US Women vs Paraguay 5:30 pm Saturday TNT, HBO vs Chile 10 pm Tuesday TBS, HBO
A young USWNT will kick off in California on Saturday, as the world No. 2 takes on No. 46 Paraguay in the first of two January friendlies to open the 2027 World Cup qualifying year. “It’s really exciting to see the opportunity presented to a lot of players in this camp,” said midfielder Olivia Moultrie prior to Saturday’s match, which will pull from a 26-player USWNT January lineup that boasts an average age of just 24.1 years old. “It’s players that I’ve played with on youth teams, and just seeing kind of start coming into the league.” This month’s camp falls outside an official FIFA window, leaving the US without both European club players and Gotham FC’s squad as the 2025 NWSL champs prepare to contend in the first-ever FIFA Women’s Champions Cup in London next week. “There is no question we will keep — I hope — improving what we’re doing,” said USWNT manager Emma Hayes. “You don’t do that gradually, you don’t do that by changing things all of the time.” Additionally, Saturday’s match will honor two-time World Cup champion Christen Press with a pregame ceremony, after the star forward announced her pro soccer retirement at the end of last season. Really awesome to see Rodman will be on hand after signing her record breaking 2 million dollar deal with the Washington Spirit – great to see her stay home in the US for NWSL!
2026 January Training Camp Roster
GOALKEEPERS (3): Claudia Dickey (Seattle Reign FC; 6) Mandy McGlynn (Utah Royals; 4), Jordan Silkowitz (Bay FC; 0) DEFENDERS (8): Jordyn Bugg (Seattle Reign FC; 5/0), Avery Patterson (Houston Dash; 9/1), Izzy Rodriguez (Kansas City Current; 1/1), Tara Rudd (Washington Spirit; 9/0), Emily Sams (Orlando Pride; 7/0), Gisele Thompson (Angel City FC; 4/0), Kennedy Wesley (San Diego Wave FC; 2/0), Kate Wiesner (Washington Spirit; 2/0) MIDFIELDERS (8): Croix Bethune (Washington Spirit; 5/0), Hal Hershfelt (Washington Spirit; 3/0), Claire Hutton (Kansas City Current; 11/1), Riley Jackson (North Carolina Courage; 0/0), Lo’eau LaBonta (Kansas City Current; 4/0), Sally Menti (Seattle Reign FC; 0/0), Sam Meza (Seattle Reign FC; 2/0), Olivia Moultrie (Portland Thorns FC; 11/5) FORWARDS (7): Maddie Dahlien (Seattle Reign FC; 0/0), Jameese Joseph (Chicago Stars FC; 1/0), Trinity Rodman (Unattached; 47/11), Yazmeen Ryan (Houston Dash; 15/2), Emma Sears (Racing Louisville FC; 12/4), Ally Sentnor (Kansas City Current; 13/4), Reilyn Turner (Portland Thorns FC; 0/0)
USMNT’s Pulisic welcomes world to Milan for Winter Olympics
The video kicks off with Zlatan singing Milan’s praises, before Pulisic gives Olympic attendees a quick guide to Milanese coffee etiquette. Modric is charged with capturing the San Siro stadium in oil paints (just before they go and knock it down) while Adrien Rabiot indulges in a fitting for a razor-sharp suit. Soo-Jeong Park from AC Milan’s women’s team also introduces a few local landmarks, notably the gothic splendor of the Duomo cathedral, before Ibra returns to sign off with a hearty “Benvenuti a casa nostra.”
Champions League Final Group Stage Games Wednesday 3 pm on Paramount Plus –
Wow some huge upsets last week as Man City was sliced and diced by Bodo/Glint in the Arctic Circle, Tottenham who is dismal in the EPL dominated Dortmund to move to 5th, Sporting scored twice to beat PSG in the last 20 minutes and Copenhagen puts Napoli on the edge of elimination with a 10 man win vs the Italians. Only Arsenal 1st and Bayern Munich 2nd are guaranteed in the Top 8 and a buy in the round of 16. 30 teams still have a chance at making the knockout stages. Here’s How Teams Can Advance. Grab your popcorn and 30 tv’s for Wed! Mckinney Scores Winner for Juventus again That’s 10 Champs League Goals -3 in his last 5 games. With his goal, McKennie now has 10 career Champions League finishes, putting him two behind USMNT teammate Christian Pulisic for most ever by an American player.
GAMES ON TV
Sat, Jan 24 7:30 am USA West Ham United vs Sunderland 9:30 am ESPN+ Bayern Munich vs Ausburg 9:30 am ESPN+ Leverkusen vs Werder Bremen 10 am USA Burnley vs Tottenham 10 am NBCSN Man City vs Wolverhampton 10 am Peacock Fulham (Jedi) vs Brighton 12:30 pm USA Bournemouth vs Liverpool 12:30 pm ESPN+ Union Berlin vs Athletic Club 3 pm ESPN+ Villarreal vs Real Madrid 5:30 pm TNT, HBO, Peacock USA Women vs Paraguay Sun, Jan 25 8 am ESPNd,+ Atletico Madrid (Cardoso) vs Mallorca 9 am USA Chelsea vs Crystal Palace (Richards) 9 am peacock New Castle vs Aston Villa 9:30 am ESPN+ MGladbach (Scalley, Reyna) vs Stuttgart 10:15 am ESPN+,D Barcelona vs Real Oviedo 11:30 am Peacock, Serius Arsenal vs Man United 12 pm Para + Juventus (Mckinney) vs Napoli 2″45 pm Para+ Roma vs AC Milan (Pulisic) Mon, Jan 26 2:45 pm USA Everton vs Leeds United (Aaronson) Tues, Jan 27 10 pm TBS, HBO, Peacock USA Women vs Chile Wed, Jan 28 — Champs League EVERYONE 3 pm Para+ Napoli vs Chelsea 3pm Para+, CBSSN Dortmand vs Inter Milan 3 pm Para+ Monaco (Weah) vs Juventus (Mckinney) 3 pm Para+ PSG vs Newcastle Frankfurt vs Tottenham Atletico (Cardosa) vs Glint Man City vs Galatasaray PSV vs Bayern Munich Athletic Club s Sporting CP Ajax vs Olympiakos P Arsenal vs Qarabag Barcelona vs Kobenhavn Benefica vs Real Madrid Club Brugge vs Marseille Thurs, 1/29 EuropaPara+ 3 pm 3 pm Para+ Celtic (Trusty) Aston Villa vs Salzburg Young Boys vs Lyonnais (Tessman) Roma vs Stuttgart Lille vs Freiburg Nottingham Forest vs Ferencvaros Porto vs Rangers
Sun, Mar 1 She Believes Cup Starts 5 pm TNT, HBO, Peacock USA Women vs Argentina Wed, Mar 4 She Believes Cup 7 pm TNT, HBO, Peacock USA Women vs Canada (Columbus, OH) Sat, Mar 7 She Believes Cup 3:30 pm TBS, HBO, Peacock USA Women vs Colombia Sat, Mar 28 3:30 pm TNT, HBO, Peacock USA Men vs Belgium Tues, Mar 31 7 pm TNT, HBO, Peacock USA Men vs Portugal Sun, May 31 3:30 pm TNT, HBO, Peacock USA Men vs Senegal Sat, June 6 2:30 pm TNT, HBO, Peacock USA Men vs Germany in Chicago Sat, June 12 WORLD CUP 9 pm Fox, Tele, Peacock USA Men vs Paraguay World Cup
We have more head-to-head matchups this weekend, an American coach making his presence known in Spain, and stars in Italy vying for the top of the Serie A table. There’s all that and more in a packed USMNT weekend, so let’s get to it.
Friday
St. Pauli v Hamburg – 2:30p on ESPN Select: James Sands and St Pauli host Hamburg and Damion Downs on Friday afternoon. Sands scored his first Bundesliga goal for St. Pauli last weekend but they fell to Borussia Dortmund 3-2 while Downs has started his first two matches with Hamburg but has not yet found the scoresheet and his club is coming off a scoreless draw with Borussia Monchengladbach.
Saturday
Middlesbrough v Preston North End – 7:30a on CBSSN: Aidan Morris has started four straight matches for Middlesbrough who have won three straight and are in second place in the Championship, two points ahead of Ipswich town for direct promotion to the EPL. Middlesbrough host sixth place Preston North End who have a one point lead for the final promotion playoff spot.
Bayern Munich v Augsburg – 9:30a on ESPN Select: Noahkai Banks will be serving a one match suspension this weekend due to yellow card accumulation and will miss Augsburg’s matchup with Bayern Munich. Banks has been a starter for Augsburg since October but will miss the teams rematch with Bayern. Banks saw just a minute off the bench in the first matchup of the season, which Augsburg dropped 3-2.
Mainz v Wolfsburg – 9:30a on ESPN Select: Lennard Maloney and Mainz will host Kevin Paredes and Wolfsburg on Saturday. Maloney has come off the bench in three straight matches, seeing just spot minutes for 17th place Mainz. Meanwhile, Paredes is being worked back to fitness for twelfth place Wolfsburg, getting 45 min as a halftime substitute for the team last weekend in their 1-1 draw with Heidenheim.
Bayer Leverkusen v Werder Bremen – 9:30a on ESPN Select: Malik Tillman and Leverkusen fell to Hoffenheim last weekend, their second straight loss to an opponent competing for a top four finish in the Bundesliga. Leverkusen are in sixth place and will be facing a Werder Bremen side that is five points out of the relegation playoff position but played Leverkusen to a 3-3 draw in their first meeting of the season.
Fulham v Brighton and Hove Albion – 10a on Peacock: Antonee Robinson went the full 90’ last weekend as Fulham fell to Leeds 1-0, their first loss since Robinson returned to the lineup in December. Fulham are in eleventh place now, one point ahead of this weekend’s opponent, Brighton & Hove Albion who are coming off a 1-1 draw with Bournemouth.
Le Havre v Monaco – 1p on beIN Sports: Folarin Balogun and Monaco have dropped four straight matches, and seven of eight to fall from second place in Ligue 1 to ninth place, a nineteen point gap to their prior position, now held by PSG. They will be facing fourteenth place Le Havere, who are just four points behind them at this point. Monaco was also embarassed 6-1 by Real Madrid on Tuesday in Champions League play and need to find their confidence again.
PSV v NAC Breda – 2p on ESPN Select: Sergino Dest missed the past two matches for PSV, including Wednesday’s Champions League match against Newcastle which PSV lost 3-0. The Dutch side look to continue their march through the Eredivisie when they face seventeenth place NAC Breda who are looking like a relegation candidate though they played PSV close in their first matchup, falling 1-0.
Olympique Marseille v Lens – 3:05p on beIN Sports: Tim Weah scored for Marseille last weekend in the team’s 5-2 win over Angers in league play and went the full 90’ midweek in Champions League action though the team fell to Liverpool 3-0. They remain in third place in league play, eight points back of their opponent this weekend, league leading Lens.
Sunday
Atletico Madrid v Mallorca – 8a on ESPN Deportes and ESPN Select: Johnny Cardoso got his first start since August last weekend in Atletico Madrid’s 1-0 win over Deportivo Alaves and then played 35’ off the bench midweek in the team’s 1-1 draw with Galatasaray in Champions League group play. Atleti are tied for third, eight points back of league leading Barcelona, heading into their matchup with Mallorca.
Crystal Palace v Chelsea – 9a on USA Network: Chris Richards was back in the starting lineup for Cyrstal Palace last weekend after missing the past four matches. Palace fell to Sunderland 2-1 and have now lost five of their past seven matches and haven’t won since early December, falling from fourth place down to thirteenth place in the table. six points back of their opponent this weekend, sixth place Chelsea.
Atalanta v Parma – 9a on Paramount+: Yunus Musah started last weekend and has played in the past seven league matches for Atalanta though he didn’t come off the bench on Wednesday in their Champions League loss to Athletic Club. Atlanta are in seventh place, ten points back of the top four and a return trip to Champions League action.
Borussia Monchengladbach v Stuttgart – 9:30a on ESPN Select: Joe Scally started and Gio Reyna played 21’ minutes off the bench in Borussia Monchengladbach’s scoreless draw with Hamburg last weekend. Gladbach will host fourth place Stuttgart on Sunday.
Brest v Toulouse – 11:15a on beIN Sports: Mark McKenzie was not included in the squad last weekend as eight place Toulouse handled Nice 5-1. The team travels to tenth place Brest this weekend.
Metz v Olympique Lyon – 11:15a on beIN sports: Tanner Tessmann started Lyon’s 2-1 win over Brest last Sunday as well as their midweek 1-0 win over Young Boys in Europa League action. Lyon are within striking distance of a Champions League qualifying spot as they prepare to face last place Metz this Sunday.
Freiburg v Koln – 11:30a on ESPN Select: Kristoffer Lund was a halftime substitute for Koln last weekend as they defeated Mainz 2-1 to move into the top ten in the Bundesliga standings. This weekend they will face eighth place Freiburg who they trail by four points.
Juventus v Napoli – Noon on Paramount+: Weston McKennie scored again for Juventus in Champions League play on Wednesday in the teams 2-0 win over Benfica. It was McKennie’s third straight Champions League match with a goal. McKennie has also scored twice in league play in January for Juve, adding an assist as well. The team did suffer a shock loss to sixteenth place Cagliari last weekend, dropping to fifth place in the standings and four points back of this weekend’s opponent, Napoli.
Real Sociedad v Celta Vigo – 12:30p on ESPN Deportes and ESPN Select: Pelegrino Matarazzo has picked up seven points from his first three matches with Real Sociedad, including a 2-1 win over league leading Barcelona last weekend. Sociedad moved into the top ten of the La Liga standings though they are still eight points back of seventh place Celta Vigo, who they face this weekend.
Roma v AC Milan – 2:45p on on Paramount+: Christian Pulisic is in a bit of a dry patch having failed to score in Milan’s past five matches. That doesn’t sound like an incredibly long stretch but it is the first time this season where he has gone more than one match without scoring a goal. Milan has still been able to find results over the period, they remain in second place in the Serie A table. They will have a difficult test this weekend as they visit fourth place Roma who’s twelve goals conceded leads the league through the first twenty-one matches.
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Champions League projections: Arsenal strong favourites for overall win, improving Liverpool up to third
Arsenal celebrate Gabriel Jesus’ second goal in their 3-1 away win against Inter on Tuesday Marco Luzzani/Getty Images
We are down to next Wednesday’s final-day bonanza in the Champions League, with 18 simultaneous games to close out the initial league phase. Seven matchdays in, only Arsenal and Bayern Munich have guaranteed spots in the round of 16 in March. Third-placed Real Madrid and Juventus in 15th are separated by just three points, and with some of the teams in-between them playing each other in the final round of matches, expect the table to undergo a bewildering amount of change during Matchday 8.
Before Matchday 8
How teams stack up in the race for automatic qualification and the playoffs in the Champions LeagueCHANGE PROJECTIONS:Before Matchday 8 (Jan. 28)Before Matchday 7 (Jan. 20-21)Before Matchday 6 (Dec. 9-10)Before Matchday 5 (Nov. 25-26)Before Matchday 4 (Nov. 4-5)Before Matchday 3 (Oct. 21-22)Before Matchday 2 (Sept. 30-Oct. 1)Before Matchday 1 (Sept. 16-18)
TEAM
Arsenal21 pts
24
<1%
<1%
>99%
31%
Bayern Munich18 pts
19
<1%
<1%
>99%
17%
Liverpool15 pts
18
<1%
5%
95%
8%
Barcelona13 pts
16
<1%
20%
80%
8%
Real Madrid15 pts
16
<1%
16%
84%
4%
Atletico Madrid13 pts
15
<1%
51%
49%
2%
Tottenham Hotspur14 pts
15
<1%
49%
51%
1%
Manchester City13 pts
14
<1%
40%
60%
9%
Paris Saint-Germain13 pts
14
<1%
46%
54%
6%
Chelsea13 pts
14
<1%
63%
37%
4%
Newcastle United13 pts
14
<1%
74%
26%
3%
Sporting CP13 pts
14
<1%
63%
37%
1%
Atalanta13 pts
14
<1%
87%
13%
<1%
Internazionale12 pts
13
<1%
94%
6%
2%
Juventus12 pts
13
<1%
93%
7%
<1%
Borussia Dortmund11 pts
12
<1%
99%
1%
1%
Galatasaray10 pts
11
<1%
>99%
<1%
<1%
Bayer Leverkusen9 pts
10
8%
92%
<1%
<1%
Olympique Marseille9 pts
10
5%
95%
<1%
<1%
Monaco9 pts
10
27%
73%
<1%
<1%
Qarabağ10 pts
10
<1%
>99%
<1%
<1%
Napoli8 pts
9
49%
51%
<1%
<1%
PSV8 pts
9
45%
55%
<1%
<1%
Olympiakos Piraeus8 pts
9
43%
57%
<1%
<1%
Athletic Club8 pts
9
49%
51%
<1%
<1%
Club Bruges7 pts
8
58%
42%
<1%
<1%
København8 pts
8
89%
11%
<1%
<1%
Benfica6 pts
7
73%
27%
<1%
<1%
Union Saint-Gilloise6 pts
7
91%
9%
<1%
<1%
Pafos6 pts
7
81%
19%
<1%
<1%
Bodø / Glimt6 pts
7
88%
12%
<1%
<1%
Ajax6 pts
7
92%
8%
<1%
<1%
Eintracht Frankfurt4 pts
5
>99%
<1%
<1%
<1%
Slavia Praha3 pts
4
>99%
<1%
<1%
<1%
Villarreal1 pt
2
>99%
<1%
<1%
<1%
Kairat1 pt
1
>99%
<1%
<1%
<1%
Each team plays eight matches in the new league phase, four at home and four away. They play eight different opponents, rather than facing the same teams home and away, as was the case in the previous format. The top eight sides in the league qualify automatically for the round of 16. Teams finishing from 9th to 24th in the league compete in a two-legged knock-out phase play-off, with the winner of each match-up advancing to the last 16 of the competition. Teams that finished 25th or lower in the league phase are eliminated from the competition. No teams drop down to the Europa League.
Methodology
Opta’s win prediction model estimates the probability of each match’s outcome (win, draw or loss) by using a combination of betting market odds and Opta’s team power rankings. The odds and rankings are based on historical and recent team performances and the competition in its entirety is simulated 10,000 times to produce a final projection for each side.
Credits
Editing: Duncan Alexander, Charlie Scott
Design and Development: Ryan Best, Elliot Jordan | Editing: Skye Gould, Marc Mazzoni, Laura Pelton
Illustration: Eamonn Dalton
Below, we will use our updated projections after Matchday 7 to look at the key teams and fixtures heading into those decisive games.
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Match of the week
Athletic Club’s chances of league-phase elimination stood at 82 per cent ahead of Matchday 7 after just one win in their first six matches. Conceding an opener to Atalanta’s Gianluca Scamacca on 16 minutes in Bergamo on Wednesday would not have helped their odds either.
But a spirited second-half comeback with three goals in 16 minutes from Gorka Guruzeta, Nico Serrano and Robert Navarro put them in control on hostile territory. Nikola Krstovic’s 88th-minute strike for the hosts was a mere consolation.
The win dropped the Bilbao club’s odds of elimination to 49 per cent, while their chances of making the knockout play-offs next month have risen to 51 per cent (from 18). As for Atalanta, they are one of eight teams on 13 points, but their odds of finishing in the top eight dropped drastically from 61 to 13 per cent after this loss.
Athletic host Sporting CP while the Italians travel to Belgium’s Union Saint-Gilloise on Matchday 8.
Athletic Club’s players celebrate in BergamoPiero Cruciatti/AFP via Getty Images
The favourites
After the first two rounds of the league phase, our projections hinted at eight contenders for this season’s title. They will all still be fancied in the knockout rounds, but Matchday 7 hurt the chances of three of those sides in particular.
Manchester City had a 13 per cent chance of a second European crown in four years halfway through the opening stage, with 10 points from four matches. However, their 3-1 loss at Bodo/Glimt on Tuesday — and the Norwegian hosts could have scored more — means they are the only one of the five Premier League representatives outside the top eight with a game to go.
City’s overall chances are still rated highly — the third-best at nine per cent — but they have seen their odds of finishing in the top eight drop from 90 per cent before the Glimt game to 60 per cent now. Visitors Galatasaray, who drew 1-1 with Atletico Madrid in Istanbul yesterday and defeated Liverpool there on Matchday 2 in September, will not be an easy final game.
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Defending European champions Paris Saint-Germain have once again had a wobbly league phase, after winning one of their first five matches last season and only finishing 15th. This time, they began with nine points out of nine but have had two losses and a draw in the four matches since. Tuesday’s 2-1 away defeat to a Luis Suarez-inspired (not the one you’re thinking of) Sporting CP meant PSG’s title odds dropped from 14 per cent before that trip to Lisbon to just six per cent. Their probability of a top-eight finish dropped from 84 to 54 per cent too, with a home match against Newcastle United, who are one spot behind them in seventh, to come on Matchday 8.
Holders PSG suffered defeat against Sporting in Lisbon on TuesdayOctavio Passos/Getty Images
Inter have never ranked high for title odds, peaking at five per cent after winning their first three matches by a combined score of nine goals to nil. A 3-1 beatdown by visitors Arsenal on Tuesday in a game where they spurned chances but also could not keep up with the Premier League and Champions League leaders has seen that dip to two per cent. A return of three points from their past four matches, including three losses in a row, also means Inter now have a 94 per cent chance of landing in the play-offs, up from 26 per cent before Matchday 4.
Arsenal, who saw Gabriel Jesus (twice) and Viktor Gyokeres get on the scoresheet at San Siro, are now the outright favourites for the title per our projections, which now give them a 31 per cent chance of lifting the European Cup for the first time. That is an eight per cent increase from before Matchday 7 and nearly double the 16 per cent they were given before the competition began in September. Arsenal could become the first team to win all eight league-phase games in the new format introduced last season when they host Kazakhstan’s already-eliminated Kairat next week.
Top League Content
Bayern made a meal of a game they were expected to win comfortably, thanks to Union Saint-Gilloise’s spirited display in Munich. Kim Min-jae got sent off, Manuel Neuer had to make a couple of crucial saves and Harry Kane missed a penalty — though he still scored both goals in a 2-0 win. Our projections have taken notice, with Bayern’s title odds dropping by two percentage points to 17, but they are only behind Arsenal in this regard. A cross-border visit to inconsistent Dutch champions PSV awaits on Matchday 8.
Kane scored both goals as Bayern defeated USG on Wednesday to guarantee a top-two finishAdam Pretty/Getty Images
Alvaro Arbeloa’s Real Madrid tenure got its early statement victory, his side thrashing Monaco 6-1 at the Bernabeu with Kylian Mbappe (two), Vinicius Junior and Jude Bellingham all on the scoresheet. Despite the dysfunction surrounding them, Madrid are third on 15 points with a hop over the border into Portugal to play Benfica, under their iconic former manager Jose Mourinho, rounding out their league-phase schedule next week. Arbeloa played 122 times for Mourinho’s Madrid between 2010 and 2013.
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Despite their emphatic win, Madrid have only a four per cent chance of winning this season’s Champions League, half that of La Liga rivals Barcelona. Hansi Flick’s Catalans made hard work of their visit to Slavia Prague, with four well-taken goals in the icy Czech capital making up for some woeful set-piece defending and the loss of Pedri to a hamstring injury in the second half. Last night’s 4-2 win has led to more optimism in our projections, Barcelona now have an eight per cent chance of winning it all (up from seven per cent before the Slavia game) and an 80 per cent chance of finishing in the top eight, though they are currently ninth and tied on 13 points with seven other teams.
In their defence, a home fixture with FC Copenhagen, who have won twice and conceded 17 goals in their seven games, should be a formality.
Meanwhile, Liverpool’s 3-0 win at Marseille last night saw their title odds improve to eight per cent, third-best, having dropped to just three per cent after five rounds. They are still some distance off the competition-leading 20 per cent they were given after Matchday 1 but this latest success showed growing signs of cohesion and Arne Slot’s side now have a 95 per cent chance of finishing in the top eight, with a visit from Qarabag, upbeat after beating Eintracht Frankfurt 3-2 on Wednesday, wrapping things up on Matchday 8.
The contenders
Chelsea huffed and puffed their way to a narrow 1-0 win at home to Pafos of Cyprus last night in new head coach Liam Rosenior’s Champions League debut. The performance could do with improvement, but their top-eight odds have now risen to 37 per cent (from 24 before the match), while their title odds have marginally risen from three per cent to four.
A visit to Napoli will be challenging, given Antonio Conte’s side, after being held to a 1-1 draw at 10-man Copenhagen on Tuesday, have a 49 per cent chance of a humiliating first-phase elimination. A draw could be enough to see the Serie A champions through to the play-offs, but it would require other results to all go their way.
Tottenham Hotspur, for all the negativity around them heading into Matchday 7, are fifth with 14 points after seeing off Borussia Dortmund 2-0 at home. Tuesday’s win nearly doubled their odds of a top-eight finish from 26 to 51 per cent, and they will be confident of securing a round-of-16 spot when they face more German opposition in eliminated Eintracht Frankfurt, who have only one win from their seven matches.
Their Champions League games have been a refuge for Spurs this seasonShaun Botterill/Getty Images
Atletico Madrid missed an opportunity yesterday to leapfrog teams in the table, drawing 1-1 with Galatasaray in Istanbul. Diego Simeone’s side have overcome a sluggish three-points-from-nine start to the league phase for the second season running, though, and have nearly equal chances of making the top eight (49 per cent) and finishing outside those spots (51 per cent). Their final game could prove tricky as they host Glimt fresh off their greatest-ever night in Europe.
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Newcastle United were comfortable 3-0 winners at home against PSV and boast the competition’s second-best defence behind Arsenal (two) with six goals conceded. At the other end, they are averaging more than two goals per game (16), with Anthony Gordon (six) and Harvey Barnes scoring 11 times between them.
Eddie Howe’s side have a 26 per cent chance of finishing in the top eight, though that will almost certainly require them to avoid defeat against PSG in Paris. A play-offs place may not be the worst outcome, though.
Surprise packages
Qarabag headline this group of clubs, with their 3-2 home win against Eintracht Frankfurt this week the latest chapter of a successful league phase which has now brought them 10 points. The Azerbaijani club were given just a 13 per cent chance of reaching the knockout stages before the competition began. That rose to 83 per cent after the first four matches and now, having beaten Frankfurt, they have a less than one per cent chance of league-phase elimination. It is an incredible story which began in the second qualifying round last July and is almost certain to continue beyond the trip to Anfield next week.
Sporting recorded arguably the biggest surprise of this season’s league phase with their win against champions PSG, which they can add to home successes over Marseille and Club Brugge. They are yet to win away from home, though, and Athletic Club in Bilbao will pose a stiff challenge. Coach Rui Borges’ side had just a seven per cent chance of making the top eight after their first four matches, which yielded seven points. Two wins in the three since (with the other match being a loss at Bayern) has seen that rise to 37 per cent.
Galatasaray were given a 45 per cent chance of league-phase elimination heading into the tournament. That dropped to 30 per cent after Matchday 2, when they beat visitors Liverpool 1-0. Following their 1-1 draw with Atletico this week, like Qarabag, the Istanbul side have less than a one per cent chance of elimination, so are virtually guaranteed a spot in next month’s play-offs regardless of what happens against Manchester City at the Etihad on Wednesday. They will be a challenging prospect for anyone in that round, too.
Galatasaray should now make the play-offs, despite a tricky-looking final-day trip to Manchester CityBurak Basturk/Middle East Images/AFP via Getty Images
Finally, our projections were down on Ajax before the season began, giving the Netherlands’ four-time European champions a 58 per cent chance of being eliminated before the knockouts. A run of five losses to begin their campaign, by a combined score of 15 goals to one, saw that figure rise to over 99 per cent.
But this league-phase format always gives you a second (or in their case, sixth) chance.
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Ajax have won their past two, defeating Qarabag 4-2 and Villarreal 2-1 on their own pitches to reduce their odds of an exit, albeit marginally, to 92 per cent. A win against Olympiacos, who are 24th with eight points, in Amsterdam and a series of other results going their way could now see them sneak into the play-offs.
It is a slim possibility but even keeping themselves in the mix via back-to-back away victories deserves credit.
Trinity Rodman’s new Spirit deal and what it means. Plus: Robertson to Tottenham?
Rodman warms up prior to Washington Spirit’s NWSL match against Houston Dash Jamie Sabau/NWSL via Getty Images
Rodman retained: Spirit star brings saga to close with $2m-a-year deal to stay in NWSL
Jeff Dean/NWSL via Getty Images
It would be wrong to say that Trinity Rodman is bigger than the NWSL — but entirely fair to argue that the NWSL has no bigger player in it. Not for anybody would a league go so far in fighting to cling on to an individual footballer.
A competition’s prestige depends on the calibre of athlete in it, which explains why Major League Soccer has bent so far backwards in accommodating Lionel Messi. Messi is box office, the same as Rodman. Recruiting them and retaining them makes total business sense.
The NWSL ran the risk of losing Rodman ahead of the 2026 season and realised its profile would suffer if she upped sticks and continued her club career abroad. It would be worse again if the drain of talent from America to Europe or elsewhere became incessant. And so, concessions were made.
It’s great news for the Spirit and the league, both of whom threw everything at retaining the USWNT forward. It will be a relief for Rodman, who had been stuck in the renewal cycle for longer than she would have liked. This is what she’s negotiated:
The Spirit are handing Rodman a new three-year deal. That takes her through 2028, by which point she should be absolutely in her prime.
According to her agent, the contract is worth in excess of $2m (£1.5m) a year and makes her the highest-paid player in women’s football.
That’s a sharp increase on her previous four-year deal which, in its entirety, was worth $1.1m. She’s one of the world’s best, and she’s been highly valued ever since the Spirit made her the youngest player to be drafted in the NWSL at 18 in 2021.
“The league, all of us, all the governors and the league leadership, work very, very hard to ensure that we not only attract the best talent, but we keep them here,” said Spirit owner Michele Kang. They’ve gone out on a limb in preventing Rodman from slipping through their fingers.
Salary cap dispute
The NWSL’s established salary cap would not have allowed the Spirit to pay Rodman what she thought she was worth. It’s why this process dragged on. So to create some extra wiggle room, the NWSL effectively moved the goalposts.
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It created the High Impact Player rule (already nicknamed the ‘Rodman Rule’) which allowed NWSL teams to pay up to $1m above the wage cap to any footballer who met certain criteria. The league says it is thinking about the future of the competition as a whole — but it’s hardly coincidental that the new mechanism arrived when it did.
The NWSL Players Association isn’t happy. Last week, it filed a grievance over the High Impact Player rule, something the NWSL will have to address, though Rodman will get paid regardless of what happens. The scenario underlines a problem with salary caps: they’re created with the best of intentions, in the interests of financial stability or fair competition, but in the end, and in a sport as global as football, they’re prone to market forces. Last year, Alyssa Thompson and Naomi Girma left the United States for Chelsea for large fees. The NWSL seems acutely aware of Europe’s growing spending power.
“This is a monumental moment, not only for the Spirit, but for NWSL as well,” Kang said. They’re making no secret of it. The league wants the brightest and the best to be playing there — and while it might not win that war long term, it won the battle with Rodman.
Our head of global women’s soccer, Emily Olsen, gave us her take on yesterday’s big-money resolution:
“Everyone wants to ‘grow the game’, yet few agree how to do that. This contract is an inflection point after a battle between those investing millions to grow the business and those investing their lives and bodies. While many will want to take credit for Rodman staying in NWSL, you can’t overlook the role of the community.
“Her rookie season involved overcoming the challenges of a pandemic, an ugly ownership battle, and a coach being removed over allegations of emotional abuse. That year, the team won a championship. The players and the fans rallied around each other in a way that’s still visible. The end result is what happens when you use investment to pay the players and foster community on and off the field.”
U.S. women’s national team forward Trinity Rodman is staying with the Washington Spirit, signing a new three-year contract to stay with the team through 2028, the team announced on Thursday in a special event at BMO Stadium in Los Angeles.
Rodman’s new deal is set to make her the highest-paid women’s soccer player in the world, worth in excess of $2 million annually, according to her agent, Mike Senkowski of Upper 90 Sports Group.
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The forward’s previous four-year, $1.1 million extension signed in 2022 after her rookie season lapsed on Dec. 31, 2025.
On Thursday, Rodman signed her contract during the live event, flanked by Spirit owner Michele Kang, president of soccer operations Haley Carter and CEO Kim Stone in L.A., where the forward is training with the U.S. ahead of Saturday’s friendly against Paraguay.
“This is one of the biggest moments, for me personally, as well as for the Spirit. I flew all the way from London to be here today,” Kang, who also owns London City Lionesses in England and OL Lyonnes in France, said. “I can’t tell you how excited I am. I had to wait for this for a long time.”
The 23-year-old Rodman has spent her entire professional career with the Spirit. The team selected her second overall in the 2021 NWSL draft and made her the youngest player to be drafted (18) at the time. That same year, Rodman was named Rookie of the Year and the Spirit went on to win the NWSL championship. She provided the assist for Kelley O’Hara’s game-winning goal.
Before this current deal, the club had made Rodman a different multimillion-dollar offer that the NWSL rejected because it failed to honor the “spirit” of the league’s rules, according to sources who spoke with The Athletic at the time.
Rodman’s deal utilizes the new High Impact Player rule, which the league introduced on Dec. 23. The mechanism, colloquially known as the “Rodman Rule,” allows NWSL teams to spend up to $1 million above the salary cap on players who meet certain criteria, including USWNT minutes and appearances on various media lists. The NWSL insists the rule was created with the future of the league in mind, but with its timing — in the midst of the conversation about Rodman, one week before her free agency started — sources have said the player was a key factor in its creation. The rule does not take effect until July 1, but teams can start signing players to deals now.
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“The league, all of us, all the governors and the league leadership, work very, very hard to ensure that we not only attract the best talent, but we keep them here,” Kang said. “Trin’s contract certainly is benefiting from it. But it was not just for Trin. It’s much bigger than (one player). It’s for the league-wide efforts.”
Last week, the NWSL Players Association filed a formal grievance opposing the High Impact Player rule, arguing that it “circumvents the collective bargaining process” and should be rescinded. Players, through the union, also communicated their concern that the criteria “privileges a biased voting system that heavily favors European players” and does not account “for the high impact that Brazilian, African, and Japanese Players (sic) have had and will continue to have on NWSL.”
Rodman’s landmark move to stay narrowly avoids a foray into European soccer after what would have been a short but explosive career in the U.S. that included an NWSL Championship and Rookie of the Year award in 2021 and two finalist appearances. Her signing also concludes more than three months of tense back and forth between the NWSL, the Spirit, the NWSL Players’ Association (NWSLPA) and Rodman’s representation about her future; however, discussions over Rodman’s future at the club started as early as the start of 2025.
“This is a monumental moment, not only for the Spirit, but for NWSL as well. But personally, my involvement with this Spirit literally started with Trinity. I still remember the Draft Day,” Kang said. “I can’t think about Washington Spirit without her, and I hope she can’t think about her career without Washington Spirit.”
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The Spirit reached the NWSL Championship twice more in 2024 and 2025, losing to the Orlando Pride and Gotham FC, respectively. Overall, Rodman proved an irreplaceable force and a highly marketable icon. She amassed a total of 28 goals and 17 assists in 97 appearances across all competitions.
Rodman’s previous season with the Spirit was plagued by injuries: first a persistent back issue that kept her out of action for four months, and then a minor MCL strain that took a month to rehab. Despite her absences, she still scored five goals, including a game-winner in August upon her return from her back injury, and recorded two assists. She returned to the U.S. this week for her first camp under Emma Hayes since April 2025.
“It’s a monumental and game-changing moment right now,” Rodman said. “Everyone’s gonna have their different thoughts and opinions about it, but I’ve never really cared. That doesn’t change anything for me. I think I’ve always had a vision and kind of an idea of what I wanted my legacy to be and continue to be.
“This is just opening opportunities for American girls with dreams, and I am one, and was one of them. I’m just very grateful about that. And it’s perfect timing with the World Cup happening in the U.S., too.”
Hey Soccer Fans – it was a busy holiday season that had me on the road for the better part of 3 weeks so I am just back to getting the Ole Ballcoach in Gear for 2026. I will kick in some end of year stuff as we go over the next few weeks – but in the meantime – here are the games to watch – full TV schedule for the next week and where all the American’s will be playing across the globe. Hope you had a safe holiday and are ready for a Happy New Year!
Around the World of Soccer
Sad to see Ricardo Pepi break his right arm as he looks to be out a spell – hope he gets back in time for the World Cup. Pulisic is still on fire and stands 2nd in Serie A in goals at 8 despite playing just over half the minutes of the leaders. Chris Richards was justifyably named US Player of the Year for his success with Crystal Palace and solidifying a spot in the back with the US team. Now if only Trusty or Robinson or someone will step up alongside. Crazy to see all the firings in Europe first at Man U with Carrick in charge now, Chelsea with Liam Rosenior, Spalleti at Juve, then Real Madrid (Alonso was so hot with Leverkusen) has been replaced by Alvaro Arbeloa – just wow. Speaking of Carrick it would be huge if he could upset Man City in the Manchester Derby Sat 7:30 am at home. Wouldn’t that be great! Switching to the ladies it was great to see Rose Lavelle won the US Women’s Player of the Year (read below)– and also Great to see Lindsay Horan (Heaps now) is coming home to the US from Europe – check out this Video. I promise more content next week.
US Women’s Coach Emma Hayes names Roster for Jan 24 vs Paraguay & Jan 27 vs Chile Games
The roster features the return of forward Trinity Rodman, who played in just one USWNT match in 2025, a 2-0 victory over Brazil at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, Calif. In that match, she scored the game-winning goal. Rodman, 23, has the most caps (47) and goals (11) of anyone on the roster. The other 22 field players on the roster have a combined 17 international goals. As the January training camp falls outside a FIFA competition window, Hayes named a roster made up entirely of players from the National Women’s Soccer League, with Rodman currently unattached, including four first-time call-ups in forwards Maddie Dahlien (Seattle Reign FC) and Reilyn Turner (Portland Thorns FC) and midfielders Riley Jackson (North Carolina Courage) and Sally Menti (Seattle Reign FC). Dahlien and Jackson featured in all five U.S. U-23 WNT events in 2025 and were on the roster for the January 2025 Futures Camp in Florida. 2026 January Training Camp Roster
GOALKEEPERS (3): Claudia Dickey (Seattle Reign FC; 6) Mandy McGlynn (Utah Royals; 4), Jordan Silkowitz (Bay FC; 0) DEFENDERS (8): Jordyn Bugg (Seattle Reign FC; 5/0), Avery Patterson (Houston Dash; 9/1), Izzy Rodriguez (Kansas City Current; 1/1), Tara Rudd (Washington Spirit; 9/0), Emily Sams (Orlando Pride; 7/0), Gisele Thompson (Angel City FC; 4/0), Kennedy Wesley (San Diego Wave FC; 2/0), Kate Wiesner (Washington Spirit; 2/0) MIDFIELDERS (8): Croix Bethune (Washington Spirit; 5/0), Hal Hershfelt (Washington Spirit; 3/0), Claire Hutton (Kansas City Current; 11/1), Riley Jackson (North Carolina Courage; 0/0), Lo’eau LaBonta (Kansas City Current; 4/0), Sally Menti (Seattle Reign FC; 0/0), Sam Meza (Seattle Reign FC; 2/0), Olivia Moultrie (Portland Thorns FC; 11/5) FORWARDS (7): Maddie Dahlien (Seattle Reign FC; 0/0), Jameese Joseph (Chicago Stars FC; 1/0), Trinity Rodman (Unattached; 47/11), Yazmeen Ryan (Houston Dash; 15/2), Emma Sears (Racing Louisville FC; 12/4), Ally Sentnor (Kansas City Current; 13/4), Reilyn Turner (Portland Thorns FC; 0/0)
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GAMES ON TV
Sat, 1/17 7:30 am Man United vs Man City 8 am ESPN+ REal MAdrid vs Levante 9 am Para+ Udinese vs Inter Milan 9:30 am ESPN+ MGladback (Reyna, Scalley) vs Hamburger 10 am USA Liverpool vs Burnley 10 am Peacock Leeds United (Aaronson) vs Fulham (Jedi) 10 am Peacock Sunderland vs Crystal Palace (Richards) 12:30 pm NBC Nottingham Forest vs Arsenal 12:30 pm ESPN+ RB Leipzig vs Bayern Munich 2:45 pm Para+ Cagliari vs Juventus (Mckinney) Sun, Jan 18 9 am USA Wolverhampton vs New Castle 10:15 am ESPN+, Des Athletico (Cardosa) vs Alaves 11:30 am USA Aston Villa vs Everton 2:45 pm Para+ AC Milan (Pulisic) vs Lecce 3 pm ESPN+, Des Real Sociedad vs Barcelona 8 pm TUDN Pachuca vs America ( ) Mon, 1/19 3 pm USA Brighton vs Bournemouth Tues, Jan 20- CHAMPS LEAGUE 12:45 pm CBSSN, Para+ Glint vs Man City 3 pm Uni, Para+, Real Madrid vs Monaco (Folagon) 3 pm Para+ Sporting CP vs PSG 3 pm Para+ Villarreal vs Ajax Wed, Jan 21 Champs League 12:45 pm CBSSN, Para Galatasaray vs Atletico Madrid (Cardosa) 3 pm Para+ Juventus (Mckinney) vs Benefica 3 pm CBSSN New Castle United vs PSV (Dest) 3 pm Para Atalanta vs Athletic Club 3 pm Chelsea vs Paphos 3 pm Liverpool vs Marseille () Thurs, 1/22 Europa 12:45 pm Bologna vs Celtic (Trusty) 12:45 pm Para+ Fenerbache cs Aston Villa 12:45 pm Para+ Young Boys vs Lyonnais (Tessman) 3 pm CBSSN Roma vs Stuttgart 3 pm Para+ Celta Vigo vs Lille 3 pm Para+ Nottingham Forest vs Braga 3 pm Para+ Rangers vs Lodogorets Sat, Jan 24 5:30 pm TNT, HBO, Peacock USA Women vs Paraguay Tues, Jan 27 10 pm TBS, HBO, Peacock USA Women vs Chile Sun, Mar 1 She Believes Cup Starts 5 pm TNT, HBO, Peacock USA Women vs Argentina Wed, Mar 4 She Believes Cup 7 pm TNT, HBO, Peacock USA Women vs Canada (Columbus, OH) Sat, Mar 7 She Believes Cup 3:30 pm TBS, HBO, Peacock USA Women vs Colombia Sat, Mar 28 3:30 pm TNT, HBO, Peacock USA Men vs Belgium Tues, Mar 31 7 pm TNT, HBO, Peacock USA Men vs Portugal Sun, May 31 3:30 pm TNT, HBO, Peacock USA Men vs Senegal Sat, June 6 2:30 pm TNT, HBO, Peacock USA Men vs Germany in Chicago Sat, June 12 WORLD CUP 9 pm Fox, Tele, Peacock USA Men vs Paraguay World Cup
USMNT weekend viewing guide: Full steam ahead
Head to head matchups in the EPL and Bundesliga Stars & Stripes
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There is a wealth of action on Saturday, including several head-to-head matchups.
Saturday
Coventry City v Leicester City – 7:30a on CBSSN: Haji Wright hasn’t scored since October and Coventry City are on a three match winless streak but the team still hold a six point lead in the English Championship heading into their matchup with twelfth place Leicester.
Wolfsburg v Heidenheim – 9:30a on ESPN Select: Kevin Paredes has come off the bench in Wolfsburg’s last two matches as he gets back to game fitness. Wolfsburg fell to Bayern Munich 8-1 in Paredes’s return but defeated St. Pauli 2-1 last weekend to move up to eleventh place in the table. They face last place Heidenheim this weekend.
Borussia Dortmund v St. Pauli – 9:30a on ESPN Select: James Sands and St. Pauli are tied with Mainz and Heidenheim on twelve points at the bottom of the Bundesliga table. They will face second place Borussia Dortmund on Saturday. Sands has started nearly every match for St. Pauli this season, missing just one due to concussion but St. Pauli’s results have been lacking with just three wins on the season and only one since mid-September.
Hamburger v Borussia Monchengladbach – 9:30a on ESPN Select: Gio Reyna did not make it off the bench midweek in Gladbach’s 5-1 loss to Hoffenheim and played just 5 minutes off the bench last wweekend in their 4-0 win over Augsburg. However, Joe Scally continues to see regular starts for the club who are currently in tenth place heading into their visit to fourteenth place Hamburg.
Hoffenheim v Bayer Leverkusen – 9:30a on ESPN Select: Cole Campbell was held out last weekend in his first match with Hoffenheim so we may be deprived of a USYNT v USMNT matchup this weekend as Hoffenheim host Malik Tillman and sixth place Leverkusen. Tillman picked up an assist last weekend but Leverkusen fell to Stuttgart 4-1 last Saturday to drop out of the top four.
Koln v Mainz – 9:30a on ESPN Select: Kristoffer Lund and twelfth place Koln face 16th place Mainz and Lennard Maloney on Saturday. Maloney has just six minutes in the last three matches for Mainz who have not been able to pull themselves out of relegation but are coming off a 2-1 win over Heidenheim. Meanwhile, Lund has played in thirteen straight for Koln who are winless in the past eight as they’ve slid down the table.
Sunderland v Crystal Palace – 10a on Peacock: Chris Richards has missed the last four league matches for Palace who are on a six match winless streak but he was on the field last weekend in Palace’s embarrassing 2-1 loss to sixth tier Macclesfield in the FA Cup. Palace have fallen to thirteenth place in the league table with their recent slide and will be facing tenth place Sunderland on Saturday.
Leeds United v Fulham – 10a on Peacock: Brenden Aaronson and sixteenth place will host Antonee Robinson and ninth place Fulham on Saturday. Aaronson has three goals in his last two matches for Leeds though they fell to Newcastle 4-3 despite his Brace ten days ago. On the other side, Robinson returned six matches ago and has started every match since with Fulham undefeated over that span with fourteen points as they’ve risen from fifteenth place to the top ten.
Toulouse v Nice – 1p on beIN Sports: Mark McKenzie and Toulouse defeated Angers in penalties to advance in the Coupe de France last weekend with McKenzie wearing the captains armband. McKenzie has started nearly every match for Toulouse who are in eighth place in the league standings.
Fortuna Sittard v PSV – 2p on ESPN Select: Ricardo Pepi broke his arm while scoring last weekend and is expected to miss about two months for recovery but Sergino Dest continues to start week in and week out for PSV who have won twelve straight matches and are now running away with the league title.
Cagliari v Juventus – 2:45p on Paramount+: Weston McKennie may be on the move this January as rumors are swirling about interest from the Premier league as well as elsewhere in Italy as reports are that he won’t be resigning with Juventus when his current contract expires in six months. In the meantime of course he continues to start for Juventus and scored and assisted last weekend in Juve’s 5-0 win over Cremonese. Juventus are in fourth place and will face sixteenth place Cagliari on Saturday.
Angers v Olympique Marseille – 3:05p on beIN Sports: Tim Weah has started five straight for Marseille who maintain their third place spot despite falling to Nantes last weekend. They are tied on points at fourth place Lille at this point with the top three automatically qualifying for the Champions League positions.
Sunday
Atletico Madrid v Deportivo Alaves – 10:15a on ESPN Deportes and ESPN Select: Johnny Cardoso saw 30’ off the bench last weekend and got the start midweek in Copa del Ray action but he has just two league appearances since August. Atletico drew with Real Sociedad last weekend and are in fourth place, three points back of third, and eleven back of league leading Barcelona.
Augsburg v Freiburg – 11:30a on ESPN Select: After starting the first five matches of the season on the bench Noahkai Banks has started 12 straight matches for Augsburg. It has not all been smooth sailing as Augsburg have just three wins in that time and are currently only three points ahead of the relegation zone but Banks has been getting key developmental minutes in the Bundesliga was still being just nineteen. Augsburg host ninth place Freiburg this weekend who are coming off a 2-0 loss to RB Leipzig.
Olympique Lyon v Brest – 2:45p on beIN Sports: After missing a few matches due to “dead leg” Tanner Tessmann came in off the bench in Lyon’s 3-1 win over Monaco last weekend and then started midweek in the teams Coupe de France victory over fellow Ligue 1 side Lille. Lyon remain in fifth place as they host eleventh place Brest on Sunday.
AC Milan v Lecce – 2:45p on Paramount+: Christian Pulisic received a rare day off on Thursday as AC Milan defeated Como 3-1 to keep pace with Inter at the top of the table, remaining three points back of the league leaders. On Sunday they will host Lecce who are three points ahead of Fiorentina for the final relegation spot.
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Josh Sargent’s Norwich transfer saga: What we’re hearing about the wantaway USMNT striker
U.S. men’s national team striker Josh Sargent has made it quite clear that he wants out of Norwich City, but the move he desires might not happen as soon as he hopes.MLS side Toronto FC has made an $18 million offer for the striker, who finished in the EFL Championship team of the season last year. But Norwich insists it is not going to part with the team’s starting forward in the middle of the season — and especially not as it attempts to fight its way out of the relegation zone.The transfer saga kicked off last weekend. Sargent messaged Norwich manager Philippe Clement ahead of Norwich’s FA Cup game against Walsall on Sunday to say he was not available for the game. After the game, Clement insisted Sargent would not move in this window.“He sent me a message to say that he was not available today because of transfer things that are in his head,” Clement said. “We need to speak about that this week inside the club.“The club has been really clear about that. We know which situation we are in. Him and his agent know the situation, so he will not leave in this transfer window.”Sources at the club backed their manager’s statement, saying that Sargent is not for sale.The MLS primary transfer window is open through March 26, meaning this saga could in theory extend into the spring. Toronto’s $18 million bid would be the third largest fee in MLS history, trailing Son Heung-min ($26.5 million) and Emmanuel Latte Lath ($22 million plus add-ons). Latte Lath came to Atlanta United from Middlesbrough, also in the Championship.While any potential final fee will be among the highest in MLS history, Norwich views it as below the market rate given the player’s output, pedigree, age and recent transfer interest.
Sargent’s season with Norwich City has been a mix of goals and frustrationStephen Pond / Getty Images
Sargent has scored 51 goals in the Championship over the last three-and-a-half seasons. The 25-year-old initially came to England from Werder Bremen, where the St. Louis native began his professional career.Sargent had the opportunity to return to Germany in the summer. Wolfsburg had a $28 million bid accepted by Norwich and personal terms were generally agreed. At the final stage, Sargent opted to stay at Norwich for personal reasons. Half a year later, with Norwich surprisingly locked in a relegation battle, the situation has changed.It’s not the first time Sargent has been close to a move across the Atlantic. In the summer of 2024, FC Cincinnati pushed hard for the American forward — its bid was north of $20 million — and personal terms would have been no issue, but Norwich demanded more than $25 million to even get its attention in negotiations.Norwich feels confident that it wouldn’t lose too much market value waiting for the summer window and, with the team in a susceptible position in the table and Sargent under contract through 2028, the club is set on avoiding a precedent by allowing a player to force a move. Saturday’s match at Wrexham will indicate whether his stance on playing for the club again has changed over the last week — and it could indicate that the game of chicken is now on between player and club.USMNT’s World Cup Roster PictureUSA World Cup roster battle exposes key questions for Mauricio PochettinoThe fight for World Cup roster spots will continue into 2026 for the USMNT
Norwich has added incentive to keep him as it digs out of a hole in the table. The club fired manager Liam Manning after starting the season with just two wins, two draws and 11 losses in the first 15 games. Clement was hired on Nov. 18, and the team is 4-4-3 since then, but remains in the drop zone with 24 points while having played at least one more match than the clubs it is chasing. (Sargent’s form has been rather the opposite: he started the season with six goals in his first five games in all competitions. Since then, he has scored just twice.)Nevertheless, Toronto has long identified Sargent as a top target this winter in its search for a designated player at the No. 9 position, the potential crown jewel of a rebuild and rebirth back to prominence in MLS after being one of the league’s defining teams in the late 2010s.The Canadian club, finally able to move forward into a new era, has rebuilt a broken locker room and trimmed a lot of fat from a bloated salary cap that included disastrous deals for Lorenzo Insigne and Federico Bernardeschi. The Italians departed in the summer, while several more bad contracts expired this winter to give Toronto further flexibility.The 2026 season was the light at the end of the tunnel after missing the playoffs five straight seasons, cycling through four permanent head coaches and two long stints under interim managers.
Sargent’s goal drought with the USMNT stretches back to 2019Michael Owens / Getty Images
American attacker Djordje Mihailovic arrived in the summer for an $8 million cash trade from the Colorado Rapids. Ecuador international midfielder Jose Cifuentes soon followed. A permanent transfer for Canadian international winger Theo Corbeanu was sealed this winter after a strong debut season on loan, and then TFC added one of the marquee defensive free agents, Walker Zimmerman, to anchor the back line. Brazilian left back Matheus Pereira is the other key offseason signing.Adding a player of Sargent’s quality could build on this solid foundation and once again make TFC a contender in the Eastern Conference – but it’s not going to happen without Norwich’s sign-off, something that as of now is not going to materialize.For Sargent, the hope would be that a move to MLS might reignite his hopes of making the U.S.’s World Cup roster in the summer. Sargent has not scored for the U.S. since 2019. Even during his best runs of form with Norwich, the goals haven’t come. Sargent, in the meantime, has fallen behind Folarin Balogun, Ricardo Pepi, Haji Wright and potentially even fellow Championship striker Patrick Agyemang in the pecking order for Mauricio Pochettino’s squad.If Sargent, who started two games at the 2022 World Cup, wants a shot at making the 2026 team, he’ll need to be on the field banging in goals — whether in England with the Canaries or elsewhere.
Chris Richards named U.S. Soccer’s 2025 Male Player of the Year
Chris Richards, who over the last year emerged as a mainstay for both Crystal Palace and the U.S. men’s national team, has been named U.S. Soccer’s 2025 Male Player of the Year. The 25-year-old defender won the annual award over USMNT teammates Malik Tillman, Alex Freeman, Max Arfsten and Matt Freese, the other finalists. Richards earned it based on his play for the national team, but also his achievements in England for Crystal Palace, which he helped to an FA Cup title – the club’s first major trophy in its multi-century history – and August’s Community Shield.Richards started 45 games for Palace in the calendar year, entrenching himself as the right-sided center back in coach Oliver Glasner’s back three. The Birmingham, Ala., native also started 11 games for the national team, captained the U.S. once and was the most consistent player throughout the Concacaf Gold Cup. He started all six games en route to the final, emerged as a leader and scored in that final — which the U.S. ultimately lost to Mexico, 2-1.Richards received 48.6 percent of a weighted vote, quite comfortably beating Tillman (21.7 percent) and Freeman (13), the two next closest in the running. The winner is chosen by a weighted combination of national team members, coaches, fans, media, former players, the U.S. Soccer board of directors, the U.S. Soccer Athletes’ Council, and pro league coaches and sporting directors.Richards was presented with the word of his honor on ESPN’s Pat McAfee Show, where he was an unsuspecting guest.“It means the world to me,” said Richards, who joins current U.S. teammates Christian Pulisic, Antonee Robinson, Tyler Adams, Weston McKennie and Zack Steffen as winners of the award. He’s the second consecutive defender to win it after Robinson, and he’s looking ahead to 2026 and this summer’s World Cup with bigger goals in mind.“As a defender people tend to say it’s a lot of pressure, but I think pressure builds diamonds,” Richards added. “That’s something that with this team, with this country – we’re Americans. We like to win, we like to scrap, we like to fight, and that’s definitely what we’re going to do in the summer and hopefully by the end of it we’re holding a big trophy.”By Henry Bushnell
Manchester United vs Manchester City: Tactical battles? Key players? Impact of derby atmosphere?
Bruno Fernandes and Antoine Semenyo are likely to be key figures in this weekend’s Manchester derby Carl Recine, Stu Forster/Getty Images
It is straight into the thick of it for Michael Carrick as Manchester United’s new interim head coach, as he finds himself charged with the task of besting Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City on Saturday.
On top of the removal of head coach Ruben Amorim, three underwhelming Premier League draws in a row and elimination from the FA Cup at the first hurdle leave United in desperate need of a performance to lift fans’ spirits. For City, a win at Old Trafford is necessary to keep the pressure on Premier League leaders Arsenal, before their trip to Nottingham Forest later in the day. Their own run of three consecutive league draws has cost them momentum (and points) in the title race.
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Ahead of the 198th Manchester derby, our United writer Carl Anka and City counterpart Sam Lee preview some of the big talking points.
How will your club handle the derby atmosphere?
Carl Anka: These are troubled times for Manchester United. This derby is the first of Michael Carrick’s 17 matches as interim head coach over the remainder of the season, as co-owner INEOS’ staff attempt a reboot following Ruben Amorim’s turbulent 14 months in charge. A divided fanbase alternates between apathy and anger, but it was interesting to hear that a protest is planned for the next home game, against Fulham on February 1, rather than this one.
This derby will bring many disparate sections of the fanbase together, if only to combat a familiar and common foe. Winning is the best cure for any ailing football club, and if Carrick can deliver a positive result and performance, then this four-month interregnum will be off to a good start.
This will be Michael Carrick’s first game in his new jobGeorge Wood/Getty Images
Sam Lee: The blueprint for these matches has always been ‘one thousand million passes’ from Pep Guardiola’s men, but the interesting thing about this season is that City do not really have players whose first thought is to keep the ball — or perhaps they try to, but not quite as well as required.
However, by looking at their intentions away to Real Madrid in December and against Newcastle at St James’ Park on Tuesday night in the Carabao Cup, they are clearly still trying to dominate the ball — you can tell by the number of times they pass backwards rather than bursting forwards.
That said, there is huge potential for wingers — presumably Jeremy Doku on the left and Antoine Semenyo on the right — to burst forward into the box and try to make something happen, and whoever else plays in midfield — Phil Foden, Tijjani Reijnders or Rayan Cherki — will have big roles in helping to tie everything together.
Carrick likes his team to build possession steadily from the back, but also gives licence for his attacking players to express themselves in the final third. When it worked well for Middlesbrough in the second-tier Championship, it was thrilling. When the club lost their best players, though, it became slow and methodical to watch.
Recent Manchester derbies have seen City dominate possession and United try to win on the counter-attack. Carrick’s managerial career so far suggests he might want this team to play in a more expansive manner eventually, but this weekend he may stick with the blueprints that delivered derby success to more than one of his predecessors.
Which player is key for your club in this game?
Anka: Here, I typically write 150 words explaining the importance of Bruno Fernandes. Or 150 words explaining how I’ve grown tired of answering ‘Bruno Fernandes’ to this question, so instead will spotlight someone else.
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Let’s try to do both today. Fernandes remains the critical player around whom United’s many attackers orbit, but Saturday’s match may be defined by Casemiro. United’s standard of play has a nasty habit of cratering when the 33-year-old is unavailable. He’s their best defensive midfielder, able to turn defence into attack with a smart tackle and even smarter switch-pass out wide. The Brazilian is also one of the team’s top aerial options in both boxes during set pieces, too.
The remainder of United’s season will rest on how many minutes Casemiro and Fernandes manage in the remaining 17 games.
Lee: It is hard to choose between Rodri and Bernardo.
Bernardo understands what games like this need, Rodri is a top-level player and his physicality and ability to pick out the right vertical pass would be an amazing boost to a team who have learnt to play pretty well without him over the 16 months since that ACL knee injury against Arsenal.
Rodri will be integral to City if he playsShaun Botterill/Getty Images
You could look at Erling Haaland as the obvious goal threat, or young Max Alleyne, who has done brilliantly in defence and is facing another big test, and there could be a moment from any of them that decides the result.
But those two in the middle will have the biggest say on how the game itself looks.
Which opposing player is the biggest threat?
Anka: City’s victory over Newcastle in that Carabao Cup semi-final first leg earlier this week contained some ominous signs. The idea of Semenyo and Doku running at Diogo Dalot and Patrick Dorgu at Old Trafford on Saturday is frightening.
Lee: Marcus Rashford has been one of the most obvious thorns in City’s side whenever United have got a result in the derby recently, thanks to his pace on the break and finishing, but it is usually Fernandes who fires off those passes in behind.
Anka: I choose to believe United will do it. Carrick’s plucky side shock the league with an unexpected counter-attacking win. So, 2-1 to the home side. One goal from a set piece, one from a moment of quality against an unsettled City back line.
Lee: You can never be quite sure how these bigger away games will go this season, with them generally being more open and end-to-end than in recent years. Add in the change of manager at United, and things seem even more unpredictable. But City were impressive against Newcastle in midweek, and if they can add Rodri back into the mix, I think they have a great chance of winning — especially if Semenyo keeps adding an extra goal threat.
Manchester United are without a permanent manager, so they need a comfort blanket. And as we know, the only thing that seems to comfort Manchester United is someone with some connection to Sir Alex Ferguson taking over in some form of interim and/or caretaker fashion.
Since Ferguson retired, Ryan Giggs, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, Michael Carrick, Ruud van Nistelrooy and Darren Fletcher have all fulfilled the role as the man to make United feel safe again, for varying amounts of time and to varying degrees of success.
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Now it’s Carrick (again), who begins his second interim spell in the big chair — this time as the permanent interim rather than the interim-interim Fletcher. This actually mirrors the situation he was in the first time around, taking over after Solskjaer was sacked and before Ralf Rangnick arrived to complete the 2021-22 season. So this is technically a promotion for him.
Carrick will be introduced as Ruben Amorim’s temporary successor tomorrow (Friday), and certain words, phrases or themes are surely going to come up. Here are a few to listen out for…
‘The Manchester United way’
Is this the most talked about ‘way’ in football? And yet, it’s always been slightly tricky to pin down exactly what this idea means. A cynic might suggest it’s just ‘win games of football’, but listen out for talk of this fabled philosophy.
In fairness, the club’s caretaker managers of yore have tried to explain it. “It’s going to be a Manchester United philosophy,” roared Giggs, when he took over from David Moyes for the death rattle of the 2013-14 season. “Passion, speed, tempo, be brave, imagination. Work hard but, most of all, enjoy it. If you enjoy it, you can express yourself more.”
Ryan Giggs is a big proponent of the ‘Manchester United way’Andrew Yates/AFP via Getty Images
Solskjaer echoed this by saying he wanted his team to “play with courage, go out there and express your skills, take risks” and “when you’re at Manchester United, there are a set of demands”, while Van Nistelrooy said that his first team talk involved “telling them about what Manchester United is about and what it is to play at Old Trafford”.
Now, this is something of a red herring. You could easily get sucked into the idea that the candidate will say variants of the immortal words “this is Manchester United Football Club we’re talking about”, usually delivered in that sort of incredulous tone which is intended to convey the full weight and significance of this august institution, which is so significant and august that you shouldn’t need to say anything else.
However, this is not generally the remit of the ex-player turned caretaker boss, and rather something that is usually confined to pundits on radio or TV, largely because there’s an element of exasperation to the words that emphasise what a mess United are in and how badly things have been managed. All of that said, it’s possible this phrase will make an appearance when Carrick sits down with the media on Friday, so keep an ear open for it.
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There is, however, always a quasi-religious element to how former players-turned-interims speak about Manchester United: it’s like the club is God, Ferguson is the Pope and they are the cardinals. So be alert for some reference to the club being all-consuming, an entity that is now a fundamental part of their being.
At Carrick’s first unveiling, he said “this club has been my life for a long time” and spoke about the “sacrifice” required to do the job, while Giggs said United “has been the biggest part of my life since I was 14”, which in fairness was less him bowing to the majesty of the place as a football institution and more a statement of fact.
‘A dream come true’
Forget their weddings or the birth of their kids, there’s no topping being appointed United manager.
“It’s an amazing honour to be able to lead a Manchester United team,” said Fletcher. “I don’t even think it’s in my wildest dreams that it was something that could potentially happen.” Giggs described it as “the proudest moment of my life”, while Solskjaer, upon getting the job permanently after doing so well as the interim, said: “You know when people say they’re taking their dream job — that’s more true for me than anyone.”
‘I’ve not thought about the permanent job’
It’s important to recognise that this is a short-term gig and you shouldn’t be presumptuous. At some point, you will be asked if you want to stay for longer than the initial proposed time period, but these questions must be played with a straight bat.
Hopefully, someone tomorrow asks Carrick if he’s going to use the manager’s parking space, something that Solskjaer reportedly didn’t do because he believed it still belonged to Ferguson. This was the peak of the Fergie deference scale — almost topped by Fletcher revealing he had asked for his former manager’s “blessing” to take caretaker control for two games — something all former United players (barring Roy Keane) are obliged to do.
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On the one hand, you get it: we might not have heard of most of these guys had it not been for Ferguson; he is their primary influence, their model of what a manager is. Why would you not lean on him for advice? On the other hand, it does become slightly embarrassing to watch these grown men essentially turn into small boys who have to ask Daddy for permission.
Darren Fletcher sought Sir Alex Ferguson’s ‘blessing’ ahead of his two-game spell in chargeOli Scarff/AFP via Getty Images
Anyway, speaking to him will almost certainly come up: Van Nistelrooy did so when he was asked to hold the fort post-Erik ten Hag; Solskjaer called Ferguson his “mentor”, who had “influenced me on everything” and that there was “no one to get better advice from”; Carrick was actually quite interesting on the Scot, saying he spoke to him “several times” before taking the job first time around, and that he deliberately tried not to get too close to his old boss during his playing days.
And then there was Fletcher, who said, remarkably: “I don’t like to make any major decisions without speaking to Sir Alex.”
‘I’m my own man’
While Ferguson will always be the United godhead, these are still men with pride and ego, so there also must be some attempt to make clear that they are an autonomous being; a real boy with his own mind.
“It’s going to be my philosophy,” declared Giggs, undermining himself slightly by describing that as a “Manchester United philosophy”, while Solskjaer referred to his “philosophy, principles, how we want to play,” and Carrick the first time round said, “I have it very clear in my mind how I want the team to play.”
Fletcher, who admittedly didn’t have a lot of scope to put his stamp on things because he only had two games, nevertheless said he hoped they looked “like a Manchester United team that represents a bit of me”.
Champions & Europa League Play Returns Tues/Wed/Thurs Match Day 6
Awesome to see the top clubs in the World battle it out – thru 5 rounds Arsenal, Bayern, Atalanta, PSG & Inter stand in the Top 5, while my Juventus with McKinney & Leverkusen with Tillman are just above the cut line. American’s Ricardo Pepi scored late for PSV in a 3-2 loss, and Foralin Balogon scored the winner for Monico over Galatasaray for his 3rd straight Champions League game with a Goal. McKinney’s stunner the winner for Juve in Champs league. Not UCL but Pulisic has been deadly in front of net this season for AC Milan as he’s tied for Serie A lead for scoring despite only playing 9 games. Pulisic ties it up 30 seconds after coming on then Supersub Scores a Brace as Milan wins it. See all the US players playing below.
US Draw Includes Australia, Paraguay, (Euro Winner Turkey?)
So the US got a decent draw – no reason the US can’t get out of this group – honestly in the #1 slot. The US has recently beaten both Australia and Paraguay in the past few months often without our team. The draw looks like we could make a run to Sweet 16 where we would face Belgium – again. But lets not count our chickens yet. Also exciting to see the US has signed to play Germany in Chicago June 6, and Portugal and Belgium in Atlanta in late March.
Inter Miami & Messi Win MLS Cup over Vancouver
Messi continued his mastery over MLS – with a goal and an Assist in the 3-1 win over a game Vancouver at home in Miami. MLS Final Highlights The win finally justifies the extreme amount of money Miami has spent in signing the trifecta of Messi, Jordi Alba & Sergio Busquets (both of who are retiring). Fun game to watch as Vancouver made a game of it before Messi helped Miami pull away late.
Former Carmel GK Eric Dick Signs with Indy 11 after winning USL Championship for Pittsburgh
Awesome to see former Carmel Dad’s Club/Carmel High/Butler GK Eric Dick is coming home to Indy as he will return to the Indy 11 this upcoming season — fresh off a Player of the USL Championship performance for Pittsburgh.
Notes
Thrilled for Wilfried Nancy, who has just moved from Columbus to manage Celtic. We’ve had him on a number of times. He is such a soulful, inspirational leader. I can’t wait to watch him learn and grow in Scotland. I want to send huge love to the great Shaka Hislop (ESPN Analyst), who revealed he is battling prostate cancer and urged Caribbean men to get tested. His message is a crucial one. I wish Shaka and his family strength and health at this moment.
Mohomed, Margaret, and Shane reffing indoors at the Grand Park Tourney Sunday – last 1 of the year.
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GAMES ON TV
Wed, 12/9 Champs League 12:45 pm Para+ Villareal vs Kebenhavn 2:45 pm Para+ Hull City vs Wrexham 3 pm Para+ Real Madrid vs Man City 3 pm CBSSN Bayern Leverkusen (Tilman) vs New Castle United 3 pm Para+ Juventus (McKennie) vs Paphos 3 pm Para+ Arsenal vs Club Brugge 3 pm Para+ Athletic Club vs PSG 3 pm Para+ Dortmund vs Boda Glimt Thurs, 12/10 Europa 12:45 pm Para+ Rangers vs Ferencvaros 12:45 pm Para+ Young Boys vs Lille 12:45 pm Para+ Nottingham Forest vs Utrecht 3 pm Para+ Lyonnais (Tessman) vs Go Ahead Eagles 3 pm Para+ Celtic (Trusty) vs AS Roma 3 pm Para+ Shelbourne vs Crystal Palace (Richards) Fri, 12/12 2:30 pm ESPN+ Union Berlin vs RB Leipzig 3 pm Para+ West Brom (Dike) vs Sheffield United Sat, 12/13 8 am ESPN+ Atletico MAdrid vs Valencia 9:30 am ESPN+ MGladback (Reyna, Scalley) vs Wolfsburg 10 am USA Chelsea vs Everton 10 am USA Livepool vs Brighton 12:30 pm NBC Burnley vs Fulham (Jedi) 3 pm USA Arsenal vs Wolverhampton Sun, 12/14 6:30 am Para+ AC Milan (Pulisic) vs Sassuolo 9 am USA Sunderland vs New Castle 9 am Peacock Crystal Palace (Richards) vs Man City 9 am PEacock Nottingham Forest vs Brighton 9 am Pea West Ham vs Liverpool 11:30 am ESPN+ Bayern Munich vs Mainz 11:30 am USA Brentford vs Leeds United (Aaronson) 3 pm ESPN+ Alavez vs Real Madrid 8 pm CBSSN Toluca vs Tigres UANL Mon, 12/15 3 pm USA Man United vs Bournemouth (Adams) Wed, Dec 17 2:30 pm Para+ New Castle vs Fulham (Jedi) 2:30 pm Para+ Man City vs Brentford Fri, Dec 19 2:30 pm ESPN+ Dortmund vs MGladbach (Reyna, Scalley) 4 pm CBSSN Bologna vs Inter Milan Jan 24 5:30 pm TNT, HBO USWNT vs Paraguay Jan 27 10 pm TBS, HBO USWNT vs Chile Sat, March 28 3:30 TNT, Max USA Men vs Belgium in Atlanta Tue, Mar 31 7:30 pm TNT, Max USA Men vs Portugal in Atlanta Sat, June 6 2:30 pm TNT. Max US Men vs Germany in Chicago June 12 9 pm Fox US Men vs Paraguay World Cup June 19 3 pm FOX US Men vs Australia World Cup June 25 10 pm FOX US Men vs European Team World Cup
USMNT weekend viewing guide: Scoring Champions
League play continues ahead of the winter break
Burnley v Fulham – 9:30a on 12:30p on NBC: Antonee Robinson has been progressing well in training and reportedly could return to the field on Saturday as Fulham face Burnley. Fulham are in fifteenth place and have lost their past two matches. They will look to get back on track against a Burnley side that is second worst thus far and have lost six straight matches.
Bayer Leverkusen v Koln – 12:30p on ESPN Select: Malik Tillman and Bayer Leverkusen will look to bounce back from their loss to Augsburg last weekend as they take on Kristoffer Lund and his Koln team that are in ninth place but coming off a disappointing draw with St. Pauli.
PSV v Heracles – 2p on ESPN Select: Sergino Dest has started 14 of 15 league matches for PSV this season and Ricardo Pepi has joined him in the past two as PSV maintain their league lead. Pepi also scored in each of the last two league matches and has an assist as well as he looks to make his case for additional minutes moving forward. He also was one of several American’s to score midweek and he notched a goal for PSV in their 3-2 loss to Atletico Madrid on Tuesday. On Saturday PSV will face 16th place Heracles who after a particularly rough start to the season are actually undefeated in their past six matches across all competitions.
Atalanta v Cagliari – 2:45p on Paramount+: Yunus Musah saw three minutes off the bench on Tuesday in Atalanta’s 2-1 win over Chelsea in Champions League play. Unfortunately, Musah still hasn’t appeared in a league match since October and he has just 80’ across all competitions since late September. The loan at Atalanta does not seem to be going well and Musah is at real risk of missing out on next summers World Cup if he isn’t able to turn things around or find another move.
Paris v Toulouse – 3:05p on beIN Sports: Mark McKenzie started again for Toulouse last weekend as they snapped their six match winless streak by defeating Strasbourg 1-0. Toulouse now face Paris FC who are in fourteenth place and are winless in their last four matches.
Sunday
AC Milan v Sassuolo – 6:30a on Paramount+: Christian Pulisic came on as a second half substitute on Monday as AC Milan came from behind to defeat Torino 3-2 after falling behind 2-0 in the opening 20 minutes of the match. Pulisic’s goals were his six and seventh of the Serie A season and he has eleven goals and assists in the twelve matches be has played across all competitions this season. With the win Milan remain tied with Napoli for first place in Serie A.
Crystal Palace v Manchester City – 9a on NBCSN and Peacock: Chris Richard, the best player in the USMNT pool (which I’m sure itself will cause some debate), started yet again for fourth place Crystal Palace as they defeated Fulham 2-1 last weekend. Palace haven’t had a lot of tough matchups this season but they have been in every match they have played, with just three losses on their record, all of which were by a single goal.
Olympique Lyon v Le Havre – 9a on beIN Sports: Tanner Tessmann has been sidelined for Lyon’s past two matches and will reportedly be out again this weekend as fifth place Lyon face a Le Havre side that are just three points out of the relegation playoff spot.
Brentford v Leeds United – 11:30a on USA Network: Brenden Aaronson came off the bench for 25’ and notched an assist as Leeds drew with Liverpool 3-3 after initially falling behind 2-0. Leeds have four points from their last two matches but still are just two points out of the relegations spots.
Olympique Marseille v Monaco – 2:45p on beIN Sports: The second USMNT matchup of the weekend sees Tim Weah and third place Marseille facing off against Folarin Balogun and seventh place Monaco on Sunday afternoon. Weah has started three straight league matches for Marseille since returning from injury while Balogun missed last weekends league match but started and scored for Monaco midweek in their 1-0 win over Galatasaray in Champions League play.
Bologna v Juventus – 2:45p on CBS SS and Paramount+: Weston McKennie also scored in Champions League action this week, notching the opener for Juventus as they defeated Pafos 2-0 on Wednesday. McKennie also started against Napoli last weekend and notched an assist but Juve fell to the second place team and remain in seventh place in the league standings. They could move past fifth place Bologna who they face on Sunday as they trail their opponents by two points.
USMNT midweek viewing guide: Rounding into form
Follow along with all the USMNT action this week. Wednesday
Leverkusen vs Newcastle, 3p on Paramount+, CBS Sports Network, FuboTV, ViX: Malik Tillman and Leverkusen host Newcastle United in Champions League.
Juventus vs Pafos, 3p on Paramount+, ViX: Weston McKennie and Juve host Cyprus-based club Pafos in Champions League.
Thursday
Lyon vs Go Ahead Eagles, 3p on Paramount+, ViX: Tanner Tessmann and OL host Dutch club Go Ahead Eagles in Europa League.
Shelbourne vs Crystal Palace, 3p on Paramount+, ViX: Chris Richards and Palace visit Irish club Shelbourne in Conference League.
Also in action:
Celtic vs Roma, 3p on Paramount+, CBS Sports Network, TUDN USA, UniMás, FuboTV, ViX: Auston Trusty and Celtic host AS Roma in Europa League. Cameron Carter-Vickers is out for the season with an Achilles tendon injury.
Panathinaikos vs Viktoria Plzeň, 3p on Paramount+, ViX: Erik Palmer-Brown and Panathinaikos host Viktoria Plzeň in Europa League.
KuPS vs Lausanne, 3p on Paramount+, ViX: Swiss-American center-back Bryan Okoh and Lausanne Sport visit Finnish club KuPS in Conference League.
Lech Poznań vs Mainz, 3p on Paramount+, ViX: Lennard Maloney and Mainz visit Lech Poznań in Conference League.
Friday
Greuther Fürth vs Hertha Berlin, 12:30p on ESPN Select, FuboTV: Julian Green, Maxi Dietz, and Fürth host Hertha BSC in the 2. Bundesliga. John Brooks (on Hertha’s books) hasn’t played since May 2024, missing time due to multiple separate injuries.
Standard Liège vs OH Leuven, 2:45p: Marlon Fossey and Standard host Leuven in Belgium’s top tier.
West Brom vs Sheffield United, 3p on Paramount+: Daryl Dike, George Campbell, and West Brom host Sheffield United in the Championship.
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Messi wins MLS MVP for second straight season, makes more league history
Maddie Meyer / Getty Images By Felipe Cardenas Dec. 9, 2025Updated 11:46 am EST
Days after becoming an MLS Cup champion, Lionel Messi has etched out even more of a place in league history. Messi was officially announced as the 2025 Landon Donovan MLS MVP on Tuesday, becoming the first player to win back-to-back MVP awards in league history. He’s just the second to win multiple MVP honors, joining former Kansas City great Preki, who won it in 1997 and 2003. It’s hardly a surprise: Messi, even at 38, finished the regular season with 29 goals and 19 assists, leading the league in both categories.He added six goals and nine more assists during Miami’s playoff run – a playoff-record 15 goal contributions in a single season. Messi narrowly missed breaking Carlos Valderrama’s 25-year-old assists record, with the Colombian legend tallying 22 assists in 2000 with the since-defunct Tampa Bay Mutiny. If the evidence of his play on a game-by-game basis – and his commitment to a new three-year deal – weren’t enough, Messi’s numbers this season are unequivocal proof that the Argentine has taken his MLS era seriously.Messi received over 70% of the total vote, which was conducted by media, players and club personnel, to claim his latest individual prize in a career full of them. San Diego FC winger Anders Dreyer, who tied for the league lead in assists and added 19 goals, finished second with just over 11%. He was followed by LAFC’s Denis Bouanga (7.27%), FC Cincinnati’s Evander (4.78%) and Nashville SC’s Sam Surridge (2.42%). Interestingly, Messi received just 55.17% of the player vote.
“First of all, I’m thankful for this recognition,” Messi said in a statement. “It’s always nice to receive individual awards but I want to share it with my teammates. I was also fortunate to win the MLS Golden Boot thanks to the help of my teammates. I’m happy to receive this award and be the first in the history of this league to win it in two consecutive years. I’m very thankful.”As for more context regarding his eye-opening stats: His 48 total goal contributions were the second highest single-season total in MLS history (Carlos Vela; 49 in 2019). It’s an impressive statistic considering Messi played in 28 of 34 regular season games. When factoring in the playoffs (63 goal contributions), his production is second-to-none.He is the only player in league history to record at least 36 goal contributions in a season multiple times (2024, 2025) and is the second player in MLS history to lead the league in both goals scored and assists. In 2015, former Toronto FC playmaker Sebastian Giovinco led the league with 22 goals and 16 assists. Messi is only the fourth player in the last decade to be named MVP and win the MLS Golden Boot in the same season.
Messi wins MLS Cup MVP honors after Inter Miami’s 3-1 win over VancouverElsa / Getty Images
He was dominant throughout the year, and even though Saturday’s 3-1 win over Vancouver in the MLS Cup final was devoid of a magical Messi goal, the former Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain attacker finished the game with two decisive assists.His second was a beauty to Tadeo Allende, who iced the game and title for the home side. It capped a remarkable year for Messi, who continues to perform at a level that keeps him relevant just months away from the 2026 World Cup – even though he has resisted publicly committing to playing in the competition so far.Messi’s 10 multi-goal games in a single season marked a new MLS record, breaking the previous record of eight shared by Stern John (Columbus Crew, 1998), Mamadou Diallo (Tampa Bay Mutiny, 2000), and Zlatan Ibrahimović (LA Galaxy, 2019). During one of Messi’s most dominant stretches this season, he scored multiple goals in five consecutive games from May 28 to July 12 – another record. No other player in MLS history has had a multi-goal run of more than four matches.To cap it all off, Messi is also just the sixth player in MLS’s 30 seasons to win both the regular season MVP and the MLS Cup final MVP in the same season. Messi joins Tony Meola (2000), Carlos Ruiz (2002), Guillermo Barros Schelotto (2008), Robbie Keane (2014), and Josef Martínez (2018) in that select group.
As it relates to MLS MVPs and hitting new ground, there’s one more frontier to conquer, and it’s a term with which Messi has plenty of familiarity: the hat trick.
Christian Pulisic can use USMNT World Cup draw to launch himself as an American icon
Christian Pulisic is targeting World Cup success with the USMNT John McGloughlin / Icon Sportswire / Getty Images
After the Village People had shuffled off stage, Donald Trump had put his FIFA Peace Prize on the shelf in the Oval Office, and Gianni Infantino had starting scrolling his Instagram notifications, I imagine that Christian Pulisic, sat in his apartment in Italy, took another glance at the outcome of the draw for the 2026 World Cup and let out a little sigh of relief.
Group D: the United States, Paraguay, Australia and a European playoff winner, most likely Turkey. Not bad. Not bad at all.Pulisic certainly would have known it could have been much, much worse.And as he reflected a little on what awaits him in June (and hopefully July) next year, the Milan winger would have surely felt that tingling in his stomach.Because that draw, with no major obstacle likely until a possible meeting with Belgium in the round of 16, sets the stage perfectly for Pulisic for what could be the summer of his life. It creates the ideal stage for him to make the defining run of his career and transition from being merely a U.S. soccer star to a true, mainstream American sports superstar.The stakes are absolutely colossal for him in 2026. If Milan manages to win Serie A and he maintains his current form – two more goals Monday have him atop the league’s scoring chart – it’s near-certain he would be named Serie A Player of the Year. Carrying that momentum into a World Cup on home soil, the expectations would be that he would take his team on a thrilling adventure.
Christian Pulisic struck twice in Milan’s Monday victory over Torino.Image Photo Agency / Getty Images
This is the tournament that could absolutely change his life and his legacy in the United States. If he can be the hero for the USMNT on home soil, in a World Cup, the opportunities that will open up for him in terms of his reputation, commercial appeal and marketability will be enormous.American sports fans, the kind who only tune in to soccer once every four years, will judge Pulisic in the same way they judge NFL and NBA stars — on whether he can deliver on the biggest stage when the stakes are highest. In this sport, that means the World Cup. Soccer fans know winning Serie A would earn Pulisic respect throughout the game and adoration in Italy, but it still wouldn’t make him a household name in America.Bringing people to their feet in stadiums, fan zones and bars across America next summer? That would catapult Pulisic to true Captain America status.We know that World Cups are unpredictable, however, and the first random element is the draw. Traps can be set and challenges get tougher just from those plastic balls pulled out on stage.Group D isn’t easy – almost no group that could be imagined for a team like the USMNT in the modern game can truly be considered that way. Yet when you compare it with, say, 2014, when the USA was dealt a group stage with Germany, Portugal and Ghana (and no progression for third place in that edition) and was written off by many international commentators, you realize that it is a setting that offers Mauricio Pochettino’s team every chance of advancing.What makes me excited for Pulisic and the team as a whole is the way that Pochettino is setting up the USMNT, with his tactical restructuring and overall approach, with the focus taken off Pulisic and put squarely on the team. In the past, he felt pressure, having to do too much and dropping into parts of the field he didn’t need to, which took away from his game.
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Pochettino has changed the dynamic. He has made it clear that this is not a squad with a Messi-like player and he is setting up the system so that there are several attacking players with responsibility to be creative forces. There is Malik Tillman, Sergiño Dest, Weston McKennie, Tim Weah and, in the right circumstances, Gio Reyna. Folarin Balogun is expected to deliver goals and Ricardo Pepi and Haji Wright will be waiting for the chance if he doesn’t deliver. It’s not all on Pulisic.
Players such as Malik Tillman have helped share the USMNT’s attacking burden.David Buono / Icon Sportswire / Getty Images
But make no mistake, the USMNT still needs Pulisic to be the ‘Messi’ figurehead in some ways, providing that high-level creativity, without the crushing weight of having to solve all the questions himself. He can now play his game exactly as he would at Milan, saving his energy for those one-v-one moments and open spaces where he can produce the magic.On paper, this is the best World Cup group draw the program has had in a long time. Crucially, the U.S. got the absolute weakest team in Pot 2 with Australia — that’s a dream outcome. But let’s be clear: there’s a big difference between paper and performance. People confuse “best outcome” with “easiest,” a concept that doesn’t exist at a World Cup.There isn’t an absolute minnow in the group, the kind of opponent that teams look to boost their goal difference. Every game will be competitive, featuring teams that are cut from the same cloth as Wales and Iran from four years ago — tough, resilient, and hard to break down. But none of these three opponents possesses the game-breaking individual brilliance of a Kylian Mbappé, a Lamine Yamal, or an Erling Haaland, who can ruin your perfect game plan by beating three guys and scoring out of nowhere. In terms of individual star power, even if Turkey and exciting Real Madrid rising force Arda Güler make it through the playoff, Pulisic is top of the tree in this group.Still, the team’s tactical planning must be spot on for each opponent.Paraguay is a side that is defensively stout, resilient and comfortable sitting deep in a mid-block and playing on the counter. What is needed are players who can break down that deep block. This is where a number of players, such as a healthy Reyna or Tillman, are vital, as they are creative, can force defenses out, and open up space for runners like Balogun or Pulisic in behind.Australia, who will perhaps be feeling disrespected, are capable on the counter and will be playing with immense self-belief. What hurts Australia is pace, exploiting the space they leave when they throw their outside players forward. Players such as Balogun, Weah, and hopefully a healthy Antonee Robinson, who thrive in transition, will be absolutely necessary in that game. Australia relies on work rate, physicality and set pieces to make up for any difference in quality, which reminds me a little bit of how the U.S. team used to play.If Turkey makes it out of the UEFA Path C playoff and into the tournament, they will be a tough team to beat, but their defense can be vulnerable to pace and there are ways to get past them. The U.S. has pace in the roster and options available to Pochettino to exploit identified weaknesses.
One factor not to be discounted is home-field advantage. If the U.S. is playing its best, and with full stadiums of American supporters pushing them on, they will feel that they can run through walls. After Friday’s draw, I fully expect that the U.S. tops the group.If that task is navigated, the pathway opens up beautifully. Next would be a third-place team in the round of 32. Then, the likely round-of-16 opponent, if paper form is followed, is Belgium.They are a good team, but you would still take Belgium 10 times out of 10 over facing alternatives such as France, England, Spain, or Portugal. While they are not the “golden generation” anymore, they still have quality players such as Youri Tielemans, Jeremy Doku, and Amadou Onana, but I still feel the USMNT has the tools to get the job done.If you’ll indulge the dream and look ahead, beating Belgium would push the U.S. into the quarterfinals – and I believe that is realistic if the team executes Pochettino’s plans and plays to its very best. Morocco showed in 2022 that a team can go deep by being cohesive, and the U.S. now has the quality and a world-class coach to deliver something special.
Turkey must make it through a UEFA playoff if Real Madrid youngster Arda Guler is to make his first World Cup appearance next summer.Alberto Gardin / NurPhoto via Getty Images
Pochettino has taken a massive step by setting the team’s mentality and unity, reminding the players that there are no guarantees for anyone. But now, the focus has to shift to tactical management.The Argentine must now start to deal with ideas for different opponents and game situations, focusing on whether the plan is high-pressing, playing on the front foot, or dropping deep to protect a lead. He needs to finalize the blueprint of how the team operates, which, frankly, took until mid-October to figure out.The U.S. will be in possession more often in the group stage than in previous World Cups. Pochettino has to deliver top game plans that expose opponents, similar to how Bob Bradley was able to neutralize the midfield source of Xavi and Xabi Alonso against Spain in the 2009 Confederations Cup. He needs soldiers who can play short-impact roles effectively, and he needs to ensure the team utilizes the scoring options he’s found.here are four friendlies scheduled before the opening game against Paraguay on June 12 in Los Angeles. The March 28 game against Belgium in Atlanta takes on a new tone given the draw, and it will be interesting to see if the two coaches are wary of showing their hand against potential World Cup opponents.Portugal and Germany are also on the docket, and these games will offer real tests of just how close the squad is to the level needed for the latter stages of the tournament.The USMNT has been dealt a good hand by the draw, but as any poker player knows, it’s how you play ’em that counts.You need something special to go far at a World Cup, and watching Pulisic add to his tremendous season with two more goals on Monday gave me that feeling that we have an ace in hand.
USA coach Mauricio Pochettino says patriotic ‘emotion of the people’ can inspire World Cup run
Mauricio Pochettino hopes soccer fans will feel intense passion and non-soccer fans will get swept up by patriotism during the World Cup run. Jamie Sabau / Getty Images
As the 2026 World Cup came into focus after Friday’s draw, U.S. men’s national team coach Mauricio Pochettino reiterated his call for the entire country to get behind his players — and for those players to fight for their country.
The national team, he said, is “not a normal team,” and the World Cup is not a normal event.“Did you see today?” Pochettino rhetorically asked reporters a few hours after the draw, which doubled as a bizarre, patriotic show described by others in attendance as “very American.”
“We are going to have a country behind us,” Pochettino said. “We are going to play with the emotion of the people.”
He then sent a message to his players: “People need to feel proud about you, but not because you are going to win — we cannot promise that we are going to win — but in the way that you are going to defend your shirt, your flag, your culture, your philosophy. How we are, how the people are here, how the society is, how you think, in a cultural way.
“Every time that we are going to play a game, the World Cup is this.”
Pochettino, an Argentine coach who took charge of the USMNT last year, has spoken frequently about the need for the American public to get behind his team. He began delivering passionate monologues during and after this past summer’s Concacaf Gold Cup, when Guatemala and Mexico fans outnumbered U.S. fans at the semifinal and final in St. Louis and Houston.
Mauricio Pochettino wants stadiums for USMNT World Cup games to be filled with red, white and blue.Matthew Visinsky / Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
“The fans,” he said in July, “have one year to realize how important fans are in soccer.”
He now assumes the World Cup will be different. Soccer fans will feel intense passion; non-soccer fans will get swept up by patriotism. SoFi Stadium in Southern California and Lumen Field in Seattle, the USMNT’s two group stage venues, will fill with red, white and blue.
For a while, there were questions about public support, as even USMNT die-hards were frustrated by losses and overcome by apathy. The team’s second-to-last game of 2025, a 2-1 win over Paraguay — the opponent it will face in its World Cup opener — did not fill an 18,500-seat stadium.
“The last few games, the last few windows, I think the team (showed) a very good thing to the fans,” Pochettino said Friday. “To attract, to say, ‘C’mon, guys, you need to support us,’ that is how we feel, how we are. We need your energy, your support. And I think the fans are there, behind the team. And I think it’s going to be exciting. We are building a very good relationship. I think we start to show that we are USA.”
With the positive results, the dream of a World Cup run has been rekindled. And the vision of American flags flying, of millions of people inspired, has returned.
That’s what people at U.S. Soccer and around the team have envisioned for years. Gregg Berhalter, Pochettino’s predecessor, recalled being in Germany during the 2006 World Cup. “Just to see how the fans got behind the country — and it just pivoted, it changed, it became a wave,” Berhalter said in 2024. “And that’s what I’d say to fans: This is your opportunity. … The team is trying to do something that’s never been done before. So, be part of that.”
Over the nine-decade history of the men’s World Cup, there is solid evidence to suggest home advantage can be a powerful force. Six hosts have won the tournament: Uruguay in 1930, Italy in 1934, England in 1966, West Germany in 1974, Argentina in 1978 and France in 1998. In 2002, co-host South Korea embarked upon a stunning run that saw its group of domestic-based players make it all the way to the semifinals, collecting famous victories over Spain and Italy along the way.
South Korea’s squad and head coach Guus Hiddink were honored with a ticker-tape parade after their 2002 semifinal run.Emmanuel Dunand / AFP via Getty Images
Four years later, as Berhalter referenced, Jurgen Klinsmann united Germany behind a young team that had been written off before the tournament and took it to the brink of the final, before an extra-time defeat to eventual victor Italy. And eight years ago, while the U.S. was licking its wounds from a humiliating and doomed qualifying campaign, Russia’s squad quickly drew nationalistic support behind it, ousting heavily-favored Spain in the round of 16 before being squeezed out by Croatia on penalties.
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The U.S., which advanced to the round of 16 in 1994, probably belongs in the category of hosts who outperformed their talent as well, a group stage victory over Colombia being the highlight.
Some others have struggled, either unable to lift their standard despite the home support or perhaps overwhelmed by it. Qatar was the first team eliminated from the 2022 World Cup without a single point. South Africa was valiant in 2010 but ultimately exited in the group stage. Brazil crumbled under the unimaginable pressure of hosting the 2014 tournament and infamously lost to Germany in the semifinals 7-1.
Pochettino is wary of that pressure but said, “I think it’s good pressure.”
“We need to be careful (with) the message we are going to send,” he continued. “Because every time we are here talking, the players are listening.” But pressure, he said, is OK as long as it’s not pressure to win. What it should be is pressure that pushes him and his team to “try to be better.”
Mohamed Salah’s Liverpool downfall was inevitable – and it stems from Trent Alexander-Arnold leaving
Liverpool’s post-Mohamed Salah era might have begun, with a strange twist in the way that the Egyptian King has lost his team
Mohamed Salah looks on ahead of the Champions League group game against Eintracht Frankfurt (Image credit: Getty Images)
What may be Liverpool’s first post-Mohamed Salah win didn’t introduce a shred of irony. It was just as we all expected, in the shadow of the monarch. Salah would have ordinarily taken the penalty that won the Reds the game; ordinarily, he’d be far and away their best player this season.But he wasn’t, and he isn’t. That’s Dominik Szoboszlai on both counts, who buried the spot kick late into the Lombardian twilight. It’s safe to assume that if anyone’s picking up the dropped baton, it’s Szoboszlai – at least for now.
That’s the opposite of ironic – the next guy assumes the reins, who’d have guessed? – but nevertheless, it’s a weird feeling. Liverpool have been far from a one-man team over the past eight years: they’ve had one of the greatest centre-backs in Premier League history, a right-back and a goalkeeper to a similar level and Salah himself was only 33 per cent of a world-class frontline, with plenty still surely debating that Sadio Mane, at his peak, was a better footballer. The red side of Merseyside has been blessed with one of its greatest-ever eras for talent.
Yet, the ‘Egyptian King’ nickname rings true. For the past eight years, Salah has been watching the throne. For all the leaders (Van Dijk and Henderson), the local lads (Trent and Jones), the superstars (Alisson and Mane) and the next generation (Wirtz and Isak), this has always been his team. Salah first: everyone else later.He is the last surviving starter from his debut against Watford in August 2017, with substitute Joe Gomez the only other in that matchday squad still kicking about at the training ground (though it’s so long ago that it’s a different training ground). That afternoon, Salah scored his third Premier League goal, following two in a spell at Chelsea. Now, he has more strikes in the competition than anyone else from overseas ever. And 190 more than Gomez, coincidentally (though this may be misattributed as ironic, it’s not).They’ve had their differences since – but in 2022, Carragher told FourFourTwo that Salah’s future was abundantly clear from that afternoon at Vicarage Road.Get FourFourTwo NewsletterThe best features, fun and footballing quizzes, straight to your inbox every week.Contact me with news and offers from other Future brandsReceive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsorsBy submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.“I’ll always remember that first game, away at Watford,” he said. “He only got the one goal that day but the actual runs he made, you could tell that this fella was going to score goals.“You could tell right away what kind of player he was, he was a goalscorer, he wasn’t a winger. He wasn’t going to be whipping crosses in at all – the goals were going to become a big part of his game.” Eight years later and no one has so much as challenged that right-wing spot. Salah has helped change the perception of wide players in England.But the fact of the matter is that wide players do not score that many goals without the team being theirs. From the minute he signed, Liverpool’s then-best player, Mane, moved from his customary right-wing berth. From then on, Salah’s place in the side has been a non-negotiable. Roberto Firmino got a little older and Diego Jota came along. Mane moved out for Luis Diaz; Darwin Nunez came along and Cody Gakpo signed. Salah remained – signing two huge contracts, too.So he should have: he won back-to-back Golden Boots in his first two seasons and never let up. But perhaps underrated in the years since, is the strength of that right-hand side. In Liverpool’s prime, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Jordan Henderson and Mohamed Salah were on a telepathic wavelength with one another: one holding width, one dropping deep, one pushing on, in perfect unison.
Jordan Henderson and Trent Alexander-Arnold were key to Salah’s success (Image credit: Getty Images)
It was all done to get Salah into the areas where he was most dangerous. It’s an oversimplification to point out that after Henderson left in the summer of 2023, Salah had his worst campaign in terms of goals… but it’s worth mentioning.It makes the present all the more fascinating.When Arne Slot arrived, he followed Jurgen Klopp’s playbook: Liverpool exerted a little more composure, but with no major signing aside from Federico Chiesa, everything remained the same: the first-choice XI, with everything in its right place. Alexander-Arnold, tasked once more, with overlapping. And this season, there is too much chaos – too many deck chairs and wheelie bins in the tornado – to point out exactly where it’s going wrong.
But the mayhem and Slot’s suggested solution is at least reminiscent of Andoni Iraola’s first few weeks at Bournemouth. The Basque, too, unleashed a high press with little to no synchronicity and tanked the first two months of his tenure. Full-backs can’t maraud that high without protection further back: something that Slot has realised, too, with the gradual phasing out of all those shiny new parts.
Slot has struggled to find answers with this side (Image credit: Getty Images)
Wirtz has been dropped, Ekitike and Isak have rotated and new combinations are emerging in midfield. But perhaps most intriguingly, Gomez is back in the fold. The defender had one foot out of the door on deadline day: now he’s seemingly the only right-back in the squad with his head screwed on. Cause and effect. It has a kick-on with the right-winger.It marks the first time in almost a decade that the side is no longer geared towards Mohamed Salah. Some may say this was always going to happen anyway – if not this way, than with an influx of superstar arrivals. Others will claim it’s about time – and no shame – when your talisman is 33.True irony is difficult to find with coincidence a more likely substitute: but whatever you’d describe it as, it’s decidedly bizarre that Joe Gomez – the only man there before him – perhaps signals the end of Salah’s time at the club.All good things come to an end: Trent knew that all too well. Now it seems the pair were linked closer telepathically than we cared to credit. The Egyptian King could outlast almost everyone at Anfield.
Mark White has been at on FourFourTwo since joining in January 2020, first as a staff writer before becoming content editor in 2023. An encyclopedia of football shirts and boots knowledge – both past and present – Mark has also represented FFT at both FA Cup and League Cup finals (though didn’t receive a winners’ medal on either occasion) and has written pieces for the mag ranging on subjects from Bobby Robson’s season at Barcelona to Robinho’s career. He has written cover features for the mag on Mikel Arteta and Martin Odegaard, and is assisted by his cat, Rosie, who has interned for the brand since lockdown.
The US women return to play Friday night with a mix of youngsters and veterans as the team will play for the last time this year. In the last three matches the team opened with a shocking loss to Portugal, bounced back with a determined win in a rematch, and then trounced New Zealand 6-0 in a vintage performance. Naomi Girma is back and her presence will anchor the backline while in the midfield Lilly Yohannes will join Lindsey Heaps and Rose Lavelle to give options in creating the engine for the team and on the forward line Cat Macario, Emma Sears, Olivia Moultrie, Alyssa Thompson, and Jaedyn Shaw will provide options to create and score. The question is can they start to build some chemistry?
US Women’s Roster – Friendly’s Next Friday Nov 28, Dec 1 vs Italy
Former Carmel GK Eric Dick Wins USL Championship for Pittsburgh in Shootout
Awesome to see former Carmel Dad’s Club/Carmel High/Butler GK Eric Dick win the USL title this past weekend with Pittsburgh as he pitched the shutout then won the Shootout (5-3) – to win their first championship. The 26-year wait is over as the @RiverhoundsSC take down Tulsa to win the 2025 @USLChampionship final! (full Highlights). Dick was Man of the Match. Dick’s Impact.
Most Watched NWSL Championship Gothem Wins & Lavelle is MVP
The NWSL championship match between Gotham FC and the Washington Spirit on Saturday averaged 1,184,000 viewers on CBS and Paramount+ (More) marking the match as the most-viewed NWSL game of all time. The average viewership marks a 22% increase from Orlando’s win in 2024, which held the previous viewership record, and a 45% gain from 2023.
American’s Shine in Champions League & Pulisic wins Derby
The CONCACAF capital of the world was in the Arctic Circle, where Juventus won 3-2 against Norwegian kings Bodø/Glimt with the USMNT’s somewhat forgotten man, Weston McKennie, heading home Juve’s second score, before Canada’s Jonathan Davidsealed the win in stoppage time with his first goal since August. Then, 2,255 miles away in the south of France, Tim Weahassisted 36-year-old Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang for Marseille’s winner over visiting Newcastle. Last weekend Christian Pulisic scored the winning Goal to win the Milan Derby vs Inter Milan.
Carmel GK Eric Dick Wins USL Championship for Pittsburgh
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GAMES ON TV
Thurs, 11/27 Europa 12:45 pm Feynord vs Celtic (Trusty) Fri, Nov 28 2:30 pm B MGladbach (Reyna, Scally) vs RB Leipzig 7 pm TNT, Max USWNT vs Italy Sat, Nov 29 9:30 am ESPN+ Union Berlin vs Heidneheim 10 am USA Brentford vs Burnley (Adams) 12 noon Para+ Juventus (McKinney) vs Calgari 12:30 pm ESPN+ Bayer Leverkusen (Tilman) vs Dortmund 2:45 pm Para+ AC Milan (Pulisic) vs Lazio 3 pm USA Tottenham vs Fulham 6 pm Apple TV Inter Miami (Messi) vs NYCFC MLS East Conf Finals 9 pm Apple TV San Diego, Vancouver MLS West Conf Finals 10 pm Telemundo Tigres vs Tijuana Sun, Nov 30 7 am USA Crystal Palace (Richards) vs Man United 9 am Para+ Pisa vs Inter Milan 9 am USA Aston Villa vs Wolverhampton 9 am PEacock Nottingham Forest vs Brighton 9 am Pea West Ham vs Liverpool 11:30 am USA Chelsea vs Arsenal 3 pm ABC Girona vs Real Madrid Mon, Dec 1st 7 pm TBS, Max USWNT vs Italy
USMNT gets better idea of who it could draw in 2026 World Cup
The World Cup Draw procedures are out. by Donald Wine II Nov 25, 2025, 1:01 PM EST Stars & Stripes
Photo by John Dorton/ISI Photos/USSF/Getty Images
The United States Men’s National Team now knows who it could potentially face in each match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup group stage. Today, FIFA released its World Cup Draw procedures, which will take place on December 5th. While it’s complicated, the USMNT’s matches get a bit clearer.
First, FIFA has divided each of the remaining teams into Pots, including the various playoff pathways. The USMNT, as a co-host, will be in in Pot 1 and pre-drawn into Group D. Mexico and Canada will also be pre-drawn into Groups A and B, respectively. They will be placed in the 1 position for those groups.
The pots for the 2026 FIFA World Cup Draw (FIFA ranking in parentheses):
Pot 1 – United States (14), Mexico (15), Canada (27), Spain (1), Argentina (2), France (3), England (4), Brazil (5), Portugal (6), Netherlands (7), Belgium (8), Germany (9)
Pot 2 – Croatia (10), Morocco (11), Colombia (13), Uruguay (16), Switzerland (17), Japan (18), Senegal (19), Iran (20), South Korea (22), Ecuador (23), Austria (24), Australia (26)
Pot 3 – Norway (29), Panama (30), Egypt (34), Algeria (35), Scotland (36), Paraguay (39), Tunisia (40), Ivory Coast (42), Uzbekistan (50), Qatar (51), Saudi Arabia (60), South Africa (61)
Pot 4 – Jordan (66), Cape Verde (68), Ghana (72), Curaçao (82), Haiti (84), New Zealand (86), UEFA Playoff A winner, UEFA Playoff B winner, UEFA Playoff C winner, UEFA Playoff D winner, Inter-confederation Playoff Path 1 winner, Inter-confederation Playoff Path 2 winner
The USMNT learned that they will face a team from Pot 3 in their World Cup opener on June 12th at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood. They will face a Pot 2 team at Lumen Field in Seattle on June 19th, and they will close against a Pot 4 team on June 25th back at SoFi Stadium. The United States, Canada, and Mexico will be identified by different colored ping pong balls for the draw of Pot 1: Mexico in green, Canada in red, and the U.S. with a blue ping pong ball. The rest of Pot 1 will be the same color and then automatically assigned to position 1 of the group into which they are drawn.
Pots for the 2026 World Cup DrawSource: FIFA
FIFA has also created pathways to ensure the best teams avoid each other before the semifinals and final. Spain – ranked 1 in the FIFA world rankings – will be randomly drawn into the opposite pathway as #2 Argentina. This will ensure those teams, should they win their groups, will not meet before the World Cup Final on July 19th. The same will be done for #3 France and #4 England to ensure they would be on opposite sides of the bracket.
2026 World Cup PathwaySource: FIFA
No group can have more than one team from the same confederation with the exception of UEFA, which has 16 teams. Each group will have 1, but no more than 2 UEFA teams drawn into it on December 5th. This would include the placeholders for the UEFA Playoff winners as well as the 2 inter-confederation playoff winners in Pot 4. For the USMNT, it would mean that since each inter-confederation playoff team contains a team from Concacaf, the USMNT will not see an inter-confederation winner in Group D. Likewise, if they draw a team from UEFA in Pots 2 and 3, they would not see any team from the UEFA playoff out of Pot 4.
The full match schedule for the 2026 FIFA World Cup will be confirmed on December 6th after the draw has taken place. This will allow fans to set their calendars and know where each of the 104 games will be taking place. It sets up some complicated drama for everyone at the FIFA World Cup Draw, but at least for the USMNT, they are a few days away from knowing who they will face in the group stage.
Champions League Projections
Arsenal, the only side left in the Champions League with a 100% win record, have a 23% chance of winning the tournament, according to Opta’s latest prediction. This comes after Mikel Arteta’s side beat Bayern Munich 3-1 at the Emirates, with the German side now projected to have a 19% chance of winning the tournament.
Holders Paris Saint-Germain, who have overtaken Bayern in second place on goal difference (see standings), have been given an 11.2% chance of winning the tournament following their 5-3 win over Tottenham. Inter Milan (4th) and Real Madrid (5th), who are also on 12 points, are given just 4.1% and 6.2% chances of taking glory, respectively. Kylian Mbappe is now the tournament’s top scorer with nine goals, helped by his four goals in Real’s 4-3 victory over Olympiakos, including a seven-minute hat-trick.
Despite losing 2-0 at home to Leverkusen on Tuesday, Manchester City are given the fourth-best odds at 8.3%, while Chelsea are given a 6.0% chance. Liverpool, who sit 13th in the league phase table following a 4-1 loss to PSV, are projected to have a 5.7% chance. Barcelona make up the rest of the top 10 with a 4.5% chance, even though they’re currently 18th.
Carmel GK Eric Dick in USL Finals Sat 12 noon on CBS Pittsburgh vs FC Tulsa
Awesome to see former Carmel Dad’s Club/Carmel High/Butler GK Eric Dick playing for a USL title this weekend for Pittsburgh vs Tulsa on Saturday. Dick has had another strong season for the Riverhounds and look to help them capture their first soccer championship. FC Tulsa will host Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC in the 2025 USL Championship Final on Saturday (Nov 22) at 12:00 ET (Match Preview) More Below
US Women’s Roster – Friendly’s Next Friday Nov 28, Dec 1 vs Italy
NY/NJ Gothem vs Washington Spirit – Saturday night Nov 22 8 pm on CBS
GAMES ON TV
Sat, Nov 22 7:30 am USA Burnley vs Chelsea 9:30 am ESPN+ Heidenheim vs Mgladbach (Reyna & Scally) 9:30 am ESPN+ Bayern Munich vs Freiburg 9:30 am ESPN+ Wolfsburg vs Bayer Leverkusen (Tilman) 10 am USA Bournmouth (Adams) vs West Ham United 10 am Peacock Wolverhampton vs Crystal Palace (Richards) 10 am Pk Liverpool vs Nottingham Forest 10:15 AM ESPN+ Barcelona vs Athletic Club 12 noon Para+ Juventus (McKinny) vs Fiorentina 12:30 pm NBC New Castle vs Man United 8 pm CBS NWSL CHAMPIONSHIP Washington Spirit (Rodman) vs Gothem (Lavell, Shaw) 9:30 pm Apple TV Vancouver vs LAFC MLS Playoffs Sunday 9 am USA Leeds United vs Aston Villa 11:30 am USA? Cock Arsenal vs Tottenham 5 pm Apple Free? Cincy vs Inter Miami MLS EC Semis 7:45 pm FS1 Philly Union vs NYCFC EC Semis Mon 3 pm USA Man United vs Everton 10 pm Apple Free San Diego vs Minn United MLS WC Semis Tues 11/25 Champs League 12:45 pm CBSSN Ajax vs Benefica 3 pm Para+ Man City vs Bayer Leverkusen (Tilman) 3 pm CBSSB Marseille (Weah) vs New Castle United 3 pm Univsion Chelsea vs Barcelona 3 pm PAra+ Dortmund vs Villarreal Wed, Nov 26 3 pm Univision Olypiakos vs Real Madrid 3 pm Para+ Arsenal vs Bayern Munich 3 pm Para+ Liverpool vs PSV (Dest, Pepi) 3 pm Para+ Atletico vs Inter Milan 3 pm Para+ PSG Vs Tottenham Thurs, 11/27 Europa 12:45 pm Feynord vs Celtic (Trusty) Fri, Nov 28 7 pm TNT, Max USWNT vs Italy Dec 1st 7 pm TNT, Max USWNT vs Italy
USMNT weekend viewing guide: Volatile markets
Who are you putting stock in over the next six months?
Saturday
Coventry City v West Bromwich Albion – 730a on Paramount+: Haji Wright started on Tuesday for the USMNT but was not one of the four goal scorers in the match. He will resume play with Coventry City looking to snap a six match scoreless streak as the team looks to increase it’s hold on first place in the Championship when they take on West Brom.
Wolfsburg v Bayer Leverkusen – 9:30a on ESPN Select: Malik Tillman did not make the November camp due to having just returned from injury but did play the entire second half of Leverkusen’s 6-0 over Heidenheim heading into the break.
Heidenheim v Borussia Monchengladbach – 9:30a on ESPN Select: Joe Scally and Giovanni Reyna both returned to the USMNT for the November window with Reyna showing particularly well, appearing in both matches and directly contributing to three of the teams seven goals scored in the window. Gladbach won two straight matches heading into the break, their first wins of the season, to pull themselves out of the relegation zone and into 12th place. Reyna appeared as a substitute in both matches while Scally was a starter in both. On Saturday they will look to continue their winning streak as they take on last place Heidenheim. In a world before cell phones, one good way to win a soccer match was to create a false reality. We can explain.
Augsburg v Hamburg – 9:30a on ESPN Select: Noahkai Banks and Augsburg have lost three straight matches and currently sit tied for the relegation playoff position. Banks has started five straight matches for Augsburg which is pretty remarkable for an 18-year-old centerback. Unfortunately the team has given up 12 goals in those five games (including the six goal thrashing by RB Leipzig). Augsburg host a Hamburg side that are just two points above them in the table and really need maximum points in home matches like this if they are going to avoid being stuck in the relegation threatened positions all season.
Wolverhampton v Crystal Palace – 10a on Peacock: Chris Richards and Crystal Palace will travel to Wolverhampton on Saturday to face bottom of the table Wolves who have just two points through eleven matches. Palace are coming off a scoreless draw with Brighton and currently sit in tenth place. Richards was not included in the November camp for the USMNT, likely a concession to a club and manager who had balked at Richard’s usage despite the fact that he has played every league minute for his club.
Bournemouth v West Ham – 10a on USA Network: Tyler Adams and Bournemouth will look to get back on track as they return to action after heading into the break suffering back to back losses to Man City and Aston Villa and falling to ninth in the table. They host a West Ham side that are in 18th place, the final relegation spot, but have won their past two matches.
NAC Breda v PSV – 10:30a on ESPN Select: Sergino Dest was the lone USMNT field player to start both matches in the November window while on the opposite end of the spectrum Ricardo Pepi only appeared in one, and that as a substitute. The club and country teammates will return to PSV looking to build on their six match winning streak and their three point lead in the Eredivise.
Fiorentina v Juventus – Noon on Paramount+: Weston McKennie was another player left out of the squad for the November window. He has not had any injury concerns but does have yet another manager to adjust to, though early indications are that it hasn’t impacted his playing time, he has started the clubs four most recent matches. Juventus have seven points from their last three matches and are in sixth place as they head to Fiorentina to face a club that has yet to win this season.
Rennes v Monaco – 1p on beIN Sports: Folarin Balogun picked up a goal over the break for the US and scored in his most recent match for his club as well but will be out of the squad this weekend as he serves a suspension for a red card received in the 4-1 loss to Lens.
Napoli v Atalanta – 2:45p on Paaramount+: Once thought to be a mainstay for the USMNT midfield, Yunus Musah appears to be on thin ice as he has not appeared recently for country and has made it off the bench just once in the last five matches for Atalanta. Atalanta are currently in 13th place so perhaps they will look to shake things up and there will be an opportunity for Musah to work his way into the squad.
Vancouver Whitecaps v LAFC – 9:30p on MLS Season Pass: Timothy Tillman was a surprise callup for the November camp but he appeared in both matches, starting the second. His LAFC side will take on Vancouver in the second round of the playoffs on Saturday.
Sunday
Leeds United v Aston Villa – 9a on USA Network: Brenden Aaronson and Leeds United have lost two straight and sit just a point out of the relegation positions. Aaronson does have two goal contributions in the last three matches for Leeds and has started eight straight matches for his club. Leeds face an Aston Villa side that are in sixth place and coming off a 4-0 thrashing of Bournemouth.
Auxerre v Olympique Lyon – 9a on beIN Sports: Tanner Tessmann and Lyon fell to league leading PSG 2-3 heading into the break. Things should be a bit easier this weekend as they face an Auxerre side that are at the opposite end of the table.
Toulouse v Angers SCO – 11:15a on beIN Sports: Mark McKenzie and Toulouse have drawn three straight matches in Ligue 1 and currently sit in tenth place. They host an Angers side who are three points back of them in league play.
St Pauli v Union Berlin – 11:30a on ESPN Select: James Sands and St Pauli have lost seven straight matches and fallen into the relegation zone, though they still aren’t in last place. They take on a Union Berlin side that put an end to Bayern Munich’s perfect start to the season with a 2-2 draw.
Getafe v Atletico Madrid – 12:30p on ESPN Deportes and ESPN Select: Johnny Cardoso has been on the bench for Atletico Madrid’s past two matches but has yet to see minutes since returning from injury. The club have won four straight and six of their last seven so there may not be much impetus to make a change, but like Musah Cardoso is going to need to find minutes if he’s to break back into a crowded US midfield.
Inter Milan v AC Milan – 2:45p on Paramount+: Christian Pulisic returned from injury to get 20’ off the bench for AC Milan in their 2-2 draw just ahead of the international break. Pulisic is likely to be a full go for Milan’s derby match with Inter.
Cincinnati v Inter Miami – 5p on MLS Season Pass: Miles Robinson and Cincinnati host the fighting Messi’s in the second round of MLS playoff action.
Philadelphia Union v NYCFC – 7:45p on FS1: Matt Freese will travel to Philadelphia as NYCFC take on the Union on Sunday night.
Premier League Match Day 12: Liverpool vs. Nottingham Forest, Sat 22, 10:00 ET. Forest won 1-0 away and drew 1-1 at home against Liverpool in the Premier League last season. However, the Reds have only one defeat in their last 22 home league games, a run that includes 17 wins. Newcastle vs. Manchester City, Sat 22, 12:30 ET. City have won 12 Premier League away games against Newcastle, their joint-most away victories against an opponent in the competition. Meanwhile, Erling Haaland is one goal away from reaching 100 Premier League goals, potentially breaking Alan Shearer’s record for the quickest to a century. Arsenal vs. Tottenham Hotspur, Sun 23, 11:30 ET. Spurs have lost seven of their last nine top-flight matches against Arsenal (W1 D1) and won just one of their last 32 league trips to the Gunners (D12 L19). However, Thomas Frank’s side are the only Premier League team still unbeaten away from home in 2025-26. See every Premier League fixture here and table here.
Key Milan Derby Serie A leaders Inter meet third-placed AC Milan and Christian Pulisic on Sunday, with the rivals separated by two points in a high-stakes derby that could prove pivotal in the early title race. Following some early-season hiccups, Inter have hit their stride in their last three league games, while AC Milan, who are without European commitments this season, boast an 11-match unbeaten run across all competitions. See the Serie A table here.
Second-placed AS Roma, level on points with Inter, travel to Cremonese, who have won only one of their last nine matches. Champions Napoli sit fourth, two points behind Inter. “Heart transplants aren’t an option. Each of us needs to rediscover our spirit and our grit,” manager Antonio Conte said after their loss to Bologna prevented Napoli from going top. The defeat marked their third league loss of the season and fifth across all competitions.
Over the past five seasons, Inter have been the only team to have always finished in the top four in Serie A. Napoli and Milan won a combined three titles in the same period, but they both also experienced drastic declines, with the former finishing 10th after triumphing in 2023, and the latter coming eighth last season.
NWSL Championship final Kickoff: Saturday, 8 p.m. ET / Sunday, 1 a.m GMT
No teams have faced each other more in the history of the NWSL than these two, who will meet for the 44th time on Sunday — their fourth already this season (twice in the league, once in the Concacaf Champions Cup)! And this is the playoff final too! So with everything to play for between two teams who know each other so well, with two Spanish head coaches, plenty of stars (Esther, Geyse, Rose Lavelle and Ann-Katrin Berger for Gotham, plus Trinity Rodman, Croix Bethune, Narumi Miura and Sofia Cantore for the Spirit) and great young talents (Jaedyn Shaw, Gift Monday, Kysha Sylla, Josefine Hasbo), the spectacle will be pretty special. Since the summer break, five of the Spirit players have had five or more goal contributions — Monday (7), Rodman (7), Rosemonde Kouassi (6), Bethune (5), and Cantore (5), which shows their great depth of talent. But Gotham are the Queens of late wins and mental strength in the money time. Plus Esther is fully back from injury now and ready to roar!
Who will prevail this time? Whoever wins won’t have long to enjoy it because they might meet again in the Concacaf Champions Cup semifinals as well, if they both win their quarterfinals next week! MY PREDICTION: Washington Spirit 0, Gotham FC 1. Despite he firepower that Washington have, I think Gotham will be solid and nullify it and will find a way of getting Esther on the score sheet for the win in a super tight game. Gab Marcotti – ESPN
Head Injury – When to Stop the Game Ok – Coaches — please teach your kids to kick the ball out of bounds when they see an injured player – when did we stop teaching this? As a kid I was taught this – why don’t we teach this anymore? Become a Referee Must be 13
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Rog writes: Soccer’s coming home! After fending off a roughhousing Paraguay, the U.S. faced down Uruguay on Tuesday for the final game of 2025. And what did we see? A truly experimental team delivered a redemptive obliteration: USA 5-1 Uruguay. This is the first time the USMNT have scored five goals against a CONMEBOL nation, or a top-30 team ever. The vibes were at 11, as @Balrogger wrote in the MiB Discord, “Don’t play up to CONMEBOL, bring them down to CONCACAF.” But with so many of our biggest players missing, what does it all mean? Let’s dig in:ii. This Was Some Starting Line-Up for Poch Nine changes from the team that played Paraguay with just Matt Freese and Sergiño Dest carrying over. Mark McKenzie as captain, alongside John Tolkin, Diego Luna, Auston Trusty, and Timmy Tillman in the Tillman role… this was not even a B-team, it was like a B/C-team. No Christian Pulisic, Tyler Adams, Chris Richards, Tim Weah, and on and on. Poch had plenty to say about the missing key players from this window, and yet, WHAT A WIN! The best result and USMNT performance of the Pochettino era.iii. Four Goals from MLS Players & Even More Gio Just 16 minutes in, Sebastian Berhalter combined with Dest for a one-two strike that was technically incredible. Just take a moment and savor the angle on this finish. And don’t forget: 16 months ago, Gregg Berhalter’s last game was the Copa disaster against Uruguay. This proves, once again, that revenge is the single greatest human motivator.Less than five minutes later, it was two, once again from a set-piece. Berhalter floated in a deep, stunning cross with curl and arc to Alex Freeman, who sent a phenomenal header back across the keeper for his first of two on the night. Such an intelligent goal, and for the U.S. men, their third set-piece finish in the past week. There was more: a late, well-timed run into the box from Lunafor the team’s fourth. But what was most fascinating was when the cameras cut to Poch on the sideline, he was not celebrating – he looked furious. He wanted more, and in the second half, he got it. Less than 10 minutes after entering the game, Gio Reynafloated a pass into Tanner Tessmann to make it 5-1 Dreamland, giving Gio his third goal involvement of the window.iv. This Was Also Very Far From Uruguay’s A-Team Uruguay are themselves in a moment of transition and this squad is quite different from the one we saw in the Copa America. In 2025, they have only beaten Peru and Venezuela (both out of the World Cup), along with two friendly wins in October against the Dominican Republic and Uzbekistan. Their manager, Marcelo Bielsa, is currently pushing all the buttons, trying desperately to find a team for next summer, but is under fire himself as his squad looked like they gave up on him. They are a side that have tried four different goalkeepers in their last four matches and are without Real Madrid star Federico Valverde, who basically owns Uruguay’s midfield and allows Giorgian de Arrascaeta to play more freely (speaking of which, what a goal by him the other night). Their backline was also wide open and bedraggled, especially for a team who had conceded just once in their last six games. But most shocking was Uruguay appeared to have zero resolve; they basically played like they were on vacation.v. Let’s Recap This Rollercoaster Year The darkness of the CONCACAF Nations League in March, which saw the U.S. soil themselves in losses to Panama and Canada. Then there were the humiliating pair of friendlies against Türkiye and Switzerland when we were outgunned and outpaced. The Gold Cup was the Poch reboot with an inexperienced squad that felt like our B-string, but he has stayed with so many of those players. A 2-0 defeat to South Korea that saw us outplayed again, but then came this five-match unbeaten streak, with friendly wins over Japan, Australia, Paraguay, and now Uruguay, along with a draw with Ecuador, all of whom have qualified for the World Cup. What a journey it has been for this team and for us as fans.vi. Enthusiasm for the USMNT Still Lies Dormant One slightly down theme of the year is the lack of interest and the small crowds. The Athletic wrote a tough piece entitled, “The USMNT is making progress. The fans it hoped to attract haven’t (yet) noticed.” It was 10 months ago that U.S. Soccer talked about how they wanted to lead into the World Cup. “We want to play in the biggest stadiums possible, in front of the most people possible, full stop,” said J.T. Batson, U.S. Soccer’s CEO. “Our national team [games] should be huge events. They should be parties, they should be celebrations of soccer, and they should be something that everybody looks forward to.” It hasn’t happened, at least not yet. The USMNT’s second-to-last game of 2025, against Paraguay on Saturday outside Philadelphia, failed to fill the 18,500-seat Subaru Park (despite the best efforts of thousands of exuberant Paraguay fans). That lack of interest is just the reality until the World Cup. vii. Looking Ahead to 2026 I have given up trying to work out where we are. The deviation on this U.S. men’s team is impossible to handicap. As much as this game was so unbelievably fun, there is still one challenge: How does the eventual first-team squad develop chemistry? Players don’t just start playing well together. The backline needs cohesion and reps. The midfield too, as there has been so much experimenting and auditioning with so many new faces. International teams are always all-star affairs in terms of just crashing together without much practice, but this is going to be the most all-starry and fleeting of all American teams before a World Cup. Over 70 players have been called up and shuffled through, but with 203 days until next year’s World Cup, the starting XI is utterly wide open. In Poch we trust.Tell me how you’re feeling about the USMNT right now. I would love to hear from you. To 2026. No sleep ‘till Metlife. Soccer’s coming home.Courage, Rog
On the USMNT’s Team-Wide Fight Against Uruguay “The USMNT showed a killer instinct. I can’t tell you how long it’s been since I have seen a U.S. men’s national team that is intense, that fights, that claws, that doesn’t give up on a single play. You can say what you want about Uruguay. You can say what you want about the Valverdes or the Nuñezes of the world not being there. Whatever you want, that is their problem. But what I saw on Tuesday, and what I’ve been seeing this window and for the last two windows, I’ve not seen in quite some time.” Herc on Sebastian Berhalter’s Impressive Goal and Assist “Sebastian Berhalter is one of many who have taken advantage of the opportunities that have been afforded to him by Pochettino and this coaching staff. How long have we been here watching and analyzing the USMNT and seeing corner kicks that don’t clear the first post, seeing free kicks that go awry? Now you have a player that not only can deliver a good set piece, but is a dangerous asset in front of goal.” On Alex Freeman’s Ascendant Performance “When a coach empowers a player, gives confidence to a player, well that ceiling gets a little higher. Alex Freeman was playing as a third center-back and weaved his way like prime Vinícius Júnior, putting Ronald Araújo on skates. A Barcelona center-back, a player that not too long ago was valued at a $100 million, he’s gone out the window! It made him look amateurish and then Freeman scores a golazo. That’s confidence and that’s infectious… I think we’re going to see a heavy dose of Freeman at the World Cup.” On Gio Reyna’s Impact This Window “I’ve always believed [Gio] was a fixture, just on ceiling and talent alone. And I think Pochettino understands this because at the beginning of the camp, when they asked if he was contradicting himself, he mentioned how special of a player Gio Reyna is. And there are players in the U.S. men’s national team who are special, who maybe at the club level have not performed, but always do when they play for their country. We look at Pulisic during his Chelsea years when he wasn’t playing, he would use the USMNT as a refresher. I believe this is the case with Gio, and I think Pochettino sees the value there.” On Mauricio Pochettino’s Vision Finally Coming Into Focus “We could sit here and debate and throw darts at the players who are going to start, but the only thing I know is whoever’s going to be in Pochettino’s starting XI is going to represent him the way he wants to be represented. The fight, the spirit, the attitude, the mentality. That’s the only thing I know because that’s what he’s told us. And that’s what I’ve seen reflected on the field for the last five, six games, even the game they lost. They were outmatched against South Korea, but you saw some fight. And since then, it’s been passion. It’s been mentality. So I can’t sit here and say I know the definite XI, but I can sit here and say, I know what this team is about, tactically and mentally.”
Watch the full international break recap (or listen here) to get all of Herc and Rog’s thoughts on the USMNT’s biggest roster questions, what the team needs to do to capture America’s attention, and how far we should expect Poch’s mob to go at next year’s World Cup. And make sure to follow VAMOS on TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube for so much more.
We will be back in your loving arms (and inboxes) one more time in 2025, before we start counting down the final 160 days leading up to next year’s World Cup. As of now, it looks like the USMNT will host Portugal and Belgium in March in Atlanta during the first international window of the year, before welcoming Germany to Chicago and another to-be-determined opponent to Charlotte in June for a final tune-up.
Naomi Girma returns to USWNT for year-end friendlies
The USWNT is stocking up to close out 2025, with head coach Emma Hayes dropping her 26-player roster this morning ahead of a set of year-end friendlies against rising European star Italy. Hayes selected a blend of Europe-based and NWSL talent, including formerly injured Chelsea standout Naomi Girma — her first national team call-up since July — as well as Gotham’s Jaedyn Shaw and Jaelin Howell, with Howell returning to the squad for the first time since 2022. (See full roster) Big picture: After an up-and-down October window, the US will finish the year against Le Azzure in Orlando on November 28th and December 1st in Fort Lauderdale. Spirit striker Trinity Rodman (MCL strain) and Man United goalkeeper Phallon Tullis-Joyce (fractured eye socket) were left off due to injury concerns, while Bay FC keeper Jordan Silkowitz, Chicago forward Jameese Joseph, and Washington defender Kate Wiesner head to camp uncapped. The roster’s seven Spirit and Gotham FC players will have the tightest turnaround, jetting off to camp immediately after Saturday’s NWSL Championship. Full steam ahead: “We’ve accomplished a lot of goals, expanded the player pool, and made strides in our game model, so this camp will be an extension of that, but it will also set the groundwork for 2026, which will be our World Cup qualifying year,” Hayes said in a statement. “Games against top European teams are so valuable… I know our players will embrace that challenge.”
2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying: Here’s every team that has booked its spot in next summer’s 48-team tournament
The 2026 FIFA World Cup is rapidly approaching, and the expanded 48-team field is nearly complete. Forty-two nations have already clinched their place at next summer’s tournament in North America, leaving only the play-off tournaments to decide the final six spots. This will be the first World Cup played with the new 48-team format, adding 16 additional slots from the 2022 edition with increased allocations across all six confederations: UEFA (Union of European Football Associations) receives 16 direct berths, CAF (Confederation of African Football) nine, AFC (Asian Football Confederation) eight, and both CONMEBOL (Confederación Sudamericana de Fútbol) and CONCACAF (Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football) six each while OFC (Oceania Football Confederation) gets one guaranteed spot for the first time. Six spots remain and they’ll be decided by playoffs — two through the intercontinental Play-off Tournament, which features two CONCACAF teams and one entrant each from AFC, CAF, CONMEBOL and OFC and four through a European Play-Off. Europe’s playoff will include 12 group runners-up plus the four best-ranked UEFA Nations League group winner that didn’t qualify directly. Follow along as the 48-team field is determined ahead of next summer’s World Cup.
UEFA
UEFA gets the most spots of any of the confederations, with 16 teams able to punch their ticket to the tournament. For the first round of the qualifying tournament, the winners of each of 12 groups automatically advanced to the World Cup. The four remaining spots will be determined by a play-off tournament with the 12 runner-ups, plus the four highest-ranked teams in the UEFA Nations League.
Qualified: England, France, Croatia, Norway, Portugal, Germany, Netherlands, Austria, Belgium, Scotland, Spain and Switzerland
Qualified for European Play-off: Italy, Denmark, Türkiye, Ukraine, Poland, Wales, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Ireland Albania, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Kosovo, Romania, Sweden, North Macedonia and Northern Ireland
CONCACAF
As the three host countries, the U.S., Canada and Mexico all receive automatic qualifying bids for the 2026 World Cup. As a result, those three countries hold three of the confederation’s six qualifying spots, with CONCACAF also getting two spots in the playoff tournament.
Qualified: United States, Canada, Mexico, Curaçao, Haiti and Panama
Qualified for intercontinental play-off: Jamaica and Suriname
AFC
The Asian Football Confederation, the federation that covers Eurasia as well as Asia, determined its qualifiers with a multi-round tournament in 2025 that continued into the fall.
Qualified: Australia, Iran, Japan, Jordan, South Korea, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Uzbekistan
Qualified for intercontinental play-off:Iraq
CAF
The tournament whittled the CAF down from 53 nations to the nine qualifiers, with one play-off spot. Morocco, after surging to a semifinals appearance in 2022, is back at the top of the conversation heading into 2026. As the CAF tournament reached an end point this fall, Morocco became the first African team to qualify in September, followed by Tunisia.
Qualified: Algeria, Cabo Verde, Côte d’Ivoire, Egypt, Ghana, Morocco, Senegal, South Africa and Tunisia
Qualified for intercontinental play-off: Congo DR
CONMEBOL
Of all of the qualifying formats, CONMEBOL’s is the simplest: The confederation’s 10 teams competed in a league table, with the top six teams qualifying for the World Cup, and the seventh — Bolivia, in this case — representing CONMEBOL in the play-off tournament.
Argentina, the defending champions, were rolling early in the process, qualifying for 2026 all the way back in March.
Qualified: Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay and Uruguay
The expanded format means that Oceania will get a guaranteed spot for the first time ever. It’s not much of a surprise that New Zealand — by far the largest country in the confederation — will be OFC’s representative at the World Cup, but it will be an exciting time for the country. New Zealand has qualified for the World Cup just two other times, even in the years since Australia left OFC to join AFC. New Caledonia, meanwhile, will join the play-off tournament, though a win there would be a significant upset, given that the nation sits at 150 in FIFA’s rankings, well below all of its competitors.
Qualified:New Zealand
Qualified for intercontinental play-off: New Caledonia
World Cup play-offs
European Semifinals – March 26 Italy vs. Northern Ireland Ukraine vs. Sweden Türkiye vs. Romania Denmark vs. North Macedonia Wales vs. Bosnia & Herzegovina Poland vs. Albania Slovakia vs. Kosovo Czech Republic vs. Ireland
European Finals – March 31 Wales or Bosnia-Herzegovina vs. Italy or Northern Ireland Ukraine or Sweden vs. Poland or Albania Slovakia or Kosovo vs. Turkey or Romania Czech Republic or Ireland vs. Denmark or North Macedonia
Intercontinental semifinals – March 23-31 New Caledonia vs. Jamaica Bolivia vs. Suriname
Intercontinental Finals – March 23-31 Congo vs. New Caledonia or Jamaica Iraq vs. Bolivia or Suriname
USMNT World Cup roster projection after November friendlies: 26 for 2026
Twenty players started for Mauricio Pochettino in two friendlies in November. Nearly all showed why they should be on the U.S. men’s national team’s World Cup roster.
It has made the position battles for the 26-man roster that much tougher to judge. The versatility of players like Joe Scally, Tim Weah, Sergiño Dest, Alex Freeman and Weston McKennie will give Pochettino plenty of flexibility in balancing the team.
However, the fact that seven months before the World Cup, we list just 11 players as “locks” for the U.S. team shows the mentality that has developed around this group. Players are earning spots, but no one feels comfortable declaring their positions secure.
The competition continues into March, with friendlies against Portugal and Belgium providing one last chance to secure a spot on the team chasing World Cup history at home. (The 26-man roster will be named in late May, before players gather for a pre-World Cup camp in Atlanta on May 27 and before they play two pre-World Cup friendlies in other cities in late May and early June.)
Here’s how we see the roster battles playing out as 2025 comes to an end.
Matt Freese might have established himself as the first choice at goalkeeper.Michael Pimentel / ISI Photos via Getty Images
Goalkeepers
Locks: Matt Freese
Confident: None
In consideration: Chris Brady, Roman Celentano, Diego Kochen, Patrick Schulte, Zack Steffen, Matt Turner, Jonathan Klinsmann
Stock up: None
Stock down: Turner
Tenorio: Pochettino has made one lineup preference clear in his time as U.S. coach: Freese appears to be locked in as No. 1. Everything behind him is up in the air. I am not sure if Matt Turner can play his way back into this U.S. roster with a strong first half of the season with New England, or if Pochettino will opt for a less-experienced option behind Freese.
Bushnell: I’m sure Turner can play his way back in. Can. However, beyond Freese, we have no idea how Pochettino rates his half-dozen backup options because he never plays any of them!
Defender Tim Ream is as popular with USMNT fans as he is with coach Mauricio Pochettino.Howard Smith / ISI Photos / USSF / Getty Images
Center backs
Locks: Chris Richards, Tim Ream
Confident: Mark McKenzie, Miles Robinson
In consideration: Noahkai Banks, Cameron Carter-Vickers, Auston Trusty, Walker Zimmerman
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Stock up: McKenzie, Robinson
Stock down: Carter-Vickers
Tenorio: Behind the two players who have been starters in many games under Pochettino, McKenzie and Robinson have been consistent call-ups. McKenzie wore the captain’s armband against Uruguay, which has to be a good sign for his standing. Pochettino has options at the position now. Both Freeman and Scally have played well at the hybrid No. 3 center back/fullback role. Pochettino could bring in four natural center backs, as those two will be considered options in this position group. He might also look to bring in a player like Zimmerman as a sort of “specialist” at the position — a player you bring in at the end of the game, like against Iran in 2022, who can help close out a game by winning headers.
Bushnell: Last month, I was convinced that Zimmerman would go in the “specialist” role. Now, I’m not so sure. The top four have seemingly separated themselves. I almost think the biggest question is: could McKenzie or Robinson displace Ream, or capably deputize if Ream declines? Ream has immense value as a leader. But solely as a soccer player, at 38, he has become one of the potential question marks in the starting 11. We’ll see in March and June how locked into the second starting spot he is.
Fullbacks/wingbacks
Locks: Sergiño Dest, Antonee Robinson
Confident: Max Arfsten, Alex Freeman
In consideration: Joe Scally, John Tolkin
Stock up: Arfsten, Freeman, Scally
Stock down: None
Tenorio: With Robinson’s health very much up in the air, Arfsten has performed well since the U.S. moved to a formation that sees the left-back play more like an attacking wing-back. Meanwhile, Freeman’s two-goal performance out of the right center-back/right-back role on Tuesday night in Tampa all but cemented him a spot at the World Cup. Two players, mainly off the radar, entering the Gold Cup could feasibly start at the World Cup. Scally also helped himself in this camp with his versatility, playing inside and outside on the back line.
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Bushnell: For years, the full-back position has been hounded by depth concerns. If Robinson had been struggling with a knee injury in the buildup to the 2022 World Cup, what the heck would that USMNT have done? This USMNT, on the other hand, now seems to have capable backups on both sides. And given the positional flexibility of many of the players in contention here, it’s possible, if not likely, that we’ll see all five of Dest, Robinson, Arfsten, Freeman and Scally — plus Weah, who’s a candidate to start at wing-back on either side — at the World Cup.
Could Gio Reyna and Sebastian Berhalter both play their way onto the USA’s 2026 World Cup squad?Howard Smith / ISI Photos / USSF / Getty Images
Central midfielders
Locks: Tyler Adams, Weston McKennie
Confident: Tanner Tessmann
In consideration: Sebastian Berhalter, Johnny Cardoso, Aidan Morris, Yunus Musah, Cristian Roldan
Stock up: Berhalter, Roldan, Tessmann
Stock down: Cardoso, Musah
Tenorio: Tessmann was good against Paraguay and seems to be the best option to start next to Adams if Pochettino decides the Bournemouth midfielder is a player he wants on the field. McKennie is an interesting one, because he probably fits into the attacking midfield spot under Pochettino. I don’t see him as a fit to pair with Adams. Pochettino should want players like Tessmann or Roldan to sit deeper and let Adams do what he does at a world-class level: break things up, make interceptions and press like crazy. Berhalter’s continued effectiveness on set pieces, along with his fight and aggressiveness, might earn him a place on the World Cup team.
Bushnell: The biggest loser of the window was Musah. Pochettino made the semi-bold call to exclude him from all three fall camps after the versatile midfielder opted out of the Gold Cup. And the players who were called instead validated Pochettino’s decision. At this point, it would be unsurprising if Musah doesn’t get another shot under Pochettino — and, frankly, it would be surprising if he does get the call in March. The other question mark is Cardoso. What if he returns to full health and starts playing regularly at Atlético Madrid? However, that ship might have sailed too, because there’s no glaring need for him. Perhaps we’re overreacting to Berhalter’s performance on Tuesday, but the World Cup group appears to have taken shape.
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Attacking midfielders/wingers
Locks: Christian Pulisic, Malik Tillman, Tim Weah
Confident: None
In consideration: Brenden Aaronson, Diego Luna, Jack McGlynn, Gio Reyna, Alejandro Zendejas
Stock up: Reyna
Stock down: Zendejas
Tenorio: Luna scored against Uruguay and didn’t necessarily move down in his standing, but the reality is that many players are showing reasons why they deserve serious consideration for a spot on the World Cup roster. Reyna had a goal and an assist in this window. If he’s healthy — and that’s a big if — he has a good chance to be on this team. Aaronson is starting every week in the Premier League and has a different defensive work rate than others at this position. Pochettino could have the “good dilemma” of picking a starter next to Pulisic between Tillman, Reyna and McKennie.
Bushnell: I still can’t see Reyna in the starting 11. But he was, without a doubt, the biggest winner of this November window. Because he didn’t just play well; he reminded us (and coaches) that he can still play well for the national team even if he’s not playing well (or playing much at all) for his club. That’s why he’s suddenly more likely to make the World Cup roster than miss it. I struggle with projecting this position, though, because it doesn’t seem necessary to take all six of Pulisic, Tillman, McKennie, Reyna, Aaronson and Luna if only two of them, or at maximum three, are going to be on the field at once. However, maybe that’s where the expansion of rosters to 26 comes in handy.
A big season for Derby County could propel Patrick Agyemang onto the World Cup roster.Martin Rickett / PA Images via Getty Images
Strikers
Locks: Folarin Balogun
Confident: None
In consideration: Patrick Agyemang, Ricardo Pepi, Josh Sargent, Brian White, Haji Wright
Stock up: Wright
Stock down: Sargent
Tenorio: Three starts and three goals for Balogun put him on the “locks” list. Wright and Pepi are the most likely to win World Cup spots if they are healthy and scoring. Still, I’m not ruling out Agyemang — nor even Pochettino bringing four strikers with Agyemang seen as the “specialist” late in games, much in the same way as Zimmerman, only at the opposite end of the field.
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Bushnell: I’d argue that Wright belongs in the “confident” category. He didn’t score Tuesday night but was active and part of the strong team performance. He’s clearly the No. 2 option at this point. Of course, that could change between now and June. Strikers, perhaps more so than anybody else, are subject to fluctuations in form. If Agyemang has a strong season in the Championship, I think we’ll likely see him in March and maybe in June. But the three in camp this month are definitely the top three. I don’t believe Sargent will get another chance this cycle.
USMNT 2026 World Cup roster projection
(As of November 2025)
Goalkeepers (3): Matt Freese, Patrick Schulte, Matt Turner
Center backs (5): Mark McKenzie, Tim Ream, Chris Richards, Miles Robinson, Joe Scally
Fullbacks/wingbacks (4): Max Arfsten, Sergiño Dest, Alex Freeman, Antonee Robinson
Central midfielders (4): Tyler Adams, Sebastian Berhalter, Cristian Roldan, Tanner Tessmann
Attacking midfielders/wingers (7): Brenden Aaronson, Diego Luna, Weston McKennie, Christian Pulisic, Gio Reyna, Malik Tillman, Tim Weah
Strikers (3): Folarin Balogun, Ricardo Pepi, Haji Wright
USMNT’s reality has shifted, and Pochettino now has dreams of ‘impossible’ World Cup run
TAMPA, Fla. — It feels like a lifetime ago, but it was just June 10 that a heavily-rotated U.S. men’s national team squad was played off the field against Switzerland.
So when Mauricio Pochettino named a starting lineup for Tuesday night’s friendly against Uruguay that featured nine new starters from the team that beat Paraguay three days before, it was understandable why some might have braced for a similar outcome. Uruguay, after all, was probably the most talented team the U.S. had seen since South Korea in September — and was playing some of its most important players.
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Instead, the U.S. overwhelmed and steamrolled Uruguay at Raymond James Stadium, scoring three goals in the first 30 minutes en route to a decisive and signature 5-1 victory.
It spoke to the sheer amount of progress Pochettino had made in a short time with this U.S. team, not just in building out depth in the pool, but in building belief within that expanded pool of players. That he could field one team that looked like by far the better side against Paraguay, then change out so many players and get an even more impressive performance was a testament to that progress.
After the game, Pochettino’s press conference started with a surprisingly combative and fiery response to a question about what it meant to get such a positive result despite, “a lot of regulars rested.” Pochettino took it as an attack on the identity he was trying to build in the team; the identity that the result in question was meant to reinforce.
“I don’t want to be negative, no, but I hate the ‘no regular players’ (question). What does this mean? It’s (the) USA playing, it’s the national team,” he said. “Stop with that mindset. Every time our decision to pick a starting XI, it’s the U.S. men’s national team playing. If you know me, I hate to talk this way. It’s so disrespectful. We need to give credit to all of the guys.”
The focus on that word — ”regulars” — cut to the core of what Pochettino feels he has had to overcome. It has been a theme of his for months now. He has worked to cut the legs out from any sort of complacency or entitlement within the group. And to change the mentality outside of the group, as well. The talk about a “golden generation” had to end.
The defeats to the pair of Concacaf rivals in March’s Nations League felt like a sobering moment for a U.S. team that may have been hoping that changing the coach would be like pushing a fix-it button.
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There had been so much hope and optimism around the U.S. team going into the 2024 Copa América only for them to fall in the group stage. After firing Gregg Berhalter and hiring Pochettino, the belief was that things would get back on track immediately.
The problems ran deeper than that. Pochettino felt the focus wasn’t there in camp. He could sense contentment and laxity.
“I think that March (was the turning point). I think with all that negativity, (comes) positive things, because with all this negativity we used (it) to build that journey,” Pochettino said. “Sometimes this type of thing can happen, for changing things. Maybe you see things in a different way. Sometimes our perception, sometimes can be wrong. Even being inside. And that I think when the reality touch, I think that’s important.”
A turning point for Mauricio Pochettino’s USMNT: defeat to Panama in the Concacaf Nations League semifinals in March 2025Kevork Djansezian / USSF / Getty Images
It was, in other words, a moment for the U.S. team to come back down to reality.
Whatever the U.S. and its players thought they were — it wasn’t and they weren’t that. If Pochettino was going to change the mentality of the group, he was going to have to manufacture competition that hadn’t existed to a high enough degree in the first years of this cycle.
The ensuing months were spent breaking things down and building them back up again.
“I think that was good for us to see the reality,” Pochettino said. “When you really touch the reality, and it’s not the reality that you perceive, or you were convinced was different, I think this is a good point to be.”
The revamp started in the Gold Cup camp with players who mostly had everything to prove.
Going into the Gold Cup, the absence of players like Christian Pulisic, Weston McKennie, Tim Weah and Yunus Musah – “regulars,” if you will, even though Pochettino won’t – opened the door for others to step through. Pochettino leaned into the opportunity. He threw the players onto the field and challenged them to prove they belonged.
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Even after the Switzerland loss, Pochettino didn’t lose faith in the group he believed could deliver an important message: that there was more talent in this U.S. pool than was being given credit. They just needed the chance. While just two players — Mark McKenzie and Sebastian Berhalter — were in the starting lineup for both the Switzerland loss and Uruguay triumph, a number of other players who featured in two big wins this window were a part of that game, against the Swiss, including Max Arfsten, John Tolkin, Diego Luna, Tim Ream and Brenden Aaronson.
Other players, like Malik Tillman, Matt Freese and Alex Freeman turned the Gold Cup — where the U.S. made a run to the final before falling to Mexico — into important jobs with the U.S.
Mauricio Pochettino puts his arm around Sebastian Berhalter during Tuesday’s rout of UruguayNathan Ray Seebeck / Imagn Images
“We know exactly the big group of players that we can rely on,” Pochettino’s assistant Jesús Pérez said. “Depending on the circumstances, now it’s a matter of state and injuries. But we know (for example), if we call Alex Freeman, what Alex can give us. When we gave him the opportunity, we saw the potential. And now (he is) just getting better for the national team, for his club.”
It was, Pochettino said, simply a matter of providing the platform and the belief.
The results weren’t perfect. But the tournament was less about the results and more about building a different mentality within the pool at large: No one’s job was secured. Everyone had a chance to book a ticket to the World Cup.
“At the end of the day, the principles of the games are there. … But none of them are going to be right if you are not fully committed,” Pérez said. “Fully committed with no doubts. And that’s the basics. So before we talk (about) other things, we [must] feel that we have a group really committed. And if (there) was some noise around those circumstances, I think everything (is now) clear.”
And it was that clarity — that commitment — that Pochettino felt he had to defend after the decisive victory that closed out 2025 on an enormously positive note for this U.S. team.
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On Tuesday night, it was some of the new faces that emerged over the last few months that reignited belief that this U.S. team might be capable of making noise at next summer’s World Cup.
Berhalter stung a beautiful finish into the upper corner to start the scoring. Freeman netted the next two. Luna added the fourth.
This is what Pochettino aimed for when he built out his Gold Cup roster. Whether it was Pulisic, McKennie and Weah, or Berhalter, Freeman and Luna, Pochettino was convinced the results could be the same. And that the belief in the team should be the same, too. There are no regulars.
In part because of that depth that has been built out, the U.S. is unbeaten in its last five games against FIFA top-40 opponents for the first time since 2013. It feels like a completely different world than it did less than half a year ago.
“It’s a testament to the culture that we’re building,” McKenzie said. “It shows, again, the faith that Mauricio has in this team and that the collective have in one another. We’re building something special. We have a real brotherhood, a band of guys who are going to go out there and not only play with pride to represent our country, but play for the guys next to us.”
It has been a steady drumbeat of positivity around this U.S. team since it downed Japan in September. Players have looked more confident on the field. There seems to be a strong understanding of how they want to play and what the staff is looking for in the team’s approach to games. There has also been less concern or talk about intensity or desire. The complacency that Pochettino was combatting is gone.
Tanner Tessmann celebrates his goal for USA vs Uruguay, with Mark McKenzie joining inHoward Smith / ISI Photos / USSF / Getty Images
Two days before taking the field against Uruguay, Pochettino weaponized the idea of “reality” differently. He could sense the confidence building in front of him. In camp, Pochettino contrasted this team to what it looked like in March, calling it the epitome of “professional.” There was no “silly or stupid” things that happened away from the field.
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“The focus, the concentration to perform, to train, to do everything that we propose (was there),” he said.
The reality now, he said, is better than what we might even think. And it’s forever away from where it was in March. Sensing that change, in a meeting with the team on Sunday, he reintroduced the goals going into the World Cup.
“Let’s be realistic,” Pochettino told the team. “And do the impossible.”
It was about reaching for big goals again. To compete against the best. The team’s reality could again be linked to its ambition.
With their heads now out of the clouds, and with the results coming and things clicking on and off the field, the focus could start to once again shift toward next summer and the task at hand. This U.S. team has a chance to do something special in the biggest sports event of all time. To do so, it’ll have to make a run deep into the knockout phase — to the quarterfinals or semifinals. The type of performance that would galvanize the nation.
“We’re starting to feel the World Cup and the excitement,” Pochettino said. “I think it’s important for our fans, this type of victory and the result, because I think it’s to push them to really believe in the team. We never doubted, because we saw the quality of the players. It was only to trust in them and to give the possibility to find a way to perform, to behave in the way that we feel in football, what it means to be professional. In all the areas I think we need to improve, because we are very ambitious and we want to win. We want to challenge all the teams. … Of course, the World Cup is going to be different, but I think we need to prepare ourselves to be there and to and to really believe in our chance.”The further this U.S. team goes in the World Cup, the greater the impact on the sport in this country. If it can continue to build the way it has over the last five months, then the influence of this team and the 2026 World Cup could be as transformational as people hope.By Paul Tenorio Senior Writer, MLS
In defending USMNT depth, Pochettino annoyed by questions after Uruguay win
Rich Storry / Getty ImagesBy Tom BogertNov. 18, 2025Updated Nov. 20, 2025 4:37 am EST
Emerging from the locker room following his team’s huge 5-1 win over Uruguay Tuesday night in Tampa, Fla., U.S. national team head coach Mauricio Pochettino didn’t like the first question at his press conference. He didn’t like the second, either.
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Both queries were meant to indicate the program’s depth. Few – if any – of the consensus “regular starters” actually started.
It’s that phrase Pochettino dug his feet in on and didn’t give an inch.
“I hate the ‘no regular players’ (question),” Pochettino said. “What does this mean? It’s USA playing, it’s the national team. Stop with that mindset. Every time our decision to pick a starting XI, it’s the U.S. men’s national team playing.”
Pochettino changed nine players from the XI that started in a win over Paraguay on Saturday. This from a squad that is already missing stalwarts Christian Pulisic, Chris Richards, Tyler Adams, Tim Weah, Antonee Robinson, Weston McKennie, Malik Tillman and more.
In their place, goalscorers Sebastian Berhalter, Alex Freeman (two), Diego Luna and Tanner Tessmann led the way for the USMNT.
“If you know me, I hate to talk this way,” Pochettino said when asked about players missing. “It’s so disrespectful. We need to give credit to all of the guys.”
Pochettino consistently preaches fight, competitiveness and togetherness from his teams. He has pushed back hard at the notion that any roster spot is guaranteed at any time. Players need to consistently fight to earn their place on the roster and in the starting XI.
And he has put that methodology into practice by creating internal competition. The USMNT has called up 71 players to camps in this calendar year. By next summer, only 26 can make the final roster for the World Cup. It’s a huge pool and competition is a feature, not a bug, under Pochettino.
“I am the USA coach. Tell me which ‘regular players’ you are talking about?” Pochettino asked indignantly. “I don’t understand.”
What was expected to be a joyful press conference given the match that preceded it quickly went off the rails and never got back on track.
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“Maybe we need to stop the press conference, I need to go to the dressing room, come back and start the press conference again,” Pochettino said with a laugh, “because it’s like we lost 5-1!”
Soon after, Pochettino was asked if Berhalter’s exquisite goal from a free kick – which was rolled short and touched back to Berhalter before he curled it into the top corner – was rehearsed in training or improvised in the moment.
Pochettino threw his hands up and sarcastically – we think – said: “No, it happened by coincidence.”
Sebastian Berhalter was one of the stars of the USMNT’s show in a 5-1 rout of UruguayMiguel J. Rodriguez Carrillo /AFP / Getty Images
There were few big breakdowns of individual performances, like Berhalter, who boosted his chances of making the World Cup squad in a hugely competitive midfield pool. His set-piece delivery alone turned heads, with a goal and assist, let alone his box-to-box performance in the run of play.
Nor was there another shout out to Gio Reyna, who came off the bench for 30 minutes to add an assist after scoring against Paraguay in his return to the national team.
Pochettino, perhaps feeling a need to fight for and protect the group as a whole, insisted the day was about the group of players as a collective.
“To be honest, maybe I’m tired and don’t understand the English (questions), but I’m very disappointed at the first two questions,” he said.
No matter what questions were asked or performances given, the USMNT has now put together a five-game unbeaten run (4-0-1) since a disastrous performance against South Korea in September.While the national team won’t reconvene for four months, the group departs on a hugely positive note, with strong results fueled by strong performances.
Pulisic, Richards, Adams, Weah, McKennie and Robinson could all feasibly be back in frame by the spring, but the coaches don’t want to look at that. They are proud of the present group – the one that delivered in November.“The credit is all to the players,” Pochettino insisted.
Hello! The USMNT smashed Uruguay, and Cristiano Ronaldo showed up at the White House. Just another night in American soccer.
Coming up:
Pochettino’s boys run riot
Trump and Ronaldo meet
Curacao’s World Cup history
It’s great being Scottish (really)
USMNT on the up: How did they thrash Uruguay?
Sebastian Berhalter’s openerTNT Sports U.S./X
The USMNT are nothing if not an enigma. A short while ago, confidence in them peaking for the World Cup was brittle, to say the least. By Monday, after a solid win against Paraguay, TAFC cautiously suggested they might be on course to peak at the right time. This morning, we’re hoping they aren’t peaking too soon.
These incremental stages of improvement carried them to a savage 5-1 victory against Uruguay yesterday, a result like no other in Mauricio Pochettino’s reign to date. When the USMNT turn out next — during the round of international matches planned for March — it will almost be showtime. Whisper it gently, but Poch’s squad could be ready.
His early months in the job were those of a blindfolded man feeling his way through the jungle, but through a fair amount of foul weather, he’s roughly where he’d want to be six months away from a home World Cup co-hosted with Canada and Mexico. Make no mistake: friendly or not, their hammering of Uruguay is a statement result, one that leaves Uruguay’s celebrated head coach, Marcelo Bielsa, with plenty to stew on.
Uruguay were weakened — no Federico Valverde, no Darwin Nunez — but so were the USMNT. Pochettino made nine changes without his side missing a beat. His line-up will look different on day one of the World Cup (that goes without saying), but the roster has started to ooze tangible depth. Competition for places is real, a point Pochettino made in spiky fashion when he was asked about the absence of “regular starters” Christian Pulisic, Folarin Balogun, Tyler Adams, et al.
Plainly, he didn’t like the questions, and his press conference got strangely heated considering the scoreline. “I hate the ‘no regular players’ (narrative),” he said. “What does this mean? It’s the national team. Stop with that mindset. It’s disrespectful. We need to give credit to all of the guys.”
His little digs at mentality in the States grated at first. Now it feels like they’re starting to land positively.
Poch is on a roll
Mauricio Pochettino with Marcelo Bielsa before the gameMiguel J. Rodriguez Carrillo/AFP via Getty Images
At the weekend, Gio Reyna put his hand up for a World Cup place, reappearing from the wilderness to score early against Paraguay. In Florida last night, Alex Freeman and Sebastian Berhalter stepped forward, Berhalter assisting and scoring (GIF at top of section) and Freeman scoring twice from the right side of Pochettino’s defensive back three.
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Berhalter, who is on the rise, had never notched for the national team before. Freeman, as our U.S. writers note here, faces top-class rivals down the right in Sergino Dest and Tim Weah, but by playing so well, the Orlando City defender gave Pochettino food for thought. This is a sea change. For a while, Poch must have wondered how much padding he would have to put on the fringes of his 26-man World Cup squad. Suddenly, he’s got the unenviable decision of figuring out who to disappoint.
As for Uruguay, you fear they are slowly unravelling. They showed huge promise under Bielsa initially, but they haven’t cut a wholly happy camp since the 2024 Copa America, and you’ll recall the stinging criticism of Bielsa’s regime by Luis Suarez. They lost Rodrigo Bentancur to a red card yesterday, but, truthfully, the game was done by then. Poch is on a roll. Uruguay’s performance speaks of trouble in paradise.
If you want to keep track of all the countries that have qualified for 2026, we’re maintaining an up-to-date list here. A mere six spots remain vacant. The glaring absentees at this stage are Italy.
Court documents in the U.S. show that high-profile football agent Jonathan Barnett is under criminal investigation in the UK after being accused of rape, torture and trafficking. He denies the allegations.
The trial of a man charged with 31 alleged offences after a car was driven into crowds at Liverpool’s Premier League title parade in May will start next week. Paul Doyle, 53, of West Derby, Liverpool, has pleaded not guilty to all of the charges.
Arsenal have confirmed their sponsorship deal with Visit Rwanda will end in June 2026 after eight seasons. The association with the east African country drew criticism over human rights concerns.
Arsenal, meanwhile, have suffered an on-field blow with the Premier League season set to resume: defender Gabriel is expected to miss up to two months with a thigh injury suffered on international duty.
Ronaldo’s D.C. visit: Portugal star attends dinner with Trump
Cristiano Ronaldo at the dinner (Anna Rose Layden/Politico/Bloomberg via Getty Images
These are rare commitments in that part of the globe because Ronaldo, despite his gargantuan profile, hadn’t been spotted in the U.S. for years. In 2017, German outlet Der Spiegel revealed details of an alleged sexual assault involving him and model Kathryn Mayorga in Las Vegas in 2009. Ronaldo always strenuously denied the allegations, and charges have never been brought against him.
His absence from the States ended yesterday in the most high-profile manner: at a gala dinner hosted by President Donald Trump at the White House. Ronaldo, it appears, spoke with Trump in person beforehand and met with his son, Barron. “My son is a big fan of Ronaldo,” Trump said. “Barron got to meet him and I think he respects his father a little bit more now, just the fact I introduced you.”
Ronaldo’s attendance coincided with diplomatic talks between Trump and Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince, Mohammed Bin Salman. The purpose of his visit isn’t clear — Henry Bushnell tried to make sense of it for us — but as the Saudi Pro League’s superstar name with Al Nassr, his links to the Gulf state speak for themselves. His trip to Washington, D.C. also follows appearances by FIFA president Gianni Infantino in the Oval Office, and it’s hard to think of a time when American politics and soccer were more intertwined than this.
Choose Scotland: McTominay inspires his nation to the World Cup
Scott McTominay’s overhead kick against DenmarkBBC Sport Scotland/X
If you’re familiar with the 1996 film Trainspotting (and if not, why not?), you’ll know the scene in which the main character, Mark Renton, is asked if he’s proud to be Scottish. “It’s s***e being Scottish,” he shouts back.
That, in essence, was the tone of many match reports as Scotland’s national team blundered into added time last night, level at 2-2 with Denmark in a World Cup qualifier in Glasgow they had to win. Never mind Scott McTominay’s brilliant overhead opener after just three minutes, above. Never mind the red card shown to Denmark’s Rasmus Kristensen. That old quote was ringing in our ears.
And then… well, Scotland’s World Cup bid chose life. Kieran Tierney curled in a cracker on 93 minutes. Kenny McLean made it 4-2 with a lob from his own half, below. We’re off to the World Cup finals rather than a World Cup play-off — ending an absence stretching back to 1998 — and I woke up believing there is a God. It doesn’t mean Renton was wholly wrong, but it’s true what they say: every dog has its day.
Kenny McLean’s goal from the halfway lineBBC Sport Scotland/X
Around TAFC
Football has become extraordinarily litigious. The charges brought by the Premier League against Manchester City — still no sign of white smoke there — are merely part of a trend across the game. It’s harvest time for the legal fraternity, as Phil Buckingham writes.
Mariano Diaz was the man who took Cristiano Ronaldo’s No 7 shirt at Real Madrid. It didn’t really work out for him, but he’s the ideal person to offer advice to Endrick, a prospect struggling to make the grade at the Bernabeu. Guillermo Rai spoke to Mariano.
Get stuck into this beauty of a tactical read from Anantaajith Raghuraman on the evolution of Pep Guardiola as a coach, following his 1,000th match in management. It tracks Guardiola’s path through Barcelona, Bayern Munich and City.
NHL icon Wayne Gretzky showed up to speak to Canada’s squad before their friendly against Venezuela. The pep talk did the trick: Canada won 2-0.
Looking to Get a Professional Company Headshot? Check out https://capturely.com/ Tell Rob The Ole Ballcoach sent you and he’ll give you a deal.
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US Beats Paraguay faces Uruguay Tues 7 pm on TNT/Max
Welcome back Player of the Match – Gio Reyna. Wow – how this guy struggles at his clubs baffles me – he is truly one of our most talented US players. He was the best player on the field – and short of Pulisic – I am not sure anyone makes a much of a difference for us as Gio does. He simply does things – other players can’t do. Why he doesn’t do this for his clubs – I don’t know. But for the US he simply has to be on the field. He’s why the US was able to handlle Paraguay 2-1 on the day. US Highlights
I thought the back 3 was solid at times – honestly mainly in allowing our attack to possess the ball and stay in attack much more than normal – the US with 65% possession is just not sometime I am used to seeing against Central American competition. Lets see if that holds up against the best team we have played in Uruguay. I don’t think it will as that 3 man back line looked suspect to me plenty of times last time out. I am hoping Trusty with get a run along along the back line to see if he can slide into the mix with Ream and Richards in the long term. I still am not sure Ream should be starting though he should be in the mix. I thought both Roldan and Berhalter looked fine at the 6 slot and Tessman also was solid. Hopefully Aidan Morris will get the nod this go round. Again I picked a tie or loss in our first match so don’t listen to me — but I don’t see how we pull out the win here without so many stars missing if Uruguay plays its starters which I think it will. 1-2 perhaps 2-3 seems like a reasonable count by games end. 1-2 would look better for us defensively of course. I suspect Freese in the net again with the same outside backs to start. Hopefully Pepi will get a run up front along with Haji on one win and of course Gio at the 10 again.
DETAILED ROSTER BY POSITION (Club/Country; Caps/Goals)
Washington Spirit vs NY/NJ Gothem – NWSL Championship Saturday on CBS 8 pm
The Washington spirit found a way to get past a bunch of injuries – including to the best player in the League – Trinity Rodman – and a interim coach in Adrian Gonzalez won at home 1-0 over the Portland Thorns (highlights) to advance to the Finals. On the other side American International Jadyn Shaw – scored a stoppage time to beat defending champions Orlando Pride and Marta on the road Sunday highlights . The final in San Jose will start Saturday at 8 pm on CBS. Washington vs Gothem Preview
Tues, Nov 18 2:45 pm FS2 Belgium vs Liechhtenstein WCQ 4 pm ?? Canada vs Venezuela 7 pmTNT, Max USA Men vs Uruguay Tampa, FL 8:30 pm Univision Mexico vs Paraguay Weds, Nov 19 12:45 pm ESPN+ Juventus vs OL Lyonnes (Heaps) Women’s UCL 12:45 pm CBSSN Wolfsburg vs Man United Women’s (GK Joyce) UCL 3 pm CBSSN Arsenal vs Real Madrid Women’s UCL Thurs, Nov 20 12:45 pm CBSSN Twente vs Atletico Madrid Women’s UCL 3 pm CBSSN PSG vs Bayern Munich Women’s UCL 3 pm ESPN+ Chelsea vs Barcelona Women’s UCL Sat, Nov 22 7:30 am USA Burnley vs Chelsea 9:30 am ESPN+ Heidenheim vs Mgladbach (Reyna & Scally) 9:30 am ESPN+ Bayern Munich vs Freiburg 9:30 am ESPN+ Wolfsburg vs Bayer Leverkusen (Tilman) 10 am USA Bournmouth (Adams) vs West Ham United 10 am Peacock Wolverhampton vs Crystal Palace (Richards) 10 am Pk Liverpool vs Nottingham Forest 10:15 AM ESPN+ Barcelona vs Athletic Club 12 noon Para+ Juventus (McKinny) vs Fiorentina 12:30 pm NBC New Castle vs Man United 8 pm CBS NWSL CHAMPIONSHIP Washington Spirit (Rodman) vs Gothem (Lavell, Shaw) 9:30 pm Apple TV Vancouver vs LAFC MLS Playoffs
Friday
Mainz vs Hoffenheim, 2:30p on ESPN DTC, ESPN Select, FuboTV: Lennard Maloney and Mainz host Hoffenheim in the Bundesliga.
Nice vs Marseille, 2:45p on beIN Sports USA, beIN Sports en Español, FuboTV, Sling TV, Fanatiz: Tim Weah and OM visit OGC Nice in Ligue 1.
Standard Liège vs Zulte Waregem, 2:45p: Marlon Fossey and Standard host Zulte Waregem in Belgium’s top tier.
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Reyna impresses in return, as USMNT continues unbeaten run
Jeff CarlisleNov 16, 2025, 05:29 AM ET
CHESTER, Pennsylvania — It had been 503 days since Gio Reyna last started a game for the U.S. men’s national team. It had been 602 days since he last scored for the USMNT. On a chilly night outside of Philadelphia, the U.S. attacker ended both streaks in a 2-1 friendly win with Paraguay.It was a performance that marked a major step forward for Reyna in his chance to secure a spot in his second consecutive World Cup squad. It’s a goal that seemed incongruous heading into the match, given Reyna has logged only 147 minutes with club side Borussia Mönchengladbach all season.But U.S. manager Mauricio Pochettino told Reyna at training on Friday that he would be in the starting lineup, and it didn’t take the midfielder long to make his mark in this match.
In the fourth minute, a goalmouth scramble following a U.S. corner saw the ball fall to Max Arfsten, and his cross was nodded home by Reyna. The U.S. midfielder was also involved in the sequence that led to the U.S. side’s game-winning goal in the 75th minute, when his centering feed was deflected into the path of Folarin Balogun, allowing the AS Monaco forward to slot home.The USMNT’s initial tally in the match was the ninth of Reyna’s international career, putting him one ahead of his father Claudio on the USMNT’s all-time scoring list and giving the younger Reyna a bit of familial bragging rights.”Honestly, I had no idea,” Reyna said about passing his father.”I didn’t even know how many goals I had to be honest, so I was just happy to score, happy to be back. I sent a few texts teasing him after the game, but he was happy for me, so it’s nice.”Reyna did have a few blips on the night. His failure to close down Paraguay defender Júnior Alonso was the first domino to fall in the buildup to Paraguay’s 10th-minute equalizer by Alex Arce. (Defenders Tim Ream and Miles Robinson needed to drop quicker and deeper on the play as well.)Yet those were rare for Reyna on the night. He was busy throughout, spraying passes and connecting with teammates. The 75 minutes he logged were his longest in a match since he went 77 minutes for Borussia Dortmund against TSG Hoffenheim on Dec. 15, 2024.Reyna’s lack of minutes with Gladbach have been due to a few factors. A thigh injury slowed his progress, and he has also been trying to get acclimated to a new club. And while Reyna has long been a player who didn’t need to have everything clicking at the club level to excel for the national team, he credited the support of Gladbach’s staff for helping him deliver Saturday night’s impressive performance. He said he’s back up to 85% of full fitness and expects that to improve.”Obviously, I had a little injury that I was still recovering from the last few weeks, but they’ve been fantastic with building me up to full fitness and slowly getting there as you can see that tonight,” he said about his club.”But yeah, I definitely expect when I get back to definitely start more matches, but they’ve been great. So I think it’s a lot of credit to them too and how they’ve sort of pushed me and believed in me and sort of set me back to be prepared to play on this stage.”He added about his time at Gladbach, “I feel really, really good, feel valued, feel important, feel ready to go. So obviously, when you feel better mentally, you can definitely play better on the field too.”To be clear, Reyna hasn’t banished all of the doubts surrounding his position with the team going forward.Think for a second what had to happen for Reyna just to get on the field for this match. Weston McKennie, Christian Pulisic, Malik Tillman, Timothy Weah and Alejandro Zendejas — players who have featured in an attacking role in the past, or could in the future — all missed the match because of either injury or, in the case of McKennie, the desire of Pochettino to leave McKennie back in Italy as he tries to impress new Juventus manager Luciano Spalletti.When those players return, Reyna will need to find a way to prove to Pochettino that he still deserves to be on the field.There’s also the rather significant fact that Reyna has yet to really crack the Gladbach lineup consistently. Staying healthy is part of the trick to remaining in the lineup, and Reyna hasn’t shown for some time that he can do that. The performance against Paraguay alone can’t be looked at as a breakthrough. It has to be followed by another, and another, and another.Reyna realizes this. The clock to the World Cup is ticking with just 208 days to go. But he was presented with a rare opportunity to impress, and he took it. Pochettino certainly took notice.[Reyna] confirmed that he’s a player that needs to improve because he needs to play more in his club,” Pochettino said.”But we can see today that he was great — scored and assisted — in the way that always showed the capacity to read the game and find the free space in between the lines. I think [he] was a nightmare for Paraguay and I think he did a very good job.”Reyna wasn’t the only player to take advantage. In fact, the rest of this U.S. side, one that was missing enough players to almost field a separate starting lineup, did as well. In the first half, the match settled into the kind of physical contest that was reminiscent of last year’s 1-0 Copa America loss to Uruguay, one that ultimately eliminated the U.S. from the tournament.In that match, La Celeste slowly ground the U.S. into dust with some ferocious physical play. On this occasion, it was the U.S. who applied the pressure, both physical and technical, by pressing Paraguay bit by bit until La Albirroja finally wilted.Tanner Tessmann and Brenden Aaronson were instrumental in tilting the field more in the USMNT’s favor. On the game winner, it was that relentless pressing, in this case by substitute Diego Luna, that saw the ball initially pop free to Balogun, who played the ball through to Reyna. The goal soon followed, capping off a night for Balogun that saw him absorb some heavy challenges only to produce in a critical moment.
For Ream, the key to how the U.S. finishes matches can be traced back to how it starts them.”I think it starts from being aggressive from the first whistle, and kind of in a way just laying a marker and having the other team understand that we’re here to fight, we’re here to play, we’re here to win a game and we’re not going to treat it as a friendly either,” Ream said.That was evident in stoppage time when Paraguay’s Gustavo Gómez and U.S. defender Alex Freeman grappled for the ball on what was whistled as a U.S. throw-in, sparking a bench-clearing melee. Incredibly, just one red card to Paraguay’s Omar Alderete, who didn’t even play in the game, was issued. But it was another example of how this U.S. team isn’t backing down from anyone.”There were a few cheap shots thrown from their end to be honest,” said U.S. keeper Matt Freese.”But it’s part of being a team, and we’re going to be standing up for each other no matter the moment, no matter the end of the game, beginning of the game, in the middle of the game on the sideline like that. That’s what it means to be a team, and I don’t think I’ve ever moved that quickly getting in there.”The U.S., unbeaten in its past four matches, continues to ride a wave of momentum. With each passing game, there is more cohesion and an increased understanding of what Pochettino wants. The U.S. manager has succeeded in making the U.S. players comfortable with being uncomfortable, and that isn’t about to change.”Big credit, but that is not enough,” Pochettino said.”We are happy. We need to keep going because we need to improve, improve, improve, and arrive to the World Cup in our best, in our peak. And that shows that it’s not about the name, it’s about the team, it’s about the collective, it’s about the idea of the altogether.”Uruguay, a team with its own ethos of physicality and grit, combined with ability (it had a 0-0 draw against Mexico on the same night), is up next on Tuesday. Reyna in particular feels ready to go and will be keen to prove he’s back for good.
USMNT players who proved the most – and have more to prove – after beating Paraguay
Nov. 15, 2025Updated Nov. 16, 2025CHESTER, Pa. — The signs of the progression of Mauricio Pochettino’s national team have manifested not just in the results — and after Saturday’s 2-1 win over Paraguay, that’s now four straight unbeaten, all against World Cup-qualified teams, if you’re counting — but also in how the team is playing.The U.S. has looked increasingly confident on the field. A team that felt for months like it lacked an identity now has a distinct personality. The Americans aren’t rigid in how they play, but the ideas of the system are consistent and effective. They are aggressive in how they press and how they attack. There is a demand not to shrink away, no matter the opponent.It starts from being aggressive from the first whistle,” Tim Ream, who captained the U.S. once again Saturday, said. “And kind of, in a way, just laying a marker and having the other team understand that we’re here to fight, we’re here to play, we’re here to win a game.”Comfort begets confidence. Confidence begets more comfort. Over the last three windows that has been the ebb and flow of this national team. After the win over Paraguay, another game in which the U.S. looked calm, composed and in control, the talk around the national team was about thinking less.They know who they are.“We were talking now in the dressing room with the players, how they started to feel the football that we want to apply on the pitch,” Pochettino said.What is most impressive about it all is that the team that played on Saturday is not at all the same as the team that played last month in Denver. Four players in the starting lineup against Paraguay — Gio Reyna, Sergiño Dest, Joe Scally and Brenden Aaronson — had not started in any of the previous three games. Pochettino started 24 different players across the last four games.Still, the comfort in the system has sustained. That’s a testament to the progress of the whole, he said.
“It always takes time to implement, to set the principles,” Pochettino said. “And then our experience always happen: in Espanyol, in Southampton, in Tottenham, in Paris Saint-Germain and in Chelsea. Always with time we can apply the ideas, the philosophy, the culture that we want to implement. It always takes time … and decisions, strong decisions. Sometimes people cannot understand why we decide something, or we take some decision, but that is our duty.”And in Saturday’s friendly, with players like Christian Pulisic, Weston McKennie, Chris Richards, Tim Weah, Malik Tillman, Antonee Robinson and Tyler Adams absent, several others had a chance to make an impression.
Gio Reyna enjoyed a successful return to the U.S. men’s national team in Saturday’s friendly vs. ParaguayVincent Carchietta / Getty Images
The big winner
The most prominent, of course, was Reyna. The 23-year-old midfielder scored in the fourth minute and showed his quality on the ball in several key moments over the game. Reyna was more active off the ball, though he was late to press on Paraguay’s lone goal. Still, Reyna certainly made an argument for future inclusion in this squad.
“I think he did a very good job,” Pochettino said. “I’m so happy with him. He showed why he started and confirmed he is a player that needs to improve, because he needs to play more in his club, but we can see today he was great. … Always the capacity to read the game and find the free space in between the lines. I think it was a nightmare for Paraguay.”
Tuesday against Uruguay – if he features again – will present a different challenge for Reyna, who said after the game he was about 85 percent fit. Pochettino has said that he will value players who show they have the fitness and ability to play several games in a short amount of time. Reyna, obviously, has had injury issues over the past several seasons, and playing time at Borussia Monchengladbach has been spotty. Tuesday will be an important test to show he can play a role in games a few days apart.
“I feel like I can play again,” Reyna said. “I’m going to do everything I can to be ready to play (however) many minutes required. But I haven’t even thought about that yet.”
USMNT defender Joe Scally is back in camp for the first time since last MarchDrew Hallowell / Getty Images
A mixed bag out wide
Scally and Dest both had positives and negatives in their respective performances. Scally came into this game with more to prove, especially considering that his skillset and versatility make him a strong fit for the hybrid fullback-right center back role in Pochettino’s system.The U.S. plays a back four, but builds out of a back three with two central midfielders. Scally fits well to stay in that back three in possession. While he was exposed with the speed of Miguel Almirón on the U.S. goal, the Atlanta United winger was sprung by a gorgeous long ball and took the ball beautifully to play a one-time cross. No doubt, Pochettino will see value in Scally at a position where he has been searching for consistency beyond Tim Ream and Miles Robinson.
Dest, meanwhile, thrives in a more attacking role. He pushed forward effectively against Paraguay and adds a dynamism on the right side that, combined with Reyna and Balogun, kept the opponent off balance.
A need to show more
Aaronson, meanwhile, tried to show he can be an effective option in central midfield. He brings such incredibly different qualities than his counterparts at the position. The U.S. has started players like Pulisic, Reyna, Tillman and Diego Luna in attacking midfield – all players who want to get in the half spaces and get on the ball. But Aaronson’s aggressiveness and ability to press could bring a different look off the bench in certain scenarios at the World Cup.
His performance was solid against Paraguay, but Aaronson has plenty more to gain if he gets minutes against Uruguay. He needs to show he can also create goals and be dangerous in and around the box.
Ricardo Pepi scuffs a great chance to score vs. ParaguayOmar Vega / Getty Images
The same is true for Ricardo Pepi, who came into the game as a substitute for his first U.S. appearance since last November. Pochettino said this week that Pepi was behind the other strikers simply because he’s been away from the team and working back from injury for so long, but he felt it was important to bring him in.
When the PSV striker missed a golden opportunity in the second half, though, it felt like a bigger miss to show Pochettino why he was a top-three forward in the pool, and thus a World Cup striker. That’s the type of role Pepi will likely need to master at the World Cup – the ability to come off the bench and deliver in the clutch moments. Pepi, typically a very effective super sub, will look for another chance to find that goal on Tuesday.
Many of the players spoke this week about how little time there was left to make an impression and win a job. The intensity in camp is increasing as the competition gets more real. Tuesday’s friendly in Florida will give the Americans perhaps their toughest test of the last three windows — probably the best team they will have seen since a South Korea side that is the last to beat them.or the players here, the audition continues.“You can see today all the players that were on the pitch, how they show their quality, the capacity to play (entertaining) football,” Pochettino said. “I think we created chances. We were better. It’s very competitive and difficult to beat (us). Big credit. But that is not enough. We are happy. We need to keep going. Because we need to improve, improve, improve, and arrive to the World Cup in our best, in our peak.”
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Alex Freeman details USMNT’s fight vs. Paraguay and the battle scars that prove a point
Alex Freeman and Gustavo Gomez got into a fight near the end of USA vs. Paraguay. Drew Hallowell / Getty Images
TAMPA, Fla. — Alex Freeman, two days after being bloodied in a melee near the end of the U.S. men’s national team’s win over Paraguay, said that his dad, former NFL receiver Antonio Freeman, was “proud I stood my ground.”
“You know him, he loves the [scuffle] stuff,” Freeman said with a smile.
The two spoke after the game. Alex said Antonio was also “happy I kept my head, didn’t do anything stupid to get a red [card].”
The fight kicked off when Freeman and Paraguay’s Gustavo Gómez both attempted to grab a ball that had gone out of play for a throw-in.
“Obviously it was our throw-in,” Freeman recalled, “so I was just going to grab the ball. And then he grabbed it at the same time. And … he kinda had me in a headlock, and I didn’t think that was fair.
“And then it just turned into a whole thing. It was next to their bench, so obviously they had the numbers.”
Freeman’s U.S. teammate, Sebastian Berhalter, instantly sprinted over to the scene and tried to get at Gómez. “It just shows that he’s got my back, and I got his,” Freeman said.
“I was very happy with the way we supported each other,” U.S. goalkeeper Matt Freese said after the match. “There were a few cheap shots thrown from their end, to be honest. But that’s part of being a team, we’ll be sticking up for each other no matter the moment.”
At first, Freeman didn’t realize the scuffle had turned into a massive scrum, with dozens of players and staff from both sides involved. Then, suddenly, “everybody was surrounding me, I was kinda getting jabbed everywhere,” he recounted. “So, I tried to get out of there as soon as possible.”
He escaped to the side, away from the U.S. bench. A Paraguayan player dragged him to the ground. Another, Diego Gómez, almost appeared to kick him, then restrained him as that portion of the melee cooled off.
USMNT players did not back down from a scuffle vs. Paraguay at the end of their friendly.Vincent Carchietta / Getty Images
Meanwhile, U.S. coach Mauricio Pochettino, who’d rushed to the scene, fell into a miniature camera well with Berhalter. Paraguay coach Gustavo Alfaro recognized and helped Pochettino to his feet. Pochettino later lamented that the situation was “very, very dangerous” before striking a bit of a different tone on Monday.
“We all feel now very proud about the way that we acted and behaved. Alex was defending and caring about the ball,” Pochettino said. “That showed character, and that we care. I really was happy when that happened. Because I think when the aggression is coming from the other side, we need to defend [ourselves].”
Pochettino “always tells us to fight, fight, fight,” U.S. wingback Max Arfsten said postgame. “I think we embody that.”
Freeman said that any bad blood stayed “on the field” and didn’t linger afterward. He did, though, come out of the scrum with what appeared to be a bloody lip. He also told The Athletic on Monday that he had a wound on the back of his neck, potentially from the initial headlock. He also rolled up the sleeve of his jacket to reveal a (now-closed) cut on the inside of his wrist.
But he was smiling as he displayed the scars. He was also smiling as he looked ahead to Tuesday’s game against Uruguay. He remembers watching the last U.S.-Uruguay game, at the 2024 Copa América, when the U.S. struggled to match Uruguay’s physicality. “It was very scrappy,” Freeman said.
Now, after his first game against a South American opponent, he feels like he’s “lived it. And obviously I’ve started one [fight].”
Which, he said, is “good. It’s good that we have that before the World Cup, have that scrappiness, and be able to see what we’re made of.”
“We’re not scared of anything, as a U.S. team. If it was a problem in the past, it’s definitely not a problem now.”
The USMNT is making progress. The fans it hoped to attract haven’t (yet) noticed.
TAMPA — It was 10 months ago that JT Batson sat onstage at the United Soccer Coaches convention and laid out his ambitious vision for U.S. men’s national team games ahead of the 2026 World Cup. “We want to play in the biggest stadiums possible, in front of the most people possible, full stop,” Batson, U.S. Soccer’s CEO, said. “Our national team events should be huge events,” he continued. “They should be parties, they should be celebrations of soccer, and they should be something that everybody looks forward to.” In many other countries, they are all of that. With the men’s World Cup coming here, the thinking went, and buzz presumably building, USMNT matches could pack NFL stadiums. They could, at least temporarily, be marquee occasions. But it hasn’t happened. At least not yet. The USMNT’s second-to-last game of 2025, against Paraguay on Saturday outside Philadelphia, failed to fill the 18,500-seat Subaru Park (despite the best efforts of thousands of exuberant Paraguay fans). Instead, it seemingly prompted Mauricio Pochettino, the USMNT’s Argentine coach, to make yet another plea for supporters.“We need our fans [to] follow and support the national team. And we need to build that relationship,” Pochettino said, tangentially, at his post-match news conference. “Our fans need to be fans of USA men’s national team, and to follow our crest, our flag, our colors. That is the most important.“In Argentina, Argentina is more important than any name. In Brazil, the same. In England, the same. In Spain, the same,” he continued. “In every single country, in Paraguay, it’s the same. … Who is the hero? The team. The team need to be their hero.”
Mauricio Pochettino has urged fans to get behind his USMNT, but the response at friendlies has been mixed.John Dorton / ISI Photos / USSF / Getty Images
Why hasn’t this happened in the U.S.? The reasons are deep, complicated and debatable. Many of them are broad, cultural, long-standing and irreversible, far beyond Pochettino’s scope. Soccer’s development, of course, was delayed and backwards here in the States compared to other countries. U.S. national team games became expensive and overly commercialized before they became unmissable events that the average sports fan — or even the average soccer fan — felt a connection to.The hope was that a looming World Cup would fuel connection. Excitement and patriotism would bring people in as the tournament approached. U.S. Soccer’s goal, from a business and sporting perspective, was to replicate World Cup environments in the two dozen games it organized between the 2022 and 2026 World Cups.“Ideally, we’re playing a high-profile opponent in big stadiums, because that’s what the World Cup’s gonna be,” then-coach Gregg Berhalter said in February 2024. “That’s our ideal. That’s our No. 1 filter. How do we play the best possible opponent in the biggest possible stadium?”But they simply haven’t done that. In 2025, their games at NFL stadiums have been either full of Mexico fans or more than half empty. Their friendlies have all been at MLS grounds or, in one case, a 36,000-seat college football stadium.They haven’t done it, in part, because the best possible opponents haven’t been available. European and South American giants were often competing in the UEFA Nations League or World Cup qualifiers while U.S. Soccer was searching for opponents to fill the vacuum created by automatic qualification.And the games that were organized haven’t gone to NFL stadiums because the USMNT, on its own and without much to play for until 2026, hasn’t inspired the excitement necessary to fill those stadiums — or even come close.In 2023, the program was on the rise. In 2024, over three Copa América games, it drew 162,478 fans to NFL stadiums. But the Americans crashed out of that tournament, and momentum stalled. Arguably, it reversed and became disillusionment. U.S. Soccer’s hiring of Pochettino caught the attention of soccer fans, but it didn’t change the popular narrative. It didn’t make the team more likable. It didn’t bring many new fans in.Then, after the U.S. lost to Panama and Canada in March, and after a B-plus squad met relatively low expectations at the Gold Cup this summer, apathy seemed to set in.
Mauricio Pochettino salutes U.S. fans after playing Panama at Austin FC’s Q2 Stadium in his first match as U.S. manager in October 2024John Dorton / ISI Photos / USSF / Getty Images
Over the past two months, the USMNT has begun to inspire some optimism. With three wins and a draw in its last four games, all against 2026 World Cup participants, the outlook has improved. This was the context for Pochettino’s Saturday plea. “We are happy. We need to keep going,” he said. “Because we need to improve, improve, improve, and arrive to the World Cup in our peak.” And the fans, he argued, could be a part of that.“If we are capable [of attracting] our fans, and [they] support us, I think we can create a very good building between the fans and us, and arrive to the World Cup very, very strong,” Pochettino said. “Because our players need the support of the fans. They need the energy from the fans. And that is an important thing, that is my message to our fans — keep pushing, believe in the national team.”The hope is that the tide of support begins to rise in March, when the U.S. will play Portugal and likely Belgium — as long as Belgium beats Liechtenstein on Tuesday to qualify for the World Cup and avoid a European playoff.
There will then be two friendlies in late May and early June, sendoff games before the USMNT sets up its World Cup camp at the University of California, Irvine, an hour southeast of Los Angeles. By then, surely, NFL stadiums will fill. But for now, there are only friendlies between depleted squads, with no stakes or World Cup implications, just as there has been for the better part of the past three years. So, the buzz remains muted. Tuesday’s match against Uruguay here at Raymond James Stadium, the first USMNT friendly at an NFL stadium since June of 2024, will probably bring more of the same. Upper-deck tickets are not being sold, according to Ticketmaster, and although there are advertisements at Tampa International Airport and elsewhere around town, plenty of lower-bowl tickets remain available.
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US Men Face #23 Paraguay Sat 5 pm on TNT, Uruguay Tues 7 pm
So here we go again – the US is actually playing 2 top ranked South American teams- perfect opportunity to put our best team out there to see how we match up just 7 months before we host the World Cup right? Ah no. Not with Botchitino in charge. Best player -Pulisic ?? at home in Milan. Best Centerback – Richards – at home at Crystal Palace, Best Centermid/utility player McKennie home at Juventus. (against his will). Tilman injured & Adams hurt last weekend of course – no issue. Honestly we had 3 players injured playing in Colorado in our last international window – stupidity by US Soccer – OF COURSE. Now Botch was ridiculed for playing Pulisic & Richards last time out in meaningless matches (sorry Milan & Palace) every match the US plays with just 7 months to a World Cup matters. But sending Pulisic, Tilman, Richards back to their clubs injured was simply stupid by the US. Now when we really need them in camp to see how we match up. They are not here. So in comes Gio Reyna – I guess how well you are playing for your club (he doesn’t) really doesn’t matter after all. Along with Right back Joe Scalley – thank goodness. So how do we line up and look this weekend against Paraguay? This is the game we actually have a chance – Uruguay is going to crush us Tuesday. I am hoping to see a bit of an experimental team tonight – backline of Arfsten & Dest on the edges and McKensie, Trusty & Joe Scally holding down the 3 Centerback slots. Lets give Pepi the start up front with Gio Underneath in the 10 slot. Berhalter or Morris in the 6 role with Tessman on the wing again. Best case scenerio today – 1-1 tie. My pick 1-2 loss before the beatdown Tuesday vs Uruguay.
DETAILED ROSTER BY POSITION (Club/Country; Caps/Goals)
The Semi-Finals are here for the NWSL after the shocking upset of Kansas City last weekend. I love what the NWSL is doing with their TV contracts- unlike MLS – which is clueless when it comes to TV – NWSL leverages CBS and ABC/ESPN to present its playoffs after a full season of coverage. I just wish the NWSL could compete on salaries as they continue to lose US National players to Europe. Sat we get Washington vs Portland at 12 noon on CBS, while Sunday has Orlando and Gothem Battle Sunday at 3pm on ABC. See full game previews below.
Headlines Around the World of Soccer
Great to see Croatia and Luka Modric have qualified for the World Cup – England & France also qualified with their wins – while plenty can secure births over the next week. Who Can Qualify this week. Huge seeing Ronaldo got a Red Card in Portugal’s game this week and might miss games in the World Cup. Did you know American forward Ricardo Pepi has scored as many Champions League stoppage time winners as Ronaldo and Sergio Aguero? Huge news that MLS says Apple TV will show all MLS games without season pass starting next season – so if you have Apple – you get all MLS Games. MLS has also announced starting in 2026-27 they will move to a Fall Season to match the European Soccer Schedule – I think this is death call for MLS – hope I am wrong. Lots of stories on it below. US Soccer, World Cup Qualifying & NWSL Playoffs all weekend on TV. (See full schedule below)
Great to have Carmel High Coaches Shane Schmidt (rt) & John Simmonds (mid) join DOC Juergan Summer at our Carmel FC coaches social last week. Shane’s Boys won State, while John’s ladies finished 2nd in the state. Yes T Ray Phillips and I reffed in the Snow in early November at the Zionsville College Showcase Last weekend. Mike Arrington, Shane & T Ray Phillips at Zville Showcase last weekend
GAMES ON TV
Sat, Nov 15 9 am FS1 Kazakhastan vs Belgium WCQ 12 noon CBS Washington Spirit (Rodman) vs Portland Thorns NWSL Playoffs 12 noon? Georgia vs Spain WCQ 2:45 pm FS2 Greece vs Scotland WCQ 2:45 pm ? Switzerland vs Sweden WCQ 5 pm TNT, Max USA Men vs Paraguay Chester PA 8 pm TUDN, Univision Mexico vs Uruguay Sun, Nov 16 7 am ESPN2 Liverpool vs Chelsea FC Womens Superleague 9 am FS1 Hungary vs Ireland WCQ 9 am FS2 Portugal vs Armenia WCQ 12 noon FS2 Azerbaijan vs France WCQ 12 noon ?? Albania vs England WCQ 2:45 pm FS1 Italy vs Norway WCQ 3 pm ABC Orlando Pride vs NY Gothem FC NWSL Playoffs Mon, Nov 17 12 noon FS2 Finland vs Andorra WCQ 2:45 pm FS2 Germany vs Slovakia WCQ Tues, Nov 18 2:45 pm FS2 Belgium vs Liechhtenstein WCQ 4 pm ?? Canada vs Venezuela 7 pmTNT, Max USA Men vs Uruguay Tampa, FL 8:30 pm Univision Mexico vs Paraguay Weds, Nov 19 12:45 pm ESPN+ Juventus vs OL Lyonnes (Heaps) Women’s UCL 12:45 pm CBSSN Wolfsburg vs Man United Women’s (GK Joyce) UCL 3 pm CBSSN Arsenal vs Real Madrid Women’s UCL Thurs, Nov 20 12:45 pm CBSSN Twente vs Atletico Madrid Women’s UCL 3 pm CBSSN PSG vs Bayern Munich Women’s UCL 3 pm ESPN+ Chelsea vs Barcelona Women’s UCL Sat, Nov 22 7:30 am USA Burnley vs Chelsea 9:30 am ESPN+ Heidenheim vs Mgladbach (Reyna & Scally) 9:30 am ESPN+ Bayern Munich vs Freiburg 9:30 am ESPN+ Wolfsburg vs Bayer Leverkusen (Tilman) 10 am USA Bournmouth (Adams) vs West Ham United 10 am Peacock Wolverhampton vs Crystal Palace (Richards) 10 am Pk Liverpool vs Nottingham Forest 10:15 AM ESPN+ Barcelona vs Athletic Club 12 noon Para+ Juventus (McKinny) vs Fiorentina 12:30 pm NBC New Castle vs Man United 8 pm CBS NWSL CHAMPIONSHIP 9:30 pm Apple TV Vancouver vs LAFC MLS Playoffs
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– Europe (3 of 16 qualifiers): England, France, Croatia – North America, Central America and Caribbean (0/3): – Africa (9/9): Algeria, Cape Verde, Egypt, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Morocco, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, South Africa, Tunisia – Asia (8/8): Australia, Iran, Japan, Jordan, Uzbekistan, Qatar, South Korea – South America (6/6): Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay, Uruguay – Oceania (1/1): New Zealand
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The U.S. men’s national team are back for the second-to-last international window before the World Cup. Are we running out of time? We will play Paraguay and Uruguay, all the ‘guays. But the squad still feels, let’s say, incredibly experimental. Lots of massive players not called in, including Christian Pulisic, Weston McKennie and Chris Richards. But one huge, almost marquee name is back: Gio Reyna, returning like a prodigal son for the first time since the doomed tragedies of the CONCACAF Nations League in March. Lots of intrigue to unpack. The process that we’re meant to trust remains — I’ve got to be candid — somewhat of a mystery.
More: Our team at The Give N Go broke down the biggest omissions from the most recent USMNT roster earlier this week. Watch that here.
ii. Let’s start with Gio. Football writer Henry Bushnelltweeted that Gio has played fewer club minutes this year (just 146 total for German duffers Borussia Mönchengladbach) than any other USMNT player and hasn’t scored or created a goal since January. “Players need to perform” was the rule for months. The reality is Gio is suddenly good enough for Pochettino — not because of anything he has done on the field, but based on our memory of what he could do four years ago in the last cycle, the Gio of our imaginations. This is some gamble by Poch, it completely changes the dynamic of the message he has been giving the other players and that is a risk.
I want to say, I am happy for Gio as a human being. He came on our show last week and I found the interview very moving. To listen to this 22-year-old kid, who’s had everything in his world buckle with his family, his club career, and his international career, all conflating together in this mess. A player who was once on the same starboy trajectory as his friend Erling Haaland, now on the bench in a German relegation battle barely getting minutes. This is his chance for redemption and I hope he seizes it.
iii. What does his return mean from a “trust the process” perspective? Again, this is the second-to-last camp before the World Cup squad is announced, but I am old enough to remember back in August when Poch announced, “This is going to be the last camp to have the possibility for us to see players, new faces,” and here we are. Gio, back. Reliable Joe Scally, back. I am happy they are. I think they could and should have been called up earlier, but this issue of “trust the process,” you either have to articulate the process intelligently, clearly, or it just looks like you’re muddying the waters.
iv. In many ways, this is an outcome — not process — driven World Cup for the USMNT. Poch inherited the job mid-cycle and is trying to play catch up while learning international football management, the peculiarities of American football culture and U.S. Soccer on the fly. He will be judged on whether or not he wins a knockout game in the World Cup, that is all that matters. So the rules of how we get there, we can make them up along the way. Right now, we are like the plant-based meat of world football: it sounds good, it sounds like we should be the next big thing, but it is impossible to tell if we are really going to catch on.
v. All of that said, I’m ready for this quite intriguing pair of games: Paraguay (on Saturday) and Uruguay (on Tuesday), 39th in the world and 15th in the world. Both qualifiers for our World Cup and two really stern tests for this team. Just to recap, in case you missed the last couple of friendlies on Friendly Avenue: Over the past six months, we got taught a lesson by Türkiye, Switzerland and South Korea. We’ve drawn with Ecuador and we’ve beaten, let’s call them, aJapan 11 and a midnight oil version of Australia. We are three games unbeaten against top 25 teams, but let’s see how we fair against the two mighty ‘guays. Make us proud, boys. Go, go USA!
vi. The best place to enjoy the upcoming friendlies with your fellow USMNT fans? That would be our Discord channel. Join us here this weekend and next Tuesday, and come prepared with your best Gio questions, Poch theories, and Balogun vs. Pepi takes.
Herc on How This Window Can Help Change the USMNT Narrative
“If they play well and beat what I think are two very quality opponents in terms of player personnel and… two of the best coaches in South America, then Mauricio Pochettino and his squad will get into what this team actually means. [If they] can pull off good results and play well, then that’s going to change the narrative for sure.”
How Herc Ranks Poch’s Current No. 9 Options
“I think right now, if we were asking ourselves who’s in pole position, it’s got to be Folarin Balogun. He’s done so well the last couple USMNT camps and he’s shown an incredible ability to work off players like Christian Pulisic, who are so important and vital to this team. He’s one of the few forwards that can create for himself if he plays by himself… Then, it’s going to be Haji Wright two, and Ricardo Pepi three.”
On Diego Luna Getting Listed as a Potential Second Striker
“I’m very intrigued. Does that mean they’ll go two strikers? Because I look at this team and it doesn’t really scream three at the back. It screams like a four-man backline. Are you going for two? And is that with a true No. 9 and a playmaker underneath? If that’s the case, I can see why Diego Luna is listed as a striker.”
On the Return of Gio Reyna
“In every team I’ve been on, there have been special cases, special players who get treated differently. [Poch] needs to see what Gio Reyna is about now because come March, that’s your last window. That’s got to be, ‘I’m going to the World Cup with these 26 players.’ That’s got to be the moment. So you’ve gotta see what he has and what better opportunity for a player like Gio then against a very stingy defensive specialist in Paraguay.”
On Matt Turner’s Absence
“What happened to Zack Steffen is now happening to Matt Turner. Steffen went from being the No. 1 with the USMNT to Gregg Berhalter to “Here comes the World Cup” and not even being one of the three. Turner went from being No. 1 — record setter, two shutouts in a World Cup — to now not even being one of the four [in consideration]. I’d be very worried if I was Turner right now.”
Herc’s Score Predictions for the Two Friendlies
“Against Paraguay, you’re in store for a very difficult game to break down in terms of attacking and they’re going to make things difficult for the USMNT. I think we’re heading toward a gritty 0-0 draw.”
“As far as Uruguay, it’s 1v1 defending all over the place. If Pochettino and the USMNT get a back-and-forth going, it’s going to be a very long afternoon. I think I’m gonna lean all the way in this one, 3-1.”
Watch the full preview to get all of Herc and Rog’s thoughts on the USMNT’s upcoming friendlies against Paraguay and Uruguay (or listen here), and make sure to follow VAMOS on TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube for so much more.
Temwa Chawinga headlines NWSL end-of-year award shortlist
Kansas City star Temwa Chawinga is up for her second straight NWSL MVP award. (Jamie Squire/NWSL via Getty Images)
The NWSL dropped the end-of-year awards shortlist on Monday, as the league gives standout players and coaches props for a quality 2025 regular season.
Back-to-back Golden Boot winner Temwa Chawinga is up for her second straight MVP award, with the Current star joined by Delphine Cascarino (San Diego), Esthér González (Gotham), Manaka Matsukubo (North Carolina), and Bia Zaneratto (Kansas City).Matsukubo is also up for Midfielder of the Year, alongside Kenza Dali (San Diego), Debinha (Kansas City), Claire Hutton (Kansas City), and Olivia Moultrie (Portland). (See full lists)
Cleaning up: After winning the NWSL Shield in record fashion, the Current received a league-leading eight nominations, including two Defender of the Year candidates (Kayla Sharples, Izzy Rodriguez), Goalkeeper of the Year (Lorena), and Coach of the Year (Vlatko Andonovski).
Orlando is the only 2025 playoff club fielding zero end-of-season nods, while only Matsukubo and Rookie of the Year nominee Riley Tiernan (LA) represent current eliminated teams.
Vote now: A weighted scale of players (40%), coaches and leadership (25%), media (25%) and fans (10%) now vote to determine this year’s winners, with fan submissions closing tonight at 8 PM ET.
Gotham shoots to end Orlando’s repeat NWSL title runThe last two NWSL champions will face off in Florida on Sunday. (Elsa/NWSL via Getty Images)The last two NWSL champions will square off on Sunday, as No. 8 Gotham visits No. 4 Orlando on a mission to end the Pride’s repeat title bid in the weekend’s second semifinal.“We’re an incredible team, and we’re just going to capitalize on all the opportunities we can get,” said Gotham forward Jaedyn Shaw after last Sunday’s upset win over No. 1 Kansas City.“It seems like most people outside don’t believe in the Pride, but the Pride are still the champions,” Orlando captain Marta said after the Pride’s quarterfinal victory. “There needs to be a little bit more respect for that.”Head-to-head: The teams split their 2025 regular-season series 1-1, with the away side taking all three points each time — though neither team is without an edge.“I’m really happy to be part of this team, and it’s only the beginning. This is the first game of three, so we’re going to keep pushing,” said Shaw, as the recent record-breaking signing continues to fuel Gotham’s firepower.“I love when people count us out,” said Pride midfielder Haley McCutcheon. “I feel like the only people who matter are the people in that locker room and the people who are with us every single day, working to achieve the goals we set out to achieve.”Tune in: The Pride host Gotham FC on Sunday at 3 PM ET, live on ABC.
Spirit hopes for a healthy lineup to offset Thorns’ upset bid Washington star Trinity Rodman went as an unused sub last weekend as she continues to rehab an MCL strain. (Scott Taetsch/NWSL via Getty Images)No. 2 Washington is gearing up to face No. 3 Portland on Saturday, hoping for a healthy roster as the NWSL semifinal squads take the pitch in front of another sold-out “Rowdy Audi” crowd.The Spirit are still waiting for star forward Trinity Rodman’s return, as the 23-year-old continues to rehab a recent MCL injury after going as an unused sub in Saturday’s quarterfinal.Washington also saw defenders Gabby Carle and Tara McKeown exit last weekend’s win with apparent injuries, though Rodman and McKeown were spotted training with the team this morning.Ready for battle: Despite their issues, the Spirit aren’t ready to tap out — as they take on Portland side firing on all cylinders after overcoming their own losses earlier this the season.“We are not just 11 players,” Spirit manager Adrian Gonzalez assured reporters. “We have a deep roster and that’s something that’s giving us a lot.”“The bounce-back ability of this team has been absolutely outstanding all season long,” said Portland manager Rob Gale. “We ain’t done yet.”Tune in: Washington hosts Portland at 12 PM ET on Saturday, live on CBS.
The USMNT is back to face Paraguay as the World Cup approaches following a decent October friendly window where the team continued showing consistency and growth. It was not a window without controversy as players returned to their clubs injured or having played heavy minutes much to the chagrin of their managers. This is truly a tale as old as time, but Mauricio Pochettino took heed and left several key players off the roster to allow them to rest and recover. Their absence will give him a chance to flesh out the roster with players who can provide depth but might not get a chance to start with the stars in camp. For their part, Paraguay come into the match having emerged from the gauntlet of CONMEBOL qualifying to reach the World Cup. They reached the tournament playing an organized and disciplined style marked by trying to break lines and play fast to push the ball forward and create chances. In a recent jaunt to Asia, however, the team jumped ahead 2-1 against Japan in the 64th minute and fell back but failed to secure the win thanks to a 94th minute goal from Ayase Ueda. That was followed by being thoroughly outplayed by South Korea in a 2-0 loss which saw the South Americans manage only 43% of the possession despite being behind 1-0 in the 15th minute. That said, Paraguay is tactically flexible and can create chances in possession. How the team lines up, using either a 4-4-2 or 4-2-3-1, should indicate how they will approach the game. In the last three matches, Poch has shown that his team can effectively play a cohesive style. The three center back formation has worked well against the varied tactics of Japan, Ecuador, and Australia. What’s more is that the team has shown grit and determination after the tough loss to South Korea and falling behind the Aussies. Who he lines up with is a different issue. The list of players who are reliable starters for the USA has dwindled as Matt Freese, Alex Freeman, Tim Ream, Cristian Roldan, and Folarin Balogun are the players who have seen consistent minutes of those brought into the team. The window will be particularly important for Joe Scally and Gio Reyna. The left back can show that he is able to step in if Antonee Robinson continues to struggle with his injury and Gio Reyna has a chance to show he can lead the attack with Christian Pulisic missing. Perhaps more important than their play on the field, Scally and Reyna need to show the level of professionalism that Poch expects. Indeed, the story of these matches may very well be how players who are being given a chance, or a second chance, perform.
USMNT’s Christian Pulisic supports Gio Reyna in reviving his troubled career
Gio Reyna has the support of friend Christian Pulisic. Stephen Nadler / ISI Photos / USSF
By Tom BogertNov. 14, 2025Updated 2:16 pm EST The Athletic
U.S. national team star Christian Pulisic may not be in the November camp as Gio Reyna makes his return to the group, but the AC Milan star certainly has Reyna’s back.Pulisic said Reyna has been mistreated and sympathizes with the 23-year-old’s battle with injuries over the last four years.“He’s had a really tough time, unfairly in a lot of ways,” Pulisic told CBS Sports Golazo Network. “I feel for him. It’s difficult what we go through. Some of the injuries he’s gone through, it’s really hard.”Reyna exploded as one of Europe’s biggest teenage talents with Borussia Dortmund and the USMNT in the lead up to the 2022 World Cup, but controversy and injury have dimmed his light since.Reyna was in the middle of a dispute between former U.S. head coach Gregg Berhalter and his parents, Claudio and Danielle Reyna. The Reynas, frustrated by Gio’s lack of playing time at the World Cup, revealed to U.S. Soccer a decades-old domestic violence incident involving Berhalter and his wife. The revelation led to an investigation, a public saga and the breakdown of the relationship between the two families.There was a time during the 2022 World Cup when Reyna was nearly sent home from camp for his attitude.On the field, things haven’t been much smoother for Reyna. He has failed to feature more than 610 minutes in a single league season since 2020-21. After falling out of favor in Dortmund, Reyna went on loan to Nottingham Forest, where his playing outlook didn’t much improve. He was even left off the match-day roster entirely a handful of times.This summer, Reyna moved from Dortmund to Borussia Mönchengladbach. He has started just one game, but has appeared in six. He ramped up his fitness before his debut and then was sidelined briefly with a thigh injury.However, Pulisic is still supporting his teammate.
Gio Reyna hopes his move to Borussia Mönchengladbach can lift his fortunes.Lars Baron / Getty Images
“When I have him on the field with me on the national team, I feel a lot more relaxed,” Pulisic said. “He’s a really, really good player — that’s not a crazy take, a lot of people see that. I just tell him to stay patient. He’s a guy that’s gone through a bit of a tough time, he’ll admit that, but that doesn’t mean he can’t have really good things ahead.”The November camp is the first time Reyna has been involved with the national team since Berhalter selected him for the 2024 Copa America. A“I do think it’s been unfair, but I think he’s going to come around and people are going to see that soon,” Pulisic said.As for Pulisic, he is missing camp after just recovering from a hamstring injury sustained on international duty in October. He missed four games for AC Milan and returned from the bench last weekend.“I just want to make sure I have the time now to fully care for myself, to make sure my hamstring is doing well and allow other guys to take my place,” Pulisic said. “It’s just the best decision for everyone right now.”Pulisic was absent from the USMNT over the summer after asking head coach Mauricio Pochettino not to be selected for the Gold Cup. He got some time off before returning to Milan for preseason.The USMNT faces Paraguay on Sunday in Chester, Pa., and Uruguay on Tuesday in Tampa and won’t be together again until the March international break. By Tom BogertSenior Writer, US Soccer
How Max Arfsten, uncapped and ‘overlooked,’ became an unlikely USMNT fixture
Stephen Maturen / Getty ImagesBy Henry BushnellNov. 13, 2025
PHILADELPHIA — At 16 years old, Christian Pulisic was moving to Borussia Dortmund, and Tyler Adams was turning pro in New York. Folarin Balogun was with Arsenal’s vaunted under-17s. Weston McKennie and Ricardo Pepi were on similar paths to soccer stardom in Dallas. Most of the U.S. men’s national team these days develops in elite youth academies, often far from home, with big dreams. As for Max Arfsten?Arfsten, who has started more games for the USMNT in 2025 than anybody else, was playing at San Joaquin Memorial High School in Fresno, Calif., yearning for a Division I college scholarship.“Which is crazy,” Arfsten tells The Athletic, his mind blown by the contrast. “That’s insane to think about.”“But,” he notes, “everyone’s journey is different.”His went from the parks of Fresno to the University of California, Davis; from the San Jose Earthquakes reserves, where he failed to earn a first-team contract, to the Columbus Crew via the waning MLS SuperDraft. Having spent the first 21 years of his life in California, he didn’t even know where Columbus was. He arrived, essentially, as a trialist. He spent 2023 on the Crew’s bench — and quietly struggling, venting to confidants on the phone, sometimes returning to the Crew facility late at night to train on his own, less to improve, more to free his mind and “blow off steam.”Throughout that year, and even for parts of 2024, he was nobody. He was “overlooked,” as he’s said, and as he’s been for much of his soccer life.But at almost every stage, at every level, he was convinced: “I belong.”That’s what Arfsten, now 24, told himself in January at his very first USMNT training camp. That’s what he told himself two months later at his first A-team camp alongside studs like Pulisic and McKennie.He was nervous, he admits. “All these guys play for the top clubs,” he thought. He’d text his childhood coach, Milton Blanco, “all excited,” Blanco says. But Arfsten’s mindset quickly fell in line with what Blanco would tell him about any new teammate or opponent that might seem intimidating: “It’s just another f***ing dude.”By the summer, his understated cockiness began to flow. Off the field, in baggy cargo pants and oversized Ts, he oozes Cali chill; but on it, he plays with “that little arrogance,” Blanco says, and an edge. Even in an unfamiliar position, left back, he’d go at opponents. He rebounded from mistakes in a Concacaf Gold Cup quarterfinal against Costa Rica to score his first national team goal.No one ever anointed him a starter, but from March 23 through Oct. 10, he started all but one USMNT game. He entered 2025 with zero national team call-ups; he’ll likely end it with over 1,000 minutes, potentially more than any other U.S. outfield player this year. (He’s currently second to Tim Ream.)Advertisement
In 2026, he has big ambitions. “I want to play in Europe, I want to play in the World Cup,” he says. “I feel like those are the two next steps for me.”But he doesn’t want to get ahead of himself. Nor does he feel fully comfortable with the national team, even in his red sweatshirt, sipping a vanilla latte in the team hotel lobby on a Monday afternoon, ahead of, potentially, his 15th and 16th U.S. games.“Every time I come here, I still feel a massive point to prove,” Arfsten says.In fact, “that’s how I approach everything at this point,” he adds.Because that’s what he’s been doing at every stop on the journey.
Mauricio Pochettino and Max Arfsten share a high five during the U.S.’s friendly vs. Japan in ColumbusAdam Cairns / Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY Network / Imagn Images
‘All I wanted was a D-I scholarship’
Arfsten was born and raised in Fresno, an unglamorous city in California’s Central Valley, and a thriving soccer town largely fueled by Latinos. “That’s who I grew up around,” Arfsten says. There was no big-time academy; no powerhouse college program; no flourishing pro club. But there was “a very big pickup, streetball type of scene,” he explains.Arfsten, the eldest of three brothers, took some traditional routes into soccer — a local club, Cal Odyssey; high school soccer, where “the level was really bad,” he says with a smile; and private training sessions with Blanco. But he’d also play in unstructured environments, with and against grown men when he was a teen. “That’s where I developed a lot of my technical ability,” Arsten says — in games that were “5-v-5, small space, just play.”In those environments, he says, “I got a lot better.” But he didn’t necessarily get on scouting radars. “All I wanted was a D-I scholarship,” he says. When he got his first offer as a high school junior, from UC Davis, he leapt at it.A week or two later, he recalls, he went to a tournament in Las Vegas and prestigious schools came calling. He considered Notre Dame. But he’d committed to Davis. “I felt a loyalty,” he remembers. He also wanted to play right away. So he enrolled at a school that, he admits, was “not even that good [in] the landscape of college soccer.”
AdvertisementAt the time, and for most of his childhood, he was an attacker — a winger or a roaming striker. He was good, and started most games as a college freshman, but … a pro prospect? While some of his present-day peers were already breaking into the USMNT, he was chugging along without a goal until the Big West Conference’s postseason tournament.
Arfsten ultimately spent two-and-a-half years at Davis — and later graduated, he notes, with a degree in economics, after continuing classes online. He left to sign an MLS Next Pro contract with the Earthquakes, and there, in San Jose, he began to truly believe he belonged. He’d occasionally train with the first team and think to himself: “I can play with these guys.”
The club, though, disagreed. So off he went, to the MLS draft, to Columbus and to the toughest year of his life.
Max Arfsten mans the left wing for the Columbus CrewJason Mowry / Getty Images
The breakthrough
He went alone, from California to Central Ohio, and did earn a contract with the Crew. But for the first time in his soccer life, he rode the bench. He’d push through training sessions; he’d drive home pleased with his performance. But come Saturdays, he’d hardly play. He’d call his mom and lament that Crew coach Wilfried Nancy seemingly didn’t like him. “I was ging through it,” Arfsten says now. “I was frustrated.” get out of his own head, he’d occasionally go back to the Crew’s training ground late at night. He’d scan his thumbprint and enter a mostly-deserted complex. He’d grab a ball and do technical work.
The following morning, coaches would sometimes confront him: “What are you doing? Why are you training extra?”
But they came to understand the nighttime sessions were, as Arfsten says, “a mental thing” — an escape from “just sitting at home and being sad or mad that I’m not playing.”
He logged just 272 minutes for the Crew in 2023. They won MLS Cup, but he hardly contributed. “It was a hard year for me,” he says now. “But I feel like I needed it to grow mentally.” He “reprogrammed” himself to treat weekday training sessions like gamedays. And in 2024, hardened, he began to establish himself.He earned Nancy’s trust, first as a sub, then as a starter, always in his new position: left wingback. “It was definitely an adjustment at first, especially the defending part,” Arfsten says. But he knew that countless left-footed stars, from Marcelo to Jordi Alba, had transitioned from attacking positions to two-way roles early in their pro careers. “I always had a feeling I could play wingback,” Arfsten says. Once he gained an understanding of pressing triggers and proper body positioning, it began to feel natural.
When he broke into the USMNT earlier this year, he was initially pushed even farther toward his own goal, as a fullback in a back four, and out of his comfort zone. Some fans would ridicule his defending.“I don’t want to agree with that,” Arfsten says of the criticism, “but I understand. I have grown up being an attacking player my whole life. Tracking back and defending is something that’s been asked of me as of lately, and I’m trying to embrace it and be as good as I can at it.”Now, though, as the U.S. has shifted toward formations with a back three and wingbacks, Arfsten has returned to his natural habitat. In his first game at wingback for the national team, he served up an assist to Alejandro Zendejas. With Antonee Robinson, the national team’s once-secure starter at left back, struggling to recover from knee surgery, Arfsten has solidified himself in the lineup.And yes, he does now feel more comfortable around U.S. teammates in camp. “I don’t feel comfortable in the sense that something is given to me,” he clarifies. He still feels the proverbial “chip on my shoulder, and I think part of that comes from playing in the MLS, as opposed to so many guys that play in top leagues.”But he is confident, perhaps more so than ever before, that he belongs.
‘OK, I can play with these guys’
When the maiden U.S. call-up appeared in his email inbox last winter, Arfsten was at his childhood home back in Fresno, and “I was hyped,” he recalls. He told his brothers, who responded: “Bro, that’s craaazy.” Blanco says that Arfsten would occasionally text him during those early USMNT days: “Hey, I trained with this guy, I trained with that guy.” Part of him, perhaps, was in awe.
But Blanco, who has worked with Arfsten off and on since the player was 8, would respond: “Dude, I’m happy for you, but that’s normal for you now.”
And although there were “some growing pains,” Arfsten says, “at a certain point, I was like, ‘OK, I can play with these guys.’”
His nerves tingled in January and March, but by July, when he walked out onto the shoddy grass pitch at NRG Stadium in Houston, for a Gold Cup final against Mexico, he felt something even more odd.
“I wasn’t nervous at all,” Arfsten says. “It was so weird.”
“The national anthem is usually when I feel it,” he explains. But there, in a cavernous stadium, with the stands 80% covered in Mexican green, on the biggest stage he’d ever played, he felt … confident.
Confidence is something he’s always had, to a degree; but also something he’s worked on intentionally. He reads books by or about successful people, such as Nike founder Phil Knight or tennis star Andre Agassi. He scrutinizes their words and studies their mentalities. He cites Kobe Bryant, and says: “I’m confident because I believe you have to be to be a successful athlete.”
He’s also learned to set goals that are both reachable and ambitious. Nowadays, they’re loftier than ever before. They’re also fairly explicit. Speaking two days after the Crew’s MLS season ended, Arfsten — who was the subject of a summer bid from English club Middlesborough, which the Crew turned down — says multiple times: “I want to go to Europe.”
“And,” he says, “I want to do anything I can to make this World Cup squad.”
He doesn’t let himself daydream, because “I gotta take care of playing well every day, wherever I’m at,” he says.But he knows, of course, that the biggest World Cup ever is seven months and two camps away. The USMNT’s opener is a four-hour drive from where he grew up.
“All I know,” he says, “is I want to be a part of it.” By Henry Bushnell
Senior Writer, U.S. Soccer
Who would win the 2026 World Cup if it kicked off today?
Multiple contributors
Nov 14, 2025, 04:11 AM ET
It’s mid-November, and qualification for the 2026 World Cup — to be hosted by the United States, Mexico and Canada next summer — is in its final dramatic stages, with many automatic spots to be filled over the next week and several other nations vying for a spot in March’s intercontinental playoffs.
Before we get there, though — and before we get to the World Cup draw, which will be held in Washington, D.C., on Dec. 5 — let’s ask ourselves a simple question: If the World Cup started today, who would win it?
Mark Ogden: The 2026 World Cup is going to be won by the team that can best deal with the conditions of a stifling-hot summer in the U.S., Mexico and Canada. Spain tick more boxes than any other contender. They are the reigning European champions — their pedigree is unquestioned — but Luis de la Fuente’s side will win the World Cup because they can dominate possession and wear down their opponents.
They have two world-class goalkeepers in Unai Simón and David Raya, a proven defense and a midfield including Martín Zubimendi, Pedri and Rodri. Further forward, on top of the consistency and reliability of Mikel Oyarzabal and Dani Olmo, the unpredictability and goal threat of Ferran Torres and Samu Aghehowa, there is winger Lamine Yamal, who is capable of leading Spain to glory in his first World Cup. The final is scheduled just six days after his 19th birthday; what a gift that would be.
Tom Hamilton: Spain have plenty of big tournament pedigree despite falling on penalties in the UEFA Nations League final to Portugal in June. Their last competitive defeat in 90 minutes was way back in 2023, when they lost to Scotland. Pedri missed much of the Euro 2024 knockout stages through injury, but he’s back and firing, which adds to the world-class depth — and beautiful blend of youth and experience — that De la Fuente can call upon.
Other teams such as France, England and Argentina will push them close, plus we expect Brazil to click at some stage, especially with Carlo Ancelotti at the helm. As we saw in 2022, there’s likely to be a Morocco-esque surprise package, but right now, Spain are at the front of the pack. Key to their chances, though, is getting Rodri back up to full working order. Manchester City have been slow to reintroduce him, but if he gets back to his world-class best …
Sam Marsden: Time for me to make a wholly original pick! A lot of countries have a lot of talent, but right now, none, for me, are better than La Roja, for two reasons.
Firstly, they have a clear playing style, which is not always easy to find in international football. Secondly, it feels like the roles within the team are so well defined and understood within the squad that they’re best-equipped to deal with losing players to injuries or suspensions. However, that resilience and flexibility could be tested if Ballon d’Or runner-up Yamal ends up missing games. He is perhaps the one player in the squad whose quality, unpredictability and match-winning ability is difficult to replace.
Yamal situation playground stuff’ from Barcelona and Spanish FA
Julien Lauren believes the Lamine Yamal situation could be “easily figured out” if both Barcelona and the Spanish FA “speak to each other” to sort it out.
Alex Kirkland: Am I biased, living as I do in Madrid? Perhaps. But here are the facts: Spain won Euro 2024, beating Germany, France and England along the way. Before that, they won the 2023 UEFA Nations League. Since then, they’ve reached the 2025 Nations League final — only to be beaten in a penalty shootout by Portugal. They’ve just matched the longest unbeaten run in their history, going 29 competitive games without defeat (counting that Portugal final as a draw). They’ve also got Pedri, Yamal, Nico Williams, and so many midfield options that Zubimendi, Fabián Ruiz and Rodri are competing for just one spot.
Are there weaknesses? A few: Oyarzabal isn’t your dream center forward, but he has seven goals for Spain in 12 months. And if he’s not scoring, then Arsenal’s Mikel Merino — six goals in World Cup qualifying — will. De la Fuente isn’t entirely convincing, but you can’t argue with results, and his team play a really clear, cohesive, well-established style of play. If Pedri and Yamal stay fit: no other team comes close.
Cesar Hernandez: I think there’s no looking past the Euro 2024 champions. If we’re not counting the results of penalty shootouts (though it was a dramatic one with Portugal earlier this year), they’ve gone 24 consecutive games without a defeat in regulation or extra time. They’re also breezing through World Cup qualifying without a loss or goal allowed.Granted, if the World Cup were starting this week, there’s also an assumption that the fitness management of Yamal would be in a much more ideal state as he’s shifted between Barcelona and national team duties, but who knows. Perhaps this back-and-forth continues through next year, which could lead to a different prediction for 2026.
Lizzy Becherano: At this point in time, Spain have to be considered the front-runners. Winning Euro 2024 was a master class, one that also offered valuable experience to the younger players on the squad. The likes of Yamal and Fermín López are better for enduring the pressure and high stakes on the international stage, which is crucial to being successful at a World Cup. Certain countries boast individual stars who can drive victories, but Spain stand strong enough in each position to power through the most difficult challenges the upcoming World Cup will pose.
James Olley: Spain! They lifted the Euro 2024 trophy by becoming the first team to win all seven matches without requiring penalties. And the caliber of the teams they beat — Italy, Germany, France and England among them — suggested it was no fluke.Williams and Yamal are two years older with more experience; Rodri should be relatively fresh assuming he recovers from his persistent injury problems, but if not, Zubimendi — who deputized for Rodri in the Euros final against England — has arguably taken his game to another level at Arsenal this season. Spain do need other players to kick on — Dean Huijsen switching his allegiance from Netherlands last year could be a major boost if he thrives at Real Madrid — but they still look the team to beat.
Jeff Carlisle: It has to be Spain. They’ve been wiping out their opponents in qualifying by a combined score of 15-0. Obviously there will be sterner tests once the real thing starts, but for now they’re unstoppable. Mikel Merino is banging in the goals — so is Mikel Oyarzabal — and Pedri has been imperious in midfield. Lamine Yamal was injured for the last two games and Spain didn’t look bothered at all.Even with Robin Le Normand injured out injured for the rest of the year, the defense still looks solid with Aymeric Laporte and Huijsen anchoring the back line. Besides, when you’re possessing the ball over 75% of the time, like Spain did in its last two matches, they are absolutely cutting off the oxygen to teams, giving them little to no chance of threatening La Roja‘s goal. This is also a team with loads of experience, having claimed the Euro 2024 title. They know how to come through in big matches.
ENGLAND (3 votes)
Last World Cup win: 1966 FIFA rank: 4
Julien Laurens: The biggest factor here besides England’s talent is that they finally have a manager who is not afraid of making big calls and being honest about it. Thomas Tuchel can deal with big egos better than anyone else, having worked for high-profile teams from Chelsea to Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern Munich. He has extensive experience managing unhappy players and leaving behind anyone who isn’t on board with his philosophy and team spirit. One of the best tacticians in world football, Tuchel is the right guy to finally lead England to victory.
The Three Lions have one of the most talented squads of players, and bags of experience at the club level, for him to choose from — many of whom were part of England’s run to the finals at the last two European Championships. Striker Harry Kane is in the form of his life, there is depth in a lot of positions and a fresh generation of young stars pushing hard for a starting spot or a place on the plane next summer. (Seriously, take your pick from Elliot Anderson, Alex Scott, Adam Wharton, Morgan Rogers … need I say more?)
Marcotti questions Tuchel’s comments about Bellingham, Kane and Foden
Gab Marcotti believes Thomas Tuchel should “never say” Jude Bellingham, Harry Kane and Phil Foden can’t play together. Cole Palmer will come back from injury fresh and rested, ready to have a big impact whether as a starter or as a sub. And leaders like Kane, Bukayo Saka, Declan Rice or Marc Guéhi will shine. Tuchel also explained the obvious this week: Kane, Jude Bellingham and Phil Foden can’t start together. It didn’t work in the past, and it won’t work at the World Cup this summer. The team would not be balanced enough, and in this structure, it is not possible to have them three together from the start. This England team will be built differently, on and off the pitch and that will be the reason for their success.
Bill Connelly: They currently have the best combination of talent, depth, coaching, center forward play and good health. (Spain would be my answer, if not for those last two parts.) Tuchel’s combination of caution and individualized tactics should work as well as anything in a long combination with so many knockout rounds, and while he probably doesn’t have the fullback situation figured out as well as he would prefer, no one does. This is a battle-tested squad with a bench loaded with players would start for all but the most elite countries in the world. They’re in great shape, and if the overall health of the squad hasn’t fallen apart seven months from now, they’ll have everything they need.
Gab Marcotti: I’m applying the process of elimination here. Right now, Yamal and Pedri are injured (sorry, Spain); Brazil have a lot to prove under Carlo Ancelotti; Argentina look good, but we haven’t had repeat champions in my lifetime. Right now, logic says England or France, except after 12 years of Deschamps, I can’t help but feel things might be getting a little stale for Les Bleus. So whatever, I’ll bite. Why not England? Why not Tuchel to make history as the first foreign manager to lift a World Cup? Why not an end to 60 years of hurt and humiliation? Darn, can’t believe I said that. But you did ask for “right now,” so …
FRANCE (2 votes)
Last World Cup win: 2018 FIFA rank: 3
Beth Lindop: While I think Spain are possibly the most balanced team in world football, I’m opting for Les Bleus. They are no strangers to World Cup success, having followed up their 2018 triumph by reaching the final in 2022.
In terms of attacking firepower, I think they’re pretty unrivaled at the international level. Kylian Mbappé has been in fine scoring form for Real Madrid this season, while Ousmane Dembélé is now officially the best player in the world thanks to his Ballon d’Or win, though his campaign so far has been disrupted by injury. With the likes of Hugo Ekitike, Bradley Barcola and Désiré Doué in the squad, Didier Deschamps has an embarrassment of attacking riches at his disposal. And, at the other end of the pitch, Dayot Upamecano, Theo Hernández and William Saliba are also in great form. The squad is really strong in all departments.
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Ryan O’Hanlon: They’ve made the past two World Cup finals, and the last time they lost a knockout game at a World Cup, Barack Obama was the U.S. president and England was still part of the European Union. Their potential front three of Mbappé, Dembele, and Michael Olise is better than anything any club team can offer. Their starting center backs are currently starting for club teams that have allowed 11 combined goals through their first 21 matches of domestic play. This will be the most talented team at the tournament next summer — and it won’t be close.
ARGENTINA (1 vote)
Last World Cup win: 2022 FIFA rank: 2
Fans surround Argentina bus to watch Messi train
Hundreds of fans gather as Lionel Messi and the Argentina team train in Spain ahead of the Angola friendly. Rob Dawson: Managing the climate in the U.S., Mexico and Canada will be key for whoever lifts the trophy, and the European nations are going to struggle. Argentina got over the line in Qatar, and the core of that squad is still here. Lionel Messi — if he plays — is unlikely to have the same impact as last time, but they’ve got Emiliano Martínez, Cristian Romero, Alexis Mac Allister, Enzo Fernández and Julián Álvarez around him. It’s a formidable spine to the team. World Cups are won by sides that can grow into a tournament, and Argentina have got invaluable inexperience from four years ago. They’re the ones to beat.
Opinion: MLS takes on risk in July-May calendar, but Apple deal change is positive
ASN’s Brian Sciaretta offers up his thoughts on the big announcement from MLS with the change of its schedule and the altering of the its broadcasting deal with Apple TV.
BY Brian SciarettaPosted November 14, 2025 11:00 AM
MLS MADE THE historic announcement on Thursday that the league was going to switch scheduling and adopt a season that aligns with the global game. The league will now begin in the late summer, take a winter break, and resume in the spring. The goal is to take advantage of transfer markets, be able to respect FIFA international windows, and have the playoffs go uninterrupted.
Per the release: “The 2027-28 MLS regular season will begin in mid-to-late July 2027 and conclude with the Audi MLS Cup Playoffs and MLS Cup presented by Audi in late May 2028.”
Overall, the league is painting a nice picture on what is a big risk. Sure, the current schedule has problems. But some of those problems are real, and some of those problems are overblown in this announcement. But moving to a Summer-Spring season also creates news problems and doesn’t necessarily fix the existing problems.
Weather
For some of the league’s teams, this switch will not change much in terms of the environment of their home games. But for other teams, there are going to be a lot more cold weather games.
After this current November international break, only eight MLS teams and seven MLS games remain. Under the new switch, all 30 teams will have to play another month into mid-December. In the later stages of the playoffs, fans are willing to put up with more because of the importance of the games. But midseason games in cold weather?
That is not something that should be easily brushed aside. MLS is not the first league to have tried this. In 2010, the Russian Premier League switched from a calendar year to Summer-Spring like MLS now. The results were disastrous. Reuters had a feature six years after the switch highlighting the falling attendances, frequently cancelled or moved games, and a decline in fan interest.
MLS has enough teams either in manageable winter climates or indoor stadiums where the results won’t be as drastic. But they could have a similar impact on many of the league’s bigger teams.
MLS has different climate constraints than most of Europe. Had most of Europe’s leagues had weather similar to Chicago, Toronto, Montreal, Colorado, Salt Lake, Minnesota, Columbus, or Cincinnati, would they have had their schedules the same as they do now?
With this switch, MLS made it more difficult to get fans to go to home games for a big part of the season.
Footprint remains similar
In terms of the number of months in a year MLS games will be played, the footprint on the calendar year will be smaller. The new proposed winter break is essentially the same length of the current offseason. Now, on top of that, there is a new offseason in June through mid-July.
To be fair, MLS in June is historically a mess with major international tournaments and this eliminates that mess altogether. That is good.
The flow
MLS will now adopt a winter break in the middle of the season. While the Bundesliga has a winter break, the MLS winter break will be longer than any other top league. It will be like what we see in the Danish Superliga. It will now become the only major North American sports league that pauses for two months and them resumes.
The question is how do the league’s existing fans adjust to such a big interruption to the flow of the season? Maybe it will not be an issue or maybe the season’s momentum will be lost? Right now, it’s all just a guessing game, or a risk.
Transfer market
In the media release from MLS, the top two reasons for this change were related to player signings: “optimize global transfer market activity” and “maximize player signings.”
There are some merits to this. There are deals that do not happen over the summer because teams do not want to lose a key player in midseason. Those deals would likely happen if the season is yet to begin.
With regards to selling players then in January, team are dealing with limited needs and the players getting sold do not have a preseason to try to adjust.
That said, there are a lot of important leagues that operate on a calendar year and still manage to sell players sufficiently. Brazil’s Serie A and most South American leagues are on a variation of a calendar year. These leagues also continue to be major sellers in the world market.
It is a little overstated. Top young players have been sold from the league at a sufficient pace.
As for the buying side, MLS teams have been aggressive regardless of time of season or year. Many of the top imports within the league have arrived midseason, and there hasn’t been much complaining. Sure, if Messi arrived in Miami before the season started in his first year, it would have resulted in them making the playoffs.
But for most of the recent substantial imports – such as Heung-Min Son – joined midseason. With the league’s playoff format, having these players there for the playoffs is really the most important thing.
Playoffs
MLS said that the league is exploring new playoff formats to go along with this schedule change. Regardless of how the playoff changes, it is a big win that the playoffs, nor the stretch run leading to the playoffs, will be affected by the three FIFA international windows in the fall. The September, October, and November windows break up the flow of every league but it is even worse to be deciding titles and elimination during this run.
The talk about which American sports leagues MLS has to compete for viewership is off base. No matter what time of year, the NFL, MLB, NBA, or NHL is ongoing. These decisions need to be made independent of other leagues. If anything, it’s harder now for the MLS playoffs to compete against the NBA and NHL playoffs along with the start of the MLB season.
But the fact that the MLS playoffs are now uninterrupted is good.
Bottom Line
There is no crystal ball to tell how this is going to go. It seems like there is a lot of risk to fix problems that were exaggerated.
But it does help with not having the league playing in June during international tournaments and it does help with the playoffs going uninterrupted and into nicer weather.
There will be a lot of challenges, and it won’t always be easy for fans. All we can do is hope it works.
Apple TV altered
MLS also announced on Thursday that its broadcasting deal with Apple TV will be altered. Instead of having a separate MLS package on Apple TV, MLS games would now become part of the general Apple TV package. Like with the previous deal, MLS season ticket holders will get an Apple TV package included with their season tickets.
Whatever the numbers were behind this deal, it’s a good move for all parties. MLS is a league that is trying to grow and expand. It’s very hard to do that behind a paywall. Apple TV is still a paywall, but it has a massive market behind it. In total there are 45 million Apple TV subscribers and now MLS will get to push into those numbers as opposed to only those that bought the MLS package. This is the way to expand.
MLS commissioner Don Garber addresses lingering questions after league flips calendar
Pamela Smith / AP PhotoBy Paul TenorioNov. 15, 2025 7:00 am EST
PALM BEACH, Fla. — MLS commissioner Don Garber couldn’t help but smile as he walked quickly through the lobby of the Four Seasons less than an hour after the league’s board of governors meeting adjourned. It was a hint of what he would announce an hour later.For the past two years, owners had studied, analyzed and debated the future of the league. On Thursday, they voted to move forward. The board approved a plan to flip the calendar to run from mid-July through the end of May, syncing MLS with many of the top leagues in the world, setting it up to take steps forward in its sporting product and shifting its biggest games to a more attractive spring window for media partners.League owners also approved a plan to overhaul the regular season and are mulling changes to the postseason format. MLS also announced changes to its partnership with Apple, which takes the league out from behind the paywall of MLS Season Pass and puts it on to the Aple TV streaming platform, where it will be available for tens of millions of subscribers.Garber declared the calendar change, “one of the most important decisions in our league’s history.” And as he sat to speak with reporters, his optimism about what the day meant for the future of MLS was clear. Garber discussed many of the finer details — and some of the questions that linger after such a seismic decision.The concern voiced by most fans centered on how colder weather markets would handle games played in November and December, and potentially an extra week or two in February. Garber said the work the league did to study the issue convinced those markets it would not make a massive dent on their business. Some teams will have to make updates to their facilities, but others won’t, he said. And the overlap of seasons means major changes can mostly be avoided.
“We’re (already) playing games in November now, and it could be really cold in those same markets,” Garber said. “It could be really cold in December. It could be really cold in other months. We’re talking about a couple of games (being added), so I don’t know that it makes sense for a team, for a handful of games, to dramatically change their infrastructure.“It’s not like this is as traumatic as I think most people think. When we were going through this process, 92% [of the footprint] is exactly the same window. MLS Cup was in Toronto in December, and it was really, really cold. It could have been in Toronto this year if they had a good season, right?”
The Seattle Sounders won 2016 MLS Cup in Toronto, which was played in DecemberClaus Andersen / Getty ImagesGarber credited owners for being willing to take on such major changes in order to push the league forward. With 30 ownership groups, the idea of unanimity is long gone. But the league was able to get an overwhelming amount of support for this vote.“They want to push the envelope,” Garber said. “They’re impatient to continue to ensure we’re capturing the opportunity. They’re willing to make decisions … that might not be in their individual interest.“This is the right move,” he continued. “Moving to the international calendar would have been unthinkable years ago. We didn’t have the ability to manage it with our facilities, and we didn’t have strength and commitment within our fan base. So while this will have, in the short term, a disparate impact on certain teams, you know, I watched a (Canadian Premier League) championship where fans were packed into a small stadium and players played in a foot of snow. Now we probably would have rescheduled that game, but I think it speaks to the soccer fan here in this part of the country (who are) committed and they believe in their team.“I can remember back in the day, people said, why won’t you do the calendar? People go to NFL games when it’s cold. I’d say, ‘Well, actually it’s not the players, it’s the fans and it’s our facilities.’ Do we have heated fields? Do we have the way to manage what could be cold weather in markets from a hospitality perspective, and all of that are building blocks that needed to happen over time.”What You Should Read NextMLS calendar flip is a big step, but not the only step, toward greater global relevanceBig change is coming to MLS in the summer of 2027, but what else needs to happen for the league to increase its profile?
Somewhat swallowed by what may be the biggest change in the league in 20 years was the news about changes to the Apple deal. With Season Pass eliminated, subscribers tuning in to watch Severance or Pluribus — or Ted Lasso, which returns with Season 4 in 2026 — can now watch MLS, as can any Formula 1 fans that subscribe for the start of that deal in 2026.Importantly, Garber said the terms of the deal with Apple also changed — though he declined to disclose any details. Sources, however, confirmed Sportico’s report that the deal will now end after the 2028-29 season, three and a half years earlier than expected.“This wasn’t about MLS Season Pass not working,” Garber said. “It’s about, how could we work with Apple, who had a vision for what Apple TV could be, and where sports would fit into that, and how could MLS be a bigger part of a broader distribution vehicle for our league?“Yes, we’ll have different economics. The term will change. The financials will change. And all that’s very positive for us.”
Garber remained bullish on the league’s decision to take all of its local, national and global rights to one streaming partner. The Apple deal has faced harsh criticism by taking MLS out of typical linear rotation — though MLS does maintain a deal with Fox that airs 34 regular season games, eight playoff games and MLS Cup — but the commissioner was firm in his belief it was the right decision.
MLS is bringing its matches outside of a separate paywall on Apple TVIsaiah Vazquez / Getty Images
“We need to take a step back and understand that we (foresaw) the disruption of the sports media space three to five years ago and had a vision to have every single game be treated exactly the same, have those games be globally distributed, because we knew we would continue to sign well-known international players,” Garber said. “In this case, look at [Lionel] Messi, Son [Heung-min] and [Thomas] Müller, just what’s happened this year, and what our viewership has been in Korea, and what we continue to do in Argentina, and the excitement that is existing in Europe with players (who have) only been in our league for a number of months. And it was all part of a grand plan that took some risk, and I think it speaks to the way this ownership group has continued to evolve, where doing things the way it used to be done is not part of the lexicon of the MLS board.”A big part of these changes revolve around MLS’s place in the sports media economy. MLS has failed to deliver the type of audience needed to demand high-level media rights packages. It remains behind not just other North American sports, but also the Premier League here in the U.S.The move to flip the calendar is part of a plan to help the MLS business transition from a model that has thrived as a local entertainment business into one that can resonate nationally and globally.“I think the underpinning of professional sports is media, and in our case, it needs to be global media,” Garber said. “But you can’t have a great product unless you have an in-stadium experience that is really compelling and is saying to the world: Look what I’m experiencing here; you could experience that through a series of devices. So the two have to work together and I think (MLS) could achieve that. The EPL has achieved it. The NFL has achieved it. I don’t see any reason why we can’t.”Garber was asked how quickly that next media deal has to happen.“I think it certainly has to happen in order for us to to be what we want to be, which was going to require us to have more revenues to be able to continue to invest in both infrastructure, player development and signing great players so we could have a product that can compete with a very competitive soccer/football market globally,” he said. “So we look forward to continuing our relationship with Apple, and hopefully that grows our audience. And if our audience grows, that will deliver value for Apple and certainly deliver value for us, because we’ll have a larger audience to be able to think about: How could we monetize that sometime in the future?”To do that, MLS has to put a more attractive product on the field. Flipping the calendar is a tool in that aim. Lining up the transfer windows will allow MLS teams to do better business in the summer, both as a buyer and a seller. They will be able to attract more players coming out of contract, too.But if MLS is truly going to draw more viewers, the level of play has to go up. And to do that, the spending rules will have to change. Garber acknowledged that the league is studying how to modify them.
Star players like Lionel Messi have called on MLS to loosen its rules on club spendingLeonardo Fernandez / Getty Images“We still believe that we’re operating in a very competitive market, in a business that still is growing,” Garber said. “I still think of MLS as a 30-year startup. So just eliminating all rules I don’t think would be prudent. And by the way, almost all leagues have rules. They might be different, [but] even football, soccer leagues have rules. They might be related to spending limits and the like, but there are rules everywhere. We just have our version of them.“We’re excited about the evolution of those rules. And we’re going to continue to work on that. The window for that would be the 2027 season. So similar to the calendar change. We went [into] a very comprehensive presentation to the board about what kinds of things we’re thinking about with our [sporting and competition] committee: research-backed analysis of what these things could look like, what impact it would have on on-field performance, what impact it would have on spending, how does it deal with competitive balance? I want to reiterate to everyone: this is not a bunch of people sitting behind a curtain and just making decisions, as many people think on social media. It’s data-driven strategic analysis, backed by research, so that when we make decisions, they’re achieving the goals we want to achieve.”To make those bigger roster-rule changes, however, the league will have to modify or negotiate a new collective bargaining agreement with the MLS Players Association. The current CBA runs through January 31, 2028 — a date that was pushed back twice by extensions in negotiations forced by MLS during and after the pandemic.Garber said he did not anticipate the expiration date of the CBA changing, but it’s hard to see how the league could reach its goal of implementing meaningful change to the roster rules by 2027 without a new CBA.“We’ve got a lot of work to do collectively to ensure that we’re doing the work on the league side and on the MLSPA side, to have a deal that will be part of the future evolution of the league,” Garber said. “I don’t expect that we would change the date, but … I have a lot of faith in our players. I care deeply for them. They’ve got good leadership and good representation, and I look forward to sitting down with them both in the short-term as it relates to finalizing whatever we need to finalize on the transition, and then continuing to talk as early as we can, so that we can be in a good spot when the CBA expires.” By Paul Tenorio Senior Writer, MLS
Trinity Rodman negotiations reach NWSL commissioner as English teams express interest in U.S. star
Washington Spirit forward Trinity Rodman will be a free agent this offseason. Scott Taetsch / Getty Images
Trinity Rodman’s representation is in negotiation with the National Women’s Soccer League over her future in the league, as interest from teams abroad continues. While the Washington Spirit would like to retain Rodman, the talks are currently beyond the club’s control due to existing roster constraints, according to sources familiar with the negotiations. The 23-year-old will be a free agent this offseason.Rodman’s agent has spoken directly to commissioner Jessica Berman about deals to keep her stateside; however, one of the key points of contention is the player’s salary. Under the current salary cap, teams outside of the league can offer far more than the Spirit — or any NWSL team. Rodman’s team has had talks with at least three teams in the English Women’s Super League, according to sources familiar with the discussions.The Spirit declined to comment, and the NWSL did not respond to a request for comment by the time of publication.The NWSL operates under a salary cap, currently set at $3.3 million at each club. That maximum will rise every season until it hits $5.1 million in 2030, in accordance with the most recent collective bargaining agreement between the NWSL Players Association and the league.While the minimum player salary for this season is $48,500 and will rise to $82,500 by 2030, there is no maximum salary for an individual player. Still, the Spirit currently has 27 players’ salaries to cover (with three players on loan), whereas teams in Europe do not have to abide by such caps.After her breakout rookie season in 2021, Rodman signed a three-year contract extension with an option for a fourth year, which was exercised this year. In 2022, the deal, worth $1.1 million, made the then 19-year-old the highest-paid player in the league at the time.Rodman told ESPN’s Futbol W at the start of the season that she has “always thought about playing overseas at some point” in her career. The Spirit’s owner, Michele Kang, owns multiple teams across the U.S. and Europe, including OL Lyoness and London City Lionesses and considers herself a “globalist” when it comes to player movement, but has made it clear that keeping Rodman has been a top priority.“We’re going to do everything in our power to hopefully keep her here,” Kang told reporters in March. “She’s an integral part of our success, our success meaning the Spirit as well as NWSL.”
Trinity Rodman was a key goalscorer in the USWNT’s gold medal run at the 2024 Paris Olympics.Daniela Porcelli / Getty Images
Multiple U.S. players have made the move to Europe this season, including defender Naomi Girma and former Angel City forward Alyssa Thompson, both of whom went to Chelsea. While it isn’t the only draw, the ability for overseas teams to pay higher salaries is a factor in the growing global market.In March, Kang ruled out a loan for Rodman to one of the other teams in her multi-club investment company, Kynisca Sports International, but said that players should experience different types of soccer throughout their career.“The European players should actually go at some point to experience the American football or different football. The same thing with the American football players as well,” Kang said. “Experiencing different styles, different leagues, it’s actually a good thing.”The Spirit selected Rodman with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2021 NWSL Draft, and the teenager had an instant impact. She was named rookie of the year in 2021, recording seven goals and seven assists, including one to Kelley O’Hara against the Chicago Stars to secure the team’s first NWSL Championship title.
Before her time in NWSL, Rodman was a standout for the U.S. youth national team, scoring nine goals in the team’s successful 2020 Concacaf Women’s U-20 Championship. She has been equally as impactful for the senior national team. Rodman has 11 goals and nine assists in 47 games with the U.S. women’s national team. She was one-third of the publicly-branded “triple espresso,” alongside Sophia Wilson and Mallory Swanson, who led the U.S. to gold at the 2024 Paris Olympics.Rodman has spent much of this season dealing with injuries, first with a persistent back problem that limited her to 15 appearances and nine starts through 26 regular-season games.Upon her return in October, she sprained her MCL during a Concacaf Champions Cup match, keeping her out of the Spirit’s final two games of the season. She was on the bench for Washington’s penalty kick shootout win over Racing Louisville in the NWSL quarterfinals last week, but never changed out of her warm-ups, instead helping guide players from the sideline.Still, she has been impactful for the Spirit, playing a contributing role to Washington securing the No. 2 spot in the NWSL standings. She has been impactful for the NWSL as a whole in terms of marketing, too, and was recently the only U.S. player featured in an Adidas campaign for the 2026 men’s World Cup.Rodman participated in full training on Friday ahead of today’s semifinal match at Audi Field between the Spirit and the Portland Thorns. By Meg Linehan and Tom Bogert
Jesús Pérez: Mauricio Pochettino’s right-hand man and the USMNT’s eyes and ears
If you look just over the shoulder of Mauricio Pochettino as he roams the sideline during a U.S. men’s national team game, you’ll find his top assistant, Jesús Pérez, in a place he finds most comfortable.“Two or three yards behind the coach,” Pérez said.Within that short distance, there is a massive difference, he insists. There is a gulf between thinking through decisions and actually making them — and the consequences that come with those choices.“When you are No. 2, you see things,” Pérez said. “But when you are No. 1 … wow, the map is bigger.”Those three yards, however, do not minimize the importance of Pérez’s role on the U.S. staff. Pérez has worked at Pochettino’s side since 2010, rising from analyst at Espanyol to the coach’s right-hand man at Southampton, Tottenham, PSG, Chelsea and now the U.S. He has an outsized impact on the national team as both an integral on-field coach and a chief of staff of sorts, keeping a ulse on every department and connecting the pieces to keep the organization running smoothly.Pérez is always there, whether it’s in stadium suites scouting games of national team players, leaning against the wall during postgame press conferences or running meetings across a number of departments. He is, as Pochettino describes it, the “hands-on coordinator.”“Jesús is someone who coordinates the professional areas and ensures that integration with the staff, whether from the clubs or the national team, [and] allows us to have better communication channels,” Pochettino told The Athletic. “Where everything can flow more smoothly, preventing any problems and ultimately providing the players with a better platform to perform.”
Jesús Pérez commands the attention of the USMNT during pregame warmups before a September friendly vs. JapanJohn Dorton / ISI Photos / USSF / Getty Images
Pochettino is the face, figurehead and the ultimate decision-maker — those three yards matter. But Pérez grinds behind the scenes to give the staff, and its leader, the best chance at being successful. More importantly, the 54-year-old has become a trusted advisor that Pochettino has leaned on for more than a decade and a half.“He’s a very important person, because, over the years, besides being an important person on the staff professionally, he’s also become a friend,” Pochettino said. “That’s something that doesn’t always happen, especially in the professional sphere like in this sport. That’s something beautiful to experience, because we’re a group of people who have known each other for many years and who have also found common ground, who share life values, not only professional values, but human values. And I think that’s what makes it unique. Within the friendship and within the professional side, that makes us respect each other. That constant challenge of always being better is what’s always the priority — in our entire relationship. And I think that’s something beautiful.”
‘You’re a strong boy’
The memory still sticks in the back of Ryan Mason’s mind.It was preseason at Spurs under Pochettino, who gave him his Premier League debut. The style of play under the Argentine manager was intense, and they were going through a demanding training session. Mason was hitting a wall when he heard Pérez’s voice.“Mase, you’re a strong boy!” the coach shouted.“He was so good on the mental side of it,” recalled Mason, now head coach at West Brom. “The impact that had on my body was huge. I remember feeling it give me more life, give me more belief in my body. And I still hear it to this day. I can still hear it now. It’s something that stuck with me and sticks with me. You have your physical side, but a lot of people have limitations. Some people hit their ceiling because mentally they can’t break through certain barriers and challenges. Whereas I believe Jesús and Mauricio, they’re people that can really push through your barriers and help you reach higher levels.”
Pérez spent much of the early portion of his career as a fitness coach working in Spain and then Saudi Arabia. He got sick toward the end of his time in the latter – a stress-induced illness, he said – and nearly walked away from coaching before Espanyol’s sporting director at the time, Ramón Planes, reached out. Pochettino was looking for someone with Pérez’s background to join the club. The offer was intriguing enough to pull him back to work.Pérez established his value not just on the fitness side, but in other areas, too. He first caught Pochettino’s eye with his work ethic in a shared office, where he worked quietly but diligently. Then he showed an ability as an analyst.Pérez started working from up in the stands but one day offered advice that won Pochettino’s trust. At the time, the staff was discussing dropping a forward in favor of a midfielder because they were being overrun in the middle of the park. Pérez saw things differently.“If you allow me to say you should do the opposite, you are a brave coach, you are a brave team,” he offered. “I think what you have to do is tell one of the center backs to step up and compensate the situation and push high the line, don’t drop the striker.”Within two months, Pérez found himself on the bench with Pochettino.
Jesús Pérez instructs Neymar at PSG in 2021Jean-Francois Monier AFP / Getty Images
“We brought him into the club in the youth academy,” Pochettino said. “From there, for six months we got to know each other, and then, when I had the opportunity to bring him into the technical staff with me, I made him the offer. He accepted, and that’s how we started working together in Espanyol.”
Still, that fitness background never left him. Players felt the assistant had a way of understanding and unlocking what it took to push them to the next level.
“He helped me to maintain my speed, my agility, my power and he helped me to even get better in my game and in my performances,” said LAFC goalkeeper Hugo Lloris, who played under Pochettino and Pérez at Tottenham. “I still do things (today), it’s part of my routine that I learned from them at that time. … I believe that in the shadow of (a) big manager, there (are) always big assistants. And Jesús is one of them. He is a really bright person, really intelligent, and he knows really well his job.”
Over 15 years together, between Pochettino, Pérez and the rest of the staff – which includes Miki D’Agostino (who played with Pochettino at Newell’s Old Boys) and goalkeeper coach Toni Jiménez – there is a chemistry and balance that is unique at the upper end of the sport. The coaches interact well and complement each other’s strengths.
“Jesús is an extension of Mauricio,” U.S. defender Tim Ream said. “He’s got his finger on the pulse with everything, sees all the small details, but also all the big ones as well. He’s very much the glue that kind of keeps all the departments together, and his communication is very similar to that of Mauricio. Lots of personal one-on-one conversations, but also making sure that everybody’s doing the right thing at all times and doing the things together and pulling in the same direction.”
Top managers typically churn through assistants — many leave for other jobs or simply burn out. That the staff has been together this long stands out. There is a level of loyalty that exists within the group. Pochettino typically negotiates contracts for his entire staff.
“He always did what he promised to me,” Pérez said. “ He said (when we) were in Espanyol, ‘We cannot give you the value that you have, but I promise you one day we will try to get the contract that you deserve.’ And since we arrived to England, I never was worried about my contract. When he asked me, you know, what do you think about your contract, I said, ‘Whatever you decide. For me, it’s fine.’ That’s my answer in the last 15 years, and it will be the same forever.”
Pérez was linked to possible top jobs in England, but never took one. Even now he basically laughs off a question about it.
“The credit is his credit,” Pérez said. “It’s Mauricio’s credit. It’s not because I want to be humble, but I know how this business works. If people want to give me some credit, fine. I’m sure some qualities probably are (from) myself. But Mauricio was doing great before I joined the team and I’m sure if all of us, (if) we leave at some point, he will continue having success.”
Pérez insists he is focused on his role within Pochettino’s staff — of being the connector.
Jesús Pérez has been by Mauricio Pochettino’s side throughout his career, for club and countryRodolfo Gonzalez / AP Photo
Building a national team
That role has been different in some ways with the U.S.
Coaches are not around players as much, which brings “completely different dynamics.” That doesn’t just mean in how hands-on coaches can be on the field, but also in some of the relationships and politics that happen behind the scenes. Players who play require less handling. You show them where and how to improve, but their morale is up. With the rest of the squad there is a constant need to stay on top of players’ mentality and belief.“The challenge in the club is to sustain the motivation, the energy, the readiness of the guys that don’t play, and to deal with everything that comes along — the results or decisions or transfers or politics,” Pérez said. “That’s consuming. But in the national team, you select a player, and if a player doesn’t want to come, (they) stay out. So in general, you shouldn’t have problems of motivation in the camp.”
What Pochettino, Pérez and the rest of the staff have learned, though, is there are many uncontrollable variables with the national team. You never really know what players will be available. Since taking over the national team in October 2024, this staff has dealt with numerous long-term injuries to key players, including Folarin Balogun, Ricardo Pepi, Sergiño Dest and Antonee Robinson. That has added to the already-difficult task of team-building.
“When we were discussing the job, you look at the list of the players you know, and you imagine the best version of everyone you know,” Pérez said. “And then (you have) every single situation, injuries or personal situations, and also every group has a past, so things don’t happen without reason. So, our duty was to go through one year knowing, assessing and digesting situations that came from the past, but trying to do (things) our way, with our circumstances. It was the real challenge.
“We want to win matches. We didn’t go to the U.S. to have an experience. We went there to increase our [experience], to play the World Cup. But we are there to win matches, to compete. The way to compete is maximizing resources, but we need to maximize the best group of players that they can be together.”
Jesús Pérez, right, addresses the USMNT during training in September 2025John Dorton / ISI Photos / USSF / Getty Images
That process hasn’t come without pain. The staff brought in numerous new faces and left out several regulars in a bid to increase competition and eliminate complacency. But the results that build belief in the process haven’t always been there. Pérez said there is still real conviction they have taken the right approach.
The staff seems to have unlocked something in their move to a hybrid back line that shifts from a three- to four-man look and utilizes wingbacks, a position of strength in the pool. They were also able to truly manufacture competition in a pool where it has often seemed obvious who the best players are.
“There are different ways to win matches, obviously we have our preference, but as Mauricio always says, we adapt to the players’ qualities and to the player’s state, and we are not a slave of one way or another,” Pérez said. “At the end of the day, the principles of the games are there. … But none of them are going to be right if you are not fully committed. Fully committed with no doubts. And that’s the basics. So before we talk (about) other things, we [must] feel that we have a group really committed. And if it was some noise around those circumstances, I think everything (is now) clear.”
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With time winding down toward the World Cup, and with yet another camp with numerous key figures missing, Pérez said the coaches are confident they’ve gone through the right process to find the players they trust. That was part of why they spent so much time calling in new faces and looking at options beyond the previous core.
“We know exactly the big group of players that we can rely on,” Pérez said. “Depending on the circumstances, now it’s a matter of state and injuries. But we know (for example), if we call Alex Freeman, what Alex can give us. When we gave him the opportunity, we saw the potential. And now (he is) just getting better for the national team, for his club. But if we need to call Nathan Harriel, that probably has played less with us, we know him very well (too).”
Each player — and there have been 71 called into camp since Pochettino took over — has added value in working toward the end goal, Pérez insisted.
“That’s the biggest asset of the group,” he said. “That we are going to feel bad and sorry for the guys that probably at the end, they can’t make it, but we will give (them) credit and value for what they did for us and for the group, because without them, we couldn’t have the final group.”
For Pérez, that part of the process is critical to team-building. And delegating credit in the name of group success – that’s just part of Pérez’s process.
Jack Pitt-Brooke contributed reporting to this story.
2026 World Cup ticket prices jump; FIFA targets knockout rounds, USMNT games, cohosts
Chris Tanouye / FIFA / Getty Images By Henry Bushnell Nov. 12, 2025
FIFA hiked ticket prices for dozens of 2026 World Cup games ahead of the second phase of sales, which began Wednesday. The initial prices, described last month by fan groups as “super high,” “astonishing” and “unacceptable,” were already multiple times higher than those at previous World Cups. But, sensing strong demand, FIFA raised the cost of many tickets to new record-setting heights — the first large-scale implementation of its “variable pricing” strategy. The price of a Category 1 ticket to the 2026 World Cup final, the most expensive non-hospitality ticket, jumped from $6,730 last month to over $7,000 this month, according to multiple fans who gained access to pricing data. The cost of upper-deck tickets to the final also rose, with most now priced at $5,055 (up from $4,210 last month) or $3,450 (up from $2,790). Prices for many group stage games in the United States stayed stagnant. But tickets for the games in Mexico and Canada, which generally sold quicker in last month’s “Visa Presale” phase, got more expensive across the board, with some prices rising by around 25%, according to screenshots and data seen by The Athletic.
And in the knockout rounds, prices for every single match jumped in at least one category. For the first semifinal at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, a Category 1 ticket now costs $3,295 (up from $2,780 at the start of the previous phase). A Category 2 ticket is $2,350 (up from $1,920) and a Category 3 ticket is $930 (up from $720).In most stadiums, according to color-coded maps embedded in FIFA’s ticketing portal, Category 1 encompasses the entire lower bowl and most or all of the second deck. Category 2 is predominantly the upper deck along the sidelines, while Category 3 is the upper deck above either goal. Category 4 tickets appear to be extremely scarce — confined to the upper portion of a few corner sections in the upper decks of stadiums. (Fans buy tickets by category, and FIFA assigns the exact section, row and seat closer to the start of the tournament.)
FIFA has not said how many tickets are available in each category. In fact, soccer’s global governing body has not communicated pricing details to the general public at all, as it did ahead of pastWorldCups. It has tightly guarded prices, and hasn’t made executives available for interviews. It even refused to reveal prices to fans who bought the “right to buy” tickets and clamored for the transparency they’d been promised.
But on Wednesday, the ticket portal opened to a random selection of fans in the U.S., Canada and Mexico. They’d entered FIFA’s second lottery, the “early ticket draw,” and won the opportunity to purchase tickets to World Cup games in their country during a so-called “domestic exclusivity period.”
After hours-long waits in digital queues, they saw and helped reveal prices. Among the other matches subject to price hikes were:
The World Cup opener at Mexico City’s Estadio Azteca
Canada’s opener at BMO Field in Toronto
Games in Toronto, Vancouver, Mexico City, Monterrey and Guadalajara
The U.S. men’s national team’s second game, at Lumen Field in Seattle
The U.S. men’s national team’s third game, at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, Calif.
Every game from the round of 16 onward
Prices for the U.S. opener at SoFi Stadium did not change — perhaps because those tickets did not sell as quick as others in the first sales phase. On Wednesday, they were still listed at:
Category 1: $2,735
Category 2: $1,940
Category 3: $1,120
Category 4: $560
But for the USMNT’s game in Seattle on June 19, they rose by 13% in Category 1, 16% in Category 2 and 22% in Category 3, to:
Category 1: $605
Category 2: $470
Category 3: $225
Category 4: $90
Prices also rose for the USMNT’s third game, to:
Category 1: $910 (up 13%)
Category 2: $750 (up 24%)
Category 3: $340 (up 21%)
Category 4: $140
A full list of updated prices — and, in parentheses, the percentage increase compared to initial Oct. 1 prices — is below.
Every 2026 World Cup ticket price (as of Nov. 12)
Most of the following list has been sourced from screenshots and screen recordings of FIFA’s ticketing portal, plus other individual prices sent by fans to The Athletic.
Some of the numbers — including the $7,875 price tag for a Category 1 ticket to the final — have not been independently confirmed with 100% certainty, but everything seen by The Athletic on Wednesday aligned with a full list compiled by a fan that circulated Tuesday in online communities. (The fan told The Athletic they wished to remain anonymous.)
Some of the prices also vary slightly by currency. On Wednesday, games in Mexico were only offered to fans in Mexico, and the prices they saw were therefore in Mexican pesos. Ditto for games in Canada and Canadian dollars. The Athletic, though, has chosen to publish the prices in U.S. dollars that FIFA is offering this week to fans in the U.S. and elsewhere — which are always rounded to “0”s or “5”s.
2026 World Cup Ticket Prices Group Stage
Mexico opener (CDMX)
$2,140 (+17%)
$1,550 (+20%)
$925 (+24%)
$370
Canada opener (TOR)
$1,970 (+13%)
$1,430 (+15%)
$845 (+18%)
$355
U.S. opener (LA)
$2,735
$1,940
$1,120
$560
Group stage (LA, SF, NYNJ)*
$620
$465-500
$215
$60-105
Group stage (TOR)*
$505-525
$390-405
$185-195
$60-75
Group stage (PHI, MIA, DAL)
$445
$335-385
$155
$60-75
Group stage (VAN)*
$440 (+7%)
$375 (+21%)
$155 (+11%)
$60-70
Group stage (BOS, ATL, HOU, KC, SEA, GDL)*
$405-415
$300-330
$140-160
$60-70
Group stage (MTY)
$390 (+13%)
$285-325
$135-145
$60
Canada Game 2 and 3 (VAN)
$540 (+14%)
$455 (+28%)
$195 (+18%)
$80
U.S. Game 2 (SEA)
$605 (+13%)
$470 (+16%)
$225 (+22%)
$90
U.S. Game 3 (LA)
$910 (+13%)
$750 (+24%)
$340 (+21%)
$140
Mexico Game 2 (GDL)
$525 (+18%)
$405 (+21%)
$195 (+26%)
$75
Mexico Game 3 (CDMX)
$630 (+18%)
$490 (+21%)
$230 (+24%)
$90
*Excluding games involving host nation
2026 World Cup Ticket Prices Knockout
Round of 32 – LA – June 28
$750 (+13%)
$575 (+15%)
$290 (+21%)
$185
Round of 32 – BOS- June 29
$470 (+7%)
$390 (+16%)
$180 (+13%)
$125
Round of 32 – MTY – June 29
$400 (+8%)
$305 (+9%)
$150 (+11%)
$105
Round of 32 – HOU – June 29
$440
$355 (+6%)
$160
$125
Round of 32 – NYNJ – June 30
$715 (+8%)
$580 (+16%)
$265 (+10%)
$185
Round of 32 – DAL – June 30
$480
$385 (+7%)
$175
$135
Round of 32 – CDMX – June 30
$515 (+17%)
$405 (+21%)
$200 (+25%)
$125
Round of 32 – ATL – July 1
$440
$360 (+7%)
$160
$125
Round of 32 – SF – July 1
$665
$525 (+5%)
$240
$185
Round of 32 – SEA – July 1
$470 (+7%)
$390 (+16%)
$180 (+13%)
$125
Round of 32 – TOR – July 2
$545 (+14%)
$415 (+15%)
210 (+20%)
$135
Round of 32 – LA – July 2
$665
$530 (+6%)
$240
$185
Round of 32 – VAN – July 2
$500 (+14%)
$430 (+28%)
190 (+19%)
$125
Round of 32 – MIA – July 3
$505 (+5%)
$405 (+13%)
$175
$135
Round of 32 – KC – July 3
$470 (+7%)
$385 (+15%)
$180 (+13%)
$125
Round of 32 – DAL – July 3
$515 (+7%)
$420 (+17%)
$195 (+11%)
$135
Round of 16 – PHI – July 4
$760 (+19%)
$560 (+15%)
$290 (+21%)
$185
Round of 16 – HOU – July 4
$620 (+5%)
$505 (+12%)
$220
$170
Round of 16 – NYNJ – July 5
$980 (+10%)
$785 (+16%)
$365 (+11%)
$260
Round of 16 – CDMX – July 5
$695 (+18%)
$540 (+20%)
$275 (+25%)
$170
Round of 16 – DAL – July 6
$640
$515 (+6%)
$240
$185
Round of 16 – SEA – July 6
$695 (+18%)
$565 (+26%)
$270 (+23%)
$170
Round of 16 – ATL – July 7
$665 (+13%)
$525 (+17%)
$245 (+11%)
$170
Round of 16 – VAN – July 7
$730 (+24%)
$595 (+32%)
$305 (+39%)
$170
Quarterfinal – BOS – July 9
$1,270 (+13%)
$890 (+16%)
$590 (+22%)
$275
Quarterfinal – LA – July 10
$1,775 (+5%)
$1,220 (+6%)
$800 (+10%)
$410
Quarterfinal – MIA – July 11
$1,375 (+13%)
$955 (+15%)
$635 (+21%)
$295
Quarterfinal – KC – July 11
$1,265 (+12%)
$940 (+23%)
$535 (+10%)
$275
Semifinal – DAL – July 14
$3,295 (+19%)
$2,350 (+22%)
$930 (+29%)
$455
Semifinal – ATL – July 15
$2,895 (+13%)
$2,185 (+23%)
$780 (+18%)
$420
Third place – MIA – July 18
$1,070 (+7%)
$825 (+15%)
$395 (+10%)
$165
Final – NYNJ – July 19
$7,875 (+24%)
$5,055 (+20%)
$3,450 (+24%)
$2,030
Most other tickets, at this stage, are still for matches between unknown teams. Most matchups and game locations will be determined on Dec. 5 at the World Cup draw and shortly thereafter when FIFA sets the schedule.
Soon after that, FIFA will open a third ticket lottery phase, and its variable pricing strategy will likely kick in again.
Wow I slip off to Jacksonville for 1 weekend for a little Family Reunion and Football and the Carmel High Boys and Girls go off and make the Finals for the State Championship in Soccer and the Boys win it all. Huge congrats to Shane Schmidt and the Carmel High School boys on his first State Championship and the programs 4th overall State Championship after winning the final over defending Champ Harrison 3-1 last weekend. CHS Boys State Final Video
The Carmel Girls also wrapped up a fantastic season in new coach John Simmonds and Carmel FC Asst Coach Carla Baker’s first season back charge as they made the Finals losing a heartbreaker to the HSE Girls 1-0 on Saturday at The Mike. Again congrats to both teams along with the Guerin High Catholic Boys who won State on PKs .
Cool to see Sir David Beckham – Current GM of Inter Miami — get knighted this week in England. His Miami of course hosts Nashville in the crucial Final Game 3 Sat night at 8 pm on Apple TV in Miami to see who advances. Cincy hosts Columbus in Hell is Real Final at 6 pm on Apple TV and Amazon Prime, while Minn United hosts game 3 and my Seattle Sounders at 4 pm on Prime & Apple TV.
Sat, Nov 8 7:30 am USA Tottenham vs Man United |9:30 am ESPN+ Union Berlin vs Bayern Munich 9:45 am FS2 US U17B vs Tajikstan U17B World Cup 10 am USA Everton vs Fulham 12 noon Paar+ Juventus (McKinney) vs Torino 12 noon CBS Washington Spirit vs Racing Louisville NWSL PLAYOFFS 12:30 pm NBC Sunderland vs Arsenal 2:45 pm Para+ Parma vs AC Milan (Pulisic) 3 pm NBC Chelsea vs Wolverhampton 4 pm Apple TV Minn United vs Seattle Game 3 Playoffs 6 pm Apple TV Cincy vs Columbus Game 3 Playoffs 8 pm Apple TV Miami vs Nashville Game 3 Playoffs Sun, Nov 9 9 am Peacock Crystal Palace (Richards) vs Brighton 9 am USA Aston Villa vs Bournmouth (Adams) 11:30 USA Man City vs Liverpool 12:30 ABC KC Current vs NY Gotham FC NWSL Playoffs 3 pm ABC Portland Thorns vs San Diego Wave NWSL 3 pm ESPN+ Celta Vigo vs Barcelona 2:45 pm Para+ Inter Milan vs Lazio 9 pm Apple TV San Diego vs Portland Game 1 Playoff R2 Wed, Nov 12 12:45 pm CBS SN Bayern vs Arsenal UEFA Womens UCL 3 pm ESPN+ Man United (US GK) vs PSG UEFA Womens UCL 3 pm CBS SN Atletico Madrid vs Juventus UEFA Womens UCL Thurs, Nov 13 11 am ESPN+ Nigeria vs Gabon WCQ 12 noon FS2 Azerbaijan vs Iceland WCQ 2 pm ESPN+ Cameron vs Congo WCQ 2:45 pm FS2 France vs Ukraine WCQ 2:45 pm ?? England vs Serbia WCQ 5 pm CBSSN Surinam vs El Salvador WCQ 7 pm CBS SN T&T vs Jamaica WCQ 7:30 pm FS2 Canada vs Ecuador Friendly 9 pm CBS SN Haiti vs Costa Rica WCQ Fri, Nov 14 9:45 am FS+, TUDN Argentina U17 vs Mexico U17 World Cup 10:45 am Telemundo US U17 vs Morocco U17 World Cup 2:45 pm fubu? Poland vs Netherlands WCQ 2:45 pm FS2 Luxembourg vs Germany WCQ Sat, Nov 15 9 am FS1 Kazakhastan vs Belgium WCQ 12 noon CBS Washington Spirit (Rodman) vs Portland Thorns NWSL Playoffs 12 noon? Georgia vs Spain WCQ 2:45 pm FS2 Greece vs Scotland WCQ 2:45 pm ? Switzerland vs Sweden WCQ 5 pm TNT, Max USA Men vs Paraguay Chester PA 8 pm TUDN, Univision Mexico vs Uruguay Sun, Nov 16 7 am ESPN2 Liverpool vs Chelsea FC Womens Superleague 9 am FS1 Hungary vs Ireland WCQ 9 am FS2 Portugal vs Armenia WCQ 12 noon FS2 Azerbaijan vs France WCQ 12 noon ?? Albania vs England WCQ 2:45 pm FS1 Italy vs Norway WCQ 3 pm ABC Orlando Pride vs NY Gothem FC NWSL Playoffs Mon, Nov 17 12 noon FS2 Finland vs Andorra WCQ 2:45 pm FS2 Germany vs Slovakia WCQ Tues, Nov 18 2:45 pm FS2 Belgium vs Liechhtenstein WCQ 4 pm ?? Canada vs Venezuela 7 pmTNT, Max USA Men vs Uruguay Tampa, FL 8:30 pm Univision Mexico vs Paraguay Weds, Nov 19 12:45 pm ESPN+ Juventus vs OL Lyonnes (Heaps) Women’s UCL 12:45 pm CBSSN Wolfsburg vs Man United Women’s (GK Joyce) UCL 3 pm CBSSN Arsenal vs Real Madrid Women’s UCL Thurs, Nov 20 12:45 pm CBSSN Twente vs Atletico Madrid Women’s UCL 3 pm CBSSN PSG vs Bayern Munich Women’s UCL 3 pm ESPN+ Chelsea vs Barcelona Women’s UCL Sat, Nov 22 7:30 am USA Burnley vs Chelsea 9:30 am ESPN+ Heidenheim vs Mgladbach (Reyna & Scally) 9:30 am ESPN+ Bayern Munich vs Freiburg 9:30 am ESPN+ Wolfsburg vs Bayer Leverkusen (Tilman) 10 am USA Bournmouth (Adams) vs West Ham United 10 am Peacock Wolverhampton vs Crystal Palace (Richards) 10 am Pk Liverpool vs Nottingham Forest 10:15 AM ESPN+ Barcelona vs Athletic Club 12 noon Para+ Juventus (McKinny) vs Fiorentina 12:30 pm NBC New Castle vs Man United 8 pm CBS NWSL CHAMPIONSHIP 9:30 pm Apple TV Vancouver vs LAFC MLS Playoffs
US Players on TV
Friday
Charlotte v NYCFC – 7p on MLS Season Pass: Matt Freese has yet to give up a goal in regulation but his NYCFC side are tied in the best of three series with Tim Ream and Charlotte after the second match was scoreless for 90’ and went to a penalty shootout which Charlotte won to draw even in the series, 1-1. The rubber match will be played on Friday night with the winner advancing to face the waiting Philadelphia Union.
Saturday
Bayer Leverkusen v Heidenheim – 9:30a on ESPN Select: Malik Tillman returned midweek to play 33’ in Bayer Leverkusen’s 1-0 win over Benfica in Champions League play. Tillman had been out since mid-October and was not included in the November call-ups but it is good to see him getting back on the field for Leverkusen.
Middlesbrough v Birmingham City – 10a on Paramount+: Aidan Morris started and played the full 90’ for Middlesbrough as they drew with Leicester last weekend. The result extends a three match slide for Middlesbrough who remain in the top three of the table but are now five points back of league leading Coventry City. On Saturday they will face a Birmingham City side that are in ninth place, just two points out of the promotion playoff positions.
Stoke City v Coventry City – 10a on CBSSN: Haji Wright notched his first assist of the season on Tuesday as Coventry City handled Sheffield United 3-1, maintaining their three point lead for first place in the English Championship. Coventry will now travel to Stoke City to take on the second place team who are currently on a three match win streak.
Norwich City v Leicester City – 10a on Paramount+: Josh Sargent also picked up an assist midweek against a Sheffield side as Norwich snapped a six game losing streak but settled for a draw with Sheffield Wednesday. After starting the season with at least a goal in his first four matches Sargent has yet to find the back of the net again in the past ten though he has assisted twice. Norwich are winless in that same streak and currently sit in the bottom three with just nine points through fourteen matches. Norwich will try to get back into the win column against a Leicester City side that are also winless in their last five matches and are currently 13th in the table.
Olympique Marseille v Brest – 11a on beIN Sports: Tim Weah has missed the past two matches for Marseille and was not included in the USMNT November squad though he was spotted at Marseille training in the team socials so is perhaps nearing a return.
Juventus v Torino – Noon on Paramount+: Weston McKennie was also left off the November squad with Pochettino saying he would like to give McKennie the opportunity to remain in Italy to train with his new club manager. McKennie has started his first two matches under Spalletti including last weekend’s 2-1 win over Cremonese and Tuesday’s 1-1 draw with Sporting in Champions League action.
Borussia Monchengladbach v Koln – 12:30p on ESPN Select: Joe Scally and Gio Reyna have been called in for the November camp though it sounds like the expectations for Reyna are more that he would get to interact with the staff than that he will see extended playing time. On Saturday they will face Kristoffer Lund who was not called into the November camp though he has been starting regularly for Koln. Koln defeated Hamburg last weekend and are currently in seventh place while Gladbach finally picked up their first win of the Bundesliga season, defeating St Pauli 4-1.
Parma v AC Milan – 2:45p on Paramount+: Christian Pulisic is among the injured players who will be missing out on the November camp but he is reportedly available for AC Milan this weekend as they travel to Parma. Pulisic has missed the past four matches but Milan have stayed afloat during that time with two wins and two draws, they currently sit a point back of league leading Napoli and are tied with both Inter Milan and Roma on twenty-one points.
Minnesota United v Seattle Sounders – 4p on MLS Season Pass: Cristian Roldan and the Seattle Sounders defeated Minnesota United 4-2 in the second match of the best of three series and will now return to Minnesota where the two teams played to a scoreless draw before Minnesota won the match in penalties.
Cincinnati v Columbus Crew – 6p on MLS Season Pass: Miles Robinson and second seeded Cincinnati were thumped by Max Arfsten, Sean Zawadzki Patrick Schulte, and the Columbus Crew 4-0 in the second match of their series and will look to get things turned back around at home on Saturday to take the series in the hotly contested in state rivalry.
Sunday
Crystal Palace v Brighton & Hove Albion – 9a on Peacock: Chris Richards and Crystal Palace defeated Brentford last weekend. Richards has started every league match for Palace this season but there has been a bit of criticism from the club over his usage with the national team and he was left off the squad for November.
Aston Villa v Bournemouth – 9a on USA Network: Tyler Adams will be in the squad this November after missing the October window for the birth of his second child. Adams scored his first EPL goal last weekend but Bournemouth fell to Manchester City 3-1 last weekend, falling to fifth place in the league table.
Nottingham Forest v Leeds United – 9a on Peacock: Brenden Aaronson and Leeds United fell to Brighton & Hove Albion last weekend and now have another relegation scrap at Nottingham Forest on Sunday morning. Aaronson has started the past seven matches for Leeds who are currently four points out of the relegation spots and five points ahead of Forest.
Lorient v Toulouse – 9a on beIN Sports: Mark McKenzie’s Toulouse will travel to Lorient on Sunday. McKenzie was not included in the squad last weekend as Toulouse played to a scoreless draw with Le Havre but he was included in the November squad list.
AZ v PSV – 10:45a on ESPN Select: Ricardo Pepi came on as a sub midweek and pulled PSV level with Olympiacos as the teams played to a 1-1 draw in Champions League action. Pepi has been come off the bench since returning from injury but he has three goals in his last four matches, including two in Champions League action which may get him more time. Sergino Dest has been a regular starter for the Dutch side that is currently level with Feyenoord for first place and will be facing third place AZ on Sunday.
Stuttgart v Augsburg – 11:30a on ESPN Select: Noahkai Banks remained in the starting lineup for Augsburg a week after giving up six goals to RB Leipzig. The performance last weekend was much more respectable but his side still fell to Borussia Dortmund, 1-0. Augsburg are in fourteenth place and will have their third straight match against a top five opponent when they face fourth place Stuttgart this weekend.
Eintracht Frankfurt v Mainz – 1:30p on ESPN Select: Lennard Maloney got his first start of the season for Mainz last weekend, lining up as a centerback as the team drew with Werder Bremen 1-1, snapping a four match losing streak.
Olympique Lyon v PSG – 2:45p on beIN Sports: Tanner Tessmann has come off the bench in Lyon’s last two league matches but has been starting in Europa League for the team, including Thursday’s 2-0 loss to Real Betis. Lyon have drawn their last two league matches, falling to sixth place, and now host league leading Paris Saint-Germain who are four points ahead of them.
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NWSL playoffs preview: How can each team win it all?
Jeff KassoufNov 6, 2025, 12:42 PM ET
The 2025 NWSL playoffs are here and just like in the regular season, everyone is chasing the Kansas City Current after the Shield-winners’ historic season. Kansas City is the undeniable favorite to win the NWSL Championship on Nov. 22, but historically, the NWSL has been anything but predictable.
Could one of the other seven teams go on a run for a few weeks and lift the trophy? Of course? Will they? Well… here’s why each team will — and won’t — win the NWSL Championship.
Next game: at KC Current, Nov. 9, 12:30 p.m. ET, ABC/ESPN
Why they will win: Talent and tactics. Gotham is not your average No. 8 seed. This is a team that should have finished higher up the table, but laid an egg on Decision Day. Still, Gotham is loaded with championship-caliber talent: little over a month ago, they were lighting up the league with new arrival Jaedyn Shaw joining the healthy, in-form Rose Lavelle and the workhorse Jaedyn Shaw.
If Esther González, with her 13 regular-season goals, is healthy, she has proven capable of carrying the team throughout the season.
Why they won’t win: Defensive lapses. Only Kansas City conceded fewer goals than Gotham’s 25 this season, granted, but the way in which Gotham has conceded goals is something Kansas City could feast on. Gotham endured self-inflicted mistakes trying to play out of the back in Sunday’s loss to North Carolina, and that’s exactly what happened the first time that Gotham and Kansas City met in June, when the Current took the lead three minutes into the match.
Next game: at Washington Spirit, Nov. 8, 12 p.m. ET, CBS/Paramount+
Why they will win: A gritty identity. Louisville can play a direct, purposeful style of play and punish teams on counterattacks thanks largely to forward Emma Sears. Their 41% average possession ranks dead last in the league, per TruMedia, but they produced 35 goals and 10 wins from that. It’s the type of soccer that won’t always win award, but can be very effective over a 90-minute knockout game. And maybe — just maybe — their postseason naivete could play to their advantage like it did for, say, the 2016 Western New York Flash.
Why they won’t win: Late-game management. Louisville had a propensity to drop points late in games far too often this season, which left them to fight for a playoff berth until the final moments of Decision Day instead of trying to host a playoff game. That trend could creep back up on an inexperienced squad playing in the franchise’s first playoff game — and in one of the most hostile environments in the league.
Next game: at Portland Thorns, Nov. 9, 3 p.m. ET, ABC/ESPN
Why they will win: They grab hold of the game. San Diego kept the ball more than any other team in the regular season — 59.4% per TruMedia, over 6% more than next-closest Gotham FC — and that allowed the Wave to frequently dictate the flow of games. The Wave served up another taste of that in the first half of Sunday’s loss to Kansas City when they jumped out to an early lead.
The French connection of Kenza Dali and Delphine Cascarino remains electric, and they could be the difference-makers.
Why they won’t win: Inconsistent final product. Their possession game is great, but too often this season, San Diego has failed to muster enough in the final third. The Wave’s run of four straight games without a goal just after the summer break was the worst of the stretches.
They came alive, finally, in a 6-1 win against the Chicago Stars on Oct. 18, but that game was an anomaly — and with all due respect, Chicago is not Portland nor any other playoff team. If San Diego needs to chase this game at Providence Park or another should they advance, that could spell trouble.
Next game: at Orlando Pride, Nov. 7, 8 p.m. ET, Amazon Prime
Why they will win: Experience and resolve. Stay with me through the potential cliches and yes, get your ChatGPT jokes out of the way: Laura Harvey is the winningest coach in league history. Yes, even the all-time great Reign teams she coached came up short in the playoffs, but Harvey and the ageless Jess Fishlock keep finding ways to win (or score) even when the expectations are relatively low. They’ve overachieved this year, and they are certainly capable of making Orlando sweat.
Why they won’t win: They don’t score enough. Seattle’s 32 goals scored this regular season tied with the last-place Chicago Stars and ranks worst among all playoff teams. What’s worse is that, per TruMedia, the Reign over-performed from 25.19 expected goals — the worst mark in the league. Their 162 chances created also ranks last in the NWSL this season. Seattle managed to grind out results this season, none more impressive than handing Kansas City one of its three losses in an early-season meeting.
Next game: vs. Seattle Reign, Nov. 7, 8 p.m. ET, Amazon Prime
Why they will win: It’s all finally clicking. Orlando was never going to repeat last year’s near-invincible double-trophy season. Orlando is also than their mid-season slump suggested. The Pride enter the playoffs on a five-game unbeaten streak highlighted by a big 3-2 road win over the Spirit in a rematch of last year’s final.
What made Orlando great last year is that everyone on the roster was playing to their utmost potential, even the role players who don’t get the spotlight. That theme has returned in this late-season peak, with Carson Pickett, Kerri Abello and Haley McCutcheon among those scoring or creating goals. Timing is everything, and the Pride might feel that it is on their side.
Why they won’t win: They’re trapped on the wrong side of the bracket. Orlando’s path to a repeat NWSL Championship starts with a scheduling oddity and a trap game: a rematch of Sunday’s regular-season finale with Seattle. That 1-1 draw was a toss-up much like Friday’s quarterfinal will be, and whoever wins on Friday will likely have to go to Kansas City for a semifinal.
The odds are not with either team there, and while Orlando has been more productive than Seattle, the Pride still sit middle of the pack in the NWSL this year in chance creation and expected goals.
Next game: vs. San Diego Wave, Nov. 9, 3 p.m. ET, ABC/ESPN
Olivia Moultrie: I can’t wait to continue my journey with the Portland Thorns
USWNT’s Olivia Moultrie believes signing a contract extension with the Portland Thorns is the right decision at this stage in her career.
Why they will win: They own the midfield. Well, they will win if they can own the midfield. Sam Coffey, Olivia Moultrie and Jessie Fleming are perfectly capable of that. All three have been influential in Portland’s steady late-season form, and Coffey is one of the best midfielders in the league. They have their work cut out for them against fellow Midfielder of the Year candidate Kenza Dali and the dynamic Gia Corley.
This quarterfinal will be won and lost in midfield and the Thorns should have a raucous Providence Park crowd behind them.
Why they won’t win: A disconnect reemerges. The early-season Thorns suffered from the same issues as the 2024 Thorns: inconsistency and incongruity. They’ve largely shaken that off over the past month or two to hit their stride, but the issue of players being out of sync has popped up sporadically over these past two seasons. Largely, individuals have carried them through those stretches, whether Sophia Wilson last season or Coffey or Moultrie this year.
San Diego is well organized — not to mention a stacked Spirit team potentially awaiting in a semifinal — and could force the Thorns to stray from their identity.
Next game: vs. Racing Louisville, Nov. 8, 12 p.m. ET, CBS/Paramount+
Why they will win: Consistency. The Spirit have quietly marched through the season in Kansas City’s shadow, but player for player, they feel like they can stack up with the league’s best — as forward Trinity Rodman recently said. When healthy, the Spirit has the offensive firepower to match Kansas City, and the central combination of Esme Morgan and Tara McKeown has largely been up to the task.
Much like last year, when the Spirit sat in the shadow of Orlando’s dominance, Washington is the best team nobody is talking about.
Why they won’t win: Mounting injury concerns. Washington had nothing to play for on Decision Day and smartly opted to rest players, but the sight of only three healthy field players on the bench — with two goalkeepers named just to have a legal roster — underscored some of the injury concerns for Kansas City’s most legitimate challenger. All eyes are on forward Trinity Rodman and whether she returns from her sprained MCL, but how close to 100% will Croix Bethune and Leicy Santos be, just to name two other major players?
Rodman, especially, had to labor through the pain during last year’s playoffs. She and some teammates will have to do the same again this year.
No. 1 seed Kansas City Current
Next game: vs. Gotham FC, Nov. 9, 12:30 p.m. ET, ABC/ESPN
Why they will win: They are unstoppable. This is the best team in NWSL history. Kansas City set records for wins (21), points (65), goals against (13) and shutouts (16). The Current are richly deep in talent in their front six, from the steady Lo’eau LaBonta to the flashy Debinha, and they punish teams ruthlessly and quickly on the counterattack. They control games out of possession better than any team since the 2018 North Carolina Courage, and this year, they’ve had the defense (for a full season) to back up their attack.
By all logic, this team should beat any opponent and lift the trophy on Nov. 22.
Why they won’t win: If Chawinga isn’t healthy… Finding faults with Kansas City, who only lost three times all season, feels like splitting hairs. But one major question is the adductor injury to back-to-back NWSL Golden Boot winner Temwa Chawinga, who is day-to-day and missed Sunday’s game, two weeks after sustaining the injury.
The sample size is small to evaluate Kansas City’s games without Chawinga, but the Current are less productive (see: 1-0 loss to Houston last month) and less unpredictable, as Sunday showed. And what if Bia Zaneratto, who left Sunday’s game injured, is also unavailable?
For Nashville, Inter Miami, decisive playoff game adds chapter to intertwined history
In a weird way, Nashville SC and Inter Miami have a lot of shared history.
The clubs entered MLS in the same year, 2020. Expansion draft and other roster building mechanisms were simultaneous. The way the clubs have operated is much different. There was the glamor of Miami — long before Lionel Messi joined — and then the defensive-minded Nashville, who went about their business a bit more quietly.
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Both have had plenty of success in their first six seasons, sometimes at the expense of the other.
Nashville and Miami played their first playoff match against each other in 2020 (Nashville won). There was a U.S. Open Cup round of 16 game in 2023 (Miami won) and then, the big one, an electric Leagues Cup final that went to penalties in 2023. Miami won, with Messi delivering his first trophy to Miami merely a month after debuting.
Miami beat Nashville in the Concacaf Champions Cup the following year and now, these two teams are together again, facing a win-or-go-home playoff match on Saturday with Nashville looking to extend its season and send the league’s most expensive roster home with another playoff disaster.
“It does feel like there’s this yin and yang type of thing, we keep matching up against Miami in these big moments,” Nashville midfielder Alex Muyl told The Athletic. “It’s interesting. … The real rivalry grows in these moments in big games. There’s just history and high stakes between the teams, fate has put us in these positions to play really meaningful games against them.”
Lionel Messi and Inter Miami split the first two playoff games vs. Nashville SCSteve Roberts / Imagn Images
Miami took the playoff opener handily, but then Nashville mostly dominated Game 2 to set up a decisive finale back in South Florida.
There isn’t a whole lot of new preparation for Nashville to do, even with Luis Suárez suspended. This is the fourth match in a row these two teams will play against each other, as they happened to play on the final day of the regular season too.
Added Muyl: “It’s strange, but honestly, playing Miami this many times is amazing. Playing Miami has always felt like such an anomaly and a different kind of game because of everything around the game. When it comes up on the calendar, you kind of have to adjust. But when you play them four times, it feels normal. You tune out the other parts.”
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Nashville may not be taking the bait, but the stakes for Miami as a whole are significant. And as it relates to Messi, he is staring down the potential of what would be just the second trophyless season in his career.
In 20 of his 21 previous professional seasons — and in all 20 uninterrupted by COVID-19 — Messi won at least one team trophy. In 14 of those 20 seasons, he won two or more.
“I don’t think anyone in Nashville knew that statistic,” Maher said with a laugh. “That has not been talked about.”
Striker Sam Surridge (9) has given Nashville SC plenty to celebrate in 2025Matthew Maxey / Icon Sportswire / Getty Images
Inside Nashville’s locker room, it’s only about them, not the opponent. They will gladly deflect questions about Miami and Messi. It’s a club that has long embraced an underdog mentality and a hardworking, gritty ethos even as it exploded with its best attacking season in its brief history this year, paced by Sam Surridge (24 goals, five assists) and Hany Mukhtar (16 goals, 12 assists).
“What we’re building here is not a one-year thing,” Maher said. “We’re looking forward and we expect to win, that’s what (head coach) B.J. (Callaghan) has brought to the team. Every time we step on the field, we expect to win.”
Nashville already won its first trophy in club history this year, lifting the U.S. Open Cup on October 1. It was a special night, but the team immediately got on a plane and started preparing for a weekend match a few days later in Montréal. There hasn’t been much time to bask in that celebration. Nashville hopes there’s one more in 2025.
“I don’t know if any of us have really allowed the Open Cup to settle in yet as a team,” Maher said. “I don’t know if words can describe how special a moment was for us, but we want to celebrate two trophies at the end of the year, not one.”
The experimentation was largely supposed to be over.
With just two windows left until the U.S. men’s national team’s pre-World Cup camp, manager Mauricio Pochettino was narrowing in on the players that would be part of a home tournament. The roster changes and new names were expected to fade away.
But the uncontrollable realities of sport tend to get in the way of idealism.
November’s U.S. roster will be without several regulars: Christian Pulisic, Tim Weah, Weston McKennie, Malik Tillman and Antonee Robinson were left off the team. So, too, was Chris Richards, whose absence comes at the culmination of a running war of words between his club coach, Oliver Glasner, and Pochettino. Several others who have been a part of the last two cycles – Yunus Musah, Matt Turner and Johnny Cardoso – were also out of Pochettino’s squad.
Those absences have undoubtedly opened the door for other players to make an impression. But it speaks to the difficulty of national team management. For as little time as Pochettino and his staff have had to build their team and their identity, they are also at the whims of the sport in the form of injury and other influences.
Pulisic was missing because he has been sidelined due to a low-grade hamstring tear suffered last month in a friendly against Australia. He is expected to play this weekend for AC Milan, but it will be his first minutes back on the field since October 14.
“It’s common sense not to call a player that maybe is coming from … a small issue,” Pochettino said. “It’s to provide him the possibility to recover 100%, be full and be ready to play after the international duty with his team. That is common sense. We never risk players.”
Tillman (hamstring), Weah (thigh), Richards (calf), Cardoso (ankle) and Robinson (knee) are also absent for this camp due to injury or the need for rest. Richards played Thursday for Crystal Palace in the Europa League, but Pochettino said the center back deserved a chance to rest and recover.
“We had a lot of discussion about that, but I think the priority always needs to be the player,” Pochettino said. “After the camp in Denver, I think we decided not to call (him). We already know his leadership on the team, but I think the most important thing now is to provide him the possibility to play, to recover in his club, and not to take risk.”
U.S. center back Chris Richards and Crystal Palace manager Oliver GlasnerSebastian Frej / Getty Images
Richards was at the center of some debate after Glasner, the Crystal Palace coach, seemed to take issue with the U.S. playing Richards in both games last month despite the calf issue. It was an interesting take especially considering that the center back went the full 90 minutes for Palace in all four games leading into the international break and went the full 90 in the first game back from it.
Pochettino pushed back on the idea that he and his staff ever jeopardize their players, both in a TalkSport interview published Thursday and then again in his comments following his roster reveal.
“I am very disappointed with Oliver because we always respect and we as the coaching staff respect the player and we respect the clubs,” Pochettino said in the former. “Our medical area is in contact with all the clubs that we have players at and always we will take the best decision for the player.
“I understand that sometimes coaches can complain about the national team. We’ll see one day if he’s in my position to be a coach in the national team where he can understand this type of situation.”
To be fair to the U.S. coach, there is plenty of evidence available — including in this roster — that he has opted to leave players out if he thinks they would be better off staying at their clubs.
Pochettino continued by reiterating that players know he acts in their best interest, and that because the U.S. did not have World Cup qualifying on its schedule, these friendlies have served as important markers for the team’s development ahead of next summer.
Even with just four games until the pre-World Cup camp in June, the former Tottenham, Chelsea and PSG manager has taken the long-term view with this roster.
While a number of players were left out with injury, one prominent star, McKennie, was left at his club simply to help him keep his place. The midfielder had to work his way into the good graces of manager Igor Tudor to get onto the field at the start of this season, what has become somewhat of an annual tradition at the Italian club. Tudor was fired last week, however, and former Italy coach Luciano Spalletti was hired.
“With a new coach arriving in a new club you can see that Weston is playing all the games,” Pochettino said. “Now, I think these next few weeks, with the possibility for the new coach to work with the players there, and to compete, I think it’s important for Weston to be there and try to convince the coaches that ‘Keep playing me.’ I think it’s more important, that, than maybe to be with us, no? Because we already know what he can provide the team.”
Playing time has been hard to come by for Yunus Musah at AtalantaMarco Luzzani / Getty Images
The message is definitely more concerning for players like Musah and Turner, both starters at the 2022 World Cup, but who find themselves lower in the pecking order under Pochettino. Columbus Crew midfielder Sean Zawadzki was taken over Musah, for example, as the 22-year-old has struggled for minutes at Atalanta.
Among the players who will get a chance to make an impression are Zawadzki, Sebastian Berhalter, Joe Scally, Gio Reyna and Ricardo Pepi, who is returning from an injury that has kept him out of the picture for the U.S. since last November.
Pepi, who scored a stoppage-time equalizer in the Champions League this week for PSV, is an example of the good that can come on the opposite end of Pochettino’s philosophy: players who are coming back from injury and earn a spot back in the national team.
The idea “is to provide a big boost on the motivation for them to keep pushing, keep improving,” Pochettino said. “They need to have the motivation that we care about them. I think that is the most important. When the players are good in here, in their mind, I think it’s important (in helping) to improve the legs and the physical condition. They need to know that they are in the race for the competition and for the place to be in the roster in the World Cup.
“That, for us, is the most important thing. They can play more or less, but the importance here is they need to give their best to try to arrive in the best shape to be like animals and feel really strong to arrive in a competition that is going to be the most important competition for us in the history of the national team.
“That is the idea that we want to translate to them.”
U.S. men’s national team goalkeeper Matt Turner is training with former club Crystal Palace.
The 31-year-old, who is on loan with MLS’s New England Revolution from Lyon through June 2026, is spending time back in London in order to maintain fitness before the November international break next week. The USMNT host friendlies with Paraguay on Saturday, Nov. 15, and Uruguay on Tuesday, Nov. 18.
Turner, who has 52 caps for his country, spent last season on loan at Palace from fellow Premier League side Nottingham Forest, but they opted not to extend his stay, before Lyon paid €8million (£6.74m) to bring him to France. He then moved straight back to MLS prior to the summer transfer deadline in a loan move, with an option to buy.
Turner has been welcomed back to train with Palace after the end of New England’s season, with manager Oliver Glasner saying the goalkeeper had informed him of different rules regarding fixture scheduling and player rest in the U.S. compared to England, given Palace’s issues with congestion.
“He told me there is a law that every player has to have six weeks off. You’re not allowed to train,” Glasner said in his press conference before Palace’s UEFA Conference League game with AZ Alkmaar.
“If you make the finals you struggle with pre-season because players are not allowed to train within six weeks.
Glasner took aim at what he said was about “maximising money” over player welfare regarding scheduling, as Palace face five games in 12 days over December due to their Carabao Cup quarter-final match with Arsenal being scheduled for December 23.
“I would prefer they sit together, talk about it and find the best solution for football, for the players,” he said. “(But) I won’t see this in my managerial career. We have the Club World Cup, the World Cup should be 64 teams, there’s always more and more maximising money.
“Always about maximising it’s not about the welfare of the players or finding what’s best. Everyone is looking at themselves to maximise the money. Now we can say it’s the UEFA schedule. It was clear this week before Christmas that the Conference League is played and it was 99 per cent the English team would play there.
“Why fix the Carabao Cup quarter-final to play then? I just don’t understand it. I think there is a hierarchy in football — UEFA games, Premier League games, then is it FA or EFL or they’re on the same level. Then if it’s a UEFA game you can’t say ‘we’ll play the quarter final (then)’.”
This is an updated version of an article first published in June 2025.
So, arise, Sir David Beckham, and welcome to the small and exclusive band of people from the football industry to receive one of the highest honours in the United Kingdom — a knighthood from the royal family.
The news had originally been announced in June in The Gazette, the official organ of public record, as part of King Charles III’s official birthday honours — one of the two occasions each year when the ruling monarch honours a selection of people for their “significant contributions” to the country.
Beckham, the former England captain and now joint owner of MLS team Inter Miami, took part in an investiture ceremony at Windsor Castle earlier today to make everything official. He was accompanied by his wife, the pop star turned fashion designer, who became Lady Victoria, and his parents Sandra and David.
The wait is finally over for the man she famously christened Goldenballs in his playing days, and whose desire to become a Sir has been depicted at times as almost obsessional.
“I couldn’t be prouder. People know how patriotic I am — I love my country and I’ve always said how important the monarchy is to my family,” said Beckham, who also revealed that King Charles had been impressed with his suit, which had been designed by his wife.
Not everyone will wish to join in the celebrations, bearing in mind the honours system — described by The Gazette as “classes of appointment” to the Order of the British Empire — is regarded by many of its anti-Establishment critics as outdated and elitist and, as such, brings some strong opinions.
“Truly deserved,” writer, author and broadcaster Brian Reade responded on X after the story of Beckham’s knighthood was leaked to the UK’s Sun newspaper in the summer. “Never before has a man scraped and crawled so hard to get three pointless letters stuck in front of his brand name.”
Others, however, will find it hard to begrudge Beckham after a career that took in Manchester United, Real Madrid, LA Galaxy, AC Milan and Paris Saint-Germain (plus a loan spell at Preston North End as a youngster), as well as 115 appearances for England’s national team and some prodigious work for charity, principally Unicef.
Beckham in his pomp as England’s captainStu Forster/ALLSPORT
Now 50, Beckham is the 14th name on a list of football knighthoods (excluding administrators) featuring four former England managers — Walter Winterbottom, Alf Ramsey, Bobby Robson and, most recently, Gareth Southgate — as well as celebrated figures such as Tom Finney, Stanley Matthews and Geoff Hurst.
Charles Clegg, a former England international who became chairman/president of the English Football Association, was the first person from the sport to be knighted, in 1927. It was Kenny Dalglish’s turn in 2018 and, before that, Trevor Brooking in 2004. And the other names on the list mean that Manchester United can now claim to have contributed four knights of the realm — more than any other club.
One was Matt Busby, the manager who led United from the horrors of the 1958 Munich air disaster to winning the European Cup a decade later. Bobby Charlton, who was alongside him during those moments of tragedy and glory, was another. Then, of course, there is Alex Ferguson, whose knighthood was rushed through in 1999 only weeks after he steered United to an unprecedented treble of Champions League, Premier League and FA Cup.
So, how does it all work? And how does the honours committee — a body made up of politicians and senior civil servants — go about informing the relevant people they are under consideration?
With great secrecy, is the short answer.
“You get a few months’ notice,” says Brendan Foster, the former long-distance runner who was knighted in 2020. “An email comes through saying they are minded to give you a knighthood, and asking whether you would want to accept; and you have to keep it a secret, otherwise you’re in trouble.”
Foster celebrates winning a 5,000m race in August 1975Evening Standard/Hulton Archive/Getty Images
Foster, regarded as the voice of British athletics because of his long and distinguished commentary career with the BBC after retiring from the sport, is also the founder of the Great North Run, the largest half-marathon in the world. He received his knighthood from Princess Anne, once an equestrian athlete who had competed with him in Great Britain’s squad at the 1976 Olympic Games, rather than her mother, Queen Elizabeth II.
“You think about the people who have helped you get where you are,” says Foster, recalling his knighthood ceremony. “You think about your parents, your coaches, the guys you trained with and everyone else who helped. But you also think about the country. This is a great country and anybody who accepts the honours is, by definition, saying, ‘I’m proud of the country I live in’.”
Most of the time, the knights-elect receive their insignia at either Buckingham Palace in London or Windsor Castle, when the protocol is to kneel on your right knee while the King, or another member of the royal family, touches your right shoulder, then the left one, with a bare sword blade. For females, the equivalent is to be made a Dame.
After that, it is the individual’s choice whether they want to use their new title. Foster, for example, says he is “50-50” about using ‘Sir’, though he jokes that it comes in handy when he needs to make a restaurant booking.
Ferguson, statistically the most successful manager in British football history, had some misgivings of his own, despite having previously been given an OBE (Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire) and CBE (Commander of the Order of the British Empire) — two of the awards beneath a knighthood in rank — in 1985 and 1995 respectively.
He and his wife were worried about the extra commitments the new title might involve (although there are no special requirements) and how it might look, with them hailing from a working-class background in the Scottish city of Glasgow, to be known as Sir Alex and Lady Cathy.
“I put it to the family,” Ferguson revealed in a 2000 interview with the official Manchester United magazine, “and Cathy was a bit, ‘Oh, I don’t know, what would your father think?’. And my son said, ‘Mum, it’s nothing to do with Dad’s parents. They’re gone. They’d be proud of him — you can’t refuse this, it’s recognition of what he’s done’. We had a discussion and decided it was right.”
In 2020, it was revealed that the number of people refusing an honour was 68 out of 2,504 offered (2.7 per cent), whereas there were only 277 occasions from 1951 to 1999 when somebody took that stance. So the frequency with which people say ‘Thanks, but no thanks’ is going up.
Realistically, though, Beckham’s name was never going to be added to a list that includes singer David Bowie, physicist Professor Stephen Hawking, the ex-Formula One boss Bernie Ecclestone and, on five occasions for various honours including a knighthood, artist LS Lowry.
Sir David and Lady VictoriaHector Vivas/Getty Images
The only awkwardness here is that Beckham, awarded an OBE in the Queen’s birthday list in 2003, will probably never be allowed to forget the controversy in 2017 when leaked emails, from four years earlier, showed his anger about being rejected for a knighthood.
The emails had been hacked from a company associated with his then-representative, Simon Oliveira, and were published by a variety of newspapers, showing him branding the honours committee “unappreciative c**ts” and insisting he didn’t “care about being knighted”. The email exchanges also revealed the UK authorities had concerns over Beckham’s tax affairs.
And now? Nobody should be surprised he has finally got his wish, bearing in mind his career achievements and several other factors that may or may not have counted in his favour.
He is, after all, on friendly terms with Prince William, Charles’ eldest son, and has banqueted at Buckingham Palace as a guest of the King (they are said to have bonded over a shared love of making honey). Plus, who could forget Beckham standing for 12 hours in the queue of people to see the late Queen lying in state in central London’s Westminster Hall following her death in 2022?
Beckham leaves Westminster Hall after paying his respects to the coffin of Queen Elizabeth IILouisa Gouliamaki/AFP via Getty Images
All that is left, perhaps, is to see whether the six-time Premier League champion chooses to call himself Sir David. Asked if he would use the title at home, he told Sky News: “I’m not insisting, but if they (his family) would like to call me Sir Dad or Sir Son, they can. But no, it’s going to take some getting used to people saying it.”
US Ladies Lose 2-1 to Portugal – Play them again Sunday 4 pm
Wow so even great coaches like our US National Team’s Emma Hayes are clueless when it comes to the Ole Ballcoach’s pet peeve of having a defender on the back post on Cornerkicks. Yes the US lost 2-1 Highlights to Portugal (yes a Portugal team that has lost its last 4 games) at home in Philly – as the US gave up 2 goals on corner kicks to guess where ?? the back post where there was NO DEFENDER. We did have 4 defenders zonal covering no one at the top of the 6 however. Coaches on this board – please explain to my why its ok to give up goals on Corners and not put players on the post again? I see it every weekend at least twice a week in the EPL – and now our US women’s national team has also decided to LOSE this way as well. Anyway – beyond that – the US were spanked by Portugal last night. They high pressed the US and we had no idea what to do. The loss marked only the third time that the US has lost to an opponent outside the top 20 FIFA rankings, as USWNT players struggled to find each other on the pitch when faced with Portugal’s physicality and formation. “Sometimes as a coach in this position, it feels like Whack-a-Mole,” said US manager Emma Hayes. “You try and put one thing out, and then there’s another one popping up.” Looked like we hadn’t practiced together in months – which in reality we hadn’t. Now this is not the US #1 squad – heck I am not sure this is our #2 squad in reality – but still quite shocking to be spanked for a 2nd straight game by a team that is NOT GOOD. The US returns to the field Sunday – will be interesting to see if we show up this time. It was awesome to see the Alex Morgan celebration – as the US National Team honored the retired leading scorer #13 Alex Morgan during Pre-Game. Stories below.
#2 Carmel Boys & #2 Carmel Girls Soccer Advance to Semi-States in Martinsville Sat
The Carmel Girls (18-2-1) used a 2-0 win over East Central after a 2 day rain delay to advance to Semi-states in Martinsville this Sat at 2:30 pm where they will face Center Grove (19-2) at 2:30 pm. The other bracket has #1 HSE playing Crownpoint up North in Chesterton. The winners will meet next weekend at the Mike in Indy for the State Finals. https://www.ihsaa.org/sports/girls/soccer/2025-26-tournament?round=sectionals On the boys side – (from CHS site) The IHSAA Regional Championship game saw the top two teams in the country, according to MaxPreps, the #2-ranked Greyhounds versus the #1-ranked Brownsburg Bulldogs battle to a 2-0 win by Carmel at Murray Stadium Sat. The Hounds got off to a quick start, scoring in the first ten minutes, when junior Mikey Kubek made a nice run down the wing and played the ball across to senior Curtis Droste, who slotted the ball into the back of the net to put them up 1-0. The score remained the same for the remainder of the first half. The score was 1-0 at halftime. The Greyhounds came out and struck about four minutes into the half, when Droste played a nice long ball into the channel and senior Troy Enslin chased and fought for the ball, ultimately finding the opportunity to hit a lovely shot to the far post, to make the score 2-0. The end-to-end action continued, with the final score being 2-0. Junior Gray Morgan recorded the shutout in goal. The win moves the team’s season record to 16-1-3. The Greyhounds return to action Saturday, October 25th 12 noon vs Bloomington South 17-1-3, in Martinsville. https://www.ihsaa.org/sports/boys/soccer/2025-26-tournament?round=sectionals
RIP Legendary Ref and Ref Assignor & Teacher -Bruce Carlstead
My daughter and I were taught to ref by Bruce back in 2009 in Westfield. My daughter then my son went on to ref all the way thru High school and I am still reffing today in large part because of Bruce. His dedication to our sport and compassion to our refs, kids and all around soccer were unmatched. RIP Bruce – you will be missed. ObituaryCool Story on Bruce
MLS Playoff Start tonight–Messi wins Golden Ball signs Extension
Messi finished with 29 goals and 19 assists to finish with 48 goal contributions in 2025 to finish with the Golden Ball for most goals and will be probably win the MVP. Lionel Messi has signed a contract extension with Inter Miami, keeping him at the club until the end of the 2028 MLS season. Chicago and Portland won play-in games setting up the playoffs with Miami vs tonight on FS1 8 pm. The Philadelphia Union are favored to win their first-ever MLS Cup this season after winning the 2025 Supporters’ Shield for the best regular season record. Inter Miami, Vancouver Whitecaps, and LAFC are also among the top contenders. See a snapshot of each team competing in the play-off here. On Thursday, MLS said its 30th regular season saw a 29% year-on-year rise in live viewership, averaging 3.7 million weekly viewers across streaming and linear platforms. The league also said that total matchday attendance reached 11.2 million, the second-highest figure in its history. MLS announce 2025 Awards finalists.
News & Notes
Real Madrid vs. Barcelona, Sunday 26, 10:15 ET. Madrid are top of the La Liga table, two points clear of second-placed Barcelona. Despite Madrid’s strong start, Hansi Flick’s Barcelona won all four matches against Los Blancos in all competitions last season. However, both sides are hampered by injuries–see potential line-ups here. Mbappé vs. Yamal is the new Ronaldo vs. Messi — so which Clasico star is better?Brentford vs. Liverpool, Saturday 25, 3 pm ET. Liverpool have lost their last three Premier League games, as many losses as they suffered in their previous 39. Meanwhile, Brentford have lost just one of their five competitive home games under Keith Andrews. Arsenal vs. Crystal Palace, Sunday 26, 10 am League leaders Arsenal have won seven of eight matches at the Emirates when in first place, scoring 28 goals in those games. Palace & American Chris Richards could prove stubborn, having drawn eight of their last 14 Premier League matches, winning five matches in that time. See every Premier League Matchday 9 fixture here. Sad to see American Celtic Defender Carter Carter-Vickers may miss 5 months with an Achilles injury.
#2 Ranked Carmel Girls are headed to Semi-States in Martinsville after 2-0 win vs East CentralCongrats to #2 Ranked Carmel High Boys headed to Martinsville to face Bloomington South Sat
Had a blast Reffing the Indiana Christian State Semi-Finals at Colonial Christian with Mark and Mike Thurs Back on Saturday 2:30 pm for the Finals. Colonial Christian vs Suburban Christian.
TV Game Schedule
Fri, Oct 24 3 pm USA Leeds United (Aaronson) vs West Ham 3 pm Para+ AC Milan vs Pisa 8 pm FS1, Apple Miami (Messi) vs Nashville MLS Playoffs Sat, Oct 25 7:30 am CBSSN Coventry City (Haji Wright) vs Watford 9 am FS2 Ivory Coast vs Spain (U17 WWC) 9:30 am ESPN+ MGladbach (Reyna, Scally) vs Wolfsburg 10 am USA New Castle vs Fulham (Jedi) 10 am Peacock Chelsea vs Brighton 10 am CBSSN Middlesborough vs Wrexham 12 noon Para+ Napoli vs Inter Milan 12:30 pm Man City vs Brighton NBC 12:30 pm ESPN+ Dortmund vs Koln 3 pm ESPN+ Valencia vs Villarreal 8 pm Univision Leon vs Pumas (Mex) 11 pm CBSSN Cruz Azul vs Monterrey Mex Sun, Oct 26 10 am USA Aston Villa vs Man City 10 am Peacock? Arsenal vs Crystal Palace (Richards) 10:30 am ESPN+ Leverkusen (Tilman) vs Freiberg 11:15 ESPN2 am Real Madrid vs Barcelona (Derby) 3:45 pm Para+ Lazio vs Juventus (McKennie) 4 pm TNT, Max USA Women vs Portugal Hartford CT 5:30 pm FS1 Philly vs Chicago MLS 7:30 pm Apple Vancouver vs FC Dallas 9:30 pm Apple Earthquakes vs Portland Mon, Oct 27 4 pm ESPN+, Desp Real Bettis vs Atletico 6:45 pm FS1, Apple Cincy vs Columbus Crew MLS 9 pm FS1, Apple Minn vs Seattle Sounders MLS Tues, Oct 28 1:30 pm Para+ Lecce vs Napoli 1:30 pm ESPNU Frankfort vs Dortmund 3:45 pm Para+. Prime Atalanta vs AC Milan 4 pm Para+ Wrexham s Cardiff City 6:45 pm FS1, Apple Charlotte vs NYCFC MLS Wed, Oct 29 1:30 pm Para+ Juventus (McKennie) vs Udinese 3:45 pm Para+ Inter Milan vs Fiorentina 3:45 pm Para+ Liverpool vs Crystal Palace (Richards) League Cup 4 pm Para+ Newcastle vs Tottenham League Cup 8 pm TNT, Max USA Women vs New Zealand 10:30 pm Apple LAFC vs Austin FC MLS Playoffs Oct 31, Fri 3:30 pm ESPN+ Ausberg vs Dortmund 4 pm Para+ Wrexham vs Coventry City Sat ,, Nov 1 MLS Playoffs 11 am ?? Fulham vs Wolverhampton 11 am ?? Burnley (Adams) vs Arsenal 11 am ?? Nottingham Forest vs Man United 11:15 am ESPN+ Atletico Madrid (Cardosa) cs Sevilla 1:30 pm USA Tottenham vs Chelsea 1:30 pm ESPN+ Bayern Munich vs Leverkusen (Reyna, Scally) 4 pm USA Liverpool vs Aston Villa 4 pm ESPN+, D Real Madrid vs Valencia 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
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France: Goalkeeper Pauline Peyraud-Magnin made several strong saves early in the game against Germany, noted in reports by Yahoo and this other Yahoo article.
USMNT weekend viewing guide: What a treat
Hoping for some tasty goodness this weekend.
Getty Images
We’re closing out October with some tasty matchups including some head to head action in Ligue 1 and an early season matchup in the Eredivise between title contenders. There are some injury concerns as well which is a nasty trick but there are still plenty of good matches to watch this weekend. Here’s what we’re keeping an eye on:
Saturday
Borussia Monchengladbach v Bayern Munich – 9:30a on ESPN Select: Joe Scally, Gio Reyna and Borussia Monchengladbach who are coming off a 3-1 loss to Union Berlin and sit at the bottom of the table still looking for their first win on the season won’t see things get any easier this weekend as they host Bayern Munich. Bayern already look like they are running away with the league title, they are perfect through their first seven matches and hold a five point lead over RB Leipzig who are second in the table. Bayern have scored 27 through their first seven matches, and allowed just four; they aren’t just winning, they are dominating.
Augsburg v RB Leipzig – 9:30a on ESPN Select: Noahkai Banks received his second straight start last weekend in Augsburg’s 1-1 draw with Koln. Augsburg have four points from those two matches and are currently in 13th place. On Saturday, they host second place RB Leipzig who are coming off a 2-1 win over Hamburg.
Eintracht Frankfurt v St Pauli – 9:30a on ESPN Select: James Sands and St. Pauli have lost four straight matches and currently sit in fourteenth place. Sands has started every match for St. Pauli who started their season with two wins and seven points in their first three matches but since then have scored just once across all four losses.
Newcastle United v Fulham – 10a on USA Network: Antonee Robinson remains out with his knee injury that is becoming highly concerning for a US player that has shown to be one of the most important features of the USMNT setup. Fulham have lost three straight matches and sit in 15th place.
Middlesbrough v Wrexham – 10a on CBSSN: Aidan Morris has come off the bench in two straight matches, both wins for the English Championship side that are currently in second place, a point back of Haji Wright’s Coventry City, through the first quarter of the season.
Monaco v Toulouse – 1p on beIN Sports: Folarin Balogun and Monaco host Mark McKenzie and Toulouse on Saturday afternoon in a Ligue 1 matchup. Balogun came in off the bench last weekend and ten minutes later scored the opening goal for Monaco. Unfortunately, the team would give up a tying goal in the 85th minute and settled for a draw with Angers, their second straight draw and the third straight match that they have failed to win, they have fallen from first in the standings three matches ago, down to seventh place. Mark McKenzie also came in off the bench for Toulouse as his team defeated Metz 4-0 for their second straight victory, to move into eighth place.
Cremonese v Atalanta – 2:45p on Paramount+: Yunus Musah did not appear for Atalanta last weekend as the team was held to a scoreless draw with Lazio. Musah had appeared as a substitute in the four prior matches for Atalanta who have yet to loose this season but have drawn three straight and currently sit in eighth place, though they are still just five points back of league leading AC Milan.
Lens v Olympique Marseille – 3:05p on beIN Sports: Tim Weah and Olympique Marseille defeated Le Havre 6-2 last weekend with Weah coming into the match as a substitute to play the final 20 minutes of the match. Marseille were up 2-1 when Weah came into the match, he did not score or assist on any of the subsequent four goals to be scored by Marseille but let’s just assume the correlation is causation here people.
Sunday
Feyenoord v PSV – 9:30a on ESPN Select: Ricardo Pepi and Sergino Dest both came off the bench for PSV midweek with Pepi scoring a goal and adding an assist in the team’s 6-2 trouncing of Napoli in Champions League group stage play. This weekend the team will travel to Feyenoord looking to overtake their hosts for the top of the table. PSV have won three straight, and four of their past five but are currently three points back of Feyenoord who have just one draw to blemish their record through the first nine matches of the season.
Bournemouth v Nottingham Forest – 10a on Peacock: Tyler Adams and third place Bournemouth will host a Nottingham Forest side who are in eighteenth place and fired Ange Postecoglou basically at the final whistle of last weekend’s 3-0 loss to Chelsea. The team responded midweek with a 2-0 win over Porto in Europa League play to snap a ten match winless streak across all competitions.
Arsenal v Crystal Palace – 10a on Peacock: Chris Richards and Crystal Palace will look to bounce back from a home loss to Cypriot side AEK Larnaca in Conference League play on Thursday. Richards did not appear in the match for Palace who are winless in their past two league matches as well, including last weekends come from behind 3-3 draw with Bournemouth, as they converted a penalty in the seventh minute of stoppage time to draw level and salvage the point.
Bayer Leverkusen v Freiburg – 10:30a on ESPN Select: Malik Tillman’s thigh injury is expected to keep him out another week. The midfielder picked up the injury while on international duty causing him to miss the match against Australia as well as the two matches played by his club since returning from the window, including Tuesday’s embarassing 7-2 loss to defending champions PSG.
Olympique Lyon v Strasbourg – 3:45p on beIN Sports: Tanner Tessmann played the first half of Lyon’s 2-0 win over Basel in Europa League action on Thursday, coming out with his team up 1-0 at the half. Tessmann had come off the bench last weekend for the final 13’ in his teams 3-2 loss to Nice, a loss which dropped Lyon to fifth in the Ligue 1 table. On Sunday they host a Strasbourg team that are a point ahead of them, and in third place.
Lazio v Juventus – 3:45p on Paramount+: Weston McKennie also came off the bench last weekend as Juventus fell to Como 2-0 but then started midweek and went the full ninety as Juve fell to Real Madrid at the Burnabeu in Champions League action. With last weeks defeat Juventus fell to seventh place in the league table, four points back of the league leaders.
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The USWNT just gave its worst performance under Emma Hayes. What went wrong against Portugal?
Emma Hayes was far from happy with how her team played. Brad Smith / Getty Images
Standing on the sideline of a mostly silent Subaru Park as her U.S. women’s national team lost to Portugal on Thursday, Emma Hayes felt stuck in “a game of Whac-A-Mole.”For the first time in her 17 months in charge, she watched her players try to solve problems as individuals rather than as the collective that rolled through her first 17 games unbeaten, including a gold medal run at the 2024 Olympics.As one problem after another arose, she felt “frustrated.” Not with the result, a 2-1 loss, but with the performance.“I don’t think anybody came out with flying colors,” Hayes said when asked about a few specific players. “I think as a team, we were poor, to be honest with you.”She told the players exactly that and more in an animated, minutes-long speech on the field after the game, with starters, substitutes and staff all huddled in a circle around her. She jabbed her right pointer finger and patted her chest.“I think everyone was trying to maybe fix it on their own,” said midfielder Rose Lavelle, who scored the USWNT’s only goal 33 seconds into the game.“Defensively,” Hayes said, “from front to back, we just mistimed everything.”Though full of experience and talent, the midfield three of Lavelle, Sam Coffey and Lindsey Heaps got outnumbered and overwhelmed by Portugal’s midfield diamond. The Americans were slow to adjust. “We could have solved things a bit earlier on,” Heaps said.
Lindsey Heaps and her teammates struggled.Roger Wimmer / ISI Photos via Getty Images
But their shortcomings were not tactical. They were not confined to any one area of the field or any one line. They were everywhere because everyone felt disconnected.“A lot of things did not go our way, in terms of playing together, playing as a team, doing things together,” Heaps said. “Sometimes it felt a little bit like we were on islands.”“In attack, it felt like we just hadn’t played together in a long time,” Hayes added. “I didn’t recognize us. I felt we just rushed everything. We went direct. We didn’t look like the team that we’ve been working on.”They did not look like the team they had been over the past 25 games under Hayes. Not the team that grinded to Olympic gold; nor the one that won five straight matches, by an aggregate score of 18-0, this summer; not even the team that lost to Japan or split a back-to-back with Brazil earlier this year.Those losses, to international powers, were understandable; the performances were creditable and the team, as Hayes said, was “still working on our principles.”Thursday was something else.The opponent, although praised by Hayes and U.S. players, had never reached the knockout rounds of a major tournament. They were outscored 8-2 at the 2025 Women’s European Championship, with five of those goals coming from Spain, failing to make it out of the group stage. The win on Thursday was not only Portugal’s first in 12 meetings since 1994, but the first time the team had scored against the U.S., who has 40 goals against them. Nonetheless, Portugal kept the ball while the U.S. looked disjointed.Hayes added: “Sometimes, when the panic gets in the head, or you try to do something, instead of starting to do the things we want you to do, it just felt like we didn’t get a rhythm the whole night.”Their lack of rhythm, which Hayes referenced in yells from the touchline mid-game, seemed to spiral. Problems multiplied.“When certain things go wrong, or we’re not patient, or in one mind we’re transitioning and in the other mind we want to retain the ball… It’s hard,” Heaps explained.She later continued: “I wanted to calm the game down. When it gets a very chaotic game like that, or you feel like you’re not controlling the game, it’s like, ‘How can we get that control back? How can we complete the next pass, and the next pass, and the next pass?’ But once we miss that next pass, it’s like, ‘S***. We gotta get back in. We gotta solve what they’re implementing.’“That was hard, too. We were running a lot, we were trying to figure out defensively what we needed to be in, the shape that we needed to be in, the press.”
In its first loss to Portugal, the U.S. also conceded its first goals against the team.Brad Smith / Getty Images
At times, it felt a lot like the 2023 World Cup game between the same two teams, albeit in a different setting and with a lot of different players. That time, under the leadership of former head coach Vlatko Andonovski, the U.S. settled for its first draw against Portugal, a scoreless affair capping a poor group stage performance. The U.S. lost the following knockout round game to Sweden in penalty kicks, making its earliest World Cup exit in program history. When asked about that comparison, Heaps, who co-captained that team, responded with a chuckle: “Oh, don’t bring me back to that game.”
In the more recent matchup, the U.S. ultimately conceded twice from corners, and Hayes, as she descended from the podium after her post-match news conference, assured everyone in the room: “No coach likes giving up f***ing set pieces. And neither do the players.”But it was the entire 90 minutes that frustrated her. On multiple occasions, she, her staff and the players tried to tweak their tactical approach, but “I still don’t think we got a grip of the game,” she said.Her attitude afterwards, however, was not so gloomy.“Sometimes you need a kick up the backside like that,” Hayes said.And this, of course, was a kick up the backside in an October 2025 friendly, not a June 2027 World Cup game in Brazil. Players arrived Monday, some after Sunday games; they trained Tuesday and Wednesday, and even then, “I actually felt it,” Hayes said. “There were so many misconnections. Just taking a bit of time for us to get on the same page.”Then, on Thursday, they played together for the first time in more than 100 days.“We haven’t been together in four months; we gotta remember that,” Heaps said. “We’ve had two days of training; you gotta remember that. You don’t want to be super negative right now, because you’ll just beat your head in.”Neither players nor Hayes were interested in making excuses, but they were realistic. They were, after all, without center back Naomi Girma and forward Trinity Rodman, due to injury, as well as several other key players. The back four — Avery Patterson, Tara McKeown, Emily Sonnett and Emily Fox — were starting together for the first time.And more importantly, all of them, players and coaches, are still at an experimental phase of their build toward 2027.When asked how she would assess Thursday’s game in that context, Hayes began: “As Ben Northey, the Sydney Philharmonic conductor, would say, ‘let it go.’”They will travel to Connecticut on Friday to play Portugal again on Sunday, this time at Rentschler Field in East Hartford.“We have to get better,” Hayes said. “And I promise you, we will be better. We better be.”
USWNT celebrates Alex Morgan’s ‘legendary’ career as she passes the torch to next generation
USWNT honored Alex Morgan’s career at the stadium where she scored her first goal. Brad Smith/ISI Photos/USSF
Alex Morgan stood on the pitch inside Subaru Park in Chester, Pa., one last time Thursday. Even though she retired last year, this moment — standing before the U.S. women’s national team as it celebrated her iconic legacy — was long overdue.The stadium roared as the announcer rattled off the 36-year-old’s many accomplishments over her 15-year career. Before the current U.S. squad took on Portugal in the first of two friendlies this international window, the younger generation of players watching as they warmed up, thousands of fans began chanting her name.But no list could measure what Morgan meant to women’s soccer.It was only fitting that a career like Morgan’s came full circle in this way, on the field where she scored her first goal for the U.S. 15 years ago.While still a senior at the University of California, a 21-year-old Morgan entered the pitch for the USWNT as a second-half sub Oct. 6, 2010. The U.S. trailed China, with an at-home unbeaten streak on the line, inside what was then PPL Park in Chester.Just shy of 13 minutes on the pitch, Morgan overlapped with teammate Abby Wambach, who flicked a header to the young striker. Morgan calmly waited for the right moment, watching the ball closely as it bounced once before her. She then struck it into the back of China’s net, recording her goal of 123 goals scored for the United States over a legendary 15-year career.
There are few players as iconic as Alex Morgan. The two-time World Cup winner and Olympic gold medalist is one of the most prolific goal scorers in U.S. women’s soccer history, and one of the most recognizable faces in the women’s game. Beyond the pitch, she was a staunch advocate for gender equity and equality, having lent her voice for the betterment of the game throughout her career.Her accolades are plenty: 224 caps for the U.S., a treble winner with Lyon in France and more than a decade in the National Women’s Soccer League. Morgan was also instrumental in the fight for equal pay, better working conditions and player protections across country and club, including advocating for players during NWSL’s systemic abuse scandal.As U.S. women’s coach Emma Hayes told reporters this week, Morgan “transcended’ women’s football.“There was nothing she didn’t achieve,” Hayes said. “She was a player that epitomized everything this program is about. She’s an unbelievable credit to her family, because her drive, her desire, her determination to prove herself at the highest level is second to none. You can’t go anywhere in this country without them talking about Alex Morgan.”What You Should Read NextReflecting on Alex Morgan’s career: The athlete, the fighter, the humanMorgan was more than an athlete during her nearly two-decade career in professional soccer.Morgan’s is among a string of recent retirements from the U.S. women’s national team, including those by Ali Krieger, Megan Rapinoe, Becky Sauerbrunn and Alyssa Naeher, who will be honored in her home state of Connecticut on Sunday. As many from her generation, though, Morgan has not strayed far from the game.She has evolved into a strategic businesswoman, with a slew of ventures started in recent years. In 2021, she co-founded Togethxr, a women’s sports media company. The brand rose to fame with its “Everyone Watches Women’s Sports” tagline, seen on shirts around the globe and the front of London City Lionesses jerseys in the Women’s Super League.Earlier this year, Morgan became a minority investor in the San Diego Wave, the last club she played for.
After her retirement, Alex Morgan invested in the San Diego Wave.Rich Graessle / Getty Images
Morgan retired over a year ago on Sept. 5, 2024, after announcing she and her husband, Servando Carrasco, were expecting their second child, Enzo. Three days after her announcement, she ended her career with a symbolic 13 minutes for the San Diego Wave, the same number as her iconic jersey.“I left everything on the field. I did everything I ever wanted to do and more,” Morgan said after that game. “I feel so at peace because I am ready to start a family. I’m ready to hang up the boots and allow the next generation to flourish and just relish in the spotlight. I’m just ready.”This week, Morgan finally received the standing ovation for the legacy she leaves behind with the U.S. On the eve of her celebration, current U.S. players reflected on her impact.For Arsenal defender Emily Fox, three words come to mind: “Consistent” and “on top.”“I feel like the entirety of her career, she’s always been improving, always wanted to get better. Both on and off the field, she embraces that,” Fox said. “Just with what she and the team have done for equal pay, also her foundation that she started, joining the San Diego Wave franchise and bringing that to life. With Alex, she’s very 360 in the sense that she is on the field and off the field in what she does.”Chelsea winger Alyssa Thompson, one of the rising stars in this new U.S. generation, has looked up to Morgan since she started playing soccer. The two were teammates at the 2023 Women’s World Cup, when 18-year-old Thompson was the youngest player on that summer’s U.S. roster. That’s something Morgan could relate to, as the youngest player called up for the U.S. at the 2011 World Cup.
Alyssa Thompson looked up to Alex Morgan before she started playing alongside her.Lachlan Cunningham / Getty Images
“She has meant so much to me and the game,” Thompson said. “She’s changed the game for the better. I wouldn’t be in the position I am right now if it weren’t for the players that came before me, especially Alex, fighting for equality and equal pay.”Though the U.S. suffered an early exit from that tournament, Morgan’s leadership stayed with her.“When we weren’t doing as well as we wanted to, and she gave our team a speech, I feel like it really empowered me,” she said. “It inspired me to stay together as a team and believe in our team.”For midfielder Rose Lavelle, Morgan’s goal in the 2019 World Cup semifinal match against England stands out. Lavelle was the first player to hug Morgan after her viral tea celebration, which graced the world’s front pages the next day. The goal happened on Morgan’s 30th birthday, and the U.S. went on to win their second consecutive World Cup title, with a game-winning goal from Lavelle.
“It’s always such a great opportunity to be able to honor and celebrate players like that,” Lavelle said. “They are the reason that we are the team we are. They taught us how to be excellent.”
Alex Morgan’s 2019 World Cup tea celebration became an iconic moment of the tournament.Charlotte Wilson / Getty Images
But it’s not just the players who got to play with Morgan who feel her impact on the national team’s program. Twenty-one-year-old Ally Sentnor received her first cap with the national team in November, six months after Morgan played her last U.S. game.
“Legend, goal scorer, icon are a few words to describe her,” Sentnor said. “She was this amazing, heroic, untouchable player that we watched growing up. She was one of my favorite players growing up. I had her jersey, iconic pink prewrap, we all wore it when we were younger, trying to be her.
There were 13 years, 4 months and 17 days between Morgan’s first U.S. goal and her last. Her final goal was during the Concacaf W Gold Cup, when she scored against Argentina on Feb. 23, 2024. This fittingly took place in Carson, Calif., about 40 miles from her hometown of Diamond Bar.
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But when Morgan reflects on that first goal, she makes a point to give flowers to another player.“It was an important goal,” Morgan recently told ESPN. ‘With an assist from my hero and idol, Abby (Wambach).”In that moment, Wambach set Morgan up for greatness, a ceremonious passing of the torch from one generation to the next. In many ways, Morgan’s entire career was spent preparing to pass that torch for future generations, too.
Big Five: Europe’s top games this weekend
Real Madrid’s Kylian Mbappe, left, and Barcelona’s Lamine Yamal will be in action during El Clasico on Sunday. Jose Breton / Pics Action / NurPhoto via Getty Images
The Athletic has hand-picked five of the most intriguing weekend fixtures from around Europe …
Lens v Marseille, Stade Bollaert-Delelis
Saturday, 25 Oct., 8:05 p.m. BST (UK: Amazon Prime Video / Ligue 1 Pass; USA: Fanatiz, beIN Sports)
Buckle up. Chaos is never far away when Marseille play these days. For a few weeks, at least, it had been peaceful in Provence. A famous win in Le Classique kick-started a run of five straight victories that sent Roberto De Zerbi’s side flying to Lisbon riding high atop Ligue 1 on the back of a 6-2 mauling of Le Havre.That put further distance from the painful memories of opening day defeat at 10 man Rennes and the changing room brawl that followed, but those ghosts came howling back as they were downed late by Sporting in an incident-packed Champions League bout on Wednesday.Such a fate seemed unlikely when club-record signing Igor Paixao sumptuously curled home his fourth goal across his first eight games inside 15 minutes, but the game turned on a frenetic exchange just before the interval.Set to go two up when Emerson was felled in the box for a penalty, Marseille were forced to play the second half with 10 men after the referee showed the former West Ham and Chelsea left back a second yellow card for diving to try and win the spot kick.Despite conceding midway through the second half, a precious point was in touching distance before Allisson Santos’ deflected effort looped agonizingly over OM goalkeeper Geronimo Rulli and in.Attention must now refocus to the pursuit of a first Ligue 1 crown since Didier Deschamps masterminded success in 2010, and Lens will be a stern test as to the robustness of those title credentials.After a narrow defeat to Lyon on the opening day, Pierre Sage’s side have been formidable at Stade Bollaert-Delelis, winning three and being breached just once thanks to the league’s joint-best defence.Marseille are the only other team to have conceded seven, while two league goals apiece from a pair of one-time Premier League men — former Newcastle winger Florian Thauvin and ex-Crystal Palace frontman Odsonne Edouard — have helped ensure a threat at the other end.
Marseille’s club-record signing Igor PaixãoSathire Kelpa / Eurasia Sport Images / Getty Images
Borussia Monchengladbach v Bayern Munich, Borussia-Park
There are surprises, there are upsets, and then there is whatever it would be should the Bundesliga’s only winless team find a way to beat European football’s seemingly unstoppable force on Saturday.
What else is there to say about the brilliance of Bayern Munich and Harry Kane that hasn’t already been said? Wednesday’s 4-0 thrashing of Club Brugge made it 12 wins in a row to open the campaign for the Bavarians, with Kane tapping in his 20th (yes, 20th) of the season.Even at their peaks, it took Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo 17 and 13 games respectively to amass the same haul, with the Englishman adding three assists for good measure. Popping up all over the pitch, the 32-year-old looks as complete as he ever has, and believes he has manager Vincent Kompany to thank for it.“I think he has (unlocked a different level in me),” Kane said last week regarding Kompany, who signed a new two-year deal on Tuesday.“He is a fantastic coach, not just tactically but also as a person … I’m someone who likes to turn on the ball and play forward passes but that’s not always possible, so we’ve spoken a lot about opening my body, playing around the corner quickly with one-touch.“I feel like I’ve added to my game — not getting stuck on the ball as much, and a bit more fluidity.”
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Meanwhile, Monchengladbach have been forced to begin their wretched campaign without either of last season’s top scorers. Tim Kleindienst remains out after a torn meniscus in May prematurely ended a superb 16-goal Bundesliga campaign, while French striker Alassane Plea left for PSV in the summer after scoring 11 to help the Foals to 10th place.Head coach Eugen Polanski, appointed on an interim basis following Gerardo Seoane’s sacking last month, would surely snap your hand off for another midtable finish.Rock bottom with three points from seven games, Monchengladbach welcome Europe’s most in-form side having shipped six in 47 minutes against Eintracht Frankfurt at Borussia-Park last month, and four against Werder Bremen before that.
A goalless draw against Freiburg marked home improvement, but Kane will be chomping at the bit to continue filling his boots against a side seemingly bereft of confidence.
It is shaping up to be a rather terrifying Halloween in Naples.A catastrophic Champions League implosion at PSV in midweek, whereby they led inside half an hour only to end the game 6-2 down with 10 men, followed on from a grueling 1-0 defeat at struggling Torino that saw the reigning champions surrender their lead atop Serie A.Though his side did edge past Sporting earlier this month, Antonio Conte’s spotty European record is a peculiar blot on his glittering managerial career.Outside of an ultimately unsuccessful run to the 2020 Europa League final with Inter, the Italian has only made it past the quarter-final of a European competition once, when his Juventus team reached the semi-finals of the Europa League in 2014.Yet there can be no doubting his domestic pedigree, and a victory against his old employers would be the perfect stabilizer. Conte left Inter due to purported frustrations with transfer business, and while the 56-year-old is blowing the same trumpet this week, he is playing an unexpected tune.“Last year we won the league with just a few players … Nine (signings) was too many for me but we had to do it,” Conte, who played seven of the club’s summer recruits against PSV, told Sky after the defeat.“There’s no need to despair. We’ve a lot of work to do. We have to try to recreate the chemistry that we had last year. When you bring nine new faces into a dressing room, it’s going to take time.”Only five Inter players who started May’s Champions League final lined up against Union Saint-Gilloise on Tuesday, but three of them — Denzel Dumfries, Hakan Calhanoglu and Lautaro Martinez — led the way with goals as Cristian Chivu’s side continued their perfect start in Europe.The 4-0 victory in Belgium continued a fantastic month for The Black and Blues, who have won seven on the spin in all competitions following that dizzying 4-3 loss at Juventus in early September.Having lost the Scudetto by a point to Napoli last year, Inter are within a point of league leaders and arch rivals Milan, who host bottom-place Pisa on Friday.
Perhaps that deliciously delirious triumph over Inter was too dreamy to be real after all.Juventus have not won a game since conquering The Black and Blues in that seven goal thriller in mid-September, as narrow midweek defeat at Real Madrid extended their winless stretch to seven matches and cranked up the pressure on head coach Igor Tudor. A frustrating flurry of five straight draws has slid into back-to-back losses at Como and the Bernabeu, resigning The Old Lady to their worst run since 2009 and putting a pin in any early season optimism around Turin. Tudor embarked on an impassioned six-minute rebuttal of media criticism ahead of the Madrid game, as dissected by The Athletic’s James Horncastle, but as a former Juventus player of 10 years, the Croatian should know as well as any that the knives will only sharpen should they fail to leave the capital with three points this weekend.“At Juventus, a draw is made out to be a defeat and a defeat a 10-0,” said Tudor, who bemoaned the “mad schedule” and “algorithm” that had determined his side’s fixtures to date.A trip to inconsistent Lazio marks the beginning of a kinder looking schedule for Tudor and co, with a team currently in the top eight not upcoming until a visit to reigning champions Napoli in early December.It has been a similarly strange start for Maurizio Sarri’s Eagles, who have oscillated between free scoring and utterly blunt from week to week.Comprehensive victories against Verona and Genoa have been undercut by bleak defeats to Sassuolo and rivals Roma, while a hugely entertaining 3-3 draw against Torino was followed up by a goalless affair at Atalanta last week in which they mustered just one shot on target.
Sun, Oct 26 • 11:15AMRMAvsBARDrawMoneylineSpreadTotalOdds updated1 minute ago
Depleted, distracted and (temporarily) managerless: Barcelona have their work cut out if they are to replicate their El Clasico cake walk this year.The Blaugrana swept aside Real Madrid in four meetings last year, winning by an aggregate score of 16-7 en route to a domestic treble, but head to the Bernabeu two points behind their storied rivals with a number of issues to address.First things first, and their hosts Sunday may have some empathy here, there’s the injuries. Raphina and Ferran Torres should be back in time, but their match fitness remains up in the air and there will be little to no chance for Robert Lewandowski (hamstring), Dani Olmo (calf), Gavi and Joan Garcia (knees).Then there has been the off-field drama surrounding the club that, granted, never seems to be far away, but has gathered pace following the latest player registration debacles, a Lamine Yamal painkillers feud, and the recent cancellation of the much-maligned “Miami match” in December.On the pitch, Kylian Mbappe will undoubtedly be licking his lips at the prospect of facing Barca’s now-trademark sky-high line that has been exploited to devastating effect by both Sevilla and Paris-Saint Germain in recent weeks.There is added motivation for the French superstar after he was flagged offside a league-record eight times in a nightmarish Clasico debut a year ago, when the visitors romped to a 4-0 victory.Not that Mbappe needs any further pep in his blisteringly quick step. The 26-year-old is already up to 15 goals for the season as the centre-piece of a Madrid side that — barring an implosion at Atletico Madrid — have made an excellent, albeit unspectacular, start under Xabi Alonso.Yet Alonso will be the only head coach on the sideline Sunday, with Flick set to sit in the stands following a red card received in the frantic final moments of Barca’s last gasp win at Girona last weekend.Assistant Marcus Sorg will take his place on the touchline, having lost both games in which he deputized for Flick last season.
Our subscriber’s match of the week
Leeds vs West Ham, Friday, 8pm UK/3pm ET
Andrew says: “This is a crucial game under the lights at Elland Road. Leeds’ decent start is close to unravelling — they have picked up just one point from the last nine available. What’s more, there are difficult fixtures on the horizon. However, West Ham have a quick turnaround from playing on Monday and Nuno Espirito Santo has a massive job on his hands. While questions remain over Daniel Farke, home advantage will help Leeds.”
Leeds 1-0 West Ham
Oli says: Leeds have fared reasonably well on their return to the Premier League — their average of a point per game is survival form — but the fixtures look a lot tougher over the next couple of months, so the margin for error is smaller than it might appear. West Ham’s players might be grateful that they are playing away after four consecutive home defeats to start the season, but Elland Road on a Friday night is not for the faint-hearted. And that’s precisely what West Ham have been lately.
Leeds 2-0 West Ham
Leeds manager Daniel Farke could not find the solutions against Burnley (Richard Martin-Roberts – CameraSport via Getty Images
The rest of Oli’s predictions
Chelsea vs Sunderland
Oli says: I say this every week, but I’ve been so impressed by Sunderland. It’s not only the four wins and two draws, it’s also how competitive they’ve been in every game. I expect the same at Stamford Bridge, but Chelsea have won their last four in all competitions and, while this will be a tougher test than Nottingham Forest or Ajax in their past two, they should have enough quality to make it five victories in a row.
Chelsea 2-1 Sunderland
Newcastle vs Fulham
The initial draft of this preview, written on Tuesday afternoon, was about feeling a little frustrated watching Newcastle this season, that their football had become a little too scrappy and that they needed to get more out of their wide players, Anthony Gordon in particular. Their 3-0 win a few hours later against Benfica, with Gordon their standout performer, was a big step in the right direction and something to build on against Fulham.
Newcastle 2-0 Fulham
Manchester United vs Brighton
As encouraging as United beating Liverpool away undoubtedly was, match-winner Harry Maguire immediately said it will count for nothing if they fail to perform at home against Brighton this weekend.
It’s true. Victory over visitors Chelsea last month was followed seven days later by a grim defeat at Brentford. Derby victory at City last December was followed four days later by a chaotic Carabao Cup defeat at Tottenham. Brighton fall into the category of “Can beat anyone on their day”. They can certainly beat United, having won on three straight visits to Old Trafford, but I don’t think they will.
United 2-1 Brighton
Brentford vs Liverpool
Backing Liverpool is fraught with risk at the moment — and Brentford, with their speed on the counter-attack and those long throws from Michael Kayode, Mathias Jensen and Kevin Schade, are the type of team who can make life awkward for any opponent, especially ones who have lost their last three Premier League matches.
It’s easy to imagine Liverpool having 20 shots to Brentford’s six, but less easy to predict whether that will be enough for an away win. I’ll say yes — but very cautiously. As they finally demonstrated in Frankfurt on Wednesday, they have the firepower to make life so much easier for themselves.
Brentford 1-2 Liverpool
Arsenal vs Crystal Palace
Atletico Madrid coach Diego Simeone said Arsenal are the strongest team they have faced this season and, if anyone at Liverpool or Real Madrid is minded to take offence at that, they really shouldn’t because it seems pretty obvious on current form. Arsenal are looking so strong and, more than anything, it’s hard to see them conceding goals.
Palace are the type of opponents who could disprove that theory, but after everything I said above, I feel I need to learn from last week’s lesson and go for the safe option of an Arsenal win to nil. I’ll be doing that a lot over the next few weeks.
Arsenal 2-0 Palace
Aston Villa vs Manchester City
Villa have rediscovered their rhythm a bit domestically with three league wins in a row and I haven’t exactly been bowled over by City’s performances this season, but… just as it’s hard to see Arsenal conceding goals, I just can’t see Erling Haaland not scoring. The Norwegian registered 24 goals in 14 appearances for club and country this season. That is absurd. He’s a phenomenal player — not in the Lionel Messi sense, but phenomenal nonetheless.
Villa will put up a real fight, but really, it’s a question of whether they can score more goals than Haaland.
Villa 1-1 City
Bournemouth vs Nottingham Forest
In isolation, I approve of Forest hiring Sean Dyche. But it’s the type of appointment you make from a position of weakness — and in Forest’s case, that is having recklessly thrown away a position of rare strength. I firmly expect him to stop the early-season rot and return to something closer to last season’s gameplan under Nuno, but a) that seems a fairly drastic downscaling of Forest’s ambitions and b) I’m not sure the Dyche effect will take hold quickly enough to stop Bournemouth and particularly the in-form Antoine Semenyo.
Bournemouth 2-1 Forest
Wolverhampton Wanderers vs Burnley
I’ve somehow managed to get all Burnley’s results correct, which I would like to think reflects an appreciation of their strengths as well as their limitations. I’ve backed Wolves to win on a couple of occasions too, so it’s pretty alarming — for them rather than me — that they keep losing games that look winnable or at least drawable.
This is the last in a run of four home league games that appeared reasonably inviting (Everton, Leeds, Brighton, Burnley). I’ll go for third time lucky in predicting a Wolves win. If they don’t get a result, they really will be in trouble.
Wolves 1-0 Burnley
Everton vs Tottenham
The Tottenham fans in my life are fretting, uninspired by their early-season performances (even when results appeared encouraging) and anxious about a fixture list that now sees them face Everton (away), Newcastle (away), Chelsea (home), Copenhagen (home), Manchester United (home), Arsenal (away) and Paris Saint-Germain (away) over the next four and a half weeks.
Sunday’s game actually looks like one of the gentler matches among that lot… and it may not be very gentle at all, given that Everton are still unbeaten at Hill Dickinson Stadium. It could be a rough few weeks for Thomas Frank and his team.
Everton 1-0 Spurs
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USMNT’s Cameron Carter-Vickers out ‘three to five months’ with Achilles injury
United States defender Cameron Carter-Vickers could miss between three and five months with an Achilles injury, Celtic head coach Brendan Rodgers said on Friday.
Carter-Vickers, 27, played the full 90 minutes in Celtic’s 2-1 Europa League win against Sturm Graz on Thursday, but appeared to be carrying an injury late on in Glasgow.
“He looks like he’s done his Achilles, which could be anywhere between three and five months,” Rodgers told Sky. “We just await confirmation of that. It’s not great news.
Carter-Vickers was named in Mauricio Pochettino’s squad for the USMNT’s October friendlies against Ecuador and Australia, but was an unused substitute in both matches. It was his first call-up since March, when he played in the Nations League third-place play-off defeat to Canada.
The former Tottenham Hotspur defender will miss November’s friendlies against Paraguay and Uruguay.
Carter-Vickers’ compatriot Auston Trusty was an unused substitute on Thursday and, alongside Dane Murray, serves as back-up for Celtic to partner Liam Scales in defence. Trusty has not played since August due to a foot injury.
Carter-Vickers has won 19 caps for the U.S. since making his senior international debut in November 2017 at 19 years old under Dave Sarachan. He was included in Gregg Berhalter’s squads for the World Cup in 2022 and the Copa America last year.
Disappointing, but Pochettino will be able to cope
Analysis by senior writer Greg O’Keefe
While the news of-Carter Vickers’ long-term injury lay-off will be disappointing for club and country, it is unlikely to spark any panic for Pochettino.
The fact that the centre-back has only appeared once under the Argentine, in that humbling defeat by Canada in March’s CONCACAF Nations League Finals third place play-Off, points to his current status in the squad.
Generally, defenders such as Chris Richards, Tim Ream, Mark McKenzie and Miles Robinson, have been ahead of him in the pecking order, and despite his experience in the Champions League with Celtic, Carter-Vickers has spent most of his time to date under Pochettino on the bench.
Whether he might have got more minutes to prove himself in next month’s friendlies against Paraguay and Uruguay is now a moot point, but his injury does serve to remove an option from a key area in the field not overburdened with experience and elite level candidates for next summer’s World Cup.
Granted, Carter-Vickers was more used to playing in a conventional back four under previous U.S. boss Gregg Berghalter (and still does at Celtic), meaning Pocettino may well have other more suitable players he can develop in his back three going forward, it never hurts to have experienced personnel available going into such a big year.
The fact he has been reluctant to use a defender he previously coached at Tottenham in his tenure with the USMNT so far is one thing, but now the option of allowing Carter-Vickers time to show what a partnership with another lesser-used defender such as club team-mate Auston Trusty is greatly diminished.
The serious nature of such an Achilles injury means that even if he returns in March, it could be a challenge to get him truly match fit and conditioned in time for the World Cup roster.
It does, at least, mean younger defenders may get more chances ahead of next summer. In the German Bundesliga with Augsburg, promising 18-year-old Noahkai Banks is already starting matches and might get an opportunity, while at 26 years old, McKenzie is coming into his prime and building consistency in Ligue 1 with Toulouse.
US Women face Portugal Brace Thur 7 pm, Sun 4 pm & NZ Wed 10/29 8 pm on TNT, HBO, Peacock
U.S. soccer legend Alex Morgan will have a full-circle moment this week. The 2012 Olympic gold medalist and two-time World Cup champion will be honored Pregame Thursday at Subaru Park in Chester, Pennsylvania – the same stadium where Morgan scored the first of her 123 international goals for Team USA back in 2010. The US will then honor GK Alyssa Naeher before Sunday’s game in Conn. Of course the huge news is US Forward Trinity Rodman who has been on a tear for Washington and was set to return to the Roster was injured last weekend with an MCL & will miss the US games. Mainstays Lindsey Heaps, Lily Yohannes, Caterina Macario & Alyssa Thompson should all be on hand along with some new faces as Hayes slowly looks to add more players to the player pool for the 2027 World Cup.
#2 Carmel Boys & #2 Carmel Girls Soccer Advance to Semi-States in Martinsville Sat
The Carmel Girls (18-2-1) used a 2-0 win over East Central after a 2 day rain delay to advance to Semi-states in Martinsville this Sat at 2:30 pm where they will face Center Grove (19-2) at 2:30 pm. The other bracket has #1 HSE playing Crownpoint up North in Chesterton. The winners will meet next weekend at the Mike in Indy for the State Finals. https://www.ihsaa.org/sports/girls/soccer/2025-26-tournament?round=sectionals On the boys side – (from CHS site) The IHSAA Regional Championship game saw the top two teams in the country, according to MaxPreps, the #2-ranked Greyhounds versus the #1-ranked Brownsburg Bulldogs battle to a 2-0 win by Carmel at Murray Stadium Sat. The Hounds got off to a quick start, scoring in the first ten minutes, when junior Mikey Kubek made a nice run down the wing and played the ball across to senior Curtis Droste, who slotted the ball into the back of the net to put them up 1-0. The score remained the same for the remainder of the first half. The score was 1-0 at halftime. The Greyhounds came out and struck about four minutes into the half, when Droste played a nice long ball into the channel and senior Troy Enslin chased and fought for the ball, ultimately finding the opportunity to hit a lovely shot to the far post, to make the score 2-0. The end-to-end action continued, with the final score being 2-0. Junior Gray Morgan recorded the shutout in goal. The win moves the team’s season record to 16-1-3. The Greyhounds return to action Saturday, October 25th 12 noon vs Bloomington South 17-1-3, in Martinsville. https://www.ihsaa.org/sports/boys/soccer/2025-26-tournament?round=sectionals
Champions League Returns Tues/Wed – El Classico Sun
Champions League is back with huge games Tues like Arsenal vs Athletico Madrid, PSV and American Sergino Dest vs Napoli, & Bayer Leverkusen with Reyna & Scally hosting the holders PSG. Wed gives us Juventus & Weston Mckennie traveling to Real Madrid, Folarin Balogun and Monaco host Tottenham, while Liverpool looks to change their losing ways on the road in Frankfurt all at 3 pm on Paramount plus. Barca missing tons of players for their visit to Real Madrid for El Classico Sun & Rashford making noise read that and more below.
MLS Playoffs Start – Messi wins Golden Ball
Lionel Messi scored a hat trick with an assist to help Inter Miami beat Nashville SC 5-2. He finishes with 29 goals and 19 assists to finish with 48 goal contributions in 2025 to finish with the Golden Ball for most goals and will be probably win the MVP. The playoffs start this week on Wed with Chicago hosting Orlando City @ 8:30 pm and Portland hosting Real Salt Lake & Diego Luna at 10:30 pm ET on Apple TV.
MLS Playoffs start Wed night with Wild Card Games then full scale Fri/Sat/Sun on Apple TV #2 Ranked Carmel Girls are headed to Semi-States in Martinsville after 2-0 win vs East CentralCongrats to #2 Ranked Carmel High Boys for winning the Regional Championship vs #1 Brownsburg
TV Game Schedule
Tues/Wed Oct 21-22 Champions League Tues, 10/21 – Champs League 12:45 pm Unimas, Para+ Barcelona vs Olympiakos 3 pm CBSSN, Para+ New Castle vs Benefica 3 pm Para+ Arsenal vs Atletico Madrid 3 pm Para+ PSV (Dest) vs Napoli 3 pm Para+ Leverkusen (Reyna, Scally) vs PSG 3 pm Para+, Prime Villareal vs Man City 3 pm Para+ Kobenhaven vs Dortmund Weds, 10/22 – Champs League 3 pm CBSSN, Para+ Bayern Munich vs Club Brugge 3 pm Para+, Prime Real Madrid vs Juventus (McKennie) 3 pm Para+ Monaco (Balogun) vs Tottenham 3 pm Para+ Chelsea vs Ajax 3 pm Para+ Frankfurt vs Liverpool 8:30 pm Apple TV Chicago Fire vs Orlando City Wild Card MLS 10:30 pm Apple TV Portland Timbers vs Real Salt Lake Wild Card Thurs, Oct 23 Europa League 12:45 pm Para+, Prime Eagles vs Aston Villa 12:45 pm Para+ Brann vs Rangers (Sands) 3 pm para+ Celtic (CVB) vs Sturm Graz 3 pm Para+ Nottingham Forest vs Porto 3 pm Para+ Crystal Palace (Richards) vs AEK Larnaca 7 pm TNT, Max USA Women vs Portugal Chester PA Fri, Oct 24 9 am FS2 Norway vs USA U17WC 3 pm USA Leeds United (Aaronson) vs West Ham 3 pm Para+ AC Milan vs Pisa Sat, Oct 25 7:30 am CBSSN Coventry City (Haji Wright) vs Watford 9 am FS2 Ivory Coast vs Spain (U17 WWC) 9:30 am ESPN+ MGladbach (Reyna, Scally) vs Wolfsburg 10 am USA New Castle vs Fulham (Jedi) 10 am Peacock Chelsea vs Brighton 10 am CBSSN Middlesborough vs Wrexham 12 noon Para+ Napoli vs Inter Milan 12:30 pm Man City vs Brighton NBC 12:30 pm ESPN+ Dortmund vs Koln 3 pm ESPN+ Valencia vs Villarreal 8 pm Univision Leon vs Pumas (Mex) 11 pm CBSSN Cruz Azul vs Monterrey Mex Sun, Oct 26 10 am USA Aston Villa vs Man City 10 am Peacock? Arsenal vs Crystal Palace (Richards) 10:30 am ESPN+ Leverkusen (Tilman) vs Freiberg 11:15 ESPN+ am Real Madrid vs Barcelona (Derby) 3:45 pm Para+ Lazio vs Juventus (McKennie) 4 pm TNT, Max USA Women vs Portugal Hartford CT Wed, Oct 29 8 pm TNT, Max USA Women vs New Zealand
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
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Who’s in MLS Cup playoffs? MLS playoff bracket, schedule
Safid Deen, USA TODAY Sun, October 19, 2025 at 12:17 AM EDT·
MLS players gathered around each other, watching iPhones and stadium scoreboards, waiting for final whistles to blow on Decision Day, Oct. 18. Some were celebrating with pride. Others left the pitch disappointed as their seasons came to an end.The Philadelphia Union won the 2025 Supporters’ Shield. They’ve clinched home-pitch advantage in the 2025 MLS Cup playoffs. FC Cincinnati and Inter Miami each finished one point behind them in the standings. All three clubs finished with higher point totals than any of their counterparts in the West. The East well could host the West in the MLS Cup final on Dec. 6. Expansion side San Diego FC won the Western Conference ahead of Vancouver. They’ve secured the most points by any expansion club in MLS history. Watch MLS playoffs on Season Pass via Apple TV
Ever since his very first day as U.S. men’s national team head coach, Mauricio Pochettino has assured American players that his USMNT’s door is “open.” Nobody, not even Christian Pulisic, has a guaranteed place in the team, Pochettino has said. He reiterated that message this month, and argued that it has gotten through to his players.“Now, I promise you, no one is sure that [they are] going to be on the roster in the World Cup 2026,” Pochettino said last week.And so, he would probably dispute the very premise of a World Cup roster projection. He would certainly push back on the idea that any individual player is a “lock.”But, over the past two weeks, his World Cup squad has started to come into focus. He called many of his best available players into an October training camp, for last week’s 1-1 draw with Ecuador and Tuesday’s 2-1 win over Australia.Coming out of that camp, the following is a position-by-position breakdown of what the 2026 World Cup roster could look like, and our best guess for what it will look like.As always, “lock” status assumes sufficient health. And the depth chart will surely change over the coming months, depending on club form, injuries and performance in November friendlies against Paraguay and Uruguay.Players not mentioned below could also play their way into the picture. But for now, here is a look at things with roughly seven months to go until the World Cup squad is picked.
Matt Freese has continued to operate as Mauricio Pochettino’s No. 1 goalkeeper, starting both games of the October windowScott Coleman / Imagn Images
Goalkeepers
Locks: (None)
Confident: Matt Freese, Matt Turner
In consideration: Chris Brady, Roman Celentano, Diego Kochen, Patrick Schulte, Zack Steffen, Jonathan Klinsmann
TENORIO: It looks more and more like Freese, the NYCFC goalkeeper who got his first caps this summer, could be the starter for the U.S. at the World Cup. But this position, a historic area of strength for Americans, might be the most unstable in the whole squad. It’s a wide-open competition. Pochettino even name-dropped Kochen, the 19-year-old FC Barcelona B keeper, during Tuesday night’s press conference. Every American goalkeeper should feel they have a chance.
BUSHNELL: I think Turner and especially Freese are closer to locks than we realize. Even if they’re not starting, Freese is the penalty specialist, and Turner is the only goalkeeper in the pool with World Cup experience. Surely they’ll be in the squad, whether as the No. 1, 2 or 3. But I agree, in general, that the position is as open as any right now.
USMNT center backs Chris Richards (3) and Tim Ream (13) have been constants under Mauricio PochettinoOmar Vega / Getty Images
Center backs
Locks: Chris Richards, Tim Ream
Confident: (None)
In consideration: Cameron Carter-Vickers, Mark McKenzie, Miles Robinson, Walker Zimmerman
TENORIO: Ream and Richards have been constants for this U.S. team, but Pochettino seems unsettled on what he’ll do behind them — an issue that has become a bit more interesting considering the move toward a formation built around three center backs. Robinson has always felt like the most likely to emerge, and he got starts in October to back that up. Don’t sleep on Zimmerman as a player who the staff brings to do what he did against Iran in 2022 and at the Gold Cup this summer: Come in late to games where the U.S. is protecting a lead and win every header.
BUSHNELL: One interesting question here is whether Pochettino will take four or five center backs. Given the varied skill sets of the four “in consideration,” and the recent use of systems with three at the back, he’ll presumably lean toward five.
Sergiño Dest has rarely been fully fit over the last year, but he’s a first-choice starter when in campVincent Carchietta / Imagn Images
Fullbacks/wingbacks
Locks: Sergiño Dest, Antonee Robinson
Confident: (None)
In consideration: Max Arfsten, Alex Freeman, Joe Scally
TENORIO: Robinson was once considered one of the most irreplaceable players on the U.S. squad because of the distance between him and the next man on the depth chart. There is real concern around a knee injury that kept him out of the Gold Cup this summer and also out of the friendlies in October. Dest, too, has not featured much under Pochettino due to injury.
If healthy, those two players are going to be at the World Cup, but there is a lot more intrigue now behind them. Tim Weah played as a wingback on both the left and right side in October, so he should be considered a part of this equation. Arfsten and Freeman won Pochettino’s trust during the Gold Cup. Scally very much looks the odd man out despite his flexibility to play as both a right-sided center back and a right back.
BUSHNELL: Based on soccer alone, Scally belongs in the 26. He’s already started over 100 games at a level that Freeman and Arfsten have never really touched. As promising as Freeman is, he looked a bit out of his depth in the Gold Cup final; I think it’s sometimes easy (for us, and maybe even for coaches) to forget that the games these players could be thrown into next June are a world apart from what they experience weekly in MLS.
But Scally is clearly out of favor with the national team right now, and it’s unclear if or when he’ll get an opportunity to earn his way back in.
Tyler Adams brings leadership and tenacity to the U.S. midfieldVincent Carchietta / Imagn Images
Central midfielders
Locks: Tyler Adams, Weston McKennie
Confident: Tanner Tessmann
In consideration: Sebastian Berhalter, Johnny Cardoso, Aidan Morris, Yunus Musah, Cristian Roldan
TENORIO: Adams and McKennie have been two of the program’s most important players over the past six years, and we expect that to continue next year into the World Cup. The battle behind them has been interesting. Tessmann had a bumpy March window, but has performed well at Lyon and proved his worth in October. Roldan was a late addition in September, but Pochettino has done nothing but praise the Seattle Sounders veteran since he got back into the picture.
What will Pochettino look for in the depth chart at this position? If Musah plays consistently at Atalanta, his upside and versatility outranks others in the pool. But Pochettino left him out completely this fall after Musah skipped the Gold Cup this summer. The door is definitely open for someone like Morris or Berhalter.
BUSHNELL: The wild card is Johnny. To many in the U.S., he’s such an enigma. On paper, a 24-year-old who just went to Atlético Madrid for around $35 million, and almost immediately went into the Atleti starting lineup, should be a lock. But whenever he’s played for the national team, he’s been somewhere between underwhelming and calamitous. He has also struggled with injuries. He’s currently working his way back from an ankle ailment. Unless he makes an impression in November or March, it’s tough to see him getting into the World Cup squad — in part because Tessmann has seemingly rendered him unnecessary.
USMNT’s Christian Pulisic surges down the sideline in a draw vs. EcuadorScott Coleman / Imagn Images
Attacking midfielders/wingers
Locks: Christian Pulisic, Malik Tillman, Tim Weah
Confident: Diego Luna
In consideration: Brenden Aaronson, Luca de la Torre, Jack McGlynn, Gio Reyna, Alejandro Zendejas
TENORIO: This is maybe the hardest part of the depth chart to predict beyond the three locks. Pochettino loves what Luna brings to the team in terms of his fight, but at the World Cup he’ll need quality that can change games. Are there clear answers behind this trio and McKennie? While goalkeeper and center back may be higher-profile position battles, the spots on the bench at this position could end up having a bigger impact — and I don’t feel confident at all in predicting what exactly Pochettino is thinking behind the big names.
BUSHNELL: I feel confident predicting that De la Torre and McGlynn won’t be in the 26. But between Luna, Aaronson and Zendejas, it’s tricky — and will probably depend on how Pochettino views them as situational players. For example, Aaronson can be useful as a defensive winger when leading late in a game.
Reyna, meanwhile, is a complete wild card. He’ll need to get multiple months of consistent minutes, and performances, at Borussia Mönchengladbach to have any hope.
USMNT striker Folarin Balogun has looked like the most effective option up topOmar Vega / Getty Images
Strikers
Locks: Folarin Balogun
Confident: (None)
In consideration: Patrick Agyemang, Ricardo Pepi, Josh Sargent, Brian White, Haji Wright
BUSHNELL: Balogun needed only two full games under Pochettino to establish himself as the seemingly unquestioned starter. Then, on Tuesday night, Wright needed only one full game to pose a new question: Might the USMNT suddenly have two decent options up top?
There could even be three if and when Pepi returns to form and full fitness.
At the moment, those are almost certainly Pochettino’s top three. Sargent underwhelmed in March and September and hasn’t scored for the national team in six years. Agyemang is physically useful but technically raw. Others don’t meet the international standard.
If Pochettino opts to take four strikers to the World Cup — something the expansion of rosters to 26 allows for — Agyemang might actually be a better bet for the fourth spot than Sargent, even if Sargent outscores him by a wide margin in the English Championship. For all his limitations, he offers a physical presence that no other striker in the U.S. pool does.
TENORIO: It’s definitely been frustrating that Sargent hasn’t been able to translate his club form over to country, but Balogun’s strong play and Wright’s goals in October at least provide a dose of confidence around this position. We haven’t seen Pepi since November 2024. He’s going to have to get back into form and eventually get back into a U.S. camp in order to secure a spot at the World Cup.
Our 26-man World Cup roster projection (as of Oct. 2025)
GOALKEEPERS (3): Matt Freese, Patrick Schulte, Matt Turner
CENTER BACKS (5): Tim Ream, Chris Richards, Mark McKenzie, Miles Robinson, Walker Zimmerman
FULLBACKS/WINGBACKS (4): Max Arfsten, Sergiño Dest, Alex Freeman, Antonee Robinson
Welcome to the latest edition of Inside Real Madrid, our weekly series to follow throughout La Liga’s 2025-26 season.
Every week, we will bring you key information and analysis on the biggest talking points, cutting through the noisy world of all things Madridista with reporting you can trust.
What’s the biggest talking point at Real Madrid right now?
Xabi Alonso’s team are two points clear at the top of La Liga after Sunday night’s 1-0 win at Getafe — secured thanks to another goal from Kylian Mbappe, his 15th from 11 games in all competitions this term.
Second-placed Barcelona are Madrid’s next opponents on the domestic front (Hansi Flick’s team won 2-1 at home to Girona on Saturday), and Juventus also visit the Santiago Bernabeu in the Champions League on Wednesday.
Alonso has not repeated a single starting XI so far this season, favouring a policy of rotation that marks a significant break from what senior players such as Vinicius Junior have been used to.
With Jude Bellingham now fully recovered following his shoulder surgery, and each of Rodrygo, Mbappe, Franco Mastantuono and Vinicius Jr all fit for the first time this term, it is unclear who the Basque coach will favour for the big game.
But it can be considered a good sign of the team’s strength in depth that Arda Guler and Vinicius Jr both made a positive impact against Getafe from the bench, with Guler again combining with Mbappe for the Frenchman’s goal.
No official date has been set for that yet, but it is likely to happen in November. Before then, we might see some key developments around Endrick, however…
That piece was informed by several sources close to Endrick, and those same sources told The Athletic’s Mario Cortegana on Sunday night that, despite his lack of playing time, he is still very reluctant to leave.
Endrick and Vinicius Jr on the bench on SundayDiego Souto/Getty Images
Their own view, however, was that Endrick should consider making a loan move in January because Alonso’s selection choices so far did not leave them with much hope of his situation substantially changing. They said clubs were already making concrete moves to sign him on loan.
How important is this next run of games for Alonso?
Madrid sources — speaking anonymously as they did not have permission to comment, like several others The Athletic approached for this article — consider this coming week as crucial for the season and for Alonso’s project at the club.
El Clasico is always important, and not just because of the history of that rivalry, or that matches between Madrid and Barca often tend to settle the league winner. This coming edition is even more crucial given the context of the criticism Alonso’s team faced after losing to Atletico — and to Paris Saint-Germain (4-0) at the Club World Cup.
Alonso and Madrid faced criticism after the Atletico defeatMaria Gracia Jimenez/Soccrates/Getty Images
After the defeat by Diego Simeone’s side, a narrative developed that this Madrid team perhaps suffers from a lack of leadership now, especially as they are transitioning away from the days of Luka Modric, Toni Kroos and others who helped inspire so much success.
A big performance in their biggest game of the season so far could help respond to this, while giving younger elements of the team the confidence to grow further into their new roles.
How is the squad looking for El Clasico?
Alonso has plenty of tough choices to make selection-wise — one of those good problems to have — but there were a couple of injury scares at Getafe on Sunday night.
Thibaut Courtois took a knock to his right knee, where he underwent arthroscopic surgery a year ago (he also suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee in August 2023). However, according to sources at the club and his camp, it does not appear to be serious and he is expected to be fit to play against Juventus on Wednesday.
Similarly, David Alaba started for the second time this season as he continued his path towards becoming a regular again for Madrid, following a recent history of serious injury problems.
Alaba played 153 minutes as a starter for Austria over the international break, but he was substituted at half-time on Sunday with some discomfort in his right calf, a muscle overload. He is expected to undergo tests to assess the extent of the injury.
Alaba during Sunday’s game at GetafeJose Breton/Pics Action/NurPhoto via Getty Images
Dani Ceballos is expected to rejoin the squad this week after suffering a bruise to his left hamstring, which caused a hematoma. This complicated his recovery as the bruise was close to his sciatic nerve, and Madrid’s medics are keen to proceed carefully. His case will be assessed day by day, but on Monday, sources were not optimistic he would be back in time to face Juve.
There have been rumours that Dean Huijsen will not be available against Barcelona (he suffered hamstring discomfort during the international break), but various sources close to his recovery process remain optimistic that he can make it back.
There is also optimism surrounding Trent Alexander-Arnold and Dani Carvajal, both of whom are in the final stages of recovering from thigh muscle injuries. That said, it remains to be seen whether Alonso will risk playing either in El Clasico, given neither has played a match since September.
Ferland Mendy has a more complicated path to recovery. He is already training with the group but still has work to do before he can return to the starting XI after six months out with injury. Rudiger, meanwhile, is not expected to be back until after the international break in November.
How Man United’s Rashford revitalized career at Barcelona
Sam Marsden Moises Llorens ESPN
Oct 20, 2025, 04:11 AM ET
Barcelona coach Hansi Flick has followed Marcus Rashford‘s career closely, dating way back to his emergence as a teenager at Manchester United. When the chance to sign the England forward on loan was put on the table this past summer, Flick’s message to sporting director Deco was a simple one: “I told him we have to do it. Marcus is an outstanding player, exactly what we needed.”The plan was to ease Rashford in slowly, let him settle into life in a new country and slowly learn the mechanisms of what the Barça coach wants from him, but a series of injuries across the attacking positions have instead thrust him into a major role for the Spanish champions.With 11 games played in all competitions, Rashford is one of just four players to have featured in every match — the other three are Pedri, Eric García and Jules Koundé. With three goals and four assists, he leads Barça in goal contributions heading into the team’s biggest week of the season so far.Barça welcome Olympiacos in the UEFA Champions League on Tuesday, needing a win to bounce back from defeat to Paris Saint-Germain last time out; Rashford will then get his first taste of El Clásico when Barça travel to Real Madrid next Sunday two points adrift of the early LaLiga leaders.ESPN spoke to people connected to Barça’s first team and Rashford ahead of those two huge games about how his move to Catalonia has seemingly, for now at least, reinvigorated his career.
Barça have scouting reports on Rashford dating back years, but sources say the foundations for his loan move from United were laid around a year ago. It was then that talks between the club and the player’s agent, his brother, Dwaine Maynard, first progressed.Those negotiations were regarding a January deal, but with Barça fighting to confirm Dani Olmo‘s registration at the time, finances did not allow for any other additions. Rashford eventually joined Aston Villa on a loan deal after being frozen out by the new United coach Ruben Amorim.Barça’s interest remained, sources add, but by the summer there were other options. Deco was keen to sign Liverpool‘s Luis Díaz, who eventually joined Bayern Munich, while Athletic Club‘s Nico Williams was also a target before he extended his contract in Bilbao.
Sources detail two key reasons behind Barça turning their attention back to Rashford. Firstly, despite commanding a massive salary — even while taking a 15% cut on his sizeable United paycheck — it was the most financially viable option. Secondly, Flick pushed hard for the club to do the deal.
That did not make it easy. And it took many hands to get the signing done. Spanish agents Arturo Canales and Fernando Solanas were drafted in as intermediaries, while a law firm who, curiously, do a lot of work for United’s rivals Manchester City, were also hired to help iron out the final details of the various agreements.
Nicol: Rashford needs to take more responsibility
Steve Nicol and Craig Burley react to Marcus Rashford’s comments about his time at Manchester United.
Rashford had been waiting patiently. Sources say club officials were impressed with how steadfast he was in his desire to play for Barça, alluding to club legend Johan Cruyff’s famous comment: “If you have second thoughts on playing for Barcelona, you are no longer of service to us.”
Those same sources say Rashford was certainly not in that bracket. They acknowledged a move to Barça after his ups and downs at United may represent a move some felt he didn’t deserve, but claimed it would have been less stressful and more financially rewarding for him to pursue other opportunities.They viewed an interview he did with xBuyer, a YouTube channel well-known in Spain but not in English language markets, as a modern day come-and-get-me plea as he spoke about a desire to play for Barça and offered praise for teenage sensation Lamine Yamal.Eventually, with Flick wanting the deal done as early as possible in preseason, Canales and Solanas offering a hand and United accepting a loan deal with a €30 million option to make the move permanent, Rashford became the first Englishman since Gary Lineker to sign for the Barça men’s first team.
Rashford hits the ground running
Rashford is enjoying his first months in Spain. He has taken up residence in an urbanization in the mountains, just north of the seaside town of Castelldefels but technically belonging to Gavà. In 10 minutes, he can be down on the beach, while he has been spotted regularly playing pàdel with friends and even fishing.But it’s 20 minutes up the C-32 motorway where he’s happiest, at Barça’s Ciutat Esportiva Joan Gamper training base. Sources say teammates were surprised by his humility and timidness at first, given his standing in the game, but he has quickly found his place inside the dressing room.He is learning Spanish, but it is not as essential to a quick acclimatization as it would have been at Barça a decade ago. There are now many English speakers in the squad — including Robert Lewandowski, Frenkie de Jong and Andreas Christensen — and Flick and his predomnantly German coaching staff offer instructions in English.
Sources say Rashford, who turns 28 next week and should be in the peak years of his career, has been able to gel with veterans Lewandowski and Wojciech Szczesny at the same time as relating with the pack of young players, led by Yamal, quickly picking up some of the local lingo to avoid being left out of the banter.He told newspaper Diario Sport one of the first words he learned was chuche, meaning sweet or candy. “Soy tu papa, chuche,” — “I’m your daddy, sweetie” — is one of Yamal’s favorite friendly taunts after humiliating teammates on the training ground with Spain and Barça.”Rashford is a spectacular player,” defender Ronald Araújo told ESPN. “He’s happy. We’ve spoken before about that, the confidence, the happiness [players need] and he’s happy here in Barcelona.”The team took to him really quickly when he arrived. You can see that on the pitch. He has quality, skills, he’s quick, so explosive … he gives us a lot. We’re happy he’s here with us.”
Injuries have accelerated the showcasing of those attributes. With Yamal, Raphinha, Lewandowski, Ferran Torres, Fermín López and Olmo all missing stretches of the campaign so far, Rashford, initially expected to be a backup player, has been Barça’s only ever-present forward in their 11 games this season.
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Primarily playing on the left, where he says he prefers to play, he has also featured through the middle, where some sources speculate his long-term future at the club could be if he wants to stay beyond this year — if not, he may find himself competing with Raphinha for a left-wing berth rather than a 37-year-old Lewandowski who is out of contract next summer.
Sources say Rashford was a little “lost” tactically at first, but that he is a quick learner. He has taken on board what Flick wants from him, benefiting from the coach’s direct and succinct instructions. Flick doesn’t like to confuse players with too much information; he wants Rashford to be direct and run at players. The England international is averaging 5.97 take-ons per 90 minutes this season, but the Barça boss would like to see that increase if possible — it is higher than Raphinha’s 3.61, but a long way short of the 13.22 Yamal averages per 90 on the other flank.
Rashford’s best night came in Newcastle, when he scored two stunning goals in the 2-1 Champions League win, but if there is one complaint it is that he could score more — the only other goal he scored was in this month’s 4-1 defeat to Sevilla.There have been other times when he has come close, denied by good saves or the woodwork, but it is an area where sources say Barça want to see an improvement. He smashed the bar with a free kick in last weekend’s 2-1 win against Girona; it was one of three free kicks he took in the Catalan derby and sources pointed out the significance in him being handed the responsibility of taking set plays so soon by the coaching staff and how it has been accepted by his peers.He has also taken more corners than any other Barça player this season — 37, ahead of Raphinha’s 13 in second — with Flick banking on his quality to set up goals. And he has created eight chances from dead-ball situations so far.Marcus Rashford hits the frame
However, Rashford’s quality with the ball is not where the work on the training ground has been centered. Flick called his Newcastle brace the “first step” and said that the next step would see him evolve off the ball.”Our style, how we want to play, is focused on high intensity and this is what I want to see also from him,” he said.Rashford has shown improvements in that sense when compared to last season. Across games with United and Villa in the Premier League, he was averaging 18.9 sprints per game, according to Stats Perform. This season, in the Spanish top flight, per LaLiga Football Intelligence, that figure has increased to 34.9. He is also covering over 630 meters at a speed north of 21km/h per 90 minutes, up from 122 meters in the Premier League last term.However, those numbers are still a long way short of Raphinha, who Flick considers the flagbearer for Barça’s pressing game, which is essential if the team’s high line is to avoid being picked off. This season the Brazilian is averaging 45.3 sprints per 90 and covering over 810 meters at a speed greater than 21km/h. Torres’ numbers are also slightly higher than Rashford’s, while Yamal’s are lower.
It is unfair to read too much into that just yet, though. Barça are struggling to match the pressing energy they had in Flick’s first season. Raphinha’s numbers were much higher — 59.4 sprints per game and 1.1km covered per 90 minutes at over 21km/h — while Torres and Yamal’s numbers are also significantly down.
Sources say the data paints a picture of a Barça team still striving to find its best level. With the change in personnel week after week due to injuries, it has made it hard to completely gauge Rashford’s fit in this side. The signs are promising, though. He looks dangerous with the ball, although he could add more goals, and has improved without it, even if there is still considered to be a long way to go.
“I think it’s been good, it’s been smooth,” Rashford told ESPN. “For sure in the future we will of course improve. I am looking forward to this. My focus is on the pitch, to match well with the team and to improve my individual performance.
“We have to show [intensity] going forward and continue to prove to the coach that we are a team that wants to win and wants to be successful. I want to win as much as possible, hopefully lift trophies with this club and add to the history that they already have.”
What’s next for Rashford? Could he stay beyond this summer?
Rashford’s Barça future will not be decided against Olympiacos or even against Madrid. It will be decided over the course of the season. It will be decided by how much he can offer in the spring when Barça hope to be competing for every major trophy. This past season, they won LaLiga, the Copa del Rey and Spanish Supercopa, falling only in the Champions League semifinal. There is only one way they can go better this time round.
From there, a decision will be made on Rashford. But, as is the case at Barça in most situations, it will not be straightforward. Firstly, because there will be a presidential election next year. Current president Joan Laporta is expected to run again and is the early favorite to remain in charge. However, he will face competition, and candidates often run on promises of big signings; Laporta himself might even make claims of new arrivals next summer.
If wannabe presidents are pledging to spend €100 million on Player X, where would that leave the €30 million needed to land Rashford given Barça’s delicate relationship with LaLiga’s financial fair play rules?
Some sources inside the club, though, are already sold on the fee, classifying €30 million needed to sign Rashford as a “no-brainer.” The reality is it will depend on performances, finances, elections and many other factors, such as what other options come up and who the coach and sporting director are — nothing is guaranteed in soccer. The only thing for certain is that if Barça don’t end up signing him, they will not have to pay United any fine, as Chelsea did with Jadon Sancho.
“There’s no penalty clause in the loan agreement if we don’t sign him,” Deco confirmed earlier this year. “We do have an option to make it permanent if we want to. It’s too early to talk about decisions for next season; what matters is that we’re happy with him.”
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