521 matches later, he will be the center referee for its last.
“Today,” Villarreal says to his crew just before they take the field, “we will have the best game of our lives.”
(Pablo Maurer)
About 24 hours before the opening kickoff, Alan Kelly walks the pitch at Lower.com Field in a peacoat and slacks. A three-time MLS referee of the year, Kelly has taken part in multiple MLS Cups and a laundry list of other important matches. In other years, he would probably be out here in athletic gear, but he retired two years ago.It’s not the easiest exercise for him. Kelly is a third-generation referee and he confesses that he’ll still call the occasional college match just to get his fix. The Irish-born 48-year-old now serves as the director of senior referees for the Professional Referee Organization (PRO) and he was largely responsible for selecting the crew who will call tomorrow’s title match.“Every single referee starts the season looking to get that phone call,” says Kelly. “The call where someone tells them they’ve been assigned to MLS Cup.”
This will be Villarreal’s second MLS Cup. He will be joined by a distinguished crew: assistant referees Cameron Blanchard and Ian McKay, fourth official Jon Freemon, video assistant referee (VAR) Kevin Stott and assistant VAR TJ Zablocki. Kelly and others at PRO used a fairly straightforward set of principles to select the crew, with a special focus on playoff form.“If you don’t have a good game in the playoffs, you will not advance to the next round,” Villarreal says. “A player misses a penalty, now they’re out. Same for referees. We have to make good decisions to keep on going, and I think I’ve gotten the big decisions right.”This year’s edition of the MLS postseason has not been without its share of referee-related controversy. There have been on-field incidents — razor-thin offside calls, debatable yellow and red cards and a missed handball that may have fundamentally changed the outcome of a conference semifinal — but also plenty of chatter about what’s transpired off the pitch.
n the playoffs’ opening round, Vancouver Whitecaps head coach Vanni Sartini was ejected in the dying moments of his team’s matchup against LAFC for arguing with center referee Tim Ford. In his postgame remarks, Sartini said jokingly that if Ford were to be found dead in a local creek, Sartini would be the prime suspect. The coach later apologized and was eventually issued a five-match ban.Perhaps the most impactful playoff officiating moment concerned FC Cincinnati defender Matt Miazga, who entered the referee’s locker room after his side’s opening-round match against the New York Red Bulls. Accounts vary of what transpired after Miazga entered the changing area, with the Professional Soccer Referees Association suggesting that the player was “forcibly removed” and others suggesting that Miazga’s behavior was more tempered. All sides, though, seem to agree that he had no real business being there, and Miazga was issued a three-match suspension.
Earlier on MLS Cup day, MLS commissioner Don Garber offered his thoughts at his annual state of the league address, suggesting referee safety was a “massive priority” for the league. Kelly, for his part, seems exhausted by the still-ongoing discourse surrounding Miazga’s behavior.
“In-stadium security is something that we shouldn’t be overly concerned about,” Kelly says. “But we are.”
There are other concerns, as well. Like MLS players, PRO referees operate under a collective bargaining agreement. The current version of that agreement is set to expire this coming January and negotiations for a new one are ongoing. The terms of the current edition, a copy of which was obtained by The Athletic, lay bare some of the challenges faced by professional referees in addition to abuse from fans, players and coaches. Center referees in MLS make a base pay of anywhere from about $50,000 to a little over $100,000, depending on the number of matches they’ve called. Assistants and VARs have their own pay scale. This is supplemented by pay for individual matches, which varies. A fourth official can make as little as $600 for a regular-season match, whereas the center ref can make $1350. That pay scale slides upwards as the postseason progresses. The crew at MLS Cup, for example, will make nearly five times that amount.
Higher-end officials in PROs pool of about 120 referees make a comfortable enough living, but things are particularly meager for referees during their “probationary” period, in their first two-years of full-time service. They can face many of the same challenges senior referees do — the constant travel and criticism — for comparative peanuts. The advent of video review, where plays are picked apart in granular detail, has only added to the pressure.You truly have to wonder — what sort of person even wants to start doing this job?
Villarreal says that after he started calling youth matches, his sporting heroes changed from superstar players to the region’s more notable referees: Baldomero Toledo, Ricardo Salazar and Jair Marrufo among them. Meeting Toledo, Villarreal says, “was like meeting a rockstar, for me.”“Growing up, everyone wants to play,” Villarreal continues. “Everyone wants to be a professional player. But as soon as you start refereeing, you get into this passion. It is a challenge at every level, from little kids all the way up to the professionals. But I do think we are programmed differently. As referees we need a strong personality, sometimes we have to change our personality. Sometimes we have to be the good cop, other times we have to be the bad cop. We do have to have very thick skin, especially at the professional level. Because the hatred is out there.”
(Pablo Maurer)
It’s Saturday, about two hours before the opening kick of MLS Cup, Villarreal and the rest of his crew load onto a bus headed for the stadium.
Stott, tonight’s VAR, sits at the back. He’s spent the morning mentally preparing by going on a long run with his two young sons. At 56, Stott is the eldest of the group by far, and his teammates hold him in a sort of reverence. A California native, this trip out to Columbus has given Stott a bit of a break from his day job as a middle-school math teacher, something he’s done for nearly three decades. He’s also easily the longest-tenured continuously-serving pro referee in U.S. Soccer history.Stott retired from center refereeing duties last year after calling 382 MLS matches during his career. That number grows to nearly 600 games when you add in his assignments as a fourth official, VAR and AVAR, and his statistics become even more impressive when you factor in the fact that he spent much of his career calling matches during a time when assignment opportunities were limited by the tiny number of teams in MLS, sometimes as few as 10.His presence here keeps another streak alive: Stott has taken part in a playoff match in every year of the league’s existence. This is his seventh MLS Cup.“I still have the same excitement as back in my first one,” Stott says. “The excitement is still there, the nerves in the stomach are still there. I’m just looking forward to the experience. The feelings haven’t changed much over the 28 years.”
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Earlier in the day, Stott and others convened in a small meeting room at their hotel and received their match shirts and shorts, all emblazoned with commemorative lettering celebrating the occasion.Quickly, that get-together turned into a roast of Villarreal, the shortest member of the crew. “We got you some youth shorts,” said Kelly, “and your shirts are tailored just the way you like them.” Just like players, many referees have special requests when it comes to equipment. Villarreal likes his sleeves a little tighter than most, in case you’re wondering, and he seems to take special interest in his on-field appearance: hair perfectly coiffed, uniform neatly-pressed.Their bus to the match hurtles through downtown Columbus accompanied by a police escort. The sidewalks are lined with Crew fans, all decked out in the team’s iconic black-and-gold colors, and a few of them seem to have spotted the placard on the windshield of the vehicle that reads “MLS OFFICIALS.” Those fans raise their voices, and their middle fingers as well. There’s very little conversation on the ride over, and for the first time all weekend, you feel the big-game nerves creeping in.
“I’m still going to approach this game like any other game,” says Villarreal. “It’s 90 minutes, overtime if needed. But you can’t deny that it’s the championship. The focus, the concentration is maybe even a little bit higher than normal because one decision can determine the champion of the entire league.
“I know all of these players. I’ve already reffed them throughout the season, and last year and the year before, you name it. We have a reputation with them. The most important thing, for me, is that I want to let them know what they are going to get today. When they see me warming up, I want them to say ‘ok, it’s Armando, I know he’s going to call the game this particular way’ or ‘we cannot speak to him in a certain way.’ I have to set the tone.”It’s clear that the officials have done their research on both teams. Villarreal knows that Columbus midfielder Darlington Nagbe, for example, was fouled a game-high seven times during the Crew’s conference final against Cincinnati. He isn’t seeking to protect that player in particular, but knows to look for persistent infringement and to keep the game moving.“Be ready for the fans, be ready for everything,” Villarreal says to his crew as the match approaches. “If we don’t talk to each other (over our earpieces) for 10 minutes, and nothing is happening? No worries. That’s fine. But if something happens, then we communicate. We have to communicate.”Villarreal turns to Freemon, his fourth official.“Your number one priority is not the benches. It’s the field. Always have your eyes on the field, as much as you f—ing can. It could be you making that big decision tonight. One team gets a quick counterattack? Then boom, I’m out. Maybe I won’t have the best angle. So be read. You’ll talk to the benches but the priority tonight is on the field.”The crew walks down the hall and joins the players for the pregame walkout. Nagbe is at the head of Columbus’ line and he greets Villarreal warmly. LAFC captain Carlos Vela offers his own embrace. The group walks through the stadium’s field-level fan lounge, through the tunnel and out onto the field. After pre-match fireworks and a screeching flyover by a pair of fighter jets, Villarreal raises his whistle to his lips and gets things underway.
(Pablo Maurer)
The opening moments of the match feel like they almost always do when a championship is on the line: nervy and a little disjointed.
Villarreal involves himself almost immediately in the fourth minute when LAFC defender Diego Palacios commits a tactical foul against Columbus attacker Diego Rossi near the center stripe. It’s a possible yellow card, but Palacios escapes with a stern warning. The home crowd explodes six minutes later, when Crew midfielder Aiden Morris goes down at the edge of the penalty area, his teammates raising their arms and pleading for a penalty. Without hesitation, Villarreal tells Morris to get off the ground and continue playing. No call.
As he said he’d do a day earlier, Villarreal is setting the tone early on and things are moving smoothly. Half an hour into the match, though, he faces his first massive decision of the evening.
Columbus winger Yaw Yeboah swings a dangerous cross into the area, which Rossi gets his boot on. The ball deflects up and towards Palacios and seemingly hits his chest, and then his arm. Villarreal, who has himself positioned about 10 yards away, has a perfect angle on the play and immdiately calls for a penalty. Several LAFC players attempt to dissuade him but Villarreal holds firm, motioning to his arm and going to his earpiece to communicate with Stott and others in the VAR booth.Villarreal’s attention to detail in terms of his appearance comes to the forefront here. Much of his job is about projecting an image of confidence and authority and his body language and demeanor goes a long way towards doing that here. In the end, replays show that he undoubtedly made the right call, as Palacios’ arm was extended far from his body and changed the trajectory of a dangerous ball. LAFC’s protests don’t last long.
Villarreal saw a clear penalty for handball (Patrick Smith/Getty Images)
Columbus nets that PK and adds another goal by the halftime whistle. As they re-enter the locker room for halftime, Villarreal and his crew debrief and prepare for the second half.“Great work, boys,” says Villarreal, seated at his locker in the corner. “Things have been fast paced, let’s keep it up. I think the first couple of fouls were key, we set the tone.” Nagbe does not seem to be a target, Villarreal says, as he’s only been fouled twice in the opening 45.Quickly, the conversation turns to the pivotal moment of the half: the penalty call.“His arm was clearly extended,” Villarreal says. “It was in an unnatural position. Had I been positioned a little more to the right, it would’ve been a tougher call but I had a great view. There was just no doubt about it, it was clear.”
In most ways, the first half could not have gone better for this crew. They’re potentially 45 minutes away from success, but Villarreal knows that every second of the match that presents itself is another chance for error, another chance to be written into the history books for the wrong reasons.
“Whatever happened in the first half is in the past,” he says to his crew as they re-enter the tunnel and walk towards the field. “The second half is an entirely different game.”It does not take long for LAFC to present Villarreal with another key decision. Crew attacker Cucho Hernandez receives a pass on the far sideline and starts a counterattack. As he crosses midfield, LAFC forward Carlos Vela — likely playing in his final match ever for the club — lunges out at him desperately, his studs up on one foot. There’s contact, and Hernandez goes to ground, rolling around in an attempt to sell a red card.On the surface, it does seem like a clear red. But Villarreal, again, is well-positioned. McKay is on the same side as the action and has his own angle as he runs upfield with Columbus’ backline. Villarreal goes to his earpiece to see if the play will be recommended for review, but it isn’t.
“We did talk about it,” Villarreal will say later about the challenge. “But it was a fairly clear yellow card.”
On replay, it becomes apparent why: Vela did not make contact with his studs, instead fouling Hernandez with the laces of his other boot, which trailed behind. Villarreal’s call feels correct, if only by inches, and the match proceeds.LAFC pulls within one about 10 minutes from the final whistle and the flow of the match changes entirely. Things get frantic as full-time approaches and Villarreal is again called into action when Italian legend Giorgio Chiellini, playing in the final game of his career, clatters awkwardly into Crew goalkeeper Patrick Schulte. There’s not much in the challenge at all, and Schulte makes a meal of it.
Chiellini, who is no stranger to simulation, taunts his opponent and motions for him to get up and get things moving again. Villarreal, a full five years younger than Chiellini and about six inches shorter, positions himself between the two players and sternly tells the Italian to walk away, pointing upfield. “When I have players like that and situations like that, I have to be smart, because of my height” Villarreal later says, laughing. “If I have two big players, and I put myself between them, I might be on the floor a few seconds later. If it’s one, two, three players, I try to manage. If it’s four, five, six seven players, I’m out of there.”
(Pablo Maurer)
Villarreal blows the final whistle and his crew assembles near midfield, forming a bit of a welcoming line. It feels obvious enough that they’ve called a fair match, one without incident, as only a smattering of LAFC players show up to complain, and they do so half-heartedly. LA manager Steve Cherundolo asks about an offside call but mostly shows up as a display of sportsmanship, greeting each official. Italian legend Chiellini, just moments after drawing Villarreal’s ire, finds him and offers him a warm embrace and a few kind words.
In the days leading up to the match, every member of the staff has been open and welcoming but also maybe a bit reserved. Now, their guard falls a bit. McKay, the AR who was participating in his first MLS Cup, grows emotional.
“This is not one game of release, now that it’s over,” he says. “For me this is 21 years of release. This is a whole career of release. All I can do is think of the 21 years of grinding that led up to this.”
McKay is holding his tears back, but as the rest of the crew stand in line to receive their post-match medals, Villarreal breaks down entirely. Tears roll down his face as he’s comforted by his teammates and by ex-referee Mark Geiger, PRO’s general manager.“I’m thinking about my family,” says Villarreal. “About everything we went through. All the ups and downs, you know? Especially my wife, you know? She has been there since day one. We had a lot of downs.”Villarreal cuts himself off, unable to complete his thought. He winds his way back through the tunnels under the stadium and arrives back at the locker room with the rest of his staff. He finds Stott, and wraps his arms around him. “You are the GOAT,” Villarreal says. Stott, who seems like a generally reserved guy, tries his hand at comforting Villarreal, who is still overcome by the gravity of the moment.The crew gets changed and unpacks the game, from the handball to Vela’s yellow. You get the feeling that the tone would’ve been very different had there been more controversy. Tonight, there is a sense of satisfaction, of a job well done.
Things are a little wilder in Columbus’ locker room, where the champagne has already been uncorked and the music is blasting. In their own way, though, the officials down the hall have also contributed to the grand nature of this match, mostly by staying out of the way.And you can very much feel that in this moment. Even at the apex of their careers, the most a referee can really hope for is to not be perceived as part of a match. When they do their job correctly, they are largely invisible. By definition, it is very much a thankless job.It does not seem to matter to Villarreal. The tears are gone now. He laughs when he thinks back to his humble origins. When he first started, he recalls, they made him wear a massive, neon-green shirt. On the back, it read “REFEREE IN TRAINING,” a student driver bumper sticker come to life. Things are a little different now.“I have a wife and two kids, a six-year-old daughter and a three-year-old boy,” says Villarreal. “We miss birthdays, anniversaries, you name it. But this job comes with perks as well, I have gotten to see all kinds of places. From where I was born at, in Brownsville? I never thought I was going to leave Brownsville. And now I’m here, and working all over the world. It’s amazing.”(Top photo: Pablo Maurer)
Pablo Maurer is a staff writer for The Athletic who covers soccer, with a particular focus on the history and culture of the game. His writing and photography have been featured in National Geographic, Smithsonian Magazine, Gothamist and a variety of other outlets. Follow Pablo on Twitter @MLSist
12:45 pm Para+, TUDN PSV (Tillman,Pepi, Dest) vs Arsenal
12:45 pm CBSSN Lens vs Sevilla
3 pm Para+ Man U vs Bayern Munich
3 pm Para+ Union Berlin (Aaronson) vs Real Madrid
3 pm CBS SN Inter vs Real Sociedad
Wed, Dec 13 – Champions League
12:45 pm Para+ Leipzig vs Young Boys
3 pm Para+ Dortmund (Reyna) vs PSG
3 pm Para+ New Castle vs AC Milan(Musah, Pulisic)
3 pm CBS SN Atletico Madrid vs Lazio
3 pm Para+ Celtic (Carter-Vickers) vs Feyenord
3 pm Para+ Antwerp vs Barcelona
Thurs Dec 14 Europa League
12:45 pm CBSSN Rennes vs Villareal
12:45 pm Para+ Union Saint vs Liverpool
12”45 pm Para+ Roma vs Sheriff
12:45 pm Para+ Zrinjski vs Aston Villa
3 pm CBSSN, Para Real Betis vs Rangers ( )
3 pm Para+ Brighton vs Olympique Marsielle
Fri, Dec 15
2:30 pm ESPN+ Gladbach (Pefok, Scally) vs Werder Bremen
2:45 pm Para+ Genoa vs Juventus (McKennie, Musah)
3 pm USA Nottingham Forest (Turner) vs Tottenham
Sat, Dec 17
10 am USA Man City vs Crystal Palace (Richards)
10 am peacock New Castle United vs Fulham (Reem, Jedi)
12 noon CBSSN Napoli vs Caglairi
12:30 pm NBC Burnley vs Everton
Sun, Dec 18
9 am USA Arsenal vs Brighton
9 am peacock West Ham vs Wolverhampton
11:30 am CBSSN Balongna vs Roma
11:30 am NBC Liverpool vs Man United
1:30 pm ESPN+ Bayern Munich vs Stutgart
3 pm ESPND + Real Madrid vs Villareal
8:30 pm univsion America vs Tigres UANL
Tues, Dec 19
2:45 pm USA Everton vs Fulham (Reem, Jedi) (League Cup)
3 pm Peacock Chelsea vs New Castle (league cup)
Weds, Dec 20
2:30 pm ESPN+ Frankfurt (Aaronson) vs MGladbach (Pefok, Scally)
2:45 pm USA Liverpool vs West Ham (League Cup)
Thurs, Dec 21
9 pm TUDN America vs Barcelona Friendly
Fri, Dec 22
3 pm USA Aston Villa vs Sheffield United
Sat, Dec 17
12:30 NBC Liverpool vs Arsenal
2:45 pm Para+ Roma vs Napoli
Reffing
Boys Showcase at Grand Park last tourney of the season with Jimmy Jean and Jeff Perry Friday Dang Cold
Saturday Showcase with Brent Myers & Harry Rybolt not quite so cold today.
Casey Dodd & William Finch with yours truly – Sunday – Boys Showcase – dang cold again.
Champions League: Who has qualified, what all teams need
Dale Johnson, General Editor, ESPN FCNov 29, 2023, 05:08 PM ET
The UEFA Champions League group stage is reaching its conclusion, with only four places in the knockout rounds still up for grabs on Matchday 6. This is the final season of the multigroup format, before it becomes a 36-team competition with all clubs in one league table. We take a look at who is through and how can still seal their places. The top two teams in each group qualify for the round of 16, the third-placed clubs drop into the Europa League knockout playoff round, and those who finish bottom are eliminated.
Qualified for round of 16 (12/16): Manchester City, RB Leipzig, Real Madrid, Inter Milan, Real Sociedad, Bayern Munich, Barcelona, Borussia Dortmund, Atletico Madrid, Lazio, Arsenal, PSV Eindhoven
Eliminated (10/16): Union Berlin, FC Salzburg, Benfica, Celtic, Antwerp, Young Boys, Red Star Belgrade, Feyenoord, Sevilla, Lens
Tiebreakers: 1) Points 2) Head-to-head points in games involving the tied teams 3) Goal difference in head-to-head matches involving the tied teams 4) Goals scored in head-to-head matches involving the tied teams — If the above tiebreaker initially involves 3 or 4 teams, it is reapplied to resolve any remaining tiebreaker among fewer clubs 5) Goal difference in all group matches 6) Goals scored in all group matches 7) Away goals scored in all group matches 8) Wins in all group matches 9) Away wins in all group matches 10) Disciplinary points 11) UEFA club coefficient.
This page will be updated throughout the final rounds of the group stage.
FC Copenhagen are guaranteed to qualify in second with a win, or with a draw if Manchester United draw or lose.
Galatasaray have to beat FC Copenhagen, which will secure second place.
Manchester United have to beat Bayern and hope FC Copenhagen vs. Galatasaray is a draw. However, United are guaranteed at least a place in the Europa League if they win.
Real Sociedad and Inter Milan have both qualified for the round of 16.
Top spot will be decided when the two teams meet in Italy on the final night. Real Sociedad will top the group with a win or draw, Inter require a victory.
FC Salzburg hold the Europa League place, and they will secure it if they win or draw against Benfica, or if they lose by one goal.
Benfica must beat FC Salzburg by 2+ goals to make the Europa League.
Atletico Madrid and Lazio have qualified and face each other in Spain on Matchday 6. Atletico will top the group with a win or draw, while Lazio need a victory.
Feyenoord will drop into the Europa League knockout playoff round
Barcelona sit on top of the group and are through to the round of 16. They will win the group unless they lose in Antwerp, and Shakhtar beat FC Porto while overtaking Barca on goal difference. As Barca hold a goal difference advantage of seven this is unlikely.
FC Porto and Shakhtar meet in Portugal level on points.
FC Porto won the first meeting of the sides so will be through with a win or draw, though they cannot win the group. Shakhtar Donetsk must win to progress.
Antwerp have been eliminated.
USMNT midweek viewing guide: Everything to play for
This week will determine whether Pulisic and Musah advance in Champions League, Europa League, or drop out of European competition altogether. Stars and Stripes
Tuesday
PSV vs Arsenal, 12:45p on Paramount+, TUDN USA, UniMás, Fubo (free trial), Univision NOW, ViX: Ricardo Pepi, Sergiño Dest, Malik Tillman, and PSV have already clinched a spot in the Champions League knockout round, thanks in large part to Pepi’s game-winner against Sevilla. Arsenal have clinched the top spot in the group. PSV boss Peter Bosz has already confirmed Tillman will start.
Union Berlin vs Real Madrid, 3p on Paramount+, Galavision, Fubo, Univision NOW, ViX: Brenden Aaronson and Union Berlin are last in Champions League Group C, but if they somehow beat Real Madrid, they could potentially make it into Europa League. Madrid have already clinched top of the group.
Also in action:
Huddersfield vs Preston, 2:45p: Duane Holmes and Preston play Holmes’ old club Huddersfield away in the Championship.
Wednesday
Borussia Dortmund vs PSG, 3p on Paramount+, TUDN USA, Fubo, Univision USA, ViX: Gio Reyna and BVB are 3 points clear atop Champions League Group F, and a win or draw over PSG would secure first place in the group.
Newcastle United vs AC Milan, 3p on Paramount+, ViX: Christian Pulisic, Yunus Musah, and Milan are last in a very tight Group F. A win will get them into Europa League. A win and a PSG loss would see them through to the Champions League knockout rounds.
Also in action:
Coventry vs Southampton, 2:45p: Haji Wright and Coventry are at home in Championship action.
QPR vs Plymouth Argyle, 2:45p: Reggie Cannon and QPR host Plymouth Argyle in the Championship.
Celtic vs Feyenoord, 3p on Paramount+, ViX: Cameron Carter-Vickers and Celtic have already been eliminated, even from Europa League contention. This will be the best club opponent CCV faces for 9 months unless he leaves Celtic.
Antwerp vs Barcelona, 3p: Sam Vines is not eligible for Champions League due to a clerical error (he also hasn’t played for the club since September 3 due to injury).
Thursday
Legia Warsaw vs AZ, 12:45p on Paramount+, ViX: Djordje Mihailovic and AZ need to beat Legia on the road to advance out of Conference League Group E.
Aberdeen vs Eintracht Frankfurt, 12:45p on Paramount+, ViX: Paxten Aaronson and Frankfurt have already clinched second in the Conference League group (knockout round playoffs) and cannot improve their position. Dante Polvara and Aberdeen are already eliminated.
Tigres vs América, 4p: Alex Zendejas and Club América play in the first leg (away) in the Liga MX Apertura final. TV details not available at time of publishing.
Also in action:
LASK Linz vs Toulouse, 12:45p on Paramount+, ViX: George Bello and LASK Linz are last in Europa League Group E. A win and a Union St-Gilloise loss would get them into Conference League.
Genk vs Čukarički, 12:45p on Paramount+, ViX: Mark McKenzie and Genk need a win and a Ferencváros loss to emerge from Conference League Group F.
Friday
Mönchengladbach vs Werder Bremen, 2:30p on ESPN+: Jordan Pefok, Joe Scally, and Gladbach host Bremen in the Bundesliga.
Genoa vs Juventus, 2:45p on Paramount+: Weston McKennie and Juve travel to Genoa in Serie A.
Nottingham Forest vs Tottenham, 3p on USA, Universo, Telemundo Deportes En Vivo, Fubo, Sling: Matt Turner has regained his starting spot with Forest, and will face Spurs in Premier League action.
Monaco vs Lyon, 3p on beIN Sports USA, beIN Sports en Español, Fubo, Sling, Fanatiz: Folarin Balogun and Monaco host Lyon in Ligue 1.
Also in action:
Schalke vs Greuther Fürth, 12:30p on ESPN+: Julian Green, Maxi Dietz, and Fürth go on the road vs Schalke in the 2. Bundesliga.
Westerlo vs Eupen, 2:45p: Bryan Reynolds, Griffin Yow, and Westerlo welcome Gaga Slonina and Eupen for this Belgium first division match.
USMNT player tracker: Matt Turner back in favour and Ricardo Pepi’s patience pays off
Every Monday this season, we will be bringing you updates on the USMNT players plying their trade in various leagues around Europe, ahead of a huge summer that includes the Copa America and with a World Cup on home soil on the horizon.This week, we are covering hope for goalkeepers, patience paying off and lessons learned in Italy.
Issue of the weekend
What’s that flickering faintly in Nottingham? Is it a light at the end of the tunnel for Matt Turner?The USMNT first-choice ’keeper was back in the starting line-up for his embattled team at the weekend after being benched for Nottingham Forest’s previous five games.He may not have kept a clean sheet in the 1-1 draw with Wolves at Molineux, but Steve Cooper’s strugglers avoided defeat and that, at least, was a start.Coming after Odysseas Vlachodimos — Turner’s rival for the No 1 spot — conceded 12 goals in the last four consecutive defeats for Forest, the point on Saturday will have been a relief for both club and ’keeper.The chance to get back on the field will have provided much-needed respite for the 29-year-old, who would have been forgiven for wondering whether his summer switch to the City Ground had backfired dismally.
Matt Turner is back for Nottingham Forest (Glyn Kirk/AFP via Getty Images)
Turner left Arsenal to seek first-team football, feeling it was important for him to be in peak condition for this summer’s Copa America. At first, it seemed to be going well as he started the first 10 Premier League games of the season, but the late arrival of Greece international Vlachodimos in the summer transfer window raised questions over Turner’s long-term job security.Those fears were clear when Cooper dropped the former New England Revolution player in October after he was adjudged to have been at fault for Mohamed Salah’s goal in Liverpool’s 3-0 win at Anfield.Turner had two clean sheets in the league from those 10 games, but his successor has not fared much better. Vlachodimos has one from five and Cooper is desperately seeking solutions as he battles to save his job.Whether Turner can now keep his spot remains to be seen, but a scenario that looked difficult when he was dropped and raised the issue of whether a loan exit was required in January looks a bit brighter for now.
It’s worth examining the Forest goalkeeper situation in a bit more depth, as their quest to avoid a relegation battle will have an outsized impact on the USMNT goalkeeper’s readiness for the Copa América next summer. Turner has conceded 16 goals while facing 53 shots, a far better rate of prevention than Odysseas Vlachodimos’ 12 allowed from 23 shots.
In fact, only Crystal Palace’s Sam Johnstone has a worse goals prevented rate when comparing the goals they’ve conceded to the expected goal rate.We’ve sorted the table above by shot prevented rate, which adjusts for the volume of shots to analyse the degree to which a keeper concedes at a rate above or below expectation.In that sense, Vlachodimos has been one of the league’s poorest shot-stoppers among goalkeepers who have played at least 450 minutes to date. And while Turner’s 0.9 rate is just below what you’d hope for from a starting Premier League goalkeeper, it’s in line with positional peers who are in far less danger over losing their place atop the depth chart.Forest have plenty to stress over as Steve Cooper’s future hangs in the balance with every result. However, Turner has been, at worse, a dependable starter whose gloves should keep his team in games.Turner has also proven better than Vlachodimos in a couple of pre-shot metrics. Currently, Turner is stopping 8.4 per cent of opponents’ crosses into the mixer (1.45 stops per 90), while the Greece international is only stopping 3.3 per cent of crosses. Additionally, Turner averages 1.36 sweeper actions beyond the box per 90, well above Vlachodimos’ 0.4 per 90. In short, the U.S. international isn’t just preventing more goals than his rival — he’s doing his team a favour by cutting down on their opponents’ dangerous chances before they even get to shooting.
Jeff Rueter
Player of the weekend
Patience is a virtue for Ricardo Pepi. The USMNT forward may not have started a single Eredivisie fixture for all-conquering PSV Eindhoven yet this term, but last week he enhanced his super-sub status with his fourth goal of the campaign.Pepi faces the unenviable task of getting into the starting XI ahead of team captain Luuk De Jong, who has 10 goals and six assists in PSV’s 15 league games.
His club are flying high. They have taken maximum points from every league game so far and booked their place in the Champions League knockout stage last month when Pepi scored again in their 3-2 win at Sevilla.
Ricardo Pepi (left) has impressed for PSV (Erwin Scheriau/APA/AFP via Getty Images)
So even though the 20-year-old might be a touch frustrated at not getting more starts, he will be encouraged to be playing in what might be a special season for his team, alongside USMNT team-mates Sergino Dest and Malik Tillman. The latter pair both started in the 2-0 win over Herenveen, sealed by Pepi’s goal scored just 60 seconds after coming on last Thursday.Tillman has five goals and two assists in 11 league appearances for PSV and Dest is flourishing after his difficult spell on loan at AC Milan last season.
Quote of the weekend
“The things I’ve learned here are definitely tactical. Playing in Germany it was more back and forth, the same in England, lots of running, but here it is very tactical, all about the position. That is something I needed to improve in my game instead of running around like a headless chicken.”
This was what Weston McKennie told DAZN after he started in Juventus’ 1-0 win over Napoli, helping to keep his side’s Serie A title race alive and pressure on leaders Inter.
How did other U.S. players get on?
Name: Christian Pulisic Club: AC Milan Position: Forward
According to Opta, only Marcus Thuram (12) has more goal contributions among Serie A newcomers this year than Pulisic (8: 5 goals, 3 assists). Pulisic created his latest in Milan’s 3-2 defeat against Atalanta on Saturday.
Pulisic was on form against Atalanta (Emilio Andreoli/Getty Images)
Name: Rokas Pukstas Club: Hajduk Split Position: Midfielder
The Oklahoma-born U.S. under-20 international is having an impressive season for his Croatian club despite a knee-ligament injury that caused him to miss eight games. He has three goals from 10 league appearances for Hajduk and has proved very capable in a variety of roles: from defensive midfield and right-winger to a more attacking remit. Pukstas, who joined the club aged 16, will be hoping for a special season, with Hajduk top of the SuperSport HNL, seven points ahead of rivals Dinamo Zagreb.
It was a worrying moment for the USMNT international during his side’s game against Darmstadt on Saturday. His unfortunate 60th-minute deflected own goal left the hosts 2-1 down. Seven minutes later, he was subbed off. Fortunately, Heidenheim came back to win 3-2 and Maloney’s strong season to date will not be blemished by his slice of misfortune.
What’s coming up?
This week sees the final group games of this season’s Champions League and all eyes will be on Pulisic’s AC Milan to see if they can make it out of Group F. They will need to beat Newcastle at St James’ Park and hope Dortmund beat Paris Saint-Germain in Germany (Wednesday, 2pm, Paramount +).
Pulisic will be wanting international team-mate Gio Reyna, of the already qualified Dortmund, to do him a favour (and get himself some rare minutes) against PSG the same evening (Paramount +, TUDN, Univision).Brenden Aaronson has a big game too. His Union Berlin side face Real Madrid on Tuesday, although the German side cannot qualify for the knockout stages (Tuesday, 2pm, Paramount +).
Greg O’Keeffe is a senior writer for The Athletic covering US soccer players in the UK & Europe. Previously he spent a decade at the Liverpool Echo covering news and features before an eight-year stint as the paper’s Everton correspondent; giving readers the inside track on Goodison Park, a remit he later reprised at The Athletic. He has also worked as a news and sport journalist for the BBC and hosts a podcast in his spare time.
PSG’s crucial Champions League game will define their season
Julien Laurens, CorrespondentDec 12, 2023, 04:00 AM ET
Paris Saint-Germain forward Randal Kolo Muani maybe went a little too far. “The game against Dortmund? Our lives are at stake,” he said after Saturday’s 2-1 win against Nantes. He certainly didn’t mean it literally, but the basic idea is clear: Borussia Dortmund vs. PSG is huge for the Parisians.Their final Champions League Group F fixture on Wednesday is the game that will define their season, which is saying something considering it’s the second week of December.PSG’s German opponents have already booked their place in the round of 16 but are not guaranteed to top the group. Meanwhile, PSG need a win to make sure they are through; if they do win away from home, they would finish first instead. A draw could be enough to advance to the knockout phase next February, but only if AC Milan win or draw in Newcastle United; defeat in Germany could still see PSG go through, but only if Newcastle vs. Milan ends in a draw. Another combination of results would see PSG suffer an ignominious drop into the Europa League.
“It is like a final,” added Kolo Muani, who has just celebrated his 25th birthday with a party in the French capital. There could be no better belated present for him and his teammates than a place in the next round. Despite the clear importance of Wednesday’s game and the pressure that comes with it, the camp is pretty calm and composed. On Saturday, the players clearly had their minds on Dortmund instead of focusing on Nantes, their opponents at the Parc des Princes. It was an inspiring performance and victory — Muani scored the winner seven minutes from time in a game PSG had largely dominated — and they probably celebrated his birthday more than they did the win over the Canaries.The only thing of note, perhaps, is Luis Campos’ consistent presence around the squad. The PSG sporting director did an interview before the Nantes game to remind everyone that his team “is not scared, and that it is an exciting game to play.” He was in the tunnel at half-time to congratulate the players for leading at the break, and he was there again after the victory. He is always hands-on when it comes to his role, but has been even more visible around the team these past few days.Wednesday’s game is massive for Campos as well, because it would be his failure to share if this team didn’t make it to the round of 16. PSG have done it every year since 2011-12, and missing out would make him the first sporting director of the club’s Qatar era to oversee such a embarrassment. He would not be able to explain his way out of it, either; he built this team in the summer, adding the likes of Kolo Muani, Manuel Ugarte, Ousmane Dembélé and Bradley Barcola at great expense. If they aren’t good enough to qualify, he would be to blame.Luis Enrique would also bear responsibility should the worst-case scenario come to pass. In a group that did not appear to be that tough for PSG when the draw was made — given the uneven domestic form of Newcastle, Dortmund and Milan this season — it would be seen as a disgrace if coach Luis Enrique didn’t get his team over this hurdle. There have been a lot of positives since he joined the club this past summer, and his team plays with a clear identity, but his tactics have been baffling at times. Take the 4-2-4 formation that failed at Newcastle, or keeping Goncalo Ramos on the bench until the 85th minute at home against the Magpies in the return fixture. Despite the pressure, the Spaniard is keeping cool; he’s not showing any signs of nervousness or tension to his players or his staff. The 53-year-old is experienced at the top level and is always confident in both his abilities and his team, regardless of the opposition. On Sunday morning, he was relaxed at the training session, laughing and joking with the players, switching to full preparation mode on Monday. On Sunday, Luis Enrique spoke to Lee Kang-In, who should replace Dembélé on the right wing against Dortmund. Dembélé’s suspension is a massive blow, as a lot of PSG’s build-up depends upon his partnership with Achraf Hakimi. A lot of the passing circuits go through him, making him their main creator. We saw it against Nantes, as PSG woke up when he came on with 25 minutes to go. Before that, the pace and rhythm of every PSG attack was a lot slower. Lee is a different type of player than the France international he’s replacing. He doesn’t have the same pace, but he can be a difference-maker with his dribbling precision and technical ability. Another reason Luis Enrique might be quite relaxed at the moment is because he knows he can count on Marquinhos and Warren Zaïre-Emery in midweek, as both successfully returned from injury on Saturday. The Brazilian defender played 60 good minutes, while the Paris-born prodigy came on for the last half-hour and looked as though he’d never been out of the team. Both of them will start in Germany, and PSG will be a better team for it. Like Luis Enrique said to his players, it is time for PSG to be a real team and take control of their destiny. It is all in Paris’ hands, and they simply can’t afford to buckle under the pressure on Wednesday like they have done in European campaigns of the past. Just as Kolo Muani claimed, their lives in the Champions League are at stake.
Newcastle v Milan in the Champions League is a huge game for both struggling teams
The so-called “Group of Death” has certainly lived up to its moniker so far — and, for Newcastle United and AC Milan, there is one last opportunity to progress to the Champions League knockout stages by claiming victory at St James’ Park on Wednesday night.For both, the ramifications of qualification would be huge, although failure to advance may have even further-reaching consequences.Neither, however, have their fate in their own hands.Both must win to have any chance of reaching the last 16 and they are also relying on already-qualified Borussia Dortmund doing them a favour at home against Paris Saint-Germain. Milan require a Dortmund victory, while Newcastle merely need the German side, who will finish as Group F winners with a draw, to avoid defeat. For Newcastle, a point will secure third place and Europa League football in 2024, while Milan must triumph to remain in continental competition beyond Christmas.
Group F standings
POSITION
TEAM
PLAYED
GOAL DIFFERENCE
POINTS
1
Borussia Dortmund (Q)
5
3
10
2
Paris Saint-Germain
5
1
7
3
Newcastle United
5
0
5
4
AC Milan
5
-4
5
With all Champions League eventualities still possible for both clubs, The Athletic’s Newcastle United correspondent Chris Waugh and Serie A writer James Horncastle outline how the two sides are shaping up heading into an enormously significant clash on Tyneside…
Why is this a big game for Newcastle?
Chris Waugh: The obvious answer is that, for just the second time in their history and for the first time since 2002-03, Newcastle have the opportunity to advance out of the Champions League group stages.In fact, qualification would mark Newcastle’s first journey into the knockout stages of Europe’s premier competition given there was a second pool stage when they progressed out of the first group 21 years ago.But, beyond that, the financial ramifications of going deeper into the tournament would be significant. Newcastle would receive an additional £10million to £15million ($12.6m to $18.9m) in revenue, as a minimum conservative estimate, and that will help slacken their financial fair play (FFP) limitations, potentially permitting Eddie Howe greater spending power in the January market and in subsequent windows. Quality players may also be more inclined to join a Newcastle side that progresses in the Champions League rather than one who are knocked out early.What’s more, following deflating back-to-back defeats against Everton and Tottenham Hotspur, when Newcastle conceded a combined seven goals, this feels like a potentially season-defining fixture in a campaign that is close to teetering.
Newcastle’s recent defeats have been concerning (Peter Powell/AFP via Getty Images)
Progress and the positive momentum could reignite Newcastle’s Premier League top-four push. Lose and exit Europe entirely and the deflation could have the opposite effect.
Why is this a big game for Milan?
James Horncastle: Milan are seven-time winners of this competition. It’s what the club built its reputation on and while Serie A has been left behind financially by the Premier League, forcing a change of model, expectations were raised last season when Milan made it to the semi-finals for the first time in 16 years.
Backing it up was always going to be tough, particularly as they entered the draw in pot four after a fourth-place finish in Serie A, which would have been fifth had Juventus not been deducted 10 points.
If Milan’s project is to maintain momentum, it needs Champions League revenue. The club made €80m from the competition last year and Sandro Tonali’s record sale to Newcastle was helped by the exposure he received by going deep in the tournament.
Dropping into the Europa League would be humbling. Finishing bottom would be humiliating.
Add to that Newcastle’s worrying away form — they have won only twice on the road all season and have not triumphed away from St James’ Park in the Champions League — and the premise is not entirely invalid.
Essentially, the root of Newcastle’s issues has been their absentee crisis. Their injury list has been so bloated — and has been exacerbated further by Tonali’s 10-month suspension, which rules the midfielder out of facing his former side — that Howe has regularly had 10 to 12 players unavailable in recent weeks. The same 10 outfield players have started the last five matches in the past 15 days and appear mentally and physically fatigued, though Howe has been reluctant to turn to his threadbare bench to lessen the workload.
Why are Milan struggling so much of late?
Horncastle: Milan won seven of their first eight games in the league and should have been in a commanding position in the Champions League. Unfortunately, back-to-back 0-0 results against Newcastle and Borussia Dortmund meant they obtained less than their 39 shots and 3.07 expected goals (xG) deserved from the opening couple of game weeks.
Since then, an injury crisis has mounted just as the fixture list has ratcheted up in difficulty. Milan’s defence has been ravaged. Fikayo Tomori is the only fit centre-half available and Theo Hernandez, the marauding full-back, has been forced to partner him in the middle. It has disarmed Milan’s uncontainable left-hand side, which has also been without game-changer and one-man tactic Rafael Leao.
The absence of Leao has been a big loss to Milan (Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
Silly red cards, the likes of which forced striker Olivier Giroud to finish the match in Genoa in goal, have also put stress on coach Stefano Pioli’s ability to rotate, a weakness of his at the best of times. The crisis got so bad that the debut of wonderkid Francesco Camarda was fast-tracked and, at 15, he became the youngest player ever to make an appearance in Serie A in the lucky win over Fiorentina.
Pioli is in his fifth season at Milan. Only Atalanta’s Gian Piero Gasperini has been longer in his job in Serie A. The 58-year-old retains the club’s gratitude for delivering the Scudetto in 2022 and a Champions League semi-final last season, but there is concern an irreversible staleness is setting in. The club sold Tonali to completely overhaul the attack and avoid an anxious fourth-place finish. Earlier in the season, it looked to have worked. Alas, Milan are currently closer to 10th than top-of-the-table Inter.
What are the reasons for Newcastle’s injury issues?
Newcastle fought last season to qualify for the Champions League and have embraced the challenge, but, ironically, the additional high-intensity matches it brings have heightened the workload and compounded their injury problems.
Their determination to end the club’s 54-year trophy drought, which has seen Newcastle progress to the Carabao Cup quarter-finals for the second season in a row, has bloated the fixture list further. It is not something the club are complaining about as they want to be competitive on all fronts, but it means Newcastle have had midweek and weekend matches in every gameweek since the start of September and will do so until Boxing Day.
While Tonali’s absence has placed greater strain on other players — the presence of a Champions League-quality midfielder on the training field who cannot be used has been galling for Howe — so has the unfortunate nature of Newcastle’s cup draws. Alongside their so-called “Group of Death” in the Champions League, Newcastle have faced Manchester City (home) and Manchester United (away) in the Carabao Cup, with a trip to Chelsea to come in that competition, and have a first Wear-Tyne derby since 2016 at the Stadium of Light to navigate in the FA Cup. There have been no “easy” fixtures and there has been no respite.
What are the reasons for Milan’s injury issues?
Horncastle: Other coaches in Serie A, notably Lazio’s Maurizio Sarri, have complained about fixture congestion and how players are being “sent to slaughter” by playing so many games. But even within this context, Milan’s crisis is extreme.
Pioli has not changed his staff and the squad is deeper than last season, which makes the crisis even more confounding. It has led to scrutiny of recruitment. Players like Christian Pulisic and Ruben Loftus-Cheek, for instance, have a track record of spending chunks of the season on the treatment table. Pioli also picked the same XI for the first month of the campaign to settle in the Chelsea duo and fellow recruit, Tijjani Reijnders.
Since then, the player’s pre-game activation, load management and his aforementioned rotation strategy have come in for flak. It has been weird to see backup goalkeepers pick up muscle injuries in training. Pioli has been forced to use a substitution in the first half of four games, notably against Lazio, Juventus and Napoli, either to deal with one of his players tweaking a muscle or a sending-off.
Unlike Howe, who has given teenagers Lewis Miley and Lewis Hall Champions League minutes, Pioli has been reluctant to lean more on his youth team in the league. Camarda aside, it’s a mystery why talented kids like Jan-Carlo Simic and Clinton Nsiala haven’t been looked at in Serie A to help out a casualty-hit defence.
How are Newcastle supporters feeling?
Waugh: It is difficult to accurately gauge the overall mood given Newcastle are a heap of contradictions right now.
On the evidence of the last two performances, some Newcastle fans are undoubtedly feeling trepidation ahead of this massive fixture. Yet both of those defeats came on the road and the reality is that at St James’, they are a completely different outfit, particularly in the Premier League, where they have won seven of their eight fixtures. In the Champions League, Newcastle supporters can also conjure positive memories of that historic 4-1 hammering of PSG in October, even if their most recent European outing on Tyneside was a subdued 1-0 loss to Dortmund.
With Sean Longstaff and Callum Wilson returning off the bench at Spurs and others such as Sven Botman and Joe Willock having an outside chance of coming back imminently, Newcastle’s injury picture is gradually improving, which is a real boost.
Undoubtedly, Newcastle supporters, led by Wor Flags’ pre-match display, will ensure a special, unforgettable atmosphere at St James’ and that should lift and inspire their fatigued players. Even if qualification is not in their own hands, Newcastle fans are determined to ensure their team delivers at their end — and then hope it is enough.
How are Milan supporters feeling?
Horncastle: The team was whistled after the 1-0 defeat to Udinese at San Siro last month and the mood wasn’t much better when Dortmund beat them in their own backyard a fortnight ago. Paolo Maldini, the club legend scorned by his dismissal as an executive in the summer, has not helped by accusing owners RedBird Capital of showing “no real respect for Milan’s identity and history”.
Maldini’s interview came in the same week Camarda broke his record as Milan’s youngest-ever player and the loss to Dortmund. For someone who claims to care about the club, it was a curious time to put the boot in.
Ordinarily, one might expect the ultras to rally behind him, but Maldini’s relationship with the Curva Sud is complicated. He was booed in his last appearance as a player for the club in 2009 because of his criticism of them. Pointedly the Sud, at the time, identified Franco Baresi as Milan’s true captain. Nevertheless, this is a critical period of the season for Milan. They are practically out of the title race and almost out of the Champions League and it’s not even 2024.If things deteriorate further, a repeat of the scenes in La Spezia in May when the ultras publicly dressed down the players probably isn’t far away.(Top image: Getty Images)
The race for five places in next season’s Champions League
Dale Johnson, General Editor, ESPN FCDec 12, 2023, 04:00 AM ET
Two leagues will be rewarded with extra places in next season’s Champions League as part of the revamp to expand it to a 36-team competition — but who is likely to benefit?Four additional clubs will qualify compared to the current format. And two of those places will go to the leagues which perform best across all three European competitions this season.With the group stages of the Champions League (UCL), Europa League (UEL) and Europa Conference League (UECL) drawing to a close this week, we’ll start to get a clear picture of which leagues could get the two places.
How does it work?
It’s about the best average coefficient of all teams taking part in Europe for each country. Each win is worth two coefficient points, a draw gets you one, and you get nothing for a defeat. There are also bonus points for getting to certain stages, which helps gives extra prominence to those teams who do well in the higher-profile competitions.
Champions League bonus points 4 – Group stage participation 5 – Round of 16 1 – QF, SF, final
Europa League bonus points 4 – Group winners 2 – Group runners-up 1 – Round of 16, QF, SF, final
Europa Conference League bonus points 2 – Group winners 1 – Group runners-up 1 – SF, final
The points gained by all clubs are added together, and that total score is divided by the number of clubs a country has in Europe. That gives the coefficient average.How much would Champions League exit hurt Milan?Nicky Bandini explains how much of a disappointment exiting the Champions League at the group stage would be for AC Milan.
So wins aren’t worth more in the Champions League?
No, the coefficient system is designed to assess the overall strength of leagues. Wins are the same in all competitions, otherwise it would be impossible for those leagues with few or no teams in the UCL group stage to move up the coefficient ranking.The bonus points serve two purposes. Firstly, to give weight to the strength of the competitions on a sliding scale, and second to provide points to those teams taking part in the UCL who might get few positive results.In fact, it could be argued that it’s better for leagues to have some teams drop down into the UEL for the knockout rounds. Bonus points might be lower in the UEL, but each two-legged tie has five points up for grabs (four for the result and one for progressing to the next round.) If a team stay in the UCL, they might not get past the round of 16 and have little chance of adding to the country’s coefficient through wins.
Won’t this just turn out to be extra places for two top leagues?
If we look back at the previous five seasons, England and Spain take seven of the 10 slots, with Italy and Germany one each. Only in 2021-22 did one of the countries with fewer than four teams in the Champions League (the Netherlands) finish in the top two of average co-efficient. So yes, history tells us that it’s highly likely two of the top leagues will have five places in next season’s Champions League.
2022-23: England and Italy 2021-22: England and the Netherlands 2020-21: England, Spain 2019-20: Spain, Germany 2018-19: England, Spain
Right, so who’s in contention this season?
Going into the final round of group-stage games, and taking into account bonus points for those clubs who have already booked places in the round of 16, this is the top 10.
Realistically, the race for two extra places is going to be between the top four — Germany, England, Italy and Spain … the four leagues which already get four places in the competition.
What’s the state of play?
A league needs to keep as many teams as possible still active in the knockout rounds. By then, results are harder to come by as the fixtures become more difficult. The fewer teams in European competition, the less chance there is to compete for the top two. It’s even more important for England and Spain, who started with eight teams in Europe so each win is worth slightly less to the coefficient (as it gets divided by eight rather than seven.)
Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund and RB Leipzig have already secured safe passage and bonus points for progressing in the UCL. Union Berlin, meanwhile, have to beat Real Madrid to stand even a chance of playing in the UEL, so the probability is Germany will lose a team here. Bayer Leverkusen are straight through to the round of 16 of the UEL, though SC Freiburg may have to play in the knockout playoff round (another name for the round of 32) if they don’t win their group. Eintracht Frankfurt will be in the knockout playoff round of the UECL.
Advanced to round of 16: 4 Advanced, stage TBC: 2 TBC: 1
The Bundesliga is well out in front and clear favourites to get one of the extra places. It’s guaranteed to have six of its seven clubs still in European competition next year, so it could be that the other three league could be battling for one spot.
2. ENGLAND, 11.75
Arsenal and Manchester City are both through as group winners in the UCL, but the Premier League‘s other two teams are in peril. Manchester United are sure to continue in Europe if they beat Bayern Munich, but could tumble out of Europe by finishing bottom of their group. Newcastle United, meanwhile, need a point at home to AC Milan to at least be in the UEL, but all options are open — including being knocked out. Brighton, Liverpool and West Ham United are all through in the UEL, though only Jurgen Klopp’s men are certain of avoiding the playoff round. In the UECL, Aston Villa are through and must avoid defeat away to Zrinjski Mostar to be sure of topping the group.
Advanced to round of 16: 3 Advanced, stage TBC: 3 TBC: 2
The Premier League might be in second place right now, but it’s by fractions of a point. Lose two teams and the chances of that extra UCL place will be dramatically reduced.
3. ITALY, 11.71
Internazionale and Lazio have booked their place in the UCL round of 16, while Napoli are guaranteed at least the Europa League. AC Milan will have to win away to Newcastle to continue in Europe.
AS Roma and Atalanta are both through in the UEL, though the former could face the playoff round.
Fiorentina are also through in the UECL and need a point away to Ferencváros to top the group.
Advanced to round of 16: 3 Advanced, stage TBC: 3 TBC: 1
Serie A could yet have all seven clubs through, which would come at the expense of a Premier League team. The game between Newcastle and AC Milan could be very important in the race for five places.
4. SPAIN, 11.31
Atletico Madrid, Barcelona, Real Madrid and Real Sociedad are all through in the UCL, but Sevilla must win at Lens to drop into the UEL. In the UEL, Real Betis could win the group or drop into the UECL but are sure of continuing, while Villarreal must win away to Stade Rennais to avoid the playoff round. sasuna failed to qualify for the Europa Conference League group stage.
Advanced to round of 16: 4 Advanced, stage TBC: 2 TBC: 1 Out: 1
Even though LaLiga has four teams through in the Champions League, armed with 16 points bonus points, Osasuna’s failure in qualifying has severely affected their hopes of making the top two. That said, they are going to have a guaranteed six clubs still in action in the New Year which means they cannot be ruled out.
So what’s important this week?
The direct league head to heads could prove crucial, especially Newcastle United vs. AC Milan and Manchester United vs. Bayern Munich. England could lose two teams to the benefit of Italy and Germany … or England could keep a full house of eight teams into 2024.Watch out for those bonus points too, as final league positions are going to be important. Winning a Europa League group gets two bonus points, plus an additional one for taking part of the round of 16, and it could make a big difference — especially as group runners-up must face a team that has dropped down from the Champions League in the UEL knockout playoff round. West Ham host Freiburg with top spot at stake, both are through but the Hammers need at least a draw to claim the extra bonus points.So, if one league manages to get several teams winning their UEL and UECL groups, it could create a crucial buffer.
Anything else?
Yes! The draw for the round of 16 of the UCL and the knockout playoff rounds of the UEL and UECL take place on Monday. The draw will no doubt throw up some head-to-head ties among the top four nations which will prove crucial, and the strength of opponents will also be important going forward.
Who gets the extra place?
If we assume the extra spots will go to one of the top leagues, it means fifth place will enter the Champions League and it will have eight (rather than seven) places in Europe. Other European berths drop down a place.If the Premier League gets it, the access will be:
Champions League: 1-5 Europa League: 6, FA Cup winners Europa Conference League: Carabao Cup winners
If the cup winners finish in the top 6, the European places could drop to 7th and 8th in the table.As Germany, Italy and Spain only have one cup competition, seventh would enter the UECL. If a team wins the UEL but doesn’t qualify for the UCL domestically, that league could have six places in the UCL — the five places to the leagues plus the UEL titleholders as an additional.
Columbus Crew stay true to their identity to win 3rd MLS Cup
Kyle Bonagura, ESPN Staff WriterDec 9, 2023, 08:20 PM ET
COLUMBUS, Ohio – For Columbus Crew manager Wilfried Nancy, the most important thing going into Saturday’s MLS Cup was for the team to stick to its identity. If that were to happen, he believed, the rest would take care of itself.He was right.
Columbus recorded a convincing 2-1 victory against LAFC on Saturday night, delivering the club’s third MLS Cup and second since 2020.”That’s why we had the possibility and that’s why we won,” Nancy said. “I’m really proud of that as a coach. Yes, we can talk about that tactics and talk about a lot of things, but the performance that we had tonight was spot on.”As expected, the Crew were on the front foot to begin the game and after waves of consistent pressure, they were rewarded in the 30th minute.That’s when a touch from Diego Rossi in the top of the penalty area deflected off LAFC defender Diego Palacios‘ right shoulder area, then his outstretched hand and was called for a handball. The decision held up on video assisted review, after which Cucho Hernández calmly slotted the opening goal to the lower left side, away from the diving Maxime Crépeau.The already electric atmosphere inside Lower.com Field reached a fever pitch and had not fully subsided before the Crew doubled their lead four minutes later. A brilliant through ball from center back Malte Amundsen put Yaw Yeboah in on goal and he finished with confidence.It wasn’t just a win for the Crew, but an emphatic display of Nancy’s vision for long stretches against an LAFC side that was attempting to cement its status as the preeminent power in MLS.In their first year under Nancy, the former CF Montréal manager, the Crew led MLS with 67 goals and finished the regular season in third place in the Eastern Conference standings — 12 points back of Supporters’ Shield winner FC Cincinnati. The Crew reached the final after defeating Atlanta United, two games to one, in the first round, and road victories against Orlando City (2-0) and Cincinnati (3-2).Nancy is also the first Black coach to lead a team to an MLS Cup.”Obviously, I’m happy. So proud of that because there is a lot of work behind that,” Nancy said. “There is a lot of courage for being that, but I’m also not happy at the same time because this is not normal. Simple as that.”So, I’m proud to represent, yes, to be the only Black [coach], but I’m not happy with that. So, this is something that he has to change and I know that MLS is trying to do that, but this is not only in MLS, this is everywhere.”
One of the leagues original 10 teams, Columbus won its first MLS Cup in 2008, defeating the New York Red Bulls at the Home Depot Center in Carson, California. Its next Cup win came at home in 2020, however only 1,500 fans were allowed in the stadium due to restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic.As a result, Saturday’s win at Lower.com Field — the team’s $314 million stadium that opened in 2021 — will be remembered as one of the most iconic days in Columbus’ storied soccer history. The club is just five years removed from a controversial attempt to relocate to Austin, Texas, which was staved off by the fan-driven “Save The Crew” campaign that ultimately led to the Haslam Sports Group taking ownership.Speaking in the annual state of the league address Friday, MLS commissioner Don Garber reflected on that dark time for Columbus.”Going through that process is not one that I would hope to ever have to go through again, but when I look at where we are today, we have a stadium that’s one of the best soccer stadiums in our league, if not the best small soccer stadium in the world,” Garber said.”We have a team that’s performed incredibly well. We have a bunch of fans who now have more to engage with and cheer for. We have more sponsors for the team than we have before.
“We have more political and municipal support than we’ve had before. We have an ownership commitment that is at the highest level. So, if we had to go through that again and end where we are today, we’d go through it again.”Crew fans haven’t completely forgiven Garber for their team’s near exit. The commissioner’s introduction during the trophy presentation ceremony drew a rousing round of boos.Under the new ownership group, the Crew set their single-season attendance record (22,111 fans per game), operated in the top half of the league in player salaries this season and were led by an MVP-caliber player in Cucho, who was acquired from English club Watford for a club-record fee of $10 million last summer. The Colombia forward was named the MLS Cup MVP.”It was an incredible feeling, you know?” Hernández said. “I cried like a baby when the final whistle blew. But now it’s all about enjoying the moment. Enjoying the moment for the rest of the week and weekend … and just enjoying it.”In July, Columbus transferred club legend Lucas Zelarayán to the Saudi Pro League and, just before the secondary transfer window closed, replaced him with Rossi, a former MLS golden boot award winner with LAFC.LAFC’s attempt to become the fourth team in league history to win back-to-back MLS Cups fell short.”Did Columbus deserve to win tonight? Yes, they did,” LAFC coach Steve Cherundolo said. “They played a fantastic game. Do I think they’re better than us? No, I think they were better than us tonight and we made a couple of errors defensively that led to their two goals. And that’s pretty much it. And that’s how these games are decided.” After being soundly outplayed in the first half, LAFC was much better after halftime. LAFC cut the deficit to 2-1 in the 74th minute on a goal from Dénis Bouanga, but — unlike last year’s MLS Cup, when Gareth Bale rescued the game late in extra time — the equalizer never came.
Biggest changes in the USWNT’s games since hiring Emma Hayes
Joseph Lowery Dec 6, 2023, 01:15 PM
Things are changing for the U.S. women’s national team. With new manager Emma Hayes still coaching Chelsea until the end of the WSL season in England, things might not be changing quite as fast as some would like ahead of the 2024 Olympics. But make no mistake: they are changing. Hayes hasn’t officially begun coaching the USWNT. Still, although she wasn’t on the sideline yelling out instructions or making key substitutions for either of the team’s final games of 2023 — 3-0 and 2-1 friendly wins over China — her influence is starting to show itself within team.
When it came time to choose players for the USWNT’s December camp, Hayes and interim manager Twila Kilgore “picked this roster collaboratively,” Kilgore said in a news conference. Closer to the games themselves, the English coach flew from London to Fort Lauderdale, Florida, to meet U.S. players and staff ahead of Saturday’s 3-0 win. Hayes is starting to make player decisions and put faces to names. Judging by the USWNT’s tactical approach in these friendlies against China, she’s calling some of the on-field shots, too, even from afar. Here’s what has changed for the USWNT with Hayes lurking in the shadows.
A clearer, more fluid approach than the USWNT’s World Cup style
Under previous coach Vlatko Andonovski, and even under Kilgore in the post-World Cup friendlies, the USWNT lacked attacking structure.Far too often, players didn’t know where to position themselves or where their teammates would be at any given moment. It sounds basic (and it is!), but without a clear structure, the USWNT struggled to work together to move the ball upfield and create chances. Attacks turned into individual U.S. players trying to charge their way through a defense rather than 11 U.S. players combining to play their way through a defense.You can get a sense of the lack of cohesion in this screenshot from the USWNT’s 0-0 draw with Portugal at the World Cup:
In their recent games against China, the USWNT had a clear, observable, and even fluid structure. Defensively, the U.S. used a 4-4-2 shape before shifting into a 3-2-5 in possession. Here’s a look at that attacking shape:
Just so we don’t miss anything, there are a few notable things here:
The U.S. having any attacking structure where players know where to be and where their teammates will be.
The U.S. using noticeably different shapes in possession and defensive phases.
The U.S. consistently possessing in a back three.
Sure, there have been flashes of structure, fluidity, and three-woman backlines from the USWNT in the past. But compared with, say, the World Cup, those three things are refreshing. Players seemed to have a solid grasp of their roles in each phase of the game, which gave them the freedom to interchange off the ball and combine while on it. Clarity, then, led to creativity for the United States.
There’s still plenty of damage to be undone in the attack from the last tournament cycle — one camp isn’t enough to fix that. But for a team that already has excellent defensive bones, even small gains in possession are hugely valuable.
Sophia Smith moved from the wing to striker
For two years now, Sophia Smith has been the best striker in the NWSL. With great off-ball movement, speed and the ability to create her own shot, she scores goals for fun at the top of the Portland Thorns’ attack. With the national team, though, Smith has almost exclusively been used on the wing, with Alex Morgan eating up minutes through the middle.That wasn’t the case in this window against China. Smith played 45 minutes in both games as the USWNT’s center-forward, leading the line, breaking in behind the opposing defense and scoring in the first match. Few players in the world make this classic goal scoring run better than Smith as she latched onto the end of Trinity Rodman‘s assist over the weekend.
Smith wasn’t especially efficient in front of goal as she started the first match. “I need to put away my chances… I have to put away my chances,” she repeated on the broadcast during halftime of Saturday’s game against China. But consistently finding dangerous opportunities in the box is the mark of an elite striker. Smith checks that box with a bright neon yellow highlighter.
With Morgan heading into the final stages of her career, now is the time for the U.S. to take full advantage of Smith’s ability to be an ever-threatening scorer in her best position.
Gomez not convinced Rodman is the player to build the USWNT around
Herculez Gomez says there are better candidates than Trinity Rodman for Emma Hayes to make the linchpin of her USWNT team.
Emily Fox thrives at… center-back?
Emily Fox has never been your standard, run-of-the-mill fullback. The 25-year-old doesn’t love getting up and down the field. She’s a solid athlete, but lacks the elite speed and one-on-one dribbling chops to overlap and cause real problems for opposing backlines. Instead, Fox thrives as a simple, effective ball progresser. She’s clean in possession and makes quick decisions, creating a stable foundation for her more advanced teammates.
She was a key part of the North Carolina Courage‘s possession approach in 2023, moving the ball upfield as a fullback/central midfielder hybrid for coach Sean Nahas. Fox finished in the 98th percentile for progressive passes per 90 minutes and the 95th percentile for progressive carries per 90 among NWSL fullbacks, per FBref.com. Even before she was traded to the possession-heavy Courage, Fox put up well-above-average progression numbers for Racing Louisville.
In the USWNT’s latest games, Fox continued her trend of doing something different from the fullback spot.In Tuesday’s 2-1 win, she was tasked with getting up and down the right side. She didn’t have a huge impact on the game before coming off at halftime as a concussion substitution. That could well be because of the potential head injury, or it could be that Fox is more comfortable playing deeper downfield (or some combination of the two).In Saturday’s 3-0 win, though, she defended as a left-back and stayed deeper in possession as a left-sided center-back, looking much more comfortable along the way. Within the solid U.S. framework, Fox even reprised part of her club role by swapping with Lindsey Horan to move into midfield.
Without a ton of obvious center-back options demanding minutes next to Naomi Girma, and with the extra flexibility Fox (or Jenna Nighswonger, who played the same role) brings to the backline, expect to see more of her flexible positioning in the future.
19-year-old Jaedyn Shaw earns a bigger role
She’s only four appearances into her national team career, but Jaedyn Shaw looks ready to take the USWNT’s creative reins. During the most recent international break back in October, Shaw played 48 minutes across two games against Colombia. In this December window, the 19-year-old earned 131 minutes. Tasked with playing in the right half-space in the USWNT’s attack, Shaw found the back of the net on Tuesday and pulled so many of the strings in the final third.She used her off-ball movement to crash China’s box and find gaps in their defense. On the ball, Shaw turned her great vision and right foot into five key passes over the two games.Now, it’s difficult to tie Shaw’s specific involvement back to Hayes — there’s every possibility that Kilgore already had plans to ease Shaw into action at the national team level during these post-World Cup friendlies. Back in September, Shaw was called into camp but didn’t see the field. In the October camp, she made her debut. In the December camp, then, maybe the plan was always to push Shaw into a larger role.Or maybe not. Maybe Hayes pushed for Shaw to see more of the action. Regardless of where the motivation to expand Shaw’s responsibilities came from, it’s paying early dividends for the USWNT. The young playmaker was more involved and more impactful against China than any of her teammates vying for minutes in those attacking midfield and half-space roles.
With Shaw stepping up and debuts for Nighswonger, Olivia Moultrie and Korbin Albert, Hayes now has more data on players who could occupy key roles for her team at next summer’s Olympics and beyond. That was surely a goal for the new manager when she helped select this December roster, even from across the Atlantic.
USMNT’s Copa America hurdles; players to watch in MLS Cup
Luis Miguel Echegaray, ESPNDec 8, 2023, 12:48 PM ET
Welcome to Onside/Offside! Each week, Luis Miguel Echegaray discusses the latest from the soccer world, including standout performances, games you might have missed, what to keep an eye on in the coming days and of course, certain things that probably deserved extra love and criticism.This week, a personal and professional look at Unai Emery’s incredible work with Aston Villa, Lionel Scaloni’s uncertainty and why it could be a problem for Argentina in 2024, an MLS Cup to celebrate and much more!
Hosting Copa America in the U.S comes with a wonderful conundrum because even though the USMNT is the geographical host, the support for other nations is going to be intoxicating. I witnessed this sentiment at Copa America Centenario in 2016.Mexico, for example, is the most popular team in North America. Miami, the Latin American capital of the world, will have a heavy dose of South and Central American fans, while Lionel Messi has galvanized the community that goes beyond Argentina. So unless you’re Mexico in Texas or California, throw “home” advantage out the window.
From a matchup perspective, I think Marcelo Bielsa’s Uruguay is the last opponent Gregg Berhalter’s side needed in its group, and La Celeste — second in World Cup qualifiers — are favorites to top it, but that will be America’s last game. So really, Panama is the USMNT’s most important hurdle to overcome in order to advance as Bolívia, with all due respect, will bow out.The biggest issue for me, however, lies in Group B. Mexico has the support and talent, and it’s definitely the favorite on paper, but it has not looked as good as we once remembered it. Ecuador‘s ongoing project with its tremendously dynamic team will be a problem, as will Venezuela, currently fourth in World Cup qualifiers. Then there’s Jamaica, which fought hard to get here; yes, it is least favored to get out of the group, but the talent, which includes Leon Bailey, Demarai Gray, Michail Antonio and Andre Blake, might not be as easy to deal with.
As for my Peru, don’t even get me started. Not only do we have to face Argentina, but bitter rival Chile is also in the group. If Canada makes it through, then the mountain becomes that much steeper. Never mind the fact that manager Juan Reynoso is on his way out after a disastrous start to World Cup qualifiers that have seen Peru score just one goal and get zero wins after six matches.
MLS Cup: a final that exemplifies the best of the league
The Columbus Crew are the original gangsters of MLS. Their former stadium was the first soccer-specific ground built by an MLS club, which set off a benchmark for others to follow. They are the representatives of Ohio soccer culture, which is a major component inside America’s soccer fandom. Columbus has always been seen as a “small market club” because it is not a New York or LA, but make no mistake about it, the Crew are a huge reason for the sport’s growth in the United States.Columbus is making its fourth MLS Cup appearance after winning it twice before (2008 and 2020) and just like its last title, the team is at home again, which makes the club favored to win on Saturday. This is a statistical advantage, not an opinion, as the only time the visiting team has come out victorious in a final hosted by the team with the better regular-season record was in 2021, when NYCFC defeated Portland Timbers on penalties. But here comes LAFC, the present-day kings of the league, looking to win back-to-back championships for the first time since its neighbors and local rivals LA Galaxy did it in 2011 and 2012. LAFC is a tremendous story, not even 10 years old and already looking like a dynasty in the making. If the West Coast club wins on Saturday, it would be an incredible achievement, especially as more and more teams continue to bring star power to their clubs. But LAFC (like Columbus) has a strong sense of identity and its supporters are the undoubted, proverbial fire in every game.On the pitch, it will also be a fun watch as the Crew love to have the ball, while LAFC loves to let you have it before hitting you in transition. Tremendous talent everywhere. In one Columbus corner you have Cucho Hernández, Diego Rossi (formerly at LAFC) and the man everyone loves in Darlington Nagbe, while L.A. possesses MLS’ goal-scoring machine in Dénis Bouanga, the Serie A, Champions League, Euro winner Giorgio Chiellini and of course, Carlos Vela — who is literally the face of the franchise. This could be his last ever game for LAFC as his contract runs out at the end of this month, with no talks of an extension upon the writing of the article.Nagbe reflects on Columbus Crew’s journey to MLS Cup finalColumbus Crew captain Darlington Nagbe speaks about what it means to reach the MLS Cup final.
Unai Emery’s quiet revolution at Aston Villa host league-leaders Arsenal
After Aston Villa’s magnificent, overwhelming victory against Man City on Wednesday, it’s fair to say that I haven’t quite calmed down yet, nor descended from the clouds. It is not an exaggeration to state that it was the best performance I have ever seen from my club in the Premier League. Unai Emery finally defeated Pep Guardiola, but it wasn’t just a win, it was a knockout punch as the home side outclassed City in almost every department.
Villa’s 22 shots was the most Pep Guardiola’s side has conceded in the league while the treble winners only managed two shots against Villa — the fewest ever against a Guardiola team from a run of 535 matches. The biggest favor Villa did to City that night was allowing it to stay 1-0.
Numbers aside, this journey under Emery is a renaissance for Villa fans. Villa, who were relegated in 2016, nearly faced the reality of liquidation and have never truly received the respect they often ache for, are a totally different club under the Basque manager.
As someone who started following this club upon immigrating to England from Peru in the early ’90s, helping me create a bridge to acclimatize to my new home, I can’t help but romanticize the whole thing. At the final whistle on Wednesday, I cried. It means that much to me and many other Villains who share my sentiment. This sport can bring out the cynic in all of us, but at the core of it all, it’s about passion and an emotion that can only happen inside a prosperous football community.
But that was Wednesday, and make no mistake about it, Emery has forgotten all about it. In fact, it might as well not exist because Arsenal are coming to town and that is the only thing that matters now. Arsenal, the leaders of the table — also managed by a Basque man obsessed with perfection and a will to learn — are a totally different animal. Given City’s recent struggles, they are a much harder test.
For one, the battle will be in the midfield, and this is the advantage Villa had over City on Wednesday. But Arsenal have Declan Rice and Martin Odegaard to worry about. It’s been 25 years since Villa fans saw their club face-to-face and win against the Gunners (two wins in 2020 and 2021 with no fans inside stadiums during COVID) at Villa Park but if this season has taught us anything, it’s that anything is possible.
OFFSIDE
Copa America: Argentina are favorites, but Scaloni’s future is worrying
When Argentina won Copa America in 2021, it was significant for many reasons. To begin with, it was the end of their 28-year drought without a major trophy. It was also Messi’s first ever major title with the senior national team, thus generating a new relationship and sense of trust and belief with national team fans, notably after losing two prior Copa America finals against Chile in 2015 and 2016.
Most importantly, however, it was also manager Lionel Scaloni’s first commemorative chapter since he took on the role of rebirthing La Albiceleste in 2018, a move that was questioned by many, including Diego Maradona. After coming third in the 2019 tournament, there was an even bigger call to fire Scaloni, but the federation stuck with him. Two years later, they were champions, and as we look ahead to next summer’s Copa America edition, Argentina will enter it as World Cup champions and the best team in the world.
Scaloni has been completely vindicated and once again, his team will arrive in the U.S next summer as the undoubted favorites. This could also have a poetic narrative as this might just be Messi’s final one. The group (Peru, Chile and Canada or Trinidad and Tobago) is relatively easy for them, and the bracket’s format points to the fact that — if everything goes to plan — they wouldn’t even have to face Brazil or Uruguay in the final, which consequently is in Miami — Messi’s home and a cultural haven for Argentinians in the U.S.
Scaloni says he’s still considering his future with Argentina ahead of the Copa America
Lionel Scaloni talks about his future as Argentina manager and looks ahead to the 2024 Copa America.
But at this point, Argentina doesn’t even know if Scaloni will be there. After last month’s win against Brazil in World Cup qualifiers, the 45-year-old manager added doubt in the postgame presser. “Argentina needs a coach who has all the energy possible and who is well,” he said. “I have a lot of things to think about during this time.”
Then, on Thursday night after the draw, he once again stated an air of uncertainty to Tyc Sports. “I am here because I am still the coach, but I’m still thinking about my decision. I said after the Brazil game that it is a moment to think and I am still in that instance. I am calmly thinking, how everything goes, whether to restart or what,” said Scaloni.
This has to be rectified sooner rather than later because the last thing Argentin want is to enter this competition with little time to prepare. Yes, they are a formidable force, but what’s made them so electric is twofold: the talent and Scaloni’s management. It’s obviously a monumental task that comes with so much pressure, that’s why Scaloni keeps referring to “energy,” because to be Argentina’s head coach means to deal with an avalanche of expectation as well as earning the trust of the greatest player the game has ever seen.
When it comes to sexism: Don’t give this any attention, just keep rising
I read an outstandingly good quote from Taylor Swift recently, as she commented on haters and those who have criticized her throughout the years. “There’s no point in actively trying to quote-unquote defeat your enemies,” said the music icon to Time magazine, as she was named 2023 Person of the Year. “Trash takes itself out every single time.”
This line should be echoed by all of us, including supporters of women’s football. I mention this because of the words from Joey Bartom, a controversial former player and manager who recently came out with one of the most misogynistic comments I’ve read in a while.
Since then, he has doubled and tripled down, including an appearance on “Piers Morgan Uncensored,” to defend his laughable point. “You have to be there on merit, not to fit this woke agenda that is going on in society,” he said, when discussing female pundits in men’s football and going as far as comparing them to him talking about “knitting.” “You don’t have to have played the game, a lot of managers haven’t, a lot of commentators haven’t. But they’ve earned the right with hard work over a prolonged period of time to get into that space.”
Barton was saying this as images of Alex Scott MBE (Champions League, WSL, FA Cup champion, World Cup runner-up and 140 appearances for England), Karen Carney (four World Cups, four Euros, third-most appearances for England) and Eniola Aluko (Serie A, WSL champion, former sporting director) appeared on the screen.
What makes this type of person so angry at seeing a woman in the men’s game? I’ll tell you the answer: it’s jealousy. It’s fear. It’s ignorance. And sadly, women in football will never stop fighting this battle. Barton represents millions of others who think like this, not because it has any merit, but because the merit lies in their anger, it justifies their agenda. It has nothing to do with “wokeness.”
I can only imagine how devastating it must be for women all over the globe reading and seeing comments such as Barton’s and having to fight 10 times harder than men for their quality to be recognized, never mind accepted. And I’m not even talking about the football industry anymore.
So in general, there are a few ways we all can react to Barton’s comments. One of them is anger; another is frustration. While understandable, it seems like nothing will change Barton’s mind, so in the end, I think the best strategy is self-preservation. Ignorance can’t be reversed unless the person committing the act is willing to change, and this is not the case here, so comments like Barton’s need to be combated with a collective desire to grow. Collective is the operative word here, and as the fight continues, remember the words of Taylor Swift: In the end, trash takes itself out.
Final word
Congrats to Lionel Messi for winning Time magazine’s Athlete of the Year, becoming the first male soccer player to win the award. I was lucky enough to cover his arrival to South Florida, which included a one-on-one with the man himself, and this isn’t hyperbole: The summer completely changed the cultural landscape of sports in America.
In fact, the shift of sporting attention in the country is fast gearing towards soccer and Messi’s role with Inter Miami and MLS plays the biggest factor. With competitions such as Copa America, Club World Cup and the World Cup in 2026, the train keeps moving and La Pulga acts as conductor.
Copa America 2024 fixtures and schedule: Dates, draw, bracket, kick-off times and final venue
Argentina will kick off the 2024 Copa America against one of Canada or Trinidad & Tobago on Thursday, June 20.
The holders — and 2022 World Cup winners — will open the tournament in Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta against the winner of a qualifying play-off in March.
The draw for the tournament, which will take place between June 20 and July 14, took place on Thursday.
Nine-time winners Brazil will take on Colombia, Paraguay and one of Costa Rica or Honduras, who meet in the other qualifying play-off, in Group D.
What are the groups?
Group A: Argentina, Peru, Chile, Canada or Trinidad & Tobago Group B: Mexico, Ecuador, Venezuela, Jamaica Group C: United States, Uruguay, Panama, Bolivia Group D: Brazil, Colombia, Paraguay, Costa Rica or Honduras
What is the tournament format?
With the 16 teams split into four groups of four, the top two sides in each group will progress to the knockout stages, starting with the quarter-finals. Each group winner will face a runner-up.
The four winners of those games will advance to the semi-finals, and the winners of the two semi-finals will meet in the final at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami on Sunday, July 14.
Albert wears No 15 against Brazil in March (John Todd/ISI Photos/Getty Images)
Macario shows her wristband after scoring against Iceland in February 2022 (Brad Smith/ISI Photos/Getty Images)
USWNT players such as Rapinoe have used their platform for advocacy (Patrick T. Fallon/AFP via Getty Images)
England lost to Brazil at Wembley Stadium last month and have not won since beating Malta 2-0 in November (Mike Hewitt/Getty Images)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/73258322/2046188517.0.jpg)
“Tyler has been always (talkative). He’s a captain with the national team. Even in the trainings, he’s going to be arguing. If he’s losing, he’s not gonna be happy. He will be demanding with the others. And this is a very good thing to have in the team.”The above quote is from Bournemouth manager Andoni Iraola, when asked about Tyler Adams’ 
leadership qualities just after Tyler’s first start of the season Saturday against Everton. The 25-year-old from Wappingers Falls, N.Y. went the full 90 in the Cherries’ 2-1 win, and was named Player of the Match. Heat maps that wouldn’t look out of place at a Jackson Pollock exhibit — paint sprayed across the entire canvas — will do that for a player.So is it safe to say that Adams is back? Well, based on the fact that he didn’t come off the bench in Bournemouth’s 1-0 win over Palace on Tuesday, it could be a case of the USMNT midfielder still working his way back to full-full fitness. But for a player as focused, vocal, and intense as Tyler, it would seem that he’s going to be tough to keep off the pitch for long.”He wants to go for all the balls,” continued Iraola. “He’s very instinctive and he wants to cover a lot.”Here’s to hoping he gets the chance to continue to provide cover in the Cherries’ next match: a visit to Luton Town on Saturday.Elsewhere in England …Four USMNTers were at the City Ground on Tuesday, as Nottingham Forest beat Fulham 3-1 in the most recent Premier League Bowl. Highlights of the match included: Antonee Robinson 
In the Championship, Haji Wright 
(22; London, ENG), after the USMNT striker scored his seventh and eighth goals of the season (Watch) as a sub in Monaco’s 5-2 win at Metz on Saturday. The off-the-bench brace was the first by an American Abroad in Europe’s Top 5 leagues since Charlies Davies did the same for Sochaux in 2009.The current campaign has been a bit of a struggle for the former Arsenal forward, whose summer arrival with the French club was met with lofty expectations after joining for $44 million on the heels of 22 goals for Reims in Ligue 1 in 2022-23. But after scoring three goals in his first five games for Monaco, Balo has been in and out of the starting lineup for Les Rouge et Blanc, only scoring three times since October 7 before his brace over the weekend.While his goal-scoring struggles have been front and center for all to see, something that had been kept behind the scenes until now was the hard work and sacrifice Balogun originally put in to become a high-level finisher. Speaking to the Inside Track podcast, individual instructor Saul Isaksson-Hurst talked about how Balogun, then with Arsenal, would take the train from London to France on his off days to get extra one-on-one training with the former Arsenal, Chelsea and Spurs academy coach.“Flo would be doing a finishing session at Arsenal, but there would be six or seven other players there and it may not be specifically on what he needs to work on,” said Isaksson-Hurst. “Flo used to come back on the Eurostar on his days off to do sessions and then go back. He’s another really committed young pro.”Here’s to hoping the hard work done years ago continues to pay dividends for one of America’s finest.News and Notes:After his assist against Lazio in Juventus’ 2-0 Coppa Italia win on Tuesday (Watch), it’s now 10 dimes in all comps for Weston McKennie 
(25; Little Elm, TX) this season. Half of these have been to Dusan Vlahovic, so naturally Wes gave him a friendly shout-out on IG.Malik Tillman 
(21; Nürnberg, GER) had an assist (Watch) — his 11th of the season — in PSV’s 2-0 win at Excelsior on Tuesday. The victory comes on the heels of their first league loss of the season on Saturday, a 3-1 defeat at NEC Nijmegen, which ended a remarkable 26-match undefeated streak to open their Eredivisie campaign.Brenden Aaronson 
(23; Medford, NJ) got the start and played 65 minutes in Union Berlin’s scoreless draw at Frankfurt on Saturday. The Iron Ones are now undefeated in Aaronson’s last three starts.Alex Zendejas 
(26; El Paso, TX) scored his fifth in his last six games for Club America (Watch) in a 4-0 win at New England Revolution Tuesday in the CONCACAF Champions Cup.Gianluca Busio 
(22; Barcelona, ESP) bagged a brace (Watch) in Eibar’s 5-1 win over Eldense on Sunday. Los Armeros are in second place — hence, in the automatic promotion spots — with nine matches to go in LaLiga2.Parting Shots:Massive congrats to teen striker Joel Imasuen 
Adams was mobbed after his goal (Darren Carroll/USSF/Getty Images for USSF)
Reyna was named player of the tournament (Darren Carroll/USSF/Getty Images for USSF)
The U.S. was able to limit Mexico’s chances throughout the final (Shaun Clark/ISI Photos/Getty Images)
Adams celebrates his long-range goal (Omar Vega/Getty Images)
Ukraine’s players address the crowd (Sergei Gapon/AFP via Getty Images)
English-born drummer Andriy Buniak (bottom) of Ukrainian folk band Cov Kozaks with Andrew Todos (third right) and Myron Huzan (right) (Jordan Campbell/The Athletic)
Vasylkov helped then manager Shevchenko in the Ukraine setup (Jordan Campbell/The Athletic)
Zinchenko applauds the fans after Ukraine’s win (Andrzej Iwanczuk/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
Ukrainian fans celebrate qualification (Andrzej Iwanczuk/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
Artem Genne and a friend hold up their flag signed by Ukrainian soldiers (Jordan Campbell/The Athletic)
Aron, Natan and Roman Lanunski travelled to Wroclaw from Berlin (Jordan Campbell/The Athletic)
Fedir (centre) and Serhii (right) in Wroclaw’s market square (Jordan Campbell/The Athletic)
Vitaliy (left) with his family outside the stadium (Jordan Campbell/The Athletic)
Berhalter made numerous adjustments in the second half (Stephen Nadler/ISI Photos/USSF/Getty Images)
Haji Wright scored both of the United States’ extra-time goals (Shaun Clark/Getty Images)
(Broer van den Boom/BSR Agency/Getty Images)
(Howard Smith/ISI Photos/USSF/Getty Images for USSF)
(James Gill/Getty Images)
(DAX Images/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
Adams last saw Premier League action last season with Leeds United (George Wood/Getty Images)
Adams’ last appearance for the U.S. was at the 2022 World Cup (Danielle Parhizkaran/USA TODAY Sports)
Wright celebrates his last-gasp winner (Marc Atkins/Getty Images)
Wright played four times in the World Cup in Qatar (Julian Finney/Getty Images)
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(28; Highlands Ranch, CO), though Horvath was 
(21; Clifton, VA), take a bow. DMV Donovan had some hit for the match-winner (
Johnny Cardoso 
Akron Stadium in Zapopan, Mexico (Sergio Navarrete/Getty Images)
(Yuki Iwamura/AFP via Getty Images)
(Rob Pinney/Getty Images)
Lunin and Arrizabalaga train earlier this season (Helios de la Rubia/Real Madrid via Getty Images)
Will things get any better at Barcelona for the exiting Xavi? (David Ramos/Getty Images)
Openda has been in fine form for a struggling Leipzig team (Maja Hitij/Getty Images)
City are motoring at full speed with Haaland and De Bruyne back (Darren Staples/AFP via Getty Images)
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Ryan O’Hanlon, ESPN.com writerDec 19, 2023, 11:34 AM ET
1. Manchester City: Champions League, +200
2. Liverpool: Europa League, +225
3. Aston Villa: Europa League, +275
4. Bayern Munich: Champions League, +425
5. Bayer Leverkusen: Europa League, +500
6. Fiorentina: Europa Conference League, +525
7. Arsenal: Champions League, +575
8. Real Madrid: Champions League, +600
9. AC Milan: Europa League, +900
10. Eintracht Frankfurt: Europa Conference League, +900
11. Lille: Europa Conference League, +1200
12. Brighton: Europa League, +1200
13. Paris Saint-Germain: Champions League, +1200
14. Barcelona: Champions League, +1200
15. West Ham: Europa League, +1200
16. Real Betis: Europa Conference League, +1200
17. Ajax: Europa Conference League, +1200
18. Roma: Europa League, +1500
19. Inter Milan: Champions League, +1800
20. Atletico Madrid: Champions League, +1900
(Pablo Maurer)
(Pablo Maurer)
(Pablo Maurer)
Villarreal saw a clear penalty for handball (Patrick Smith/Getty Images)
(Pablo Maurer)
Dale Johnson, General Editor, ESPN FCNov 29, 2023, 05:08 PM ET
Matt Turner is back for Nottingham Forest (Glyn Kirk/AFP via Getty Images)
Ricardo Pepi (left) has impressed for PSV (Erwin Scheriau/APA/AFP via Getty Images)
Pulisic was on form against Atalanta (Emilio Andreoli/Getty Images)
Julien Laurens, CorrespondentDec 12, 2023, 04:00 AM ET
Newcastle’s recent defeats have been concerning (Peter Powell/AFP via Getty Images)
The absence of Leao has been a big loss to Milan (Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
Kyle Bonagura, ESPN Staff WriterDec 9, 2023, 08:20 PM ET
The Ole BallCoach 