Sun, GK Jordan Farr signs with DC United, Nations League

November 13, 2024November 19, 2024 gatorbest carmel-fc, jordan-farr, messi, mls, nwsl, soccer, us-soccer, usmnt

US Men Nations League QF vs Jamaica Tues Mon 8 pm TNT

So the US found a way to win at Jamaica – giving the Poch his first win on the road in Concacaf something GB only did twice in over 5 years. The US scored early with Pepi scoring on his best chance in the first 5 minutes – the US then held on with Turner making some fantastic – saves including a PK save in the first half. I honestly thought the US went too defensive in the 2nd half and were lucky to get out with the 1-0 win – it should have been 2-1 Jamaica. But sometimes its better to be lucky than good. The US will hopefully go for the win with perhaps a 2-0 or 2-1 win at home. I thought Brandon Vasquez really blew his chance – at center forward – as he had 2 chances to put the game away and missed on both. Pepi is showing he is the guy right now at the 9 slot. I am excited to see how adding Tim Weah on the right wing will change things. I expect Musah to perhaps drop back into the 6 or 8 slot replacing the injured Cardoso. Ream is from St Louis and he’s the captain – expect to stay with the same pairing with McKensie who played his best game in a US Uniform in the first round.

Nice to see young GK of the future 18 YO Diego Kochen of Barcelona in camp – a guy who can use his feet and might just be starting at Barca by 21.

MLS – Messi and Miami lose first round finale to Brad Guzan and Atlanta United Next Round Sat/Sun

So Messi & MLS star studded Miami is out of the playoffs as they were stone-walled in the 3rd and final game of the first round series at home by former US standout Brad Guzan in a 2-3 loss –hi-lights. It will be interesting to see what impact this has on the MLS Playoffs – for me personally – now that all the remaining games will be behind the Apple MLS firewall I am done watching. Sorry MLS but you have done this to yourselves – not even your playoff games are being watched by kids in America. I just can’t fathom the stupidity of paying so much for Messi to join MLS and then not letting anyone see it on free TV. I for one have checked out MLS – out of site – out of mind.

NWSL Has Fantastic Playoff Round in Semi-Finals

Now an American soccer league with a clue – the NWSL- actually has a clue as 3 of its four games this weekend were on network TV – ESPN, CBS, and ABC along with 1 on Prime. I actually watched both of Sunday’s games – since MLS wasn’t on – the game were exciting! Top seeds stole the show in this weekend’s NWSL quarterfinals, as all four higher-ranked teams advance to the semis in style.
No. 1 Orlando blasted No. 8 Chicago 4-1 behind star Barbra Banda’s brace on Friday before Golden Boot winner Temwa Chawinga’s eighth-minute goal secured No. 4 Kansas City’s 1-0 victory over No. 5 North Carolina on Saturday. While tactically different, Sunday’s doubleheader followed similar scripts: Goalless first halves for No. 2 Washington and No. 3 Gotham led to 1-1 scorelines before the East Coast powerhouses emerged with late 2-1 wins over No. 7 Bay FC and No. 6 Portland, respectively. Lavelle Wins it in Stoppage Time for Gothem FC.

USMNT Roster for Nations League Semis vs Jamaica :

Goalkeepers: Diego Kochen (FC Barcelona Atletic), Patrick Schulte (Columbus Crew), Zack Steffen (Colorado Rapids), Matt Turner (Crystal Palace)

Defenders: Mark McKenzie (Toulouse), Tim Ream (Charlotte FC), Chris Richards (Crystal Palace), Antonee Robinson (Fulham), Miles Robinson (FC Cincinnati), Joe Scally (Borussia Mönchengladbach), Auston Trusty (Celtic)

Midfielders: Brenden Aaronson (Leeds United), Gianluca Busio (Venezia), Johnny Cardoso (Real Betis), Weston McKennie (Juventus), Aidan Morris (Middlesbrough), Yunus Musah (AC Milan), Tanner Tessmann (Lyon), Malik Tillman (PSV Eindhoven)

Forwards: Cade Cowell (Guadalajara), Ricardo Pepi (PSV Eindhoven), Christian Pulisic (AC Milan), Brandon Vázquez (Monterrey), Tim Weah (Juventus), Alex Zendejas (Club América)

Absolutely Thrilled to see that Former Carmel FC GK Coach and Indy 11 GK Jordan Farr signs with DC United in MLS. He comes off a successful 2 seasons at the Tampa Bay Rowdies where they went to the playoffs each season.

GAMES ON TV

Thur, Nov 14

2:45 pm FS 1 Greece vs England Nations League

2:45 pm TUDN Israel vs France

2:45 pm fubu Belgium vs Italy

8 pm TNT, Peacock Jamaica vs USA NL QF #1

9 pm Galazo, Para+ Costa Rica vs Panama QF #2

Fri, Nov 15

2:45 pm FS2 Denmark vs Spain Nations League

2:45 pm FS2 Portugal vs Poland

7 pm 6:30 pm Golazo Surinam vs Canada QF#4

9 pm Uni, Para+ Honduras vs Mexico QF #3

Sat, Nov 16

12 noon CBS Washington Spirit vs NY/NJ Gotham FC NWSL Semis

2:45 pm FS2 Netherlands vs Hungary NL

Sun Nov 17

12 pm ? England vs Ireland

2:45 pm FS2 Italy vs France NL

3 pm ABC Orlando Pride (Marta) vs KC Current NWSL Semis

7:30 pm Apple Vancouver vs LAFC

Mon, Nov 18

2:45 pm FS2 Croatia vs Portugal

8 pm TNT, Peacock USA vs Jamaica NL QF

9 pm Para+ Panama vs Costa Rica NL QF

Tues Nov 19

2:45 pm FS2 Bosnia vs Netherlands NL

2:45 pm TUDN? Hungary vs Germany NL

7 pm Telemundo Argentina vs Peru WCQ

7:30 pm Para+ Canada vs Suriname

9:30 pm Para+ Mexico vs Honduras QF

Midweek USMNT action is here. Let’s get into it!

Thursday

Eintracht Braunschweig vs St. Pauli, 6a: Mexican-American forward Johan Gómez, an FC Dallas academy product, has 0 goals and 1 assist in 7 matches to start the 2. Bundesliga season with newly-promoted Braunschweig. This match is a friendly.
Jamaica vs USA, 8p on TNT, UNIVERSO, truTV, Max, Peacock, Telemundo Deportes En Vivo, The main event. The USA travel to Kingston, Jamaica to take on the Reggae Boyz in the Concacaf Nations League quarterfinals.
Bonaire vs El Salvador, 8p on Paramount+: El Salvadar are in Nations League B, they visit Bonaire in Group 1.
Costa Rica vs Panama, 9p on Paramount+: The Ticos host Panama in another Concacaf Nations League quarterfinal.

Friday

Mönchengladbach vs Preussen Münster, 7a: Joe Scally was included in the USMNT roster for this international window, so he won’t be with Gladbach for this friendly.
Suriname vs Canada, 6:30p on Paramount+: Jesse Marsch and Canada visit Suriname in the third Concacaf Nations League quarterfinal.
Honduras vs Mexico, 9p on Paramount+, FuboTV, TUDN USA, Univision USA: Honduras host El Tri in the final Concacaf Nations League quarterfinal.

USMNT

Analysis: Pepi strikes early as USMNT win leg one in Jamaica 1-0
Weah ‘moved on’ from red card in Copa elimination ESPN Jeff Carlisle Poch: Playing in MLS no barrier to U.S. selection

Aaronson, Pepi, & Weah highlight positive weekend for Yanks in Europe Scouting Jamaica Tim Weah scores for Juve as dad George looks on
USMNT forward Sargent out 8 weeks after surgery
Manchester City register interest in Premier League US star left-back valued at £40 million Cole Campbell breaks through at Borussia Dortmund

MLS

Clock ticking for Messi as Miami suffer biggest shock in MLS postseason history A Messi situation: What is Inter Miami’s future after shocking upset? Messi: Miami will ‘come back stronger next year’ Messi, Miami suffer stunning 1st-rd exit to Atlanta1dLizzy Becherano
Arena makes MLS return as San Jose coach, GM Jeff Carlisle ESPN

Not even Messi could save Inter Miami from injury, depth issues In dismissing Curtin, the Union are no longer MLS’s model club

US Women & NWSL Playoffs

Lily Yohannes, 17, picks USWNT over Netherlands

NWSL’s Big Four win dramatic quarterfinals, set up semifinals full of star power Lavelle Wins it in Stoppage Time for Gothem FC Gotham FC’s home playoff win exemplifies its ‘swell of momentum’ on and off the field Forget the stars, it’s NJ/NY Gotham FC’s depth that is so key Lavelle, Gotham top Thorns, end Sinclair’s career Rodman, Spirit beat Bay FC, reach NWSL semis Andonovski: Opposition ‘targeting’ KC’s Chawinga Orlando Pride dominate Chicago Red Stars in 4-1 victory Banda’s brace sends Pride into NWSL semifinals Wave make NWSL’s 1st signing direct from NCAA Canada fires Ladies coach Priestman over drone scandal

Goalkeeping

Former Carmel FC GK Coach and Indy 11 GK Jordan Farr signs with DC United in MLS
🥇 History made as MLS announce Goalkeeper of the Year 🧤
With 8 saves in the Finale Brad Guzan Won the Game as Atlanta downed Messi’s Miami
How to Save a Penalty

Huge Congrats to former Carmel Dads Club/Carmel High & Butler GK Eric Dick with the shutout Record for the Pittsburgh Riverhounds of the USL.

Reffing

Premier League ref David Coote suspended over video of crude rant at Jurgen Klopp
Webb admits to VAR error before Ten Hag sacking ESPN

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

Looking for a good summer meal? Try out the Best BarBQ in Town right across the street (131st) from Northview Church on the corner of Hazelldell & 131st. RackZ BBQ

Save 20% on your order

(mention the ole ballcoach)

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

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

Pulisic, Weah headline USMNT squad for Concacaf quarterfinal

Jeff Carlisle, U.S. soccer correspondentNov 10, 2024, 10:00 AM ET

United States men’s national team manager Mauricio Pochettino has named a 25-player roster to compete in the Concacaf Nations League quarterfinals this week against Jamaica. Among those included are AC Milan‘s Christian Pulisic and the Juventus duo of Weston McKennie and Timothy Weah. Advertising

The quarterfinal matchup will be contested over two legs, with the first leg to be played in Kingston, Jamaica, on Nov. 14 and the second leg contested in St. Louis four days later. In 10 meetings in Jamaica, the U.S. has a record of 3-1-6. Players will report to the camp on Sunday and Monday, with the team departing Wednesday afternoon for Jamaica. Pochettino will have a greater number of first-choice players available compared to last month’s international window, the Argentine’s first in charge. Weah is recalled for the first time since his red card against Panama in the Copa América, and his subsequent suspension will carry over into the first leg in Kingston.”We select 25 players on the roster and we try to find the best balance, thinking not only about [performing] today if not to build something for 2026,” Pochettino told a news conference on Sunday. “That is the main objective. Of course the objective is always about to win because we need to be competitive but it’s important because we are not going to have too many camps to see players.” Other returnees include Crystal Palace defender Chris Richards, Fulham defender Antonee Robinson and Real Betis midfielder Johnny Cardoso. Pochettino will also get his first looks at Barcelona Atletic goalkeeper Diego Kochen and CD Guadalajara forward Cade Cowell. However, a host of regulars miss out for the U.S. with fitness concerns. Bournemouth midfielder Tyler Adams just recently returned to play after a lengthy injury layoff due to back surgery. Monaco forward Folarin Balogun continues to recover from a separated shoulder, while Norwich City striker Josh Sargent recently underwent groin surgery that is set to sideline him for up to eight weeks. Coventry City’s Haji Wright also suffered an ankle injury late in Sunday’s match against Sunderland.”He [Adams] is a highly important player for USA, for us, and I consider him personally a very important player for the future of this team. But the most important thing now is to see the progression. He came from a difficult moment. Yesterday, he played 60 minutes, 65 minutes,” Pochettino said.”I think it was important for him to see and for us so happy to see the evolution of him. But in the same time we know very well that we need to look after him if we want to have him in the best condition for 2026.”The injuries to Balogun, Sargent and Wright mean plenty of eyes will be on the group of forwards which in addition to Cowell includes PSV Eindhoven’s Ricardo Pepi and Monterrey FC’s Brandon Vázquez.

The roster does seem light on outside defenders, with just Robinson and Joe Scally having extensive experience in those roles. That hints that Pochettino may resort to playing with three defenders plus wingbacks, though Richards and Charlotte FC defender Tim Ream have played at outside back in the past in a four-back system. The USMNT is aiming to win its fourth straight CNL, having previously claimed every edition of the tournament since the first final was held in 2021.

USMNT Nov. training camp roster:

Goalkeepers: Diego Kochen (FC Barcelona Atletic), Patrick Schulte (Columbus Crew), Zack Steffen (Colorado Rapids), Matt Turner (Crystal Palace)

Forwards: Cade Cowell (Guadalajara), Ricardo Pepi (PSV Eindhoven), Christian Pulisic (AC Milan), Brandon Vázquez (Monterrey), Tim Weah (Juventus), Alex Zendejas (Club América)

Mauricio Pochettino calls up Nations League roster, including Tim Weah, Chris Richards

BETHESDA, MD - JUNE 3: Tim Weah and Chris Richards of the United States battle for the ball during USMNT Training at the Landon School on June 3, 2024 in Bethesda, Maryland. (Photo by John Dorton/ISI Photos/USSF/Getty Images for USSF)

By Paul Tenorio Nov 10, 2024

U.S. men’s national team head coach Mauricio Pochettino has called up 25 players for his first competitive games in charge, a set of Nations League quarterfinals against Jamaica, including his first look at two regulars with the team, Tim Weah and Chris Richards. Weah and Richards join Johnny Cardoso, Diego Kochen and Cade Cowell as five players who will get their first look under Pochettino this month.The U.S. will face Jamaica in Kingston on Thursday, November 14, and then in the return leg in St. Louis on November 18.Christian Pulisic, Antonee Robinson and Weston McKennie are in the squad, though the team will be without a few injured players including Gio Reyna, Josh Sargent and Sergiño Dest.

Inside Pochettino’s first month in charge of USMNT: Mate cups, meetings and a chance encounter

Another notable absence is Tyler Adams, who made his first start for Bournemouth on Saturday since returning from injury. Adams has played just 100 minutes since July 1, however, and with a short window, it allows him to stay at the club and continue building his fitness. “He is an important player for USA, for us, and I consider him, personally, a very important player for the future of this team,” Pochettino said explaining Adams’ omission. “But the most important thing now is to see the progression. “He came from a difficult moment yesterday, played 60-65 minutes, I think it was important for him to see, and for us (we were) so happy to see (his) evolution. “But in the same time, we know very well that we need to look after him if we want to have him in the best condition for 2026. I think it is important to build that relationship.”

Adams is still working his way back to full fitness (Marc Atkins/Getty Images)

Elsewhere injuries to Haji Wright, Folarin Balogun and Sargent have opened the door for other forwards to stake their claims for a regular roster spot. “It’s true these types of injuries have opened opportunities for other players to get more minutes,” Pochettino added. “It’s a great opportunity for (Ricardo Pepi) to get the opportunity to play and show his talent.“Of course (we’re) disappointed with Haji, Sargent and Balogun injured and can’t be in the squad, but it’s a chance for (Pepi) and Brandon Vazquez to fight for their spot on their team.”Following his red card against Panama on June 27 during the Copa America, Weah will serve the second game of his two-match suspension during the first leg in Jamaica.The U.S. beat Panama and lost to Mexico in their first two games, both friendlies, under Pochettino last month. These Nations League games present the first test in official competition. The U.S. won the first three CONCACAF Nations League titles.Jamaica nearly eliminated the U.S. from the 2023-24 Nations League in the semifinals before a late brace from Haji Wright lifted the U.S. to the win.The group includes eleven players aged 23 and younger: Cardoso, Patrick Schulte and Tanner Tessmann (23); Gianluca Busio, Aidan Morris and Malik Tillman (22); Cowell, Yunus Musah, Ricardo Pepi, and Joe Scally (21); and Kochen (18).

USMNT Player Tracker: The return of the Brothers Aaronson, Pepi progress and outsider Weah

By Greg O’Keeffe 11/11/24 The Athletic

The Aaronson brothers’ resurgence, Ricardo Pepi’s progress at PSV Eindhoven and Tim Weah’s striking instincts all feature in this week’s USMNT Player Tracker.Throughout the season, we will bring you updates on the U.S. players plying their trade in various leagues around Europe. With a World Cup on home soil on the horizon and new national team boss Mauricio Pochettino monitoring from afar, we’re keeping tabs on how they perform every weekend.

Issue of the weekend

At relatively tender ages, they have already endured many of the European game’s ups and downs. But, after coming through challenging times last season, the Aaronson brothers are having something of a moment.

Last year Brenden, 24, and younger brother Paxten, 21, faced uncertain futures. The former was loaned out by recently relegated Leeds United after his dream move to England appeared to sour, and found himself in another relegation fight at Union Berlin in Germany.Paxten was also surplus to requirements at his club, Eintracht Frankfurt, and was sent out on loan to Vitesse Arnhem in the Netherlands.Neither, though, let the disappointment hold them back. Brenden helped his German club to stave off the drop, while Paxten played all but one game for his temporary team and contributed four goals — albeit enduring the other side of a relegation fight with Vitesse finishing bottom of the Eredivisie.

This time around, though, they are thriving.Brenden is adding plenty of value back at Leeds where the supporters have embraced him, and his four goals have helped the Yorkshire club into third place as they chase promotion back to the Premier League.

Brenden has made a positive impact back with Leeds (MI News/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

Paxten returned to the Dutch top flight via another loan, to Utrecht, and now he’s in an upwardly mobile outfit — the club is second in the table ahead of Aja and Feyenoord — and he is the team’s top goalscorer with four (and one assist).It was his close-range volley against Heracles on Friday that proved the only goal of a tense game in which he was the star man. The midfielder also created two chances according to Fotmob.Big brother Brenden started his 13th consecutive game for Leeds on Saturday and also tasted victory as Daniel Farke’s team beat Queens Park Rangers 2-0.It was no surprise the latter was included in Pochettino’s first competitive USMNT roster, albeit perhaps more of one that Paxten missed out.

Brenden Aaronson exclusive: ‘All I care about is getting Leeds United promoted’

However, if the younger sibling maintains this form, he cannot be far from adding to his solitary senior cap.

Player of the weekend

Ricardo Pepi heads off on international duty with a spring in his step having made another notch on his season’s goal-count at PSV. He was not going to let the chance of a rare start — and the flipped dynamic that saw his club’s usual starting centre-forward, Luuk de Jong, on the bench instead — pass him by without a flourish. So ‘El Tren’ provided the laser-guided finish that gave the defending champions the lead against NAC Breda on Saturday in what went on to become a routine win.“He was very threatening, constantly looked for depth and was sharp in finishing,” said a satisfied manager Peter Bosz to the PSV website. “He played well. That’s not surprising because he’s a good player. Only he is unlucky that Luuk de Jong is in front of him.“I do think he deserves more minutes than last season.”

Pepi celebrates with Ismael Saibari (Joris Verwijst/BSR Agency/Getty Images)

Pepi now has the same number of goals as De Jong (six) this season, but from just 420 Eredivisie minutes compared to the club captain’s 696.It’s enough to wonder how much longer a budding virtuoso can carry on playing second fiddle.

Quote of the weekend

“I play in attack. I’m happy. It’s a big thing for me, I feel like a striker. I prefer the outside role. Today I am happy, but for the team, we have to continue like this because when we play like tonight, we are strong. Now the game against AC Milan awaits us, it’s important, also for me and for my family history.”Tim Weah’s father George played 147 times for the Rossoneri across four highly successful seasons. He scored 58 goals, won two Serie A titles and the Ballon d’Or in 1995.Weah Jr scored his fourth goal in eight Serie A appearances this term for Juventus on Saturday as they beat Torino 2-0 in the Derby della Mole. Deployed on the right of the attack, he made himself a menace and also won praise from manager Thiago Motta, who was happy with Weah’s form when he moved further forward after regular starter Dusan Vlahovic was substituted.

Weah celebrates his goal against Torino (Nicolò Campo/LightRocket via Getty Images)

“I think Weah is doing very well at the moment,” said the Juve boss to his club’s website. “But (Francisco) Conceicao is always an extra weapon. He can help us in the match and we can alternate them, or use them together.“For the role of centre forward in the absence of Vlahovic, I’ll evaluate match by match. It’s impossible to say an exact name at the moment.”

How did other U.S. players get on?

Name: Tyler Adams
Club: Bournemouth
Position: Midfielder
Games (in all competitions): 3

Another key moment for Adams in his return to full fitness as he made his first start of the season for Bournemouth.

The USMNT star played 67 minutes as his team lost 3-2 against Brentford, but he had a busy game with one chance created and more tackles (four) than any team-mate, according to Fotmob.

Name: Tanner Tessmann
Club: Lyon
Position: Midfielder
Games: 9

Tessman got onto the field as a second-half substitute to sample the atmosphere of a Ligue 1 derby win as Lyon beat bitter rivals Saint-Etienne on Sunday. He had a bright cameo with three passes into the final third, and the American won both of his two ground duels.

Lyon gears up for the Rhone-Alpes derby (Olivier Chassignole / AFP via Getty Images)

Name: Johnny Cardoso
Club: Real Betis
Position: Midfielder
Games: 15

Cardoso created a goal for striker Vitor Roque as Real Betis drew 2-2 with Celta Vigo on Sunday. It was his first assist in nine La Liga games for his team so far this season.

Name: Christian Pulisic
Club: Attacker
Position: AC Milan
Games: 15
Goals: 7

Such is his sensational form at present, it is rare to see a Milan game when the USMNT hero does not get on the scoresheet. But he was relatively subdued as Milan drew 3-3 at Cagliari on Saturday — even if he did play a part in the team’s third goal when his shot was palmed away for Tammy Abraham to convert the rebound and make it 3-2.

The 26-year-old was withdrawn on 82 minutes by manager Paulo Fonseca, and wasn’t on the field when Gabriele Zappa’s late goal snatched a draw for the hosts to leave Milan frustrated.

Pulisic had started in a central role behind 16-year-old striking prospect Francesco Camarda, and at times seemed to miss his ability to drift inside from his usual wide position.

Name: Haji Wright
Club: Coventry City
Position: Striker
Games: 16
Goals: 6

Another week, another goal for Wright. The striker helped Coventry draw 2-2 at Sunderland just days after manager Mark Robins was sacked.

His near-post finish — that’s six goals so far this term — pulled one back for the visitors, who went on to grab a point, but a late ankle injury spoiled the striker’s day. He hobbled off the pitch but then needed a stretcher to get to the treatment room, and he will not be involved in the USMNT games against Jamaica during the international window.

Wright departs on a stretcher (Steve Welsh/PA Images via Getty Images)

What’s coming up?

We enter an international break now but, when domestic fixtures resume in a fortnight, you can watch Antonee Robinson in action for in-form Fulham against Wolverhampton Wanderers 0n Saturday, November 23 (10am, Peacock Premium).

Also that day, Pulisic and Yunus Musah could go head-to-head with Weston McKennie and Weah as AC Milan face Juventus (12pm, Peacock Premium). The following day, Joe Scally and Borussia Monchengladbach face St Pauli in Bundesliga (Sunday, 11:30am, ESPN+).

MLS Final Table

MLS playoffs without Lionel Messi and Inter Miami could be a welcome reality check

Paul Tenorio Nov 11, 2024 The Athletic

Lionel Messi is out of the Major League Soccer playoffs after Inter Miami, the No 1 seed in the Eastern Conference, suffered a stunning opening-round loss to ninth-seeded Atlanta United.It is a disaster for MLS and the league’s media partner, Apple. The most popular athlete on the planet is out of the playoffs after just one round, before even the quarterfinals.Perhaps, though, it is also a blessing in disguise.From the moment Messi announced in summer 2023 that he was coming to MLS, the league has had dueling directives. The first was to maximize the moment and leverage Messi’s presence to bring new fans to the product. But the second job was more important: build on that initial pop and keep as many fans as possible around when the now 37-year-old is gone.Even optimistically, it’s tough to envision Messi playing more than two more seasons in Miami’s pink jersey — and the remainder of these playoffs will now be a test of whether MLS is succeeding on that second front.Inter Miami are undoubtedly maximizing their Messi moment, or at least doing everything in their power to do so. They have squeezed every dollar out of the salary budget to build a team around him. They circumnavigated the globe in preseason, bringing in millions in profit, to grow their brand. They have announced some of the biggest sponsorship deals in MLS history. They’ve also won two trophies in two seasons: the 2023 Leagues Cup and the 2024 Supporters’ Shield, the latter by setting a record for most points earned in an MLS regular season.On-field success is never guaranteed, as the result of that best-of-three series against Atlanta shows, but Miami are doing everything they can to try to win — and to grow their fanbase, both locally and globally.

(Nathan Ray Seebeck/Imagn Images)

The league, meanwhile, has benefited from Messi’s presence, too.

MLS has set records this year in total attendance, average attendance, season-ticket sales, sold-out games and the number of matches with crowds of over 40,000 — numbers boosted not just by Messi’s presence, but also by having more teams in the league than ever before. MLS also boasted about increases in sponsorship revenues, record retail sales (driven by people buying Messi’s jersey, which ranked No. 1 globally for all Adidas football/soccer shirts) and record social and digital media audiences.

Apple, which also partnered with Messi as part of his contract to come to MLS, has seen benefits, too. Last season, which the Argentine arrived halfway through, Inter Miami owner Jorge Mas tweeted that subscribers to MLS Season Pass on Apple TV had doubled in the first month of Messi in MLS, with the Spanish-language audience growing more than 50 percent.The fear is that those numbers might be a commercial blip. If MLS has a plan on how to fully leverage those audiences, we haven’t seen it yet.

Just days after Messi was officially unveiled as a Miami player, Mas delivered a line that spoke to the optimism over the transformation he might bring. “Evolution is inevitable,” Mas said. “And change is likely.”It has been nearly a year and a half since that moment, and MLS’s ideas on how to evolve aren’t yet clear. The league is discussing changes, including potentially flipping to a fall-spring calendar from the current February-December one but there has been little hint as to how it intends to grow the on-field product.

Last year, FC Dallas owner Clark Hunt told The Athletic that MLS was “studying” the Messi effect to “understand how that’s going to impact the league long-term, how it’s going to grow not only our fanbase in the stadiums each weekend, but also how it’s going to grow our media subscriptions through Apple”. The league was having “substantive conversations about the way we can move the league forward,” he said.

Those conversations are still ongoing.

Meanwhile, it feels like the bounce from Messi’s arrival has worn off, beyond the sold-out stadiums around the nation when Miami and company are in town. Whereas every Messi highlight was on SportsCenter in his first months in MLS, his impact in the 2024 season, no less fantastic on the field, has felt less mainstream. Messi’s jerseys are everywhere, but MLS as a product is far less ubiquitous.

(Peter Joneleit/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

MLS and Apple have not shared viewership or subscriber numbers. (Apple also does not share numbers for its MLB broadcasts.) It is therefore impossible to know whether Messi’s impact on subscribers has continued to grow, remained stable or fallen. Or whether Messi’s presence in the league has meant an uptick in viewership for games that don’t involve Inter Miami.

That last part is crucial.

This season’s MLS playoffs, now down to eight surviving teams, include four from the two biggest media markets in the country in New York and Los Angeles. Also represented are Atlanta, where MLS arguably resonates the most locally, and Seattle, where it traditionally has mattered in a big way. The final two, Minnesota and Orlando, are the league’s small-market success stories.

In many ways, Messi’s absence aside, this playoff field now sets up exceptionally well for MLS to showcase its product.

But will MLS resonate without Messi? Will people actually tune in to the remainder of the playoffs?

Historically, the answer has been no. At least not in a way that compares to other major American sports leagues. Or even to the very best soccer numbers for Mexico’s Liga MX, the Premier League in England and the Europe-wide UEFA Champions League. MLS has its loyal fanbase, but that level of viewership needs to grow substantially.

The 2024 postseason now will serve as a reminder of what MLS’s reality looks like without Messi. When the viewership data rolls in, will those with access to the numbers behind the scenes truly evaluate what they mean for the league’s future and the best path forward? Will it accelerate change? The league will be behind a paywall on Apple through 2032. MLS has to entice fans not just to watch its product, but to pay to do so. Bringing the world’s most popular player to its league was certainly one way to get them to do that. Figuring out how to keep those fans, and to get more to sign up, has always been the harder task.

Where did Miami go wrong and what does playoff exit mean for Messi and Martino?

“I wouldn’t say that the timing is when Lionel Messi leaves MLS, it’s really about what do we want to be by 2027,” MLS commissioner Don Garber said last year in his state-of-the-league address. “We’re going to have the eyes of the world on us (for the 2026 World Cup, when the majority of games will be played in the U.S. as it co-hosts with Canada and Mexico), and the soccer market here in the United States is going to be exposed to the entire global soccer and football community.“What is the product that we deliver?”The final two weeks of these playoffs — and Messi’s absence from them — is a crucial opportunity to evaluate exactly that.

Paul Tenorio is a senior writer for The Athletic who covers soccer. He has previously written for the Washington Post, the Orlando Sentinel, FourFourTwo, ESPN and MLSsoccer.com. Follow Paul on Twitter @PaulTenorio

Lily Yohannes picks USWNT over Netherlands: What Ajax teen’s decision means for Emma Hayes’ squad

SAINT PAUL, MN - JUNE 4: Lily Yohannes #6 of the United States celebrates her goal during a game between Korea Republic and USWNT at Allianz Field on June 4, 2024 in Saint Paul, Minnesota. (Photo by Brad Smith/ISI Photos/USSF/Getty Images for USSF)

By Steph Yang and Callum Davis Nov 11, 2024 The Athletic

Ajax teenager Lily Yohannes has committed to represent the U.S. women’s national team at international level.The 17-year-old midfielder was born in Springfield, Virginia, but moved to the Netherlands with her family in 2017 and was working toward eligibility to possibly represent the country as a Dutch citizen.In a social media post confirming her decision, she wrote: “After much consideration, I have decided to commit to represent my country, the United States.“The U.S. is my homeland, my birthplace, and where my extended family resides.“These strong connections have driven me to honor my roots and proudly commit to U.S. Soccer.”She added: “I want to extend my deepest gratitude to the United States and Dutch Football Federations for their unwavering support and patient guidance as I made my decision regarding my international future.“Their dedication and encouragement have been invaluable, and I extend my heartfelt thanks to both Federations.”Having progressed through the youth ranks at Ajax, Yohannes signed her first professional contract at the age of 15. She scored five goals in 20 appearances in 2023-24 and has netted two goals in six Eredivisie Women’s league games so far this term.In November last year, aged 16, she became the youngest player to start a Women’s Champions League group stage game. In June, she scored in her first appearance for the USWNT after being handed her debut by head coach Emma Hayes in 2-0 friendly win over South Korea.

FIFA rules allow players to switch international allegiance as long as they have played no more than three competitive senior games for a country before the age of 21. A switch was not necessary in Yohannes’ case.

‘Yohannes’ decision comes at the perfect time’

Analysis by Stephanie Yang

Yohannes’ declaration for the USWNT felt a bit like an inevitability after her debut for the United States against South Korea.In that game, Yohannes entered as a substitute in the 72nd minute and scored just 10 minutes later, finding some separation between herself and a defender in the box and picking out a cross that she placed through several players into the net.While friendlies do not cap-tie players, Yohannes did not appear to be a part of the Netherlands’ plans this year, with head coach Andries Jonker saying in late October that he was unable to invite her into camp, presumably due to eligibility reasons.All the same, Hayes kept any discussion of Yohannes close to her chest, saying on an October 17 call, “There has been communication post-Olympics between Lily and us at the Federation, so I’m always optimistic, but I don’t like to pressure anybody in this situation.Now that Yohannes has made her decision, it’s the perfect time for her to make herself available to Hayes, who has been on a tour of the U.S. to observe players at NWSL clubs and most recently gave seven players their first caps in one international window.Hayes has said repeatedly that this is a learning and planning period, allowing as many players as possible to come into a lower-stakes environment and ease them into the roster ahead of the 2027 World Cup.Though Yohannes only has one cap, in that game she was entrusted to deal with a fair amount of pressure in midfield, including defending Korean legend Ji So-yun. She could become an important central attacking midfielder for the U.S. with her vision and ability to play in forwards.Multiple teammates at her club, Ajax, and in the U.S. have complimented her ability to pick out passes and create with the ball, although it’s clear she still needs some seasoning as a pro — normal for any 17-year-old, no matter how mature.She has time now to get that seasoning at the international level; the next set of U.S. friendlies are a good opportunity to call in Yohannes for further evaluation as the U.S. will be traveling abroad to play England and the Netherlands in the November FIFA window. (Brad Smith/ISI Photos/USSF/Getty Images for USSF)

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

Looking for a good summer meal? Try out the Best BarBQ in Town right across the street (131st) from Northview Church on the corner of Hazelldell & 131st. RackZ BBQ

Save 20% on your order

(mention the ole ballcoach)

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

9/13/24 USMNT signs Pochettino as Manager, US ties NZ 1-1 after 2-1 loss to Canada, Alex Morgan retires, Indy 11 Home Sat, Champions League Tue/Wed

September 14, 2024September 18, 2024 gatorbest chelsea, football, goalkeepers, indy-11, premier-league, reffing-soccer, soccer, us-soccer, usmnt, uswnt

Champions League is Back

The first leg of Champions League has returned with some big games on the docket Tues/Wed for Americans. Christian Pulisic and AC Milan host Liverpool at 3 pm on Tuesday on Paramount+ (he scored!!) and Aron McKinney and Juventus play at 12 noon Tuesday.

USMNT Finally Hires Pochettino

So the US have finally made the big splash hire and signed and delivered former Tottenham and PSG Coach Mauricio Pochettino to lead us thru the World Cup on home soil in 2026. While the rumors had been rampant for weeks – finally this week it was announced and today he was introduced. Honestly this is a huge get for the US – to get a coach of this quality to coach our national team is a big deal – cudos all around to US Soccer for making this happen. Will it result in the US advancing as far as we ever have in a World Cup ? We’ll see. The US Men lost to Canada and US Coach Jesse Marsch last weekend and tied #96 New Zealand 1-1 at home in Cincy on Tuesday. So lots of work to do. Still I think we got the best possible coach under the circumstances to lead us through. Tons of stories below to read all about it.

US ties New Zealand 1-1 after losing to Canada 2-1 at home

The US men were unlucky In their 1-1 tie with NZ – as they outshout and out-possessed NZ the entire game. Great to see new faces in the mix – especially Marlon Fossey at right back and Aidan Morris again at the 6. Pepi needs to finish up top – but had some chances – good to see he and Balogun in together. Not sure why we didn’t see Auston Trusty at Centerback? Lots of work to do on our defense and in goal. US Highlights vs New Zealand

INDY 11 Home vs El Paso Locomotive Sat 7 pm

Indy Eleven returns home for its final 2024 regular-season match against the Western Conference vs. El Paso Locomotive FC on Saturday at Carroll Stadium.The Boys in Blue are coming off a 0-0 draw at Hartford Athletic last Saturday. The Eleven are sixth in the Eastern Conference with a 10-9-7 record for 37 points.Saturday’s match vs. El Paso is the last regular-season match against a Western Conference opponent for the Boys in Blue.Indy finishes the regular season with seven straight matches against Eastern Conference opponents. Only six points separate teams in fourth through 10th place in the conference. The top eight teams in the East will make the playoffs, with the top four hosting first-round games the first weekend in November. Single-game tickets for all four remaining regular-season home matches are available at Ticketmaster. For information on all ticket options visit the Indy Eleven Ticket Central. For questions, please email tickets@indyeleven.com or call (317) 685-1100.

Great to be back on the high school fields Reffing after our 2 week vacation !

Great night for high school soccer at Guerin Catholic with Michael S (Center) & Stephan L (L)

TV Game Schedule

Champions League

WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 18	TIME	HOW TO WATCH
Bologna vs. Shakhtar Donetsk	12:45 p.m.	Paramount+, CBS Sports Golazo Network
Sparta Praha vs. RB Salzburg	12:45 p.m.	Paramount+
UEFA Champions League Today pre-match	2 p.m.	Paramount+, CBS Sports Network
The Golazo Show	3 p.m.	Paramount+
Manchester City vs. Inter	3 p.m.	Paramount+
Paris Saint-Germain vs. Girona	3 p.m.	Paramount+
Club Brugge vs. Borussia Dortmund	3 p.m.	Paramount+, CBS Sports Network
Celtic vs. Slovan Bratislava	3 p.m.	Paramount+
UEFA Champions League Today post-match	5 p.m.	Paramount+, CBS Sports Network
Scoreline	6 p.m.	CBS Sports Golazo Network
The Champions Club	7 p.m.	CBS Sports Golazo Network

THURSDAY, SEPT. 19	TIME	HOW TO WATCH
Feyenoord vs. Bayer Leverkusen	12:45 p.m.	Paramount+, CBS Sports Golazo Network
Crvena Zvezda vs. Benfica	12:45 p.m.	Paramount+
UEFA Champions League Today pre-match	2 p.m.	Paramount+, CBS Sports Network
The Golazo Show	3 p.m.	Paramount+
Atalanta vs. Arsenal	3 p.m.	Paramount+
Monaco vs. Barcelona	3 p.m.	Paramount+
Atletico Madrid vs. RB Leipzig	3 p.m.	Paramount+, CBS Sports Network
Brest vs. Sturm Graz	3 p.m.	Paramount+
UEFA Champions League Today post-match	5 p.m.	Paramount+, CBS Sports Network

Champions League

Man City, Real Madrid start UCL as big favorites

As the new-look Champions League begins, here’s how the format works

Villa win big on return to top European stage

US Men Hire Pochettino

Thoughts on Pochettino’s hire, the USMNT’s draw with New Zealand, & moving forward ASN Brian Sciaretta

Pochettino arrives as USMNT’s rare superstar coach. Can he also be a savior?
Mauricio Pochettino is thinking big — but starting small — as he takes the helm of the USMNT
Pochettino targets World Cup win and praises ‘best coach in world’ Hayes
Mauricio Pochettino unveiled as USMNT boss — ‘We need to really believe we can win the World Cup’
Watch as former Chelsea boss Pochettino speaks after being named new USMNT head coach

Mauricio Pochettino officially announced as USMNT head coach S&S By Donald Wine II

Pep backs Poch in ‘fascinating’ USMNT coach role

The inside story of how Pochettino became the next USMNT manager 2d Jeff Carlisle

USMNT’s draw shows why Pochettino needs to hit the reset button 3d Jeff Carlisle

USMNT got the best possible coach by hiring Pochettino, but it might not be enough still Ryan O’Hanlon
Poch: USMNT must aim to match women, win WC 6hJeff Carlisle

USMNT’s draw shows why Pochettino needs to hit the reset button Jeff Carlisle

US ties NEW Zealand

Pulisic ready to ‘turn the page’ under Pochettino

EPL

Premier League predictions, odds for Week 4 of 2024-25 season
Premier League rivals want to see us punished – Guardiola
Revealed: Tottenham Hotspur Receive Huge Injury Boost Ahead of Arsenal Clash
Ten Hag still ‘needs’ Casemiro despite ‘bad day’
Chelsea Suffer ‘Major Injury Blow’ Ahead of Tricky Bournemouth Clash
Federico Chiesa’s journey: From considering a PHYSICS degree to playing at Anfield
Crystal Palace sign NJ/NY Gotham FC forward Stengel

Goalkeeping

Great Saves Nations League Matchday 1&2
Report: Man United Considers Major Goalie Change Former Carmel Dad’s Club/CHS/Butler Keeper Eric Dick up for Save of the Week
USL Championship Save of the Week – Week 27 USL Championship Save of the Week – Week 26 Manuel Neuer Announced International Retirement

Reffing

Young Ref Daughter makes Dad Proud Yellow or Red? You Cost us the Match Ref Become a Licensed Ref with Indiana Soccer – must be over

Nick H (L) and Shane waiting to start the Freshman boys at Brebeuf

Reffing Lawrence North Girls with Jason M (left) and Josh M (center)

USMNT midweek viewing guide: The CHAAAAMPIOOONS

UEFA Champions League is back, with as many as 10 Americans in play this midweek.

By Justin Moran @kickswish Sep 17, 2024, 6:00am PDT

AC Milan Training Session And Press Conference - UEFA Champions League 2023/24

Midweek USMNT action is here. MLS games are on MLS Season Pass on Apple TV, as well as any other networks listed. Let’s get into it!

Tuesday

Juventus vs PSV, 12:45p on Paramount+, TUDN USA, UniMás, FuboTV, ViX: Malik Tillman, Ricardo Pepi, Richy Ledezma, and PSV kick off UEFA Champions League action for USMNT players as they go to Turin to meet Weston McKennie, Tim Weah (who may still be injured), and Juve.
AC Milan vs Liverpool, 3p on Paramount+, ViX: Christian Pulisic, Yunus Musah, and Milan open Champions League at home, likely underdogs against Premier League heavyweight Liverpool.

Also in action:

Preston North End vs Fulham, 2:45p on Paramount+: Antonee Robinson and the Cottagers visit Duane Holmes and Preston in the Carabao Cup.
QPR vs Crystal Palace, 2:45p on Paramount+: Chris Richards and Palace visit QPR in the Carabao Cup. Reggie Cannon left QPR following a dispute going back to his time with Portuguese club Vizela, and signed with Colorado Rapids in MLS.
Club América vs Atlas, 9p on TUDN USA, Univision USA, FuboTV (free trial), ViX: Alex Zendejas and América host Atlas in Liga MX.

Wednesday

Real Betis vs Getafe, 1p on ESPN Deportes, ESPN+ (free trial), FuboTV: Johnny Cardoso and Real Betis are at home against Getafe in La Liga.
Coventry City vs Tottenham, 3p on Paramount+: Haji Wright and Coventry nearly pulled off an astonishing upset against Manchester United in last year’s FA Cup semifinal. Can they do something similar against Spurs in the Carabao Cup?

Also in action:

Celtic vs Slovan Bratislava, 3p on Paramount+, ViX: Cameron Carter-Vickers returned from a minor injury to play this past weekend, and should be available for Celtic as they begin Champions League play.
Club Brugge vs Borussia Dortmund, 3p on Paramount+, CBS Sports Network, FuboTV, ViX: Gio Reyna is likely to miss Dortmund’s Champions League opener as they go on the road in Belgium.
NYCFC vs Philadelphia Union, 7:30p: Jack McGlynn and the Union are on the road against James Sands and NYC.
Toronto FC vs Columbus Crew, 7:30p: Patrick Schulte, DeJuan Jones, and the Crew visit Toronto in MLS.
Orlando City vs Charlotte FC, 8:15p on FS1, FOX Deportes, FuboTV, Sling TV: Tim Ream and Charlotte travel to Orlando for this MLS match.
Minnesota United vs FC Cincinnati, 8:30p: Miles Robinson, Roman Celentano, Lucho Acosta, and FC Cincy visit Minnesota in MLS play.
Nashville SC vs Chicago Fire, 8:30p: Brian Gutiérrez, Chris Brady, and the Fire meet Walker Zimmerman and Nashville in this MLS game.
Chivas vs León, 9p on Telemundo, UNIVERSO, Peacock, Telemundo Deportes En Vivo, FuboTV: Cade Cowell and Chivas are at home in Liga MX.
Real Salt Lake vs FC Dallas, 9:30p: Diego Luna and RSL host Jesús Ferreira and the Huntsmen in MLS.
Portland Timbers vs LA Galaxy, 10:30p: Jalen Neal and the Galaxy visit the Timbers at Providence Park.
Monterrey vs Juárez, 11p on TUDN USA, FuboTV, ViX: Brandon Vázquez and Rayados host the Bravos of Juárez in Liga MX.

Thursday

No notable USMNT players in action (unless Barcelona have a goalkeeper crisis and Diego Kochen plays for them against Monaco).

Friday

Standard Liège vs Union St.Gilloise, 2:45p on ESPN+: Marlon Fossey and Standard host USG in Belgium’s top tier.

Also in action:

Paderborn vs Hannover 96, 12:30p: 19-year-old Colombian-American center mid Santiago Castañeda has played four straight full 90’s for Paderborn in the 2. Bundesliga.
Dordrecht vs Excelsior, 2p: Zach Booth recently joined Excelsior in the Dutch second tier. They’re on the road against Feyenoord loanee Korede Osundina and Dordrecht.

USMNT weekend viewing guide: Return to action

By jcksnftsn Sep 13, 2024, 10:11am PDT

Clubs will truly be restarting their seasons this weekend after the initial phase was interrupted so quickly after it had started by the international break. While the break wasn’t kind to the USMNT, it did allow key players who weren’t called in to further integrate with their teams or recover from early season (or in some cases even preseason) injuries. It’s a very full weekend, particularly on Saturday, and here’s what we’re keeping an eye on.

Saturday

Lees United v Burnley – 7:30a on Paramount+

Brenden Aaronson and Leeds United face Burnley in an early season English League Championship match that could have end of season impact on the promotion race. Four matches in Aaronson is the top scorer for Leeds with two goals.

RB Leipzig v Union Berlin – 9:30a on ESPN+

Jordan Pefok and Union Berlin went into the break with their first win of the 2024-25 campaign. The got off to a hot start last season as well, winning their first two, before loosing nine straight league matches. They face last seasons run away winners RB Leipzig on Saturday morning.

Wolfsburg v Eintracht Frankfurt – 9:30a on ESPN+

Kevin Paredes has missed the start of the Bundesliga season but should be returning within the next week or so if early reports have held true. Wolfsburg fell to Bayern Munich in their opener but defeated Holstein Kiel heading into the international break.

Borussia Mönchengladbach v Stuttgart – 9:30a on ESPN+

Joe Scally has started Borussia Mönchengladbach’s first two matches and gone the full ninety in each as the opened their season with a 3-2 loss to Bayer Leverkusen but rebounded with a 2-0 victory over Bochum. Stuttgart are looking for their first win of the season after giving up three goals in each of their first two matches, including a 3-3 draw with Mainz just prior to the break.

Crystal Palace v Leicester City – 10a on USA Network

Chris Richards will be one to keep an eye on as Crystal Palace have a glut of centerbacks following the transfer window closing. Richards has started the first three matches for Palace but they have suffered two losses and one draw so it will be interesting to see if changes are made coming out of the break.

Fulham v West Ham – 10a on Peacock

Antonee Robinson has notched an assist in Fulham’s last two matches and gone the full ninety in all three to start the season. He was left off the US squad for the international break but it sounded like primarily a matter of rest for a player who has seen a ton of minutes over the last couple of seasons as he prepares for a crucial role yet again for his club.

Swansea City v Norwich City – 10a on Paramount+

Josh Sargent and his ankles of glass didn’t see any minutes for the US but he is reportedly available for Norwich City this weekend as they face Swansea. Sargent has two goals and an assist already this season but Norwich have just one win in four matches.

Watford v Coventry City – 10a

Haji Wright also has a pair of goals to start the season for Coventry but his team likewise has just one win to show for it as they sit in 17th place and head into a matchup with a Watfor side that has one three of their first four matches.

PSV v NEC – 10:30a on ESPN+

Ricardo Pepi saw his first extended minutes of the season as Luuk de Jong was removed with an injury. However, most match reports seemed to indicate that an extended absence isn’t likely. Richard Ledezma continues to start at rightback while Malik Tillman is racking up the minutes in the midfield for PSV who haven’t missed a beat coming into the new season.

Empoli v Juventus – Noon on Paramount+

Weston McKennie saw 23’ off the bench for Juventus in their last match before the break, his first minutes of the season. Tim Weah missed the match due to injury but is reportedly back in training and available for Juventus as they face Empoli this weekend.

AC Milan v Venezia – 2:45p on Paramount+

Christian Pulisic, Yunus Musah and AC Milan face Venezia this weekend and fellow American Gianluca Busio who has missed the start of the season following an injury in the Summer Olympics but is reportedly available this weekend. Both clubs are off to a rough campaign and looking for their first win on the season.

Sunday

Strasbourg v Angers – 11a on beIN Sports

Caleb Wiley continues to see minutes for Strasbourg, he came off the bench in their most recent match but played 45’ and picked up his first assist for the club.

Toulouse v Le Havre – 11a on beIN Sports

Mark McKenzie of Tolouse and Emmanuel Sabbi of Le Havre could face off in some American v American action in France on Sunday. McKenzie has started the last two matches for Toulouse while Sabbi was not included in the most recent Le Havre squad though he did see 21’ in their previous match.

Lens v Lyon – 2:45p on beIN Sports

Tanner Tessman made his Olympique Lyonnais debut just prior to the break, seeing three minutes off the bench in a wild 4-3 Lyon come-from-behind victory after they had been down 3-1 to Caleb Wiley’s Strasbourg. Presumably the international break will have allowed Tessman to further integrate with his new club and he should be in line for additional minutes.

What are Pochettino’s immediate priorities for the USMNT?

Jeff Carlisle, U.S. soccer correspondent ESPN Sep 13, 2024, 05:16 PM ET

NEW YORK — Amid the smiles and backslapping that took place during Mauricio Pochettino’s unveiling as the new U.S. men’s national team manager Friday, there was one, more sobering undercurrent.Pochettino has a lot of work to do.The group stage exit at this summer’s Copa América, and even some matches prior to that tournament, showed that the USMNT has regressed since the 2022 World Cup. The recently concluded September international window, which saw the U.S. beaten on home soil by Canada for the first time in 67 years and then tie New Zealand 1-1, reinforced that feeling.Granted, taking over a struggling team is usually how coaches get hired in the first place. The Sir Alex Ferguson, leave-on-your-own-terms type of exit is rare. Usually, the new manager comes in because a course correction is badly needed, and that is obviously the case here.So what, then, are Pochettino’s priorities as he begins to dig into the job? At Friday’s news conference, the Argentine seemed reluctant to get into many specifics, but he dropped enough breadcrumbs to hint at how he’ll proceed.First, a bit of healing needs to take place. For Pochettino, the results of last week weren’t surprising. The pain of the Copa América performances was still too fresh. Getting over that means getting to know the players and finding ways to maximize their strengths and minimize their weaknesses. They need to believe in themselves again.It also means connecting with them beyond just tactics and skill levels. Expect Pochettino to spend a lot of time visiting with players over the next month, pumping them up and reminding them of their talent.

Editor’s Picks

The inside story of how Pochettino became the next USMNT manager 2d Jeff Carlisle
USMNT’s draw shows why Pochettino needs to hit the reset button 3d Jeff Carlisle
USMNT got the best possible coach by hiring Pochettino, but it might not be enough still Ryan O’Hanlon

“The player needs to feel that you care,” Pochettino said. “When the player feels that you care, you can get the best of them.”He added, “We are going to work and to create the right pattern to follow, to get the confidence, to recover the confidence and start to perform together. But, of course, I think it’s a very good generation of players.”That process will also require the players earning the confidence of the new coaching staff. More than once, Pochettino spoke of the need to not just “play” for a national team but to “compete” for it as well. That has been an issue during the summer, leading some players to conclude that a culture shift was needed.While there is a sense that the onus for this falls on the players, the coach sets standards. Pochettino will need to be firm in explaining what those are and then enforcing them. Doling out — or withdrawing — playing time is the ultimate card he can play.He will also need to sort out what the team’s style of play will be. In the past, he has preferred to have his teams press aggressively and then strike quickly. But he also wants his squads to be able to play out of the back when the situation calls for it, as having multiple styles in the tactical bag is a staple of good teams. That latter trait is something with which he’ll need to tread carefully, especially given the frailty displayed by the back line over the summer.Pochettino seems to realize that it won’t be only the players who will have to adapt. He and his staff will do some adjusting as well, and together they’ll need to produce a cohesive style.

“I said always we need to see the player, feel the player, see all the characteristics,” he said. “But I think we’re very flexible.” He added that he’ll need “to create this platform that when they come, the players arrive to the national team, they need to know exactly what we need to do, how we need to compete, how we need to behave like a team. And … the talent is there. It’s only to create the best platform for them to express yourself.”Pochettino promises the ‘door is open’ to every U.S. playerMauricio Pochettino says there will be no bias toward European-based players when it comes to his USMNT squad selection.

There is the question of whether Pochettino will have enough time to implement his approach. There are only nine international windows left, including the pre-World Cup period. But Pochettino doesn’t want the players using a lack of training time as an excuse if they struggle to adapt. From what he has seen, the current group of players is smart enough and has the capacity to take on new playing concepts quickly.”I see the players are so intelligent and so talented and they can, I think, play in a different way,” he said. “And for sure I think we have time. We have time and we need to really believe and think in big things. We need to believe that we can win, that we can win the World Cup. Because if not, it’s going to be so difficult to show me, and we want players that arrive in day one in the training camp and think big and that is the only way to create this philosophy or this idea altogether to perform and to really to put your talent on the service of the team.”

That isn’t to say that there won’t be any hiccups or setbacks. But Pochettino, in this moment, is thinking of what’s possible, for both players and staff.

“That is going to be a massive challenge,” he said. “We are going to be very clinical and try to transmit all the information in the same time. Players, it’s difficult to be concentrated, focused and more in this time, but I think we need to be clever enough in the way we’re approaching things to get the best from them.”

Though Pochettino was hired with an eye on the World Cup, in the short-term there are other competitions to think about. There is the Concacaf Nations League in November and March. Then comes next summer’s Concacaf Gold Cup, which will have a more familiar tournament setting with a group stage and knockout rounds.Granted, they won’t involve a World Cup competition level, but given how the U.S. has struggled against Concacaf foes lately, it’s not an event at which the team can turn up its nose. Pochettino seems willing to take things step-by-step.”For me, the priority now is improve, improve and improve and provide the team the best tools for the talent to perform as soon as possible,” he said.After a brutal summer, improvement would be a welcome development.

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - SEPTEMBER 13: Mauricio Pochettino speaks to the media during a press conference to introduce him as the United States Men's National Team Head Coach at Hudson Yards on September 13, 2024 in New York City. (Photo by Luke Hales/USSF/Getty Images for USSF)

Mauricio Pochettino aims to bolster belief as USMNT role takes him outside his comfort zone

Paul Tenorio Sep 13, 2024 The Athletic

The question came 20 minutes into Mauricio Pochettino’s introductory press conference as U.S. men’s national team coach; the first query of the event in his native Spanish.“It’ll give me a break,” Pochettino joked at the chance to rest his English.“What was the challenge that made you want to take the U.S. job?” the journalist The question got to the root of an issue that hovered over the entire event at a glitzy high rise in New York City’s Hudson Yards development. Why would a manager with such a massive reputation see this as his next step?The 52-year-old former Tottenham, Paris Saint-Germain and Chelsea manager spoke first about the feeling he had meeting with U.S. Soccer executives, and then about the great potential of the sport in the U.S. Then he got to the task at hand: taking the USMNT to a different level. “It’s a challenge that takes us out of our comfort zone,” Pochettino said in Spanish, smiling. “For us, the easy thing to do is take on things we already know, and we already have a quick vision and an idea (of how to accomplish it). But here it is about taking on something one does not know as well; getting out of your comfort zone so that you can challenge yourself.“It is not only about a challenge to achieve things together but also about challenging yourself.”

CEO of U.S. Soccer JT Batson, technical director Matt Crocker, Pochettino and president Cindy Parlow (Luke Hales/USSF/Getty Images for USSF)

Whether knowingly or not, Pochettino put himself on a parallel path with his new team. For several cycles, the idea of “getting out of your comfort zone to grow” has been a part of the USMNT’s journey toward improvement. The idea dates back to Jurgen Klinsmann’s era, but it was also discussed often by former coach Gregg Berhalter.But the idea is about more than just going to Europe to play for the biggest clubs. It is about understanding how to find the right challenges that force you to grow. To get better.That Pochettino sees this job as a challenge for his own growth was, perhaps, the most important takeaway from Friday’s press conference. The U.S. needed a new voice to push them to take that next step, beyond potential and into results. They will now begin that journey with a coach who has a bigger reputation than anyone else in the room but who is seeking that same type of growth.Pochettino came across as charming, excited and motivated in the press conference. He spoke about how happy he was to be with the U.S., about the honor of being the first Spanish-speaking Latin American coach in the history of the program, and of his connection with U.S. women’s coach Emma Hayes and the potential influence the winning history of the USWNT can have on the men’s program. He told a story about learning the English-language term of being “over the moon” in his early days as manager of Southampton in the Premier League and said he and his family are over the moon that he has taken this new job. That he switched back and forth between English and Spanish was, in itself, a historic moment and representative of how this hire creates an unprecedented opportunity for U.S. Soccer to reach this country’s massive — and growing — Latino population. Pochettino clearly understood, though, that reaching fans, both new and old, will come down to one thing: winning.

Pochettino is presented to the media at Hudson Yards (Luke Hales/USSF/Getty Images for USSF)

Several times over the course of the morning, Pochettino returned to a simple idea that he thinks can push this team forward: belief. He said the word “believe” a dozen times over the course of the hour-long event. For a coach famous for his ability to inspire a dressing room, it hinted at the way he’ll target mentality and psychology as much as he will tactics. “’Believe’ for me is a word that is a powerful word,” Pochettino said. “You can have enormous talent and you can be clever, but in football, you need to believe. Believe that all is possible. If we find a way to believe all together, then for sure we will achieve.”

Later, he reinforced that idea with his sights set on the World Cup tournament the U.S. will co-host with Mexico and Canada in two years’ time. “We need to really believe in big things,” Pochettino said. “Believe that we can win not only a game, we can win the World Cup. … We want players that show up, day one at the training camp, and think big. That is the only way to create this philosophy or this idea all together to perform and to put your talent in the service of the team. That is going to be our massive challenge.” Bringing that belief back will be first on his to-do list as the USMNT coach. The U.S. was clearly lacking confidence in the September window, something Pochettino said was understandable considering the results in the Copa América. The performances in a loss to Canada and a draw with New Zealand only magnified the issues within the group. Pochettino, though, didn’t seem overly concerned with the overall culture of the group, alluding then to the idea of tapping into the “winning mentality” that permeates American sports and taking inspiration from the winning culture the U.S. women have long demonstrated.

“We are here because we want to win,” Pochettino said.

The video board announces Pochettino’s appointment at the friendly against New Zealand in Cincinnati (John Dorton/ISI Photos/USSF/Getty Images)

There were, of course, ideas about how to play discussed as well.

“We are in the USA,” Pochettino said. “I think to convince our fans, this is about to attract (them), and the aesthetic is really important. We want to play nice football, good football, exciting football, attacking football. And then, of course, we want to have the possession, because we are coaching staff also with a philosophy to have the ball. We need to run, we need to move, we need to give options, good angles to your team-mate. … And then when we don’t have the ball we need to run, we need to be aggressive, we need to be competitive. “The potential is there. The talent is there. It’s only to create the best platform for them to express themselves.” While Pochettino acknowledged that those are the trademarks of his team, he also said he wants first to get a feel for his players before he declares how this U.S. team will play. That process will start in the coming days, as Pochettino inevitably goes to sit and meet with members of the player pool, chief among them star winger Christian Pulisic. Pochettino said he wants to hear from members of the team individually, to get feedback on how they see things. Then he will gather the group together for the first time next month for friendlies in Austin, Texas and Guadalajara, Mexico. The process to get a deal over the line has been a long one, stretching more than two months from the beginning of recruitment to his formal introduction. Pochettino admitted it was difficult to wait it out. He was ready to get to work. Now, the clock has started. The U.S. has less than two years until the World Cup and a mountain to climb to be ready. They have a coach, though, that few would have imagined would take this group into that tournament.

A coach who now will try to inject belief into and around this team.

Inside Mauricio Pochettino’s USMNT deal: Hayes’ role, Chelsea delays and Argentine steak

Paul Tenorio and Adam Crafton The Athletic Sep 10, 2024

U.S. Soccer sporting director Matt Crocker looked down at his phone as he stood in his home gym in Southampton, England, and saw the message from Mauricio Pochettino.Several days earlier, the U.S. had failed to progress from the group at Copa America under Gregg Berhalter. A “comprehensive review” was underway and every option was being evaluated. A list of potential coaching candidates was put together and Pochettino, the former Southampton, Tottenham Hotspur, Paris Saint-Germain and Chelsea manager, was at the top.Pochettino and Crocker had crossed paths for one year at Southampton before the Argentine moved to Spurs in 2014 but the two hadn’t spoken in some time. Crocker reached out to a mutual friend at Southampton to ask if he had a current number for the 52-year-old, then sent him a message. Would he be interested in a chat?

When the message from Pochettino came back, Crocker picked up the phone to call immediately. For 20 minutes, as Crocker stood in his home gym, the two former colleagues caught up on their families, careers and where life had taken them since they last worked together. Then, Crocker asked if Pochettino would be willing to meet in person in Barcelona, where the former Espanyol player and manager lives. He had a project he thought would be interesting, even if it would be Pochettino’s first foray into international soccer. Pochettino agreed to see him.

Matt Crocker was already close to Mauricio Pochettino (Candice Ward/Getty Images)

On July 16, two days after the Copa America final, Crocker, U.S. Soccer chief executive officer JT Batson and vice-president of sporting operations Elaine Lemos boarded planes to Barcelona. There, in a conference room attached to a hotel suite, the federation executives sat down with Pochettino and his longtime assistant Jesus Perez. They gifted a bottle of wine to Pochettino, who is known for loving his reds, and then got straight down to business.Crocker and Batson laid out the project, the good and the bad. They went over the failure at Copa America and the USMNT’s results over the previous year. They detailed the plan for the 2026 World Cup, to be played largely on home soil. They went through a player pool which some see as a golden generation, but also highlighted the struggles some of them were going through in terms of regular minutes at their respective clubs. They didn’t want to shine everything up to look perfect.

Soon, Pochettino and Perez had a laptop out to go over their own plans and ideas. Pochettino was attracted to the idea of coaching at a World Cup, and of leading one of the 2026 version’s three host countries — especially the United States, a young team with the potential to make noise at a home tournament.A meeting that was supposed to last 90 minutes stretched to two hours, then three, then four. At one point, Batson had to step into an adjacent room to attend another USSF meeting.When the sitdown with Pochettino ended, both camps walked away with a positive feeling. But Crocker and Batson knew there was still lots of work to do. The search for a new coach would take the U.S. Soccer officials through almost a dozen trips around Europe, to five different countries and into conversations with several high-profile candidates. But it was that first meeting in Barcelona that set them on a path to the next era of the U.S. men’s national team.The journey to that potentially program-changing moment, recounted to The Athletic by several people familiar with the discussions who will remain anonymous to protect relationships, was both a whirlwind and an excruciating waiting game.

The list of candidates sparkled with big names.

Pochettino. Jurgen Klopp. Pep Guardiola. Gareth Southgate. Graham Potter. Thomas Frank.

When Crocker sat down with Sam Gregory, the director of analytics for U.S. Soccer, to craft an idea of what might come next for the U.S. men’s program, it started with one major data point: winning. Crocker wanted a coach who had a reputation for winning across several environments. That list, obviously, yielded some big names. Many already had high-profile jobs. Others were available.Deep dives were done on each coach, no matter how famous, laying out their style of play at different teams and the systems they prefer. In the end, it yielded a starting point for the coaching search. The U.S. wanted to be ambitious. They were going to shoot for even the biggest names on the list.As Crocker picked up the phone and began making calls, the responses were overwhelmingly positive. The U.S. expected some polite ‘no, thank yous’ but heard ‘yes’ a lot more often. Meetings were set up with around half a dozen candidates. A plan was crafted.Crocker, Batson and other U.S. Soccer officials had sat in a conference room at the Westin Jersey City hotel ahead of a U.S. women’s national team Olympic send-off game against Mexico at the nearby Red Bull Arena on July 13 and looked over the itinerary for the next week in Europe. The trip was extensive, but the names on the list created genuine excitement.The journey didn’t always go as planned. Batson’s flight from Berlin after the men’s European Championship final later that week had to return to the airport due to smoke in the cabin, causing him to miss a meeting. On another trip, U.S. Soccer officials’ cab was pulled over by local authorities and then another taxi was held up by a protest blocking the roads, meaning the officials had to complete the journey on foot, luggage in tow, to make a meeting on time. There were multiple meetings with Klopp, who needed a break from the game having left Liverpool in May after more than eight years at the Premier League club.

U.S. Soccer officials met with Klopp multiple times (Clive Brunskill/Getty Images)

Talks with Pochettino continued to move along smoothly. Four days after their first meeting, U.S. Soccer officials returned to Barcelona to talk again with Pochettino and Perez. Whereas U.S. Soccer led the first conversation, the second was led by the two coaches. Pochettino laid out what his plans would look like for his first few months in charge of the national team.U.S. women’s national team coach Emma Hayes was also involved. Hayes and Pochettino became friends at Chelsea, when she was in charge of the women’s side last season as he led the men’s team, and Hayes called Pochettino to lobby and tell him about her experiences with U.S. Soccer. She also served as a reference for him, advocating for U.S. Soccer to prioritize her former colleague.Hayes was involved enough that, on the day of her team’s Olympic semifinal in Lyon, France, she checked in with U.S. Soccer officials at the squad hotel to see how things were advancing with Pochettino.Between that semifinal win against Germany on August 6 and the gold medal game in Paris against Brazil four days later, Crocker, Batson and U.S. Soccer president Cindy Parlow Cone took another trip to Barcelona. Parlow Cone, like Hayes, was a strong advocate pushing for Pochettino. Over Argentine steak at a hotel restaurant, Pochettino pointed out his respect for Parlow Cone as the only World Cup winner in the room.At the USWNT’s gold medal celebration party at the Nike Athlete House in Paris, Crocker and Batson took a moment in one corner of the festivities to discuss next steps. There was still plenty to be done.

From the moment U.S. Soccer decided to move on from Berhalter, Crocker was insistent that the federation would not be limited by financial constraints.“It’s a really competitive market out there, salary-wise, and we have to be competitive to get the level of coach that I believe can take the program forward in terms of achieving the results that we want on the field,” Crocker told a small group of reporters on a Zoom call on July 10.Berhalter made north of $2 million (£1.53m at current rates), including bonuses, in 2022. Hayes is being paid $1.6m, matching Berhalter’s base salary. To get Pochettino, who has been one of the world’s highest-paid coaches at some of the world’s biggest clubs, U.S. Soccer knew it would have to be on the higher end of national team compensation. How it would do that included some creative solutions.

Gregg Berhalter was paid significantly less than Pochettino will get (Michael Reaves/Getty Images)

As a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization, U.S. Soccer increased its efforts in fundraising over the last decade. That included efforts to reach higher-wealth individuals who might be able to help with efforts to donate toward the federation’s efforts to grow the game.As the men’s managerial search got underway, a donor to U.S. Soccer reached out to billionaire Ken Griffin, who has given more than $2 billion to charity and has established a civic engagement initiative called Griffin Catalyst for his personal philanthropic and community impact initiatives.Griffin has long had a connection to the sport. He played soccer growing up, his children did the same and in 2022 he joined the Ricketts family in a bid for Chelsea. Notably, Griffin has also financially supported American soccer initiatives, including donating $8 million in recent years to the U.S. Soccer Foundation to build 50 mini-pitches in Chicago and another 50 in the Miami-Dade area.The donor connected Griffin to U.S. Soccer, and Griffin agreed to donate a substantial amount toward the men’s national team program and the hire of a new coach.“Soccer is one of the most popular sports in America,” Griffin said in a statement. “I am excited to join my fellow Americans in supporting our teams’ efforts to triumph in the upcoming World Cup and beyond. When our players do well on the pitch, it expands the reach of this great sport. These athletes also have a powerful opportunity to be influential role models for millions of American children by exemplifying the values of teamwork, dedication, and perseverance.”But finding the money to pay Pochettino was not the only issue. The coach was still under contract with Chelsea, despite agreeing to part ways with the London club at the end of the 2023-24 season. He was owed a substantial amount of money, but the agreement stipulated that if he took another job, Chelsea no longer owed him anything. Pochettino’s departure terms also included a six-month prohibition from taking another leading job with one of Chelsea’s major Premier League rivals.

While U.S. Soccer’s salary was competitive on the national-team scale, it fell well short of the wage paid by one of the sport’s biggest clubs. Pochettino, then, would stand to lose money by agreeing to coach the United States team.Batson became the key middleman in the negotiation around that separation agreement. The idea was that Chelsea would pay what they owed minus the salary U.S. Soccer would pay Pochettino. In theory, everyone would be happy: the coach would receive the full compensation he was due, Chelsea would save several million dollars and U.S. Soccer would land their coach.The U.S. federation had a good relationship with the English club — which has American co-owners in private equity firm Clearlake Capital and Todd Boehly — after already dealing with Chelsea in its hiring of Hayes last year as the women’s national team coach.

Emma Hayes was an advocate for Pochettino (Patricia De Brad Smith/USSF via Getty Images)

But discussions dragged out for weeks over Pochettino.With the Premier League’s summer transfer window still open, Chelsea had to focus on getting business done and that delayed substantive talks. Pochettino was also focused on helping his footballer son Maurizio land a new club; the 23-year-old would end up signing with CD Ibiza in Spain’s fourth division. The talks were always constructive, but they were also complicated.Behind the scenes in the States, those waiting for word that the deal was done saw a finish line that kept moving. Preparations were made for an announcement on more than one occasion. The initial hope was to get Pochettino in time for the team’s September camp, but that didn’t happen. Then, the goal was to make an announcement in time for him to meet the players in Kansas City around the game there against Canada last week. Perhaps it was better he wasn’t there in person to see a listless performance against Canada, one that underlined just how badly this team is in search of inspiration.

Amid the delays, there was fresh tension over the futures of Eddie Howe at Newcastle United and Erik ten Hag at Manchester United. Pochettino was among the coaches discussed by Manchester United in the summer and also has pre-existing relationships with Newcastle sporting director Paul Mitchell and performance director James Bunce. But he resisted any temptation to hold out for a potential return to the Premier League this fall.

The Athletic has every angle covered on Mauricio Pochettino’s appointment as USMNT head coach:

With the fate of the deal in the hands of lawyers, and Batson continuing to broker things to try to get it over the line, an agreement was finally finished.

The deal protects U.S. Soccer against any risk of poaching from a European club in the two years before the World Cup — there is a material buyout in the contract — and both sides feel the partnership is solidly set through 2026.Pochettino is going into the job with eyes wide open and with real intent regarding what he can do. After stops at clubs where there were different levels of instability and power dynamics, he felt confident in his ability to lead and make an impact at U.S. Soccer; not just with the men’s national team but even beyond that into the coaching and game models throughout the federation.

Who are the biggest USMNT winners and losers as Mauricio Pochettino takes over?

By Elias Burke Sep 11, 2024

In the aftermath of Gregg Berhalter’s firing, it became clear that the USMNT was looking for something different for their next appointment.Matt Crocker, the technical director for the United States Soccer Federation (USSF), identified the need for a “serial winner.” Tyler Adams, Berhalter’s captain at the 2022 World Cup, called for a “ruthless” coach to take the team forward to the 2026 World Cup being played largely on home soil — the defining tournament for this generation of American soccer players.In Mauricio Pochettino, the USSF is confident it has found the man who embodies those qualities.The Argentinian former Tottenham Hotspur, Paris Saint-Germain and Chelsea head coach has the job of turning a team that suffered an embarrassing group-stage exit as Copa America hosts this summer into one capable of going deep enough in 2026 to take soccer to another level in the United States.Here, The Athletic has analyzed the fit of the USMNT’s most prominent stars under their new boss.

Christian Pulisic — Winner

Helping develop Harry Kane at Tottenham. Fitting Neymar, Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe into one PSG team. Facilitating the emergence of Cole Palmer at Chelsea. Pochettino loves to build the attacking parts of his sides around headline-grabbing forwards. With the USMNT, Pulisic is the most likely candidate.The 25-year-old has been involved with the senior national team since he was 17 and has become its star attacker. His tears became the symbol of the USMNT’s failure to qualify for the 2018 World Cup finals, and his importance to American success in this sport continues to grow.Pochettino is expected to hand Pulisic the keys to his attack, providing the AC Milan forward with a level of responsibility he relishes. After a defining 2023-24 season at San Siro, Pulisic is in the form of his professional career. Under Pochettino, the onus is going to be on him to carry that form into the international sphere.

The 2024 Christian Pulisic: Leader, superstar… change maker?

Gio Reyna — Winner

Reyna has established himself in the USMNT starting line-up over the past 12 months, but Pochettino’s experience of developing No 10s suggests he could now reach another level. Across Pochettino’s five years in charge of Tottenham, he helped Christian Eriksen develop from a young talent with elite potential into one of the best midfield creators in the world. Could Reyna follow a similar path?Reyna has experienced a difficult couple of years since the World Cup in Qatar, failing to establish himself as a key player at Borussia Dortmund in the German Bundesliga. He went on loan to Nottingham Forest in the Premier League for the second half of last season but could not establish himself as they battled to avoid relegation.The 21-year-old has the talent to become a star under Pochettino, but before the new head coach entrusts him with an important role Reyna, who played only nine minutes in Dortmund’s first two games of the season, must find consistent football at the club level.

(Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images)

Weston McKennie and Yunus Musah — Winners

Workhorse midfielders have been central to Pochettino’s teams.Last summer, Chelsea signed Moises Caicedo for £115million ($146m) from fellow Premier League side Brighton & Hove Albion to add dynamism to his midfield engine room, alongside Enzo Fernandez. At Southampton, his first gig in English football a decade ago, former Northern Ireland international Steven Davis provided the running alongside Morgan Schneiderlin and Victor Wanyama, with the latter then being signed by Spurs after he became manager there. For the U.S., McKennie and Musah seem set to battle for that role under Pochettino.With a World Cup and Copa America cycle now behind them, Musah and McKennie are seasoned operators for the national team, and it will be up to the new manager to decide which of them best suits his preferred 4-2-3-1 formation. McKennie, 26, is more experienced, started all three group games at the Copa America, and will probably be the favorite to assume the right-sided central midfield role initially.However, Musah is younger at 21 and has considerable potential, particularly as a passer and ball-carrier. Pochettino, who has never been afraid to give young players time and opportunities to impress, is the perfect boss for him to take the next step and own that spot in midfield.

The Athletic has every angle covered on Mauricio Pochettino’s appointment as USMNT head coach:

Tyler Adams — Loser

When fit, Adams is one of the first names on the USMNT team sheet.He was at his best at the 2022 World Cup, with his finest performance at that tournament — and arguably his international career — coming in the goalless group-stage draw against England. Facing Declan Rice, Jude Bellingham and Mason Mount, Adams was crucial in the USMNT winning the midfield battle and controlling large portions of the game, earning him the player of the match award.Since then though, Adams’ career has plateaued. After suffering a season-ending hamstring injury with Leeds United in March 2023, he has endured several setbacks, causing him to miss most of last season. He made his long-awaited return to competitive USMNT action at Copa America, playing in all three matches before aggravating a back injury that caused him to miss the final part of new club Bournemouth’s league campaign. He is sidelined again for the opening months of the new season following back surgery.The 25-year-old is far from finished at club and international level, you’d imagine. He has proven his quality in the Premier League and for his nation, and Pochettino will be keen to see him back to his best, with the defensive midfield spot in his system tailor-made for Adams’ qualities.

That said, without the cushion of his strong performances under Berhalter guaranteeing his selection, Adams must prove he can still reach the physical level required from a Pochettino midfielder.

(Sam Hodde/Getty Images)

Chris Richards — Winner

The present and future at the heart of the USMNT defense.Alongside Denmark international Joachim Andersen, Richards excelled under Oliver Glasner for Crystal Palace in the second half of last season, stepping up to prove his quality after England international Marc Guehi was injured.Throughout former Argentina international defender Pochettino’s time in management, athletic ball-playing center-backs have been important, allowing his sides to build attacking moves from defense and operate a high line. Richards, 24, suits this perfectly, and he appears set to become a nailed-on starter ahead of and during the next World Cup, provided he stays injury-free and continues to play club football consistently at a high level.

Tim Ream — Loser

Ream was among Berhalter’s most reliable servants, but it might be time for the United States to evolve beyond him.His selection was backed by his consistent performances in an American shirt and for Fulham in the Premier League and Championship. However, Ream will be 37 next month and has now left the Premier League and is playing in MLS for Charlotte. Although Pochettino is not against relying on older center-backs — Thiago Silva remained an essential part of his Chelsea backline last season despite turning 39 last September.There is also the question mark of what comes after Ream for the States on the road to World Cup 2026, with Cameron Carter-Vickers largely unproven at the international level and Miles Robinson yet to test himself outside MLS. Without any apparent alternatives, Pochettino’s best solution might be sticking with Ream in the short term.However, any physical decline could limit Pochettino’s desire to implement his attacking style. As mentioned with Richards, the Argentinian likes to play high up the pitch with defenders who can cover the space behind him, which could expose Ream.

Folarin Balogun — Winner

Balogun could be the player who benefits most from Pochettino’s arrival.

More than Palmer, Eriksen, Son or Dele Alli, the player Pochettino developed most in his Premier League years was Kane.

When Pochettino joined Spurs in 2014, the current England captain was a 21-year-old on the fringe of the first team. He had scored four goals in 19 games across competitions the previous season following several indifferent loan spells to lower-league clubs. Within five years, he had become one of the best strikers in the world, scoring 169 goals in 242 appearances under Pochettino.

It’s been a while since the USMNT had a reliable goalscorer, and Balogun’s performances at Copa America indicated he could be the player to make the No 9 shirt his own.

It’s difficult for an international coach to have a game-changing impact on an individual, considering the limited time they get with the players, but it might only take a few minor adjustments to take Balogun from a good striker to a world-class one.

Matt Turner — Loser

At the other end of the pitch, Turner’s place in the team has never been less secure since winning the No. 1 shirt under Berhalter.Having looked set to be Nottingham Forest’s third-choice goalkeeper this season, he now seems certain to be Crystal Palace’s second-choice after securing a season-long loan to the London club on the final day of the summer transfer window.The move is unlikely to help him in his search for regular Premier League football but his case to continue as Pochettino’s No 1 is supported by the lack of competition. Ethan Horvath’s early-season form for Cardiff City in the second-tier Championship has been patchy. Gaga Slonina, the nation’s brightest young talent in his position, is playing at Barnsley in England’s third tier on loan from top-flight Chelsea, and the rest of the starting options available to Pochettino are in MLS.If Turner can break into Palace’s team and find his best form, the shirt appears his for the foreseeable future… if not, he opens the door for challengers.

(Aric Becker/AFP via Getty Images)

Antonee Robinson and Sergino Dest — Winners

Robinson and Dest have the ideal playing profiles for Pochettino’s system, in which emphasis is placed on full-backs who provide width and further cover in midfield.At Spurs, he used Kyle Walker and Danny Rose in these roles, playing them high and wide to help stretch the opposition’s defense and allow interior attackers to operate in the vacated spaces.Towards the end of last season with Chelsea, he used right-back Malo Gusto similarly but allowed Marc Cucurella to ‘invert’ from the left side, providing another body in midfield to help the team keep possession while also providing another barrier in the middle of the pitch to protect against transitions.Given Robinson’s electric pace and threat from wide positions, he appears a perfect fit. Dest could go to another level under Pochettino with his quality in possession helping to cut through opposing teams and provides the USMNT with defensive cover if their attacks break down.

(Top photos: Getty Images)

Reflecting on Alex Morgan’s career: The athlete, the fighter, the human

Meg Linehan THe Athletic – Sep 12, 2024

SAN DIEGO — Last week, I tossed out my plans to be in Washington D.C. for a different NWSL match and booked a last-minute flight to San Diego. I then stood on the field at Snapdragon Stadium, staring through my camera lens at Alex Morgan, the athlete, one more time. I watched every microexpression flicker past, every smile, every time she blinked back tears, and the times she failed to. I pressed the button every time something felt like it could somehow capture the magnitude of the moment, yards away but able to compress the distance between us simply with a twist of the lens. There was distance too — there had to be — between Alex Morgan, the image, and Alex Morgan, the human. When Morgan stepped off the pitch in her socks on Sunday, boots in hand, it had only been three days since she had announced her retirement from professional soccer at age 35.The lack of notice and Morgan’s lengthy video explaining her decision, announcing that she and husband Servando Carrasco are expecting their second child, meant there would be no long farewell tour. Fans would only have days, not months, to contemplate what women’s soccer would look like without Morgan on the field.Her abrupt retirement set off a scramble, all the emotions of sending off one of the game’s best, grappling to define a legacy — or better yet, the first act. Morgan isn’t going too far, the same way most of her generation of women’s soccer players haven’t either. They are builders. Fighters. Morgan is no different, and she is ready to invest in Act Two.

Morgan in her final game (Meg Linehan/The Athletic)

Morgan was excellent at curating what she presented, and why, for over a decade. She came into the game right as social media changed how people interacted with women’s soccer, from the then-niche #WPSChat to Twitter, then Instagram, then TikTok, allowing players to tell their own stories. A weekly online chat with topics feels quaint now women’s soccer has finally begun to crack mainstream culture (outside of World Cup bumps) over the past few years. Before all that happened, Morgan was the one who had broken through the most.Part of this was because she, in many ways, fit a stereotypical mold, a pretty, white, ‘girl next door’ who could bang in goals and sell Nikes. But what has made Morgan so fascinating to watch over the past decade was how she wielded that particular image; the way she could stockpile goodwill, recognition and power, then deploy them in pursuit of equal pay, better working conditions and player protections across country and club.Morgan wasn’t just an image or a mouthpiece for labor-related fights. She dug into policy work and organizing across both the USWNT and NWSL players’ associations. She knew the power of her platform, her image, her name, and how to extend it to others. She knew when to step back, when to step forward, when to stand side-by-side with someone. When Mana Shim and Sinead Farrelly shared their stories of abuse suffered in the NWSL, Morgan put her name on her quotes — not just because she knew that she would be unlikely to suffer retaliation, but because she knew she could help to amplify their voices.On Sunday, Shim was with Morgan’s family watching her final moments on the field. On the opposite coast only a few hours before, Gotham FC honored Farrelly for her retirement — also out of her own hands, due to the cumulative impact of head injuries sustained throughout her career.

It was fitting that these three be tied together, one more time.

“It’s just incredible what you can do when you listen to players, when you value players, when you pay players, when players have autonomy over where they want to live and what team they want to play for. The longevity of our careers grows with all of what I just named, and Sinead was a pivotal piece in that,” Morgan said in her post-game press conference on Sunday. “So to share the same retirement date with her, because although we have very different journeys, we fought for the same thing, and the league is in a better place because of her.”That’s not to say Morgan was all business all the time.Morgan was sneaky good at being online without actually being online. She knew when a post pointing out an issue could have an impact and she didn’t mind embracing a meme or two. (Did she ever fully come around on the ‘Baby Horse’ nickname? Probably not, but she also ate carrots and fed an actual baby horse on camera for U.S. Soccer content, so there was at least a begrudging acceptance.) And no one enjoyed the challenge of figuring out how many drinks could fit into a new trophy more.

(Meg Linehan/The Athletic)

But be the face of anything, and there’s bound to be consequences.In her farewell speech, Morgan thanked fans for criticizing her. For years, teams sold tickets off Morgan’s fame, and it worked — to the chagrin of fans of her opponents at times. She could kick up entire news cycles by deciding to play overseas as people questioned what it meant for the NWSL, first with Lyon in France then a brief stint with Tottenham Hotspur during the height of the pandemic. (As we found out, it meant little for NWSL, but Spurs players did wind up with better training conditions thanks to Morgan.)While Morgan wasn’t alone in getting deals and building a following, she was one of the best.Fortunately for Morgan, she was also pretty good at soccer. Some of her best memories, she said before the game on Friday, were from winning. Winning offered a respite from the weight of the work.“You’re on auto drive. Like you feel when you have the blinders on and you’re just looking forward,” Morgan said. With winning, came celebrations. With celebrations, humanity:“You get to be human again, you’re not just an athlete. That’s the best part. We’re all humans, and we all have emotions, and we all have vulnerabilities. And in sports, a lot of times you’re so shut off from that, you’re so disconnected from your emotions, from the real world, because you’re so driven.”

Morgan said sometimes she felt like she hadn’t smiled for weeks at a time — something she didn’t realize until after the end had come.

Those moments when she could smile and celebrate, the ticker tape parades down Broadway in New York City, were when she felt most human. Not, as she said on Friday, “this robotic thing on this platform. But I’m a sister, I’m a daughter, I’m a friend.”

On Sunday, Morgan finally had a moment for those two worlds to collide, to be an athlete and more. To have her daughter, Charlie, with her for the walkouts and anthem, and to stand with her family on the pitch and soak in all the sounds of the adoring San Diego crowd, scattered with folks who had traveled on short notice from all over the country.

“There have been so many incredible moments, but this one, this last moment I share on the field with you, I will cherish forever,” Morgan said, having mostly succeeded at keeping the tears at bay. “Thank you, from the bottom of my heart. Thank you.”

(Top photo: Jose Breton / Pics Action / NurPhoto; design: Dan Goldfarb)

Meg Linehan is a senior writer for The Athletic who covers the U.S. women’s national team, the National Women’s Soccer League and more. She also hosts the weekly podcast “Full Time with Meg Linehan.” Follow Meg on Twitter

Atlanta United parts ways with vice president, technical director Carlos Bocanegra

ATLANTA, GA September 29: Atlanta United Technical Director Carlos Bocanegra is interviewed prior to the start of the MLS match between Inter Miami CF and Atlanta United FC on September 29th, 2021 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, GA. (Photo by Rich von Biberstein/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

By Felipe Cardenas

Sep 4, 2024

Atlanta United announced on Wednesday that the club has parted ways with vice president and technical director Carlos Bocanegra.

The former U.S. men’s national team captain had been in the role since 2015. Atlanta made their MLS debut in 2017.

“We are deeply appreciative of Carlos’s dedication and success over the last nine years with Atlanta United,” said club president and CEO Garth Lagerwey in a statement.

https://c967e9ed681ae7f835cf8e021fc2dfba.safeframe.googlesyndication.com/safeframe/1-0-40/html/container.html

“However, I believe it’s time for our club to move in a new direction. While we will continue to fight for a playoff spot down the final stretch of the season, this gives us a clean slate and a runway to properly assess all vacancies in our sporting operation ahead of what will be an extremely important offseason for our club.”

Atlanta United currently sits ninth place in the Eastern Conference standings, which is the final automatic playoff spot. They’ve lost five of their last 10 matches under interim head coach Rob Valentino. During the most recent MLS summer transfer window, Bocanegra signed Russia international Aleksei Miranchuk to replace Thiago Almada, who was sold to Brazilian club Botafogo.

Bocanegra, alongside former team president Darren Eales, led the club’s front office during Atlanta’s 2018 MLS Cup title campaign. Eales left for Newcastle United in 2022 to become the Premier League side’s CEO. That left Bocanegra in charge of Atlanta United’s recruitment strategy, as well as overseeing the first team. Atlanta’s form and player recruiting strategy has since been under heavy scrutiny as the team has underperformed consistently since 2020.

“I want to personally thank Carlos for his many contributions to the success of Atlanta United on and off the pitch,” team owner Arthur Blank said. “He was here from the beginning and deserves much credit for our MLS Championship; other trophies we’ve won over the last nine years; and the way our team captured the heart of this city even before we launched in 2017.”

Lagerwey will take over Bocanegra’s duties moving forward. Since firing former manager Gonzalo Pineda in June, Lagerwey has personally managed the search for a new coach. He’ll now add a sporting director search to his list of duties. Because the MLS regular season is still active, qualified candidates are likely to become available in the offseason.

Atlanta United’s next match is at home against Nashville SC on September 14.

5/17/24 EPL & Germany Final weekend, Indy 11 home Sat & Wed on winning streak, Full TV Game Schedule, EPL Scrapping VAR?, Brazil to host 27 World Cup

May 18, 2024 gatorbest bundesliga, epl, indy-11, premier-league, soccer, us-soccer, world-cup

The clear winner in MLS Soccer this week was Raccoon Messi at the Red Bulls vs Philly game see. Pulisic scores a Brace on Mom’s Day weekend and celebrates with his mom as he wear’s her maiden name on his back. Disappointing week as Tottenham blew their chances to knock off Man City at home when Son was smothered on this play by City’s backup goalie Ortega (love Pep’s response) – leaving the EPL race all but over to the Blues. Arsenal will fall just short again unless West Ham can upset Man City at City – fat chance. The only thing up for grabs is 6^th place and a Europa league place. The complete and utter lack of drama in the EPL final weekend proves once again why American sports are superior to Europe.

Man City has only beaten 2 of the top 10 teams this season – but have the best overall record by beating the crap teams. The US has playoffs. No offense but when a team wins the Super Bowl –they have to beat the best teams – same in the NBA, same in Hockey and at the end of the season when it counts – not some early or midseason – no one cares game. Championship games to win it all. While the European leagues have no one cares blasé games down the stretch except perhaps relegation – – imagine what even a top 4 playoff would look like in the EPL – the interest and excitement darn near challenging Champions League in popularity. But alas the Europeans know best. Enjoy this weekend’s games where the only real drama is will Germany’s Bayern Leverkusen extend Europe’s longest unbeaten streak EVER to 51 games by becoming the first German team to finish undefeated in a season?

Indy 11 host Hartford Sat & Detroit City Wed in US Open Cup

Indy Eleven won 3-1 at Miami FC Saturday night and is now unbeaten in six straight across all competitions, including four in USL Championship action. The four matches are the most since a stretch of six from August 9-Sept 2 last year. The win improves Indy to 4-4-2 in league action, and moves them up to 4th in the East. The Boys in Blue return to action Saturday when they host Hartford Athletic for Hometown Heroes Night. Action begins at 7 p.m. ET and will air locally on WNDY & ESPN+. Tickets are available via Ticketmaster. The 11 will host Detroit City Wed in US Open Cup Sweet 16 action at the Mike.

Games on TV

Sat, May 18 – Final Day Germany

9:30 am ESPN+ Dortmund vs Darmstadt

9:30 am EPSN+ Union Berlin (Aaronson, Pefok) vs Freiburg

9:30 pm ESPN+ Bayer Leverkusen vs Ausburg

9:30 am ESPN+ Stuttgart vs Mgladbach (Scalley)

12 noon CBSSN Lecce vs Atalanta ITALY

1:45 pm Fox Nashville SC vs Atlanta United

2:45 pm Para+ Torino vs AC Milan (Pulisic, Musah)

7 pm ESPN+, TV8 Indy 11 vs Hartford @ the Mike

7:30 pm CBS Galazo Tampa Bay Rowdies (Jordan Farr GK) vs FC Tulsa

7:30 pm Ion Washington Spirit (Rodman, Hatch, Sullivan) vs Angel City FC NWSL

9:30 pm Ion TV KC Current vs Racing Louisville (Demelo) NWSL

9:30 pm Univision America vs Guardlajara

Sun, May 19 Final Day EPL

11 am USA Arsenal vs Everton

11 am NBC Man City vs West Ham

11 am CNBC Brighton vs Man United

11 am Golf Channel Chelsea vs Bournemouth

11 am Peacock Shefield United (Trusty) vs Nottingham Forest (Reyna)

11 am Peacock Fulham (Jedi, Ream) vs Luton Town

11 am Peacock Crystal Palace (Richards) vs Aston Villa

12 noon Para+ Inter Milan vs Lazio

1 pm ESPN+ Barcelona vs Rayo Vallecano

5 pm Para+ NY Gothem (Williams, Ohara, Mewis) vs Chicago

6 pm Para+ Orlando Pride vs Seattle Reign (Lavelle, Huerta, Cook) NWSL

Wed, May 22 Europa League Finals

3 pm Para+ Bayer Leverkusen vs Atalanta

Sat, May 25

3 pm ESPN+ FA Cup Final Man City vs Man United

Sat, June 1

3 pm CBS Champ League Final Real Madrid vs Dortmund

5 pm TBS US Women vs Korea

Tues, June 4

8 pm Tru TV, Max, PC US Women vs Korea

Sat, June 8

5:30 pm TNT, Tele US Men vs Colombia

Tues, June 11

8 pm ??? US Men U23 Olympic Team vs Japan

Wed, June 12

7 pm TNT, Tele US Men vs Brazil

Fri, June 14 Euro 2024 Begins

3 pm Fox Germany vs Scotland

Sat, June 15

9 am Hungary vs Switzerland

12 pm Fox Spain vs Croatia

3 pm Fox Italy vs Alabania

Sun, June 16

9 am FS1 Poland vs Netherlands

12 noon FS1 Slovenia vs Denmark

3 pm Fox Serbia vs England

Thur, June 20 COPA America Starts

8 pm Fox Argentina vs Canada COPA

Sat, June 22

6 pm Fox Ecuador vs Venezuela

9 pm Fox Mexico vs Jamaica COPA

Sun, June 23

6 pm Fox, Univision USMNT vs Bolivia COPA America

9 pm FS1 Uruguay vs Panama COPA

Thur, June 27

6 pm Fox USMNT vs Panama COPA

Mon, July 1

9 pm Fox, Univision USMNT vs Uraguay

Sat July 13

3 pm TNT, Tele US Women vs Mexico

Tues, July 16

7:30 pm TNT, Universo US Women vs Costa Rica

July 24 starts US U23 Men & US Women In Olympics

(American’s in Parenthesis)

How to Watch Indy Eleven USL Championship Action

Copa America TV Schedule

Euro 2024 TV schedule

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

(Photo: Brad Smith/Getty Images for USSF)

Heading over to the Badger Field for Training or Games? Try out the Best BarBQ in Town right across the street (131st) from Northview Church on the corner of Hazelldell & 131st. RackZ BBQ

Save 20% on your order

(mention the ole ballcoach)

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

US Men

Tim Howard inducted into U.S. Soccer Hall of Fame Field Level Media

USMNT Stock Watch: Christian Pulisic, Chris Richards and Antonee Robinson cap career seasons

The USMNT center of gravity is moving away from MLS. That’s fine — for now ESPN Noah Davis
PSV trigger permanent move for USMNT’s Tillman ESPN
What should Gio Reyna do next after failed Forest loan, and what’s the USMNT impact?

Sources: Dest back to Barca as PSV decline option Sam Marsden and Moises Llorens

Pulisic Life in Italy is good – Fox 4/29

EPL Final Weekend

Arteta: Arsenal’s title ‘dream is still alive’

Guardiola warns Man City: Title not won yet

No matter who finishes higher, it will feel like Chelsea have had a better season than Tottenham

‘He put us back on our perch’ — What Klopp means to Liverpool

Ange: City game my worst experience as manager

Source: Tuchel open to stay, wary of Utd snub

Premier League 2023-24 awards: MVP, goal of the season, best signing and most disappointing team

World

Juventus sack Allegri days after cup final antics

Barca coach Xavi set for sack – reports
Brazil to host FIFA Women’s World Cup nearly 50 years after repealing ban on women’s sport
Brazil to host 2027 Women’s World Cup, wins FIFA vote after USA-Mexico joint bid withdrawn

WSL title race ‘all comes down to this’

helsea’s Emma Hayes and the life behind a winning machine

Leverkusen 5-0: Bundesliga run hits fifty in rout

Reffing

How VAR decisions have affected every Premier League club in 2023-24

Wolves won’t get VAR scrapped, but can the Premier League learn lessons?
Jurgen Klopp: I would vote to scrap VAR
Juventus fires coach Massimiliano Allegri for his outburst toward the refs in the Italian Cup final

GK

Newcastle make £15m move for Arsenal goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale

MLS

USMNT weekend viewing guide: Avoiding the drop

Seasons come to a close and teams are facing the relegation axe.

By jcksnftsn May 17, 2024, 9:34am PDT

1. FC Köln v 1. FC Union Berlin - Bundesliga

The last matchday of the 2023-24 season in the Bundesliga means things get started with a fury on Saturday morning with all 18 clubs kicking off simultaneously at 9:30a. Then on Sunday morning the Eredivise completes there season with kickoffs at 8:30a, the EPL kicks off at 11a, and in France they will be kicking off at 3p. La Liga and Serie A still have one more weekend left so will have games scattered across this weekend before wrapping up their season next week Sunday. There’s quite a bit of action including some significant situations still to be settled so let’s get to it.

Saturday

Union Berlin v Freiburg – 8:30a on ESPN+

Brenden Aaronson started last weekend and Union Berlin were leading 2-1 against 17th place Koln but two late goals would see Berlin drop three points and fall into the relegation playoff spot. Now Berlin, who started the season in the Champions League need a win on Saturday against 8th place Freiburg (who are still within striking distance of Europa Conference League) and a loss by Mainz to Wolfsburg or they will finish no better than the relegation playoff spot. If Berlin were to lose and Koln can win again, this time against Wolfsburg, while making up a three goal differential it would be a straight and stunning drop for Berlin to the 2 Bundesliga. Berlin have lost five of their last six and have just one win since mid-February. Rumors this week suggest that Aaronson will not be back in Berlin next season regardless of the outcome on Saturday but also that Leeds do not plan to keep him for next season so it seems as though he will be on the move this summer.

Wolfsburg v Mainz – 9:30a on ESPN+

Kevin Paredes has started two straight for Wolfsburg and will finish the season just under 1,500 minutes across all competitions for his club who head into the final weekend in 12th place. It’s been a solid, if not spectacular, season for Paredes as he builds on the 500 minutes he saw in the 2022-23 campaign. Wolfsburg are comfortably middle of the table in 12th place but can play spoiler to Mainz who are holding on to hopes of safety.

Hoffenheim v Bayern Munich – 9:30a on ESPN+

John Brooks has not appeared in three straight matches and has not started a game since he picked up a red card in early March and served a two match suspension. Hoffenheim are in seventh place, one point ahead of Freiburg for Europa Conference League qualifying and three points (and a three goal differential) behind Eintracht Frankfurt for sixth place and Europa League qualification. Hoffenheim’s opponent this weekend are Bayern Munich who’s fate has been settled in an unusual way as they are currently in second place, fifteen points behind first place Bayer Leverkusen (who will look to complete their unbeaten run through the Bundesliga when they face Augsburg).

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

Joe Scally, Jordan Pefok and Borussia Monchengladbach go into the final weekend clear of relegation thanks to a draw against Frankfurt last weekend with Scally picking up the assist on Gladbach’s only goal. Scally has started all but a handful of matches for Gladbach this season and has racked up more Bundesliga minutes this season than any other American, still just 21 years old. Pefok did not appear last weekend and has not started a match since March, he has also been in a goal drought with his last goal coming in late February. Gladbach’s opponent this weekend is third place Stuttgart who technically don’t have much to play for this weekend but could pass Bayern in the standings with a win and a Bayern loss.

Heidenheim v Koln – 9:30a on ESPN+

The second leading minutes man for American’s in Germany is Lennard Maloney who returned from injury last weekend to see 24’ minutes off the bench in Heidenheim’s 1-1 draw with Freiburg. Maloney has missed five matches due to injury and came off the bench in two other matches immediately after his return from said injuries but has otherwise started every match for a Heidenheim side who came into the season as an odds on favorite to return to 2 Bundesliga but have had a solid season and are currently in 9th place, tied with Augsburg and Werder Bremen. Heidenheims opponent this weekend are Koln who need a win, a loss by Union Berlin, and to make up a three goal differential in order to crawl into the relegation playoff spot for one final chance to maintain their Bundesliga standing for next season.

Torino v AC Milan – 2:45p on Paramount+

Christian Pulisic had a pair of goals last weekend in AC Milan’s 5-1 romp over Cagliari to bring his season total to 12 goals and 7 assists in league plan and 15 goals and 9 assists across all competitions. It has been a fantastic individual year for Pulisic though without any team awards to show for his accomplishments as Inter Milan have won the league title going away. Yunus Musah also started and went the full 90’ last weekend in the win, returning from his one game yellow card suspension. It’s been a quieter year for Musah but he’s started the last four games he’s been eligible for and with two more strong appearances to close the season could finish with over 1,500 league minutes and 2,300 minutes across all competitions. Milan face tenth place Torino in their penultimate match with Milan having already sealed second place and Torino out of the European competition running.

Sunday

PSV Eindhoven v RKC Waalwijk – 8:30a on ESPN+

Malik Tillman and Ricardo Pepi close out their season with league champion PSV Eindhoven Sunday morning with a match against RKC Waalwijk who are tied with Excelsior for the relegation playoff spot. Tillman started and went the full 90’ last weekend in PSV’s draw with Fortuna Sittard while Pepi came on for the final 20’ but neither player made the scoresheet as the match finished 1-1.

Burnley v Nottingham Forest – 11a on Peacock

Gio Reyna was strikingly absent from the matchday squad for Forest last weekend as they fell to Chelsea 3-2 to remain three points ahead of Luton Town for the final relegation spot heading into the final matchday. It’s been a bust of a transfer for Reyna who will return to Champions League finalists Borussia Dortmund this summer with an uncertain future ahead of him. It looks as though Matt Turner may also need a move this summer as he hasn’t appeared for Forest since late January, shortly after the team brought in Matz Sels, though frankly Sels has not preformed any better than Turner in his spell.

Chelsea v Bournemouth – 11a on Peacock

In a bit of more positive news Tyler Adams returned to the field for Bournemouth last weekend getting ten minutes off the bench in their 2-1 loss to Brentford. It was just Adams third appearance in what has been a lost season but it is good to see him back on the field heading into the Summer and the USMNT’s upcoming involvement in the Copa America. Bournemouth are solidly middle of the EPL table in eleventh place. They are facing a hot Chelsea side that have won four straight and are making a late push currently three points ahead of Newcastle United and Manchester United for Conference League play and looking to overtake Tottenham for Europa League qualification.

Crystal Palace v Aston Villa – 11a on Peacock

Chris Richards looks to have secured a spot with Crystal Palace moving forward. Richards made the starting lineup in December and hasn’t looked back, starting and going the full 90’ in all but three matches in which he was left out due to injury in early April. Richards will finish the season with over 2,000 minutes in EPL play and 2,500 minutes over all competitions. Palace enter the final week in twelfth place and are facing fourth place Aston Villa who can’t move up or down on the final weekend.

Luton Town v Fulham – 11a on Peacock

Tim Ream faces a more uncertain future though he recently signed an extension with Fulham. Ream signed a one year extension that would take him through the 2024-25 season but he hasn’t seen the field for Fulham since mid February. Antonee Robinson on the other hand has played nearly every minute for Fulham this year, missing one match due to muscular problems back in September and just an additional 58 minutes across the remainder of the season, he’ll finish with over 3,200 minutes in league play. Fulham are in fourteenth place, easily safe from relegation and face a Luton Town side that are all but mathematically eliminated. Luton would need a win, a Forest loss and to make up the 12 goal difference in order to avoid the drop.

Sheffield United v Tottenham Hotspur – 11a on Peacock

Sheffield’s disastrous EPL campaign comes to a merciful close this weekend with the only outstanding question being just how many goals will they allow in their record setting season. Sheffield have allowed 101 goals and will face a Tottenham side that need a result this weekend to ensure they hold off Chelsea for fifth place and Europa League qualification. Auston Trusty has started the past eight for Sheffield and looks set for a return to the Championship as he is signed with the club through the end of the 2026-27 season.

Real Betis v Real Sociedad – 1p on ESPN+

Real Betis pulled ahead of Real Sociedad last weekend with a win over Almeria but fell back to seventh place midweek when they settled for a draw with Las Palmas while Sociedad was beating Valencia. Sociedad now holds a one point lead for sixth place and Europa Conference League qualifying heading into their head-to-head matchup. Betis need at least a draw to keep their hopes alive as a win would seal sixth place for Sociedad. Johnny started again last week and has over 1,100 minutes since joining Betis in January.

Granada v Celta Vigo – 1p on ESPN+

Luca de la Torre was an unused substitute last weekend and hasn’t started a match since he was injured in early March. Celta Vigo have four wins over that time and with a five point lead over Cadiz a result of any kind this weekend against relegated Granada would guarantee they are safe heading into the final weekend.

Monaco v Nantes – 3p on beIN Sports

Folarin Balogun came off the bench late in the first half last weekend to replace the injured Breel Embolo and picked up an assist on the opening goal as Monaco would go on to win 2-0. With the result his side are guaranteed to finish in second place heading into the final weekend as they take on a Nantes side that are just guaranteed safety. The assist was Balogun’s second in three weeks and his seventh of the season giving him fifteen goal contributions across all competitions.

Monday

Bologna v Juventus – 2:45p on Paramount+

Weston McKennie and Timothy Weah lifted the Copa Italia trophy on Wednesday but saw their manager dismissed on Friday in what has been a turbulent week. McKennie started the match while Weah came on in the final minutes to put in a defensive effort and see out the 1-0 victory. Juventus have had a disappointing league season including a draw to last place Salernitana last weekend, though the point was enough to ensure that they will qualify for Champions League play next season. They face third place Bologna on Monday who are tied with Juventus on points and lead them in goal differential by +3.

USMNT’s core is moving away from MLS and that’s fine for now

Noah Davis, ESPNMay 11, 2024, 11:02 AM ET

In many respects, March 24, 2023 looked like just another game for the United States men’s national team. Weston McKennie and Ricardo Pepi tallied twice, Christian Pulisic added a goal and two assists, and the Americans beat Grenada 7-1 to move to the top of Group D in the Concacaf Nations League.

In one respect, however, the match was unlike any other in history. For the first time since Major League Soccer’s launch in 1996, the red, white, and blue game-day roster did not feature a single player from the U.S. first division. Atlanta United‘s Miles Robinson, the only MLS player to even make the training camp roster for those games, was left off the 23-man matchday squad because of injury and looking at where American players play, it’s unlikely this will be the last time such an occurrence happens.In a sense, the impact of current MLS players on the U.S. national team is waning. At the 1998 World Cup, 16 of the 22 players came from MLS. In 2002 and 2006, that number was 11 out of 23. In Qatar? Just nine of 26 players came from the first division, with only Nashville SC‘s Walker Zimmerman playing more than 45 minutes.Now, this isn’t to say that MLS (and USL Championship) aren’t having an effect on the senior national team. They clearly are, especially as the majority of those called up started their careers in MLS or the development academies. U.S. head coach Gregg Berhalter pointed to the growth of the league as a key element in the development of the player pool.

EDITOR’S PICKS

Ranking the top 50 USMNT players on club form: ESPN’s Player Performance Index returns Ryan O’Hanlon

How USMNT’s McKennie emerged from Premier League disaster to be among Serie A’s best Bruce Schoenfeld

“MLS is a critical step in everything that we’re doing in U.S. Soccer,” Berhalter said in a November interview with Telemundo. “When you see the amount of investment that the owners have made in Major League Soccer, and actually soccer in America, it’s a great thing. The reason why we are where we are is because of the investment from MLS,””We don’t get hung up on where the players are coming from. We’re looking at how we grow this team, grow the player pool, and give experience to a broad selection of players.”Consider this: 17 of the 26 players on the 2022 World Cup roster played for an MLS NEXT academy, while 20 of the 21 men on the 2023 FIFA U-20 World Cup roster were, or had been, in an MLS academy. Additionally, 14 players with USL or League One experience made that U-20 roster including Joshua Wynder, who has since moved to Portuguese side Benfica in the USL’s first seven-figure transfer.It’s a strange spot for MLS and, to a lesser extent, USL. The league needs to move its best young players along to other clubs and reinvest the money in player development, a virtuous cycle that also means talented young Americans will end up playing overseas. While 2023 saw homegrown players set a record, with 174 playing 168,163 minutes across 2,829 games, three aging defenders — Matt Miazga, Tim Parker, and Zimmerman — were the only Americans on the Best XI team. The top three MVP candidates — FC Cincinnati playmaker Luciano Acosta, LAFC winger Dénis Bouanga and Atlanta United midfielder Thiago Almada — came from abroad, with no American winning the league’s MVP since Mike Magee in 2013.

An emerging league is, almost by definition, a place where the most talented young players leave and that is, for now at least, a feature not a bug.”All of the work that we do day to day is focused on giving opportunities for our players to reach their full potential, whether it’s in the academy or the first team, so that eventually some of them become high-level players in MLS,” Charles Altchek, president of MLS NEXT Pro, said in an interview with ESPN. “Whether they stay in MLS or end up moving around the world depends on where they are in their lifecycle as a player, what they want to achieve and where they want to be.”USL is adopting this same philosophy: they want to be a place where Americans start a career, not finish it.”I feel very strongly that the most valuable currency in soccer for player development is firstly in playing minutes, especially meaningful and competitive games in front of thousands of fans,” USL head of global football development and sporting director Oliver Wyss said during a phone call with ESPN.”Our clubs are ideally positioned to provide this environment and the full pathway that already has and will have an even bigger direct impact on developing the next generation of U.S. national team players and also allow the USL to become a bigger player in the global transfer market.””I encourage all of our teams to look at our top players as assets, and not as expenses. Ultimately, if these assets can be transferred to Europe, and you get a six- or seven-figure transfer amount plus a future sell-on percentage, the return of investment on these players is going to be significant for a club.”The growth of domestic leagues means there’s more opportunity than ever before for Americans to see the field, but there’s also more competition. The trend for MLS clubs seeking quality is to target players in their mid-20s. In other words, men in their prime who are also depreciating assets in a sport that prioritizes youth and potential.While this is good for the level of play, it’s not great for younger Americans trying to break through who can see opportunities to get on the field blocked by these expensive acquisitions. As a result, the percentage of minutes played by Americans in MLS has decreased even though available minutes have increased because of league expansion. One worthwhile comparison is Japan, a footballing country in a similar place to the U.S. in this regard.

Tom Byer, a man who has had a significant impact on the development of soccer in the Asian nation, offered an observation during an interview. “With Japan, the majority of the national team players play in Europe, but the gap between those best players in Europe and the players in the J.League is tiny,” he said. “Almost no Japanese player makes it over to Europe to play until they’ve played about 150 professional games in the J.League.”Closing the gap should, and is, a goal of MLS, and one that it’s slowly achieving. But the truth is, at the end of the day, it’s neither MLS nor the USL’s job to make the U.S. men’s national team better. They are three separate and distinct entities with their own goals and metrics for success. Still, there’s the reality that what’s good for one is good for the other — a strong tide raises all boats, or something like that — and there’s a World Cup not too far away across all of North America.”When the national team is successful, it’s good for soccer fans in this country and for MLS,” Altchek said. “That’s why we’ve worked really closely with the Federation for decades now on providing those opportunities for players and working with them on call-ups and releasing players for different competitions.””We want the U.S. to win the 2026 World Cup or at least go farther than they’ve ever gone before. Having the men’s national team there with a bunch of players who played or are playing in MLS will be icing on the cake.”

Europe’s top soccer leagues: Title fights, UCL, relegation

Dale Johnson, General Editor, ESPN FC May 14, 2024, 04:56 PM ET

The 2023-24 season is drawing to a close and the battles for the major honours, relegation and promotion are starting to become clearer.Here’s a quick roundup of what has been decided, and what’s still at stake, in the English Premier League, German Bundesliga, Spanish LaLiga, Italian Serie A and French Ligue 1.

Premier League – one full round to go
final day May 19

Title

1. Manchester City (37 games, 88 points)
2. Arsenal (37, 86)

Manchester City will seal the title with a victory at home to West Ham on Sunday. For Arsenal to win the title, they must win at home to Everton and Man City lose or draw. If Arsenal win and Man City draw, the Gunners would win the title on goal difference.

Premier League Table

	GP	GD	PTS
1 – Man City	37	+60	88
2 – Arsenal	37	+61	86
3 – Liverpool	37	+43	79
4 – Aston Villa	37	+20	68
5 – Tottenham	37	+10	63
6 – Newcastle	36	+22	57
7 – Chelsea	36	+12	57
8 – Man United	36	-4	54
1-4: UCL; 5: UEL; 6: UECL

Champions League (4)

All four places have now been sealed.

CONFIRMED

1. Arsenal
2. Man City
3. Liverpool (37, 79)
4. Aston Villa (37, 68)

Europa League (2)

As it stands, only fifth gets a Europa League place with the other slot, by right, going to the FA Cup winners.

Man United take on Man City in the FA Cup final on May 25 (stream live on ESPN+, U.S. only). If Erik ten Hag’s team lift the trophy then they will be in the Europa League (UEL). If Man City win the cup, then the UEL position transfers to the sixth place in the Premier League

IN CONTENTION

5. Tottenham Hotspur (37, 63)
6. Newcastle United (36, 57)
7. Chelsea (36, 57)
8. Manchester United (36, 54)

Despite poor results, Spurs are in a strong position to finish fifth with a six-point lead over Newcastle and Chelsea. Spurs still need a point away to Sheffield United on Sunday to be absolutely sure.

Spurs could also be confirmed in the Europa League on Wednesday if both Chelsea (go to Brighton) and Newcastle (visit Man United) drop points.

Man United can now finish no higher than sixth but, because of their vastly inferior goal difference, that will become seventh at best if they don’t beat Newcastle.

Europa Conference League (1)

Pending the FA Cup final, sixth will go into the Europa Conference League. Newcastle hold it, with Chelsea and Man United close behind. The UECL place will drop to seventh if Man City win the FA Cup or if Man United win the FA Cup and finish fifth or sixth. It would still be one of Man United, Newcastle and Chelsea — one of them will miss out on Europe completely. If Man United win the FA Cup and finish seventh or eighth, the UECL place goes to sixth.

Relegation (3)

RELEGATED

19. Burnley (37, 24)
20. Sheffield United (37, 16)

IN CONTENTION

17. Nottingham Forest (37, 29)
18. Luton Town (37, 26)

Luton are effectively relegated due to their vastly inferior goal difference to fourth-bottom Forest. On the final day, Luton would need to beat Fulham and Forest lose to Burnley with a goal difference swing of 12.

Leicester City and Ipswich Town have been automatically promoted to the Premier League. Leeds United, Southampton, West Bromwich Albion and Norwich City compete in the playoffs for one more place.

LaLiga – three rounds to go
final weekend May 25-26

Title

Real Madrid have been crowned champions.

Champions League (4)

CONFIRMED

1. Real Madrid (36, 93)
2. Barcelona (35, 76)
3. Girona (35, 75)

IN CONTENTION

4. Atlético Madrid (35, 70)
5. Athletic Club (35, 62).

Atletico are almost certain to take the fourth place, holding an eight-point lead over Athletic Club

It will be sealed on Wednesday if Atleti get a victory at Getafe, or if Athletic fail to win at Celta Vigo.

Real Madrid winning the Champions League cannot benefit another team in LaLiga. The team with the highest UEFA coefficient in UCL qualifying will be promoted direct to the group stage.

Europa League (2)

Athletic won the Copa del Rey and are almost certain to finish in the top six, so we can safely say the place for the cup moves over to the league — fifth and sixth will enter the UEL.

IN CONTENTION

4. Atlético Madrid (35, 70)
5. Athletic Club (35, 62)
6. Real Betis (35, 55)
7. Real Sociedad (35, 54)
8. Valencia (35, 48)
9. Villarreal (35, 48)

Either Atlético or Athletic will take one of the places, with Betis and Real Sociedad battling it out for the other.

Valencia and Villarreal have slim hope. Villarreal go to Genoa on Tuesday. Then on Thursday, Real Sociedad host Valencia (who really must win) and Betis are at Las Palmas.

Europa Conference League (1)

This will go to seventh in the league, probably between Real Sociedad and Real Betis, while Valencia and Villarreal require a mini-miracle from here.

Relegation (3)

CONFIRMED

19. Granada (35, 21)
20. Almería (35, 17)

IN CONTENTION

15. Mallorca (36, 36)
16. Rayo Vallecano (35, 35)
17. Celta Vigo (35, 34)
18. Cádiz (35, 29)

One relegation spot is to be decided, with Cádiz giving themselves hope by beating Getafe on Sunday. They still have a lot to do to catch Celta Vigo, Rayo Vallecano or Mallorca. On Wednesday, Cádiz are at Sevilla, Celta Vigo are at home to Athletic Club and Rayo Vallecano host Granada

Bundesliga – one round to go
final day May 18

Title

Bayer Leverkusen are still unbeaten and have already secured the first championship in their history.

Champions League (5)

The Bundesliga has sealed an extra place through the European Performance Spot, which sends the team in fifth to the UCL too.

CONFIRMED

1. Bayer Leverkusen (33, 87)
2. Bayern Munich (33, 72)
3. VfB Stuttgart (33, 70)
4. RB Leipzig (33, 64)
5. Borussia Dortmund (33, 60)

All five league slots are already confirmed, but there’s a possible twist.

WAITING ON DORTMUND

6. Eintracht Frankfurt (33, 46)
7. TSG Hoffenheim (33, 43)

Dortmund are in the UCL final, and if they win it a UCL place will be given to sixth in the Bundesliga. The European Performance Slot is a league benefit, so it will be an additional place to Dortmund’s as titleholders. Eintracht Frankfurt, who are guaranteed a place in the UECL at worst, are in sixth but could be overtaken by Hoffenheim on the final day. One of those two teams will be fully backing Dortmund against Real Madrid on June 1. Frankfurt need a point at home to RB Leipzig to secure sixth. If they lose, then Hoffenheim can climb above them with a victory at home to Bayern. A small goal difference swing of three is also required.

Europa League (2)

There are a few complicating factors to the UEL places, which right now go to sixth in the league (Frankfurt) and the winners of the DFB Pokal. The final of the DFB Pokal on May 25 (stream live on ESPN+, U.S. only) sees Leverkusen take on Kaiserslautern who, incredibly, could win the cup despite almost being relegated to the third division, as they sit four points above the 2. Bundesliga relegation zone with one game to be played. If Kaiserslautern pull off an almighty shock and do what no other team has done all season (beat Leverkusen), the league slots will be unaltered: sixth into the UEL and seventh into the UECL. If Leverkusen win the final, sixth and seventh will get a place in the UEL.

IN CONTENTION

6. Eintracht Frankfurt (33, 46)
7. TSG Hoffenheim (33, 43)
8. SC Freiburg (33, 42)

If Dortmund win the UCL, Germany would surrender the place in the UEL earned by Dortmund in the league. So, Dortmund would qualify as UCL titleholders in fifth, with sixth getting the European Performance position. The only way seventh can get a UEL place is if Leverkusen win the cup.

Europa Conference League (1)

If Kaiserslautern win the cup, then it will be Frankfurt, Hoffenheim or Freiburg who enter the UECL in seventh. If Leverkusen win the cup then eighth gets the UECL place, and it opens up.

IN CONTENTION

7. TSG Hoffenheim (33, 43)
8. SC Freiburg (33, 42)
9. Heidenheim (33, 39)
10. FC Augsburg (33, 39)
11. Werder Bremen (33, 39)

Hoffenheim will definitely finish in the top eight so, like with Frankfurt, it might just be a question of which competition they play in — UCL, UEL or UECL.Freiburg sit in eighth with a three-point gap to Heidenheim, Augsburg and Werder Bremen. On the last day, Freiburg travel to relegation-threatened Union Berlin knowing victory, if Hoffenheim draw or lose, could see them finish seventh; a draw would guarantee they finish eighth. But if they lose, they can be overtaken as they have worse goal difference than the three teams below them. Heidenheim are at home to Cologne, who have to win to have any chance of staying in the top flight, Augsburg travel to Leverkusen, who haven’t lost to anyone all season, and Bremen host Bochum, who could still be relegated.

Relegation (2+1)

Two teams are relegated, while third-bottom takes on third place in the 2. Bundesliga (Fortuna Düsseldorf) in a playoff for the right to play in the top flight.

RELEGATED

18. SV Darmstadt 98 (33, 17)

IN CONTENTION

14. VfL Bochum (33, 33)
15. Mainz (33, 32)
16. Union Berlin (33, 30)
17. FC Cologne (33, 27)

The best Cologne can hope for is 16th and the relegation playoff spot … by overtaking Union Berlin. To go up to the playoff place, Cologne must win at Heidenheim on Saturday, hope Union lose at home to Freiburg, and there be a goal difference swing of four. To avoid the playoff Union must win and, due to goal difference, hope Mainz lose at Wolfsburg or VfL Bochum are beaten at Bremen. St. Pauli and Holstein Kiel have been automatically promoted into the Bundesliga.

Serie A – two rounds to go, final day May 26

Title

Internazionale have wrapped up the Scudetto as runaway champions.

Champions League (5)

Like Germany, Italy has secured an extra place in next year’s competition through its clubs’ performance in Europe this season, meaning at least five clubs will qualify.

CONFIRMED

1. Internazionale (36, 92)
2. AC Milan (36, 74)
3. Bologna (36, 67)
4. Juventus (36, 67)

IN CONTENTION / WAITING ON ATALANTA

5. Atalanta (35, 63)
6. AS Roma (36, 60)
7. Lazio (36, 59)

There’s one place up for grabs, which is held by Atalanta in fifth and they have a game in hand and a three-point advantage so are in a very strong position. That extra match is against Fiorentina and both teams are in European finals; the only possible date to play the game is Sunday, June 2 — a week after the final round of Serie A games is played. Atalanta and Fiorentina will therefore go into the “extra” game in full knowledge of the final position a result will earn.

AS Roma and Lazio are still in contention, but it’s a big ask with two games remaining.

Atalanta, who can finish no lower than seventh so are guaranteed at least UEL football, can seal their place in the UCL if they better Roma’s result at the weekend and at least match Lazio’s. Atalanta go to Lecce on Saturday, and on Sunday it’s Roma vs. Genoa and Lazio are at Inter.

If Atalanta win the UEL (they face Leverkusen in the final on May 22) then Italy will have six clubs in the UCL — the top four, Atalanta as UEL titleholders and the European Performance Spot. If Atalanta finish fifth and win the UEL, sixth will play in the UCL too — meaning Roma and Lazio will be cheering on Atalanta when they face Leverkusen.

Europa League (2)

Atalanta face Juventus in the final of the Coppa Italia on Wednesday, so it’s certain that sixth and seventh will qualify for the UEL.

IN CONTENTION

5. Atalanta (35, 63)
6. AS Roma (36, 60)
7. Lazio (36, 59)
8. Fiorentina (35, 53)

Atalanta, Roma and Lazio are the main contenders, but there’s a small amount of hope for eighth-placed Fiorentina with that game in hand.

If Atalanta win the UEL to qualify for the UCL and finish fifth, sixth or seventh, Italy will surrender one place in the UEL for the league which Atalanta would have earned.

Europa Conference League (1)

IN CONTENTION

6. AS Roma (36, 60)
7. Lazio (36, 59)
8. Fiorentina (35, 53)
9. Napoli (36, 51)
10. Torino (36, 50)

Eighth place will enter the UECL, which is currently held by Fiorentina but the place could yet be filled Roma, Lazio, or more likely Napoli or Torino .

On Friday, Napoli are away to Fiorentina and must win that to give themselves a real chance of being in Europe next season. Torino face a tough game at home to AC Milan.

If Fiorentina win the UECL to qualify for the UEL and finish eighth, Italy will surrender its place in the UECL.

Relegation (3)

RELEGATED

20. Salernitana (35, 15)

IN CONTENTION

14. Hellas Verona (36, 34)
15. Udinese (36, 33)
16. Cagliari (36, 33)
17. Frosinone (36, 32)
18. Empoli (36, 32)
19. Sassuolo (36, 29)

It’s exceptionally tight, with Empoli level on points with Frosinone and within touching distance of Cagliari, Udinese and Hellas Verona.

Sassuolo are three points from safety and on Sunday host Cagliari in a big relegation showdown. They could pull Cagliari right into it, or be doomed.Also on Sunday, Udinese are at home to Empoli in another huge six-pointer, and Frosinone go to Monza. Then on Monday, Hellas Verona are at Salernitana.Parma and Cesc Fàbregas’ Como have been promoted to Serie A. Venezia. Cremonese, Catanzaro, Palermo, Sampdoria and Bresica take part in the playoffs.

MLS Power Rankings: Messi’s Miami stay top, Timbers struggle

Ryan Rosenblatt May 13, 2024, 12:28 PM

It’s Monday and another week of MLS action is in the books, which means it’s time for ESPN’s Power Rankings. Our Power Rankings are derived from a combination of key season statistics (points per game, goal differential, expected goal differential), recent performance, the Opta computer ratings and the observations of our writers.Who’s climbing the table? Who’s in free fall? We’ve ranked all 29 clubs in the league after Matchday 12. Let’s dive in.

1. Inter Miami CF

Previous ranking: 1

Inter fell behind 2-0 before roaring back to win in Montréal. It wasn’t Lionel Messi leading the way either. Matías Rojas was the man with the magical left foot, scoring a sublime free kick and feeding Benjamin Cremaschi for the winner as the Paraguayan made sure Miami left Canada with three points.

2. FC Cincinnati

Previous ranking: 3

In FCC’s biggest game of the young season, they had the best player and that made all the difference. Lucho Acosta was sensational against Columbus, setting up the first goal and scoring the second to paint Ohio blue and orange.

3. Real Salt Lake

Previous ranking: 2

RSL will be disappointed to have conceded a stoppage time equalizer to the Galaxy, but it’s not like they have much to complain about. They were the inferior team in L.A. and still walked away with a point, even with Zac MacMath having a rough one in goal. Take it and get back to Utah.

4. New York Red Bulls

Previous ranking: 4

The Red Bulls really needed to bounce back after getting smacked by Miami last week, and they did just that with a 4-2 win over New England.

5. LAFC

Previous ranking: 7

Cristian Olivera scored twice as LAFC trounced the Whitecaps 3-0. The Uruguayan has scored five goals in his past three matches across all competitions, and the Black and Gold are doing a better job turning their possessions into chances. This is the growth LAFC needed to show as this season has gone on, which is why they are moving closer to the league’s top teams.

6. Columbus Crew

Previous ranking: 5

Nobody is going to question this Crew team that has rolled into the Concacaf Champions Cup final, but losing to Cincy at home is going to sting anyway. The Crew have been treading water while they focus on continental competition all season, but treading water is about to get a lot more difficult as they embark on a five-match road trip.

6. Vancouver Whitecaps

Previous ranking: 6

The Caps got smoked by LAFC 3-0 despite some fine saves from Yohei Takaoka. Burn the tape and forget it ever happened.

7. Minnesota United

Previous ranking: 9

While every other team was working hard, and some even doubly so with U.S. Open Cup play midweek, the Loons were kicking it on a bye week.

8. LA Galaxy

Previous ranking: 10

Miguel Berry scoring a stoppage time equalizer? The Galaxy’s 2-2 draw with RSL might seem a little flukey because of the tying goal, but they were the better team for long stretches of this one. A point was the least they deserved.

9. Philadelphia Union

Previous ranking: 8

The unthinkable happened when Dan Gazdag missed a penalty for the first time in his MLS career. And to make matters worse, it would have been an equalizer on a night in which the Union celebrated him becoming their all-time leading goal scorer. Instead, Philly lost to Orlando 3-2.

10. D.C. United

Previous ranking: 14

It was Christian Benteke vs. Atlanta United and Christian Benteke won 3-2.

EDITOR’S PICKS

Inter Miami can’t keep relying on Messi or conceding first 2d Lizzy Becherano
Lionel Messi tracker: All goals, assists, key moments for Inter Miami in 2024 3d ESPN

11. New York City FC

Previous ranking: 13

The Pigeons beat Toronto 3-2 for their first away win of 2024, then they got into a postgame skirmish with the Reds. It was a bizarre scene and one that might cost Sean Johnson a game or two.

12. Atlanta United FC

Previous ranking: 11

The Five Stripes have not won a game since March and, for some of that stretch, they have been able to say, “We were the better team tonight, the ball just didn’t bounce our way.” That wasn’t the case against D.C., as they were soundly beaten at home, turning up the heat on manager Gonzalo Pineda’s seat to scorching.

13. Charlotte FC

Previous ranking: 16

The Crown have spent a lot of time trying to find a striker since they entered the league and they might have their answer in 23-year-old former first round pick Patrick Agyemang. He has been really good and added the lone goal in Charlotte’s 1-0 win over Nashville to his resume. If he keeps it up, he’s going to be the man in Charlotte for a long time.

14. Seattle Sounders

Previous ranking: 17

With the way Seattle’s season has gone, it wouldn’t have been shocking to see the team fold once it gave up an early goal to Portland. Brian Schmetzer teams don’t make a habit of folding, though, and Seattle stormed back for a win. Don’t look now, but the Sounders are starting to rack up points.

15. Colorado Rapids

Previous ranking: 12

Just when you want to believe in the Rapids, they blow a 2-0 lead and lose. At home. To the Earthquakes. Yikes.

NWSL Power Rankings: KC Current undefeated, Bay FC drop

Megan Swanick ESPNFC May 13, 2024, 03:20 PM

It’s Monday, and another week of NWSL action is in the books, which means it’s time for ESPN’s Power Rankings.Our rankings are derived from a combination of key season statistics (points per game, goal differential, expected goal differential), recent performance, the Opta computer ratings and the observations of our writers.Who’s climbing the table? Who’s in free fall? Our writers and statistical models have ranked all 14 clubs in the league after matchday nine. Let’s dive in.

<img alt=”1. Kansas City Current

Previous ranking: 1

Next match: Saturday vs. Racing Louisville, 9:30 p.m. ET

The still-undefeated Kansas City Current took a nil-nil draw from Seattle Reign in the midweek (hammering out 19 shots in a game they controlled, though Lauren Ivory’s six saves stymied them), before overcoming North Carolina 1-0 at home Sunday night. With a wicked attack that should scare all opposition this year, Brazil‘s Debinha made her first start since returning from injury and clocked the difference-making goal to become the 12th goalscorer for the Current this season.

2. Portland Thorns

Previous ranking: 3

Next match: Friday at Houston Dash, 8 p.m. ET

Portland’s remarkable season turnaround continues to catch fire as the Thorns beat regional rivals Seattle Reign 4-0 at home Saturday night. Portland’s form is a club-wide accomplishment, but Sophia Smith has been immense in their five-match winning run. After notching one goal and three assists against Seattle, Smith leads both the NWSL goals and assists tallies with eight goals and six assists this season. And across Portland’s five-game unbeaten streak, Smith has accrued a record-setting 11 goal contributions, the most goal contributions in a five game span in NWSL history, per Opta.

3. Orlando Pride

Previous ranking: 2

Next match: Sunday at Seattle Reign FC, 6 p.m. ET

Alongside Kansas City, the Pride are one of just two teams still undefeated in 2024. Now sitting second in the standings, Kansas City reclaimed the top spot solely on goal differential this weekend. With a midweek 1-0 victory over Racing Louisville, the Pride handed Louisville their first loss of the year before taking another 1-0 victory from Bay FC Saturday evening. They came into the season humble but with a third of the year wrapped up and newly accrued Barbra Banda clocking her fourth goal in five games (the highest goals per 90 in NWSL) in the midweek, I think it’s safe to say the Pride are the real deal this season.

<img alt=”4. Washington Spirit

Previous ranking: 4

Next match: Saturday vs. Angel City FC, 7:30 p.m. ET

The Spirit recovered from a loss to ascendant Portland by handing Racing Louisville their second loss of the season. Friday’s 2-1 victory on the road started strong thanks to rookie sensation Croix Bethune‘s fourth goal of the year, which she sent to the back of the net with a cool strike in the fifth minute to capitalize on a corner, bringing her contribution tally to four goals and four assists in nine games for her debut season.

<img alt=”5. North Carolina Courage

Previous ranking: 5

Next match: Friday vs. Utah Royals FC, 8 p.m. ET

North Carolina picked up a worrying third loss in a row against league-leaders Kansas City Current this Sunday. The streak is concerning, though falling 1-0 to Kansas City isn’t the end of the world, especially considering they held among the league’s most formidable attacks to just one goal (though they have Casey Murphy‘s seven saves to thank for this). Still, they’ve struggled to produce sufficient quality chances in their recent form, scoring only one goal in their past three games and unfurling just seven shots and two on target against the Current.

6. NJ/NY Gotham FC

Previous ranking: 6

Next match: Sunday vs. Chicago Red Stars, 5 p.m. ET

Gotham picked up a 1-0 win over Houston Dash in the midweek as Lynn Williams equalled Sam Kerr‘s most goals all time record in NWSL in her sixth match of the year. Still recovering from early season injuries, Gotham then took a respectable 1-1 draw on the road against San Diego Wave Sunday evening. As we head into matchday 10, the reigning champs have picked up respectable wins on slim margins while significantly underperforming their xG, still looking like they have a lot left to give this season.

EDITOR’S PICKS

Ranking every NWSL stadium from worst to best, with photos: Where should you see a game?5dJeff Kassouf
The NWSL has more billionaire owners than ever. Is that enough to hit the next level?13dJeff Kassouf
NWSL MVP Tracker: Who are the best players in the league so far this season?19dJeff Kassouf

7. San Diego Wave FC

Previous ranking: 10

Next match: Friday at Bay FC, 10:30 p.m. ET

Sitting mid-table with a game in hand, San Diego are nursing a sizable number of knocks from their starting lineup. Sunday’s 1-1 draw with Gotham saw Alex Morgan, Naomi Girma, Abby Dahlkemper, Sofia Jakobsson, and Melanie Barcenas all sidelined with injury. Concerningly, 19-year-old phenom Jaedyn Shaw left the draw with a stoppage time injury as well. They look like a team still looking for their form, but first priority will be getting everybody healthy.

8. Chicago Red Stars

Previous ranking: 8

Next match: Sunday at NJ/NY Gotham FC, 5 p.m. ET

When it rains it pours. Soon to be US manager Emma Hayes may be looking across the sea with mounting concern, as the USWNT’s starting keeper Alyssa Naeher also left the pitch injured in Chicago’s 3-1 victory over bottom of the table Utah Royals. On the bright side for Chicago, the Red Stars continued their efficient goal scoring operation, as they accrued three goals with just 38% of possession, finishing the weekend as the fifth-highest scoring team in the league.

9. Racing Louisville FC

Previous ranking: 7

Next match: Saturday at Kansas City Current, 9:30 p.m. ET

Savannah DeMelo‘s freekick golazo to bring Louisville level wasn’t enough to overcome their visitors, Washington Spirit, as Racing picked up their second straight loss after starting the season unbeaten.

10. Seattle Reign FC

Previous ranking: 9

Next match: Sunday vs. Orlando Pride, 6 p.m. ET

After holding the league-leaders (Kansas City) to a respectable 0-0 draw in the midweek, Seattle took a beating in Portland as they fell 4-0 to their Cascadian rivals Saturday night. Holding Sophia Smith and company at bay is a tall order these days, but Seattle will head home to a tough match with unbeaten Orlando Pride next weekend while nursing their egos from this rivalry rout.

11. Angel City FC

Previous ranking: 11

Next match: Saturday at Washington Spirit, 7:30 p.m. ET

Despite Claire Emslie‘s five goals and serious talent in their attacking ranks, Angel City underwhelmed offensively again this weekend, as they produced just three shots on target with 58% of the ball in a 1-0 loss to Houston Dash.

<img alt=”12. Houston Dash

Previous ranking: 13

Next match: Friday vs. Portland Thorns, 8 p.m. ET

Houston picked up just their second win of the year with a 1-0 victory over Angel City FC on Sunday thanks to Paige Nielsen‘s goal in the eight minute of stoppage time. With that, the Dash have picked up five points from their past four games (one win, one loss, two draws), though they face a formidable five-match unbeaten Portland Thorns in Houston this Friday.

13. Bay FC

Previous ranking: 12

Next match: Friday vs. San Diego Wave FC, 10:30 p.m. ET

Nobody has allowed more goals than Bay FC this season, with 20 goals put past them at the close of week nine. Their 1-0 loss to unbeaten Orlando Pride on Friday required nine saves from Bay FC’s keeper Kateyln Rowland to keep the margin of loss to one goal. It’s hard to find optimism for Bay FC’s dynamic attack until they get their defensive lapses in line.

14. Utah Royals

Previous ranking: 14

Next match: Friday at North Carolina Courage, 8 p.m. ET

Expansion side woes continue for Utah Royals, who’ve struggled in their first season back in NWSL. Still, moments of individual brilliance have broken through, including this weekend’s 81st minute strike from 24-year-old Utah-native Cameron Tucker to mark her first-ever NWSL goal. The lone goal came in Utah’s 3-1 loss to Chicago, their seventh of the season (tied with Bay FC for most in the league).

VAR explained: What is it? Why is it controversial? How might the Premier League ditch it?

A VAR check on the big screen during the Premier League match at Villa Park, Birmingham. Picture date: Monday May 13, 2024. (Photo by Bradley Collyer/PA Images via Getty Images)

By Greg O’Keeffe

May 17, 2024

Has the time come for VAR itself to be overturned?

The controversial technology faces a make-or-break vote from Premier League clubs next month which will determine its future in the English game.

Here The Athletic looks back at the history of its introduction in England, examines what it was supposed to achieve, why it has fallen so flat, and what would need to happen for it to be dropped.

GO DEEPER

Should Premier League clubs vote to scrap VAR? The case for and against the system

What is the VAR system?

The Video Assistant Referee (VAR) is an official, or team of officials, who help the referee during a game by using video footage and technology to review key incidents and provide advice on the correct decisions.

After watching replays, the VAR gives their opinion to the referee at the stadium via an earpiece worn by the on-field official. The referee will then signal as usual to confirm the original decision or make a rectangle shape with their hands either to indicate an on-field review or that the original decision has been changed.

Usually, the outcome is then shown on screens around the ground to inform supporters.

The VAR decision is shown to supporters at Stamford Bridge (Mike Hewitt/Getty Images)

IFAB (International Football Association Board), the independent body responsible for the laws of the game, states that VARs can only assist a match official in the event of a “clear and obvious error” or “serious missed incident”.

They can step in on decisions over goals, no goals, penalties, direct red cards or cases of mistaken identity.

https://ceef459e62080dcc02fd8c7a62a873d7.safeframe.googlesyndication.com/safeframe/1-0-40/html/container.html

Where did this concept originate?

The process was first proposed by the Dutch Football Association (KNVB) in 2010, along with goal-line technology. The latter was adopted into the professional game two years later, but VAR took longer to be implemented.

The first live trial was conducted in a friendly match between Dutch clubs PSV and FC Eindhoven in July 2016. Australia’s A-League was the first top-flight league to adopt a VAR system in 2017 and was soon followed by Major League Soccer (MLS) in the United States.

England’s Premier League was one of the last high-profile competitions to use the technology, adopting it for the 2019-20 campaign, after it had also been used in the Champions League from 2017-18, the 2018 World Cup in Russia and 2019’s Women’s World Cup in France.

The feeling at the Premier League was that spending two years monitoring VAR elsewhere would help it be more effective when it was embraced.

How was it first introduced into the Premier League?

After being given updates on various top-flight trials and reviews of its formal use in Carabao and FA Cup matches, a meeting of Premier League shareholders in November 2018 voted unanimously to introduce VAR for the 2019-20 campaign.

The clubs had voted to delay its implementation seven months previously following a debate over its use in some of those cup games, but smoother VAR performance during the 2018 World Cup allayed fears from some supporters and decision-makers.

English football was duly introduced to the VAR hub in Stockley Park, west London, and the concept of each Premier League game having a set of officials based in an office on an industrial estate just outside the capital as well as on the pitch.

The VAR hub at Stockley Park in the summer of 2019 (Chris Radburn/PA Images via Getty Images)

On the first weekend of VAR being introduced, the Premier League said around 70 incidents were VAR checked. Manchester City’s 5-0 win at West Ham saw seven checks and two decisions overturned. A Gabriel Jesus goal was ruled out, with provider Raheem Sterling’s shoulder deemed offside, and a Sergio Aguero penalty was retaken (and scored the second time around) after Declan Rice encroached into the area.

https://ceef459e62080dcc02fd8c7a62a873d7.safeframe.googlesyndication.com/safeframe/1-0-40/html/container.html

The former Premier League referee Dermot Gallagher called it a “great start” and said the overturned decisions “could not have been clear with the naked eye”.

Gallagher added: “It will get better, they will get faster and it will become more commonplace. People will grow into it.”

So why has it proved so controversial?

There was a steady flow of contentious decisions from the outset.

Each of the past four seasons has featured VAR controversies. In February 2021, the VAR invited the referee Mike Dean to consult the pitch-side monitor after West Ham’s Tomas Soucek accidentally made slight contact with the Fulham striker Aleksandar Mitrovic with his elbow. Dean watched the footage on the pitchside monitor and then showed the Czech midfielder a red card — which was subsequently rescinded by a Football Association Independent Regulatory Commission.

A year later, in a game against Manchester City, Everton’s appeals for a penalty for a Rodri handball were dismissed. Despite TV replays showing that the City midfielder misjudged the bounce of the ball and used his upper arm to control it, VAR official Chris Kavanagh did not question Paul Tierney’s decision not to award a penalty.

Then Everton manager Frank Lampard called VAR official Kavanagh a “professional who cannot do his job right”, and the head of referees at the time, Mike Riley, later apologised to the Merseyside club.

Just looking at this season alone, VAR has been at the centre of multiple high-profile flashpoints.

Liverpool’s Luis Diaz saw a goal wrongly disallowed for offside against Tottenham Hotspur in September, while Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta was angered by the decision to allow Anthony Gordon’s winning goal to stand — when it was unclear whether the ball went out of play before the goal — for Newcastle United against his team in November.

https://ceef459e62080dcc02fd8c7a62a873d7.safeframe.googlesyndication.com/safeframe/1-0-40/html/container.html

Both the Merseyside and London clubs went on to make public statements criticising the decisions. Nottingham Forest have written letters of complaint to the PGMOL (Professional Game Match Officials Limited) and even considered suing.

Supporters have grown fed up, too. The long delays and lack of communication with fans in the stadium have chipped away at the spontaneity and joy of watching a game. Players, too, have admitted the emotion of celebrating a goal has been diminished in case it gets disallowed by VAR.

GO DEEPER

The VAR incidents that upset Premier League clubs and the big calls it got right

How has the vote to scrap it come about?

It was Wolverhampton Wanderers, one of the Premier League teams most heavily impacted by bad calls, who acted first and publicly called for VAR to be scrapped this summer. That triggered a vote which will take place when representatives of the 20 clubs assemble for their annual gathering in Harrogate, North Yorkshire, on June 6.

A Wolves statement said that “after five seasons of VAR in the Premier League, it is time for a constructive and critical debate on its future. Our position is that the price we are paying for a small increase in accuracy is at odds with the spirit of our game, and as a result we should remove it from the 2024-25 season onwards”.

They also listed a host of the repercussions, including:

Frustration and confusion inside stadiums due to lengthy VAR checks and poor communication
A more hostile atmosphere with protests, booing of the Premier League anthem and chants against VAR
Overreach of VAR’s original purpose to correct clear and obvious mistakes as it now overanalyses subjective decisions and compromises the game’s fluidity and integrity
Diminished accountability of on-field officials due to the safety net provided by VAR, leading to an erosion of authority on the pitch
Continued errors despite VAR, with fans unable to accept human error after multiple views and replays, damaging confidence in officiating standards

The Athletic’s own subscriber poll saw fans of 15 clubs vote in favour of the system being scrapped.

How many clubs want to get rid of it?

That is difficult to know with any certainty, at least until the vote next month, but there is a sense that opinion is split.

Some, with Wolves obviously among them, have had enough while others feel there is a risk that ending VAR would undermine the Premier League’s reputation.

At the same time, there is a sentiment at some clubs that one of the main issues remains one of perception: that the initial idea of a perfect system that eradicated any inaccurate decisions was never realistic.

Dean shows Soucek the red card in February 2021 after an on-field VAR check (Adam Davy/PA Images via Getty Images)

What has to happen for it to be abolished?

For a motion to be passed, 14 Premier League clubs need to vote in favour of it.

So is there a chance that will happen?

Behind the scenes, there is scepticism among top-flight executives over whether that number will be reached, with a majority seeking improvements rather than simply washing their hands of VAR.

For their part, the top-flight’s board of directors believes removing VAR is not the correct path forward, suggesting that doing so would increase wrong calls and adversely impact the Premier League’s reputation among Europe’s leading divisions.

https://ceef459e62080dcc02fd8c7a62a873d7.safeframe.googlesyndication.com/safeframe/1-0-40/html/container.html

It also thinks the void left, having removed VAR, would potentially place even greater criticism on on-field decisions made by match officials and, as a result, increase frustration for supporters.

The league points to innovations such as semi-automated offside technology (SAOT) — which was voted through unanimously in April — and in-stadium VAR announcements as evidence of the efforts being made to improve the system.

What is semi-automated offside technology and how does it work?

What do referees think of VAR?

The PGMOL remain an advocate of VAR and believes it is a tool that has helped reduce errors.

In December, referees chief Howard Webb said it would “be foolish to take away a tool that can remove clear errors from the game”. They are committed to making it better but will not bow to pressure to speed up decisions at the expense of accuracy. They believe delays are an inevitable part of the process, although they are keen to make improvements to its efficiency.

As well as automated offsides due to be adopted in the next 12 months, the PGMOL want to improve communication of in-stadium decisions when IFAB laws allow for it.

Webb, the chief refereeing officer for PGMOL, attends the women’s League Cup final in March (Marc Atkins/Getty Images)

The PGMOL are working at establishing more dedicated VAR officials (rather than using referees who regularly officiate matches) and there is already an unofficial group who are regularly selected as VARs because of their consistency. Of those, Stuart Attwell and David Coote have been selected as VARs for this summer’s European Championships.

They believe the inevitable capacity for human error means VAR will never be perfect, but an independent panel’s assessment that 96 per cent of decisions over the last five years have been correct suggests that, overall, it works.

Webb, who regularly attends shareholders meetings to hear views of clubs, is expected to be at June’s meeting.

Does the Football Association have a view?

The FA is believed to remain behind VAR.

https://ceef459e62080dcc02fd8c7a62a873d7.safeframe.googlesyndication.com/safeframe/1-0-40/html/container.html

What would getting rid of VAR mean for other refereeing technology in the Premier League?

Goal-line technology would likely remain but, when it comes to VAR, the understanding is that the top flight could not cherry-pick some elements and dispense with others. It either continues with all of it or without any of Stockley Park’s reviews.

Have any other countries scrapped the VAR system?

Last month, Sweden became the first country to reject implementing VAR after a fan backlash.

Supporters from clubs — where there must be a minimum of 51 per cent fan ownership — prompted the climbdown after the president of the Swedish Football Federation, Fredrik Reinfeldt, had previously backed the idea. Reinfeldt had approved trials later this year, but those will not now go ahead.

“Sweden is currently the only country among Europe’s 30 highest-ranked leagues that has not decided to introduce VAR,” said Johan Lindvall, general secretary of the Swedish Professional Football Leagues. “The fact that we have not done so is largely due to our democratic model.”

Reinfeldt, president of the Swedish Football Federation (Michael Campanella/Getty Images)

Is video technology equally controversial in other sports?

The replay review process in NFL games involves the ultimate team-oriented system. NFL officials conduct reviews — which, in 2022, lasted on average two minutes and 19 seconds — but not without the support of replay officials stationed in New York at the NFL’s Art McNally GameDay Central (AMGC).

Head coaches can use two game challenges during games (if successful on both challenges, they receive a third). But, in the final two minutes of each half, all challenges or play reviews are initiated only by the replay official.

The process itself has become pretty smooth. Once a challenge or play review is initiated, replay technicians at AMGC use technology to pinpoint the best camera angles for the game referee to review in consultation with replay officials.

https://ceef459e62080dcc02fd8c7a62a873d7.safeframe.googlesyndication.com/safeframe/1-0-40/html/container.html

An ‘instant replay field operator’ then brings a Microsoft Surface tablet to the referee so he can review the play while consulting with the replay official stationed in New York. The final decision on the review (whether it should be overturned, or whether the on-field call should be upheld) is then made and the referee announces it.

Cricket’s Decision Review System (DRS) assesses a review for a leg before wicket (LBW) appeal (Visionhaus/Getty Images)

Like football, rugby union features split-second decisions and high levels of physical force, and no two challenges look the same.

For a video referee, the potential for inconsistency is high. Yet they have always been more accepted in rugby — even when introducing controversial new high-tackle laws or when making high-pressure calls in the sport’s biggest games.

Cricket’s version of VARs — the Decision Review System (DRS) — largely operates on a review basis. If a team disagrees with a decision, they can refer it to an off-field umpire to watch the incident back and use various forms of technology to determine whether the on-field umpire’s decision was correct.

If the team’s review is correct, they keep their review to possibly use later in the game; if wrong, they lose it.

What about the women’s game in England?

VAR was first rolled out at the Women’s World Cup in 2019. It was subsequently used at the European Championship in 2022 and a 19-strong video refereeing team — which included six women — were sent to Australia and New Zealand in the summer to cover the 2023 World Cup.

But even as VAR was being castigated in the opening months of this Premier League season, a different debate was taking place in the Women’s Super League (WSL).

In October, during Chelsea’s home match against Tottenham, officials failed to spot the ball had crossed the line when Guro Reiten looked to have put Chelsea 2-0 up. With no goal-line technology or VAR in the WSL, the goal was not given.

Chelsea manager Emma Hayes was incandescent, saying it is “ludicrous” and “embarrassing” that there is no VAR in women’s football.

Reiten celebrates, believing she has scored for Chelsea against Spurs (Ryan Pierse/Getty Images)

The previous month, Chelsea had run a VAR test at Kingsmeadow for their friendly against Roma — it was the first of its kind at a WSL ground. Baroness Sue Campbell, the director of women’s football for the FA, subsequently admitted that VAR “has to come in”.

It may not be long before VAR arrives in the English women’s game. NewCo, poised to take charge over the running of the WSL from the FA next season, intend to prioritise the improvement of officiating.

https://ceef459e62080dcc02fd8c7a62a873d7.safeframe.googlesyndication.com/safeframe/1-0-40/html/container.html

“The better the refereeing, the better the product itself — it’s one of the priorities, for sure,” Nikki Doucet, the CEO of NewCo told reporters in January. “From a VAR perspective, it’s something we need to figure out. Is that the right thing for our game, based on what’s been done in the men’s game? Is there a new alternative?

“A lot of the stadiums themselves just aren’t ready for that (technology) and so it will require an amount of investment. As we go on this journey, it’s prioritising what has to be done first based on the resources and the investment that we have. It’s definitely something that’s a priority.”

Additional reporting: Phil Buckingham

(Top photo: Bradley Collyer/PA Images via Getty Images)

What did you think of this story?

AWESOME

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.

4/5/24 US Ladies ready for She Believes Cup Sat 12:30 TNT, Tues in Columbus, Indy 11 Sat at Louisville on CBS at 4 pm, Champions & Europa League Tues/Wed/Thurs, US Men up to #11

April 5, 2024April 5, 2024 gatorbest alex-morgan, indy-11, megan-rapinoe, soccer, sports, us-soccer, uswnt, womens-soccer

USWNT in She Believes Cup Sat vs Japan 12:30 TNT & Tues 4/9 in Columbus Mallory 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 ( tix still available- the OBC is going over) on TBS.

USWNT She Believes Cup roster Goalkeepers (3): Jane Campbell (Houston Dash), Casey Murphy (North Carolina Courage), Alyssa Naeher (Chicago Red Stars) Defenders (8): Abby Dahlkemper (San Diego Wave FC), Crystal Dunn (NJ/NY Gotham FC), Tierna Davidson (NY/NJ Gotham FC), Emily Fox (Arsenal), Eva Gaetino (PSG), Naomi Girma (San Diego Wave FC), Casey Krueger (Washington Spirit), Jenna Nighswonger (NY/NJ Gotham FC) Midfielders (6): Korbin Albert (PSG), Sam Coffey (Portland Thorns FC), Lindsey Horan (Lyon), Olivia Moultrie (Portland Thorns FC), Emily Sonnett (NJ/NY Gotham FC), Lily Yohannes (Ajax) Forwards (6): Catarina Macario (Chelsea), Alex Morgan (San Diego Wave FC), Trinity Rodman (Washington Spirit), Jaedyn Shaw (San Diego Wave FC), Sophia Smith (Portland Thorns FC), Mallory Swanson (Chicago Red Stars)

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)

June 27 Copa America US Men Play Panama

July 24 starts US U23 Men & US Women In Olympics

(American’s in Parenthesis)

How to Watch Indy Eleven USL Championship Action

https://www.uslchampionship.com/cbs CBS Schedule

https://www.uslchampionship.com/espn ESPN

Copa America TV Schedule

US Ladies

USWNT’s Albert can play amid flak for social posts ESPN Jeff Carlisle

Sophia Smith excited about new USWNT phase ESPN
The USWNT’s new normal? The threat of losing almost any game ESPN Jeff Kassouf

Mal Swanson is starting to look like her old self, and that’s just what the USWNT needs

Who should the USWNT call up? Ranking the NWSL players who deserve a look ESPN Jeff Kassouf

USWNT vs. Japan: How to watch SheBelieves Cup, TV channel, live stream

Macario talks ’emotional’ USWNT return alongside Swanson

NWSL Power Rankings: KC looks unplayable as Utah hits bottom

US Men

AC Milan boss Pioli: Pulisic could play No. 10 role vs. Lecce

Champions league

Pep hails Bellingham’s ‘massive’ impact on Madrid

Xavi: PSG favourites for Barça’s UCL quarterfinal

The battle for extra Champions League places is tight between Italy, Germany and England

Indy 11

Recap – MEM 1:2 IND

Blake, Stanley Earn USL Team of the Week Honors

Know before you Go – The Mike

Indy Eleven Announces 2024 Promotional Schedule – Tickets on Sale NOW!

Reffing

What’s the Call – Hand Ball Decisions –

Become a Licensed High School Ref

Become a Licensed Ref with Indiana Soccer – must be over 13

The USWNT has long been ‘bigger than just the game,’ SheBelieves Cup will be a test of that

FRISCO, TX - FEBRUARY 23: The USWNT celebrate winning the SheBelieves Cup after a game between Iceland and USWNT at Toyota Stadium on February 23, 2022 in Frisco, Texas. (Photo by Robin Alam/ISI Photos/Getty Images)

By Jeff Rueter and Steph Yang r 2, 2024 The Athletic – Steph Yang & Jeff Rueter

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.

USWNT 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.

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.”

https://6b7b2c3feb7e6b52b796d451e78a849d.safeframe.googlesyndication.com/safeframe/1-0-40/html/container.html

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.

Megan Rapinoe 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.

https://6b7b2c3feb7e6b52b796d451e78a849d.safeframe.googlesyndication.com/safeframe/1-0-40/html/container.html

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’

By Steph Yang 3, 2024

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.

GO DEEPER

At 16, USWNT midfielder Lily Yohannes is right on time

“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.”

https://682e3bf3a17b791e925600ac3bfecdfa.safeframe.googlesyndication.com/safeframe/1-0-40/html/container.html

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’

ATLANTA, GEORGIA - APRIL 02: Alex Morgan #13 of the U.S. Women's National Team speaks to the media prior to a training session at Children's Healthcare of Atlanta Training Ground on April 02, 2024 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

By Meg LinehanApr 3, 2024 The Atletic

On Wednesday, USWNT captain Lindsey Horan and Alex Morgan delivered a prepared statement to reporters addressing last week’s resurfacing of USWNT midfielder Korbin Albert’s social media activity.

“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.”

https://670a40a22809e9cbfe258482c9454f8d.safeframe.googlesyndication.com/safeframe/1-0-40/html/container.html

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.

GO DEEPER

USWNT’s Korbin Albert apologizes for social media posts after Megan Rapinoe’s criticism

“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.

GO DEEPER

The USWNT has long been ‘bigger than just the game,’ SheBelieves Cup will be a test of that

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.”

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

By Nnamdi Onyeagwarar 4, 2024

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.

How to follow the Copa America on The Athletic…

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.

GO DEEPER

An England summer exit or target the World Cup – what next for Gareth Southgate?

England lost to Brazil at Wembley Stadium last month and have not won since beating Malta 2-0 in November (Mike Hewitt/Getty Images)

FIFA Men’s World Rankings Top 15:

Argentina
France
Belgium
England
Brazil
Portugal
Netherlands
Spain
Italy
Croatia
USMNT
Colombia
Morocco
Mexico
Uruguay

USMNT weekend viewing guide: Firming things up

Races are heating up

By jcksnftsn Apr 5, 2024, 9:05am PDT

14 Comments / 14 New

Share this story

Celtic FC v Dundee FC - Cinch Scottish Premiership

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.

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

Heading over to the Badger Field for Training? Try out the Best BarBQ in Town right across the street (131st) from Northview Church on the corner of Hazelldell & 131st. RackZ BBQ

Save 20% on your order

(mention the ole ballcoach)

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

Rent this Beautiful 4 BR Beach house at Myrtle Beach for as low at $250 a night.

Proud Member of the American Outlaws https://www.facebook.com/IndyAOUnite, Brick Yard Battalion – http://brickyardbattalion.com, Sam’s Army-http://sams-army.com

Earn Your College Degree at ½ the Cost and Time of Traditional Schools www.achievetestprep.com/shane

2/9/24 Champ League Returns Tues/Wed on CBS 3 pm, World Cup Final in NJ, US in LA, USWNT Gold Cup Roster, Big Game Weekend on TV

February 10, 2024February 13, 2024 gatorbest carmel-dads-club-reffing, champions-league-vs-superbowl, fifa, goalkeeping-in-indiana, indy-11-soccer, reffing, soccer, us-soccer

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 9^th.

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.

Reffing Classes at Carmel Dad’s Club

GAMES ON TV

Sat, Feb 10

7:30 am USA Man City vs Everton

10 am peacock Tottenham vs Brighton

10 am USA Liverpool vs Burnley

10 am Peacock_ Fulham (Robinson) vs Bournmouth

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

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

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 !

Save 20% on your order

(mention the ole ballcoach or the soccer guy)

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

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

Champions League

Why is the Champions League so hard to retain?
UEFA Champions League: Schedule, scores, how to watch live, dates, odds, predictions

UEFA reveals London-inspired Champions League ball Chris Wright

Man City, beware: FC Copenhagen keep upsetting Europe’s elite. Just ask Man Utd 1 ars Sivertsen

Bellingham out 3 weeks with high ankle sprain ESPN

Pep ‘99.99%’ sure City won’t win treble again Rob Dawson
FC Copenhagen v Manchester City: Pep Guardiola wants Erling Haaland to relax
RB Leipzig v Real Madrid: Jude Bellingham to miss last-16 tie with sprained ankle
Injury crisis ‘can motivate us’, says Madrid boss Ancelotti

US MEN & Women

Breaking Down the US ladies Gold Cup Roster
Breaking down USWNT Gold Cup roster: No Alex Morgan. Mallory Swanson begins comeback
Ashley Hatch, Alex Morgan left off USWNT’s youthful Gold Cup roster

Morgan left off Roster as Smith Sets Return for US Gold Cup Roster – ESPN
Matt Turner the shoot-out hero as Nottingham Forest taken distance by Bristol City

World

February viewing guide: Champions League, Premier League, LaLiga, AFCON and more
Nigeria set up AFCON final against hosts Ivory Coast
‘Resurrected’ Ivory Coast were gifted Africa Cup of Nations reprieve – now they could go on to win it
Knives out for Klinsmann after South Korea’s ‘shameful’ Asian Cup exit
What South Korea’s Asian Cup exit means for Son Heung-min & Jurgen Klinsmann

Reffing

Premier League pushes for VAR overhaul – here is how it can be improved
VAR: In-stadium experience poor for fans – Premier League chief football officer

St Pete Mom Tori Penso Reffed the Women’s World Cup Final

Being a Mom helped MLS Ref Tori Penso become a Better Ref

Become a Licensed High School Ref

Become a Licensed Ref with Indiana Soccer – must be over 13

Reffing Classes at Carmel Dad’s Club

GK

Matt Turner saves the Day – wins shootout for Nottingham Forest

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.

Shephard: Japanese winger Takefusa Kubo seems to have found his feet at Real Sociedad after joining them from Real Madrid in the summer of 2022. His form this season has seen him linked with a move — although he has recently signed a long-term contract. This competition is a key opportunity for him to shine on a huge stage.

Which manager has the most to lose?

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?

By jcksnftsn Feb 9, 2024, 11:07am PST

Crystal Palace v Sheffield United - Premier League

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.

Marta never won a World Cup. Here’s what left her empty-handed.

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

By Felipe Cardenas Feb 8, 2024

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!

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

By Jon Arnold

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, 2024 12:05 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).

Our @FIFAWorldCup 26 Group Stage Schedule ?????#WeAre26 pic.twitter.com/Z22TqTgRob— U.S. Soccer Men’s National Team (@USMNT) February 4, 2024

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 25^th 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 66^th minute before Norwich found a winner in the 88^th. 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.

https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-3&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=1754517439495188886&lang=en&origin=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.americansoccernow.com%2Farticles%2Fnj-gets-the-final-taylor-wins-booth-bowl-ldlt-amp-sargent-surge-mcguire-in-limbo-and-more&sessionId=6f91dd9a10499730d24f4b9c816f8a001794224c&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px

Go Reyna & Matz Sels were not registered in time for this game. So while Reyna won’t play, Matt Turner probably will #USMNT https://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 70^th 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 85^th 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 65^th 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.

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

Heading over to the Badger Field for Training? Try out the Best BarBQ in Town right across the street (131st) from Northview Church on the corner of Hazelldell & 131st. RackZ BBQ

Save 20% on your order

(mention the ole ballcoach)

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

Rent this Beautiful 4 BR Beach house at Myrtle Beach for as low at $250 a night.

Proud Member of the American Outlaws https://www.facebook.com/IndyAOUnite, Brick Yard Battalion – http://brickyardbattalion.com, Sam’s Army-http://sams-army.com

Earn Your College Degree at ½ the Cost and Time of Traditional Schools www.achievetestprep.com/shane