Huge Weekend Games
El Classico this Sunday 3 pm on ESPN+ and ESPN Desportes. The last thing for Barcelona to play for as they travel to Real Madrid just 8 pts behind in the table with 4 games to go. In Germany Leverkusen has won the league but is looking to be the only team undefeated in league play in the top 5 leagues as they travel to Dortmund who needs to win to stay in the top 5 Champions League slots – that game is 11:30 am on ESPN2 Sunday. The EPL has Liverpool traveling to Fulham America to face American Jedi Robinson at 11:30 am Sunday on USA – as Liverpool must win to keep their title hopes alive. Arsenal travels to Wolverhampton Sat 2:30 pm on USA before hosting Chelsea on Tues at 3 pm on USA. Chelsea of course will face Man City in the FA Cup on ESPN+ Sat 12:15 pm from Wembley.
US Ladies Shootout Win over Canada
Wow what a special time to be on hand to see the USWNT hoist another trophy – this time the She Believe’s Cup Trophy at Columbus Crew Stadium. My daughter and I were lucky to be in the American Outlaws section behind the goal where US GK Alyssa Naeher refused to lose as she saved 3 and scored a goal of her own in leading the US ladies to a 2-2 (3-2) win over a solid Canadian Side. Sophia Smith struck this wonder goal just 5 into the 2nd half before moving to the 9 spot as subs Trinity Rodman and Mallory Swanson added life in the 2nd half on the wings as the young combo eventually fed Smith for the go ahead goal. (full highlights). I thought the reffing was horrific as the Concacaf crew was obviously not used to doing high level women’s games. Crystal Dunn’s penalty was mighty questionable to give Canada the tying goal with under 5 to play. The US certainly did miss Girma as Davidson and Dahlkemper struggled to hold Canada out of the US box – and Davidson especially looked horrific at times trying to work it out of play. All in all the US outplayed Canada and deserved to win the game.
It was great to see and be amongst the sold out crowd in Columbus following the sold out crowd (over 50K) in Atlanta over the weekend. We had an absolute blast watching from the American Outlaws Section – especially when all the players came up our aisle to receive their medals – European FA Cup Style. I was especially happy to see so very many youngsters in the stands – there were a ton of young girl soccer players there – speaks well to our future!! Here’s some quick pics and videos from the game. https://www.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=10161587182779104&id=501829103&mibextid=WC7FNe&rdid=hyLM9rF5RakR2VlM
Must See TV – Champions League Action is Unbelievable CBS 3 pm Wed
So sorry I didn’t get this out over the weekend or at least before today’s Champions League action – today’s Dortmund comeback to beat my Atletico and Barcelona’s choke job vs PSG was pure drama all game as multiple goals were scored and the game results were in question until the very end. Now I won’t use this space to talk about how ridiculous Europeans are to not have these games NOT Being played at the same exact time (but lets be real just because they invented the sport does not mean they know how to market it (idiots). Anyway Tuesday’s quarterfinals final legs were spectacular and Wed promises the same as Man City host Real Madrid tied at 2 @ 3 pm on CBS, while Bayern Munich host Arsenal also tied at 2 on Paramount +. The pregame and postgame action is on CBSSN so make plans now to cozy up to the bar or some TV or your phone tomorrow at work. Or at least tape the CBS game and watch the replay of Bayern vs Arsenal on CBSSN at 5 pm.
Europa League Thurs with Milan & Pulisic on CBSSN 3 pm, Liverpool, West Ham, Aston Villa
Europa League action wraps up with AC Milan and Pulisic & Musah tied at 1 traveling to Roma at 3 pm on CBSSN, while Liverpool is down 3 goals at Atalanta on Para+, and West Ham host the hottest team in the world Bayer Leverkusen down (1-3). Aston Villa travels to Lille at 12:45 pm Paramount plus. Oh and El Classico this Sunday 3 pm on ESPN+ and ESPN Desportes.
Games on TV
Weds, Apr 17
3 pm CBS Bayern Munich 2 vs Arsenal 2 UCL
3 pm Para+, Tele Man City 2 vs Real Madrid 2 UCL
8 pm mls.com Indy 11 @ Chicago Fire US Open Cup
Thurs, Apr 18
12:45 Para+ Lille (france) vs Aston Villa
3 pm CBSSN Roma vs AC Milan (Pulisic, Musah) Europa
3 pm Para+ Atalanta vs Liverpool
3 pm Para+ Leverkusen vs West Ham United
Sat, Apr 20
12”15 ESPN+ Man City vs Chelsea
12:30 pm ESPN+ Union Berlin ( ) vs Bayern Munich
1 pm CBS Washington Spirit vs NY/NJ Gotham FC NWSL
2:30 pm USA Wolverhampton vs Arsenal
7:30 pm Ion KC vs Bay FC NWSL
8 pm ESPN+ Indy 11 @ Colorado Springs
10 pm ion Portland Thorns vs Houston Dash NWSL
10:30 pm ESPN+ Phoenix Rising vs Pittsburgh (Eric Dick GK)
Sun, Apr 21
8:30 am USA Everton vs Nottingham Forest
11:30 am USA Fulham (Jedi) vs Liverpool
11:30 pm ESPN2 Dortmund vs Bayer Leverkusen
3 pm ESPN+, des Real Madrid vs Barcelona El Classico
6 pm Fox Sport 1 Charlotte vs Min United
7:30 pm CBSSN Angel City vs NC Courage
8:15 pm FS1 LA Galaxy vs San Jose
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
USWNT
Emma Hayes inherits a reinvigorated USWNT. But she faces new headaches
USWNT player ratings: Smith, Naeher decisive in SheBelieves Cup triumph over Canada
Three thoughts as USWNT lifts SheBelieves Cup with shootout win over Canada
USWNT beats Canada for SheBelieves Cup win
SheBelieves Cup 2024 – USA 2(5)-2(4) Canada: A wild comeback win sees the Americans lift the trophy
SSFC Spotlight: Eva Gaetino receives first USWNT call-up By Brendan Joseph
US Men
USMNT Midweek Viewers Guide – Europa League
Champions League
Man City’s ‘double-treble’ dream is over, but ‘worst week of season’ is not ESPN Rob Dawson
Bayern give inexperienced Arsenal a painful Champions League lesson
Arteta: Beating Bayern would transform Arsenal
Bellingham has chance to show why choosing Real Madrid over Man City was right decision
Kane: Bayern’s season a failure without UCL title
City boss Pep Guardiola ‘doesn’t fear’ Madrid
Mbappé seals PSG comeback to eliminate Barça
Mbappe: Matter of ‘pride’ to win UCL with PSG
Dortmund dump Atleti in 2nd leg to reach semis
‘Rollercoaster’ win ends ‘great day’ for Dortmund
Barça’s UCL exit sends Atletico to Club World Cup
Should Harry Kane have been sent-off against Arsenal? The Independent sports team have their say
Real Madrid’s comeback draw ‘felt like defeat’ despite Federico Valverde’s late leveller
Barcelona beat PSG in thriller to seize edge in Champions League tie
Kylian Mbappe anonymous as Barcelona edge PSG in Champions League thriller
Paris St-Germain 2-3 Barcelona: Raphinha outshines Kylian Mbappe as youngsters break records
Xavi hails ‘great victory’ as Barcelona grab advantage against PSG
Raphinha outshines Kylian Mbappe as Barcelona earn advantage over PSG in five-goal thriller
Paris St-Germain 2-3 Barcelona: Andreas Christensen hits winner in Champions League quarter-final first leg
Atletico will have to suffer at Dortmund: Griezmann
Atletico Madrid 2-1 Borussia Dortmund: Hosts edge first leg of Champions League quarter-final tie
Atletico hold on to keep narrow advantage on ‘nervous’ Dortmund
Liverpool ratings: Salah gets 6/10 but not enough as Atalanta eliminate Reds
Reffing
Xavi: ‘Disaster’ referee killed Barca’s UCL hopes
Controversy caps off wild Champions League night
Bayern Munich furious as ‘crazy’ Arsenal handball missed in 2-2 UCL tie
Goalkeeping
USMNT weekend viewing guide: Playing with the big boys now
Coventry gets their shot. By jcksnftsn Apr 19, 2024, 10:52am PDT
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There’s an exciting addition to our usual rundown this weekend with Haji Wright and Coventry City looking to play spoiler and continue their unlikely run in the FA Cup. That match will be on Sunday so first let’s take a look at the USMNT club matches we can watch on Friday and Saturday.
Friday
Caligari v Juventus – 2:45p on Paramount+
Timothy Weah has not made it off the bench in the past two matches though Weston McKennie continues to start for Juventus who have really trailed off in the back half of the Serie A season with just two wins in their last eleven league matches. They face Lazio on Tuesday in the second leg of their Copa Italia semi-final matchup so there may be a bit of squad rotation this weekend against fourteenth place Caligari. Juve do hold a twelve point lead for the final Champions League qualifying spot though Atalanta have a game in hand and if Juventus can’t get some wins they could actually make a run.
Saturday
Celta Vigo v Las Palmas – 8a on ESPN Deportes and ESPN+
Luca de la Torre has missed three straight matches due to injury but has been included in the matchday squad for Celta Vigo as they look to continue to hold off relegation this weekend. With seven matches remaining Celta are just three points out of the relegation positions in La Liga heading into their matchup with 12th place Las Palmas
Wolfsburg v Bochum – 9:30a on ESPN+
Kevin Paredes was back on the bench last weekend but did not play a week after missing due to injury. Prior to the injury Paredes had started nine straight matches. Wolfsburg have just one win in their last fourteen matches and currently sit just two points out of the relegation spot and one points ahead of this weekends opponent, Bochum.
Hoffenheim v Borussia Monchengladbach – 9:30a on ESPN+
Joe Scally did not make the field last weekend while Jordan Pefok came on as a substitute but had to come off ten minutes later due to an injury in Borussia Monchengladbach’s 2-1 loss to Borussia Dortmund. Gladbach’s opponent this weekend is Hoffenheim who are coming off a 4-1 loss to relegation threatened Mainz with John Brooks coming on in the 60th minute.
Heidenheim v RB Leipzig – 9:30a on ESPN+
Lennard Maloney has reclaimed his starting role for Heidenheim after returning from injury and played the full 90 minutes again last weekend in his team’s 1-1 draw with Bochum. Heidenheim sit in 10th place heading into their matchup with Leipzig this weekend with Leipzig looking to hold off Borussia Dortmund for fourth place and the final Champions League qualifying spot.
Union Berlin v Bayern Munich – 12:30p on ESPN+
Brenden Aaronson started his fourth straight match for Union Berlin last weekend but the team fell to Augsburg 2-0 and remain three points out of the relegation playoff spot just a year removed from Champions League qualification. They face a Bayern Munich side who have had their 11 year reign as Bundesliga champions come to an end as of last week but who also dismissed Arsenal from Champions League play mid-week.
Valencia v Real Betis – 12:30p on ESPN Deportes and ESPN+
Johnny Cardoso started and went the full 90 for Real Betis last weekend as they snapped a four match losing streak by defeating Celta Vigo 2-1 last weekend. The result drew them within five points of Real Sociedad for sixth place and European competition qualification and they are currently two points back of this weekend’s opponent Valencia who are in seventh and have won two straight matches 1-0.
Sunday
Everton v Nottingham Forest – 8:30a on USA Network
Gio Reyna received his first start since joining Nottingham Forest last weekend and picked up an assist off a corner as Forest drew with Wolves to gain a point on Luton Town for the final relegation spot. This weekend’s match will be a key one for Forest as they take on an Everton side who are a point ahead of them in the standings with a game in hand and coming off a 6-0 thrashing at the hands of Chelsea.
Aston Villa v Bournemouth – 10a on Peacock
Tyler Adams was held out again last weekend due to injury as Bournemouth drew with Manchester United 2-2. It’s a rough turn of events for Adams who had played in just two matches for Bournemouth before returning to the injury list. Bournemouth are squarely in the middle of the table from a points perspective while Aston Villa are currently holding on to fourth place, three points ahead of Tottenham.
Crystal Palace v West Ham – 10a on Peacock
Chris Richards has missed three straight due to injury but did return to training late this week for Crystal Palace who are coming off a shock 1-0 win over title contending Liverpool. With the win Palace pulled eight points out of the relegation scrap.
Coventry City v Manchester United – 10:30a on ESPN+
Haji Wright and Coventry City will look to continue their FA Cup run as they face Manchester United in the semifinals on Sunday. Coventry have seen their promotion hopes fade, falling eight points back of the playoff positions in the Championship but they can still make a splash this season. Coventry defeated Wolverhampton 3-2 in the quarterfinals after remarkably scoring a goal in the seventh minute of stoppage time followed by Wright’s game winner with the last kick of the match in the tenth minute of stoppage.
Brest v Monaco – 11:05a on beIN Sports
Folarin Balogun and third place Monaco face second place Brest on Sunday morning in Ligue One action. PSG have a solid grip on the league lead but with just three Champions League spots from Ligue One and Lille only three points back of Monaco (who trail Brest by a point) both teams have a lot to play for yet this season. Fulham v Liverpool – 11:30a on USA Network
Tim Ream was not included in the matchday squad last weekend but Antonee Robinson started yet again, he’s started all but one match this season, as Fulham defeated West Ham to move into twelfth place. They will take on a Liverpool side that is licking it’s wounds coming off being bounced from the Champions League quarterfinals by Atlanta and suffering a huge blow to their title hopes in a loss to Crystal Place last weekend that saw Manchester City take a two point advantage in the title race with six matches to play.
Arsenal, Liverpool’s moment of truth in Premier League title race
- Mark Ogden, Senior Writer, ESPN FCApr 19, 2024, 04:00 AM ET
Arsenal and Liverpool have their own problems right now as they attempt to reignite their Premier League title hopes. But the aching bodies, tired minds and damaged morale that managers Mikel Arteta and Jürgen Klopp must overcome are suddenly threatening to halt Manchester City and Pep Guardiola, too.If the Premier League trophy is to end the season decked in red ribbons rather than blue, this weekend is the final chance for both Arsenal and Liverpool to turn the screw on City and capitalise on their moment of weakness. By the time City return to Premier League action, at Brighton & Hove Albion next Thursday, Arsenal and Liverpool could be four points clear of Guardiola’s team. If that turns out to be the case, don’t underestimate the scale of the task facing the reigning champions.The sight of Erling Haaland and Kevin De Bruyne limping out of City’s Champions League quarterfinal defeat against Real Madrid on Wednesday, combined with the looks of exhaustion and failure on the faces of Guardiola and his players, has raised question marks over City’s ability to bounce back and win a fourth successive title. Who knows how significant a blow it will be to City to have their treble hopes extinguished by a penalty shootout defeat? But having gone 27 games without walking off the pitch in defeat — yes, they technically drew over 120 minutes against Madrid, but try telling Guardiola and his players they didn’t lose the game — City have now lost the air of invincibility that they have developed since their 1-0 loss at Aston Villa in December.
EDITOR’S PICKS
- Liverpool ratings: Salah gets 6/10 but not enough as Atalanta eliminate Reds20hAdam Brown
- Bayern give inexperienced Arsenal a painful Champions League lesson2dJames Olley
- Man City’s ‘double-treble’ dream is over, but ‘worst week of season’ is not12hRob Dawson
Some title races are defined by teams that really hit their stride as they approach the finish line. They deal with injuries, fatigue and opposition “mind games” as though they don’t exist. Leicester City’s fairy-tale triumph in 2016 and City’s hat trick of titles over the past three years are examples of sides blanking out all distractions to clinch the championship. But sometimes the teams at the top wobble, and their physical and mental strength are tested to the limit. In 2012, when Sergio Agüero’s 93rd-minute winner against Queen’s Park Rangers sealed the title for City in the final game of the season, both they and nearest rivals Manchester United built and lost significant leads — United were eight points clear with six games to play — during the run-in.
This season’s title race will be shaped by what happens this weekend. City’s FA Cup semifinal against Chelsea on Saturday (stream LIVE at 12:15 p.m. ET on ESPN+) gives their title rivals the chance to dislodge Guardiola’s side from top spot, with Arsenal away to Wolves on Saturday evening and Liverpool travelling to Fulham on Sunday. But although City’s confidence will have been dented by the Real defeat, Arsenal and Liverpool must also haul themselves off the floor.
Arsenal face Wolverhampton Wanderers having lost their past two games without scoring, against Aston Villa in the league and Bayern Munich in the Champions League, while a run of one point from Liverpool’s past two Premier League games has damaged their own title challenge. The 3-0 Europa League defeat at home to Atalanta between those dropped points against United and Crystal Palace inflicted drained belief at Anfield, too. But although both teams now trail City by two points at the top of the Premier League, momentum can shift quickly, and Arsenal and Liverpool simply have to win this weekend to keep their hopes alive.Arsenal need to buck their recent trend of faltering in the final weeks of a season if they are to win the title. Last season, the Gunners won just four of their last 10 league matches, while in 2021-22 they won five and lost five of their final 10 games. This time, they realistically need to win all six of their remaining games, but if they can claim all three points at Molineux and then beat Chelsea at the Emirates on Tuesday, a four-point lead (and a significantly healthier goal difference over City) would put Arteta’s team firmly back in the hunt for the title.Liverpool have a track record of finishing strongly in the league, so their recent dropped points are out of character for Klopp’s side. Last season, seven wins and three draws from their final 10 games were almost enough to clinch a top-four finish, while eight wins and two draws during the 2021-22 run-in left them just a point adrift of eventual champions City.Next up is Sunday’s trip to Fulham which, following Thursday’s Europa League elimination despite winning the second leg against Atalanta 1-0 in Italy, is crucial for Liverpool’s title ambitions. Although Liverpool haven’t lost at Craven Cottage since December 2011, they have drawn on their past two league visits to the stadium — a result they can ill afford this weekend. But a win at Fulham, coupled with another victory in the Merseyside derby at Everton o Wednesday, would lift them four points clear of City, who would have played two games fewer than Liverpool and Arsenal by the time they reemerge on league duty at Brighton.There are plenty of ifs and buts surrounding Arsenal and Liverpool, but one thing is absolutely clear: they both have to win this weekend to retain any realistic hope of winning the title. Yet if one or both of them can do the job this weekend and back it up with another win in midweek, a four-point deficit even with two games in hand would be a challenge for City to meet. History suggests Guardiola and his players will deal with that challenge, but the title race isn’t over yet.Real Madrid have shown that City can be overcome, so Arsenal and Liverpool must apply the pressure to make it happen in the Premier League.
Alyssa Naeher heroics, boos for Korbin Albert as USWNT wins SheBelieves Cup on penalties
By Steph Yang, Meg Linehan, and Jeff Rueter Apr 9, 2024 The Athletic
The USWNT needed penalty kicks and another ridiculous shootout performance from goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher, but Emily Fox slotted the winning penalty kick to defeat Canada for the SheBelieves Cup trophy on Tuesday night. Despite misses from Trinity Rodman and Emily Sonnett during the shootout, Naeher once again played hero as she made three saves during the shootout and, as is her new standard, converted her own shot. It’s the seventh SheBelieves Cup trophy for the USWNT.Sophia Smith provided both of the USWNT’s goals during the second half, after Canada went up late in the first. Canada would get an equalizer of their own late in the match after Crystal Dunn was judged to have brought down forward Adriana Leon in the box, with Leon converting the penalty to make it 2-2. Canadian center back Kadeisha Buchanen nearly provided the game-winning goal via her head, but the U.S. was saved by the crossbar on the final, notable chance of the match.
Earlier in the night, Brazil and Japan also went to penalties to decide the third-place team. Brazil ended up with that honor, as Japan struggled to convert any attempts in the shootout.
With decent weather and no torrential rain, we finally got a real look at what a true soccer game between the U.S. and Canada looks like right now — though somehow we ended up in the exact same place of needing penalties to decide a winner, while many U.S. fans made their displeasure with Korbin Albert known repeatedly throughout the night. Here are the takeaways from this edition of this matchup.
The USWNT celebrates after beating Canada. (Carmen Mandato/USSF/Getty Images for USSF)
Naeher redemption
Even at her heights during the 2019 World Cup cycle, few would mistake Alyssa Naeher for being a sweeper-keeper. The Chicago Red Stars netminder is an exceptional shot-stopper on her day and a capable defensive orchestrator, providing a level-headed approach that has kept games from going off the rails. Nevertheless, she’s not the type who will converge onto a ball before an attacker sets up their shot, and is more of a traditional stay-near-the-net shot-stopper.
Canada’s opening goal exposed that fact, one that has only gotten more apparent with each passing year.
Even without the “Naeher won’t beat Ashley Lawrence in a footrace” factor, Naeher decided to close the angle far too late into Canada’s counter. Any split-second of indecision works against a goalkeeper who needs to time that challenge, and it was likely the difference between a last-gasp clearance and the actual result, which was an attempted clearance off of Lawrence’s shin right to Deanne Rose. The indecision also cost the USWNT time to adjust its defensive shape, leaving Rose with an easy pass to Adriana Leon for an empty-net finish.Of course, the resolution of the game — another tournament that ends with Naeher saving at least one penalty in a shootout — does reinforce her bona fides in the big moment. She remains one of the world’s best, if not its standard-bearer, in terms of handling spot-kick responsibilities in a big moment. Her resolve helped the U.S. bounce back from Rodman having the first penalty of the shootout saved. Naeher took control of the moment by making a save of her own, then immediately stepping up to take the U.S.’s third shot, then turning around and making two more saves. It was complete domination.
That said, and it goes without saying: a team only gets to penalties if it fails to win in the 90 or 120 minutes preceding it. When a team concedes goals like the one that opened the scoring tonight, coming up big in a shootout is a mandatory recompense.
If the team is determined to play a possession-based game that invites opponents to threaten on the counter, Naeher’s decision-making in similar situations could make or break the USWNT’s quest to earn a gold medal.
The U.S. fan base is still largely unhappy with Albert
Korbin Albert was a substitute in both games, and in both games she received boos when entering the field, though they were clearly audible even on Tuesday night’s television broadcast. In Columbus, where the in-stadium announcer had to re-do the substitution announcement when Albert came on for Shaw, Albert was booed both times, and yet again after the game when her name was read during the trophy ceremony.
Leaving aside that the team did look worse when Albert came on — who wouldn’t look worse with Shaw substituting off from the No. 10? — it’s clear that some fans are left unsatisfied by Albert’s apology and subsequent statements from USWNT leadership that, while they condemn anti-LGBTQ behavior, they are handling the issue privately.
Make it a double for Smith
Listen, it’s absolutely clutch for the USWNT to get Sophia Smith back in this goal-scoring form, but both of her goals help illustrate the sort of success this team can see when they move the ball with purpose and nail their first touch or one-time passing.
We’ve seen how playing a more direct approach has worked this year during the Gold Cup against Colombia, and when you think about the attacking talent (and depth of that talent) on this team, the direct approach is actually providing more options. Smith will get the credit for Tuesday’s two goals, but it was the introduction of Swanson and shifting Shaw back to the No. 10 that unlocked a more successful interplay between the forward line — and as we noted above, Shaw was involved on both goals in the build-up.Her decision to simply lay it off for Smith on the equalizer, in particular, was the perfect example of what happens when you make the simple, quick decision and trust the player on the other side of that call.
The double pivot is back…ish
Against Canada, the United States opted for a more defensive setup with Sam Coffey and Emily Sonnett in a double pivot. But playing Coffey and Sonnett together there — and keeping Lindsey Horan in the midfield, as well — obliges you to shift Jaedyn Shaw out of the midfield, which is what happened as Shaw moved to the left wing. The 19-year-old Shaw looked a little discombobulated to start; it would’ve been really interesting to see her start at the No. 10 two games in a row, instead of asking her to adjust positionally. With more experience, that’s the kind of switch that Shaw will no doubt make more seamlessly, but in this game, it left the U.S. hunting around for some kind of outlet to penetrate Canada’s box.
The U.S. shifted tactics a bit in the second half, returning Shaw to the No. 10 by substituting Coffey for Mal Swanson. With Shaw closer to Smith, it enabled Smith to drop into the pocket in the half space instead of staying wide and having to fight past a defender, helping to create the equalizing goal in the second half. Shaw also helped create the second goal by picking out Rodman on a nicely weighted pass.
Having looked at both setups across the halves, it feels hard to argue for the more stultifying double-pivot, although that may have been affected by players adjusting positions between games and the loss of Naomi Girma to injury. It also suffered from some baffling usage of Dunn, who sat out on the touchline in space by herself for long minutes without ever getting the ball.
Of course, there’s no rule that the U.S. has to use one formation forever, and against Canada in a friendly, why not examine a more defensive setup and see if you can score out of it? The team’s willingness to make adjustments in the second half paid off in the end, and that’s really what matters.
(Top photo: Brad Smith/ISI Photos/USSF/Getty Images for USSF)
Stars vs. balance: USWNT overcomes perpetual problem to lift SheBelieves Cup
- Jeff Kassouf ESPN FC
Apr 9, 2024, 09:55 PM ET
COLUMBUS, Ohio — Another game United States–Canada matchup, another victorious penalty shootout for the Americans.
The USWNT defeated Canada in a shootout on Tuesday for the second time in 34 days, again after Canada equalized late in a match for a 2-2 draw. The win brought a seventh SheBelieves Cup title in nine editions of the tournament for the USWNT. While a trophy is nice, the most important aspect of the night was what did and did not work tactically as the Americans continue through this transition phase three months ahead of the Olympics.
On Tuesday, USWNT interim coach Twila Kilgore made four changes to the lineup that defeated Japan 2-1 three days earlier. The “who” of the changes was far less important than the “how,” and they captured the essence of one of the biggest questions impending head coach Emma Hayes must address upon her arrival next month: Does she try to get her most talented 11 players on the field, or will she make necessary sacrifices to find her most cohesive squad?
– Stream on ESPN+: LaLiga, Bundesliga, more (U.S.)
The pitfalls of the former approach were on display Tuesday and stood in stark contrast to a dominant USWNT performance against Japan. On Tuesday, Jaedyn Shaw moved back to a winger role after thriving in the No. 10 position against Japan. She flanked striker Alex Morgan on the left, with Sophia Smith lining up on the right. Lindsey Horan pushed higher into the No. 10 role, but the net result was a familiar problem for USWNT: several players who prefer to occupy central spaces are tasked with providing width.
Horan tended to drift toward the right side alongside Smith in the first half, presumably to allow Shaw the freedom to tuck inside. The net result, however, was that the US was left without a central passing option in the space a No. 10 would traditionally occupy. At one point late in the first half, Shaw drifted all the way to the right touchline alongside Smith to find the ball.
EDITOR’S PICKS
- USWNT coach on Shaw: ‘Be patient, there’s more’8dJeff Kassouf
- USWNT’s Albert can play amid flak for social posts11dJeff Carlisle
“The first half, I felt their midfielders were going places they didn’t want to go because I think we did shut off the middle of the pitch,” Canada coach Bev Priestman said.
The problem was clear enough to require a change coming out of half-time: Mallory Swanson — likely on minutes restrictions as she returns from injury — replaced Sam Coffey, which shifted Horan deeper into midfield and Shaw inside to formally take over the No. 10 role. The changes paid off almost immediately: Smith equalized five minutes after half-time on an assist from Shaw. Eighteen minutes later, Shaw was the central playmaker again, finding second-half substitute Trinity Rodman, who fed a through ball to Smith for a second goal.
“I thought once we sorted out right after half-time where our pocket players were and making sure that we consistently had players in the pocket, the game changed for us,” Kilgore said. “That just comes down to basically creating our shape and getting into our shape as quickly as possible, and then being dynamic in it. I think the team has really bought in on that and it’s definitely something that we’ll carry forward with us.”
Shaw was a catalyst of the USWNT’s attack on Saturday in a convincing team performance against Japan. Swanson and Rodman ran the wings on each side of Morgan in that game, meaning the USWNT’s front four were all in their preferred and most natural positions. The USWNT looked out of sorts on Tuesday with those players shuffled, but balance was restored as soon as the half-time changes were made.
There lies the issue for Hayes — and it is a good problem to have.
If Shaw’s performances continue to command the starting No. 10 role — she certainly made that case against Japan and in the second half against Canada — and Horan shifts deeper into a No. 8 or double pivot role, what does that mean for a healthy Rose Lavelle or Catarina Macario?
And with Swanson and Rodman most comfortable in the winger roles, and Morgan continues to reassert her claim as the team’s central target, what happens to the uber talented Smith, recent NWSL MVP and Golden Boot winner? Smith is dominant in the NWSL for the Portland Thorns but has struggled to grasp hold of an exact role at the international level, in part because of this positional dilemma. It is no coincidence she scored both goals in the second half, including her second tally right after she moved to the No. 9 role.
“I think we just had a really good, fluid movement among the front three,” Smith said about the second half. “At any given time, I could find myself at any position and same with the other two players up front. We’re not shy of movement and interchanging, and I think that just works out really well for us. It keeps the defense on their toes and just presents different challenges for the other team.”
None of these issues are new, but a different coach will now be tasked with solving them. Hayes must figure out how to optimize a talented squad.
Last year’s tepid Women’s World Cup showing from the USWNT was a product of individualistic play and a team that lacked chemistry, in part because it couldn’t figure out its identity. Smith shoehorned into a wide role with Morgan as the striker, and the U.S. rotated its midfield in search of answers for a recovering and then injured Lavelle. Those solutions came too late, and the USWNT was bounced by Sweden in a penalty shootout in the round of 16.
Hayes previously criticized the USWNT for its lack of technical players, so the evolution of Shaw into a star before her eyes before she even arrives on the sideline is a fruitful development.Tuesday’s match reiterated that how the USWNT lines up is as important as who is on the field. There is not and never was, even through the struggles of recent years, a shortage of talent in the American player pool; there was a shortage of ideas and viable solutions — from coaches and players alike.Hayes was hired — and worth the wait as she finishes her time at Chelsea — because U.S. Soccer feels like she is the best coach to solve those issues. She will have only a few months to do so ahead of the Olympics, but the signs of what is and is not working were on display again on Tuesday in a tale of two halves.
Why Barcelona can only blame themselves after imploding vs. PSG
Sam Marsden, Barcelona correspondentApr 16, 2024, 05:52 PM ET
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Barcelona‘s wait for a first Champions League semifinal appearance since 2019 goes on after Xavi Hernández’s side imploded against Paris Saint-Germain on Tuesday following Ronald Araújo‘s first half sending off at the Olympic Stadium.
Barça were leading 1-0 on the night, 4-2 on aggregate after last week’s first leg win in Paris, when Araujo lightly bundled Bradley Barcola down just outside the area in the 29th minute. The referee quickly branded a red card, and with it Barça’s hopes of reaching the last four disappeared as quickly as Barcola had dropped to the deck, with the game ending 6-4 on aggregate.
PSG’s comeback was led by Ousmane Dembélé on his return to Barcelona. He left Barça for France last summer in a transfer worth €50 million and fierce whistles greeted his every touch. He could afford a smile when he equalized just before half-time, converting Barcola’s cross to get his side back in the tie. It was just the third goal he has scored this season — two of them have come against Barça in the last week.
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Barça may pin their collapse on being down to 10 men, but the truth is they made PSG’s route back into the game easy. Vitinha was left unmarked on the edge of the box from a corner in the 54th minute. He duly smashed in to the bottom corner and then, just after the hour mark, João Cancelo clattered into Dembéle inside the box. Kylian Mbappé, anonymous in the first leg, dispatched the resulting penalty to give PSG the lead in the tie.
The home side did have chances to level, but they came and went, with Mbappé adding his second goal on the counter-attack in the 89th minute to seal PSG’s passage into the semifinal as flares were set off in the away end in the second tier behind the goal where he had just scored.
Echegaray expects PSG to reach the UCL final
Luis Miguel Echegaray explains why he’s backing PSG to overcome Barcelona and go on to reach the Champions League final.
If that was the end to this frenetic tie, it is unlikely to be the end to the developing rivalry between the two clubs. Manager Luis Enrique was in the Barça dugout in 2017 when they beat PSG 6-1 to overcome a 4-0 first leg deficit. Now he has helped PSG overturn a first leg defeat in the competition for the first ever time. Before the game, he had said he was convinced that would be the case.
In between those two comebacks, PSG have taken Neymar, Lionel Messi and Dembéle from Barça, while they also hammered the Catalans at Camp Nou when the two sides met in 2021 in the last 16, Mbappé netting a hat trick on that occasion. All of those factors have added an edge to this fixture and it was apparent here, with the extra police presence palpable and supporters chanting their dislike for each other throughout the day in the city all the way up to the stadium in Montjuic.
When 16-year-old Lamine Yamal roasted Nuno Mendes in the 12th minute to set up Raphinha, it looked like the travelling supporters would finally be silenced. Barça were unbeaten in 13 games coming into this match, dating back to Xavi’s January announcement that he will step down when the season ends. They have kept six clean sheets in a row in LaLiga. With a two goal advantage, it looked like tie over.
Robert Lewandowski blazed a chance to add another goal for Barça over the bar before the game swung definitively just before the half hour mark. Araujo was adamant he had not fouled Barcola. The touch was light, but it existed and it is not the sort of decision VAR often intervenes in.
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How Barça reacted to losing a man is what will haunt them. Iñigo Martínez came on for Yamal, limiting their counter attack ability, and PSG set up camp in the final third.
Xavi said about going a man down: “We are annoyed. The red card has marked the tie. We were well-organised 11 v 11. The referee was really bad. I told him, he was a disaster. He killed the tie. I don’t like speaking about refs but it has to be said. I don’t understand it.”
Dembélé’s goal just before the break bred confidence and PSG poured forward at the start of the second half. Marc-André ter Stegen was almost caught out by a skidding effort from Achraf Hakimi, Fabián Ruiz shot wide and then, finally, Vitinha made it 2-1 on the night and 4-4 on aggregate. The penalty soon followed as Barça, who conceded two goals in three minutes in the first leg, once again lost their bearings.
Once behind, they did rally. There was a penalty shout turned down on Ilkay Gündogan, which led to a fuming Xavi being sent off for protesting and kicking a barrier on the sideline, before goalkeeper coach José Ramón de la Fuente also received his marching orders. The anger felt as much about a loss of control of the match as it did the decisions on the pitch.
Still, Gianluigi Donnarumma had to save from Lewandowski, with Marquinhos preventing Ferran Torres from tapping in the rebound, and then Raphinha dragged a cross-shot just wide as Barça’s European campaign faded out.
In the 88th minute, Dembélé was whistled off, and a minute later, Mbappé sealed PSG’s passage to the semifinal. The French side will meet Borussia Dortmund in the last four as they continue their bid to win a maiden Champions League trophy.
Barça, meanwhile, head to Real Madrid for El Clásico on Sunday. With Madrid eight points clear at the top of LaLiga, anything but a win would now effectively end their hopes of silverware this season.
‘Special’ Sophia Smith leads USWNT to SheBelieves Cup title
- Jeff Kassouf
Apr 9, 2024, 11:23 PM ET
COLUMBUS, Ohio — Scoring exceptional goals is nothing new for Sophia Smith, but she’s making a habit of finishing them against Canada.
Smith scored twice Tuesday at Lower.com Field as the United States defeated Canada 5-4 in a penalty shootout to lift the SheBelieves Cup for the seventh time in nine editions of the tournament.
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It was the USWNT’s second penalty shootout victory over Canada in 34 days after prevailing in a Gold Cup semifinal, and Smith’s individual play was another example of the 23-year-old forward “being a special player in a special moment within our team concept,” USWNT interim coach Twila Kilgore said.
Smith scored an equalizer from outside the box five minutes after halftime and the go-ahead goal 18 minutes later, when she got on a through ball from second-half substitute Trinity Rodman.
“The first goal was just class,” Kilgore said. “Sometimes individuals just do special things. It was a left-footed finish for Soph in a crowded box, just an exceptional moment, but also there’s a big team concept there.”
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Smith started the game on the right wing, a position she has been asked to play often in her blooming USWNT career but not her preferred No. 9 position, which she plays for the Portland Thorns. She won National Women’s Soccer League MVP and a league title in 2022 and the Golden Boot in 2023. Portland recently rewarded Smith with the largest annual contract in NWSL history.
Four minutes after Smith moved to her preferred No. 9 role Tuesday, she tallied her second goal. Jaedyn Shaw found the ball centrally after moving into the attacking midfield role, then Shaw turned and played a vertical ball to Rodman, who found a streaking Smith in behind.
Smith acknowledged that it is good to be versatile when the Olympic roster is only 18 players deep.
“I just try to do my job when I’m told I need to step up,” Smith said with her tournament MVP trophy beside her in the stadium tunnel Tuesday. “I don’t think anything of that. I try to lead this team in any way I can and if that’s putting the ball in the back of the net for the PKs or in the game, that’s what I pride myself in and that’s what I’m trying to do.”
The USWNT nearly wasted Smith’s efforts. Crystal Dunn conceded a penalty kick late when she fouled Canada forward Adriana Leon, and Leon stepped up to bury a late equalizer from the spot — just as she had 34 days earlier in the 127th minute of the Gold Cup semifinal.
Tuesday’s match went straight to a shootout, and it played out much like the previous meeting. USWNT goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher put in another dazzling shootout performance, saving three penalty kicks and burying one of her own to lift her team to victory.”I think it’s just something that we put the time into in training,” Naeher said of her focus in shootouts. “It’s just part of the game. Even on the men’s or women’s side, the champion of a World Cup or different tournament has statistically some very high number has had to go through at least one shootout within the tournament, so it’s something that we just put a lot of preparation into. The more you do it, the more confident [you are]. I think we’ve got 23 players that can step up and be comfortable taking a shot at any moment.”
Next up for the USWNT is the long-awaited arrival of head coach Emma Hayes at the end of May. Hayes was announced as the team’s next coach in November, but she stayed with Chelsea throughout the European season to finish her decade with the club.
In the interim, Kilgore has been working with Hayes to implement her plans ahead of her arrival. That process has been successful of late despite a concerning group-stage loss to Mexico at the Gold Cup. Since then, the U.S. has won or advanced in five straight games, picking up two trophies in just over a month.
“Now we’re just at a point where we are tried, true, battle-tested,” Kilgore said. “This is five games back-to-back against teams that have qualified for the Olympics. There’s only one more game that puts you into a final, for context.”
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(21; El Paso, TX) subbed on in the 75th minute of PSV’s match against Borussia Dortmund on Tuesday — joining Sergiño Dest 
(25; Hershey, PA) is back in the goals for AC Milan. And back with a banger, at that.Coming on as a second-half sub at Monza, CP11 found his chance in the 88th minute, gathering the ball on the right side of the box before unleashing a left-footed howitzer (
(23; Medford, NJ) quite would have hoped for. After joining Union Berlin from Leeds on loan in the summer, the USMNT attacker saw his side lose nine of their first 11 matches to start the season, leading the club to part ways with beloved coach Urs Fischer in November. This was followed by rumors that Aaronson’s loan to the German side could be cut short during the January window, which would have sent him back to the English Championship far earlier than expected.
“Brenden is a super footballer who must accept the fact that in football a certain physical aspect is needed to win the ball & contest challenges.”Here’s to hoping a corner has been turned for Medford Messi either way.News and Notes:Josh Sargent 
(24; O’Fallon, MO) is on NBA Jam levels of fire for Norwich City. The USMNT forward scored a brace in Saturday’s 4-1 win over Cardiff City, giving him 10 goals in 13 league matches this season — even earning the O’Fallon d’Or (a.k.a. “
(28; Highlands Ranch, CO), though Horvath was 
(21; Clifton, VA), take a bow. DMV Donovan had some hit for the match-winner (
Johnny Cardoso 
(22; Denville, NJ) was 
Akron Stadium in Zapopan, Mexico (Sergio Navarrete/Getty Images)
(Yuki Iwamura/AFP via Getty Images)
(Rob Pinney/Getty Images)
Lunin and Arrizabalaga train earlier this season (Helios de la Rubia/Real Madrid via Getty Images)
The Ole BallCoach 