US faces Ecuador Tonight at 8:30 pm on TNT, HBO Max, Tues vs
Ah poor Potchitino may not have all of his players healthy this week as he prepares for his next to the last run out before the World Cup – Boo the Flip Hoo. Maybe you should have thought of that when we played really good teams in the last 2 camps man. Five Million Dollars completely wasted on this poor excuse for a soccer coach in my mind – but lets see if this decent club coach can pull it together despite having some of his better players in Pulisic, Zendejas and Robinson nursing injuries. Wow guys were all healthy last run out — and before the Gold Cup back in June when we played really good teams – but hey Botch was touring Europe doing nothing then – spending US money. Anyway back to this weekends games – he’s finally brought in a decent roster FINALLY. Hard to Say who will start with the injuries. I still think the 3 Centerback thing is questionable when we only have 2 decent centerbacks – but what do I know. He’ll run out 3 tonight to see what it looks like I presume – the question is — is it CCV or Miles in the middle of the three with Ream on the left and Richards on the right? Or does Richards move to the center and McKensie slide to the right? I think McKinney & Tessman play the double 6 with Pulisic & Tillman beneath Ballagon and Robinson & Weah on the outside backs. Ecuador is actually decent – has qualified for the World Cup and will give us a game – perhaps we slide thru 2-1 if Pulisic plays – 1-1 if not.
Goalkeepers(4): Chris Brady (Chicago Fire), Matt Freese (New York City FC), Patrick Schulte (Columbus Crew), Matt Turner (New England Revolution). Defenders(8): Max Arfsten (Columbus Crew), Cameron Carter-Vickers (Celtic), Alex Freeman (Orlando City), Mark McKenzie (Toulouse), Tim Ream (Charlotte FC), Chris Richards (Crystal Palace), Antonee Robinson (Fulham), Miles Robinson (FC Cincinnati). Midfielders (8): Brenden Aaronson (Leeds United), Diego Luna (Real Salt Lake), Weston McKennie (Juventus), Aidan Morris (Middlesbrough), Cristian Roldan (Seattle Sounders), James Sands (St. Pauli), Tanner Tessmann (Olympique Lyonnais), Malik Tillman (Bayer Leverkusen). Forwards(6): Patrick Agyemang (Derby County), Folarin Balogun (Monaco), Christian Pulisic (AC Milan), Tim Weah (Olympique Marseille), Haji Wright (Coventry City), Alex Zendejas (Club América).
US U20s Beat Italy 3-0 to Advance to QFs vs Morocco Sun 4 pm
Awesome to see the US U20’s pound Italy 3-0 (Highlights) just a week after pounding France in the U20 World Cup. Miami’s Ben Cremasche scored the Brace as he now has 5 goals to lead the tourney in goals. The win sends the US to the Quarterfinals where they face Morocco Sun at 4 pm on Telemundo. Not sure why this game is not on FS2 at least as Fox is covering the Tourney?
Indy 11 face Pittsburgh Riverhounds & former Carmel & Butler GK Eric Dick pm Sat 7 pm on ESPN+
The Boys in Blue travel to Pittsburgh tonight with the playoff hopes on a thin line as they face former Carmel Dad’s, Carmel High & Butler GK Eric Dick on ESPN+. They have their final regular season home game with Fan Appreciation Night on Saturday, October 18 at 7 p.m. at Carroll Stadium vs. Loudoun United FC.
A Reminder Carmel FC is Looking for High School Players to fill out some teams – including my 2010 Boys Team. Come on out Thurs Oct 16 for Supplemental Tryouts.
The U20 US Boys-are on to the QuarterFinals vs Morocco Sun 4 pm on UnivisionReffing the High School Rec Championship Game at Atleto with these guys always fun. Thanks Tori for all you do for us Carmel Dad’s Cup Refs.
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FULL TV GAME SCHEDULE
Fri, Oct 10 2:45 pm FS2 France vs Azerbaijan 2:45 pm Prime Germany vs Luxenberg 8:30 pm TNT, Max USA Men vs Ecuador 10:45 pm Seattle Reign vs Bay FC NWSL Sat, Oct 11 9 am FS2 Latvia vs Andorra WCQ 12 noon Prime Norway vs Israel WCQ 2:45 pm FS2 Spain vs Georgia WCQ 2:45 pm Prime Portugal vs Ireland WCQ 4 pm FS2, Tele U20 World Cup Quarterfinal 7 pm FS2 U20 World Cup Quarterfinal 7 pm ESPN+ Indy 11 @ Pittsburgh (Carmel’s -Eric Dick) 7:30 pm Para+ North Carolina vs Washington Spirit NWSL 10 pm CBSSN Utah Royals vs San Diego Wave NWSL Sun, Oct 12 9 am FS2 San Marino vs Cypress 12N FS2 Netherland vs Finland WCQ 2:45 pm Lithuania vs Poland WCQ 4 pm FS2, Tele U20 World Cup QF USA vs 5 pm ESPN Angel City vs Houston NWSL 7 pm FS2 U20 World Cup Quarterfinal Mon, Oct 13 2:45pm FS2 Northern Ireland vs Germany WCQ 2:45 pm Prime Iceland vs France WCQ 8 pm PAra+ Honduras vs Haiti WCQ Tues, Oct 14 2:45pm FS2 Latvia vs England WCQ 2:45pm Prime Spain vs Bulgaria WCQ 2:45pm Prime Portugal vs Hungary WCQ 9 pm TNT, Max USA Men vs Australia 10:30 pm Prime Mexico vs Ecuador
Thurs, Oct 23 9 pm TNT, Max USA Women vs Portugal Chester PA Sun, Oct 26 4 pm TNT, Max USA Women vs Portugal Hartford CT Sat, Nov 15 5 pm TNT, Max USA Men vs Paraguay Chester PA Tues, Nov 18 7 pmTNT, Max USA Men vs Uruguay Tampa, FL
Love doing the Adult ladies games down Kuntz on Tuesday nights. Here with
USA vs. Ecuador (TONIGHT, 8:30 p.m. ET, TNT) Roger Bennett & the Boys
Brace yourself, this is going to be some stern test. Ecuador are the footballing equivalent of one of the 12 Labors of Hercules. Fresh off beating Argentina and finishing second in CONMEBOL qualifying, tonight will rank somewhere between slaying the nine-headed Lernaean Hydra and Capturing the Erymanthian Boar. Yes, La Tri will be without Chelsea’s ultimate fighter Moisés Caicedo and Arsenal defender Piero Hincapié, but this team is fast, furious and physical. Mauricio Pochettino has asked us to trust his process. Tonight should be a true test of our progress, identity and collective belief. Here are the questions I am looking forward to seeing real answers to…
i. Can We Set Up Christian Pulisic to Hurt Opponents in a U.S. Jersey as He Has Done for Milan?
Christian Pulisic has been in the form of his life for Milan with a league-leading four goals and two assists. When we spoke this week, he identified the source of his potency: the tactical freedom he’s been given by coach Max Allegri,which reminded me of what Jack Grealish said in this incredible clip about how he plays at his best. Pochettino still must crack the code within his system to set Christian up to do similarly in a U.S. lineup. He has too often cut a frustrated figure, but if we can create the freedom for Pulisic to acquire possession in space to hurt opponents with a striker running ahead of him, we can soar.
ii. To That End, Do We Play Three or Four at the Back?
In our last-game victory against a Japan XI, Poch moved Christian to play under the striker in a 3-4-2-1 lineup, and CP linked up with Balogun for his goal with a flourish. I believe it will be three at the back again. Our nation’s great tactical experiment must continue.
iii. Can Weston McKennie Assert Himself and Win a Place in Poch’s Good Book?
There is the Weston McKennie of our dreams: the Texan bowling ball capable of knocking down all-comers. There is also the McKennie of this cycle—a capricious player whom Poch does not trust to fit into the hard-grind, all-in, always-on culture he expects and demands.
It has incredibly been seven long months since Weston was last in a U.S. national team camp—since the darkness of the Nations League slumping defeats to Panama and Canada. In that spell, he somehow managed to both captain Juventus at the Club World Cup, lose his place in the team, then fight his way back in. At club level, Weston has consistently proved he is never more focussed and effective than when he is on the brink of exile—a truth which is a reflection of his mentality, rather than his potential skill, which is not in doubt. Can he do the same again for us tonight?
iv. How Long Can Antonee Robinson Go?
That electric left-back/footballing can opener Antonee Robinson is back in the squad for the first time in almost a year. The Fulham star is returning from a long-term knee injury and is yet to start a Premier League game this season. He will be on a severe time restraint, yet the U.S. are truly only a three-dimensional team when he is flying down the flank.
Also, who is on the right? Twenty-one-year-old Orlando City speed freak Alex Freeman is the only natural right-back… Does he play or does Tim Weah play wingback?
v. Who’s Up Top: Flo Balogun or Haji Wright?
I hope Haji gets some playing time, gent has been the man for Frank Lampard’s unbeaten Coventry. Here is Herc Gomez explaining what has changed for the Los Angeles striker whose confidence has gone next level.
vi. Who’s in Goal?
Harvard Donnarumma Matt Freese is the heir apparent. Matt Turner is back in the squad. Freese has the form, Matty T. the experience. Can we play them both at the same time?
vii. Where Are We Between Experiment and Reality?
This is one strange cycle. The steady diet of friendlies has offered Poch the chance to experiment and audition with no consequences. He has asked us to trust his process without truly articulating what that is. I asked both Tyler Adams and Christian Pulisic what matters in these games. As highly competitive athletes, they both had the same answer: winning and the results. At what stage will the open auditions and tactical experiments cohere? The World Cup is 244 days away. There are just a handful of games left before we play before the teams, who as in the Ryder Cup, are all going to want to do us. Close by, the train is waiting…
PS – Really lovely piece on the incredibly inspiring Diego Luna.
USMNT injuries complicate Mauricio Pochettino’s October camp and Ecuador friendly
USMNT head coach Mauricio Pochettino has injury concerns to contend with. Robin Alam / ISI Photos
AUSTIN, Texas — U.S. men’s national team coach Mauricio Pochettino indicated Thursday that Christian Pulisic, Antonee Robinson and Alex Zendejas are all doubts for Friday’s friendly against Ecuador.
Pochettino, speaking at a news conference here ahead of the match at Q2 Stadium, said that Pulisic and Robinson didn’t train Thursday, and Zendejas “(felt) something, and it’s an issue. We don’t believe that Alex will be part of the game tomorrow.”
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Neither Pochettino nor a team spokesman would give more specifics about the “issues” hampering Pulisic and Robinson.
Robinson underwent knee surgery at the start of this past offseason and has been working to regain fitness and playing time at his club, Fulham.
“We need to assess tomorrow (if) they can be available or not,” Pochettino said.
Antonee Robinson (left) and Christian Pulisic are both in doubt for Friday’s USMNT clash.Stephen Nadler / ISI Photos / USSF / Getty Images for USSF
Their status could complicate Pochettino’s plans for this October international window, the third-to-last before he’ll pick a World Cup squad in the spring. He is already without fullback Sergiño Dest, midfielders Tyler Adams and Johnny Cardoso, and striker Ricardo Pepi. If Pulisic and Robinson are unable to play, or if they are held out of the starting lineup as precautions, the USMNT would be without roughly half of its presumed first-choice starting 11 for what would otherwise be a valuable tune-up for 2026.
Pochettino took a rosier view. The “circumstances,” he said, could “give the opportunity to different, maybe, players to play.”
Many of the players who would naturally step in for Pulisic and Zendejas, including Malik Tillman and Diego Luna, and for Robinson, such as Max Arfsten, are players Pochettino and his staff have already seen often throughout 2025.
One player he hasn’t seen often, Tanner Tessmann, could be pushed into a more advanced role in midfield.
Brenden Aaronson could also get another chance to impress Pochettino, having failed to do so at the CONCACAF Gold Cup this past summer. Haji Wright could, in theory, move up the pecking order for playing time on the wing, though a forward line of him, Tim Weah and Folarin Balogun would lack variety.
Weston McKennie, back with the squad for the first time since March, could also play higher up the field. Pochettino did not name names as potential replacements for Pulisic, Zendejas and Robinson, but later spoke about McKennie as a player who could be an “important” one for both Juventus and the national tea
“He has arrived very well, with very good energy,” Pochettino said of McKennie.
He first mentioned the injury “issues” in response to a question about the importance of these October games — first against Ecuador, then next Tuesday in Colorado against Australia.
Alex Zendejas has been in sparking form in Liga MX.Hector Vivas / Getty Images
“It’s difficult to convince you all, [but] the most important [thing], today, is not really the games,” he said. “The most important is what we are building here in the camp.”
Throughout his 30-minute news conference, he continued to speak at length about his “process.”
“Of course we need to play, and we need to perform, and we need to win, because that is going to give us the credibility in our work,” he said. But there was more value, he insisted, in the precious little time they get to spend together.
He again spoke about March, when the U.S. lost to Panama and Canada, as a “wake-up call” that compelled him to change his approach to the job.
“The moment that we identified the problems, we started to destroy the things that we need to destroy, and start to build the house from the ground up,” Pochettino said. (He did not specify what the “problems,” or the things that needed to be “destroyed,” were.)
Doing so, he continued, “takes time.” It also takes “a lot of problems, because it’s difficult for the people to understand, sometimes, that process,” Pochettino said. “But, I think we are on time.”
After the friendlies against Ecuador and Australia, the USMNT will have two more against Paraguay and Uruguay in November to close out 2025. They’re in advanced discussions to then play Portugal and Belgium in March, in the last two games before the World Cup team gathers in May and June.
“I am so happy, so positive, in the way things are going,” Pochettino said. “I am respecting the plan. It’s on time. It’s true that (there are only) a few camps until the World Cup, but the base is really strong now, after one year of working. It’s not too much time, but it’s time enough to build what we wanted to build.”
Christian Pulisic arrives in form, but status in sudden doubt for USMNT vs. Ecuador
AUSTIN, Texas – U.S. men’s national team coach Mauricio Pochettino said Christian Pulisic did not train on Thursday and is a question mark for Friday’s game against Ecuador.
“I need to communicate that we have some issues in some players, like Christian [Pulisic], who didn’t train today,” Pochettino said, not offering any other further specifics but also indicating that Alejandro Zendejas and Antonee Robinson sat out Thursday as well. “We need to assess tomorrow [if] they can be available or not.”
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Pulisic had spoken to the media earlier in the day but did not mention any issues, injury or otherwise. Instead, he focused on the importance for the U.S. team to come out of this international window with not just good performances, but also good results. After meeting La Tri, the U.S. will host Australia, another World Cup-bound opponent, next Tuesday in Colorado.
“It’s as simple as that,” Pulisic said. “We want to kind of understand and know where our team is at and have a good feeling going forward as we get closer to the summer.”
Pulisic arrived in Austin in strong form with AC Milan. The U.S. No. 10 was named Serie A player of the month and has six goals and two assists for Milan across all competitions. Pulisic missed a penalty kick in Sunday’s draw with Juventus, but he remains one of the most important players for both club and country.
On Thursday, he made sure to point out that he didn’t just spend his summer on the beach.
“I worked really hard this summer,” Pulisic said. “It’s not like I just took a break. I wanted to make sure that my body was in the perfect spot coming into the season, and I wanted to start really strong, and I worked really hard. And it’s just been consistency and the work I’ve put in, and it’s good to see it come to fruition and (to be) playing well. But it’s just the start of the season. I have so much more I want to accomplish.”
The U.S. will need Pulisic to be at his best if it’s to advance in next summer’s World Cup.
“I think I can do well in a lot of the attacking positions, but I’ve always felt comfortable coming off the left side, but also being in sort of pockets in behind the striker,” he said. “I’ve always been pretty comfortable in that position. It allows me to use some of my strengths, get in the box, make runs in behind. So I think it’s a good spot.”
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The key for the U.S. now isn’t just unlocking Pulisic’s club form on the international stage, but continuing to build momentum from the Japan win into this window. While friendlies are a proving ground in which the result isn’t as important, the American team is in need of some validation to the process under Pochettino.
Wins now build trust and momentum, and piling up those results is crucial as the World Cup nears.
“I think we’re settling in well,” Pulisic said. “Now it’s about building good performances one after the other. After last camp feeling good, now it’s a great opportunity.”
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After years of winning back his Juventus place, Weston McKennie aims to do same for USMNT
AUSTIN, Texas — It has been seven months since Weston McKennie was last here in U.S. men’s national team camp, simultaneously competing and joking, building toward a World Cup.
It has been seven months since March, since the Concacaf Nations League losses to Panama and Canada, since a week-long camp that head coach Maurico Pochettino recently described as a “wake-up call.”
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In those seven months, McKennie has captained Juventus at the Club World Cup, then seemingly been pushed out of the Juve starting 11, only to fight his way back in. He’s been left off a USMNT roster and missed 10 national team games for multiple reasons.
So, when he spoke here Thursday, and when a TV reporter asked him, as “a key leader in this group,” what his “message for the younger players” would be, McKennie paused.
“Ah, for the young players coming into this camp?” he said. “I mean, I’ve been gone for seven months, so it feels like I’m a new player.”
He chuckled, then gave his serious answer: “I would say: just put your head down and work, and really immerse yourself into the environment, into the group, into the guys and the ideas.”
That, in a way, is what McKennie has been doing, or must do, this week. He took part in Pochettino’s first three A-team camps, but missed a summer of culture-building that Pochettino and players have hailed as a crucial part of the coach’s “process.”
Weston McKennie last played for the USMNT vs. Canada in the Concacaf Nations League third-place match in March 2025Michael Owens / Getty Images
When asked Thursday about the team’s first year under Pochettino, McKennie said: “I mean, I’ve only spent a couple camps in with the group. So, probably a better question to ask someone else.”
McKennie did start all four Nations League matches in November and March. The latter, though, convinced Pochettino that “we needed to start a different process and different approach.” It wasn’t just the losses to Panama and Canada. “All that happened helped a little bit to realize that the most important thing is the national team; it’s the federation, and [the U.S. Soccer crest,]” Pochettino later said. “This is more important than any single name.”
Over the coming months, he omitted several notable names from rosters, in an apparent attempt to create internal competition, by sending a roster-wide message that nobody’s place in the USMNT is guaranteed.
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McKennie wasn’t one of the discretionary omissions in June; he was, rather, with Juventus at the Club World Cup and unavailable for selection. But he was then left off Pochettino’s roster for September friendlies against South Korea and Japan.
Pochettino, when asked to explain McKennie’s omission at the time, indicated that McKennie’s delayed offseason, and his precarious place in Juventus’ squad, were two factors. “We wanted to give him the possibility to be more settled in his club,” Pochettino said.
But, at the same time, he did call in Tim Weah, who had also been with Juve at the Club World Cup, then transferred to a new club, Marseille, just weeks before the roster was named.
McKennie was asked Thursday about his interpretation of and reaction to the omission. How did it hit him? Did it motivate or inspire him?
“Nah, I just stayed at my club, focused on what I had to do there,” he said. “And, yeah, just waited to have the opportunity to come back in.”
USMNT teammates Christian Pulisic and Weston McKennie vie for possession during a recent Serie A match between AC Milan and JuventusMarco Alpozzi / LaPresse / AP
At his club, meanwhile, he was once again battling to prove his worth. Offseason after offseason, he has been pushed “out of the project” at Juventus — and, on at least one occasion, stripped of a locker and parking spot. But he has always played his way back in, and 2025 felt no different.
“The summer is always a roller coaster for me. So, nothing’s really changed,” McKennie said Thursday with a smile. “I’m kind of used to it now.”
When asked about the mentality required to win back his place, again and again, he grinned and said: “It’s year after year, so it’s years of practice.”
He is, it seems, en route to doing that at Juve. After struggling for minutes over the season’s first few weeks, he has now started four games — including two in the Champions League — and played five over the past month.
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The one difference, now, is that his place in the national team seems less secure than ever. The player pool, at least in midfield, is deeper. And the coach has been willing to call upon less-accomplished, less-heralded and arguably less-talented players ahead of established figures if the stars don’t perform.
When asked if, having been away from the team for several months, he now feels like he has to win back a starting spot here, too, McKennie said: “That’s for the outside people to think, and the coaching staff to feel like. I just come in and do my best. If the coach thinks it’s a good fit for the starting 11, it’s a good fit. If it’s not, then it’s not.”
When asked about the March “wake-up call,” and whether he saw it as such, or whether Pochettino has explained that to him, McKennie began with a “nah,” and reiterated that he hasn’t been around the group enough to “know how people are taking what they take, or how they do what they do, or what not.”
“I’m just here to do my job whenever I’m called upon,” he said. “And that’s that.”
USA U-20s book World Cup quarterfinal place, rout Italy behind Cremaschi’s double
The United States advanced to the quarterfinal round of the U-20 men’s World Cup for the fifth straight competition after a comprehensive 3-0 win over Italy on Thursday, with Benjamin Cremaschi’s double sandwiching a free kick from Niko Tsakiris in Chile. The Americans were the better side on the day and were never in any sort of danger against a poor Azzurri team, who had two late shouts for penalties go uncalled, even after VAR review.Cremaschi scored his fourth and fifth goals of the tournament on Thursday to take the competition’s scoring lead. His first came in the 15th minute following a scramble in front of goal from a U.S. corner kick, as he poked the ball into the net from close range. His second goal, in second-half stoppage time, was a lovely dink over the goalkeeper from the center of the box after receiving a cross in stride on a run down the center.
The on-loan Parma midfielder, who earlier in the tournament became the second American to score a hat trick in a U-20 World Cup (Freddy Adu did so in 2007), had his strikes complemented by Tsakiris, who curled in a wonderful free kick from just outside the Italian penalty area to put the U.S. 2-0 up in the 79th minute. Marko Mitrović’s side, which has benefited from playing every match thus far at the Estadio El Teniente in the city of Rancagua, will face Morocco in the quarterfinals on Sunday. The African side topped its group by beating Spain and Brazil before being edged 1-0 by Mexico, and it beat South Korea 2-1 in Thursday’s round finale. It’ll mark the second straight year the two sides will have met on the youth stage, with Morocco knocking the U.S. U-23s out of the 2024 Olympics with a 4-0 quarterfinal thrashing in Paris.
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These U-20 Americans will hope for a better fate and as they seek to advance to the final four of the competition for the second time in program history – and the first since 1989. Norway and France, the latter of whom the U.S. beat in group play, are in the other quarterfinal on the U.S.’s side of the bracket, while Mexico, Argentina, Spain and Colombia make up the other half.
While the football has not always been pleasing on the eye, this U-20 World Cup in Chile has had a vintage feel. At the senior men’s level, World Cups have become opulent global events. There is the rustic feel to this youth tournament that is being played at the aging concrete stadiums in cities like Santiago, Talca and Viña del Mar. Whether it’s a crisp spring night or a breezy sunny afternoon amidst the Andes Mountains, the aesthetics of the tournament lend itself to the nostalgia of past competitions. It’s fitting that the last U-20 World Cup that was played in Chile in 1987 featured Yugoslavia’s Robert Prosinecki, one of the biggest stars of the 1990s and that tournament’s Golden Ball winner that yeaThis year’s tournament has been marked by Brazil’s failure to reach the knockout stage for the first time in their nation’s history. Brazil finished at the bottom of Group C with just one point, which led to the dismissal of head coach Ramon Menezes. Chile’s footballing crisis continues, too.
Chile’s senior side finished last in the 2026 World Cup qualifying campaign, and the host nation’s U-20 squad was jeered off the pitch after losing 4-1 to Mexico in the round of 16. The Mexicans have been one of the most talked about teams. They’ve played well and have been led by young midfield prodigy Gilberto Mora, the tournament’s most highly-touted player.
Mexico’s Gilberto Mora (11) has played as advertised and is a breakout star of the FIFA U-20 World CupRaul Bravo /AFP / Getty Images
Mora, a central midfield playmaker, was part of Mexico’s Gold Cup team that defeated the U.S. in the final in July. The 16-year-old, who plays his club football with Tijuana, is expected to be part of Mexico’s 2026 World Cup squad. Mora’s agent Rafaela Pimenta told TUDN on Wednesday that top European clubs like Real Madrid and Barcelona are tracking him, and when discussing a potential transfer fee for Mora, Pimenta said that “$15 million wouldn’t buy one of Mora’s legs.”
The American squad may not have a future global star like Mora, but there is plenty of technical ability on the team. On Thursday, standout performances from Cremaschi and defensive midfielder Brooklyn Raines powered the U.S. toward a potentially historic tournament run.
While past U.S. sides at the U-20 level included future senior national team legends like Michael Bradley, DaMarcus Beasley, Carlos Bocanegra, Tim Howard, Clint Dempsey, Landon Donovan and Kasey Keller, among others — the 2025 team is an understated side that may just be gelling at the right time.
The clear winner in MLS Soccer this week was Raccoon Messi at the Red Bulls vs Philly game see. Pulisic scores a Brace on Mom’s Day weekend and celebrates with his mom as he wear’s her maiden name on his back. Disappointing week as Tottenham blew their chances to knock off Man City at home when Son was smothered on this play by City’s backup goalie Ortega (love Pep’s response) – leaving the EPL race all but over to the Blues. Arsenal will fall just short again unless West Ham can upset Man City at City – fat chance. The only thing up for grabs is 6th place and a Europa league place. The complete and utter lack of drama in the EPL final weekend proves once again why American sports are superior to Europe.
Man City has only beaten 2 of the top 10 teams this season – but have the best overall record by beating the crap teams. The US has playoffs. No offense but when a team wins the Super Bowl –they have to beat the best teams – same in the NBA, same in Hockey and at the end of the season when it counts – not some early or midseason – no one cares game. Championship games to win it all. While the European leagues have no one cares blasé games down the stretch except perhaps relegation – – imagine what even a top 4 playoff would look like in the EPL – the interest and excitement darn near challenging Champions League in popularity. But alas the Europeans know best. Enjoy this weekend’s games where the only real drama is will Germany’s Bayern Leverkusen extend Europe’s longest unbeaten streak EVER to 51 games by becoming the first German team to finish undefeated in a season?
Indy 11 host Hartford Sat & Detroit City Wed in US Open Cup
Indy Eleven won 3-1 at Miami FC Saturday night and is now unbeaten in six straight across all competitions, including four in USL Championship action. The four matches are the most since a stretch of six from August 9-Sept 2 last year. The win improves Indy to 4-4-2 in league action, and moves them up to 4th in the East. The Boys in Blue return to action Saturday when they host Hartford Athletic for Hometown Heroes Night. Action begins at 7 p.m. ET and will air locally on WNDY & ESPN+. Tickets are available via Ticketmaster. The 11 will host Detroit City Wed in US Open Cup Sweet 16 action at the Mike.
Games on TV
Sat, May 18 – Final Day Germany
9:30 am ESPN+ Dortmund vs Darmstadt
9:30 am EPSN+ Union Berlin (Aaronson, Pefok) vs Freiburg
9:30 pm ESPN+ Bayer Leverkusen vs Ausburg
9:30 am ESPN+ Stuttgart vs Mgladbach (Scalley)
12 noon CBSSN Lecce vs Atalanta ITALY
1:45 pm Fox Nashville SC vs Atlanta United
2:45 pm Para+ Torino vs AC Milan (Pulisic, Musah)
7 pm ESPN+, TV8 Indy 11 vs Hartford @ the Mike
7:30 pm CBS Galazo Tampa Bay Rowdies (Jordan Farr GK) vs FC Tulsa
7:30 pm Ion Washington Spirit (Rodman, Hatch, Sullivan) vs Angel City FC NWSL
9:30 pm Ion TV KC Current vs Racing Louisville (Demelo) NWSL
9:30 pm Univision America vs Guardlajara
Sun, May 19 Final Day EPL
11 am USA Arsenal vs Everton
11 am NBC Man City vs West Ham
11 am CNBC Brighton vs Man United
11 am Golf Channel Chelsea vs Bournemouth
11 am Peacock Shefield United (Trusty) vs Nottingham Forest (Reyna)
11 am Peacock Fulham (Jedi, Ream) vs Luton Town
11 am Peacock Crystal Palace (Richards) vs Aston Villa
12 noon Para+ Inter Milan vs Lazio
1 pm ESPN+ Barcelona vs Rayo Vallecano
5 pm Para+ NY Gothem (Williams, Ohara, Mewis) vs Chicago
6 pm Para+ Orlando Pride vs Seattle Reign (Lavelle, Huerta, Cook) NWSL
Wed, May 22 Europa League Finals
3 pm Para+ Bayer Leverkusen vs Atalanta
Sat, May 25
3 pm ESPN+ FA Cup Final Man City vs Man United
Sat, June 1
3 pm CBS Champ League Final Real Madrid vs Dortmund
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The last matchday of the 2023-24 season in the Bundesliga means things get started with a fury on Saturday morning with all 18 clubs kicking off simultaneously at 9:30a. Then on Sunday morning the Eredivise completes there season with kickoffs at 8:30a, the EPL kicks off at 11a, and in France they will be kicking off at 3p. La Liga and Serie A still have one more weekend left so will have games scattered across this weekend before wrapping up their season next week Sunday. There’s quite a bit of action including some significant situations still to be settled so let’s get to it.
Saturday
Union Berlin v Freiburg – 8:30a on ESPN+
Brenden Aaronson started last weekend and Union Berlin were leading 2-1 against 17th place Koln but two late goals would see Berlin drop three points and fall into the relegation playoff spot. Now Berlin, who started the season in the Champions League need a win on Saturday against 8th place Freiburg (who are still within striking distance of Europa Conference League) and a loss by Mainz to Wolfsburg or they will finish no better than the relegation playoff spot. If Berlin were to lose and Koln can win again, this time against Wolfsburg, while making up a three goal differential it would be a straight and stunning drop for Berlin to the 2 Bundesliga. Berlin have lost five of their last six and have just one win since mid-February. Rumors this week suggest that Aaronson will not be back in Berlin next season regardless of the outcome on Saturday but also that Leeds do not plan to keep him for next season so it seems as though he will be on the move this summer.
Wolfsburg v Mainz – 9:30a on ESPN+
Kevin Paredes has started two straight for Wolfsburg and will finish the season just under 1,500 minutes across all competitions for his club who head into the final weekend in 12th place. It’s been a solid, if not spectacular, season for Paredes as he builds on the 500 minutes he saw in the 2022-23 campaign. Wolfsburg are comfortably middle of the table in 12th place but can play spoiler to Mainz who are holding on to hopes of safety.
Hoffenheim v Bayern Munich – 9:30a on ESPN+
John Brooks has not appeared in three straight matches and has not started a game since he picked up a red card in early March and served a two match suspension. Hoffenheim are in seventh place, one point ahead of Freiburg for Europa Conference League qualifying and three points (and a three goal differential) behind Eintracht Frankfurt for sixth place and Europa League qualification. Hoffenheim’s opponent this weekend are Bayern Munich who’s fate has been settled in an unusual way as they are currently in second place, fifteen points behind first place Bayer Leverkusen (who will look to complete their unbeaten run through the Bundesliga when they face Augsburg).
Stuttgart v Borussia Monchengladbach – 9:30a on ESPN+
Joe Scally, Jordan Pefok and Borussia Monchengladbach go into the final weekend clear of relegation thanks to a draw against Frankfurt last weekend with Scally picking up the assist on Gladbach’s only goal. Scally has started all but a handful of matches for Gladbach this season and has racked up more Bundesliga minutes this season than any other American, still just 21 years old. Pefok did not appear last weekend and has not started a match since March, he has also been in a goal drought with his last goal coming in late February. Gladbach’s opponent this weekend is third place Stuttgart who technically don’t have much to play for this weekend but could pass Bayern in the standings with a win and a Bayern loss.
Heidenheim v Koln – 9:30a on ESPN+
The second leading minutes man for American’s in Germany is Lennard Maloney who returned from injury last weekend to see 24’ minutes off the bench in Heidenheim’s 1-1 draw with Freiburg. Maloney has missed five matches due to injury and came off the bench in two other matches immediately after his return from said injuries but has otherwise started every match for a Heidenheim side who came into the season as an odds on favorite to return to 2 Bundesliga but have had a solid season and are currently in 9th place, tied with Augsburg and Werder Bremen. Heidenheims opponent this weekend are Koln who need a win, a loss by Union Berlin, and to make up a three goal differential in order to crawl into the relegation playoff spot for one final chance to maintain their Bundesliga standing for next season.
Torino v AC Milan – 2:45p on Paramount+
Christian Pulisic had a pair of goals last weekend in AC Milan’s 5-1 romp over Cagliari to bring his season total to 12 goals and 7 assists in league plan and 15 goals and 9 assists across all competitions. It has been a fantastic individual year for Pulisic though without any team awards to show for his accomplishments as Inter Milan have won the league title going away. Yunus Musah also started and went the full 90’ last weekend in the win, returning from his one game yellow card suspension. It’s been a quieter year for Musah but he’s started the last four games he’s been eligible for and with two more strong appearances to close the season could finish with over 1,500 league minutes and 2,300 minutes across all competitions. Milan face tenth place Torino in their penultimate match with Milan having already sealed second place and Torino out of the European competition running.
Sunday
PSV Eindhoven v RKC Waalwijk – 8:30a on ESPN+
Malik Tillman and Ricardo Pepi close out their season with league champion PSV Eindhoven Sunday morning with a match against RKC Waalwijk who are tied with Excelsior for the relegation playoff spot. Tillman started and went the full 90’ last weekend in PSV’s draw with Fortuna Sittard while Pepi came on for the final 20’ but neither player made the scoresheet as the match finished 1-1.
Burnley v Nottingham Forest – 11a on Peacock
Gio Reyna was strikingly absent from the matchday squad for Forest last weekend as they fell to Chelsea 3-2 to remain three points ahead of Luton Town for the final relegation spot heading into the final matchday. It’s been a bust of a transfer for Reyna who will return to Champions League finalists Borussia Dortmund this summer with an uncertain future ahead of him. It looks as though Matt Turner may also need a move this summer as he hasn’t appeared for Forest since late January, shortly after the team brought in Matz Sels, though frankly Sels has not preformed any better than Turner in his spell.
Chelsea v Bournemouth – 11a on Peacock
In a bit of more positive news Tyler Adams returned to the field for Bournemouth last weekend getting ten minutes off the bench in their 2-1 loss to Brentford. It was just Adams third appearance in what has been a lost season but it is good to see him back on the field heading into the Summer and the USMNT’s upcoming involvement in the Copa America. Bournemouth are solidly middle of the EPL table in eleventh place. They are facing a hot Chelsea side that have won four straight and are making a late push currently three points ahead of Newcastle United and Manchester United for Conference League play and looking to overtake Tottenham for Europa League qualification.
Crystal Palace v Aston Villa – 11a on Peacock
Chris Richards looks to have secured a spot with Crystal Palace moving forward. Richards made the starting lineup in December and hasn’t looked back, starting and going the full 90’ in all but three matches in which he was left out due to injury in early April. Richards will finish the season with over 2,000 minutes in EPL play and 2,500 minutes over all competitions. Palace enter the final week in twelfth place and are facing fourth place Aston Villa who can’t move up or down on the final weekend.
Luton Town v Fulham – 11a on Peacock
Tim Ream faces a more uncertain future though he recently signed an extension with Fulham. Ream signed a one year extension that would take him through the 2024-25 season but he hasn’t seen the field for Fulham since mid February. Antonee Robinson on the other hand has played nearly every minute for Fulham this year, missing one match due to muscular problems back in September and just an additional 58 minutes across the remainder of the season, he’ll finish with over 3,200 minutes in league play. Fulham are in fourteenth place, easily safe from relegation and face a Luton Town side that are all but mathematically eliminated. Luton would need a win, a Forest loss and to make up the 12 goal difference in order to avoid the drop.
Sheffield United v Tottenham Hotspur – 11a on Peacock
Sheffield’s disastrous EPL campaign comes to a merciful close this weekend with the only outstanding question being just how many goals will they allow in their record setting season. Sheffield have allowed 101 goals and will face a Tottenham side that need a result this weekend to ensure they hold off Chelsea for fifth place and Europa League qualification. Auston Trusty has started the past eight for Sheffield and looks set for a return to the Championship as he is signed with the club through the end of the 2026-27 season.
Real Betis v Real Sociedad – 1p on ESPN+
Real Betis pulled ahead of Real Sociedad last weekend with a win over Almeria but fell back to seventh place midweek when they settled for a draw with Las Palmas while Sociedad was beating Valencia. Sociedad now holds a one point lead for sixth place and Europa Conference League qualifying heading into their head-to-head matchup. Betis need at least a draw to keep their hopes alive as a win would seal sixth place for Sociedad. Johnny started again last week and has over 1,100 minutes since joining Betis in January.
Granada v Celta Vigo – 1p on ESPN+
Luca de la Torre was an unused substitute last weekend and hasn’t started a match since he was injured in early March. Celta Vigo have four wins over that time and with a five point lead over Cadiz a result of any kind this weekend against relegated Granada would guarantee they are safe heading into the final weekend.
Monaco v Nantes – 3p on beIN Sports
Folarin Balogun came off the bench late in the first half last weekend to replace the injured Breel Embolo and picked up an assist on the opening goal as Monaco would go on to win 2-0. With the result his side are guaranteed to finish in second place heading into the final weekend as they take on a Nantes side that are just guaranteed safety. The assist was Balogun’s second in three weeks and his seventh of the season giving him fifteen goal contributions across all competitions.
Monday
Bologna v Juventus – 2:45p on Paramount+
Weston McKennie and Timothy Weah lifted the Copa Italia trophy on Wednesday but saw their manager dismissed on Friday in what has been a turbulent week. McKennie started the match while Weah came on in the final minutes to put in a defensive effort and see out the 1-0 victory. Juventus have had a disappointing league season including a draw to last place Salernitana last weekend, though the point was enough to ensure that they will qualify for Champions League play next season. They face third place Bologna on Monday who are tied with Juventus on points and lead them in goal differential by +3.
USMNT’s core is moving away from MLS and that’s fine for now
In one respect, however, the match was unlike any other in history. For the first time since Major League Soccer’s launch in 1996, the red, white, and blue game-day roster did not feature a single player from the U.S. first division. Atlanta United‘s Miles Robinson, the only MLS player to even make the training camp roster for those games, was left off the 23-man matchday squad because of injury and looking at where American players play, it’s unlikely this will be the last time such an occurrence happens.In a sense, the impact of current MLS players on the U.S. national team is waning. At the 1998 World Cup, 16 of the 22 players came from MLS. In 2002 and 2006, that number was 11 out of 23. In Qatar? Just nine of 26 players came from the first division, with only Nashville SC‘s Walker Zimmerman playing more than 45 minutes.Now, this isn’t to say that MLS (and USL Championship) aren’t having an effect on the senior national team. They clearly are, especially as the majority of those called up started their careers in MLS or the development academies. U.S. head coach Gregg Berhalter pointed to the growth of the league as a key element in the development of the player pool.
“MLS is a critical step in everything that we’re doing in U.S. Soccer,” Berhalter said in a November interview with Telemundo. “When you see the amount of investment that the owners have made in Major League Soccer, and actually soccer in America, it’s a great thing. The reason why we are where we are is because of the investment from MLS,””We don’t get hung up on where the players are coming from. We’re looking at how we grow this team, grow the player pool, and give experience to a broad selection of players.”Consider this: 17 of the 26 players on the 2022 World Cup roster played for an MLS NEXT academy, while 20 of the 21 men on the 2023 FIFA U-20 World Cup roster were, or had been, in an MLS academy. Additionally, 14 players with USL or League One experience made that U-20 roster including Joshua Wynder, who has since moved to Portuguese side Benfica in the USL’s first seven-figure transfer.It’s a strange spot for MLS and, to a lesser extent, USL. The league needs to move its best young players along to other clubs and reinvest the money in player development, a virtuous cycle that also means talented young Americans will end up playing overseas. While 2023 saw homegrown players set a record, with 174 playing 168,163 minutes across 2,829 games, three aging defenders — Matt Miazga, Tim Parker, and Zimmerman — were the only Americans on the Best XI team. The top three MVP candidates — FC Cincinnati playmaker Luciano Acosta, LAFC winger Dénis Bouanga and Atlanta United midfielder Thiago Almada — came from abroad, with no American winning the league’s MVP since Mike Magee in 2013.
An emerging league is, almost by definition, a place where the most talented young players leave and that is, for now at least, a feature not a bug.”All of the work that we do day to day is focused on giving opportunities for our players to reach their full potential, whether it’s in the academy or the first team, so that eventually some of them become high-level players in MLS,” Charles Altchek, president of MLS NEXT Pro, said in an interview with ESPN. “Whether they stay in MLS or end up moving around the world depends on where they are in their lifecycle as a player, what they want to achieve and where they want to be.”USL is adopting this same philosophy: they want to be a place where Americans start a career, not finish it.”I feel very strongly that the most valuable currency in soccer for player development is firstly in playing minutes, especially meaningful and competitive games in front of thousands of fans,” USL head of global football development and sporting director Oliver Wyss said during a phone call with ESPN.”Our clubs are ideally positioned to provide this environment and the full pathway that already has and will have an even bigger direct impact on developing the next generation of U.S. national team players and also allow the USL to become a bigger player in the global transfer market.””I encourage all of our teams to look at our top players as assets, and not as expenses. Ultimately, if these assets can be transferred to Europe, and you get a six- or seven-figure transfer amount plus a future sell-on percentage, the return of investment on these players is going to be significant for a club.”The growth of domestic leagues means there’s more opportunity than ever before for Americans to see the field, but there’s also more competition. The trend for MLS clubs seeking quality is to target players in their mid-20s. In other words, men in their prime who are also depreciating assets in a sport that prioritizes youth and potential.While this is good for the level of play, it’s not great for younger Americans trying to break through who can see opportunities to get on the field blocked by these expensive acquisitions. As a result, the percentage of minutes played by Americans in MLS has decreased even though available minutes have increased because of league expansion. One worthwhile comparison is Japan, a footballing country in a similar place to the U.S. in this regard.
Tom Byer, a man who has had a significant impact on the development of soccer in the Asian nation, offered an observation during an interview. “With Japan, the majority of the national team players play in Europe, but the gap between those best players in Europe and the players in the J.League is tiny,” he said. “Almost no Japanese player makes it over to Europe to play until they’ve played about 150 professional games in the J.League.”Closing the gap should, and is, a goal of MLS, and one that it’s slowly achieving. But the truth is, at the end of the day, it’s neither MLS nor the USL’s job to make the U.S. men’s national team better. They are three separate and distinct entities with their own goals and metrics for success. Still, there’s the reality that what’s good for one is good for the other — a strong tide raises all boats, or something like that — and there’s a World Cup not too far away across all of North America.”When the national team is successful, it’s good for soccer fans in this country and for MLS,” Altchek said. “That’s why we’ve worked really closely with the Federation for decades now on providing those opportunities for players and working with them on call-ups and releasing players for different competitions.””We want the U.S. to win the 2026 World Cup or at least go farther than they’ve ever gone before. Having the men’s national team there with a bunch of players who played or are playing in MLS will be icing on the cake.”
Europe’s top soccer leagues: Title fights, UCL, relegation
Dale Johnson, General Editor, ESPN FC May 14, 2024, 04:56 PM ET
Manchester City will seal the title with a victory at home to West Ham on Sunday. For Arsenal to win the title, they must win at home to Everton and Man City lose or draw. If Arsenal win and Man City draw, the Gunners would win the title on goal difference.
As it stands, only fifth gets a Europa League place with the other slot, by right, going to the FA Cup winners.
Man United take on Man City in the FA Cup final on May 25 (stream live on ESPN+, U.S. only). If Erik ten Hag’s team lift the trophy then they will be in the Europa League (UEL). If Man City win the cup, then the UEL position transfers to the sixth place in the Premier League
Despite poor results, Spurs are in a strong position to finish fifth with a six-point lead over Newcastle and Chelsea. Spurs still need a point away to Sheffield United on Sunday to be absolutely sure.
Spurs could also be confirmed in the Europa League on Wednesday if both Chelsea (go to Brighton) and Newcastle (visit Man United) drop points.
Man United can now finish no higher than sixth but, because of their vastly inferior goal difference, that will become seventh at best if they don’t beat Newcastle.
Europa Conference League (1)
Pending the FA Cup final, sixth will go into the Europa Conference League. Newcastle hold it, with Chelsea and Man United close behind. The UECL place will drop to seventh if Man City win the FA Cup or if Man United win the FA Cup and finish fifth or sixth. It would still be one of Man United, Newcastle and Chelsea — one of them will miss out on Europe completely. If Man United win the FA Cup and finish seventh or eighth, the UECL place goes to sixth.
Luton are effectively relegated due to their vastly inferior goal difference to fourth-bottom Forest. On the final day, Luton would need to beat Fulham and Forest lose to Burnley with a goal difference swing of 12.
Leicester City and Ipswich Town have been automatically promoted to the Premier League. Leeds United, Southampton, West Bromwich Albion and Norwich City compete in the playoffs for one more place.
LaLiga – three rounds to go final weekend May 25-26
Atletico are almost certain to take the fourth place, holding an eight-point lead over Athletic Club
It will be sealed on Wednesday if Atleti get a victory at Getafe, or if Athletic fail to win at Celta Vigo.
Real Madrid winning the Champions League cannot benefit another team in LaLiga. The team with the highest UEFA coefficient in UCL qualifying will be promoted direct to the group stage.
Europa League (2)
Athletic won the Copa del Rey and are almost certain to finish in the top six, so we can safely say the place for the cup moves over to the league — fifth and sixth will enter the UEL.
Either Atlético or Athletic will take one of the places, with Betis and Real Sociedad battling it out for the other.
Valencia and Villarreal have slim hope. Villarreal go to Genoa on Tuesday. Then on Thursday, Real Sociedad host Valencia (who really must win) and Betis are at Las Palmas.
Europa Conference League (1)
This will go to seventh in the league, probably between Real Sociedad and Real Betis, while Valencia and Villarreal require a mini-miracle from here.
One relegation spot is to be decided, with Cádiz giving themselves hope by beating Getafe on Sunday. They still have a lot to do to catch Celta Vigo, Rayo Vallecano or Mallorca. On Wednesday, Cádiz are at Sevilla, Celta Vigo are at home to Athletic Club and Rayo Vallecano host Granada
Bundesliga – one round to go final day May 18
Title
Bayer Leverkusenare still unbeaten and have already secured the first championship in their history.
Dortmund are in the UCL final, and if they win it a UCL place will be given to sixth in the Bundesliga. The European Performance Slot is a league benefit, so it will be an additional place to Dortmund’s as titleholders. Eintracht Frankfurt, who are guaranteed a place in the UECL at worst, are in sixth but could be overtaken by Hoffenheim on the final day. One of those two teams will be fully backing Dortmund against Real Madrid on June 1. Frankfurt need a point at home to RB Leipzig to secure sixth. If they lose, then Hoffenheim can climb above them with a victory at home to Bayern. A small goal difference swing of three is also required.
Europa League (2)
There are a few complicating factors to the UEL places, which right now go to sixth in the league (Frankfurt) and the winners of the DFB Pokal. The final of the DFB Pokal on May 25 (stream live on ESPN+, U.S. only) sees Leverkusen take on Kaiserslautern who, incredibly, could win the cup despite almost being relegated to the third division, as they sit four points above the 2. Bundesliga relegation zone with one game to be played. If Kaiserslautern pull off an almighty shock and do what no other team has done all season (beat Leverkusen), the league slots will be unaltered: sixth into the UEL and seventh into the UECL. If Leverkusen win the final, sixth and seventh will get a place in the UEL.
If Dortmund win the UCL, Germany would surrender the place in the UEL earned by Dortmund in the league. So, Dortmund would qualify as UCL titleholders in fifth, with sixth getting the European Performance position. The only way seventh can get a UEL place is if Leverkusen win the cup.
Europa Conference League (1)
If Kaiserslautern win the cup, then it will be Frankfurt, Hoffenheim or Freiburg who enter the UECL in seventh. If Leverkusen win the cup then eighth gets the UECL place, and it opens up.
Hoffenheim will definitely finish in the top eight so, like with Frankfurt, it might just be a question of which competition they play in — UCL, UEL or UECL.Freiburg sit in eighth with a three-point gap to Heidenheim, Augsburg and Werder Bremen. On the last day, Freiburg travel to relegation-threatened Union Berlin knowing victory, if Hoffenheim draw or lose, could see them finish seventh; a draw would guarantee they finish eighth. But if they lose, they can be overtaken as they have worse goal difference than the three teams below them. Heidenheim are at home to Cologne, who have to win to have any chance of staying in the top flight, Augsburg travel to Leverkusen, who haven’t lost to anyone all season, and Bremen host Bochum, who could still be relegated.
Relegation (2+1)
Two teams are relegated, while third-bottom takes on third place in the 2. Bundesliga (Fortuna Düsseldorf) in a playoff for the right to play in the top flight.
The best Cologne can hope for is 16th and the relegation playoff spot … by overtaking Union Berlin. To go up to the playoff place, Cologne must win at Heidenheim on Saturday, hope Union lose at home to Freiburg, and there be a goal difference swing of four. To avoid the playoff Union must win and, due to goal difference, hope Mainz lose at Wolfsburg or VfL Bochum are beaten at Bremen. St. Pauliand Holstein Kiel have been automatically promoted into the Bundesliga.
Serie A – two rounds to go, final day May 26
Title
Internazionalehave wrapped up the Scudetto as runaway champions.
There’s one place up for grabs, which is held by Atalanta in fifth and they have a game in hand and a three-point advantage so are in a very strong position. That extra match is against Fiorentina and both teams are in European finals; the only possible date to play the game is Sunday, June 2 — a week after the final round of Serie A games is played. Atalanta and Fiorentina will therefore go into the “extra” game in full knowledge of the final position a result will earn.
AS Roma and Lazio are still in contention, but it’s a big ask with two games remaining.
Atalanta, who can finish no lower than seventh so are guaranteed at least UEL football, can seal their place in the UCL if they better Roma’s result at the weekend and at least match Lazio’s. Atalanta go to Lecce on Saturday, and on Sunday it’s Roma vs. Genoa and Lazio are at Inter.
If Atalanta win the UEL (they face Leverkusen in the final on May 22) then Italy will have six clubs in the UCL — the top four, Atalanta as UEL titleholders and the European Performance Spot. If Atalanta finish fifth and win the UEL, sixth will play in the UCL too — meaning Roma and Lazio will be cheering on Atalanta when they face Leverkusen.
Europa League (2)
Atalanta face Juventus in the final of the Coppa Italia on Wednesday, so it’s certain that sixth and seventh will qualify for the UEL.
Atalanta, Roma and Lazio are the main contenders, but there’s a small amount of hope for eighth-placed Fiorentina with that game in hand.
If Atalanta win the UEL to qualify for the UCL and finish fifth, sixth or seventh, Italy will surrender one place in the UEL for the league which Atalanta would have earned.
Eighth place will enter the UECL, which is currently held by Fiorentina but the place could yet be filled Roma, Lazio, or more likely Napoli or Torino .
On Friday, Napoli are away to Fiorentina and must win that to give themselves a real chance of being in Europe next season. Torino face a tough game at home to AC Milan.
If Fiorentina win the UECL to qualify for the UEL and finish eighth, Italy will surrender its place in the UECL.
It’s exceptionally tight, with Empoli level on points with Frosinone and within touching distance of Cagliari, Udinese and Hellas Verona.
Sassuolo are three points from safety and on Sunday host Cagliari in a big relegation showdown. They could pull Cagliari right into it, or be doomed.Also on Sunday, Udinese are at home to Empoli in another huge six-pointer, and Frosinone go to Monza. Then on Monday, Hellas Verona are at Salernitana.Parma and Cesc Fàbregas’ Como have been promoted to Serie A. Venezia. Cremonese, Catanzaro, Palermo, Sampdoria and Bresica take part in the playoffs.
MLS Power Rankings: Messi’s Miami stay top, Timbers struggle
Ryan Rosenblatt May 13, 2024, 12:28 PM
It’s Monday and another week of MLS action is in the books, which means it’s time for ESPN’s Power Rankings. Our Power Rankings are derived from a combination of key season statistics (points per game, goal differential, expected goal differential), recent performance, the Opta computer ratings and the observations of our writers.Who’s climbing the table? Who’s in free fall? We’ve ranked all 29 clubs in the league after Matchday 12. Let’s dive in.
Inter fell behind 2-0 before roaring back to win in Montréal. It wasn’t Lionel Messi leading the way either. Matías Rojas was the man with the magical left foot, scoring a sublime free kick and feeding Benjamin Cremaschi for the winner as the Paraguayan made sure Miami left Canada with three points.
In FCC’s biggest game of the young season, they had the best player and that made all the difference. Lucho Acosta was sensational against Columbus, setting up the first goal and scoring the second to paint Ohio blue and orange.
RSL will be disappointed to have conceded a stoppage time equalizer to the Galaxy, but it’s not like they have much to complain about. They were the inferior team in L.A. and still walked away with a point, even with Zac MacMath having a rough one in goal. Take it and get back to Utah.
Cristian Olivera scored twice as LAFC trounced the Whitecaps 3-0. The Uruguayan has scored five goals in his past three matches across all competitions, and the Black and Gold are doing a better job turning their possessions into chances. This is the growth LAFC needed to show as this season has gone on, which is why they are moving closer to the league’s top teams.
Nobody is going to question this Crew team that has rolled into the Concacaf Champions Cup final, but losing to Cincy at home is going to sting anyway. The Crew have been treading water while they focus on continental competition all season, but treading water is about to get a lot more difficult as they embark on a five-match road trip.
Miguel Berry scoring a stoppage time equalizer? The Galaxy’s 2-2 draw with RSL might seem a little flukey because of the tying goal, but they were the better team for long stretches of this one. A point was the least they deserved.
The unthinkable happened when Dan Gazdag missed a penalty for the first time in his MLS career. And to make matters worse, it would have been an equalizer on a night in which the Union celebrated him becoming their all-time leading goal scorer. Instead, Philly lost to Orlando 3-2.
The Pigeons beat Toronto 3-2 for their first away win of 2024, then they got into a postgame skirmish with the Reds. It was a bizarre scene and one that might cost Sean Johnson a game or two.
The Five Stripes have not won a game since March and, for some of that stretch, they have been able to say, “We were the better team tonight, the ball just didn’t bounce our way.” That wasn’t the case against D.C., as they were soundly beaten at home, turning up the heat on manager Gonzalo Pineda’s seat to scorching.
The Crown have spent a lot of time trying to find a striker since they entered the league and they might have their answer in 23-year-old former first round pick Patrick Agyemang. He has been really good and added the lone goal in Charlotte’s 1-0 win over Nashville to his resume. If he keeps it up, he’s going to be the man in Charlotte for a long time.
With the way Seattle’s season has gone, it wouldn’t have been shocking to see the team fold once it gave up an early goal to Portland. Brian Schmetzer teams don’t make a habit of folding, though, and Seattle stormed back for a win. Don’t look now, but the Sounders are starting to rack up points.
Just when you want to believe in the Rapids, they blow a 2-0 lead and lose. At home. To the Earthquakes. Yikes.
NWSL Power Rankings: KC Current undefeated, Bay FC drop
Megan Swanick ESPNFC May 13, 2024, 03:20 PM
It’s Monday, and another week of NWSL action is in the books, which means it’s time for ESPN’s Power Rankings.Our rankings are derived from a combination of key season statistics (points per game, goal differential, expected goal differential), recent performance, the Opta computer ratings and the observations of our writers.Who’s climbing the table? Who’s in free fall? Our writers and statistical models have ranked all 14 clubs in the league after matchday nine. Let’s dive in.
Next match: Saturday vs. Racing Louisville, 9:30 p.m. ET
The still-undefeated Kansas City Current took a nil-nil draw from Seattle Reign in the midweek (hammering out 19 shots in a game they controlled, though Lauren Ivory’s six saves stymied them), before overcoming North Carolina 1-0 at home Sunday night. With a wicked attack that should scare all opposition this year, Brazil‘s Debinha made her first start since returning from injury and clocked the difference-making goal to become the 12th goalscorer for the Current this season.
Portland’s remarkable season turnaround continues to catch fire as the Thorns beat regional rivals Seattle Reign 4-0 at home Saturday night. Portland’s form is a club-wide accomplishment, but Sophia Smith has been immense in their five-match winning run. After notching one goal and three assists against Seattle, Smith leads both the NWSL goals and assists tallies with eight goals and six assists this season. And across Portland’s five-game unbeaten streak, Smith has accrued a record-setting 11 goal contributions, the most goal contributions in a five game span in NWSL history, per Opta.
Alongside Kansas City, the Pride are one of just two teams still undefeated in 2024. Now sitting second in the standings, Kansas City reclaimed the top spot solely on goal differential this weekend. With a midweek 1-0 victory over Racing Louisville, the Pride handed Louisville their first loss of the year before taking another 1-0 victory from Bay FC Saturday evening. They came into the season humble but with a third of the year wrapped up and newly accrued Barbra Banda clocking her fourth goal in five games (the highest goals per 90 in NWSL) in the midweek, I think it’s safe to say the Pride are the real deal this season.
Next match: Saturday vs. Angel City FC, 7:30 p.m. ET
The Spirit recovered from a loss to ascendant Portland by handing Racing Louisville their second loss of the season. Friday’s 2-1 victory on the road started strong thanks to rookie sensation Croix Bethune‘s fourth goal of the year, which she sent to the back of the net with a cool strike in the fifth minute to capitalize on a corner, bringing her contribution tally to four goals and four assists in nine games for her debut season.
North Carolina picked up a worrying third loss in a row against league-leaders Kansas City Current this Sunday. The streak is concerning, though falling 1-0 to Kansas City isn’t the end of the world, especially considering they held among the league’s most formidable attacks to just one goal (though they have Casey Murphy‘s seven saves to thank for this). Still, they’ve struggled to produce sufficient quality chances in their recent form, scoring only one goal in their past three games and unfurling just seven shots and two on target against the Current.
Next match: Sunday vs. Chicago Red Stars, 5 p.m. ET
Gotham picked up a 1-0 win over Houston Dash in the midweek as Lynn Williams equalled Sam Kerr‘s most goals all time record in NWSL in her sixth match of the year. Still recovering from early season injuries, Gotham then took a respectable 1-1 draw on the road against San Diego Wave Sunday evening. As we head into matchday 10, the reigning champs have picked up respectable wins on slim margins while significantly underperforming their xG, still looking like they have a lot left to give this season.
Sitting mid-table with a game in hand, San Diego are nursing a sizable number of knocks from their starting lineup. Sunday’s 1-1 draw with Gotham saw Alex Morgan, Naomi Girma, Abby Dahlkemper, Sofia Jakobsson, and Melanie Barcenas all sidelined with injury. Concerningly, 19-year-old phenom Jaedyn Shaw left the draw with a stoppage time injury as well. They look like a team still looking for their form, but first priority will be getting everybody healthy.
When it rains it pours. Soon to be US manager Emma Hayes may be looking across the sea with mounting concern, as the USWNT’s starting keeper Alyssa Naeher also left the pitch injured in Chicago’s 3-1 victory over bottom of the table Utah Royals. On the bright side for Chicago, the Red Stars continued their efficient goal scoring operation, as they accrued three goals with just 38% of possession, finishing the weekend as the fifth-highest scoring team in the league.
Next match: Saturday at Kansas City Current, 9:30 p.m. ET
Savannah DeMelo‘s freekick golazo to bring Louisville level wasn’t enough to overcome their visitors, Washington Spirit, as Racing picked up their second straight loss after starting the season unbeaten.
After holding the league-leaders (Kansas City) to a respectable 0-0 draw in the midweek, Seattle took a beating in Portland as they fell 4-0 to their Cascadian rivals Saturday night. Holding Sophia Smith and company at bay is a tall order these days, but Seattle will head home to a tough match with unbeaten Orlando Pride next weekend while nursing their egos from this rivalry rout.
Next match: Saturday at Washington Spirit, 7:30 p.m. ET
Despite Claire Emslie‘s five goals and serious talent in their attacking ranks, Angel City underwhelmed offensively again this weekend, as they produced just three shots on target with 58% of the ball in a 1-0 loss to Houston Dash.
Houston picked up just their second win of the year with a 1-0 victory over Angel City FC on Sunday thanks to Paige Nielsen‘s goal in the eight minute of stoppage time. With that, the Dash have picked up five points from their past four games (one win, one loss, two draws), though they face a formidable five-match unbeaten Portland Thorns in Houston this Friday.
Next match: Friday vs. San Diego Wave FC, 10:30 p.m. ET
Nobody has allowed more goals than Bay FC this season, with 20 goals put past them at the close of week nine. Their 1-0 loss to unbeaten Orlando Pride on Friday required nine saves from Bay FC’s keeper Kateyln Rowland to keep the margin of loss to one goal. It’s hard to find optimism for Bay FC’s dynamic attack until they get their defensive lapses in line.
Next match: Friday at North Carolina Courage, 8 p.m. ET
Expansion side woes continue for Utah Royals, who’ve struggled in their first season back in NWSL. Still, moments of individual brilliance have broken through, including this weekend’s 81st minute strike from 24-year-old Utah-native Cameron Tucker to mark her first-ever NWSL goal. The lone goal came in Utah’s 3-1 loss to Chicago, their seventh of the season (tied with Bay FC for most in the league).
VAR explained: What is it? Why is it controversial? How might the Premier League ditch it?
Here The Athletic looks back at the history of its introduction in England, examines what it was supposed to achieve, why it has fallen so flat, and what would need to happen for it to be dropped.
The Video Assistant Referee (VAR) is an official, or team of officials, who help the referee during a game by using video footage and technology to review key incidents and provide advice on the correct decisions.
After watching replays, the VAR gives their opinion to the referee at the stadium via an earpiece worn by the on-field official. The referee will then signal as usual to confirm the original decision or make a rectangle shape with their hands either to indicate an on-field review or that the original decision has been changed.
Usually, the outcome is then shown on screens around the ground to inform supporters.
The VAR decision is shown to supporters at Stamford Bridge (Mike Hewitt/Getty Images)
IFAB (International Football Association Board), the independent body responsible for the laws of the game, states that VARs can only assist a match official in the event of a “clear and obvious error” or “serious missed incident”.
They can step in on decisions over goals, no goals, penalties, direct red cards or cases of mistaken identity.
The process was first proposed by the Dutch Football Association (KNVB) in 2010, along with goal-line technology. The latter was adopted into the professional game two years later, but VAR took longer to be implemented.
The first live trial was conducted in a friendly match between Dutch clubs PSV and FC Eindhoven in July 2016. Australia’s A-League was the first top-flight league to adopt a VAR system in 2017 and was soon followed by Major League Soccer (MLS) in the United States.
England’s Premier League was one of the last high-profile competitions to use the technology, adopting it for the 2019-20 campaign, after it had also been used in the Champions League from 2017-18, the 2018 World Cup in Russia and 2019’s Women’s World Cup in France.
The feeling at the Premier League was that spending two years monitoring VAR elsewhere would help it be more effective when it was embraced.
How was it first introduced into the Premier League?
After being given updates on various top-flight trials and reviews of its formal use in Carabao and FA Cup matches, a meeting of Premier League shareholders in November 2018 voted unanimously to introduce VAR for the 2019-20 campaign.
The clubs had voted to delay its implementation seven months previously following a debate over its use in some of those cup games, but smoother VAR performance during the 2018 World Cup allayed fears from some supporters and decision-makers.
English football was duly introduced to the VAR hub in Stockley Park, west London, and the concept of each Premier League game having a set of officials based in an office on an industrial estate just outside the capital as well as on the pitch.
The VAR hub at Stockley Park in the summer of 2019 (Chris Radburn/PA Images via Getty Images)
On the first weekend of VAR being introduced, the Premier League said around 70 incidents were VAR checked. Manchester City’s 5-0 win at West Ham saw seven checks and two decisions overturned. A Gabriel Jesus goal was ruled out, with provider Raheem Sterling’s shoulder deemed offside, and a Sergio Aguero penalty was retaken (and scored the second time around) after Declan Rice encroached into the area.
The former Premier League referee Dermot Gallagher called it a “great start” and said the overturned decisions “could not have been clear with the naked eye”.
Gallagher added: “It will get better, they will get faster and it will become more commonplace. People will grow into it.”
So why has it proved so controversial?
There was a steady flow of contentious decisions from the outset.
Each of the past four seasons has featured VAR controversies. In February 2021, the VAR invited the referee Mike Dean to consult the pitch-side monitor after West Ham’s Tomas Soucek accidentally made slight contact with the Fulham striker Aleksandar Mitrovic with his elbow. Dean watched the footage on the pitchside monitor and then showed the Czech midfielder a red card — which was subsequently rescinded by a Football Association Independent Regulatory Commission.
A year later, in a game against Manchester City, Everton’s appeals for a penalty for a Rodri handball were dismissed. Despite TV replays showing that the City midfielder misjudged the bounce of the ball and used his upper arm to control it, VAR official Chris Kavanagh did not question Paul Tierney’s decision not to award a penalty.
Then Everton manager Frank Lampard called VAR official Kavanagh a “professional who cannot do his job right”, and the head of referees at the time, Mike Riley, later apologised to the Merseyside club.
Just looking at this season alone, VAR has been at the centre of multiple high-profile flashpoints.
Liverpool’s Luis Diaz saw a goal wrongly disallowed for offside against Tottenham Hotspur in September, while Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta was angered by the decision to allow Anthony Gordon’s winning goal to stand — when it was unclear whether the ball went out of play before the goal — for Newcastle United against his team in November.
Both the Merseyside and London clubs went on to make public statements criticising the decisions. Nottingham Forest have written letters of complaint to the PGMOL (Professional Game Match Officials Limited) and even considered suing.
Supporters have grown fed up, too. The long delays and lack of communication with fans in the stadium have chipped away at the spontaneity and joy of watching a game. Players, too, have admitted the emotion of celebrating a goal has been diminished in case it gets disallowed by VAR.
It was Wolverhampton Wanderers, one of the Premier League teams most heavily impacted by bad calls, who acted first and publicly called for VAR to be scrapped this summer. That triggered a vote which will take place when representatives of the 20 clubs assemble for their annual gathering in Harrogate, North Yorkshire, on June 6.
A Wolves statement said that “after five seasons of VAR in the Premier League, it is time for a constructive and critical debate on its future. Our position is that the price we are paying for a small increase in accuracy is at odds with the spirit of our game, and as a result we should remove it from the 2024-25 season onwards”.
They also listed a host of the repercussions, including:
Frustration and confusion inside stadiums due to lengthy VAR checks and poor communication
A more hostile atmosphere with protests, booing of the Premier League anthem and chants against VAR
Overreach of VAR’s original purpose to correct clear and obvious mistakes as it now overanalyses subjective decisions and compromises the game’s fluidity and integrity
Diminished accountability of on-field officials due to the safety net provided by VAR, leading to an erosion of authority on the pitch
Continued errors despite VAR, with fans unable to accept human error after multiple views and replays, damaging confidence in officiating standards
That is difficult to know with any certainty, at least until the vote next month, but there is a sense that opinion is split.
Some, with Wolves obviously among them, have had enough while others feel there is a risk that ending VAR would undermine the Premier League’s reputation.
At the same time, there is a sentiment at some clubs that one of the main issues remains one of perception: that the initial idea of a perfect system that eradicated any inaccurate decisions was never realistic.
Dean shows Soucek the red card in February 2021 after an on-field VAR check (Adam Davy/PA Images via Getty Images)
What has to happen for it to be abolished?
For a motion to be passed, 14 Premier League clubs need to vote in favour of it.
So is there a chance that will happen?
Behind the scenes, there is scepticism among top-flight executives over whether that number will be reached, with a majority seeking improvements rather than simply washing their hands of VAR.
For their part, the top-flight’s board of directors believes removing VAR is not the correct path forward, suggesting that doing so would increase wrong calls and adversely impact the Premier League’s reputation among Europe’s leading divisions.
It also thinks the void left, having removed VAR, would potentially place even greater criticism on on-field decisions made by match officials and, as a result, increase frustration for supporters.
The league points to innovations such as semi-automated offside technology (SAOT) — which was voted through unanimously in April — and in-stadium VAR announcements as evidence of the efforts being made to improve the system.
The PGMOL remain an advocate of VAR and believes it is a tool that has helped reduce errors.
In December, referees chief Howard Webb said it would “be foolish to take away a tool that can remove clear errors from the game”. They are committed to making it better but will not bow to pressure to speed up decisions at the expense of accuracy. They believe delays are an inevitable part of the process, although they are keen to make improvements to its efficiency.
As well as automated offsides due to be adopted in the next 12 months, the PGMOL want to improve communication of in-stadium decisions when IFAB laws allow for it.
Webb, the chief refereeing officer for PGMOL, attends the women’s League Cup final in March (Marc Atkins/Getty Images)
The PGMOL are working at establishing more dedicated VAR officials (rather than using referees who regularly officiate matches) and there is already an unofficial group who are regularly selected as VARs because of their consistency. Of those, Stuart Attwell and David Coote have been selected as VARs for this summer’s European Championships.
They believe the inevitable capacity for human error means VAR will never be perfect, but an independent panel’s assessment that 96 per cent of decisions over the last five years have been correct suggests that, overall, it works.
Webb, who regularly attends shareholders meetings to hear views of clubs, is expected to be at June’s meeting.
What would getting rid of VAR mean for other refereeing technology in the Premier League?
Goal-line technology would likely remain but, when it comes to VAR, the understanding is that the top flight could not cherry-pick some elements and dispense with others. It either continues with all of it or without any of Stockley Park’s reviews.
Have any other countries scrapped the VAR system?
Last month, Sweden became the first country to reject implementing VAR after a fan backlash.
Supporters from clubs — where there must be a minimum of 51 per cent fan ownership — prompted the climbdown after the president of the Swedish Football Federation, Fredrik Reinfeldt, had previously backed the idea. Reinfeldt had approved trials later this year, but those will not now go ahead.
“Sweden is currently the only country among Europe’s 30 highest-ranked leagues that has not decided to introduce VAR,” said Johan Lindvall, general secretary of the Swedish Professional Football Leagues. “The fact that we have not done so is largely due to our democratic model.”
Reinfeldt, president of the Swedish Football Federation (Michael Campanella/Getty Images)
Is video technology equally controversial in other sports?
The replay review process in NFL games involves the ultimate team-oriented system. NFL officials conduct reviews — which, in 2022, lasted on average two minutes and 19 seconds — but not without the support of replay officials stationed in New York at the NFL’s Art McNally GameDay Central (AMGC).
Head coaches can use two game challenges during games (if successful on both challenges, they receive a third). But, in the final two minutes of each half, all challenges or play reviews are initiated only by the replay official.
The process itself has become pretty smooth. Once a challenge or play review is initiated, replay technicians at AMGC use technology to pinpoint the best camera angles for the game referee to review in consultation with replay officials.
An ‘instant replay field operator’ then brings a Microsoft Surface tablet to the referee so he can review the play while consulting with the replay official stationed in New York. The final decision on the review (whether it should be overturned, or whether the on-field call should be upheld) is then made and the referee announces it.
Cricket’s Decision Review System (DRS) assesses a review for a leg before wicket (LBW) appeal (Visionhaus/Getty Images)
Like football, rugby union features split-second decisions and high levels of physical force, and no two challenges look the same.
For a video referee, the potential for inconsistency is high. Yet they have always been more accepted in rugby — even when introducing controversial new high-tackle laws or when making high-pressure calls in the sport’s biggest games.
Cricket’s version of VARs — the Decision Review System (DRS) — largely operates on a review basis. If a team disagrees with a decision, they can refer it to an off-field umpire to watch the incident back and use various forms of technology to determine whether the on-field umpire’s decision was correct.
If the team’s review is correct, they keep their review to possibly use later in the game; if wrong, they lose it.
What about the women’s game in England?
VAR was first rolled out at the Women’s World Cup in 2019. It was subsequently used at the European Championship in 2022 and a 19-strong video refereeing team — which included six women — were sent to Australia and New Zealand in the summer to cover the 2023 World Cup.
But even as VAR was being castigated in the opening months of this Premier League season, a different debate was taking place in the Women’s Super League (WSL).
In October, during Chelsea’s home match against Tottenham, officials failed to spot the ball had crossed the line when Guro Reiten looked to have put Chelsea 2-0 up. With no goal-line technology or VAR in the WSL, the goal was not given.
Chelsea manager Emma Hayes was incandescent, saying it is “ludicrous” and “embarrassing” that there is no VAR in women’s football.
Reiten celebrates, believing she has scored for Chelsea against Spurs (Ryan Pierse/Getty Images)
The previous month, Chelsea had run a VAR test at Kingsmeadow for their friendly against Roma — it was the first of its kind at a WSL ground. Baroness Sue Campbell, the director of women’s football for the FA, subsequently admitted that VAR “has to come in”.
It may not be long before VAR arrives in the English women’s game. NewCo, poised to take charge over the running of the WSL from the FA next season, intend to prioritise the improvement of officiating.
“The better the refereeing, the better the product itself — it’s one of the priorities, for sure,” Nikki Doucet, the CEO of NewCo told reporters in January. “From a VAR perspective, it’s something we need to figure out. Is that the right thing for our game, based on what’s been done in the men’s game? Is there a new alternative?
“A lot of the stadiums themselves just aren’t ready for that (technology) and so it will require an amount of investment. As we go on this journey, it’s prioritising what has to be done first based on the resources and the investment that we have. It’s definitely something that’s a priority.”
Additional reporting: Phil Buckingham
(Top photo: Bradley Collyer/PA Images via Getty Images)
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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.
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The VAR decision is shown to supporters at Stamford Bridge (Mike Hewitt/Getty Images)
The VAR hub at Stockley Park in the summer of 2019 (Chris Radburn/PA Images via Getty Images)
Dean shows Soucek the red card in February 2021 after an on-field VAR check (Adam Davy/PA Images via Getty Images)
Webb, the chief refereeing officer for PGMOL, attends the women’s League Cup final in March (Marc Atkins/Getty Images)
Reinfeldt, president of the Swedish Football Federation (Michael Campanella/Getty Images)
Reiten celebrates, believing she has scored for Chelsea against Spurs (Ryan Pierse/Getty Images)
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