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Reffing

Champions League: Who has qualified, what all teams need

USMNT midweek viewing guide: Everything to play for

USMNT player tracker: Matt Turner back in favour and Ricardo Pepi’s patience pays off

PSG’s crucial Champions League game will define their season

Newcastle v Milan in the Champions League is a huge game for both struggling teams

The race for five places in next season’s Champions League

Columbus Crew stay true to their identity to win 3rd MLS Cup

Biggest changes in the USWNT’s games since hiring Emma Hayes

USMNT’s Copa America hurdles; players to watch in MLS Cup

Copa America 2024 fixtures and schedule: Dates, draw, bracket, kick-off times and final venue

Group permutations

Group A

Group A

Group B

Group B

Group C

Group C

Group D

Group D

Group E

Group E

Group F

Group F

Group G

Group G

Group H

Group H

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

Issue of the weekend

Graphic of the weekend

Player of the weekend

Quote of the weekend

How did other U.S. players get on?

What’s coming up?

EDITOR’S PICKS

Why is this a big game for Newcastle?

Why is this a big game for Milan?

Why are Newcastle struggling of late?

Why are Milan struggling so much of late?

What are the reasons for Newcastle’s injury issues?

How are Newcastle supporters feeling?

How are Milan supporters feeling?

How does it work?

So wins aren’t worth more in the Champions League?

Won’t this just turn out to be extra places for two top leagues?

Right, so who’s in contention this season?

What’s the state of play?

So what’s important this week?

Anything else?

Who gets the extra place?

A clearer, more fluid approach than the USWNT’s World Cup style

Sophia Smith moved from the wing to striker

Emily Fox thrives at… center-back?

EDITOR’S PICKS

19-year-old Jaedyn Shaw earns a bigger role

ONSIDE

OFFSIDE

EDITOR’S PICKS

Final word

What are the groups?

What is the tournament format?

Copa America fixtures

Qualified for round of 16 (12/16): Manchester City, RB Leipzig, Real Madrid, Inter Milan, Real Sociedad, Bayern Munich, Barcelona, Borussia Dortmund, Atletico Madrid, Lazio, Arsenal, PSV Eindhoven

Eliminated (10/16): Union Berlin, FC Salzburg, Benfica, Celtic, Antwerp, Young Boys, Red Star Belgrade, Feyenoord, Sevilla, Lens

What are the reasons for Milan’s injury issues?

1. GERMANY, 12.64

2. ENGLAND, 11.75

3. ITALY, 11.71

4. SPAIN, 11.31

Copa America 2024: Intriguing matchups for USMNT and Mexico

MLS Cup: a final that exemplifies the best of the league

Unai Emery’s quiet revolution at Aston Villa host league-leaders Arsenal

Copa America: Argentina are favorites, but Scaloni’s future is worrying

When it comes to sexism: Don’t give this any attention, just keep rising

Group stage

Quarter-finals

Semi-finals

3rd place play-off

Final

Tues, Dec 12 – Champions League

12:45 pm Para+, TUDN PSV (Tillman,Pepi, Dest) vs Arsenal

12:45 pm CBSSN Lens vs Sevilla

3 pm Para+ Man U vs Bayern Munich

3 pm Para+ Union Berlin (Aaronson) vs Real Madrid

3 pm CBS SN Inter vs Real Sociedad

Wed, Dec 13 – Champions League

12:45 pm Para+ Leipzig vs Young Boys

3 pm Para+ Dortmund (Reyna) vs PSG

3 pm Para+ New Castle vs AC Milan(Musah, Pulisic)

3 pm CBS SN Atletico Madrid vs Lazio

3 pm Para+ Celtic (Carter-Vickers) vs Feyenord

3 pm Para+ Antwerp vs Barcelona

Thurs Dec 14 Europa League

12:45 pm CBSSN Rennes vs Villareal

12:45 pm Para+ Union Saint vs Liverpool

12”45 pm Para+ Roma vs Sheriff

12:45 pm Para+ Zrinjski vs Aston Villa

3 pm CBSSN, Para Real Betis vs Rangers ( )

3 pm Para+ Brighton vs Olympique Marsielle

Fri, Dec 15

2:30 pm ESPN+ Gladbach (Pefok, Scally) vs Werder Bremen

2:45 pm Para+ Genoa vs Juventus (McKennie, Musah)

3 pm USA Nottingham Forest (Turner) vs Tottenham

Sat, Dec 17

10 am USA Man City vs Crystal Palace (Richards)

10 am peacock New Castle United vs Fulham (Reem, Jedi)

12 noon CBSSN Napoli vs Caglairi

12:30 pm NBC Burnley vs Everton

Sun, Dec 18

9 am USA Arsenal vs Brighton

9 am peacock West Ham vs Wolverhampton

11:30 am CBSSN Balongna vs Roma

11:30 am NBC Liverpool vs Man United

1:30 pm ESPN+ Bayern Munich vs Stutgart

3 pm ESPND + Real Madrid vs Villareal

8:30 pm univsion America vs Tigres UANL

Tues, Dec 19

2:45 pm USA Everton vs Fulham (Reem, Jedi) (League Cup)

3 pm Peacock Chelsea vs New Castle (league cup)

Weds, Dec 20

2:30 pm ESPN+ Frankfurt (Aaronson) vs MGladbach (Pefok, Scally)

2:45 pm USA Liverpool vs West Ham (League Cup)

Thurs, Dec 21

9 pm TUDN America vs Barcelona Friendly

Fri, Dec 22

3 pm USA Aston Villa vs Sheffield United

Sat, Dec 17

12:30 NBC Liverpool vs Arsenal

2:45 pm Para+ Roma vs Napoli

Boys Showcase at Grand Park last tourney of the season with Jimmy Jean and Jeff Perry Friday Dang Cold

Saturday Showcase with Brent Myers & Harry Rybolt not quite so cold today.

Casey Dodd & William Finch with yours truly – Sunday – Boys Showcase – dang cold again.

Dale Johnson, General Editor, ESPN FCNov 29, 2023, 05:08 PM ET

The UEFA Champions League group stage is reaching its conclusion, with only four places in the knockout rounds still up for grabs on Matchday 6. This is the final season of the multigroup format, before it becomes a 36-team competition with all clubs in one league table. We take a look at who is through and how can still seal their places. The top two teams in each group qualify for the round of 16, the third-placed clubs drop into the Europa League knockout playoff round, and those who finish bottom are eliminated.

Tiebreakers:
1) Points
2) Head-to-head points in games involving the tied teams
3) Goal difference in head-to-head matches involving the tied teams
4) Goals scored in head-to-head matches involving the tied teams
— If the above tiebreaker initially involves 3 or 4 teams, it is reapplied to resolve any remaining tiebreaker among fewer clubs
5) Goal difference in all group matches
6) Goals scored in all group matches
7) Away goals scored in all group matches
8) Wins in all group matches
9) Away wins in all group matches
10) Disciplinary points
11) UEFA club coefficient.

This page will be updated throughout the final rounds of the group stage.

Remaining fixtures
Dec. 12: Manchester United vs. Bayern Munich, FC Copenhagen vs. Galatasaray

Bayern Munich have qualified as group winners.

FC Copenhagen are guaranteed to qualify in second with a win, or with a draw if Manchester United draw or lose.

Galatasaray have to beat FC Copenhagen, which will secure second place.

Manchester United have to beat Bayern and hope FC Copenhagen vs. Galatasaray is a draw. However, United are guaranteed at least a place in the Europa League if they win.

Remaining fixtures
Dec. 12: PSV Eindhoven vs. Arsenal, Lens vs. Sevilla

Arsenal went through and sealed first place in the group with a 6-0 win at home to Lens.

Arsenal’s victory also ensured PSV Eindhoven advanced, as the Eredivisie side hold the head to head over Lens.

Lens need a win or draw at home to Sevilla to move into the Europa League.

Sevilla must beat Lens to climb up to third and continue in Europe.

Reacting to Arsenal’s ‘demolishing’ 6-0 win vs. Lens

Craig Burley and the rest of the “ESPN FC” crew react to Arsenal’s 6-0 victory over Lens that sent them into the Champions League Round of 16.

Remaining fixtures
Dec. 12: Union Berlin vs. Real Madrid, Napoli vs. Braga

Real Madrid have qualified for the round of 16 and have topped the group.

Napoli will be through with a win, draw or one-goal defeat at home to Braga.

Braga must win by 2+ goals away to Napoli to finish in second place.

Union Berlin have been eliminated and must win at home to Real Madrid and hope Braga lose to Napoli to make the Europa League.

Can Jude Bellingham maintain his blistering to start at Real Madrid?

Craig Burley heaps yet more praise on Jude Bellingham after he scored in Real Madrid’s 4-2 win over Napoli in the Champions League.

Remaining fixtures
Dec. 12: Internazionale vs. Real Sociedad, FC Salzburg vs. Benfica

Real Sociedad and Inter Milan have both qualified for the round of 16.

Top spot will be decided when the two teams meet in Italy on the final night. Real Sociedad will top the group with a win or draw, Inter require a victory.

FC Salzburg hold the Europa League place, and they will secure it if they win or draw against Benfica, or if they lose by one goal.

Benfica must beat FC Salzburg by 2+ goals to make the Europa League.

Remaining fixtures
Dec. 13: Atletico Madrid vs. Lazio, Celtic vs. Feyenoord

Atletico Madrid and Lazio have qualified and face each other in Spain on Matchday 6. Atletico will top the group with a win or draw, while Lazio need a victory.

Feyenoord will drop into the Europa League knockout playoff round

Celtic have been eliminated from Europe.

Remaining fixtures
Dec. 13: Newcastle United vs. AC Milan, Borussia Dortmund vs. Paris Saint-Germain

Borussia Dortmund have qualified and will top the group with a win or draw at home to PSG.

Paris Saint-Germain must win in Germany to be sure of going through — which will also see them top the group.

PSG can only go through with a draw if AC Milan win or draw.

PSG can only go through with a loss if Newcastle-AC Milan is a draw.

Why VAR was wrong to award PSG a penalty for handball vs. Newcastle

Dale Johnson reacts after VAR Tomasz Kwiatkowski was removed from duty by UEFA for another Champions League game.

Newcastle United must win and hope PSG draw or lose. If the two teams are level, Newcastle will finish second on head to head.

AC Milan must win and hope PSG lose. If the two teams are level, PSG will finish second on head to head.

If Newcastle and Milan draw, Newcastle will drop into the Europa League on goal difference.

How much would Champions League exit hurt Milan?

Nicky Bandini explains how much of a disappointment exiting the Champions League at the group stage would be for AC Milan.

Remaining fixtures
Dec. 13: RB Leipzig vs. Young Boys, Red Star Belgrade vs. Manchester City

Manchester City have won the group with a 100% record.

RB Leipzig go through in second place.

Young Boys will drop into the Europa League in the New Year.

Red Star Belgrade are out of Europe.

Why Man City’s defending is a real concern

Craig Burley is not convinced by Manchester City’s defending after they conceded seven goals in the last three games.

Remaining fixtures
Dec. 13: Antwerp vs. Barcelona, FC Porto vs. Shakhtar Donetsk

Barcelona sit on top of the group and are through to the round of 16. They will win the group unless they lose in Antwerp, and Shakhtar beat FC Porto while overtaking Barca on goal difference. As Barca hold a goal difference advantage of seven this is unlikely.

FC Porto and Shakhtar meet in Portugal level on points.

FC Porto won the first meeting of the sides so will be through with a win or draw, though they cannot win the group. Shakhtar Donetsk must win to progress.

Antwerp have been eliminated.

This week will determine whether Pulisic and Musah advance in Champions League, Europa League, or drop out of European competition altogether. Stars and Stripes

PSV vs Arsenal, 12:45p on Paramount+, TUDN USA, UniMás, Fubo (free trial), Univision NOW, ViX: Ricardo Pepi, Sergiño Dest, Malik Tillman, and PSV have already clinched a spot in the Champions League knockout round, thanks in large part to Pepi’s game-winner against Sevilla. Arsenal have clinched the top spot in the group. PSV boss Peter Bosz has already confirmed Tillman will start.
Union Berlin vs Real Madrid, 3p on Paramount+, Galavision, Fubo, Univision NOW, ViX: Brenden Aaronson and Union Berlin are last in Champions League Group C, but if they somehow beat Real Madrid, they could potentially make it into Europa League. Madrid have already clinched top of the group.

Also in action:

Huddersfield vs Preston, 2:45p: Duane Holmes and Preston play Holmes’ old club Huddersfield away in the Championship.

Borussia Dortmund vs PSG, 3p on Paramount+, TUDN USA, Fubo, Univision USA, ViX: Gio Reyna and BVB are 3 points clear atop Champions League Group F, and a win or draw over PSG would secure first place in the group.
Newcastle United vs AC Milan, 3p on Paramount+, ViX: Christian Pulisic, Yunus Musah, and Milan are last in a very tight Group F. A win will get them into Europa League. A win and a PSG loss would see them through to the Champions League knockout rounds.

Also in action:

Coventry vs Southampton, 2:45p: Haji Wright and Coventry are at home in Championship action.
QPR vs Plymouth Argyle, 2:45p: Reggie Cannon and QPR host Plymouth Argyle in the Championship.
Celtic vs Feyenoord, 3p on Paramount+, ViX: Cameron Carter-Vickers and Celtic have already been eliminated, even from Europa League contention. This will be the best club opponent CCV faces for 9 months unless he leaves Celtic.
Antwerp vs Barcelona, 3p: Sam Vines is not eligible for Champions League due to a clerical error (he also hasn’t played for the club since September 3 due to injury).

Legia Warsaw vs AZ, 12:45p on Paramount+, ViX: Djordje Mihailovic and AZ need to beat Legia on the road to advance out of Conference League Group E.
Aberdeen vs Eintracht Frankfurt, 12:45p on Paramount+, ViX: Paxten Aaronson and Frankfurt have already clinched second in the Conference League group (knockout round playoffs) and cannot improve their position. Dante Polvara and Aberdeen are already eliminated.
Tigres vs América, 4p: Alex Zendejas and Club América play in the first leg (away) in the Liga MX Apertura final. TV details not available at time of publishing.

Also in action:

LASK Linz vs Toulouse, 12:45p on Paramount+, ViX: George Bello and LASK Linz are last in Europa League Group E. A win and a Union St-Gilloise loss would get them into Conference League.
Genk vs Čukarički, 12:45p on Paramount+, ViX: Mark McKenzie and Genk need a win and a Ferencváros loss to emerge from Conference League Group F.

Mönchengladbach vs Werder Bremen, 2:30p on ESPN+: Jordan Pefok, Joe Scally, and Gladbach host Bremen in the Bundesliga.
Genoa vs Juventus, 2:45p on Paramount+: Weston McKennie and Juve travel to Genoa in Serie A.
Nottingham Forest vs Tottenham, 3p on USA, Universo, Telemundo Deportes En Vivo, Fubo, Sling: Matt Turner has regained his starting spot with Forest, and will face Spurs in Premier League action.
Monaco vs Lyon, 3p on beIN Sports USA, beIN Sports en Español, Fubo, Sling, Fanatiz: Folarin Balogun and Monaco host Lyon in Ligue 1.

Also in action:

Schalke vs Greuther Fürth, 12:30p on ESPN+: Julian Green, Maxi Dietz, and Fürth go on the road vs Schalke in the 2. Bundesliga.
Westerlo vs Eupen, 2:45p: Bryan Reynolds, Griffin Yow, and Westerlo welcome Gaga Slonina and Eupen for this Belgium first division match.

By Greg O’KeeffeDec 11, 2023 The Athletic

Every Monday this season, we will be bringing you updates on the USMNT players plying their trade in various leagues around Europe, ahead of a huge summer that includes the Copa America and with a World Cup on home soil on the horizon.This week, we are covering hope for goalkeepers, patience paying off and lessons learned in Italy.

What’s that flickering faintly in Nottingham? Is it a light at the end of the tunnel for Matt Turner?The USMNT first-choice ’keeper was back in the starting line-up for his embattled team at the weekend after being benched for Nottingham Forest’s previous five games.He may not have kept a clean sheet in the 1-1 draw with Wolves at Molineux, but Steve Cooper’s strugglers avoided defeat and that, at least, was a start.Coming after Odysseas Vlachodimos — Turner’s rival for the No 1 spot — conceded 12 goals in the last four consecutive defeats for Forest, the point on Saturday will have been a relief for both club and ’keeper.The chance to get back on the field will have provided much-needed respite for the 29-year-old, who would have been forgiven for wondering whether his summer switch to the City Ground had backfired dismally.

Matt Turner is back for Nottingham Forest (Glyn Kirk/AFP via Getty Images)

Turner left Arsenal to seek first-team football, feeling it was important for him to be in peak condition for this summer’s Copa America. At first, it seemed to be going well as he started the first 10 Premier League games of the season, but the late arrival of Greece international Vlachodimos in the summer transfer window raised questions over Turner’s long-term job security.Those fears were clear when Cooper dropped the former New England Revolution player in October after he was adjudged to have been at fault for Mohamed Salah’s goal in Liverpool’s 3-0 win at Anfield.Turner had two clean sheets in the league from those 10 games, but his successor has not fared much better. Vlachodimos has one from five and Cooper is desperately seeking solutions as he battles to save his job.Whether Turner can now keep his spot remains to be seen, but a scenario that looked difficult when he was dropped and raised the issue of whether a loan exit was required in January looks a bit brighter for now.

‘Like sliding into second base’: How baseball and basketball have helped Matt Turner

It’s worth examining the Forest goalkeeper situation in a bit more depth, as their quest to avoid a relegation battle will have an outsized impact on the USMNT goalkeeper’s readiness for the Copa América next summer. Turner has conceded 16 goals while facing 53 shots, a far better rate of prevention than Odysseas Vlachodimos’ 12 allowed from 23 shots.

In fact, only Crystal Palace’s Sam Johnstone has a worse goals prevented rate when comparing the goals they’ve conceded to the expected goal rate.We’ve sorted the table above by shot prevented rate, which adjusts for the volume of shots to analyse the degree to which a keeper concedes at a rate above or below expectation.In that sense, Vlachodimos has been one of the league’s poorest shot-stoppers among goalkeepers who have played at least 450 minutes to date. And while Turner’s 0.9 rate is just below what you’d hope for from a starting Premier League goalkeeper, it’s in line with positional peers who are in far less danger over losing their place atop the depth chart.Forest have plenty to stress over as Steve Cooper’s future hangs in the balance with every result. However, Turner has been, at worse, a dependable starter whose gloves should keep his team in games.Turner has also proven better than Vlachodimos in a couple of pre-shot metrics. Currently, Turner is stopping 8.4 per cent of opponents’ crosses into the mixer (1.45 stops per 90), while the Greece international is only stopping 3.3 per cent of crosses. Additionally, Turner averages 1.36 sweeper actions beyond the box per 90, well above Vlachodimos’ 0.4 per 90. In short, the U.S. international isn’t just preventing more goals than his rival — he’s doing his team a favour by cutting down on their opponents’ dangerous chances before they even get to shooting.

Jeff Rueter

Patience is a virtue for Ricardo Pepi. The USMNT forward may not have started a single Eredivisie fixture for all-conquering PSV Eindhoven yet this term, but last week he enhanced his super-sub status with his fourth goal of the campaign.Pepi faces the unenviable task of getting into the starting XI ahead of team captain Luuk De Jong, who has 10 goals and six assists in PSV’s 15 league games.

His club are flying high. They have taken maximum points from every league game so far and booked their place in the Champions League knockout stage last month when Pepi scored again in their 3-2 win at Sevilla.

Ricardo Pepi (left) has impressed for PSV (Erwin Scheriau/APA/AFP via Getty Images)

So even though the 20-year-old might be a touch frustrated at not getting more starts, he will be encouraged to be playing in what might be a special season for his team, alongside USMNT team-mates Sergino Dest and Malik Tillman. The latter pair both started in the 2-0 win over Herenveen, sealed by Pepi’s goal scored just 60 seconds after coming on last Thursday.Tillman has five goals and two assists in 11 league appearances for PSV and Dest is flourishing after his difficult spell on loan at AC Milan last season.

“The things I’ve learned here are definitely tactical. Playing in Germany it was more back and forth, the same in England, lots of running, but here it is very tactical, all about the position. That is something I needed to improve in my game instead of running around like a headless chicken.”

This was what Weston McKennie told DAZN after he started in Juventus’ 1-0 win over Napoli, helping to keep his side’s Serie A title race alive and pressure on leaders Inter.

Name: Christian Pulisic
Club: AC Milan
Position: Forward

According to Opta, only Marcus Thuram (12) has more goal contributions among Serie A newcomers this year than Pulisic (8: 5 goals, 3 assists). Pulisic created his latest in Milan’s 3-2 defeat against Atalanta on Saturday.

Pulisic was on form against Atalanta (Emilio Andreoli/Getty Images)

GO DEEPER

How Christian Pulisic’s offseason training shaped his form with AC Milan, USMNT

Name: Rokas Pukstas
Club: Hajduk Split
Position: Midfielder

The Oklahoma-born U.S. under-20 international is having an impressive season for his Croatian club despite a knee-ligament injury that caused him to miss eight games. He has three goals from 10 league appearances for Hajduk and has proved very capable in a variety of roles: from defensive midfield and right-winger to a more attacking remit. Pukstas, who joined the club aged 16, will be hoping for a special season, with Hajduk top of the SuperSport HNL, seven points ahead of rivals Dinamo Zagreb.

Name: Lennard Maloney
Club: Heidenheim
Position: Midfield

It was a worrying moment for the USMNT international during his side’s game against Darmstadt on Saturday. His unfortunate 60th-minute deflected own goal left the hosts 2-1 down. Seven minutes later, he was subbed off. Fortunately, Heidenheim came back to win 3-2 and Maloney’s strong season to date will not be blemished by his slice of misfortune.

This week sees the final group games of this season’s Champions League and all eyes will be on Pulisic’s AC Milan to see if they can make it out of Group F. They will need to beat Newcastle at St James’ Park and hope Dortmund beat Paris Saint-Germain in Germany (Wednesday, 2pm, Paramount +).

Pulisic will be wanting international team-mate Gio Reyna, of the already qualified Dortmund, to do him a favour (and get himself some rare minutes) against PSG the same evening (Paramount +, TUDN, Univision).Brenden Aaronson has a big game too. His Union Berlin side face Real Madrid on Tuesday, although the German side cannot qualify for the knockout stages (Tuesday, 2pm, Paramount +).

Greg O’Keeffe is a senior writer for The Athletic covering US soccer players in the UK & Europe. Previously he spent a decade at the Liverpool Echo covering news and features before an eight-year stint as the paper’s Everton correspondent; giving readers the inside track on Goodison Park, a remit he later reprised at The Athletic. He has also worked as a news and sport journalist for the BBC and hosts a podcast in his spare time.

Julien Laurens, CorrespondentDec 12, 2023, 04:00 AM ET

Paris Saint-Germain forward Randal Kolo Muani maybe went a little too far. “The game against Dortmund? Our lives are at stake,” he said after Saturday’s 2-1 win against Nantes. He certainly didn’t mean it literally, but the basic idea is clear: Borussia Dortmund vs. PSG is huge for the Parisians.Their final Champions League Group F fixture on Wednesday is the game that will define their season, which is saying something considering it’s the second week of December.PSG’s German opponents have already booked their place in the round of 16 but are not guaranteed to top the group. Meanwhile, PSG need a win to make sure they are through; if they do win away from home, they would finish first instead. A draw could be enough to advance to the knockout phase next February, but only if AC Milan win or draw in Newcastle United; defeat in Germany could still see PSG go through, but only if Newcastle vs. Milan ends in a draw. Another combination of results would see PSG suffer an ignominious drop into the Europa League.

The race for five places in next season’s Champions League5hDale Johnson
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“It is like a final,” added Kolo Muani, who has just celebrated his 25th birthday with a party in the French capital. There could be no better belated present for him and his teammates than a place in the next round. Despite the clear importance of Wednesday’s game and the pressure that comes with it, the camp is pretty calm and composed. On Saturday, the players clearly had their minds on Dortmund instead of focusing on Nantes, their opponents at the Parc des Princes. It was an inspiring performance and victory — Muani scored the winner seven minutes from time in a game PSG had largely dominated — and they probably celebrated his birthday more than they did the win over the Canaries.The only thing of note, perhaps, is Luis Campos’ consistent presence around the squad. The PSG sporting director did an interview before the Nantes game to remind everyone that his team “is not scared, and that it is an exciting game to play.” He was in the tunnel at half-time to congratulate the players for leading at the break, and he was there again after the victory. He is always hands-on when it comes to his role, but has been even more visible around the team these past few days.Wednesday’s game is massive for Campos as well, because it would be his failure to share if this team didn’t make it to the round of 16. PSG have done it every year since 2011-12, and missing out would make him the first sporting director of the club’s Qatar era to oversee such a embarrassment. He would not be able to explain his way out of it, either; he built this team in the summer, adding the likes of Kolo Muani, Manuel Ugarte, Ousmane Dembélé and Bradley Barcola at great expense. If they aren’t good enough to qualify, he would be to blame.Luis Enrique would also bear responsibility should the worst-case scenario come to pass. In a group that did not appear to be that tough for PSG when the draw was made — given the uneven domestic form of Newcastle, Dortmund and Milan this season — it would be seen as a disgrace if coach Luis Enrique didn’t get his team over this hurdle. There have been a lot of positives since he joined the club this past summer, and his team plays with a clear identity, but his tactics have been baffling at times. Take the 4-2-4 formation that failed at Newcastle, or keeping Goncalo Ramos on the bench until the 85th minute at home against the Magpies in the return fixture. Despite the pressure, the Spaniard is keeping cool; he’s not showing any signs of nervousness or tension to his players or his staff. The 53-year-old is experienced at the top level and is always confident in both his abilities and his team, regardless of the opposition. On Sunday morning, he was relaxed at the training session, laughing and joking with the players, switching to full preparation mode on Monday. On Sunday, Luis Enrique spoke to Lee Kang-In, who should replace Dembélé on the right wing against Dortmund. Dembélé’s suspension is a massive blow, as a lot of PSG’s build-up depends upon his partnership with Achraf Hakimi. A lot of the passing circuits go through him, making him their main creator. We saw it against Nantes, as PSG woke up when he came on with 25 minutes to go. Before that, the pace and rhythm of every PSG attack was a lot slower. Lee is a different type of player than the France international he’s replacing. He doesn’t have the same pace, but he can be a difference-maker with his dribbling precision and technical ability. Another reason Luis Enrique might be quite relaxed at the moment is because he knows he can count on Marquinhos and Warren Zaïre-Emery in midweek, as both successfully returned from injury on Saturday. The Brazilian defender played 60 good minutes, while the Paris-born prodigy came on for the last half-hour and looked as though he’d never been out of the team. Both of them will start in Germany, and PSG will be a better team for it. Like Luis Enrique said to his players, it is time for PSG to be a real team and take control of their destiny. It is all in Paris’ hands, and they simply can’t afford to buckle under the pressure on Wednesday like they have done in European campaigns of the past. Just as Kolo Muani claimed, their lives in the Champions League are at stake.

By Chris Waugh and James Horncastle Dec 12, 2023

The so-called “Group of Death” has certainly lived up to its moniker so far — and, for Newcastle United and AC Milan, there is one last opportunity to progress to the Champions League knockout stages by claiming victory at St James’ Park on Wednesday night.For both, the ramifications of qualification would be huge, although failure to advance may have even further-reaching consequences.Neither, however, have their fate in their own hands.Both must win to have any chance of reaching the last 16 and they are also relying on already-qualified Borussia Dortmund doing them a favour at home against Paris Saint-Germain. Milan require a Dortmund victory, while Newcastle merely need the German side, who will finish as Group F winners with a draw, to avoid defeat. For Newcastle, a point will secure third place and Europa League football in 2024, while Milan must triumph to remain in continental competition beyond Christmas.

Group F standings

POSITION	TEAM	PLAYED	GOAL DIFFERENCE	POINTS
1	Borussia Dortmund (Q)	5	3	10
2	Paris Saint-Germain	5	1	7
3	Newcastle United	5	0	5
4	AC Milan	5	-4	5

With all Champions League eventualities still possible for both clubs, The Athletic’s Newcastle United correspondent Chris Waugh and Serie A writer James Horncastle outline how the two sides are shaping up heading into an enormously significant clash on Tyneside…

Chris Waugh: The obvious answer is that, for just the second time in their history and for the first time since 2002-03, Newcastle have the opportunity to advance out of the Champions League group stages.In fact, qualification would mark Newcastle’s first journey into the knockout stages of Europe’s premier competition given there was a second pool stage when they progressed out of the first group 21 years ago.But, beyond that, the financial ramifications of going deeper into the tournament would be significant. Newcastle would receive an additional £10million to £15million ($12.6m to $18.9m) in revenue, as a minimum conservative estimate, and that will help slacken their financial fair play (FFP) limitations, potentially permitting Eddie Howe greater spending power in the January market and in subsequent windows. Quality players may also be more inclined to join a Newcastle side that progresses in the Champions League rather than one who are knocked out early.What’s more, following deflating back-to-back defeats against Everton and Tottenham Hotspur, when Newcastle conceded a combined seven goals, this feels like a potentially season-defining fixture in a campaign that is close to teetering.

Newcastle’s recent defeats have been concerning (Peter Powell/AFP via Getty Images)

Progress and the positive momentum could reignite Newcastle’s Premier League top-four push. Lose and exit Europe entirely and the deflation could have the opposite effect.

James Horncastle: Milan are seven-time winners of this competition. It’s what the club built its reputation on and while Serie A has been left behind financially by the Premier League, forcing a change of model, expectations were raised last season when Milan made it to the semi-finals for the first time in 16 years.

Backing it up was always going to be tough, particularly as they entered the draw in pot four after a fourth-place finish in Serie A, which would have been fifth had Juventus not been deducted 10 points.

If Milan’s project is to maintain momentum, it needs Champions League revenue. The club made €80m from the competition last year and Sandro Tonali’s record sale to Newcastle was helped by the exposure he received by going deep in the tournament.

Dropping into the Europa League would be humbling. Finishing bottom would be humiliating.

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Waugh: There’s quite a lot of recency bias in this question given Newcastle have recorded back-to-back home wins against Chelsea and Manchester United and were only denied a famous win in Paris due to a controversial stoppage-time penalty, but the manner of the latest successive defeats was alarming.

Add to that Newcastle’s worrying away form — they have won only twice on the road all season and have not triumphed away from St James’ Park in the Champions League — and the premise is not entirely invalid.

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Essentially, the root of Newcastle’s issues has been their absentee crisis. Their injury list has been so bloated — and has been exacerbated further by Tonali’s 10-month suspension, which rules the midfielder out of facing his former side — that Howe has regularly had 10 to 12 players unavailable in recent weeks. The same 10 outfield players have started the last five matches in the past 15 days and appear mentally and physically fatigued, though Howe has been reluctant to turn to his threadbare bench to lessen the workload.

Horncastle: Milan won seven of their first eight games in the league and should have been in a commanding position in the Champions League. Unfortunately, back-to-back 0-0 results against Newcastle and Borussia Dortmund meant they obtained less than their 39 shots and 3.07 expected goals (xG) deserved from the opening couple of game weeks.

Since then, an injury crisis has mounted just as the fixture list has ratcheted up in difficulty. Milan’s defence has been ravaged. Fikayo Tomori is the only fit centre-half available and Theo Hernandez, the marauding full-back, has been forced to partner him in the middle. It has disarmed Milan’s uncontainable left-hand side, which has also been without game-changer and one-man tactic Rafael Leao.

The absence of Leao has been a big loss to Milan (Ethan Miller/Getty Images)

Silly red cards, the likes of which forced striker Olivier Giroud to finish the match in Genoa in goal, have also put stress on coach Stefano Pioli’s ability to rotate, a weakness of his at the best of times. The crisis got so bad that the debut of wonderkid Francesco Camarda was fast-tracked and, at 15, he became the youngest player ever to make an appearance in Serie A in the lucky win over Fiorentina.

Pioli is in his fifth season at Milan. Only Atalanta’s Gian Piero Gasperini has been longer in his job in Serie A. The 58-year-old retains the club’s gratitude for delivering the Scudetto in 2022 and a Champions League semi-final last season, but there is concern an irreversible staleness is setting in. The club sold Tonali to completely overhaul the attack and avoid an anxious fourth-place finish. Earlier in the season, it looked to have worked. Alas, Milan are currently closer to 10th than top-of-the-table Inter.

Waugh: The increased volume of matches has been a key factor, even if Howe believes many of the injuries have been “freak” incidents.

Newcastle fought last season to qualify for the Champions League and have embraced the challenge, but, ironically, the additional high-intensity matches it brings have heightened the workload and compounded their injury problems.

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Their determination to end the club’s 54-year trophy drought, which has seen Newcastle progress to the Carabao Cup quarter-finals for the second season in a row, has bloated the fixture list further. It is not something the club are complaining about as they want to be competitive on all fronts, but it means Newcastle have had midweek and weekend matches in every gameweek since the start of September and will do so until Boxing Day.

While Tonali’s absence has placed greater strain on other players — the presence of a Champions League-quality midfielder on the training field who cannot be used has been galling for Howe — so has the unfortunate nature of Newcastle’s cup draws. Alongside their so-called “Group of Death” in the Champions League, Newcastle have faced Manchester City (home) and Manchester United (away) in the Carabao Cup, with a trip to Chelsea to come in that competition, and have a first Wear-Tyne derby since 2016 at the Stadium of Light to navigate in the FA Cup. There have been no “easy” fixtures and there has been no respite.

Horncastle: Other coaches in Serie A, notably Lazio’s Maurizio Sarri, have complained about fixture congestion and how players are being “sent to slaughter” by playing so many games. But even within this context, Milan’s crisis is extreme.

Pioli has not changed his staff and the squad is deeper than last season, which makes the crisis even more confounding. It has led to scrutiny of recruitment. Players like Christian Pulisic and Ruben Loftus-Cheek, for instance, have a track record of spending chunks of the season on the treatment table. Pioli also picked the same XI for the first month of the campaign to settle in the Chelsea duo and fellow recruit, Tijjani Reijnders.

Since then, the player’s pre-game activation, load management and his aforementioned rotation strategy have come in for flak. It has been weird to see backup goalkeepers pick up muscle injuries in training. Pioli has been forced to use a substitution in the first half of four games, notably against Lazio, Juventus and Napoli, either to deal with one of his players tweaking a muscle or a sending-off.

Unlike Howe, who has given teenagers Lewis Miley and Lewis Hall Champions League minutes, Pioli has been reluctant to lean more on his youth team in the league. Camarda aside, it’s a mystery why talented kids like Jan-Carlo Simic and Clinton Nsiala haven’t been looked at in Serie A to help out a casualty-hit defence.

Waugh: It is difficult to accurately gauge the overall mood given Newcastle are a heap of contradictions right now.

On the evidence of the last two performances, some Newcastle fans are undoubtedly feeling trepidation ahead of this massive fixture. Yet both of those defeats came on the road and the reality is that at St James’, they are a completely different outfit, particularly in the Premier League, where they have won seven of their eight fixtures. In the Champions League, Newcastle supporters can also conjure positive memories of that historic 4-1 hammering of PSG in October, even if their most recent European outing on Tyneside was a subdued 1-0 loss to Dortmund.

With Sean Longstaff and Callum Wilson returning off the bench at Spurs and others such as Sven Botman and Joe Willock having an outside chance of coming back imminently, Newcastle’s injury picture is gradually improving, which is a real boost.

Undoubtedly, Newcastle supporters, led by Wor Flags’ pre-match display, will ensure a special, unforgettable atmosphere at St James’ and that should lift and inspire their fatigued players. Even if qualification is not in their own hands, Newcastle fans are determined to ensure their team delivers at their end — and then hope it is enough.

Horncastle: The team was whistled after the 1-0 defeat to Udinese at San Siro last month and the mood wasn’t much better when Dortmund beat them in their own backyard a fortnight ago. Paolo Maldini, the club legend scorned by his dismissal as an executive in the summer, has not helped by accusing owners RedBird Capital of showing “no real respect for Milan’s identity and history”.

Maldini’s interview came in the same week Camarda broke his record as Milan’s youngest-ever player and the loss to Dortmund. For someone who claims to care about the club, it was a curious time to put the boot in.

Ordinarily, one might expect the ultras to rally behind him, but Maldini’s relationship with the Curva Sud is complicated. He was booed in his last appearance as a player for the club in 2009 because of his criticism of them. Pointedly the Sud, at the time, identified Franco Baresi as Milan’s true captain. Nevertheless, this is a critical period of the season for Milan. They are practically out of the title race and almost out of the Champions League and it’s not even 2024.If things deteriorate further, a repeat of the scenes in La Spezia in May when the ultras publicly dressed down the players probably isn’t far away.(Top image: Getty Images)

Dale Johnson, General Editor, ESPN FCDec 12, 2023, 04:00 AM ET

Two leagues will be rewarded with extra places in next season’s Champions League as part of the revamp to expand it to a 36-team competition — but who is likely to benefit?Four additional clubs will qualify compared to the current format. And two of those places will go to the leagues which perform best across all three European competitions this season.With the group stages of the Champions League (UCL), Europa League (UEL) and Europa Conference League (UECL) drawing to a close this week, we’ll start to get a clear picture of which leagues could get the two places.

It’s about the best average coefficient of all teams taking part in Europe for each country. Each win is worth two coefficient points, a draw gets you one, and you get nothing for a defeat. There are also bonus points for getting to certain stages, which helps gives extra prominence to those teams who do well in the higher-profile competitions.

Champions League bonus points
4 – Group stage participation
5 – Round of 16
1 – QF, SF, final

Europa League bonus points
4 – Group winners
2 – Group runners-up
1 – Round of 16, QF, SF, final

Europa Conference League bonus points
2 – Group winners
1 – Group runners-up
1 – SF, final

The points gained by all clubs are added together, and that total score is divided by the number of clubs a country has in Europe. That gives the coefficient average.How much would Champions League exit hurt Milan?Nicky Bandini explains how much of a disappointment exiting the Champions League at the group stage would be for AC Milan.

No, the coefficient system is designed to assess the overall strength of leagues. Wins are the same in all competitions, otherwise it would be impossible for those leagues with few or no teams in the UCL group stage to move up the coefficient ranking.The bonus points serve two purposes. Firstly, to give weight to the strength of the competitions on a sliding scale, and second to provide points to those teams taking part in the UCL who might get few positive results.In fact, it could be argued that it’s better for leagues to have some teams drop down into the UEL for the knockout rounds. Bonus points might be lower in the UEL, but each two-legged tie has five points up for grabs (four for the result and one for progressing to the next round.) If a team stay in the UCL, they might not get past the round of 16 and have little chance of adding to the country’s coefficient through wins.

If we look back at the previous five seasons, England and Spain take seven of the 10 slots, with Italy and Germany one each. Only in 2021-22 did one of the countries with fewer than four teams in the Champions League (the Netherlands) finish in the top two of average co-efficient. So yes, history tells us that it’s highly likely two of the top leagues will have five places in next season’s Champions League.

2022-23: England and Italy
2021-22: England and the Netherlands
2020-21: England, Spain
2019-20: Spain, Germany
2018-19: England, Spain

Going into the final round of group-stage games, and taking into account bonus points for those clubs who have already booked places in the round of 16, this is the top 10.

1. Germany, 12.64
2. England, 11.75
3. Italy, 11.71
4. Spain, 11.31
5. Belgium, 9.8
6. Czechia, 9.25
7. France, 9.08
8. Turkey, 9.00
9. Netherlands, 8.00
10. Greece, 7.00

Realistically, the race for two extra places is going to be between the top four — Germany, England, Italy and Spain … the four leagues which already get four places in the competition.

A league needs to keep as many teams as possible still active in the knockout rounds. By then, results are harder to come by as the fixtures become more difficult. The fewer teams in European competition, the less chance there is to compete for the top two. It’s even more important for England and Spain, who started with eight teams in Europe so each win is worth slightly less to the coefficient (as it gets divided by eight rather than seven.)

– What every teams needs to progress in UCL

Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund and RB Leipzig have already secured safe passage and bonus points for progressing in the UCL. Union Berlin, meanwhile, have to beat Real Madrid to stand even a chance of playing in the UEL, so the probability is Germany will lose a team here. Bayer Leverkusen are straight through to the round of 16 of the UEL, though SC Freiburg may have to play in the knockout playoff round (another name for the round of 32) if they don’t win their group. Eintracht Frankfurt will be in the knockout playoff round of the UECL.

Advanced to round of 16: 4
Advanced, stage TBC: 2
TBC: 1

The Bundesliga is well out in front and clear favourites to get one of the extra places. It’s guaranteed to have six of its seven clubs still in European competition next year, so it could be that the other three league could be battling for one spot.

Arsenal and Manchester City are both through as group winners in the UCL, but the Premier League‘s other two teams are in peril. Manchester United are sure to continue in Europe if they beat Bayern Munich, but could tumble out of Europe by finishing bottom of their group. Newcastle United, meanwhile, need a point at home to AC Milan to at least be in the UEL, but all options are open — including being knocked out. Brighton, Liverpool and West Ham United are all through in the UEL, though only Jurgen Klopp’s men are certain of avoiding the playoff round. In the UECL, Aston Villa are through and must avoid defeat away to Zrinjski Mostar to be sure of topping the group.

Advanced to round of 16: 3
Advanced, stage TBC: 3
TBC: 2

The Premier League might be in second place right now, but it’s by fractions of a point. Lose two teams and the chances of that extra UCL place will be dramatically reduced.

Internazionale and Lazio have booked their place in the UCL round of 16, while Napoli are guaranteed at least the Europa League. AC Milan will have to win away to Newcastle to continue in Europe.

AS Roma and Atalanta are both through in the UEL, though the former could face the playoff round.

Fiorentina are also through in the UECL and need a point away to Ferencváros to top the group.

Advanced to round of 16: 3
Advanced, stage TBC: 3
TBC: 1

Serie A could yet have all seven clubs through, which would come at the expense of a Premier League team. The game between Newcastle and AC Milan could be very important in the race for five places.

Atletico Madrid, Barcelona, Real Madrid and Real Sociedad are all through in the UCL, but Sevilla must win at Lens to drop into the UEL. In the UEL, Real Betis could win the group or drop into the UECL but are sure of continuing, while Villarreal must win away to Stade Rennais to avoid the playoff round. sasuna failed to qualify for the Europa Conference League group stage.

Advanced to round of 16: 4
Advanced, stage TBC: 2
TBC: 1
Out: 1

Even though LaLiga has four teams through in the Champions League, armed with 16 points bonus points, Osasuna’s failure in qualifying has severely affected their hopes of making the top two. That said, they are going to have a guaranteed six clubs still in action in the New Year which means they cannot be ruled out.

The direct league head to heads could prove crucial, especially Newcastle United vs. AC Milan and Manchester United vs. Bayern Munich. England could lose two teams to the benefit of Italy and Germany … or England could keep a full house of eight teams into 2024.Watch out for those bonus points too, as final league positions are going to be important. Winning a Europa League group gets two bonus points, plus an additional one for taking part of the round of 16, and it could make a big difference — especially as group runners-up must face a team that has dropped down from the Champions League in the UEL knockout playoff round. West Ham host Freiburg with top spot at stake, both are through but the Hammers need at least a draw to claim the extra bonus points.So, if one league manages to get several teams winning their UEL and UECL groups, it could create a crucial buffer.

Yes! The draw for the round of 16 of the UCL and the knockout playoff rounds of the UEL and UECL take place on Monday. The draw will no doubt throw up some head-to-head ties among the top four nations which will prove crucial, and the strength of opponents will also be important going forward.

If we assume the extra spots will go to one of the top leagues, it means fifth place will enter the Champions League and it will have eight (rather than seven) places in Europe. Other European berths drop down a place.If the Premier League gets it, the access will be:

Champions League: 1-5
Europa League: 6, FA Cup winners
Europa Conference League: Carabao Cup winners

If the cup winners finish in the top 6, the European places could drop to 7th and 8th in the table.As Germany, Italy and Spain only have one cup competition, seventh would enter the UECL. If a team wins the UEL but doesn’t qualify for the UCL domestically, that league could have six places in the UCL — the five places to the leagues plus the UEL titleholders as an additional.

Kyle Bonagura, ESPN Staff WriterDec 9, 2023, 08:20 PM ET

COLUMBUS, Ohio – For Columbus Crew manager Wilfried Nancy, the most important thing going into Saturday’s MLS Cup was for the team to stick to its identity. If that were to happen, he believed, the rest would take care of itself.He was right.

Columbus recorded a convincing 2-1 victory against LAFC on Saturday night, delivering the club’s third MLS Cup and second since 2020.”That’s why we had the possibility and that’s why we won,” Nancy said. “I’m really proud of that as a coach. Yes, we can talk about that tactics and talk about a lot of things, but the performance that we had tonight was spot on.”As expected, the Crew were on the front foot to begin the game and after waves of consistent pressure, they were rewarded in the 30th minute.That’s when a touch from Diego Rossi in the top of the penalty area deflected off LAFC defender Diego Palacios‘ right shoulder area, then his outstretched hand and was called for a handball. The decision held up on video assisted review, after which Cucho Hernández calmly slotted the opening goal to the lower left side, away from the diving Maxime Crépeau.The already electric atmosphere inside Lower.com Field reached a fever pitch and had not fully subsided before the Crew doubled their lead four minutes later. A brilliant through ball from center back Malte Amundsen put Yaw Yeboah in on goal and he finished with confidence.It wasn’t just a win for the Crew, but an emphatic display of Nancy’s vision for long stretches against an LAFC side that was attempting to cement its status as the preeminent power in MLS.In their first year under Nancy, the former CF Montréal manager, the Crew led MLS with 67 goals and finished the regular season in third place in the Eastern Conference standings — 12 points back of Supporters’ Shield winner FC Cincinnati. The Crew reached the final after defeating Atlanta United, two games to one, in the first round, and road victories against Orlando City (2-0) and Cincinnati (3-2).Nancy is also the first Black coach to lead a team to an MLS Cup.”Obviously, I’m happy. So proud of that because there is a lot of work behind that,” Nancy said. “There is a lot of courage for being that, but I’m also not happy at the same time because this is not normal. Simple as that.”So, I’m proud to represent, yes, to be the only Black [coach], but I’m not happy with that. So, this is something that he has to change and I know that MLS is trying to do that, but this is not only in MLS, this is everywhere.”

One of the leagues original 10 teams, Columbus won its first MLS Cup in 2008, defeating the New York Red Bulls at the Home Depot Center in Carson, California. Its next Cup win came at home in 2020, however only 1,500 fans were allowed in the stadium due to restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic.As a result, Saturday’s win at Lower.com Field — the team’s $314 million stadium that opened in 2021 — will be remembered as one of the most iconic days in Columbus’ storied soccer history. The club is just five years removed from a controversial attempt to relocate to Austin, Texas, which was staved off by the fan-driven “Save The Crew” campaign that ultimately led to the Haslam Sports Group taking ownership.Speaking in the annual state of the league address Friday, MLS commissioner Don Garber reflected on that dark time for Columbus.”Going through that process is not one that I would hope to ever have to go through again, but when I look at where we are today, we have a stadium that’s one of the best soccer stadiums in our league, if not the best small soccer stadium in the world,” Garber said.”We have a team that’s performed incredibly well. We have a bunch of fans who now have more to engage with and cheer for. We have more sponsors for the team than we have before.

“We have more political and municipal support than we’ve had before. We have an ownership commitment that is at the highest level. So, if we had to go through that again and end where we are today, we’d go through it again.”Crew fans haven’t completely forgiven Garber for their team’s near exit. The commissioner’s introduction during the trophy presentation ceremony drew a rousing round of boos.Under the new ownership group, the Crew set their single-season attendance record (22,111 fans per game), operated in the top half of the league in player salaries this season and were led by an MVP-caliber player in Cucho, who was acquired from English club Watford for a club-record fee of $10 million last summer. The Colombia forward was named the MLS Cup MVP.”It was an incredible feeling, you know?” Hernández said. “I cried like a baby when the final whistle blew. But now it’s all about enjoying the moment. Enjoying the moment for the rest of the week and weekend … and just enjoying it.”In July, Columbus transferred club legend Lucas Zelarayán to the Saudi Pro League and, just before the secondary transfer window closed, replaced him with Rossi, a former MLS golden boot award winner with LAFC.LAFC’s attempt to become the fourth team in league history to win back-to-back MLS Cups fell short.”Did Columbus deserve to win tonight? Yes, they did,” LAFC coach Steve Cherundolo said. “They played a fantastic game. Do I think they’re better than us? No, I think they were better than us tonight and we made a couple of errors defensively that led to their two goals. And that’s pretty much it. And that’s how these games are decided.” After being soundly outplayed in the first half, LAFC was much better after halftime. LAFC cut the deficit to 2-1 in the 74th minute on a goal from Dénis Bouanga, but — unlike last year’s MLS Cup, when Gareth Bale rescued the game late in extra time — the equalizer never came.

Joseph Lowery Dec 6, 2023, 01:15 PM

Things are changing for the U.S. women’s national team. With new manager Emma Hayes still coaching Chelsea until the end of the WSL season in England, things might not be changing quite as fast as some would like ahead of the 2024 Olympics. But make no mistake: they are changing. Hayes hasn’t officially begun coaching the USWNT. Still, although she wasn’t on the sideline yelling out instructions or making key substitutions for either of the team’s final games of 2023 — 3-0 and 2-1 friendly wins over China — her influence is starting to show itself within team.

When it came time to choose players for the USWNT’s December camp, Hayes and interim manager Twila Kilgore “picked this roster collaboratively,” Kilgore said in a news conference. Closer to the games themselves, the English coach flew from London to Fort Lauderdale, Florida, to meet U.S. players and staff ahead of Saturday’s 3-0 win. Hayes is starting to make player decisions and put faces to names. Judging by the USWNT’s tactical approach in these friendlies against China, she’s calling some of the on-field shots, too, even from afar. Here’s what has changed for the USWNT with Hayes lurking in the shadows.

Under previous coach Vlatko Andonovski, and even under Kilgore in the post-World Cup friendlies, the USWNT lacked attacking structure.Far too often, players didn’t know where to position themselves or where their teammates would be at any given moment. It sounds basic (and it is!), but without a clear structure, the USWNT struggled to work together to move the ball upfield and create chances. Attacks turned into individual U.S. players trying to charge their way through a defense rather than 11 U.S. players combining to play their way through a defense.You can get a sense of the lack of cohesion in this screenshot from the USWNT’s 0-0 draw with Portugal at the World Cup:

In their recent games against China, the USWNT had a clear, observable, and even fluid structure. Defensively, the U.S. used a 4-4-2 shape before shifting into a 3-2-5 in possession. Here’s a look at that attacking shape:

Just so we don’t miss anything, there are a few notable things here:

The U.S. having any attacking structure where players know where to be and where their teammates will be.
The U.S. using noticeably different shapes in possession and defensive phases.
The U.S. consistently possessing in a back three.

Sure, there have been flashes of structure, fluidity, and three-woman backlines from the USWNT in the past. But compared with, say, the World Cup, those three things are refreshing. Players seemed to have a solid grasp of their roles in each phase of the game, which gave them the freedom to interchange off the ball and combine while on it. Clarity, then, led to creativity for the United States.

There’s still plenty of damage to be undone in the attack from the last tournament cycle — one camp isn’t enough to fix that. But for a team that already has excellent defensive bones, even small gains in possession are hugely valuable.

For two years now, Sophia Smith has been the best striker in the NWSL. With great off-ball movement, speed and the ability to create her own shot, she scores goals for fun at the top of the Portland Thorns’ attack. With the national team, though, Smith has almost exclusively been used on the wing, with Alex Morgan eating up minutes through the middle.That wasn’t the case in this window against China. Smith played 45 minutes in both games as the USWNT’s center-forward, leading the line, breaking in behind the opposing defense and scoring in the first match. Few players in the world make this classic goal scoring run better than Smith as she latched onto the end of Trinity Rodman‘s assist over the weekend.

Smith wasn’t especially efficient in front of goal as she started the first match. “I need to put away my chances… I have to put away my chances,” she repeated on the broadcast during halftime of Saturday’s game against China. But consistently finding dangerous opportunities in the box is the mark of an elite striker. Smith checks that box with a bright neon yellow highlighter.

With Morgan heading into the final stages of her career, now is the time for the U.S. to take full advantage of Smith’s ability to be an ever-threatening scorer in her best position.

Gomez not convinced Rodman is the player to build the USWNT around

Herculez Gomez says there are better candidates than Trinity Rodman for Emma Hayes to make the linchpin of her USWNT team.

Emily Fox has never been your standard, run-of-the-mill fullback. The 25-year-old doesn’t love getting up and down the field. She’s a solid athlete, but lacks the elite speed and one-on-one dribbling chops to overlap and cause real problems for opposing backlines. Instead, Fox thrives as a simple, effective ball progresser. She’s clean in possession and makes quick decisions, creating a stable foundation for her more advanced teammates.

What should be on new USWNT coach Emma Hayes’ to-do list?21dJoseph Lowery
What’s next for England women after tough post-World Cup results?6dTom Hamilton
U.S. Soccer embracing Hayes’ ‘bold, brave’ vision22dJeff Carlisle

She was a key part of the North Carolina Courage‘s possession approach in 2023, moving the ball upfield as a fullback/central midfielder hybrid for coach Sean Nahas. Fox finished in the 98th percentile for progressive passes per 90 minutes and the 95th percentile for progressive carries per 90 among NWSL fullbacks, per FBref.com. Even before she was traded to the possession-heavy Courage, Fox put up well-above-average progression numbers for Racing Louisville.

In the USWNT’s latest games, Fox continued her trend of doing something different from the fullback spot.In Tuesday’s 2-1 win, she was tasked with getting up and down the right side. She didn’t have a huge impact on the game before coming off at halftime as a concussion substitution. That could well be because of the potential head injury, or it could be that Fox is more comfortable playing deeper downfield (or some combination of the two).In Saturday’s 3-0 win, though, she defended as a left-back and stayed deeper in possession as a left-sided center-back, looking much more comfortable along the way. Within the solid U.S. framework, Fox even reprised part of her club role by swapping with Lindsey Horan to move into midfield.

Without a ton of obvious center-back options demanding minutes next to Naomi Girma, and with the extra flexibility Fox (or Jenna Nighswonger, who played the same role) brings to the backline, expect to see more of her flexible positioning in the future.

She’s only four appearances into her national team career, but Jaedyn Shaw looks ready to take the USWNT’s creative reins. During the most recent international break back in October, Shaw played 48 minutes across two games against Colombia. In this December window, the 19-year-old earned 131 minutes. Tasked with playing in the right half-space in the USWNT’s attack, Shaw found the back of the net on Tuesday and pulled so many of the strings in the final third.She used her off-ball movement to crash China’s box and find gaps in their defense. On the ball, Shaw turned her great vision and right foot into five key passes over the two games.Now, it’s difficult to tie Shaw’s specific involvement back to Hayes — there’s every possibility that Kilgore already had plans to ease Shaw into action at the national team level during these post-World Cup friendlies. Back in September, Shaw was called into camp but didn’t see the field. In the October camp, she made her debut. In the December camp, then, maybe the plan was always to push Shaw into a larger role.Or maybe not. Maybe Hayes pushed for Shaw to see more of the action. Regardless of where the motivation to expand Shaw’s responsibilities came from, it’s paying early dividends for the USWNT. The young playmaker was more involved and more impactful against China than any of her teammates vying for minutes in those attacking midfield and half-space roles.

With Shaw stepping up and debuts for Nighswonger, Olivia Moultrie and Korbin Albert, Hayes now has more data on players who could occupy key roles for her team at next summer’s Olympics and beyond. That was surely a goal for the new manager when she helped select this December roster, even from across the Atlantic.

Luis Miguel Echegaray, ESPNDec 8, 2023, 12:48 PM ET

Welcome to Onside/Offside! Each week, Luis Miguel Echegaray discusses the latest from the soccer world, including standout performances, games you might have missed, what to keep an eye on in the coming days and of course, certain things that probably deserved extra love and criticism.This week, a personal and professional look at Unai Emery’s incredible work with Aston Villa, Lionel Scaloni’s uncertainty and why it could be a problem for Argentina in 2024, an MLS Cup to celebrate and much more!

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Hosting Copa America in the U.S comes with a wonderful conundrum because even though the USMNT is the geographical host, the support for other nations is going to be intoxicating. I witnessed this sentiment at Copa America Centenario in 2016.Mexico, for example, is the most popular team in North America. Miami, the Latin American capital of the world, will have a heavy dose of South and Central American fans, while Lionel Messi has galvanized the community that goes beyond Argentina. So unless you’re Mexico in Texas or California, throw “home” advantage out the window.

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From a matchup perspective, I think Marcelo Bielsa’s Uruguay is the last opponent Gregg Berhalter’s side needed in its group, and La Celeste — second in World Cup qualifiers — are favorites to top it, but that will be America’s last game. So really, Panama is the USMNT’s most important hurdle to overcome in order to advance as Bolívia, with all due respect, will bow out.The biggest issue for me, however, lies in Group B. Mexico has the support and talent, and it’s definitely the favorite on paper, but it has not looked as good as we once remembered it. Ecuador‘s ongoing project with its tremendously dynamic team will be a problem, as will Venezuela, currently fourth in World Cup qualifiers. Then there’s Jamaica, which fought hard to get here; yes, it is least favored to get out of the group, but the talent, which includes Leon Bailey, Demarai Gray, Michail Antonio and Andre Blake, might not be as easy to deal with.

As for my Peru, don’t even get me started. Not only do we have to face Argentina, but bitter rival Chile is also in the group. If Canada makes it through, then the mountain becomes that much steeper. Never mind the fact that manager Juan Reynoso is on his way out after a disastrous start to World Cup qualifiers that have seen Peru score just one goal and get zero wins after six matches.

The Columbus Crew are the original gangsters of MLS. Their former stadium was the first soccer-specific ground built by an MLS club, which set off a benchmark for others to follow. They are the representatives of Ohio soccer culture, which is a major component inside America’s soccer fandom. Columbus has always been seen as a “small market club” because it is not a New York or LA, but make no mistake about it, the Crew are a huge reason for the sport’s growth in the United States.Columbus is making its fourth MLS Cup appearance after winning it twice before (2008 and 2020) and just like its last title, the team is at home again, which makes the club favored to win on Saturday. This is a statistical advantage, not an opinion, as the only time the visiting team has come out victorious in a final hosted by the team with the better regular-season record was in 2021, when NYCFC defeated Portland Timbers on penalties. But here comes LAFC, the present-day kings of the league, looking to win back-to-back championships for the first time since its neighbors and local rivals LA Galaxy did it in 2011 and 2012. LAFC is a tremendous story, not even 10 years old and already looking like a dynasty in the making. If the West Coast club wins on Saturday, it would be an incredible achievement, especially as more and more teams continue to bring star power to their clubs. But LAFC (like Columbus) has a strong sense of identity and its supporters are the undoubted, proverbial fire in every game.On the pitch, it will also be a fun watch as the Crew love to have the ball, while LAFC loves to let you have it before hitting you in transition. Tremendous talent everywhere. In one Columbus corner you have Cucho Hernández, Diego Rossi (formerly at LAFC) and the man everyone loves in Darlington Nagbe, while L.A. possesses MLS’ goal-scoring machine in Dénis Bouanga, the Serie A, Champions League, Euro winner Giorgio Chiellini and of course, Carlos Vela — who is literally the face of the franchise. This could be his last ever game for LAFC as his contract runs out at the end of this month, with no talks of an extension upon the writing of the article.Nagbe reflects on Columbus Crew’s journey to MLS Cup finalColumbus Crew captain Darlington Nagbe speaks about what it means to reach the MLS Cup final.

After Aston Villa’s magnificent, overwhelming victory against Man City on Wednesday, it’s fair to say that I haven’t quite calmed down yet, nor descended from the clouds. It is not an exaggeration to state that it was the best performance I have ever seen from my club in the Premier League. Unai Emery finally defeated Pep Guardiola, but it wasn’t just a win, it was a knockout punch as the home side outclassed City in almost every department.

Villa’s 22 shots was the most Pep Guardiola’s side has conceded in the league while the treble winners only managed two shots against Villa — the fewest ever against a Guardiola team from a run of 535 matches. The biggest favor Villa did to City that night was allowing it to stay 1-0.

Numbers aside, this journey under Emery is a renaissance for Villa fans. Villa, who were relegated in 2016, nearly faced the reality of liquidation and have never truly received the respect they often ache for, are a totally different club under the Basque manager.

As someone who started following this club upon immigrating to England from Peru in the early ’90s, helping me create a bridge to acclimatize to my new home, I can’t help but romanticize the whole thing. At the final whistle on Wednesday, I cried. It means that much to me and many other Villains who share my sentiment. This sport can bring out the cynic in all of us, but at the core of it all, it’s about passion and an emotion that can only happen inside a prosperous football community.

But that was Wednesday, and make no mistake about it, Emery has forgotten all about it. In fact, it might as well not exist because Arsenal are coming to town and that is the only thing that matters now. Arsenal, the leaders of the table — also managed by a Basque man obsessed with perfection and a will to learn — are a totally different animal. Given City’s recent struggles, they are a much harder test.

For one, the battle will be in the midfield, and this is the advantage Villa had over City on Wednesday. But Arsenal have Declan Rice and Martin Odegaard to worry about. It’s been 25 years since Villa fans saw their club face-to-face and win against the Gunners (two wins in 2020 and 2021 with no fans inside stadiums during COVID) at Villa Park but if this season has taught us anything, it’s that anything is possible.

When Argentina won Copa America in 2021, it was significant for many reasons. To begin with, it was the end of their 28-year drought without a major trophy. It was also Messi’s first ever major title with the senior national team, thus generating a new relationship and sense of trust and belief with national team fans, notably after losing two prior Copa America finals against Chile in 2015 and 2016.

Most importantly, however, it was also manager Lionel Scaloni’s first commemorative chapter since he took on the role of rebirthing La Albiceleste in 2018, a move that was questioned by many, including Diego Maradona. After coming third in the 2019 tournament, there was an even bigger call to fire Scaloni, but the federation stuck with him. Two years later, they were champions, and as we look ahead to next summer’s Copa America edition, Argentina will enter it as World Cup champions and the best team in the world.

Scaloni has been completely vindicated and once again, his team will arrive in the U.S next summer as the undoubted favorites. This could also have a poetic narrative as this might just be Messi’s final one. The group (Peru, Chile and Canada or Trinidad and Tobago) is relatively easy for them, and the bracket’s format points to the fact that — if everything goes to plan — they wouldn’t even have to face Brazil or Uruguay in the final, which consequently is in Miami — Messi’s home and a cultural haven for Argentinians in the U.S.

Scaloni says he’s still considering his future with Argentina ahead of the Copa America

Lionel Scaloni talks about his future as Argentina manager and looks ahead to the 2024 Copa America.

But at this point, Argentina doesn’t even know if Scaloni will be there. After last month’s win against Brazil in World Cup qualifiers, the 45-year-old manager added doubt in the postgame presser. “Argentina needs a coach who has all the energy possible and who is well,” he said. “I have a lot of things to think about during this time.”

Then, on Thursday night after the draw, he once again stated an air of uncertainty to Tyc Sports. “I am here because I am still the coach, but I’m still thinking about my decision. I said after the Brazil game that it is a moment to think and I am still in that instance. I am calmly thinking, how everything goes, whether to restart or what,” said Scaloni.

This has to be rectified sooner rather than later because the last thing Argentin want is to enter this competition with little time to prepare. Yes, they are a formidable force, but what’s made them so electric is twofold: the talent and Scaloni’s management. It’s obviously a monumental task that comes with so much pressure, that’s why Scaloni keeps referring to “energy,” because to be Argentina’s head coach means to deal with an avalanche of expectation as well as earning the trust of the greatest player the game has ever seen.

I read an outstandingly good quote from Taylor Swift recently, as she commented on haters and those who have criticized her throughout the years. “There’s no point in actively trying to quote-unquote defeat your enemies,” said the music icon to Time magazine, as she was named 2023 Person of the Year. “Trash takes itself out every single time.”

This line should be echoed by all of us, including supporters of women’s football. I mention this because of the words from Joey Bartom, a controversial former player and manager who recently came out with one of the most misogynistic comments I’ve read in a while.

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Since then, he has doubled and tripled down, including an appearance on “Piers Morgan Uncensored,” to defend his laughable point. “You have to be there on merit, not to fit this woke agenda that is going on in society,” he said, when discussing female pundits in men’s football and going as far as comparing them to him talking about “knitting.” “You don’t have to have played the game, a lot of managers haven’t, a lot of commentators haven’t. But they’ve earned the right with hard work over a prolonged period of time to get into that space.”

Barton was saying this as images of Alex Scott MBE (Champions League, WSL, FA Cup champion, World Cup runner-up and 140 appearances for England), Karen Carney (four World Cups, four Euros, third-most appearances for England) and Eniola Aluko (Serie A, WSL champion, former sporting director) appeared on the screen.

What makes this type of person so angry at seeing a woman in the men’s game? I’ll tell you the answer: it’s jealousy. It’s fear. It’s ignorance. And sadly, women in football will never stop fighting this battle. Barton represents millions of others who think like this, not because it has any merit, but because the merit lies in their anger, it justifies their agenda. It has nothing to do with “wokeness.”

I can only imagine how devastating it must be for women all over the globe reading and seeing comments such as Barton’s and having to fight 10 times harder than men for their quality to be recognized, never mind accepted. And I’m not even talking about the football industry anymore.

So in general, there are a few ways we all can react to Barton’s comments. One of them is anger; another is frustration. While understandable, it seems like nothing will change Barton’s mind, so in the end, I think the best strategy is self-preservation. Ignorance can’t be reversed unless the person committing the act is willing to change, and this is not the case here, so comments like Barton’s need to be combated with a collective desire to grow. Collective is the operative word here, and as the fight continues, remember the words of Taylor Swift: In the end, trash takes itself out.

Congrats to Lionel Messi for winning Time magazine’s Athlete of the Year, becoming the first male soccer player to win the award. I was lucky enough to cover his arrival to South Florida, which included a one-on-one with the man himself, and this isn’t hyperbole: The summer completely changed the cultural landscape of sports in America.

In fact, the shift of sporting attention in the country is fast gearing towards soccer and Messi’s role with Inter Miami and MLS plays the biggest factor. With competitions such as Copa America, Club World Cup and the World Cup in 2026, the train keeps moving and La Pulga acts as conductor.

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL - JULY 10: Lionel Messi of Argentina lifts the trophy with teammates after winning the final of Copa America Brazil 2021 between Brazil and Argentina at Maracana Stadium on July 10, 2021 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. (Photo by Alexandre Schneider/Getty Images)

By Ben BurrowsDec 8, 2023

Argentina will kick off the 2024 Copa America against one of Canada or Trinidad & Tobago on Thursday, June 20.

The holders — and 2022 World Cup winners — will open the tournament in Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta against the winner of a qualifying play-off in March.

The draw for the tournament, which will take place between June 20 and July 14, took place on Thursday.

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Lionel Messi’s side will also meet Peru and Chile in Group A.

The United States face Uruguay alongside Panama and Bolivia while Mexico were drawn with Ecuador, Venezuela and Jamaica.

Nine-time winners Brazil will take on Colombia, Paraguay and one of Costa Rica or Honduras, who meet in the other qualifying play-off, in Group D.

Group A: Argentina, Peru, Chile, Canada or Trinidad & Tobago
Group B: Mexico, Ecuador, Venezuela, Jamaica
Group C: United States, Uruguay, Panama, Bolivia
Group D: Brazil, Colombia, Paraguay, Costa Rica or Honduras

With the 16 teams split into four groups of four, the top two sides in each group will progress to the knockout stages, starting with the quarter-finals. Each group winner will face a runner-up.

The four winners of those games will advance to the semi-finals, and the winners of the two semi-finals will meet in the final at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami on Sunday, July 14.

June 20

Argentina vs Canada or Trinidad & Tobago (5pm PST, 7pm CST, 8pm EST, 12am BST, Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta)

June 21

Peru vs Chile (5pm PST, 7pm CST, 8pm EST, 12am BST, AT&T Stadium, Arlington)

June 22

Ecuador vs Venezuela (3pm PST, 5pm CST, 6pm EST, 10pm BST, Levi’s Stadium, Santa Clara)
Mexico vs Jamaica (6pm PST, 8pm CST, 9pm EST, 1am BST, NRG Stadium, Houston)

June 23

USA vs Bolivia (3pm PST, 5pm CST, 6pm EST, 10pm BST, AT&T Stadium, Arlington)
Uruguay vs Panama (6pm PST, 8pm CST, 9pm EST, 1am BST, Hard Rock Stadium, Miami)

June 24

Colombia vs Paraguay (3pm PST, 5pm CST, 6pm EST, 10pm BST, NRG Stadium, Houston)
Brazil vs Costa Rica or Honduras (6pm PST, 8pm CST, 9pm EST, 1am BST, SoFi Stadium, Inglewood)

June 25

Peru vs Canada or Trinidad & Tobago (3pm PST, 5pm CST, 6pm EST, 10pm BST, Children’s Mercy Park, Kansas City)
Chile vs Argentina (6pm PST, 8pm CST, 9pm EST, 1am BST, MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford)

June 26

Ecuador vs Jamaica (3pm PST, 5pm CST, 6pm EST, 10pm BST, Allegiant Stadium, Las Vegas)
Venezuela vs Mexico (6pm PST, 8pm CST, 9pm EST, 1am BST, SoFi Stadium, Inglewood)

June 27

Panama vs USA (3pm PST, 5pm CST, 6pm EST, 10pm BST, Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta)
Uruguay vs Bolivia (6pm PST, 8pm CST, 9pm EST, 1am BST, MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford)

June 28

Colombia vs Costa Rica or Honduras (3pm PST, 5pm CST, 6pm EST, 10pm BST, State Farm Stadium, Glendale)
Paraguay vs Brazil (6pm PST, 8pm CST, 9pm EST, 1am BST, Allegiant Stadium, Las Vegas)

June 29

Argentina vs Peru (5pm PST, 7pm CST, 8pm EST, 12am BST, Hard Rock Stadium, Miami)
Canada or Trinidad & Tobago vs Chile (5pm PST, 7pm CST, 8pm EST, 12am BST, Exploria Stadium, Orlando)

June 30

Mexico vs Ecuador (5pm PST, 7pm CST, 8pm EST, 12am BST, State Farm Stadium, Glendale)
Jamaica vs Venezuela (5pm PST, 7pm CST, 8pm EST, 12am BST, Q2 Stadium, Austin)

July 1

USA vs Uruguay (6pm PST, 8pm CST, 9pm EST, 1am BST, GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium)
Bolivia vs Panama (6pm PST, 8pm CST, 9pm EST, 1am BST, Exploria Stadium, Orlando)

July 2

Brazil vs Colombia (6pm PST, 8pm CST, 9pm EST, 1am BST, Levi’s Stadium, Santa Clara)
Costa Rica or Honduras vs Paraguay (6pm PST, 8pm CST, 9pm EST, 1am BST, Q2 Stadium, Austin)

July 4

Match 25 1A vs 2B (6pm PST, 8pm CST, 9pm EST, 1am BST, NRG Stadium, Houston)

July 5

Match 26 1B vs 2A (6pm PST, 8pm CST, 9pm EST, 1am BST, AT&T Stadium, Arlington)

July 6

Match 28 1D vs 2C (3pm PST, 5pm CST, 6pm EST, 10pm BST, State Farm Stadium, Glendale)
Match 27 1C vs 2D (6pm PST, 8pm CST, 9pm EST, 1am BST, Allegiant Stadium, Las Vegas)

July 9

Match 29 W25 vs W26 (5pm PST, 7pm CST, 8pm EST, 12am BST, MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford)

July 10

Match 30 W27 vs W28 (5pm PST, 7pm CST, 8pm EST, 12am BST, Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte)

July 13

Match 31 L29 vs L30 (5pm PST, 7pm CST, 8pm EST, 12am BST, Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte)

2 – Copenhagen

3 – Galatasaray

4 – Man United

1, 2: UCL round of 16; 3: UEL playoff round

July 14

Match 32 W29 vs W30 (5pm PST, 7pm CST, 8pm EST, 12am BST, Hard Rock Stadium, Miami)