“I didn’t come this far to get injured”

Kamungo’s path to the MLS started when sports became a distraction from the hardships of life at a young age. His parents fled a civil war in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and he was born in a refugee camp in Tanzania.

“I started playing when I was very young, probably as soon as I started walking. Growing up in Tanzania where soccer is the main sport made it easy for me to fall in love with the sport,” Kamungo remembers. “I was born in a refugee camp and playing soccer helped me avoid a lot of negative stuff going on in and around my life. My family could not afford a living. 

“It was a dream come true coming to the US. I had seen a lot of movies, videos, and pictures of how amazing the country was, and I always wanted to come to the U.S. The freedom, jobs, and the culture. It is amazing. Some of those things, we don’t have them back home. Soccer played a big part in the adaptation process and in connecting with people in the U.S., besides my family.”

It was in 2016 that Kamungo’s family relocated to Abilene, Texas. In 2021, he had a successful tryout with FC Dallas’ reserve team, North Texas SC. Kamungo signed a professional contract with FC Dallas the following year.

“I didn’t come this far to get injured,” he says about the cooperation with The BetterGuard, a company that produces ankle brace injury prevention and recovery products. “I am always looking out for my body and overall well-being. BetterGuard helps me during practice and games. I will do what I can to make sure I am performing at my best and preventing any injuries that I can.”

Kamungo is among BetterGuard’s high-profile clients across wide-ranging sports, including the Wagner brothers – Moritz and Franz – from NBA’s Orlando Magic.

Ankle sprains are the most common injury in soccer, and continue to be the leading reason for missed playing time in MLS. Since Kamungo’s MLS debut in September 2022, he only missed games due to a shoulder injury.

Bernard Kamungo interview – “Hopefully, it’ll be a year I win something with the team.”

In only his second FC Dallas appearance, Kamungo scored a late winner against Real Salt Lake City. He registered six goals in less than 500 minutes of playing time in his first full MLS season. The Toros also managed to progress to the 2023 MLS Cup playoffs.

Things didn’t work for Kamungo and FC Dallas this season, however. He endured a scoreless campaign with the club missing out on the MLS Cup. FC Dallas was also one of the four teams to finish the Leagues Cup campaign with 0 points, out of 47 MLS and Liga MX clubs.  

“My goal was to take it from my first season and grow up. But God has different plans for you. I’m very disappointed by this season,” Kamungo said about the recent struggles. “But that’s the professional game. You’ll not always be at your best. You’ll just need to work hard and hope the season turns out the way you want. Honestly, not a lot of stuff is under my control.

“Every fan will look at the stats and say whatever they wanted to say. I’ll do the same, too. But it all came down to the effort and work ethic. That’s the key to scoring goals and winning games. As a player, I don’t look at stats that much. I focus on the work that comes before the stat. The stat would come later on.”

With San Diego FC’s introduction, MLS will be expanded to 30 teams next season. The 30th MLS season will begin on the weekend of February 22, 2025. Kamungo’s current contract at FC Dallas will run out at the end of the upcoming season.

“I’ve got goals to achieve next year. There were lots of goals I wasn’t able to achieve this year. I have to work as much as I can. It’s taking one moment at a time. You’ve to make the most out of the little chances you have,” he said about the future. “Hopefully, it’ll be a year I win something with the team. I’m sure it’ll be a memorable season both for me and the team.”

Amidst growing discussions over the need to adapt the promotion/relegation system in MLS, Kamungo doesn’t see a need for a change. “Whatever everybody decides on it, I’m going to be down for it. I don’t think a change is needed. 

“MLS is a big league and everyone loves it as it is. Maybe I’ll be disappointed if I see a change to European style. The league is getting bigger. And I prefer the way it is right now”

“It was my dream to play at this level”

Kamungo attributed his background to his will to fight adversities in professional soccer. He certainly doesn’t want to dwell on not passing through academies. Instead, he’s thankful for the past that helped him get here.

“You should never forget where you were. I didn’t have a chance to be a professional player in Tanzania,” he says. “Now I’m here playing in a professional environment. It was my dream to play at this level. 

“Being able to achieve that in such a short amount of time was unbelievable. There is always an obstacle in general in life. One thing I’ve learned is to always be patient in every moment. Taking one moment at a time stood out for me.”

MLS Next Pro has played a big part in Kamungo’s rise to prominence. He finished second in the scoring chart with 16 goals and was selected in the Best XI of the inaugural season. MLS’ reserve league is classified as the third tier of the United States soccer league system.

“For all young players, MLS Next Pro is a stage that will get you ready mentally and physically for the next step in your career,” he raved about the developmental league. “It honestly helped me a lot. It helps me to take responsibility. It’s where I took a step up, for example by taking penalties in tied games. And I learned to take care of my health for every game.” 

He also believes versatility is a key attribute to learn for young players. “For me, it’s important to experience a lot of playing positions, especially as a young player. I never had a chance to play in the academy,” he said. “So being able to play every position is a good thing, for me. I’d say it’s a learning moment.”

During the 2024 MLS season, Kamungo played across several positions. That includes playing as an attacking midfielder and a striker. “I have a favorite position which is the right winger,” Kamungo expressed his desire. “That’s the position I grew up playing. But, at the same time, I don’t mind playing anywhere else. It’s a matter of where the coach wants me to play or where I’m going to help the team”

“I’ve got family members from both sides”

That versatility could be decisive in his dream of returning to the USMNT setup. Mauricio Pochettino made his US debut in the dugout with a win over Panama and a defeat to Mexico in October’s international break.

“I’ve watched Pochettino coaching a lot of big teams. To be able to have such a coach help the national team,” he said about the new environment. “I’ve to work on myself and be able to perform at the highest level without blaming things or putting others on the line. First, I need to work hard and put my club in the best position. I’m sure everyone will see your effort, then”

However, he is still undecided on which country to represent on the international stage. Kamungo received a call-up from Tanzania for the 2023 African Cup of Nations qualifiers, but he ended up not playing. Despite the geographical differences, he confirmed to World Soccer Talk that he closely follows Tanzanian football. 

But, at the start of this year, he made his US debut when Gregg Berhalter’s MLS-based squad lost a friendly against Slovenia in San Antonio, Texas. He still can revert that decision.

“Representing a national team is a dream of every young kid. For me, it’s still the hardest decision to make,” he said about the dilemma. “I’ve got family members from both sides that want me to represent their national teams. Even right now, I can’t tell you where my head is at. Let’s just see what the future holds. I’ll let everyone know when I reach a decision.”

Photo: IMAGO / Icon Sportswire

No recipient on stage for Real Madrid’s multiple awards

Although some argued on Rodri’s credibility, most people expected Vinícius would be handed his first Ballon d’Or. But, all of a sudden, reports start to emerge about a turn of events.

Few believed the organizers when they mentioned this year’s winner would not be known ahead of time. But they did keep it a secret until Real Madrid’s snub hinted at Rodri winning the accolade.

From Florentino Pérez to every player, Real Madrid completely disappeared from attending the highly-respected ceremony. And that came under scrutiny well before the closing act that rewarded Rodri’s performances with Manchester City and the Spain national team.

Real Madrid is selected as the Men’s Club of the Year ahead of Bayer Leverkusen and Manchester City. In the newly added coaching category, Carlo Ancelotti won the award. And Kylian Mbappé shared the Gerd Müller trophy with Harry Kane for scoring the most goals in the 2023-24 season.

But there was no representative from the club to receive these awards on the stage. Kane didn’t hold back when he was asked about Mbappé’s disappearance. “Winning this award is a huge honor. As for why he’s not here, you’d have to ask him. But, for me, being here tonight is an honor in itself,” he says.

International soccer big factor in deciding the winner

Over the years, international tournaments have been considered big factors in deciding Ballon d’Or winners. Especially Ronaldo’s triumph in 2002 was attributed to his excellent World Cup performance for Brazil after missing the vast majority of the club season due to an injury.

European Championship and Copa America don’t have equal weight to the World Cup, but there is more focus on the international stage than the odd years. And, in that regard, there is simply one winner between Rodri and Vini Jr. 

Although he was off injured in the first half of the final against England, Rodri’s Spain went all the way to win Euro 2024. Vini Jr. only scored twice for Brazil in 2023-24 and he had an extremely disappointing Copa America campaign, culminating in him missing the defeat to Uruguay due to suspension.

When George Weah, the only African player to win the Ballon d’Or, was on stage to unveil the winner, all the cameras were on Rodri. After all, the other candidates who made it into the top four – Vini Jr., Jude Bellingham and Dani Carvajal – aren’t present.

For a club of Real Madrid’s prestige, it presented them as a sore loser on a night of celebration. But it’s not new for their outspoken president. Pérez is the main instigator in the European Super League (ESL) plans.

No club has more Ballon d’Or winners than Real Madrid (8). And, with Vini Jr. only 24, he’s still within a chance to add to that number. But, for now, the world’s greatest club had a night to forget on a big stage.

Photo: IMAGO / Ulmer

Enochs, who represented the US in his playing days, lost his position after the embarrassing defeat left his team with four points from ten games. Meanwhile, Matarazzo’s situation shed light on the difficulties American coaches face in European soccer.

Players’ success stories don’t translate to coaching

More than ever, USMNT stars are becoming decisive with their clubs in top-rated European leagues. Christian Pulisic played at a world-class level at the start of the season while Folarin Balogun and Ricardo Pepi have been in fine scoring forms of their own. Antonee Robinson has played every minute for Fulham in the Premier League and the performances of Brenden Aaronson and Josh Sargent in the Championship can serve as other examples of the recent trends.

But when it comes to American coaches, the story is very different. So far, only Jesse Marsch and Matarazzo have coached in UEFA club competitions. Following his time with Leeds United, Marsch is now Canada’s national team coach.

For a while, the 50-year-old Wisconsin native was dreaming of coaching USMNT. Similarly, Matarazzo publicly expressed his desire to lead his nation in the future. But, for now, US Soccer went with a big name by hiring Mauricio Pochettino.

Tough time for Europe-based US coaches 

Previous USMNT coaches Bob Bradley and Gregg Berhalter also tried their luck in Europe. However, Bradley was only in the Premier League hotspot for 11 games with Swansea City. And Swedish club Hammarby was a second-tier club when Berhalter was in charge between 2011 to 2013.

But the recent crop of young coaches has struggled to even reach that level. David Wagner, who was born in Frankfurt and spent most of his time in Germany, was recently relieved of his position at Norwich City.

Steve Cherundolo worked as assistant manager at Hannover and Stuttgart, but he’s now settled with life at MLS. Enochs is another US coach who has a long-standing history in German soccer.

In his first full season at the club, Enochs won promotion to 2. Bundesliga before the awful start to the new campaign. Regensburg conceded 30 goals in the first 10 games of the season while they only found the net four times, including three in the weekend’s 8-3 defeat.

Time is ticking for Matarazzo at Hoffenheim

Wednesday’s game will be crucial for Matarazzo’s credentials at Hoffenheim. While he fared much better in Europe, four points from three games after defeat in Porto last Thursday, their league form has been concerning.

In Sunday’s goalless draw with Heidenheim, Matarazzo had to rely on a superb late save by his goalkeeper Oliver Baumann to salvage a point. Hoffenheim currently sits in 15th place after eight rounds played in the Bundesliga. Their only wins came against the bottom-placed teams Holstein Kiel and VfL Bochum.

In that regard, their next league game will also be against 16th-placed St. Pauli. But, if Klose recorded another win against a US coach on Wednesday, the pressure would increase on Matarazzo. 

With 99 goals in 57 league games, Matarazzo is only second to current Germany coach Julian Nagelsmann for the highest goal-per-game ratio at Hoffenheim. But they also conceded 104 goals this time, which is the fourth-worst record for a Hoffenheim coach.

PHOTOS: IMAGO

Long-awaited Serie A return

The 34-year-old spent the majority of his club career in Italy. He played three seasons each at Serie A giants Inter and AC Milan. His last experience at this level was with his hometown club Brescia in 2019-20.

Balotelli signed for Brescia on an initial one-year deal with an automatic renewal subject to the club avoiding relegation. The Lombardy club ended up getting relegated, finishing 14 points behind 17th-placed Genoa.

The former Manchester City and Liverpool forward had another brief stint at the then-Serie B outfit Monza. Despite respectable goal-scoring returns at Olympique de Marseille, Adana Demirspor and FC Sion, disciplinary issues caused the controversial figure to change clubs frequently.

Balotelli faces a relegation battle

In only his second international appearance, Balotelli shared a playing field with his upcoming coach Gilardino in the final 15 minutes of Italy’s 1-1 draw with Romania in 2010. The 2006 World Cup winner enjoyed a successful first season as a Serie A coach when Genoa finished midtable last campaign.

Albert Gudmundsson and Mateo Retegui played a big part for them finishing only four points behind champions Napoli. The duo continued their excellent form this season, but it’s for their respective new clubs Fiorentina and Atalanta, respectively.

Gilardino’s side also had a decent start this campaign with a dramatic draw against champions Inter followed by Andrea Pinamonti’s winner against Monza. But, since then, they only scored four goals and collected two points from seven league encounters. 

Pinamonti also scored both goals in the 2-2 draw against Champions League participants Bologna, but big-money signing Vitinha has been underwhelming since his move last January. Although 17-year-old Jeff Ekhator has been a revelation in recent weeks, Genoa needed a more experienced figure in the final third.

A veteran presence in a veteran’s league

Serie A is a familiar ground for veteran strikers. In his mid-30s, Olivier Giroud scored 15 goals in his last season with AC Milan. Meanwhile, Empoli was saved by M’Baye Niang after they signed the Senegalese striker on a short deal like Balotelli at Genoa.

Although he was out of competitive soccer for months, Balotelli showed his scoring exploits last season. He had 7 goals in only 940 minutes of action for Adana Demirspor. But that’s not the only thing you get from the 36-time Italian international.

He picked up six cautions and earned a red card in his last appearance for the club. Gilardino will have to deal with this side of his former Azzurri teammate. 

Genoa will host in-form Fiorentina on Thursday. Raffaele Palladino’s side is currently fourth in the standings after scoring 11 goals in their last two games against Lecce and AS Roma. Balotelli will most likely miss this match due to a lack of preparation time.

Before November’s international break, Genoa will face newly-promoted teams Parma and Como. Balotelli’s contract runs until the end of the season.

PHOTOS: IMAGO.

Set pieces defined first-half encounter

With William Saliba suspended and Riccardo Calafiori’s injury, Thomas Partey deployed as a makeshift right-back. However, Bukayo Saka returned in attack after missing out on last week’s defeat at Bournemouth and the underwhelming Champions League win over Shakhtar Donetsk.

And it only took ten minutes for the two-time England Player of the Year to mark his return with a goal. Ben White, who played center-back for the first time in over a year, provided the assist to Saka’s 50th Premier League goal.

The 23-year-old scored against Liverpool for a third year running at the Emirates Stadium. It was his fourth goal in this fixture, making Liverpool his favorite opponent alongside Wolves. The 4-2 victory over Leicester City is the only league game Saka hasn’t registered direct goal involvement this season.

His measured set pieces played a big part in his impressive streak. Both Arsenal and Liverpool have been dominant in winning games from dead-ball situations. And that was also visible in Sunday’s big showdown.

Liverpool equalized through Virgil van Dijk following Trent Alexander-Arnold’s corner kick. Another set piece play helped Arsenal retake the lead. Midfielders Declan Rice and Mikel Merino combined to have the hosts in front at the half-time break.

Lack of second-half threat from both sides

Their next shot on target didn’t come until the 88th minute. Caoimhin Kelleher had a quiet second-half before Gabriel Jesus fired from range. That was also after the visitors leveled the score through Mohamed Salah.

Mikel Arteta has been very cautious in big games this season. He had to do it with ten men when the Gunners drew against Manchester City by the same scoreline. But they also relied on similar tactics in games against Tottenham Hotspur and Atalanta in mid-September. Things might change with their skipper Martin Ødegaard closing on a long-awaited return.

It’s the first time Slot conceded twice in a game as a Liverpool coach. Liverpool had to chase the game for the majority of the time, but they only had four shots on target as well. In the end, despite the high-scoring draw, the match lacked attacking quality.

What’s next for Arsenal and Liverpool?

Manchester City, who beat Southampton via Erling Haaland’s fifth-minute strike, are back to top of the table after this result. Before next month’s international break, Arsenal will play away at Newcastle United and Chelsea. Liverpool’s league games are at home with Brighton and Aston Villa visiting Anfield.

Before then, both teams will be in EFL Cup action this midweek. Arteta will most likely give his young guns more minutes against Championship side Preston North End. The Kops travel to Brighton before the two teams meet again in the Premier League a few days later.

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Unfruitful El Clásico debut for Mbappé

Los Blancos has been a dominant force of late, coming out victorious in the last four El Clásicos. But Hansi Flick’s remarkable start to the season brought back hope for Barcelona. The Blaugrana won 11 of their first 13 games under the German coach.

While he inflicted an embarrassing defeat to his former employers Bayern Munich in midweek, Real Madrid put on a five-star second-half performance against Borussia Dortmund. Fresh from their European exploits and 48 hours before the Ballon d’Or ceremony, the timing was impeccable for the clash of the titans.

The game has lived up to the pre-match expectations. For starters, it was an end-to-end encounter. The visitors dominated possession, but the defending champions came close to scoring on multiple occasions in the first half-hour. 

On Tuesday, Real Madrid was extremely efficient in front of goal after the break. However, Carlo Ancelotti’s side lacked that decisiveness in their multiple attempts to exploit Barcelona’s high-line defense.

More than anything, beating the offside trap was the bigger challenge Madrid’s attackers faced. Mbappé, who was playing his maiden El Clásico, was caught offside six times alone in the first 45 minutes. 

Mbappé unwanted record: The New Offside King

He found the net in both halves, but it was offside on both occasions. At the end of the game, Real Madrid players had 12 offsides to their names to Barcelona’s one. And, the 25-year-old French striker had eight of them.

Mbappé tied an unwanted record with that stat. Since records began for offside in LaLiga, Jonathas previously had the most in a game when he was caught by the two linesmen eight times in Elche’s 3-2 defeat to Athletic Club in 2015. At least, the Brazilian scored his club’s goals in the match. 

To make matters worse, the former PSG superstar fluffed his lines the few times he beat Barcelona’s offside trap. Even before this miserable performance, the 2022 World Cup top-scorer struggled to repeat his famed scoring form in Spanish’s top-flight. He only has three non-penalty goals in his first 10 LaLiga appearances.

Flawless match by Barca’s defenders

With Ballon d’Or’s favorite Vinicius Junior also in Real Madrid’s ranks, Barcelona’s high-line positioning seemed adventurous. And they did that when one of their center backs was only 17 years old.

Pau Cubarsí had a superb game in the heart of Barcelona’s defense. His awareness level and timely decision-making were not visible in Real Madrid’s more experienced center-back partnership. Although he could’ve scored four himself, Robert Lewandowski’s movement for the first goal was a big contrast to Mbappé’s inefficiency.

And, Cubarsí wasn’t the only future superstar to shine for Barcelona. Marc Casadó and Alejandro Balde, both 21, assisted Lewandowski’s two goals. And, of course, Lamine Yamal scored his first (and surely not last) El Clásico goal.

What’s next for Real Madrid & FC Barcelona?

Ancelotti’s team is now six points behind Barcelona after one-third of the season gone. Their next two LaLiga games will see them play bottom-placed Valencia and Osasuna. However, Champions League will present a tricky fixture list with games against AC Milan and Liverpool.

Meanwhile, pointless Red Star and debutant Brest are Barcelona’s upcoming European opponents. Before all of that, Flick’s in-form men will play the Catalan derby next weekend against Espanyol. 

Photo: IMAGO / Guillermo Martinez

Underwhelming United ahead at the break

As expected, Mourinho picked Manchester United’s former players Fred and Sofyan Amrabat in the middle of the park. Youssef En-Nesyri, a two-time Europa League winner with Sevilla, starts ahead of Edin Džeko up front.

With Bruno Fernandes suspended, Lisandro Martínez captains United for the first time in his 70th appearance for the club. The Argentinian once again deployed at left-back. But the biggest surprise of the lineup came with Noussair Mazraoui drafted to replace Bruno.

Fenerbahçe won the midfield battle in the opening ten minutes, but the visitors handled the pleasure well. And they took the lead from their first chance courtesy of Christian Eriksen. The Danish midfielder briefly played under Mourinho at Tottenham Hotspur.

Marcus Rashford, whose half-time substitution cost the Red Devils two points against Porto, nearly doubled the lead moments later. But the hosts once again took control of proceedings to end the half strongly.

Andre Onana maintained United’s lead with a couple of impressive saves from En-Nesyri’s headers in a matter of seconds. But nothing was going right for Erik ten Hag’s men in Fenerbahçe’s box. From out-of-position Mazraoui to out-of-form Joshua Zirkzee, United’s attackers had an underwhelming 45 minutes in İstanbul.

Mourinho sees red, but United still held to draw

Meanwhile, the tough-tackling Manuel Ugarte was Manchester United’s best player. The Uruguayan took the ball off Fred to start an attack that resulted in Eriksen’s goal on his first start since the 3-0 home defeat to Spurs.

However, once again, United started the second half on the wrong foot. And, at the third time of asking, En-Nesyri beat Onana with a well-timed header inside the first ten minutes. It’s an expected outcome when you keep allowing time and space in aerial duels for the Moroccan international  

Similarly, there was little surprise when Mourinho saw his marching orders via a red card against Manchester United. The controversial figure had enough of it when Clement Turpin decided against a penalty kick for Ugarte’s challenge on Bright Osayi-Samuel.

Fenerbahçe’s coaching staff consistently approached Mourinho for advice, but Manchester United grew into the game afterward. Martínez and Mazraoui were back to their preferred roles after Casemiro’s entrance, And Rasmus Højlund fared much better after coming on in Zirkzee’s place.

Nevertheless, they couldn’t find the winner in a game with fewer chances. Both teams are unbeaten after three rounds of fixtures in the Europa League, but United is still looking for its first win in a competition they won with Mourinho back in 2016/17.

What’s next for Fenerbahçe & Manchester United?

After consecutive draws, Mourinho’s team will aim to return to winning ways when they host Bodrum on Sunday. Bodrum is playing in top-flight soccer for the first time in their entire history. Fenerbahçe currently sits fourth in the Super Lig, eight points behind Galatasaray.

Manchester United will play West Ham in Sunday’s early fixture. It’ll be a contest between two underfired coaches with Julen Lopetegui’s difficult start at the East London club. Ten Hag’s side only won one of their six away games in all competitions this season.

PHOTOS: IMAGO

David instrumental in Lille beating both Madrid clubs

In another excellent Champions League week for French clubs. Bruno Génésio’s side beat Atletico Madrid away from home. While reports linking him with a summer exit from the Spanish capital club, Diego Simeone suffered another setback in what used to be his favorite competition.

Génésio became only the second coach to beat Pep Guardiola, Jose Mourinho, Carlo Ancelotti and Simeone in the Champions League after Jürgen Klopp. Just like the win against Real Madrid, David was the architect with a superb performance.

With one eye on the weekend’s derby against RC Lens, the 58-year-old opted for a makeshift starting lineup. England international Angel Gomes, the wing wizard Edon Zhegrova and David all started the game on the bench.

Lucas Chevalier’s amazing saves and the introduction of the latter two secured a comeback victory for Lille in the last half hour. His two goals put David in contention for the race to finish top-scorer in Europe’s premier competition.

CONCACAF export Jonathan David in the running for Ligue 1 top scorer

Lille’s forward is among the 14 players who scored three or more goals in the first three rounds of the new-format competition. Harry Kane leads the way with 5 while Raphinha’s hat trick against the England skipper’s club puts him second.

But, there is a big possibility for David to finish top-scorer in potentially his last season in Ligue 1. Across his first four seasons in France, he scored 71 league goals. However, Kylian Mbappé won the Golden Boot on every occasion.

With the French superstar’s long-awaited transfer finally completed, David is now the favorite to finish top of the scoring chart. He recently scored all goals in Lille’s 3-0 triumph at Le Havre, David has five goals to his name after 8 rounds played. PSG’s winger Bradley Barcola is currently top with 7 goals.

Considering their issues up front, the Parisians are expected to push for his transfer next summer. David’s consistent numbers would make him one of the most valuable free agents at the end of the season. 

Hugo Sanchez at the top, Pulisic reached double-digits

Real Madrid’s legendary striker Hugo Sánchez has the most goals by a CONCACAF player in the history of the Champions League. The Mexican netted 17 goals for the Spanish giants back when the competition went by the name of the European Cup.

USMNT international Christian Pulisic scored his 10th Champions League goal on Tuesday with an Olimpico, a direct corner kick. He also equaled his season-best tally of two goals only after three rounds of games.

Including five in this season’s competition, David has 8 goals from 15 Champions League appearances. Earlier this month, Cyle Larin and David reached 30 goals for the national team in Canada’s 2-1 win over Panama.

PHOTOS: IMAGO

Barca came out top after entertaining half

Both teams already suffered shock defeats in the first two Champions League matchdays. Barcelona lost away to Monaco on the opening day when Bayern broke the record for the heaviest win of the competition. 

But, on matchday two, the German juggernauts were defeated by Aston Villa, who only returned to the Champions League after four decades. Meanwhile, Flick’s side comfortably beat Young Boys 5-0 with the first three goals scored in a dominant first-half display.

And they repeated that against the six-time Champions League winners. Raphinha was the star of the show as he scored in the first minute and on the stroke of half-time to put the hosts 3-1 up. Olympics gold medalist Fermín López also impressed with two first-half assists to his name in end-to-end action.

Harry Kane and former Bayern striker Robert Lewandowski were also on the scoresheet, while Lamine Yamal’s technique shone in Barcelona’s right flank. It was a great spectacle with both coaches playing with high defensive lines.

Raphinha completes trio of goals against Bayern in second half

But with Manuel Neuer’s decline in form and Bayern’s erratic center-backs, Vincent Kompany took a huge risk in allowing acre of space for Barcelona’s wingers. Raphinha, who wore the captain’s armband until Frenkie de Jong made his return, completed his hat-trick with another superb finish.

A day after Vinícius Júnior’s memorable performance at Santiago Bernabéu, another Brazilian performed at the highest level. And just like Real Madrid did over Borussia Dortmund, Barcelona completely dominated their opponents from the Bundesliga in the second half.

Barcelona could’ve scored more goals on the counter, but they did nullify Bayern’s threats on the other end. Kompany made four changes at the hour mark, but it was a dreadful half of soccer from Germany’s record champions.

Although it doesn’t weigh similar to a knockout tie, beating Bayern by a three-goal margin will be one of the hallmark results of Flick’s reign. After all, he was at Bayern’s dugout when the Bavarians beat Barca 8-2 on their way to winning the Champions League in 2020.

After their statement win, Barcelona climbed to 10th in the Champions League standings. Following back-to-back defeats, Bayern slumped to 23rd out of 36 teams.

What’s next for Barcelona & Bayern?

Flick will demand his players to maintain their high standards when Barcelona travel to Madrid for Saturday’s showdown. The Blaugrana lost three El Clásicos to Real Madrid last season. But the German coach won 11 of his first 13 games. Barcelona scored a staggering 43 goals in the process. 

Kompany will face a tricky trip to Bochum on Sunday. The Blues fired both their coach and sporting director after picking up a single point from seven matches. But Julian Nagelsmann and Thomas Tuchel suffered embarrassing defeats as Bayern coaches at Vonovia Ruhrstadion.

PHOTOS: IMAGO

Madrid’s season plighted by injuries

With only 22 players in the first team, the Italian tactician has the smallest squad out of all clubs LaLiga and Champions League clubs. And that was further tested with injuries since the start of the campaign. One of the club’s highest earners, David Alaba is yet to return to action after a serious knee injury. Euro 2024 winner Dani Carvajal enters a challenging recovery phase following an incident late against Villareal.

Both defenders will certainly not return before 2025. Meanwhile, Moroccan international Brahim Díaz hopes to make a full recovery from a hamstring injury in mid-December. Earlier in the season, Jude Bellingham and Eduardo Camavinga missed multiple games due to injury layoffs.

Real Madrid also kept Vinicius Junior and Éder Militão from joining Brazil’s squad for October’s World Cup qualifiers, but they played all 14 games for the club this season.

Real Madrid injuries before El Clasico open opportunities

Having missed the Villareal game and the defeat at Lille because of muscular discomfort, Courtois will now be on the sidelines for a few weeks for a similar issue. The Belgian only played the last month of last season following two knee surgeries.

Back then, Real Madrid signed Kepa Arrizabalaga on loan to provide competition for Andriy Lunin. Kepa, who still holds the record for the most expensive goalkeeper, returns to the Premier League with another loan deal taking him into Bournemouth after making 20 appearances for the Spanish capital club.

Lunin not only won the battle to play between the posts in Courtois’ absence, but he was also a big reason for Real Madrid’s 15th Champions League triumph. In particular, his excellent showing knocked out defending champions Manchester City in the quarter-final stage.

Courtois retook his place in the final played at Wembley Stadium. But he’ll now be unavailable at least for the next few games. When he was injured at the start of this month, the international break reduced the number of games he has missed. 

However, the Ukrainian is no stranger to LaLiga’s decorated fixture. Lunin won each of the three El Clásicos he played so far.

Rodrygo’s last action crucial in win over Dortmund

Julian Brandt’s loose touch was decisive in Lucas Vázquez’s excellent finish from a difficult angle. It put Real Madrid in front for the first time against Dortmund. But, before all of that, Rodrygo showed his trickery to keep the ball on the right flank.

The Brazilian winger immediately came off. Now, he will be unavailable for Saturday’s showdown due to a hamstring issue. He only featured off the bench in Real Madrid’s last two league games. Most expected him to return to the starting lineup against Barcelona before the unfortunate injury.

Rodrygo scored and assisted in last season’s 4-1 victory over Barcelona in a Supercoppa final staged in Saudi Arabia. Vinicius Junior, who scored a hat-trick in that game, repeated the feat in Tuesday’s win against Dortmund. 

Alongside the odds-on Ballon d’Or favorite, Kylian Mbappé will make his El Clásico debut. Rodrygo’s absence will likely mean Bellingham plays a more attacking role. Either Aurélien Tchouaméni or Camavinga can come on in the midfield. Youngsters Arda Güler and Endrick, who was an unused sub against Dortmund, provide more options for Ancelotti. 

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Şahin’s changes stunned Madrid

The champions lost to Jonathan David’s LOSC Lille on matchday two. Meanwhile, they haven’t been convincing in the league despite closing the gap with Barcelona to three points before Saturday’s El Clasico. Kylian Mbappé and Vinicius Junior scored the goals in the weekend’s 2-1 victory at Celta Vigo.

Jude Bellingham also produced a stunning performance in that game. But his new role makes it difficult to repeat last season’s scoring exploits. The England midfielder assisted Vinicius’ goal when these two sides met in last season’s final.

For all their underwhelming performances in the Bundesliga, Dortmund sat at the top of the Champions League before this week’s games. Nuri Şahin, a former Real Madrid midfielder, made three changes to the side that beat St. Pauli on Friday. New signings Waldemar Anton and Pascal Groß dropped to the bench alongside the underfired club captain Emre Can.

Those changes were key for the visitors going 2-0 up at the half-time break. Niklas Süle and Felix Nmecha added more physicality to the side while Jamie Bynoe-Gittens became the third player to score three Champions League goals for Dortmund after Karim Adeyemi and Serhou Guirassy.

Real Madrid failed to create clear-cut chances in another lackluster half of soccer from Carlo Ancelotti’s side. The only time they came close to scoring was when Rodrygo and Bellingham rattled the crossbar in mere seconds.

Vinicius hat trick guides Real Madrid to victory

Surprisingly, Şahin preferred an extremely cautious approach after the half-time break. In hopes of clinging to their two-goal lead, they tried to put on a defensive masterclass. Unfortunately for the 36-year-old coach, defensive solidarity has never been Dortmund’s strength.

Boosted by their vociferous crowd, the hosts leveled the score before the second half reached its midpoint. After Vinicius’ equalizing goal, Şahin doubled up on his decision by replacing Donyell Malen with Groß. The Dutch winger was instrumental in the first half with a goal and an assist.

Somehow, Dortmund improved after that to even create chances to regain their lead. The captain Julian Brandt missed a great opportunity before inadvertently assisting Real Madrid’s skipper Lucas Vázquez. Before the end of the game, Vinicius completed his hat trick with two superb strikes.

Real Madrid crowned their 15th Champions League triumph with a win over Dortmund last season, but there have been some memorable head-to-head encounters for the German side. Dortmund took four points off of José Mourinho’s team when they met in the 2012-13 group stage.

As fate has it, they also crossed paths in a memorable semi-final tie that season. Jürgen Klopp’s side advanced to the final with an aggregate 4-3 win thanks to an unforgettable four-goal salvo from Robert Lewandowski.

However, Dortmund never won a game at Santiago Bernabéu. They always seem to find a way to correct their false start, but Real Madrid are expected to dominate teams instead of scrapping results. 

What’s next for Real Madrid & Borussia Dortmund?

The season’s first El Clasico will be played on Saturday between Real Madrid and Barcelona. Hansi Flick’s side performed beyond expectations to sit top of LaLiga’s standings ahead of the star-studded side from the capital. Los Blancos’ next two European games will see them play fellow multiple-time Champions League winners AC Milan and Liverpool.

Dortmund will face relegation-threatened Augsburg. The Black and Yellows are winless in their last three trips to WWK Arena. Despite squandering a two-goal lead, they’re still in a good position to progress to the Champions League Round of 16 since Barcelona and Bologna are their only top-five league opponents in the remaining five rounds of games.

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Pulisic continues excellent form with goal from corner kick

Milan’s right-winger also attempted their first big chance in a slow-paced first half. After an excellent play from Rafael Leao, Pulisic’s shot from a tight angle was parried away by Liverpool’s former goalkeeper Simon Mignolet.

But he wasn’t able to stop Pulisic’s memorable goal. Cesareo Onzari’s strike for Argentina against 1924 Olympic champions Uruguay was the first known instance of a direct corner kick goal. That’s the reason it gets the Spanish name ‘Olimpico.’

There has been no shortage of Olimpicos in US soccer. Global superstars David Beckham and Thierry Henry scored similar goals in intertwining MLS careers. For USWNT, Megan Rapinoe netted a fitting Olimpico against Canada in the 2012 Olympics.

With an assist to Samuel Chukwueze against Udinese, Pulisic became the first European top-five league player to register direct goal involvement in 7 consecutive games this season. And he’s now scored in both Champions League games at San Siro.

Crucial win for Milan’s European campaign

Despite Club Brugge being reduced to ten men after Raphael Onyedika’s red card in the 40th minute, the Italian side conceded the equalizer right after the break. Soon after, Tijani Reijnders scored a well-taken brace to secure Milan’s first Champions League points.

The Dutch international also provided what could have been a historic goal for Francesco Camarda, who was making his Champions League debut. The 16-year-old saw his strike chalked off by VAR after a wild celebration in the stadium. 

Fonseca’s men narrowly lost to Liverpool and Bayer Leverkusen in the first two rounds. Milan’s next game in the competition will see them travel to European kings, Real Madrid. But their remaining four fixtures will pit them against three clubs outside the top-ten leagues and debutant Girona.

Brugge similarly has three points after three rounds of games in Europe’s premier competition. Their league form has been worrying, but there is a playoff system to save their season like their revival last term.

Tough schedule list ahead for Pulisic’s Milan

The US international started all 11 games for AC Milan so far in the season. Apart from games against Venezia and Leece where they led by more than two goals at half-time, the Rossoneri had to rely on his services until late in every game. He also played the entire 90 minutes against Brugge despite feeling discomfort 15 minutes from time.

Mauricio Pochettino expressed his concern about Pulisic’s workload on his first USMNT press conference. The decision to send him back to Milan before the Mexico game also caused a stir in the US soccer circle.

AC Milan will play last season’s sensation Bologna on Saturday before a midweek fixture against Serie A’s leaders Napoli. With Inter hosting Juventus this Sunday, it will be a decisive week.

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Frustrating week for Kudus

Although their last African Cup of Nations win dates back to 1982, Ghana has always been one of the best teams in the continent. But after ten successive participations, the Black Stars are in real danger of missing out on the 2025 AFCON.

The shocking 2-0 defeat to Sudan in Libya means they’re five points behind the last qualification spot with only two games left. Kudus is not the only high-profile name in the squad with Thomas Partey and Inaki Williams expected to add further threat.

Despite his captaincy role, Arsenal’s midfielder only featured in four of Ghana’s last 14 matches. Meanwhile, Athletic Club’s striker only found the net once since choosing his parent’s nation over Spain in 2022.

Similarly, West Ham failed to supply quality service to Kudus at the minute. Lucas Paquetá is currently distracted by his alleged involvement in a betting scandal. German international Niclas Füllkrug signed with huge expectations, but he couldn’t help the side with an injury layoff. 

Julen Lopetegui replacing David Moyes also failed to galvanize the East London club. West Ham only collected eight points from as many league games. The 15th-placed team’s two wins came against Premier League’s bottom four clubs, Crystal Palace and Ipswich Town.

And that frustration kicked in when Kudus wrestled Micky van de Ven on Saturday. The initial three-game ban could be extended with further review. Since signing for the Premier League outfit, he only missed games during the 2023 African Cup of Nations.

Kudus needs to be more decisive in the event of a transfer

While he would rather like to continue playing, the suspension could still provide a reflection time to work on his weaknesses. That includes finding his composure in moments like Saturday’s confrontation.

He came out overly aggressive to attack the Dutch defender twice in the heat of the moment, but Kudus didn’t even get a booking in his previous 16 league matches. It’s also the first straight red card in his young career.

But there is certainly room for improvement when it comes to his performances. Kudus scored some memorable goals – a sublime scissor-kick against Brentford, a solo strike in the Europa League win over Freiburg, and a spectacular bicycle kick at Manchester City – but he only scored 10 Premier League goals in 41 appearances.

Like last season, Kudus currently sits ahead of everyone in completed dribbles. But he has yet to record an assist this campaign. Jarrod Bowen is the only Hammer in the list of top 25 key pass makers.

These basic and underlying stats tell the full story of Kudus. Although there are exceptional moments here and there, he needs to be more decisive in front of goal. His West Ham contract will run until 2028, and the release clause expired at the end of last season. It’s now up to Kudus to raise his market value aloft.

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“You need to win every game to be the champions”

When unveiled at Fenerbahçe, Mourinho talked about his title ambitions. The Portuguese said it’d have been his comfort zone to coach at clubs aiming for Europa League qualification. He also doesn’t see the need to stay close to home with a return to Liga Portugal. 

According to Special One, there is pressure to win every game if you plan to be a Turkish Super Lig champion. Fenerbahçe collected 99 points last season, but they missed out on the title as their fierce rivals won 33 of their 38 games.

That made the first meeting of the two giants a high-profile game. Galatasaray won each of the first five games before the trip to Fenerbahçe, who were in the close vicinity with 13 points.

The visitors raced to a three-goal lead by the hour mark, but Mourinho once again showed his stubborn side after the game. Davinson Sánchez escaping an early sending-off was the main factor for his frustration as he walked out of an interview.

Fenerbahçe also dropped two more points on the weekend after conceding a late equalizer at third-placed Samsunspor. This opened an insurmountable eight-point gap between last season’s champions and runners-up, who do have a game in hand.

Victor Osimhen’s sensational transfer further strengthened Turkish’s most successful club. Mourinho accepted the challenge when the Nigerian joined Super Lig, but his team already lost major ground in the title race.

Mourinho readies for showdown with Manchester United

Before they get back into domestic business, Fenerbahçe will host Manchester United in the Europa League. Ten Hag’s side returned to winning ways in the Premier League with a 2-1 victory over Brentford on Saturday.

After a brief spell out of the wider public, Mourinho will be expected to fire controversial statements in his press conferences before and after the game. Mourinho’s unrivaled fame started when his Porto side knocked out Sir Alex Ferguson’s Manchester United on their way to lifting the Champions League in 2004.

He also won Europe’s premier competition with Inter Milan in 2009. However, he hasn’t returned to the Champions League proper since Tottenham Hotspur’s defeat to Julian Nagelsmann’s RB Leipzig in the Round of 16 tie back in 2020. 

On Thursday, Mourinho will face the club he helped to win the Europa League in 2017. Last April, he hinted at a lack of support from Manchester United’s board when he was at reign. 

The game in İstanbul will also be a reunion for United’s two former midfielders. Fred spent five years at Old Trafford before his move to Fenerbahçe last season. Sofyan Amrabat was initially seen as his replacement, but the club decided against signing him permanently from Fiorentina.

Fred and Amrabat are designated starters in Mourinho’s double-pivot midfield. Up front, former Manchester City striker Edin Džeko will hope to score for the tenth time against United.

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Goals galore in Neymar’s return

Just when Neymar prepared to enter the scene, Salem Al-Dosari completed his hat trick with a fine finish. That was the game’s eighth goal as Al-Hilal regained their two-goal lead to maintain their perfect Champions League start.

Another drama followed soon after his entrance. Ali Al-Bulayhi, who made a name for taunting opponents, saw a red card after a lengthy VAR review. Moments later, Khalid Eisa’s fingertip prevented a fairytale strike from Neymar. The sharp movements we’ve seen in recent training footage were finally repeated on the playing field. 

Later in the game, last season’s top-scorer Soufiane Rahimi also completed his hat-trick in a highly memorable encounter. Al-Ain was the only team to beat Al-Hilal last season as Hernan Crespo’s side won the semi-final clash 5-4 on aggregate.

The two-time winners are currently top of the Champions League after three rounds. They also collected the maximum number of points in the league from the first seven matches.

Al-Ain only has a single point after losing back-to-back games. AFC developed a similar format to the one UEFA applied in their competitions this season.

Al-Hilal coped admirably before Neymar made his return

The AFC Champions League was also the stage where Neymar last played for Al-Hilal before the serious injury he suffered during the international break. At Iran’s Azadi Sport Complex, Neymar scored his first goal for the club in a 3-0 win over Esteghlal. 

To everyone’s surprise, without their most expensive signing, Al-Hilal only dropped league points against Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al-Nassr in a year. And they will not have his services in the Saudi Pro League until 2025. 

Jorge Jesus’ side decided to leave out Neymar while registering eight foreigners after the end of the transfer window. Renan Lodi, who was picked ahead of his compatriot, scored the opening goal on Monday against Al-Ain.

The continental competition will continue to provide much-needed playing time for former Barcelona and PSG starlet. Clubs can submit up to 35 players to their Champions League squad.

Different situations at Seleção

As it stands, Brazil doesn’t seem to have the privilege to make up for Neymar’s absence. Before the recent international break, Dorival Junior’s team struggled in CONMEBOL’s marathon World Cup qualifiers. 

In particular, Vinicius Junior’s inability to replicate his club form came under scrutiny. Although it’s common to leave out players returning from long-standing injuries, Dorival is expected to call Neymar for November’s games against Venezuela and Uruguay.

Brazil failed to win both corresponding fixtures in the first half of the qualifying stage. Neymar can play two more games before his potential return to the national team. Al-Hilal will face second-division club Al-Tai in the cup next week. Three days after the big clash at Al-Nassr without Neymar, Hilal will play Esteghlal in the fourth matchday of the Champions League.

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Despite the nationwide interest to regularly watch soccer games, Digital Satellite Television (DStv) is currently the sole player in the media landscape. That’s mainly down to the South Africa-based station’s uninterrupted rights to the English Premier League for over a decade.

A short-lived fame by GTV is a testament to that. The satellite television operator owned by Gateway Communications entered the fray in 2007 by beating DStv for the then-Barclays Premier League TV rights. But, by January 2009, GTV entered liquidation and shut down its services.

From its weak signal to the rare availability of decoders, that was a tough time to follow the most popular league for Ethiopians. Luckily DStv was around to win back the rights and continue to deliver high-quality broadcast that includes a studio panel.

The early 2000s set the tone for European soccer in Ethiopia

The satellite TV culture spread in Ethiopia in the early 2000s. Before that, there was hardly a means to watch live games apart from major tournaments. And, with the time intersecting Premier League’s renaissance, the English game resonates with the majority of soccer following community.

As is also the case in neighboring East African regions, Arsenal and Manchester United have a large number of fans because of their respective heydays under Arsene Wenger and Sir Alex Ferguson. Jose Mourinho’s influence also created a decent Chelsea following. Before Jürgen Klopp’s era, Liverpool’s small fanbase was the doing of Kenny Dalglish, John Barnes and Ian Rush. Similarly, Manchester City is now attracting a new generation of soccer fans.

LaLiga also enjoyed a good following in the 13th-most populous country in the world. But it hasn’t been the same since the end of Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi’s tenures at Real Madrid and Barcelona, respectively. In addition to the Premier League, LaLiga and Champions League, the station has held Serie A rights since Ronaldo’s high-profile transfer to Juventus. You can also watch the Europa League, European Conference League and all the major tournaments through their platform. Since 2020, DStv has also allowed its subscribers to stream games using personal devices.

What about others?

ESPN Africa, which can be accessed through a DStv subscription, currently airs multiple competitions with two channels. The Eredivisie, Turkish Süper Lig, English Championship, Belgian Jupiler Pro League and the Scottish Premiership are among their offerings.

It also has a DFB Pokal coverage for us to enjoy Germany’s cup competition. But both DStv and ESPN Africa have no interest in chasing the rights for Bundesliga and Ligue 1.

For nearly four years, Canal+ Ethiopia transmitted the two leagues and the Saudi Pro League in a local language commentary. Unfortunately, the French-based company decided to shut down the channel after this summer’s Copa America coverage.

But that might not be the last of their legacy in the Ethiopian market. Vivendi-owned Canal+ now owns more than 45% of MultiChoice, the parent company for DStv. That will most likely open the door for another try to enter the Ethiopian market for the broadcaster that operates in more than 50 countries.

Moreover, StarTimes offers Bundesliga alongside several other competitions, including LaLiga and South American soccer. But it’s not easy to access the multinational media company from Ethiopia. This article’s author recently noticed the closure of StarTimes’ only registered office in the capital city, Addis Ababa.

All these factors left DStv to provide the only legal and accessible means to follow certain leagues. For those competitions not on their offering list, sadly, illegal streaming services are the only options.

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Both teams went for the win

Arne Slot and Enzo Maresca enjoyed decent starts in their maiden Premier League season. The home defeat to Nottingham Forest is the only time Liverpool failed to win out of ten games in all competitions. Similarly, Chelsea only lost a single match in the league so far.

After Arsenal’s shock defeat at Vitality Stadium a day earlier, the Blues have the opportunity to climb to third in the standings. Meanwhile, the hosts aim to cut short Manchester City’s lead at the summit. Another late goal by John Stones helped Pep Guardiola’s side secure crucial three points at cellar dwellers Wolves earlier on Sunday

Alisson Becker’s injury, which caused Slot to recommend a rethink in fixture scheduling, left Liverpool to start with Caoimhin Kelleher in goal. But the biggest pregame headline concerns Chelsea’s skipper. Reece James goes straight back to the lineup after recovering from his latest hamstring injury.

The visitors started the game with a high-line defense that nearly saw Tosin Adarabioyo sent off inside the first ten minutes. After Liverpool’s dominant spell in possession, Maresca’s men grew into the game. That was until another challenge from Levi Colwill brought the first goal, however.

Mohamed Salah’s strike from the spot was the game’s first shot on target, but both teams showed attacking intent in the first half-hour. The Egyptian was ready to repeat the trick in the stroke of half-time before Jones denied a second penalty kick following a VAR review.

Quickfire goals after the break

Shortly after that, Chelsea nearly found an equalizer through the usual suspect Cole Palmer. They did get their goal right after the break, though. While Maresca prepared a triple substitution in the wake of Nicolas Jackson’s goal, Liverpool retook the lead through Jones.

With four like-for-like changes well before the hour mark, the Italian coach took an early risk. But they finished the game with only two shots on target to their name. Their late effort failed to materialize as they suffered their first league defeat since the opening week.

Although there was plenty of movement in both boxes, the match lacked clear-cut chances. Nonetheless, the win will do lots of good for Slot. You could point your fingers at Ibrahima Konate for Chelsea’s solitary stroke. Yet, conceding three goals after eight rounds is very commendable.

On the other end of the pitch, Jones had a man-of-the-match performance. The 23-year-old had a slow start to the season due to a muscular injury. However, he’s back on his feet to earn a spot alongside Ryan Gravenberch.

What’s next for Liverpool and Chelsea?

Liverpool’s challenging schedule will continue in midweek with a trip to Leipzig. Ibrahima Konaté and Dominik Szoboszlai will duel with their former teammates. The Champions League fixture will be followed by another high-profile encounter with fellow title hopefuls Arsenal.

Chelsea travel to Greece for a showdown with Panathinaikos wthout Cole Palmer, who is not registered in their European Conference League roster. Maresca’s side will then face Newcastle United twice in the space of three days.

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Nigeria accuses Libya of travel sabotage ahead of fixture

Libya’s captain, Faisal Al-Badri, claimed mistreatment. Libya had to travel with three non-air-conditioned buses to reach their destination. A late strike helped Nigeria seal three points to stay top of their qualifying group.

The two teams were going to lock horns on Tuesday in Libya for the fourth round of group matches. That will not happen, as Nigeria departed Libya following an extended stay in the airport in Bayda. The Libyan Football Federation declined any wrongdoings as they associated the event with common air traffic control protocols. 

Meanwhile, Nigerians recalled an incident from 2021 where club side Enyimba FC had to forfeit a Confederations Cup return leg against Libya’s Al-Ittihad. After the change of venue without communication, the Nigerian club delegate spent over 24 hours at the airport.

African soccer faces inherent challenges

With their diverse cultures and genetics, games in the African region are subjected to controversies of different kinds. It’s common to see visiting teams complain about sabotage of travel plans. There are also frequent changes to the allocation of host stadiums. Last week, for example, Cameroon changed the venue for a crucial fixture against Kenya eight days before the meeting. 

Along with Asia, Africa spans the largest territory and population in the world. This usually results in varying cultural differences. The economic level of the continent and the dispersed geographical nature also make it difficult for away fans traveling to support their teams.

Because of these reasons, home advantage is an even bigger deal in the African Cup of Nations and World Cup qualifiers. The trouble starts with travel accommodations and getting into stadiums safely. This tends to apply to the intercontinental club tournaments as well.

Refereeing allocations often face controversies with accusations of favoritism. Then, there are incidents on the field that could cause an unfair advantage to the home team. During the 2022 World Cup qualifier tiebreaker in Senegal, Egypt went through a horrible penalty shootout experiment. The home fans pointed laser beams to distract Mohamed Salah and company.

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) addressed the issue to avoid similar occurrences in last year’s Cup of Nations tournament. But it’s still a common practice in club football competitions. 

“Homeless” national teams

CAF is also intensely evaluating facilities provided throughout the continent’s stadiums. As a result, nearly 20 African countries are currently unable to host competitive games. 

Some nations immediately work on stadium renovations after strict regulations. However, it could also affect upcoming tournaments with Kenya, one of the co-hosts for the 2027 AFCON, one of the teams banned from staging international games. 

Despite the continuing construction of big stadiums in Africa, government officials usually use them as venues for hosting political campaigns. CAF affirmed its position in the demands for improvements in pitch conditions and facilities.

Using soccer cooperation agreements, North African countries opened their gates to accept those in need of arenas. On Tuesday, Ghana and Sudan will play at Martyrs of Benina Stadium. It’s the same arena that was hosting the game between Libya and Nigeria before the recent developments. 

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Impressive Matt Turner double save

The hosts dominated proceedings and created the most clear-cut chances, but the game’s defining saves came from Matt Turner. The goalkeeping position has been one of the big talking points during the first training camp under the Argentinian coach.

Zack Steffen returned to the fold but missed the game due to a minor injury. The Colorado Rapids shot-stopper is believed to have an advantage over Turner in terms of guaranteed playing time at club level. And most expected him to play at least one game in this international break before the injury.

As a result, Turner, who last played for Nottingham Forest in January, was presented with another chance. He took it with both hands as his double save from Yoel Bárcenas and Puma Rodríguez extended USMNT’s record of clean sheets in Austin to five games. Unless Steffen recovers in time for the Mexico game, he’ll once again feature on Tuesday.

Well-worked team goals

On the other hand, there is a similar pattern to draw from both goals. Three players were actively involved in those scenarios as we’ve seen fast-paced attacking moves rewarded with goals.

Christian Pulisic and Brenden Aaronson combined well at the edge of the box to put Musah through for his first competitive goal in nearly three years. Weston McKennie was an unused substitute with Pochettino opted to avoid a risk as he wasn’t fully fit for the game.

With the second goal, all three players who played a big part in it were substitutes. Haji Wright linked up well with PSV’s duo Malik Tillman and Pepi. Josh Sargent’s replacement met Wright’s pin-point delivery with the last meaningful kick of the game.

Pochettino expressed his willingness to put his philosophy aside to obtain the best result for the team, but there was no need for that on his debut. But after the same opponent denied USMNT a place in the Copa America knockout stage, the win would certainly boost morale ahead of the game at Akron Stadium.

The last time Mexico hosted the U.S. in a soccer friendly was in 2012 at Estadio Azteca. Back then, a team coached by Jürgen Klinsmann recorded a late win to secure a first-ever win on El Tri’s soil.

Pochettino picks new USMNT captain

Before settling with Pulisic in the wake of the World Cup, the captain’s armband rotated under Gregg Berhalter. And there could be another shift based on Pochettino’s unexpected decision to pick Tim Ream on Saturday.

Charlotte’s center-back captained the side for the first time since in the Nations League fixture away at Trinidad and Tobago. Saturday’s game also made the 37-year-old the oldest USMNT outfield player in over two decades.

The decision didn’t affect Pulisic’s performance, however. He was once again an instrumental figure as he added another direct goal involvement to his impressive start to the season. Before the game, Pochettino hailed Pulisic as “one of the best offensive players in the world”. 

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“First camp is about getting to know each other”

The 52-year-old immediately returned to coaching after ending his time with Chelsea on a positive note. After working in three of the top-five European leagues, the US national team presented him with a chance to leap into international soccer.

“We’re so happy in our decision to come here. There is no better place to play soccer than Austin,” Pochettino said about his debut. “It’s about winning every single game. But the first camp has the goal of getting to know each other and setting the principles for the future.

“Our fans want to win. But they need to understand our first contact is about adapting to new ideas. We need to give time to the team to adapt to us. We can’t push the players too much. Of course, soccer is global. They know very well about playing styles and philosophy.”

On Saturday, the former Argentina international will try to achieve what he struggled with at club level. Pochettino didn’t win any of his Champions League, Premier League, LaLiga and Ligue 1 debuts.

“Football (soccer) is so dynamic and we need to adapt to it every single day,” he said about picking a first XI. “Our first camp is about knowing each other. We’re nearly 40 people working altogether. The most important thing is to settle how we want to work from the beginning.”

The new coaching team approached every player in one-on-one sessions in the first couple of days of the training camp. Pochettino mentioned that they spent from ten minutes to half an hour with each one of the 25 players who made the first squad.

“The first thing we did was to meet the players individually. It’s a good way to get to know each other and share ideas. It’s to see their levels and situations at their clubs. They all shared the motivation to be here and play for the national team,” he said about the first impressions.

High praise for Pulisic but worried about number of games

But the expectations would be different for some players. Christian Pulisic started the campaign with AC Milan in top form. Since the last international game where he scored off the bench to tie the game against New Zealand, Pulisic found the net in all four Serie A games and the Champions League opener against Liverpool. 

“Pulisic is a fantastic player. He has an enormous talent. He’s going to help us now and in the future to put us in the place we want to be, he’s one of the best offensive players in the world,” Pochettino said about his captain before sharing his concern. “He’s playing every single game and every single minute at Milan. That makes us a little bit worried.

“Sometimes, we need to protect him. He arrived a little bit tired. We’ll see about that. As I’ve said before, it’s basic to build a very good relationship with clubs,” Pochettino indicated. 

Pochettino’s famed intensity level

With Pochettino’s intensive training sessions in place, Pulisic had to continue working hard this week. As multiple USMNT players mentioned during press conferences, the preparation level reached another level with the new man in the hot seat.

“In the physical condition, the last two days before the game that intensity won’t be there,” he said before explaining further. “But intensity is not only physical. There is also a mental side to the concentration level. When a new coach arrives, you’re more focused. They spend more energy. That’s good. In big competitions, it’s about hard work.”

He said that before admitting his coaching team demands a lot from players. “But, of course, we demand a lot. We believe that if you want to compete at your best, you need to train to replicate the intensity the competition demands.”

According to Pochettino, there are good signs for that in the first week of working with the squad. He likes the determination of the team to the point that he already sends warnings to competitors.

“What surprises me the most is the discipline to work in the whole stuff. If we’re capable of transforming the way that we work into competition, our opponents should be careful of us,” Pochettino said with a beaming smile. “I’m not just saying for tomorrow (Panama) or Tuesday (Mexico), but it’s also in the medium and long term, we can create a very strong side. It’ll be difficult to play against us”

But he wants to take it easy for the upcoming friendlies. He doesn’t rule out fielding key players regardless of their fitness level for the big games in the future. However, those who made the best impression from the training camp will get the nod for now.

“Against Panama, we want to put players who feel fresh. We’re not going to take risks with the players unless it’s in competitions like World Cup where every player wants to take part”

Winning at any cost

In terms of tournament games, Pochettino prioritizes getting results at any cost. He likes to build attacking play from the back, but that’s not necessarily the be-all and end-all.

“From the beginning, we need to respect our ideas of playing out from the back and build confidence in the players. We need to find a way for them to feel comfortable,” Pochettino started explaining his ideas before talking about the end goal. “But, sometimes, we need to be clever. Sometimes, we should play long passes.”

“We might need to find new ways. It’s about synching for the benefit of the team being closer to winning. We’re coaching the players, not ourselves. We need to coach the team and players. It shouldn’t end with blaming players. We want to provide all the tools for them to perform in the best way,” he said.

“All the winning teams – Madrid, Argentina and even Manchester City – are pragmatic. They want to win. People sometimes say ‘I’m going to die with my philosophy.’” Pochettino said before dropping the best line from the press conference. “No, I want to live. I want to win.”

PHOTO: Imago

Pochettino’s style of play demands intensity

From a remarkable Champions League final appearance with Tottenham Hotspur to last season’s spell at Chelsea, Pochettino utilized different playing styles throughout his time in varying teams. International soccer will present another challenge for the Argentinian. 

“We’re learning about the style of play,” Aaronson starts explaining the adaptation process. “We want to play with high intensity. We want to play in the opposition’s half by dominating possession. He (Pochettino) wants us to be a confident team. And that’s what we’re going to be.”

The high intensity demanded by Pochettino is already communicated to the team. “We’re going to talk more tactical stuff in the next days. But, anything we do, whether with the ball or against it, the general message is that he wants it to be intense.” Sargent said.

After the first day, the training routine changed focusing on groundwork. Aaronson admitted it was a bit challenging for some players. “The second day was intense. It’s also because the next two days would be more relaxing with more focus on tactics. It’s newer. A lot of guys weren’t familiar with some of the drills we were doing”

Panama and Mexico awaits USMNT

Pochettino will make his debut when the US plays Panama on Saturday. The game will take place at Austin FC’s venue Q2 Stadium. The national team won each of the six games they played on this ground.

With his time at Philadelphia Union, Aaronson is more familiar with the atmosphere and he’s looking forward to another memorable fixture. “It’s always great to come back to Austin for games. The fanbase here is really good and it’s going to be a good game with Panama”. 

But there would be more interest in the second fixture. USMNT only won once in Mexico and they’ll travel to Jalisco for Tuesday’s showdown. It’ll surely be more than a mere friendly.

”For us, it’s always an important match with Mexico. Especially with the new manager, we want to get off on the right page with a couple of wins under our belt,” Sargent said.

Life in England

Sargent also admired how Pochettino left a good first impression meeting the players. “When we sat down, he immediately asked how my family was doing. He seems like a very genuine guy. He was also asking how I’d like to play. It’s a great opportunity to work with a fantastic coach. “

The Norwich City striker scored in consecutive games before the international break. He looks forward to the future as he’s fully recovered from serious ankle injuries. 

“It’s been very frustrating for me. But I’m now in good health to perform. I’m excited to see what I can do with the new manager,” Sargent said about his national team hopes. Similarly, there was a coaching change at his club this season with Johannes Thorup replacing David Wagner. 

“It’s a new manager for us at the moment. Game by game, I feel like we’re improving. We’re creating more chances and getting our confidence back.” he said before reflecting on his performances. “I still think there is room for improvement, for me. I miss some chances, but that’s the life of a striker. I want to keep improving both as a team and personally.”

Aaronson is more keen on playing as a midfielder instead. In a half-century of games for Leeds United, he played as an attacking midfielder, winger, wingback and striker. Now he wants to settle in his favorite position.

“I know what position suits me. I played all over the place with the national team and maybe with my club, too. But I’ve always been a midfielder and I also see myself as that.” Aaronson said before going on about the difficult start to the campaign. “The first couple of weeks were pretty difficult, mentally. It’s not easy to see some fans get upset with you.

“But I’m proud of myself for coming back and doing well. I had unfinished business at Leeds. I wanted to go back and prove myself again. It was a really good start. Now I just want to build from that by keep scoring and assisting”

In August, Aaronson was selected as a “Player of the Month” by the promotion-hopefuls Leeds. The duo played against each other when Sargent’s goal salvaged a point for Norwich away at Leeds earlier this month.

Photo: Imago

First few days under Pochettino

The Argentinian coach met with the players for the first time in the training camp in Austin, Texas. The initial 25-man squad was forced into changes with Tanner Tessmann, Brandon Vazquez and Alex Zendejas replacing the injured trio of Folarin Balogun, Johnny Cardoso and Tim Weah. 

USMNT faces Panama on Saturday before next week’s big clash away at Mexico. Following long face-to-face conversations, Pochettino addressed the team collectively in Monday’s session. 

“There have been individual conversations, and it continued throughout. I had mine when I showed up on Sunday,” Charlotte’s new center back Ream said. “The message transmitted is that he (Pochettino) wants to win. He has his ideas. And it’s about winning at the end of the day. It’s important to have that mentality and mindset going forward.”

“We worked in some movements in training and reviewed that afterward,” Fulham’s Robinson recalled. “It’s about getting ideas into our heads and understanding to make sure we’re on the same page going forward.”

Beside their linkup in the international scene, Ream and Robinson played together at Fulham for four years. While the latter played a big part in the Cottagers’ decent start to the Premier League season, Ream returned home in the summer after playing in England for over a decade.

Ream, Robinson say Pochettino can get most out of players

Under the English coach Dean Smith at Charlotte FC, Ream is playing at the left-back position at club level. But he’ll be expected to play in his favorite position for USMNT instead of competing with his former clubmate. 

Ream talked about the importance of blending MLS players with their Europe-based peers. “It’s up to the manager to figure out how to get the best from all of us. That’s part of the pressure for the managers.” the 37-year-old defender said. “I don’t believe one group of players has an advantage over the other.”

The debate about players opting for limited playing time in Europe instead of regular MLS actions continues with the new man in the hot seat. Having played every minute for Fulham so far this season, Robinson is out of this discussion. But he had to take a break from last month’s international games.

“We’ve decided that it’s in my best interest to take a rest. It’s not often I’m going to do that. But it’s difficult to watch the boys at home with the defeat to Canada,” Fulham’s Player of the 2023-24 Season said. 

Reunion with Zack Steffen and Raúl Jiménez as an opponent

Although results failed to meet expectations, USMNT had a strong bond during Gregg Berhalter’s time in charge. That is partly due to slight changes to the squad over an extended time. Ream sees no issue for it to stop with the new coach.

“Cultures and continuity of togetherness are important. We’re here for the same reason and we want to challenge for trophies. As long as we all understand that, we can continue to have that togetherness no matter what the coach is asking,” Ream said.

Zack Steffen is one of the players to be given another chance by the new coach. The Colorado goalkeeper captained his clubs at times this season while Matt Turner and Ethan Horvath struggled for playing time with their clubs.

“It’s been a while since I’ve seen him,” Robinson said about the shot-stopper who last played for USMNT in 2022. “He’s enjoying his football again. He’s in a much better place than he was before. It’s another opportunity for him to prove himself and get into the team”

Just like Steffen, Ream had a similar experience under the outgoing coach. He was sidelined from the team before turning the tide in the 2022 World Cup.  

“When you’re not been part of the program, you start to think what more do I’ve to do? But he comes into the team and it’s like he’s never been away. He has that personality. It’s good to catch up with him. To have him back is very, very nice,” Ream said about the former Manchester City goalkeeper.

The duo also expressed their admiration for an upcoming opponent. Raúl Jiménez finds his feet at Fulham after a difficult spell in the past. After scoring in the previous three league games, he played a sublime assist to Andreas Pereira at the Etihad Stadium at the weekend.

“I played with him last season. He’s one of the most likable guys in the changing room. And he works hard for the team,” Ream said about the player capped 105 times by Mexico. “It’s nice to see him score consistently, especially for his club.”

It’s nearly a year since the 33-year-old striker last played for El Tri, however. He’ll certainly hope to have an immediate impact against USMNT when the two sides meet in Estadio Azteca on Tuesday.

Robinson cited Jiménez’s last season struggles and how the first goal eased the pressure for him. “When he did finally score, it followed with quite a few in a row. There is a strong competition with Rodrigo (Muniz). He’s now back in the team and has been rewarded for his hard work. He’s a good guy to be around. If he plays, we just have to nullify his threats.”

PHOTOS: IMAGO

Sheffield United currently competes in England’s second tier after a dreadful season last term in the Premier League. The Blades narrowly avoided to match Derby County’s unwanted record of 11 points as they finished with 16.

They only managed three wins during the entire campaign. In contrast, they already doubled that tally in the Championship as they’re the only undefeated side after nine rounds of games. Chris Wilder’s side currently sits second which will be enough for an automatic promotion.

Sheffield United were among the founding members of the Premier League as the team coached by Dave Bassett finished 14th in the historic 1992/93 season. They finished bottom in the following campaign in the first of their four relegation seasons in the Premier League era.

Saudi Arabia’s Prince Abdullah currently owns the club. As a member of Saudi’s royal family, he’s the founder of United World Group, which governs five clubs from around the globe. His Belgium club Beerschot signed two Saudi Arabia internationals this summer.

American group wants to bring Sheffield United back to EPL

It has been a while since he put Sheffield United on sale, however. Based on figures from when they got promoted back to the Premier League in 2023, United World Group expects $221 million to listen to offers.

The transfer ban imposed at the club due to unmet installments made Premier League life difficult for Sheffield United. But the parachute payment helped the club to assemble the fifth-most expensive squad in this season’s Championship.

Resilience Capital Partners would certainly look to invest big in January’s transfer window to bolster the club’s promotion hopes. The firm is yet to spread its wings on investing in sports.

Since its foundation in 2001, it mainly invests in manufacturing and business services in the United States. On the homepage of the investment group, it states that they target companies with $25 to $250 million in revenues.

As of right now, half of the Premier League clubs are associated with American shareholders. Arsenal’s long-time owner Stanley Kroenke, Chelsea’s controversial yet revolutionary figure Todd Boehly and Liverpool’s Fenway Sports Group are the standout examples. The more modest examples of American ownership in the Premier League include Bill Foley at Bournemouth. Also, Crystal Palace majority shareholder John Textor is American.

There is also a strong interest in buying another English club from Textor, who already owns a host of clubs in his Eagle Football Holdings umbrella. The US businessman first must sell his Crystal Palace stakes. After a failed attempt at Everton, he’s now aiming for a Championship club. Textor’s portfolio also includes clubs like Olympique Lyon in France and Brazilian side Botafogo. Textor’s ownership in those clubs has not come without controversy, but he remains active in every club that he has a stake in.

PHOTOS: IMAGO

Damian Vidagany, director of football operations at Aston Villa, said “no fewer than 40 clubs” enquired about the player after the end of the transfer window. If anything, there would be more interest in the striker after how he started the new campaign.

Vidagany and the managing director Monchi conceded that Durán was interested in leaving the club last summer. After coming close to signing him, the Hammers get their hands on German international Niclas Füllkrug. But that transfer didn’t go according to the plan.

Jhon Durán has made a case as a starter for Aston Villa

So far this season, Durán showcased all the best traits you expect from top forwards. He had the anticipation and technical brilliance to lob the legendary Manuel Neuer in Villa’s historic win over Bayern Munich.

Against Everton, he blasted home with a ferocious shot from 30 yards for another match-winning goal. He’s also a good header of the ball as seen from a pinpoint strike at Leicester.

But there is a similar pattern in all of these goals. He’s yet to start a league or European game this season. Except for his strike in the EFL Cup against League One club Wycombe Wanderers, they all came with him coming off the bench. 

Including four this season, Durán already scored nine goals in only 772 Premier League minutes. And Villa failed to win any of the three games he started in which he only scored once. He only played the first half in the 1-1 draw against West Ham before getting similar opportunities in the 4-1 and 5-0 defeats at Manchester City and Crystal Palace, respectively.

Emery kept Ollie Watkins when he brought on Durán against Manchester United, and we could see it from the start soon. The only time the duo shared the pitch for more than 45 minutes, Villa lost heavily at Selhurst Park. After all, the new contract signified Durán’s importance to the Birmingham side. 

However, it’s now time for the season’s second international break. After his decent performance in Colombia’s sensational win over Argentina, Durán will hopefully start more games for Los Cafeteros.

Past experience with the Chicago Fire

Aston Villa will certainly raise the asking price for their sought-after striker after the new deal. Including Chelsea, we could expect a host of clubs to enter a bidding war to secure the signing of the 20-year-old. 

That is a testament to Durán’s rapid progress. Back in 2021, Chicago Fire’s technical director Sebastian Palzer was awestruck by him while scouting another player from Envigado.

Chicago Fire eventually paid under $2 million to sign the then-17-year-old. He only stayed a season at MLS where he finished as the club’s top scorer ahead of the designated player Xherdan Shaqiri.

Although Chicago Fire ended up selling him for a club-record fee, Villa could soon expect offers in the regions of $100 million.

PHOTOS: IMAGO

Top games during October international break

USMNT v Panama (Saturday, Oct. 12, 9 p.m. ET)

Mauricio Pochettino’s tenure will start as the USMNT hosts Panama. This is a rematch of the two’s group-stage meeting from the 2024 Copa America. Panama won after Tim Weah picked up a red card. Both Weah and Folarin Balogun, who scored in that fixture, are off the Argentinian coach’s first roster due to injury. This is Panama’s first fixture since its exit from the Copa America at the quarterfinal stage.

You can watch USA vs. Panama on TNT, Telemundo, Universo, Peacock, and Fubo. For new users to Fubo, Fubo is offering a free 7-day trial.

Mexico v USMNT (Tuesday, Oct. 15, 10:30 p.m. ET)

Pochettino will also experience the heated derby against Mexico for the first time as the head coach of the Americans. Both sides crashed out of the group stage in CONMEBOL’s tournament this past summer. The game will be at Estadio Akron, one of the venues for the 2026 World Cup.

It’s the first away fixture for USMNT in 2024. The United States is undefeated in this rivalry since 2019. The streak of results includes two Nations League and the 2019 Gold Cup final. It will be the first time Pochettino faces Javier Aguirre’s team since their three La Liga encounters 13 years ago.

Watch the game on TNT, Univision, Sling TV, and Fubo.

England v Greece (Thursday, Oct. 10, 2:45 p.m. ET)

Lee Carsley started his spell as England’s interim head coach with a 2-0 win over the Republic of Ireland, the national team he represented in his playing days. Despite the national anthem controversy, he’s still in the job for the October International Break with the Three Lions set to play games against Greece and Finland.

It was against Greece that David Beckham scored one of the most famous free-kicks in soccer history. In a tense atmosphere at Old Trafford, his 93rd-minute strike sent England to the 2002 World Cup.

England vs Greece will be live on FS2, ViX, and Fubo.

Austria v Norway (Sunday, Oct. 13, 2:45 p.m. ET)

These two teams aren’t among the best soccer nations by any stretch of the imagination. But their contrasting fortunes showed the importance of team planning more than individual brilliance. 

Under Ralf Rangnick, Austria played a fantastic Euro 2024 before losing to Türkiye in one of the best games of last summer. Norway, who missed out on the tournament, revived with a 2-1 win over Austria in the reverse fixture last month thanks to Erling Haaland’s winner. 

Watch Austria vs Norway live on FS2, ViX, and Fubo.

Germany v Netherlands (Monday, Oct. 14, 2:45 p.m. ET)

The heated rivals met last month in Amsterdam after both teams scored five goals in their opening Nations League fixtures. Ryan Gravenberch provided a standout performance in an entertaining 2-2 draw.

The reverse fixture will now be played at Allianz Arena, a place Liverpool’s midfield engine recalls from his troubled time at Bayern Munich. Germany will be without Kai Havertz as the Arsenal all-rounder suffered a knee injury.

Germany vs Netherlands will be shown live on the Fubo Sports Network as well as ViX.

Scotland v Portugal (Tuesday, Oct. 15, 2:45 p.m. ET)

In the wake of their promotion to Nations League A and an impressive Euro 2024 qualifying campaign, Scotland endured a difficult 2024 so far. Including the humbling 5-1 defeat by Germany in the Euro 2024 opener, Scotland lost six of their nine games since the turn of the year.

Portugal also had an uninspiring time in Germany, but Cristiano Ronaldo scoring his 900th career goal raised their spirit last month. The 39-year-old striker is competing with Aleksandar Mitrović and Karim Benzema to finish top of the Saudi Pro League’s scoring chart.

Scotland against Portugal will stream live on ViX.

Bolivia v Colombia (Thursday, Oct. 10, 4:30 p.m. ET)

September was a historic month for Bolivia’s soccer. For only the second time in the 21st century, they won away from home courtesy of a 3-2 success in Chile. They’re now a single point behind World Cup kings Brazil nearly midpoint to the qualifiers. 

Colombia also recorded a memorable victory last month in the repeat fixture of the Copa America final. Beating the world champions was a big achievement, but they’ll now have to cope with the difficulty of playing at an altitude of 4,100 meters above sea level. 

Bolivia vs Colombia will be exclusively shown on Fanatiz.

Venezuela v Argentina (Thursday, Oct. 10, 5 p.m. ET)

Meanwhile, Argentina will search for a quick reaction after the defeat at Barranquilla. La Albiceleste also bid farewell to Ángel Di María in September’s eventful international window.

Lionel Messi, who won his 46th team trophy last week, returns for his first appearance since the tearful Copa America triumph. Fernando Batista’s Venezuela held Brazil and Uruguay to well-deserved draws since the qualifying stage started last year.

Venezuela vs Argentina will be exclusively shown on Fanatiz.

Chile v Brazil (Thursday, Oct. 10, 8 p.m. ET)

The ninth matchday of CONMEBOL’s World Cup qualifier will have another cracking game with Chile hosting Brazil. The Selecao lost three of their four away games in the qualifiers, including the defeat at Paraguay a day after Dorival Júnior’s bold claim.

Although he’s yet to shine for the national team, Vinicius Junior will miss this month’s games due to a neck injury. After the trip to the side ninth in the standings, Brazil will host bottom-placed Peru next week.

Chile vs Brazil will be exclusively shown on Fanatiz.

Japan v Australia (Tuesday, October 15, 6:35 a.m. ET)

The third round of World Cup qualification started last month for Asian Confederation teams. With automatic qualification spots in contention, Japan scored 12 goals and conceded none in the first two games.

On the contrary, Australia failed to find the net against Bahrain and Indonesia. Before the big one in Saitama, the Socceroos will target a heavy scoreline against China, who lost 7-0 to neighbors Japan last month.

No details have been released yet on where to watch the game on US TV. It may end up on FIFA+.

Photos: Imago

It was believed to be a deciding game for Erik ten Hag’s future at Man United. If they witnessed another negative result, the international break would allow the Red Devil’s higher bosses time to work on a replacement.

After conceding three on Thursday, the underfire coach still made bold choices at the back. Big-money signings Lisandro Martinez and Matthijs de Ligt dropped for the 36-year-old Jonny Evans and former captain Harry Maguire, who scored the late equalizer at Porto. 

The story couldn’t be any different over at Villa Park. In the repeat of the 1982 European Cup final, Unai Emery’s side beat European heavyweight Bayern Munich. Despite another supersub performance, former Chicago Fire striker Jhon Durrán starts on the bench while Ross Barkley and Jaden Philogene start for the first time in the league this season.

Injuries slowed down frantic start

After Ten Hag surprisingly substituted off at half-time on Thursday citing rotation, Marcus Rashford once again made a quickfire start with the game’s first chance. Morgan Rogers got even closer in the other end inside the first ten minutes.

Despite the end-to-end start, the first half quickly turned into a game of tussle after Ezri Konsa’s injury. Both strikers endured a frustrating half of soccer with the action taking place largely in the middle of the pitch.

Rasmus Højlund, who scored his first league goal in this fixture last December, had little service from the wide players. The same can’t be said about Ollie Watkins, but the English international failed to impose his presence in the opposition’s box.

Attacking subs failed to spice up the game

Martinez was ready to replace Evans after an early knock. Yet, they weren’t involved in ten Hag’s couple of defensive substitutions at half-time. De Ligt and Victor Lindelöf came in place of the struggling Noussair Mazraoui and Maguire. Maguire picked up an injury at the end of the first half. 

Rashford once again started the half strongly with Emi Martinez forced to make a big save. André Onana, who had a good month despite Man United’s struggles, also jumped into action when Youri Tielemans fired one from outside the box.

But the game soon resorted back to a lackluster affair with actions few and far between. To the Villa fans’ delight, Durrán introduced as both coaches made attacking changes for the final half hour. Yet it didn’t bring the desired impact as the sides settled for a hard-fought point. 

Evans’ spirited performance saw him win “Man of the Match” on his first league start away from home since the 4-0 drubbing by Crystal Palace.

What’s next for Aston Villa and Manchester United

Villa will travel to Fulham after the international break in search of a first league win in a month. Emery’s side is only four points off league leaders Liverpool after seven rounds of games. In the Champions League, Villa Park will welcome debutant Bologna.

It’s not yet certain whether Ten Hag will be in the touchline when Brentford visit Old Trafford on matchday 8. Brentford scored inside the first two minutes in their last four league games, including their 5-3 win over Wolves Saturday. So far, Man United only found the net in three of their seven league encounters.

PHOTOS: IMAGO

First opportunity to meet with players

After an underwhelming pair of games under the interim manager Mikey Varas, Pochettino looks to start his tenure on a positive note. However, he already faced the first challenge regarding visa and travel issues.

“Now there will be an opportunity to meet the players individually and collectively. Now we can fly (to Austin) on Saturday, but the paperwork was a nightmare process,” Pochettino claimed.

“I’m excited to see all in place. We already know those we met before like Christian Pulisic, Robinson, Tim Ream and Weston McKennie. But it’s important to know the personality of all players and meet them. The collective is the most important thing,” Pochettino said.

The first training will be conducted on Monday after players start joining the camp a day earlier. So far, Pochettino has only spoken with the left-back Antonee Robinson since signing the contract with US Soccer.

“I only talked with the players by phone. I’m going to be honest that I only met one player and it’s by coincidence. I was at a dinner with Fulham in London and I met Robinson.” Pochettino said. “We had a very good chat. We plan to be more in contact with the team after the Austin camp.”

He also included those who will not feature in the games against Panama and Mexico in the discussion. “We’re also thinking about the possibility for the future. And not only for players in Europe but also in MLS. We’re going to create links and relationships.”

Coach speaks about defensive solidarity in USMNT squad

Pochettino addressed the concerns over the goalkeeping position within the USMNT squad. Ethan Horvath and Matt Turner are struggling to start for their clubs, which could mean Colorado Rapids’ Zack Steffen makes his first appearance since March 2022.

“I think it’s a good opportunity to see him and analyze,” Pochettino said about the former Manchester City keeper. “But it’s also the same with all the players in our first roster.”

With Chris Richards recovering from a hamstring injury, Pochettino will be deprived of a key defender in his first two games. Pochettino specifically mentioned watching Mark McKenzie in Toulouse’s recent loss to Lyon.

“We need to improve as a team and set the principles. Maybe certain mistakes happened in the last games, but that happens in football. The most important is how we can reduce them. We need to find the best way together”   

In contrast, the attacking players are scoring for fun for their respective clubs. Although he believes that makes life easier for the national team, the balance of the team is his main concern.

Pochettino mentioned he closely followed comments about the national team in the media. He agrees with the expectations of an attacking playstyle, but it should come with a solid defensive shape for the 2026 World Cup.

“We need to be strong and enjoy defending when we don’t have the ball,” Pochettino said.

Leadership team yet to be decided

Pochettino remembered the time he played against the USA. Ahead of their preparation for Copa America 1999, Argentina lost by a late goal from Joe-Max Moore. 

“I was very disappointed after the game. It was a tough match with [the] hot weather.” 

With his vast playing experience, which includes the 2002 World Cup, Pochettino knows the importance of leading players in his roster.

“We need to have the facility open for everyone. After we meet, we’ll see the potential leaders. It’s best to leave the space with them and see how they behave,” Pochettino said. “The players have to be excited about the national camps”

USMNT squad for October friendlies under Pochettino

GOALKEEPERS: Ethan Horvath (Cardiff City), Patrick Schulte (Columbus Crew), Zack Steffen (Colorado Rapids), Matt Turner (Crystal Palace)

DEFENDERS: Marlon Fossey (Standard Liege), Kristoffer Lund (Palermo), Mark McKenzie (Toulouse), Tim Ream (Charlotte FC), Antonee Robinson (Fulham), Miles Robinson (FC Cincinnati), Joe Scally (Borussia Monchengladbach), Auston Trusty (Celtic)

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

FORWARDS: Folarin Balogun (Monaco), Ricardo Pepi (PSV Eindhoven), Christian Pulisic (AC Milan), Josh Sargent (Norwich City), Timothy Weah (Juventus), Haji Wright (Coventry City)

Next USMNT games

Pochettino’s first games in charge of the US Men’s National Team are on Oct. 12 against Panama and on Oct. 15 against Mexico.

PHOTO: IMAGO

But Friday’s game against his ex-club Stade Rennais suddenly created friction between the fleet-footed winger and his outspoken coach. Subsequently, Dembélé is out of Enrique’s 22-man list for PSG’s trip to London.

PSG’s boss played down the incident by saying, “There was no fight between us. There was simply an issue concerning his obligation towards the team. I want the best for the team, and I left him out,” Enrique said.

Dembélé in top form, but out of squad when Arsenal welcomes PSG

L’Equipe reported the two parties clashed after PSG maintained their lead in the Ligue 1 standings with a 3-1 success over Rennes. Dembélé was the provider for Bradley Barcola’s opening goal and he was only substituted off eight minutes from time.

At first, it was taken as another move by Enrique to rest one of his key players for the Champions League. The former Barcelona coach did the same with his captain Marquinhos and Barcola, who scored a brace to take his tally to six goals.

But Dembélé criticized Enrique’s in-game decision in a post-match debriefing session. The assist continued his run of direct goal involvement in all Ligue 1 games this season. Dembélé scored the goal that put the champions ahead in the 85th minute against Le Havre in the season opener.

Before September’s international break, he provided two assists in their 6-0 rout of Montpellier and won a penalty against Lille. After his brace against Brest, Enrique praised his transformation in front of the goal by saying “he’s more confident than before.”

Despite starting the game on the bench, Dembélé was on target even when PSG dropped points for the first time this season against Reims. He was back in the starting lineup against Rennes before the unexpected turn of events afterward.

Kylian Mbappe and Dembélé missed the final league game of last season after PSG granted them special permission to attend the Cannes Film Festival.

Doué most likely to replace him at Emirates Stadium

Tuesday’s game would’ve been Dembélé’s 50th appearance for the club. Instead, Désiré Doué is now expected to start in his place on PSG’s left flank. Doué was close to joining Bayern Munich before Nasser Al Khelaifi personally got involved to secure his signature.

Vitinha’s return could also see Enrique opt for another solution. With the Portugal international back in midfield, PSG can utilize Kang-In Lee on the left wing. Randal Kolo Muani can fill the void left by Lee up front.

Mikel Arteta’s big game tactics divided opinions in their recent performances against Tottenham Hotspur, Atalanta and Manchester City. But he’s now back on the tactics board after this late development. “I heard the news just before the press conference and I’m surprised. We’ve already done a lot of preparation on PSG playing with him because he’s a key player,” Arteta said.  

Arsenal’s coach spent 18 months on loan at PSG on his playing days. Enrique’s side started their Champions League campaign with a last-gasp win over Girona. 

PHOTOS: IMAGO

A chance to close the gap with Barcelona

Only Atletico managed to beat Carlo Ancelotti’s side last season. They scored three or more goals against Real Madrid in La Liga, Copa del Rey and Supercopa. But Diego Simeone restored to his cautious approaches in recent games.

Despite a spending spree in the summer, Atleti struggled with chance creation at the start of the season. Similarly, Real Madrid fall short of hefty expectations after adding Kylian Mbappé to their glamorous squad.

The former PSG winger was starting to find his feet before joining the club’s long list of injuries in the wake of midweek’s win against Deportivo Alavés. As a result, Luka Modric comes in his place as Jude Bellingham lined up behind Vinicius Junior and Rodrygo.

Simeone made two changes from the team that started the win against Celta Vigo. Match-winner Julián Alvarez replaced Giuliano Simeone while Rodrigo de Paul restored his place ahead of club captain Koke.

An extra significance was added to the game after Barcelona’s perfect campaign suffered a blip away at Osasuna. A Real Madrid win would reduce the gap with the league leaders to a single point. Atleti can surpass their city rivals with a third consecutive win over Real Madrid at Metropolitano.

Atleti fought back under difficult circumstances in Madrid derby

But neither side did enough to take the lead in a frantic first-half exchange. Alexander Sørloth has another off day as Simeone made two substitutions before the hour mark. The visitor’s attacking line didn’t fare much better. Atleti fans booed Vinicius Junior throughout the game. 

Simeone’s changes focused on taking control of the game. Koke was brought on at halftime before Samuel Lino’s introduction set them up to play with five at the back for the majority of the second-half.

However, his gameplan took a major hit when Éder Militão’s deflected effort put the European kings ahead. Fans throwing objects into the pitch didn’t help Atleti’s attempts to give an immediate response.

Instead of tossing instructions to his dejected players, Simeone had to intervene with the hope of a quick restart. But it took nearly 20 minutes before the referee allowed the teams to continue proceedings.

Simeone changed his system once again as Correa entered the scene to partner Antoine Griezmann. Before Ancelotti tweaked his starting lineup, Simeone made all five substitutions.

Real’s defense was shaky during the closing stage after allowing Alavés to get back in midweek’s game. An Argentine and Brazilian nearly combined to tie the game as Lino’s effort was denied by Thibaut Courtois after De Paul’s inch-perfect delivery.

Atleti salvaged a point after a similar ball down the left flank put Correa one-on-one with Courtois. Barcelona would equally celebrate the scrappy equalizer as it stretched the gap between them and the record champions to three points.

What’s next for Atletico Madrid and Real Madrid?

Atletico will travel to Portugal’s capital Lisbon as they take on Benfica under Wednesday’s floodlights. Since they replaced Roger Schmidt with Bruno Lage, Benfica won four successive games scoring 14 goals. Atleti will play on Sunday primetime for the third time in a row when they travel to Griezmann’s first Spanish club Real Sociedad next weekend.

The defending champions will be without Mbappé for the trip to LOSC Lille and Villareal’s visit to Santiago Bernabéu. A thigh injury means the French superstar is out for roughly three weeks as he misses the chance to play against his younger brother Ethan Mbappé. He targets returning on time for next month’s El Classico.

PHOTOS: IMAGO.

MetLife Stadium to host another major final

A year before the 2026 World Cup final, the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey will host another big event with the final game of the revamped Club World Cup. Although no regular soccer is played in the stadium, it has been a place for memorable encounters in the past few years.

At the beginning of August, MetLife Stadium hosted a preseason El Classico between Real Madrid and Barcelona. Arsenal and Manchester United also clashed there while preparing for the 2023/24 season.

In this summer’s Copa America, world champions Argentina played two games at MetLife Stadium, including the semi-final against Canada. The Global Citizen Festival also helped make this announcement.

Orlando the only city with two stadiums for Club World Cup

The Club World Cup will not be the only big soccer event in the US next summer. Teams will play the majority of the 2025 Gold Cup in the western part of the country. The club competition will shift to the East Coast to avoid scheduling conflicts.

The Seattle Sounders, who made history by becoming the first MLS club to compete in the Club World Cup in 2013, will once again take part in the upcoming tournament. That explains why Lumen Field (Seattle) made the list as one of the 12 venues.

Orlando is the only city to have two of its stadiums selected for the competition. One of the nine arenas for the 1994 World Cup, Camping World Stadium will host games. So will Inter&Co Stadium, the home of MLS’ Orlando City SC and NWSL’s Orlando Pride.

As expected, the places for the 2024 Copa America opening (Mercedes-Benz Stadium (Atlanta)) and final (Hard Rock Stadium (Miami)) games are also on the list.

FIFA officials selected the soccer-specific Audi Field from the capital city, Washington, D.C. Philadelphia’s Lincoln Financial Field, which opened with a friendly game between Manchester United and Barcelona in 2013, will make an appearance despite the two giant clubs missing the tournament.

The 1994 World Cup final venue, Rose Bowl Stadium (Los Angeles), is also on Saturday’s disclosed list. Three more MLS arenas – Charlotte FC’s Bank of America Stadium, Nashville SC’s Geodis Park, and FC Cincinnati’s TQL Stadium – completed the set.

There are still two vacant spots

Two vacant places for the Club World Cup remain unfilled, including an MLS team to represent the host country. FIFA can finalize the list of clubs when the Copa Libertadores final takes place at the end of November.

The draw for the group stage will occur in December.

PHOTOS: IMAGO.

The two teams had a contrasting midweek in Europe. At the same time when United failed to beat Twente at home, Spurs managed an impressive win despite playing with ten men for the majority of their game against Qarabag.

Once again, Erik ten Hag kept the returnee Rasmus Højlund on the bench as he favored summer signing Joshua Zirkzee up front. Only Southampton and Bournemouth underperformed more than them in the xG table.

Meanwhile, Tottenham suffered a major blow with the absence of injured Son Heung-Min, who created the most chances from open play in the league this season. They only won two out of the last 11 away games without their skipper, but he was also out for last season’s comeback to draw at Old Trafford.

Perfect half for Spurs as United plunged further

And they were in front inside the first five minutes. Brennan Johnson, who deactivated his Instagram page following the North London derby defeat, continued his fine scoring form as he netted for the fourth game in a row. 

The Welsh international also saw his effort ricocheted off the woodwork in an action-packed first 20 minutes. Although his poor finishing comes to haunt him again, Timo Werner, who replaced the talismanic striker, had an instant impact on the left side alongside the exuberant Destiny Udogie.  

It was an impressive attacking display from Spurs in the first-half. Micky van de Ven raced from his own half to set up the first goal before his center-back partner Cristian Romero nearly scored with an acrobatic volley.

When Alejandro Garnacho hit the post, United seemed to find a way to crawl back into the game. But they lost control immediately before Bruno Fernandes’ controversial sending-off further plummeted them to darkness.

Spurs under no pressure after the break

And the second-half started in the same vein. Johnson turned provider for a quick strike by Dejan Kulusevski. As Bruno’s expulsion saw Kobbie Mainoo replaced by Mason Mount, United’s midfield had a torrid time to match Spurs’ incisive play.

Ten Hag’s side avoided one-way traffic in a subdued half of soccer, but the battle was already lost. Spurs reserved their energy ahead of a busy schedule list. And they added the cherry on the top with Dominic Solanke’s third goal in as many games. The 27-year-old striker also scored in Bournemouth’s last season win at Old Trafford by the same scoreline.

What’s next for Man United and Spurs?

In search of a quick response, Man United will travel to Porto before another trip to Aston Villa. Casemiro had a fruitful spell on loan at Estádio do Dragão before excelling at Real Madrid. After his first red card for United, Fernandes will hope to end his eleven-game scoring drought against Porto.

Tottenham’s next games before October’s international break will also see them traveling. Following a trip to Hungary for their game against Ferencváros, Postecoglou’s side is set to face Brighton next Sunday.

PHOTOS: IMAGO.

Whilst many were predicting a Bundesliga classic in the days prior to kick-off, the match itself failed to live up to expectations.

There were few goal-scoring opportunities at either end, with both teams engaging in a far more tactical chess match, rather than all-out war.

The result ensured Bayern Munich dropped their first Bundesliga points under Vincent Kompany, whilst Xabi Alonso’s charges were able to ensure their Bavarian rivals didn’t pull too far ahead.

The match was predicted to signify a changing of the guard

Heading into the encounter, Bayern Munich had scored 20 goals in their previous three games in all competitions.

In addition to becoming the first team to net nine in a single Champions League game, Bayern registered 11 goals across away matches at Kiel and Bremen. 

On the contrary, Bayern Leverkusen stayed true to their never-die attitude. The Werkself once again salvaged dramatic wins in the Supercup, Bundesliga opener and last weekend’s game against Wolfsburg.

Ironically, it was at Bayern we first saw their fighting spirit under Xabi Alonso. A 94th-minute penalty from World Cup winner Exequiel Palacios salvaged them a point last year. The comprehensive 3-0 victory in the return fixture was their most impressive result of the historic season.

As such, Bayern were searching for a first win against Leverkusen in four games. That’s a stark contrast to the past where Bayern scored four or more against them on four occasions in the previous three seasons.

Fans were treated to screamers in a game of few chances

As Germany’s biggest club, it’s very common to see Bayern target the best players from their closest rivals.

After ending Bayern’s unprecedented 11-year championship winning streak, Leverkusen are in danger of losing Jonathan Tah and Florian Wirtz to Bayern.

However, it was Robert Andrich, another German international from Leverkusen, who opened the score against the run of play. Bayern dictated the opening half an hour, but the only big chance they had was from Michael Olise’s free-kick.

It took another screamer for Bayern to level the score before halftime. It was a fitting equalizer from the 20-year-old Aleksandar Pavlovic, who kept Leon Goretzka out of the team and forced Joshua Kimmich to play outside his favored position.

Incidentally, those two successful long-range attempts were the only times either side had shots on target in the first-half.

Vincent Kompany addressed the issue at halftime. Bayern came out stronger after the break with Serge Gnabry and Olise starting to get more involved in the final third. But they were still missing the cutting edge to find solutions against Leverkusen’s solid defense.

Harry Kane, who already has 10 goals this term, had a quiet game before an injury saw him substituted five minutes from time. Leverkusen would be happier with the point as they extended their unbeaten run against Bayern to five matches.

What next for Bayern Munich and Bayer Leverkusen?

Bayern will look to consolidate their lead in the Champions League standings when they travel to Aston Villa on Wednesday. The repeat of the 1982 European Cup final caused controversy in Birmingham amid a spike in ticket pricing.

Before October’s international break, Kompany’s side will travel to Eintracht Frankfurt where Bayern lost 5-1 last season.

A home game against newly-promoted Holstein Kiel awaits Leverkusen next weekend. In their debut Bundesliga season, Kiel struggled to meet the higher standard.

However, there will be another big game before that for Alonso’s troops. Leverkusen will host Christian Pulisic’s AC Milan on Tuesday in the Champions League.

Photo credit: IMAGO / Nordphoto

US connection at Greuther Fürth in Dietz and Green

Green and Dietz played together in a double-pivot midfield in Furth’s emphatic 4-0 win away at Jahn Regensburg last month. While the former Bayern Munich player made the permanent shift to orchestrating the play from a defensive midfield position, Dietz returns to playing center-back in Alexander Zorniger’s back-three system.

“It’s a nice feeling to have Max on the field,” Green said about his compatriot. “It’s a good feeling to have another American around. I hope we’ll be here together for the next couple of years.”

If that happens, the 29-year-old all-rounder will have a strong chance at jumping into the top ten of Furth’s all-time appearance makers. On Saturday, he’s expected to make his 200th cap for the club nicknamed Cloverleaves. That wasn’t the initial plan as he spent the previous four years playing for three clubs before joining them in 2018.

“In the beginning, I didn’t feel like I’d be here for long, to be honest. But it’s very crucial to have a club that treats you as an important player,” Green said. “I’m happy that I found Furth. It’s like a home for me.”

Dietz shares that feeling. The 22-year-old is very thankful to his club for allowing him to participate in the Olympics last month. “I’m very grateful for them to release me, even though that means I missed the entire preseason.”

“A huge experience to play at the Olympics”

However, Dietz was unable to play a big part in the U23 tournament. Because of fitness issues, he missed the start of the preparation for the country’s first Olympics appearance in men’s football since 2008.

“It was a huge experience. Marko (Mitrovic) knew I wasn’t fully fit for the tournament, but he let me be part of the team. It was clear I wasn’t going to play 90 minutes,” he recalls their time in France. “It was a great group of players. We bonded well and played poker every night.”

“Unfortunately, we didn’t get as far as we wanted with our goal to get a medal. But we did well to represent the values of US soccer,” Dietz adds.

USMNT prospect under Pochettino

For both players, representing the senior national team is the main target. Dietz believes the squad that participates in the Olympic Games is ready to leapfrog. “Myself included, we’re ambitious to take the next step. But, in terms of chances, it’s up to other people to decide,” he said.

Green, who scored against Belgium in the 2014 World Cup at the age of 19, last played for USMNT in 2018. He also leaves the judgment to the decision-makers when pressed about his extended time away from the national team.

“It’s a question for the last coach (Gregg Berhalter). Everyone has their own style and maybe his own players he prefers a little bit more. That’s soccer. The decision relies on the coach,” he recounted.

On the subject of the national team coach, Pochettino is finally unveiled as the new man. Although they look forward to the ideas of the Argentinian, Green and Dietz believe their efforts will remain the same.

“I always have the same mindset. I’ll do everything on the pitch to be back to the national team one day,” Green said. Dietz adds “The new coach doesn’t have an impact on the change in my mindset. No matter the coach, you’ve to perform and you need to play consistently at the highest level at your club.”

They still see the chance at a fresh start for US soccer, though. “Of course, if there is a new coach, it’s the same as in club football. There is probably a chance for every player. I’ve to do my work here in Furth and I can’t control the other things,” Green mentioned. “My goal is to play for the national team”

Dietz shared his enthusiasm for getting to know the coach on his first days at the job. “I obviously have the goal of joining the men’s national team. I’m very interested in what a new coach has to say and what he wants to see from players that have the chance to play,” Dietz added.

A decent start to the new campaign for Green and Dietz at Greuther Fürth

Winning promotion with Greuther Furth would go a long way in boosting the chances of Dietz and Green. The Green and Whites had a great start to the season before the home draw to Elversberg and their first defeat at struggling Eintracht Braunschweig.

“We had a good start, but the last two games weren’t so good,” Green conceded. “I missed the first game. But the team started pretty well without me. And that’s important to us. Now we should make sure to stabilize that and develop further” Dietz adds.

Before October’s international break, Furth will have two challenging fixtures. After this weekend’s game against league leaders Fortuna Dusseldorf, they will travel to third-placed Magdeburg. 

For Green, Germany’s second tier gets more interesting this season. “We say it every year that it’s the best second division, but this year is absolutely like that. There are lots of top teams. If we see the stadiums we play, it feels like Bundesliga,” he said.

“As last week shows, there are no easy games. Not only in terms of club size but also in its competitiveness,” Dietz agreed.

Green predicts a massive win for his former club

Green recalled his time at Bayern as “the best club in the world at the time” and “the best squad I ever had.” And he expects them to come out on top when they host defending champions Bayer Leverkusen on Saturday.

“Xabi (Alonso) was a great teammate of mine. A great player as well. I don’t know Vincent Kompany very well, but Bayern are much stronger than last season,” Green said. “It’ll be very tight, but I think Bayern will win in the end.”

Under the former RB Leipzig coach Zorniger, Green is now playing the Xabi role at Furth. For him, it doesn’t make a huge difference. “If you play a little bit deeper, you’re more involved in the buildup. If you play behind the striker, you’ll have more shots at goal and offensive actions,” Green explains. “It’s different, but I don’t really care as I can play both positions” 

He values the importance of playing alongside top players, however. According to Transfermarkt, Furth’s captain Branimir Hrgota is the player who featured the most alongside Green. 

“Branimir is a great player. If you play with good players, you understand the game of soccer well. I’m very happy he’s in our team and he’s the captain. It makes the game much easier for me. Our connection is always good,” Green concludes.

Registered to vote

In six weeks, the US will hold its presidential election. As citizens of the country, both confirmed to World Soccer Talk that they’ll cast their votes.

“I’m registered to vote, and I’ve also followed the election. I’m also in touch with my family at home,” Dietz said. Green followed suit as he assured us by simply saying “Same here.”

PHOTOS: IMAGO.

Inter’s draw at the Etihad Stadium boosted morale after they drew their first two away Serie A fixtures. Despite scoring in the third minute through Christian Pulisic, AC Milan were defeated by the other English giants Liverpool in midweek.

Their recent head-to-head records also favored the Nerazzurri. From the 2023 Supercoppa Italia staged in Saudi Arabia to the game that confirmed them as champions last season, Simeone Inzaghi’s side was victorious in the previous six games against Stefano Pioli.

Pulisic strikes again in a fiery first-half

While Pioli started life at Al Nassr with an impressive win, the responsibility of ending Milan’s losing streak lies on Paulo Fonseca. The Portuguese coach was also winless against Inter in his previous four encounters as a Roma coach.

However, Milan started the game with real intent. Alvaro Morata had the first attempt on target before the USMNT superstar put them in front in the 10th minute. After dispossessing Henrih Mkhitaryan, the in-form Pulisic scored a superb solo strike. 

Including his goal off the bench against New Zealand, it’s the fourth successive game where Pulisic scored. And it was already his fourth goal for AC Milan as he sets his sights on improving his career-best numbers from last season.

Soon after, Milan’s defensive issues were at the forefront, however. Federico Dimarco, who scored a memorable goal against Mike Maignan in the UEFA Nations League, did it again with a superb finish.

Inter finished the half the better side. Marcus Thuram, who scored in his first two Milan derbies last time out, came close to putting the champions ahead for the first time.

A turning point for Fonseca?

Parma’s winner against Milan scored inside the last 15 minutes. Lazio’s two goals in the 2-2 draw also came after the break. Meanwhile, Inter avoided defeat at Monza with Denzel Dumfries scoring in the 88th minute.

But, once again, Milan surprised many with their response. First, there was a penalty-kick incident involving Lautaro Martinez before VAR overruled it. And they had the best chances of the half with Rafael Leao and Tammy Abraham. 

Their efforts finally bore fruit two minutes before the end of regular time. Tijjani Rejinders’ precise delivery was perfectly met by Matteo Gabbia for Milan’s winner. The center-back joined AC Milan at the age of 12.

The win will massively ease the pressure on Zlatan Ibrahimovic and the underfire coach Fonseca. They now tied their derby rival in the standing as they only sit three points behind surprise league leaders Torino.

What’s next for Pulisic and the Milan clubs?

AC Milan will play Lecce, who squandered a two-goal lead in injury-time against Parma, at home on Friday. Domestic double winners Bayer Leverkusen awaits the Rossoneri in the second matchday of the Champions League.

In the wake of their first defeat of the season, Inter will be away at Udinese next Saturday. After three successive wins, Udinese lost 3-0 to AS Roma in Ivan Juric’s turbulent debut. In the Champions League, the 2022-23 finalist will next face the 1990-91 champions Red Star Belgrade.

PHOTOS: IMAGO

In a conversation with World Soccer Talk, Pfannenstiel shed light on his team’s fairytale debut campaign. He also discussed the relative struggles of the 2024 season while looking ahead to 2025. Pfannenstiel also goes into depth regarding his scouting process and how a journeyman goalkeeping career and broadcasting work created the “biggest and most impressive network in professional soccer.”

Lutz Pfannenstiel discusses the inner workings of an expansion MLS team

Looking back at St. Louis’ start to life in MLS, Pfannenstiel is proud of the side’s record-shattering achievement. The Missouri-based MLS team collected maximum points from its first five games on its way to winning the Western Conference in their first year as a franchise.

“For me, having an expansion team directly after COVID was the most interesting job in football (soccer) when I came here,” Pfannenstiel said.

“It’s a very different way of rules and regulations with salary cap and roster rules than in Europe. You need to look at things a little differently. You need to calculate and prepare much more because it’s not really an open market. It’s not like whoever offers more money gets the player.”

The 51-year-old German built the club from the ground up since his appointment back in 2020, nearly three years before their debut in MLS. Earlier this year, St. Louis extended his contract through the 2026 season.

“I could share all my experience as a recruiter and sporting director as well as coaching in Africa,” he says. “I worked 35 years in football.”

For the 2025 season, MLS expands to 30 teams with San Diego FC, which paid an expansion fee of $500 million. During the All-Star game, MLS Commissioner Don Garber spoke highly of Indianapolis as a potential site for the next expansion. When asked to send his advice for the upcoming teams, Pfannenstiel stressed the necessity to keep it simple.

“You need to be very creative, but you also need to be very clear with yourself. How you want to play football,” Pfannenstiel remarks. “Setting your plan for the short, medium and long term is a must. You can succeed if you go with the flow.”

St. Louis sporting director remains optimistic about 2025

That success has been harder to come by for Pfannenstiel and St. Louis this season. A defeat to Minnesota United FC in matchday 29 has all but ended St. Louis’ chances of MLS Cup participation. Although they once again went unbeaten in the first five games, the club let go of manager Bradley Carnell after disappointing results in the first half of the season. Technical director John Hackworth is seeing out the season as an interim coach.

“The first season was a Cinderella story. We broke all the records and won our conference. We were lucky enough to stay injury-free,” Pfannenstiel recalled. “But, then, the second year was a completely different story. We had to make some changes and had an unbelievable amount of injuries. 

“Especially in July and August, there were games in which we had nearly 50% of the squad out due to injuries. In a league like MLS, the number of rosters and salaries, you can’t compete. It was a good lesson for us in the future.”

Instead of clinging to this season’s struggles, Pfannenstiel looks forward to the new season with renewed hope. He also seeks the positives from their recent run of results that saw them go four games unbeaten.

“We deserved the win against LA Galaxy as we played a great game, and we could’ve also won the away games at Portland and New England on artificial turf,” he adds. “We know where we stand. Looking at the opponents, it’s a very difficult task to rescue the season. We have to probably win five or all six remaining games,” Pfannenstiel said a day before the 3-1 loss to Minnesota.

For Lutz Pfannenstiel, St. Louis doesn’t need a big makeover for 2025. He believes the current crop of players are capable of redeeming themselves.

“I’m not worried about 2025 at all. If you look at my board and look at the length of contracts, we only need very small changes. We may add one or two players, but that’s about it. Our spine from the squad for the next season stands.

“If I compare our development to other teams, we’ll definitely play a good role again. If we stay away from injuries and the squad is available, we’ll have a competitive team for the next season.”

Growing German influence in St. Louis

The club’s record goalscorers Joao Klauss and Eduard Lowen were certainly the players they missed the most this season. On Saturday, Klauss returned to the starting lineup for the first time in nearly three months. During the early season, Lowen missed a couple of months due to muscular problems.

As has been the case more often than not, Pfannenstiel working at Hoffenheim and Fortuna Dusseldorf catalyzed these transfers. He fondly remembers the processes of courting the players for the expansion team.

“I brought Klauss to Hoffenheim like I did with [Roberto] Firmino and Joelinton. He was only 18 back then and his playing time was limited in a team with a world-class striker like Kramaric. He scored lots of goals on loan in Finland and Austria. When he was in Belgium on loan, I saw the opportunity to bring him to St. Louis. I knew that he’d be an exceptional MLS striker.

“I know his family and his character, and I focused not only on the player but the person. For example, he calls me ‘pap’,” he adds.

Although he didn’t succeed at signing Lowen in the Bundesliga, he made it happen in the third time of asking. “I tried to sign him with Hoffenheim and Dusseldorf, but he’s here. He’s an outstanding player.”

But it’s more of a coincidence that they recently signed three players from the 2. Bundesliga league, according to the sporting director. Cedric Teuchert and Marcel Hartel scored the goals in the win against Marco Reus’ LA Galaxy.

In particular, Pfannenstiel has high praises for the winger who starred for St. Pauli in a successful promotion bid to the Bundesliga. “Signing Hartel for free was very sweet,” he says before admitting the difficulty of the deal for the designated player.

“He’s already many people’s favorite player. Lots of them are surprised with the move because he could’ve made a big impact in the Bundesliga or could’ve gone to France or Spain.”

Pfannenstiel considers 2. Bundesliga as “the best second-division for purely soccer reasons.” As he enthusiastically mentioned the clubs with a quick glance at the live standings, he raved about unbelievably giant clubs, high-quality teams, and big crowds.

The influence of German soccer is also reflected in their playing style, Pfannenstiel believes. And the biggest impact is between the sticks for the former goalkeeper. 

“Roman Burki is the best goalie [to have] ever played in MLS or even America. We’re thrilled that he’s here.”

Although he has a highly demanding job at St. Louis, Pfannenstiel remains in touch with his past. He keenly follows the matches of his previous clubs and regularly chats with the people he worked with.

“I’m watching nearly all of Hoffenheim’s games and lots of Dusseldorf matches. I still follow my former teams. For me, it’s pretty normal to stay in touch with the past.

“I still have direct contact with lots of people from my previous clubs and also through media roles. I’m basically friends with 90% of sporting directors from Bundesliga and 2. Bundesliga. To get hold of them is pretty easy. Also, in countries like Belgium, Switzerland, England and France, my network is one of the biggest and most impressive in professional football (soccer).”

Life as a journeyman goalkeeper for Lutz Pfannenstiel

A playing career that saw him featured for a total of 25 clubs from six continents played a big part in that. To this day, Pfannenstiel is the only professional to ply his trade in all FIFA confederations. But that wasn’t part of the plan until the last hurdle.

“I learned about it when I was playing for the Vancouver Whitecaps, the team currently in our conference. I remember that we had a good season. Two weeks after facing David Beckham, my agent called and told me that I played in five continents. He mentioned there’s only one missing.”

His agent had a lot of convincing to do, however. At the age of 34, the goalkeeper who played in 12 countries started to long for security. In his autobiography, The Unstoppable Keeper, Pfannenstiel wrote he was slowly setting himself up with a normal life in Canada.

He revisited that time with World Soccer Talk. “My agent asked me if I was interested in going to South America. At first, I wasn’t. I was happy in Vancouver. But he was very persistent about the world record,” 

There was one condition he couldn’t decline an offer, though.

“Playing in Brazil was always a childhood dream for me. There were offers from Paraguay and Uruguay, but I really didn’t consider that. So, the last continent was manufactured, but the other five were all coincidental. I just wanted to play football and didn’t care much about the record.”

In a playing career that took him to all four corners of the world, Pfannenstiel experienced unique stories. While in Bradford, his physio thought the goalkeeper was dead after “a freak injury” suffered on Boxing Day in 2002.

“My injury was very unique. It’s like the only recorded incidents of that kind in professional football (soccer),” he says. “My physio was very good at keeping me alive before the ambulance arrived. If it was ten minutes late, I’d have been dead”

Amidst concerns over players’ health in contact sports, Pfannenstiel believes the US is the frontrunner at handling serious injuries with care. Preparing for the worst and education on first aid will further improve chances of controlling similar situations.

“In the US, when it comes to concussion protocols, that’s the leading country in the world. There’s definitely a big step in the right direction,” Pfannenstiel says. “Injuries and accidents always happen in pro football, but it’s all about being as prepared as possible for clubs and officials. To have the maximum education on how to save and protect players is a must.”

“When I went back to my studio at home, I enjoyed it”

The moment he hung up his gloves, Pfannenstiel found himself working as a pundit on multiple TV channels, mostly in Europe. Most notably, he worked in Bundesliga’s world-feed commentary throughout his time at Hoffenheim (director of recruitment) and Dusseldorf (sporting CEO).

“When I moved to America, I couldn’t really do that much because the world-feed of the Bundesliga is always based in Germany. But, after ESPN won the rights for Bundesliga, they approached me.”

But it’s still difficult for him to work in a commentary team when St. Louis plays away from home. He covered his first game of the season alongside a long-time commentary companion Derek Rae on ESPN+ when Borussia Dortmund beat Heidenheim 4-2 on Friday.

“I was talking to some of the Dortmund players and coaching team as well as the sporting director of Heidenheim. I do my homework and talk to key figures of the game. It also helps to enquire that as a sporting director and not as a journalist.”

The network he built over the years has had a tremendous impact on his game preparation. He strongly believes there should never be an excuse “to just turn up to the studio and talk without preparation.”

“You need to be prepared extremely well. Knowing all the coaches and the background of most of the players personally helps a lot to describe their characteristics and efforts.”

Still, in comparison to his job that demands building a competitive MLS club, co-commentary duty is a relaxing experience. “Most importantly, it’s fun and relaxes me. Working as a sporting director is demanding with lots of responsibilities, especially during the transfer market. When I went back to my studio at home, I enjoyed it.”

Pfannenstiel also sees the link between his two jobs. Working in the media allows him to have a distinct look at players and tactics.

“I see things from a different perspective when I’m on the media side. You see things more clearly. Secondly, it’s very important in the scouting process. It helps me a lot to scout and gain information and to watch more details than anything else,” he says.

Lutz Pfannenstiel sees Rae as one of the best in the business. Even though he’s not doing world-feed commentary anymore, he usually works alongside the EA Sports FC video commentator for ESPN. During the international break, Rae visited Pfannenstiel in Foxboro to witness St. Louis’ 2-2 draw against the New England Revolution.

“For me, Derek is a legend of the game. He’s one of the top five commentators in recent history. His Bundesliga knowledge is especially tremendous. He is like a walking Wikipedia. As my main partner, we worked on a lot of games together and have great chemistry. He is a great human being. And one of the biggest experts when it comes to being a football commentator.”

How to build a club

His book, The Unstoppable Keeper, was released in 2014, five years after its German release. As the founder of Global United FC, a non-profit association dedicated to protecting the environment by raising climate change awareness, Lutz feels he could drift to a different genre in the future. 

“Since I released my last book, I think my life has become a little more quiet. The life of a sporting director is not as exciting as a journeyman goalkeeper.

“It’s a different life now. I think I can write a book on how to build a football (soccer) club.”

PHOTOS: IMAGO.

Yamal reached double digits for Barca

Just before the international break, Michel’s side beat Sevilla away from home as Abel Ruiz opened his LaLiga account. The striker who captained Spain to the Olympics gold medal is the replacement for the league’s top scorer Artem Dovbyk.

Meanwhile, Barca was the only team to win all the first four games in LaLiga. With Real Madrid taking three points from San Sebastian despite another lackluster performance, the task was to stretch the lead over the champions to four points.

Although the first goal was self-inflicted with David Lopez easily dispossed by Yamal, Barcelona deserved to go two goals ahead at the half-time break. The 17-year-old was at the double to reach 10 career club goals.

Euro 2024 Young Player of the Tournament started the new season with blistering form. Despite fitness issues during the international break, he started both of Spain’s games in the Nations League. 

He has direct goal contributions in all five games so far. And he’s expected to be crowned as the winner of the Kopa Trophy in next month’s Ballon d’Or ceremony. Yamal is not only for the future. He’s also the present.

Flick’s well-drilled team posed a challenge to star-studded Real

Barcelona’s second-half dominance was even more impressive. Yamal could’ve had his first hat-trick and Robert Lewandowski came very close to keep his scoring run. It was only four by the end of the game, but Girona could’ve easily conceded seven like Real Valladolid.

After winning their first three games by a close scoreline of 2-1, Hansi Flick’s team is now crashing opponents with total dominance. The German coach worked wonders under difficult financial conditions. 

Not only the Champions League kings Real Madrid, Atletico Madrid also strengthened with big-money signings this summer. In contrast, Barcelona only signed their academy graduate Dani Olmo and youngster Pau Victor.

Investing big in Olmo has been an instant hit as he scored in all his first three games. Although they only managed to keep one clean sheet, the attacking numbers more than made up for it. Barcelona had 23 shots on the night, including 9 on target.

It was also a sweet revenge for Barcelona as their 4-2 home defeat to Girona confirmed Real Madrid as champions last season. Girona also won their first meeting by the same scoreline in Montilivi.

What’s next for Girona and Barcelona?

Both teams will be on the road for midweek’s Champions League actions. Girona’s first-ever European game will see them face high-flying PSG at the Parc des Prince on Wednesday. The Parisians maintained their perfect start to the Ligue 1 season with a 3-1 success over fellow Champions League club Stade Brestois.

And, on Thursday, Barcelona will be up against AS Monaco. The Monegasque are yet to concede a goal from an open play. Adi Hutter’s side could potentially challenge PSG and Marseille for a Ligue 1 throne.

In league action, bottom-placed Valencia will be Girona’s next opponent as last season’s surprise packages aim to return to winning ways. Barcelona, without the suspended Ferran Torres, will have a third consecutive away game as they visit Villarreal, whose three wins came via injury-time winners.

PHOTOS: IMAGO

Uncertainty over Dorival staying at the job

There was no holding back in Dorival Junior’s bold prediction a couple of years ahead of the tournament. “We will be in the 2026 World Cup final. I have no doubts that we will be finalists,” stressed the underfired coach.

But he might not be with the team by that time. Since Tite stepped down following Brazil’s quarter-final elimination in the 2022 World Cup, the Confederation of Brazilian Football (CBF) has been working hard to convince Carlo Ancelotti. 

The five-time Champions League winner has extended his contract at Real Madrid until 2026. That shouldn’t rule out a timely commitment to Brazil if they find common ground to balance the two jobs.

If that happens, Ancelotti will be Brazil’s first foreign coach. With the recent struggles under prominent names, soccer’s most decorated nation might be ready for outside help.

The expectation was higher when Fernando Diniz took over from Ramon Menezes at the start of this year. He came as an interim solution and didn’t leave his post at Fluminense. The Copa Libertadores champion could bring back the Selecao’s heyday.

Fast forward to the present day, Diniz not only missed the chance to get permanently appointed by CBF. Fluminense dismissed him after a poor start to the Brasileiro season.

Dorival Junior has remained undefeated in his first eight games, but they only won on three occasions. In particular, he was heavily criticized for his lack of asserting authority before the penalty shootout against Uruguay in the Copa America.

Rodrygo believes Brazil aren’t the same without Neymar

To be fair to Dorival, he was unlucky to miss out on the country’s all-time top-scorer. Neymar is yet to return to full training since a serious knee injury in the defeat at Uruguay last year.

His absence has been felt by his teammates. In an interview with ESPN Brazil, Rodrygo confirmed that everyone misses his presence in the national team. “He’s our best player. To win a World Cup, we want him back as soon as possible,” Rodrygo stressed.

Vinicius Junior has yet to crack the formula of repeating his club form on the international scene. And that means Brazil desperately lacked Neymar’s influence on the pitch. Unfortunately, his long-awaited return has been postponed further.

A repeat of Klopp’s adamant quote?

There is nothing that stops Dorival from making big promises, however. He’ll now hope to have a different outcome to Jurgen Klopp’s “Where is next season’s Champions League final? Istanbul? Book the hotel!”

The charismatic coach fancied his chances after losing to Real Madrid in the 2022 final. But that quote came back to haunt him. Liverpool fell in the Round of 16, losing 5-2 at home to the same opponent in the process.

For Dorival, the task is even more difficult. Unlike Klopp’s Kops, a World Cup final is unchartered territory for this generation of players. As he said, in one way or another, the video of him making the valiant remark will once again be a headline story when the time comes.

PHOTOS: IMAGO

After the public dispute with Al-Ittihad’s new striker, Koeman couldn’t escape the questions about Depay’s destination. In his press conference ahead of a Nations League clash against Germany, the 61-year-old continued the beef with the highest coefficient league in Asia.

“I disapproved Bergwijn to Saudi, but the league level in Brazil is different,” Koeman said.  “Depay can still be part of the national team depending on his fitness and performance level.”

The new format of the Club World Cup, which is in the US next year, can be the real judge for comparing leagues in different continents. As of now, Brazil and Saudi Arabia are leading the way in their respective confederations. 

Brazil has nine representatives in the quarterfinals of the Copa Libertadores and Copa Sudamericana. The different format of the Asian Champions League and the lack of secondary competition until this season prevented Saudi clubs from repeating a similar feat.

Saudi clubs poached Brazilian youngsters

This summer’s transfer window would also be a good reflection to see the trend. Thanks to the new rule that allowed clubs two U21 foreigners, Saudi clubs are now competing with European giants to sign Brazilian youngsters.

Al-Ahli brought Brazil’s Olympic team regular Alexsandro (20) from the defending Libertadores champions Fluminense. Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al Nassr completed the signings of Selecao’s third-choice goalkeeper Bento (25) and highly-rated winger Wesley (19). 

With financing from the Public Investment Fund (PIF) and peers, Saudi Pro League clubs even convinced some young Brazilians to flee Europe. Marcos Leonardo, Angelo and Joao Costa left teams that will participate in this season’s European competitions to join SPL sides. 

There was also a significant difference if we take a closer look at the presence of star names. From former Ballon d’Or winners Cristiano and Karim Benzema to this summer’s big-name signings Moussa Diaby and Ivan Toney. The Saudi Pro League is well ahead of its counterpart in Brazil.

Depay will also be challenged with the dismal league form of Corinthians that dates back to last season. Bergwijn is about to play for a team full of superstars. The former Manchester United and Barcelona attacker faces a relegation battle in Brazil.

Depay is a big figure in the Dutch camp

Although Koeman didn’t bring it up in his latest presser, Depay is a big presence for Oranjes compared to Bergwijn. The 30-year-old is only four strikes shy of equaling Robin van Persie’s record number of goals.

In contrast, Bergwijn only played 90 minutes in the European championship. The former Ajax winger only played more than half of a soccer game once since the 2022 World Cup.

Even if Koeman keeps the door open for Depay, new blood has already started taking over. Koeman doesn’t need to reevaluate his league preference if his team keeps delivering in the final third.

PHOTOS: IMAGO.

Spain saw off Swiss with quickfire goals

The European champions started their defense of the Nations League title with a goalless draw at Serbia. But they quickly avoided that in a tricky trip to Switzerland with Joselu and Fabian Ruiz scoring inside the first 13 minutes.

For their part, the Euro 2024 quarter-finalists didn’t give up as their comeback hope was boosted when Robin Le Normand saw a straight red card in the 20th minute. At the end of a grueling game under unfavorable weather conditions, La Roja took all three points with two late goals stretching the result to a resounding 4-1.

Former Irish internationals led England to victory in Dublin

England’s game at Dublin attracted headlines from the get-go. Although it was his routine while winning the U21 Euros last year, Lee Carsley’s decision to not sing the national anthem divided opinions ahead of his England debut.

Coincidentally, it happened to be a game against Ireland, a national team he represented in his playing career. It was also a return to familiar territory for Declan Rice and Jack Grealish as they got a hostile reception from Aviva Stadium.

As fate would have it, they got the goals for a 2-0 win for the Three Lions. But their reactions couldn’t be any different. Rice, who returned to the stadium where he played for Ireland in a friendly win against USMNT in 2018, didn’t want to escalate the situation. That wasn’t the case with Grealish, a Birmingham native like Carsley.

England was relegated to League B after a winless tournament in the 2022-23 edition. The routine win was far from ending the national anthem controversy, however. The Football Association (FA) is expected to name a permanent coach before next month’s games.

Five-star performances from Germany and The Netherlands

The Netherlands will host historical rivals Germany at Johan Cruyff Arena on Tuesday. Before the head-to-head game, both national teams scored five goals in their respective games on Saturday.

Julian Naglesmann’s side recorded an emphatic 5-0 win against Hungary in Dusseldorf. Jamal Musiala responded to the Ballon d’Or snub with a trademark goal and three assists. Florian Wirtz, who is on the 30-man shortlist, also contributed with a goal and an assist. 

After missing out on the Euros because of tonsillitis, Bayern’s up-and-coming midfielder Aleksandar Pavlovic scored his first goal for Germany. There was also a change of guards at the goalkeeping position with Marc Andre ter Stegen replacing Manuel Neuer.

While Ronald Koeman’s side scored five against Bosnia and Herzegovina, there were lapses in concentration from the defense. Manchester United’s new center-back Matthijs de Ligt admitted his mistake that led to Edin Dzeko’s strike in the 5-2 victory.

The attacking line fired on all cylinders, however. Despite the absence of Corinthians-bound Memphis Depay and out-of-favor Steven Bergwijn, there were five names on the scoresheet including the in-form striker Joshua Zirkzee.

Cristiano the hero … once again

Without Cristiano Ronaldo, who scored his 900th career goal against Croatia, Portugal struggled to take advantage of its dominance over Scotland in the first half. Scott McTominay put the Scotts in front with their only attempt before the break.

Ronaldo was introduced in place of Pedro Neto at halftime. The 39-year-old strikes the late winner after Bruno Fernandes brought Portugal back with a goal from outside the box. In the group’s other game, Luka Modric’s winner put Croatia level on points with Poland.

There were also some interesting stories and emphatic strikes from the Nations League. Euro 2024’s surprise package Georgia had another reason to celebrate after a stunning 4-1 win over the Czech Republic. Meanwhile, Yussuf Poulsen scored a bicycle kick against Serbia as Denmark salvaged another home win.

Three days after his direct involvement in Sweden’s three goals at Azerbaijan, Viktor Gyokeres netted twice in the home win against Estonia. Liam Walker scored straight from a corner-kick for Gibraltar against Liechtenstein in the latest clash of minnows.

PHOTOS: IMAGO

Sources added that the plan is for US Soccer to complete the contract signatures plus to film Pochettino in Barcelona for a short video that will be released in conjunction with the official announcement. US Soccer hopes to make the official announcement on Friday or shortly thereafter.

If the agreements can be finalized on Friday, Pochettino plans to make an appearance at Tuesday’s USA vs New Zealand friendly in Cincinnati, Ohio.

Deal to be finalized in Poch’s favorite city

It was at a club from Barcelona that Pochettino was first introduced to European soccer. He spent seven years at Espanyol before joining PSG in 2001. After a brief spell at Bordeaux, he returned to the club to see out his playing career.

Espanyol also gave him his first head coach role in 2009. He stayed at the job for four years before Southampton allowed him to coach in the English Premier League.

If and when the deal is finalized, it’ll be one of the biggest signings by US Soccer. The news about the United States’ interest in Pochettino first broke on August 15. Since then, talks have progressed at a steady pace, while soccer fans in the United States have been anxious about getting the deal announced as soon as possible.

Varas to lead transition before Pochettino becomes US Soccer head coach

USMNT interim head coach Mikey Varas will lead the transition period as he’ll be at the helm for the next two friendlies. USMNT faces Canada on Saturday followed by New Zealand at home on Tuesday.

Including his time with the Under-20 men’s national team, Varas has been working in youth soccer since 2016. He worked as Gregg Berhalter’s assistant for the underfire coach’s last 14 games.

Despite a slow start to his time at Chelsea, Pochettino managed to secure a European spot for Chelsea in the form of the Europa Conference League. He previously reached a Champions League final with Tottenham Hotspur. This will be his first post in international soccer for the 52-year-old.

We’ll not have to wait long for Pochettino’s first appearance in USMNT’s dugout. The US will have two more friendlies against Panama and Mexico in the space of three days in mid-October. A shock defeat against Panama catalyzed the group stage exit in Copa America. The game at Guadalajara will also be a tense affair because of the soccer rivalry with Mexico.

Photo: PA/Images.

USMNT host Marsch’s Canada amidst transition

During a successful Copa America campaign with Canada, Jesse Marsch openly reflected his disappointment at being overlooked for the USMNT job. And it’s now time for him to face his country in a friendly at Children’s Mercy Park in Kansas City. USA vs Canada will be shown on Saturday, September 7, at 7:30 PM ET via TBS & Max

Interim coach Mikey Varas will be at the helm after Gregg Berhalter’s time is up. Eighteen players from the dreadful Copa America experience maintained their place in the squad. Josh Sargent and Haji Wright returned to the roster following a decent start to the Championship season.  

According to reports, USMNT will finalize Mauricio Pochettino’s hiring by Wednesday as he is expected to attend this game from the stands. USMNT will play against New Zealand next week while Canada go head-to-head with Mexico at AT&T Stadium.

UEFA Nations League gets underway

The fourth edition of the UEFA Nations League will start this week with the hosts of big games between European giants.

We’ll start with Friday’s fixture at the Parc des Princes. The 2021 champions France will play against Italy in the first round of action after disappointing Euro 2024 for both national teams. Watch France vs Italy on Friday, September 6, at 2:45 PM ET via ViX & Fubo.

The defending champions of both the Nations League and European Championship, Spain will start their campaign in Serbia, but we picked their home game against Switzerland on this list. Switzerland hosts Spain on Sunday, September 8, live on ViX & Fubo from 2:45 PM ET.

Staying with the UEFA Nations League, France’s second game against Belgium will be a repeat of the Round of 16 tie from Euro 2024. Both teams stick with their coaches after the tournament. Catch Belgium vs France on Monday, September 9, at 2:45 PM ET via FS2 & Fubo.

The Netherlands hosting Germany will be a perfect game to round off our recap of games from the European continent. The close neighbors have been fierce rivals since the 1974 World Cup final. Watch Netherlands vs Germany on Tuesday, September 10, at 2:45 PM ET via ViX & Fubo.

Last but not least, England interim manager Lee Carsley takes charge of his first game for England’s senior team. England travels to play Ireland on Saturday, September 7 for a Noon kickoff on FS1 and Fubo.

CONMEBOL giants face tricky tests in World Cup qualifiers

As always, South America’s World Cup qualifying games are played with a round-robin format between all ten teams. But there will be six automatic tickets to the 2026 World Cup following the expansion to 48 teams.

Argentina vs Chile, Thursday, September 5, 8 PM ET; live on ViX

Copa America champions Argentina are on top after six rounds. Lionel Scaloni’s team will play their first game in this window at home against Chile, who were knocked out from this summer’s competition without scoring a single goal.

Brazil vs Ecuador, Saturday, September 7, 9 PM ET; live on ViX

Brazil struggled at the start of qualifiers and currently sits in sixth place. A win against Ecuador, who sits above Brazil despite a three-point deduction, is a must for the Selecao this Saturday.

Colombia vs Argentina, Tuesday, September 10, 4:30 PM ET; live on Fanatiz

On the seventh matchday of the qualifiers, Colombia and Argentina will play against each other barely a couple of months since the eventful Copa America final. Colombia is the only unbeaten side so far in the qualifiers.

More international break games to watch from around the globe

African nations will start the road to AFCON 2025 with the first two rounds of games.

Morocco vs Gabon, Friday, September 6, 3 PM ET; live on beIN and Fubo.

Morocco continued their incredible progress by winning bronze at the Paris Olympics. The Atlas Lions will start their qualifying campaign on Friday against Pierre Emerick Aubameyang’s Gabon.

Photo: IMAGO / Pond5 Images

On this week’s Hot Ones Wings Challenge broadcast, David Beckham has shared his stunning prediction of USMNT winning the World Cup at some point. The global superstar has been a giant figure in US soccer since his mega transfer to LA Galaxy in 2007.

But, according to Becks, it was rather the influence of Lionel Messi that will be the driving force to inspire young American kids. “I want to inspire the next generation of young kids that are playing in this country because, at some point, the US will win the World Cup,” he remarked.

While he didn’t specify a time range, his statement seems far-fetched for multiple reasons.

Tough spell for the 2026 co-hosts

To begin with, recent performances and results by the US national teams haven’t been promising. On the home stage, USMNT failed to progress from the Copa America’s group stage.

Marko Mitrovic’s side managed to do that at the Olympics, but the quarter-final defeat to Morocco was embarrassing.

Meanwhile, the heartbreaking defeat to Mexico in the CONCACAF U20 final for US youngsters coached by Michael Nsien was disappointing.

USMNT’s World Cup history also speaks for itself. The last time they won a knockout stage game was in 2002. That’s also the only time the US has won multiple matches on the global stage apart from the first edition in 1930.

More recently, the USA failed to qualify for World Cup 2018, and only narrowly qualified for World Cup 2022 on goal difference.

Besides, staging the tournament hasn’t worked out well in terms of performance for three of the last four hosts. South Africa and Qatar were eliminated from the group stage, while record winners Brazil suffered their worst defeat to eventual champions Germany in 2014.

Pay-to-play is the biggest hindrance

But there is a bigger elephant in the room that would make it difficult to realize Beckham’s prediction in the long term. The pay-to-play system has been an obstacle for the majority of children at the youth level of soccer. For most parents, the current system in the US will cost families a fortune to pay to play on a competitive team. From coaching costs to administration fees and travel expenses, youth teams require an annual investment of thousands of dollars per child.

There have been calls for improvements, including from FIFA president Gianni Infantino, but the situation remains the same for those dreaming of a future soccer career.

For some, the American soccer pyramid also takes away the much-needed competitiveness spirit from the players. Sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation (USSF), there is currently no link between the series of professional and amateur soccer leagues. Promotion and relegation exists everywhere in the world except for the United States and Mexico, and the results are telling.

Beckham, World Cup and Messi: Formula to USA becoming world champions?

Beckham nearly made a century of MLS appearances for LA Galaxy. He played in three World Cups for the Three Lions. The iconic winger scored and assisted in all of them, but England’s best record with him in the side was reaching the quarter-finals in 2002 and 2006. With his Inter Miami project, Beckham helped to breathe life into MLS.

Under the Englishman’s ownership, the Herons brought players like Messi and Luis Suarez to the closed league model. That would certainly help the growth of professional footballers, but there is a long way to go for grassroots development.

Lifting the glorious World Cup will remain unthinkable under the current environment.

Photo: Hot Ones.

Although the new format is strange for everyone, we’ll also have some debutants at this stage. Similarly, some big names will be missing out on the premier competition. Let’s run down the 36 clubs that will enjoy Champions League soccer until the end of January 2025.

Top-four leagues dominate proceedings

Jose Mourinho’s Porto is the only side out of the top-four leagues to win the Champions League since the 1995-96 season. The new format, which adds two more group stage games and a further knockout round for half of the teams, is more beneficiary to clubs for the big fishes.

Yet there are surprise names from each of these high-profile leagues. 1981-82 European Cup winners Aston Villa will be making a first appearance in the Champions League era. 

Over in Italy, Bologna is in the group stage of Europe’s top competition for the first time. VfB Stuttgart, who survived relegation to 2. Bundesliga via playoff the previous season, will return to the grand stage while it’s the first European qualification for LaLiga’s new underdogs Girona.

Based on their performances in the 2023-24 season, Serie A and Bundesliga gained extra spots in the group stage. The two Milan sides, rejuvenated Juventus and Europa League winners Atalanta will accompany debutant Bologna. Last season’s finalists Borussia Dortmund secured the last spot in Germany after Bayer Leverkusen, Stuttgart, Bayern Munich and RB Leipzig.

Premier League will present three former winners of the competition. As usual, Manchester City and Liverpool will be among the favorites. Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal might set their main target at a league triumph, but a first European silverware would mean the world for the Gunners.

But there is no doubt about the team to beat. Defending champions Real Madrid further strengthened with the blockbuster signing of Kylian Mbappe. The atmosphere at their arch-rivals Barcelona was gloomy a few weeks ago, but they started the LaLiga campaign with a perfect record under Hansi Flick, a sextuple winner with Bayern.

Two-time finalists with Diego Simeone, Atletico Madrid will also aim big after a summer spending spree. 

16 national associations represented

France will also have four teams for the first time in the competition’s history. LOSC Lille squeezed past Mourinho’s Fenerbahce and Slavia Prague in the qualifiers to join PSG, AS Monaco and debutant Brest, who will play their games at Guingamp’s Stade de Roudourou.

Eredivisie and Liga Portugal have two participants each with PSV, Feyenoord, Sporting and Benfica booking their tickets. Club Brugge, Celtic, Sturm Graz and Shakhtar Donetsk are the remaining four teams to automatically enter the group stage after winning their respective leagues.

Young Boys, RB Salzburg, Sparta Prague, Dynamo Zagreb, Slovan Bratislava and Red Star Belgrade snatched their spots in Thursday’s seeding.

UEFA Champions League draw to be made from four pots of nine teams

The 36 teams are seeded into four pots in terms of their European coefficient. There will be no games between clubs from the same league at this stage. Each team will face two home and two away opponents from each of the four pots.  

Only the top-eight ranked teams will secure an automatic passage to the next round. Teams ranked from 9th to 24th will enter a knockout round to confirm the remaining places in the round of 16.

Photo: IMAGO / Noah Wedel

Things started to return to their old status when the season officially got underway. Sancho is yet to feature in the squad for a league game as the Dutch coach reopened the exit door. Chelsea is the latest to be in the running for the signature of Jadon Sancho

United keen on a permanent transfer

The key for Manchester United to offload their once high-valued asset would be a permanent transfer away from Old Trafford. Sancho helped Borussia Dortmund to the Champions League final. Yet, the Bundesliga outfit did not show interest in making the transfer permanent.

As for Chelsea, it first must sell players before adding new transfers. In that regard, it’s highly unlikely for them to sign both Sancho and Victor Osimhen in the window’s closing days. It’s also evident that Enzo Maresca needs a typical striker. He does not need to add another winger like Sancho to his vast squad. 

The half-dozen goals away at Wolves were possible with players similar to Sancho’s profile. Still, Nicolas Jackson remains the one spot where Chelsea can upgrade. That fact will not change with a swap deal involving Raheem Sterling. The four-time Premier League winner has been out of Maresca’s plan from day one.

It also needs to be mentioned that both teams will be busier with other deals before Friday’s deadline day. After a defeat at Brighton, Manchester United will consolidate its interest in a defensive midfielder. All signs point to Manuel Ugarte joining the Old Trafford outfit.

For Chelsea, the final days of the summer transfer window will be all about trimming the squad. Adding a player like Sancho does not fit that goal. If anything, he would add to the bloated issues that Chelsea has had to fend off.

European clubs cool off on Sancho while Chelsea interest rises

The Red Devils were hopeful Dortmund would pay the asking price for Sancho’s transfer after the end of the loan spell. However, BVB ended up not using their options of signing Sancho and Ian Mattsen permanently from Premier League clubs. 

Juventus was in discussion to hijack his Dortmund move, but they seem to have shifted their priorities under the new coach Thiago Motta. The signings of Nico Gonzalez, who was part of Argentina’s triumphant World Cup squad, and Francisco Conceicao also indicate they’re no longer in the race for Sancho.

While PSG could still sign another attacking outlet, Luis Enrique shifted his focus to Ademola Lookman. And, like the previous season, Sancho isn’t expected to listen to offers from Saudi Arabia.

That might leave Manchester United’s options to let him go on another loan or find him room in the squad. As Amad Diallo emerges in Sancho’s favorite right-wing position, the competition for a starting role has only been getting stronger. 

Manchester United had to negotiate with Dortmund for multiple transfer windows to have him in the first place. And they’re now facing a similar problem in the reverse direction after he was deemed surplus to requirements. A possible transfer to Chelsea can end Sancho’s troubled time at Carrington.

PHOTOS: IMAGO.

As per Gazzetta dello Sport, the Swede wanted to spark motivation and self-belief instead of venting his frustration. It is not a new thing for higher officials to get in the way of the coach’s responsibilities. However, this intervention only fueled more pressure on the Portuguese tactician.

Pre-season form disappeared with games of significance

Fonseca started his Milan reign with plenty of promises from the US preseason tour. A comeback win against Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City preceded a convincing victory over Champions League kings Real Madrid.

Milan also comfortably beat Monza, a side that defeated Milan 4-2 last season, in its final friendly game. The early signs had Milan fans dreaming of beating their city rivals for the Scudetto, the Serie A title.

But the lackluster performance against Torino served as the first reality check. USMNT international Yunus Musah and fellow supersubs saved the day as Milan secured a late draw coming back from a two-goal deficit. 

There was a similar feeling when Christian Pulisic leveled the score against Parma. Still, Milan succumbed to its first defeat of the season at Stadio Ennio Tardini.

Pioli and Allegri are still available to replace Paulo Fonseca at Milan

Theo Hernandez and Rafael Leao – supposedly Milan’s strongest link in the left wing – were at fault for Parma’s winner on Saturday. The defensive issues were also quite visible with Milan conceding multiple goals in Serie A’s first two games.

After two games, it seems Fonseca has yet to decide on his starting lineup. While Alvaro Morata could lead the forward line once he returns to full fitness, decisions have to be made for a stable environment.

Speaking of decisions, Milan could pull the plug if things don’t improve before the first international break of the season. Fonseca will only have a single game to correct matters to not give his employers ample time to replace him.

Saturday’s visit to Italy’s capital will also be a crucial game for Lazio in the wake of Marco Baroni’s side’s defeat at Udinese. Stefano Pioli’s team beat Roma at Stadio Olimpico on their way to starting last season with three wins from as many matches.

As he failed to reach an agreement with Saudi’s Al-Ittihad, Pioli is still available on the market if Milan wants to bring back the coach who won them the league back in the 2021-22 season. And they can take inspiration from SC Braga. The Portuguese club fired Ricardo Sossa after a single league game to rehire Carlos Carvalhal for the third time.

Pioli is not the only Scudetto-winning coach that under Milan’s consideration if the club sacks the former AS Roma coach. Massimiliano Allegri won his first Serie A title with Milan in 2010-11. He then repeated that feat five times with Juventus. He could be the first option. To avoid all of that, Fonseca has to pick up his first three points against Lazio.

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The two teams came off defeats to last season’s champions and runners-up in the opening weekend. With the international break on the horizon, getting their first win was on the mind of both coaches. That was visible from the energetic nature of the entire 90 minutes.

An early contender for the best half of the season

Noni Madueke, booed by Wolves fans for his pre-match antics, started the frantic match with the game’s first big chance. Chelsea took the lead from the resulting corner-kick through the much-criticized striker Nicolas Jackson.

After going down in 98 seconds, the host’s response was admirable. Cunha tied the game, saw another goal chalked off for offside, and hit the crossbar before Cole Palmer’s exquisite finish restored Chelsea’s lead.

But, somehow, that was not the endnote to a chaotic first half. On his home debut, Jorgen Strand Larsen leveled the score for the second time. The scoreline was a true reflection of an end-to-end encounter.

The defensive issues at either end contributed to an entertaining watch as both teams had four shots on target out of 14 attempts in total before the break.  

Madueke has the last laugh

The second half started with Chelsea winger Pedro Neto receiving a warm welcome from the Wolves faithful as he replaced out-of-sorts Mykhailo Mudryk. But, the winger who drew an opposite reception from the Molineux crowd was the star of the second-half show.

Madueke scored his first career hat trick in the space of 14 minutes. Palmer was the architect of Chelsea’s offense. He followed the footsteps of Thierry Henry and Harry Kane in assisting all three goals in a Premier League hat-trick. 

Gary O’Neil’s side continued to enjoy clear-cut chances, but this half was completely about Chelsea’s potent attacking line. Unlike in his first debut, where he was sent off against Fulham, Joao Felix completed the rout in his first appearance since his return to English soccer.

But it was the Palmer-Madueke pairing that won Chelsea the game. The two attackers were involved in a fight to take a penalty against Everton last season. Now they’re in the headlines for all the right reasons.

What’s next for Chelsea and Wolves?

London derby is up next for Chelsea in the Premier League as they host Crystal Palace next Sunday. Oliver Glasner’s team couldn’t take inspiration from last season’s finale. They lost to Brentford and West Ham in their opening two matches.

Before that, Chelsea will play the return leg of the European Conference League qualifiers at Servette. There will be plenty of deals from the club in the next week as the transfer window ends on Friday.

Wolves will return to Molineux Stadium on Wednesday with an EFL Cup tie against Burnley. Nottingham Forest, who started well with four points, will be their Premier League opponent before the season’s first international break.

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Whilst not a traditional rivalry on the pitch or in the stands, it was a derby between American ownership groups – Krause Group vs. RedBird Capital Partners and it will likely break the record for the most-viewed Italian game in the region.

With five changes to the lineup that started against Torino, Paulo Fonseca sought an instant reaction from his side. However, they conceded inside 90 seconds with Dennis Man’s second league goal in as many games.

However, they conceded inside 90 seconds as Parma recorded a surprise 2-1 win against their old foes

Difficult Serie A start for Fonseca, despite Pulisic goal

Fonseca’s tweaks tried to address Milan’s all-round lackluster performance on the opening day. Strahinja Pavlovic slotted in at center-back for his debut while Yunus Musah and Noah Okafor both started after their part in a dramatic comeback on the opening weekend.

Zion Suzuki, who was once heavily linked with Manchester United, was equal to Milan’s efforts before Parma recovered to have a strong end to the half.

Milan couldn’t find the inspiration to correct things after the break. Rafael Leao was largely unproductive in the first half, only coming to life when he brilliantly assisted Pulisic’s equalizer.

Yet, the Rossoneri couldn’t hold onto their recently discovered parity. Parma regained their lead with a well-drilled counterattack and Milan was unresponsive after that.

Youssouf Fofana and Emerson Royal came on for their respective debuts but couldn’t change the game.

Parma are here to stay

Parma started the week by celebrating the 25th anniversary of a Super Cup triumph.

Considering the difficult spell of financial struggles, beating Milan in their first home game of the season was also a cause for huge celebration in northern Italy.

For perspective, Parma only won three games the last time they were in Serie A, back in 2020-21. Although they’re further from their 1990s fairytale, the Yellow and Blues showed strong signs of reclaiming a constant place in Italy’s top flight.

The Romanian duo of Dennis Man and Valentin Mihaila had their fun in the first half. However, in the second period they were aptly replaced by Pontus Almqvist and Matteo Cancellieri, a combination that led to the hosts’ winner.

What’s next for both AC Milan and Parma?

Milan will once again be on the road as they play Lazio in the capital next weekend. Their last meeting famously saw Lazio finishing the game with only seven outfield players as Pulisic took center stage.

Parma coach, Fabio Pecchia, celebrated his 51st birthday with the win over Milan, but an away trip to Naples comes next.

Antonio Conte’s Napoli started the campaign with a heavy defeat to Hellas Verona last week. Parma could look to take advantage as the former Italy coach navigates a summer of inactivity in the transfer market.

In a presser before the game, AC Milan’s Senior Advisor, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, ruled out further transfers.

Unless the shock defeat changed matters, Ajax’s youngster Silvano Vos will be Milan’s last signing of the summer.

In the last days of the transfer window, newcomers Parma could further strengthen their squad. 19-year-old US attacking midfielder Rokas Pukstas and Cristian Volpato are still linked with Parma.

Photo credits: IMAGO / Goal Sports Images : IMAGO / Goal Sports Images

Top of the bill was the Chelsea against Manchester City game on Sunday. That one broadcast averaged 2.218 million viewers across NBC, Telemundo, and Peacock. The viewing figure nearly eclipsed the most-watched Premier League game ever on US television, which was 2.6 million for last season’s Manchester City-Arsenal match.

All in all, the opening weekend was the most-watched on record. NBC Sports averaged 820,000 viewers across six matches live on NBC/Peacock, USA Network, and NBC Sports Digital platforms from Friday, Aug. 16-Sunday, Aug. 18.

While the Leagues Cup continues to struggle, the opening weekend of games from the Premier League was a welcome change. The figures indicate the growing interest in European soccer in the United States where, this summer, more than 1 million fans attended games in person.

Promising start for Premier League opening weekend

Sunday’s primetime showdown between Chelsea and Manchester City lived up to expectations both in terms of results and TV numbers.

Erling Haaland scored on his 100th appearance for the club to ease the pressure on the Citizens. The clash of the Blues had little goal-mouth action before ex-Chelsea midfielder Mateo Kovacic sealed three points for the champions six minutes before time.

Across NBC and Peacock networks, the game recorded a staggering 1.85 million viewers. It surpassed the 2.2 million mark after factoring in Telemundo delivering an additional 368,000 viewers for its Spanish-language audience.

Looking back at the opening weekend of the 2023 season, Peacock’s streaming service had a record 973,000 average minute audience for the marquee opening day fixture, Liverpool’s draw at Stamford Bridge.

It’s no surprise that all the six most English-language viewership numbers recorded once the competition reached its midpoint. A couple of festive period matches from the 2022-23 season made the top four, while the remaining spots are occupied by matches from last season. 

The goalless draw between Manchester City and Arsenal sits top of this standing with 2.12 million viewers.

Exciting weekend of world soccer

The opening game of the 2024/25 Premier League season – Manchester United’s victory over Fulham – drew an average of 480,000 viewers across the USA network.

In other news, viewership for LaLiga’s Valencia against Barcelona clash averaged 550,000 viewers on ABC over the weekend.

Photo: IMAGO / Pro Sports Images

He had to wait until November to consolidate a starting spot in his debut season in England. Since then, Wright emerged as a key player for the promotion hopefuls. Consequently, Haji Wright is inching toward a bigger move following his success in the Championship.

Haji Wright works toward Premier League, Champions League dreams

In an interview with CBS Sports’ Morning Footy crew, Wright addressed the expectations of playing on grand stages. The 26-year-old attacker hit double-digit league goals in the past three seasons.

When asked about his hopes for a major career upgrade, Wright iterated that it’s every player’s dream to play in the Premier League and Champions League. As a goal scorer in the World Cup knockout stage, he already experienced a big stage.

Coventry’s dramatic FA Cup run was another memorable anecdote for the Los Angeles native. In the semi-final against Manchester United, Wright scored a 95th-minute equalizer from the penalty spot as Cardiff City came from three goals behind to force extra time.

Unfortunately for the Championship outfit, he was marginally offside when assisting Victor Torp for what could have been a sensational winner. Mark Robins’ side lost on penalties, but the match went down as one of the best in the modern history of the cup competition.

It’s the winner in the 10th minute of stoppage time against Wolves that has a special place for Wright, however. He picked the goal that sent Coventry City to the FA Cup semifinal as his favorite. For his part in the club’s best cup run since 1986/87, he quickly became a fan favorite at Coventry Arena.

Further grounds to cover before a big move?

The knack for scoring crucial goals is a certainty with Wright. As a substitute, he scored an injury-time brace for USMNT in the Nations League semi-final against Jamaica. But he only saw 10 minutes of action in the recent Copa America. The decision to bring Mauricio Pochettino in place of Gregg Berhalter will motivate the players who lacked minutes under the long-serving coach.

There was also a goal set by Wright and his club teammates ahead of another grueling Championship season. Coventry missed out on a playoff spot last term. Wright believes the club can aim for the automatic places this time around.

Wright also openly discussed his desire to play more assists to his teammates this season. In that respect, he had a solid partnership with the overlapping fullback Milan van Ewijk on Friday.

As opposed to his time as a prolific striker in Turkey, Wright now plays from the left flank. That versatility will also help his cause to join a top-five European club for the first time since 2018/19. Fellow American Josh Sargent is linked with a move to MLS outside of interest from Premier League. Meanwhile, Haji Wright only sets his target at the pinnacle of the sport.

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The search for prolific names includes a current England international with Al-Ahli’s interest in Ivan Toney. The cold-hearted striker will make a decision that will impact his future with the Three Lions. Is it worth the risk?

Moves to Saudi Pro League have not led to success

Toney can contact former Liverpool skipper Jordan Henderson for advice. Toney and Henderson only shared a soccer pitch in the Brentford goal-getter’s international debut 18 months ago.

During his short time in the Middle East, the Champions League and Premier League winner only started three out of six England matches. He captained Gareth Southgate’s unit for the first time in two years in a friendly win against Australia. Although he hasn’t gotten a callup since moving to Ajax, the fall started when he preferred the fat contract instead of signing for a Premier League club with aspirations of the European stage.

Staying with the reference to Steven Gerrard’s Al-Ettifaq, Toney also briefly played with Georginio Wijnaldum at Newcastle United. Similarly, Wijnaldum’s Saudi exploits came at the cost of losing his starting place with the Netherlands. He was highly involved when Ronald Koeman’s side played the final stages of the UEFA Nations League the previous summer. But he didn’t play a single minute once Euro 2024 entered its knockout stages despite injuries ruling out Frenkie de Jong, Marten De Roon and Teun Koopmeiners from the tournament.

There was one positive instance, though. Al-Ittihad’s N’Golo Kante won man of the match in France’s first two Euro 2024 games after a surprising late call from Didier Deschamps.

Ivan Toney features in competition to lead the line for England

There are reasons for Kante’s return to Les Blues that don’t apply to Toney, however. Deschamps is notoriously known for sticking with the players that made him successful earlier in his managerial career. And he’d most likely not considered Kante had Aurelien Tchouameni recovered in time for the European championship.

In Germany, Toney assisted Harry Kane’s winner against Slovakia before an iconic penalty in a shootout win against Switzerland. But that’s about it. His lengthy ban for breaching betting rules also isolated him from pushing his stake at the national team.

Kane, England’s record goalscorer, is still going strong. And, with Ollie Watkins, Dominic Solanke and the all-rounder Cole Palmer, the next permanent coach will have a host of up-and-coming strikers capable of competing for the Premier League’s Golden Boot.

After all, it might even go unexpectedly wrong in Saudi Arabia. Al-Ahli, the club heavily linked with Toney, momentarily relegated Roberto Firmino to the bench. The Brazilian put forward a lengthy spell of poor form last season. He eventually found his goal-scoring form in the Saudi Pro League.

Brentford is in a hurry to cash in on their once $100 million valued asset. Yet, there seem to be other proposals on the table that can’t financially match Saudi’s offer. Considering the overall look, we can call it time for Ivan Toney’s international career if he flees Europe.

PHOTOS: IMAGO.