Benjamin Šeško: 'Anything can happen'
"I'm now focusing on the final games until the end of the season, and then we'll see what happens. Anything can happen,' Šeško said before Leipzig's direct duel in Bremen. 'But, for now, I'm 100 percent focused on Leipzig, especially on these last two games."
Leipzig are currently two points behind SC Freiburg, who hold the last Champions League qualification spot before the final two matchdays of the season.
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Washington Post
an hour ago
- Washington Post
Liverpool forward Diogo Jota rose to the heights of soccer stardom before his tragic death at 28
As a child Diogo Jota idolized Cristiano Ronaldo. In a career that took him to the heights of soccer stardom, he would go on to call the Portugal great a teammate and win some of the sport's biggest trophies. Jota, the Liverpool forward who in May celebrated winning the Premier League title, has died . He was 28.
Forbes
an hour ago
- Forbes
Some Promising Quarterfinal Match-Ups In The FIFA Club World Cup
CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA - JUNE 22: Jude Bellingham #5 of Real Madrid C. F. celebrates scoring his ... More team's first goal during the FIFA Club World Cup 2025 group H match between Real Madrid CF and CF Pachuca at Bank of America Stadium on June 22, 2025 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by Pedro Castillo/Real Madrid via Getty Images) It's not always easy to predict winners of soccer games at major international tournaments, but the FIFA Club World Cup could be headed toward a Europe vs. Brazil final. One bracket has two Brazilian sides competing in the July 4 quarterfinals - Fluminense and Palmeiras, against Al-Hilal (Saudi Arabia) and Chelsea (England) The other side has four European teams competing in the July 5 match-ups - Paris Saint-Germain (France) vs. Bayern Munich (Germany), and Real Madrid (Spain) vs. Borussia Dortmund (Germany). The winners will advance to the semifinals at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J. on July 8 and 9, with the champion being crowned at the same venue on Sunday, July 13. Of course, there can be other variations of a theme as the 32-team tournament enters its final 10 days. In many international soccer competitions, some of the best games are in the quarterfinals. So, we might be in for a treat or two over the next few days. Here is a quick look at the four quarterfinals: July 4 Ignacio centre-back of Fluminense and Brazil and his teammates celebrate the passage to the round of ... More 16 during the FIFA Club World Cup 2025 group F match between Mamelodi Sundowns FC and Fluminense FC at Hard Rock Stadium on June 25, 2025 in Miami Gardens, Florida. (Photo by Jose Breton/Pics Action/NurPhoto via Getty Images) This contest matches a pair of underdogs who were not given much of a chance of advancing far in the competition by Opta. Al-Hilal was given a 17.9 percent chance of reaching the quarters and 0.4 percent chance of winning it. Fluminense was at 15.8 percent of qualifying for the final eight teams and 0.1 percent of emerging as the winner. Backed by an enthusiastic fan base, Fluminense (1-0=2, 5 points) finished second in Group F behind Borussia Dortmund (2-0-1, 7). The Brazil team started with a scoreless draw against the German side and followed that up with a 4-2 win over Ulsan HD (South Korea) and another 0-0 deadlock with Mamelodi Sundowns (South Africa). In its 2-0 Round of 16 victory over Inter Milan (Italy), Fluminense scored early (37-year-old Argentine German Cano in the third minute) and late (24-year-old Brazilian Hercules) in the third minute of second-half stoppage time) in Charlotte, N.C. on June 30. Inter Milan lost to PSG in the UEFA Champions League final, 5-0, in May. Two keys to the Brazilian side's success have a pair of fortysomething players - center back and team captain Thiago Silva, who will turn 41 in September, and veteran goalkeeper Fabio, who will be 45 that month. Fabio recorded four saves against Inter, for his fourth clean sheet of the tournament. CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA - JUNE 30: Fabio of Fluminense FC celebrates after team mates Hercules ... More scored to give the side a 2-0 lead during the FIFA Club World Cup 2025 round of 16 match between FC Internazionale Milano and Fluminense FC at Bank of America Stadium on June 30, 2025 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by) "The Europeans sign the best players in the world, but with attitude and dedication to the team, we managed to defend," Fluminense head coach Renato Gaucho told reporters. 'We are very proud of ourselves for the affection and joy we are bringing to our fans and, without a doubt, to Brazilian football. We are proving that we have commitment and attitude on the pitch. Off the pitch, we can't compete financially, but on the pitch it's 11 against 11. That's it.' Al-Hilal has weathered the hot and humid conditions quite well. The Saudi Arabian team, which is bolstered by several big European stars, is unbeaten in four matches (2-0-2), having played Real Madrid to a 1-1 draw, Red Bull Salzburg to a scoreless tie and stunning Pachuca. 2-0, in Group H action. The squad finished second to Real Madrid. ORLANDO, FLORIDA - JUNE 30: Marcos Leonardo #11 of Al Hilal celebrates scoring his team's fourth ... More goal during the FIFA Club World Cup 2025 round of 16 match between Manchester City and Al-Hilal at Camping World Stadium on June 30, 2025 in Orlando, Florida. (Photo by Julio Aguilar - FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images) The Saudis are coming off the upset of the tournament, a thrilling 4-3 triumph over English powerhouse Manchester City on June 30. It was considered one of the biggest wins in Middle Eastern soccer history. Marcos Leonardo, who struck for a brace, including the game-winner in the 112th minute, will face his countrymen. The 22-year-old forward, who is once played for Santos in Brazil, is tied for second place with a dozen other players in goals (three). Angel Di Maria, whose Benfica team, was eliminated in a 4-1 loss to Chelsea in the Round of 16, topping the charts with four goals. It was an emotional moment for Leonardo. 'I've had a difficult time in the last two months. My mother spent 70 days in the ICU,' he said. 'Today, she's fine, thank God. When I scored those two goals, I thought of her. She was able to watch the match.' TOPSHOT - Palmeiras' Brazilian forward #10 Paulinho celebrates after scoring the opening goal during ... More the FIFA Club World Cup 2025 round of 16 all-Brazilian football match between Palmeiras and Botafogo at Lincoln Financial Field Stadium in Philadelphia on June 28, 2025. (Photo by FRANCK FIFE / AFP) (Photo by FRANCK FIFE/AFP via Getty Images) In the lone South American-European match-up of this round, the teams will tussle in the only quarterfinal encounter under the lights. Palmeiras, one of the South American country's most storied clubs, has won Campeonato Brasileiro Série A 12 times (most recently in 2023) and Copa Libertadores on three occasions (most recently 2021). In this competition, Verdão (Big Green) started with two shutouts, a scoreless tie with Porto and a 2-0 win over Al Ahly before playing to a 2-2 deadlock with Inter Miami CF in the final Group A encounter. In a battle of Brazilian sides in the Round of 16, Paulinho's 100th-minute goal, his second of the competition, lifted the squad to a 1-0 win over Botafogo in Philadelphia on June 28, its third clean sheet in four matches. 'Coach has been saying this since the start of the season, that we have a dream and dreaming costs nothing," Palmeiras defender Bruno Fuchs told the Associated Press. "We follow that dream, one game after another. Always thinking about the present, about the next game. ... We're very happy, we're pleased to have qualified, and as I said, we have to keep dreaming.' CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA - JUNE 28: Christopher Nkunku #18 of Chelsea FC celebrates scoring his ... More team's second goal with teammates during the FIFA Club World Cup 2025 round of 16 match between SL Benfica and Chelsea FC at Bank of America Stadium on June 28, 2025 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by Darren Walsh/Chelsea FC via Getty Images) Chelsea's trophy case is pretty full with a host of domestic and international hardware. That includes six Premier League/First Division titles, eight FA Cup titles and the 2021 Club World Cup championship. The Blues (2-1-0, 6) finished second to Flamengo (2-0-1, 7) in Group D, losing to the Brazilian side in its second match, 3-1, after blanking Los Angeles FC. 2-0. Yet, they shrugged off that defeat with two consecutive wins. They shut out Esperance de Tunis, 3-0, and then 10-man Benfica in the Round of 16, in extra time, 4-1, in a match that was delayed for two hours due to lightning in Charlotte, N.C. on July 28. Chelsea produced some lightning of its own in extra time as French international forward Christopher Nkunku (108th minute) scored the game-winner off a rebound. Portuguese international winger Pedro Neto added his team-best third of the competition (114th) and English midfielder Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall his first (117th) for some late insurance. Prior to the tournament, Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca told his squad: "We are not here for pre-season. It's a big, big tournament." So far, the team has taken those words to heart. July 5 PASADENA, CALIFORNIA - JUNE 15: Fabian Ruiz of Paris Saint Germain celebrates scoring the first ... More goal with Goncalo Ramos and Nuno Mendes during the FIFA Club World Cup 2025 group B match between Paris Saint-Germain FC and Club Atletico de Madrid at Rose Bowl Stadium on June 15, 2025 in Pasadena, California. (Photo by Catherine Ivill - AMA/Getty Images) On paper, this is the marquee quarterfinal match, as the UEFA Champions League winners and French Ligue 1 champions take on the Bundesliga champs at the indoor venue. The key to PSG's success is that it doesn't necessarily have one superstar, but it boasts stars at just about each position and even off the bench. Seven players have celebrated goal, with Portuguese international midfielder Joao Neves and Moroccan international defender Achraf Hakimi leading the way with two apiece. When playing at its optimum, the French side is difficult to beat and forces its opposition to chase the game, as Inter Milan learned the hard way in the UCL final, a 5-0 triumph, in May. PSG continued that excellence in its 4-0 thrashing of Atletico Madrid. It hit a speed bump in a 1-0 loss to Botafogo but rebounded to finish atop Group B behind a 2-0 win over the Seattle Sounders. In the Round of 16 in Atlanta on June 29, PSG booked a quarterfinal berth behind a 4-0 thumping of Inter Miami CF, scoring three times in the waning minutes of the first half, as Neves bagged a brace. 'We [had] a very good game. Even when we were winning four-nil, we didn't stop," Neves said. "We keep on playing our game and I think it was a positive day for us. It's the first time I scored two in one game, so I'm very happy but I'm happier for the win.' Added head coach Luis Enrique: 'I'm happy with all the players, with the mentality and the attitude. I think we need to improve, like always. ... But, I'm happy.' MIAMI GARDENS, FLORIDA - JUNE 29: Harry Kane of FC Bayern Munchen celebrates scoring his side's ... More fourth goal during the FIFA Club World Cup 2025 round of 16 match between CR Flamengo and FC Bayern München at Hard Rock Stadium on June 29, 2025 in Miami Gardens, Florida. (Photo by Chris Brunskill/Fantasista/Getty Images) Bayern Munich, which has won 34 German First Division titles, brings some impressive firepower as well, as it has not one, not two, but three players who have written their names on the scoresheet three times. The formidable threesome is England national team striker Harry Kane, German international midfielder Jamal Musiala and French national team midfielder Michael Olise. The Bundesliga champions (2-1-0, 6) started out with a 10-0 victory over Auckland City, a team comprised of semi-pro players from New Zealand, before coming back down to earth in Group C. They then edged Boca Juniors, 2-1, before dropping a 1-0 decision to Benfica in their group finale. Die Bayern then went out and recorded a 4-2 triumph over Flamengo in the Round of 16 as Kane bagged a brace, scoring on either side of halftime at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens on June 29. 'I know a lot of my game is judged on goals and I've been doing it throughout my career, but what maybe some of the German fans and some of the Bayern fans are realizing is that I'll do anything for the team to help us win," Kane said. MIAMI GARDENS, FLORIDA - JULY 1: Kylian Mbappé #9 of Real Madrid runs for position during the FIFA ... More Club World Cup 2025 round of 16 match between Real Madrid CF and Juventus FC at Hard Rock Stadium on July 1, 2025 in Miami Gardens, United States. (Photo by Carl Kafka/ISI Photos/ISI Photos via Getty Images) Real Madrid is one of the kings of domestic and global soccer, having won 36 La Liga titles (most recently in 2023-24) and five Club World Cups (most recently in 2022), among countless other championships. Los Blancos are a team to be reckoned with, and then some. The Spanish powerhouse finished atop Group H with a 2-0-1 mark. It began with a 1-1 draw against Al-Hilal before registering three consecutive wins. Real then defeated Pachuca, 3-1, and then Red Bull Salzburg, 3-0. In the Round of 16 in Miami Gardens on July 1, Real edged Juventus, on Gonzalo Garcia's 54th-minute goal, his third of the competition. Real enters the quarterfinals with a relatively fresh Kylian Mbappé, who missed every group match after he was hospitalized with an acute case of gastroenteritis. He made his tournament debut, replacing Garcia in the 68th minute against Juve. Mbappé, 26, a member of France's 2018 World Cup championship side, can be handful and a half to cover and stop when he is at the top of his game. He is a player to watch. 'I think that every single day he is getting better,' Real head coach Xabi Alonso said. 'I think from now until the quarterfinals he's going to be even better. I talk to him every single day and ask him how he is feeling, and I think he is going to be way better for the quarterfinals.' ATLANTA, GEORGIA - JULY 01: Serhou Guirassy of Borussia Dortmund celebrates after scoring to give ... More the side a 1-0 lead during the FIFA Club World Cup 2025 round of 16 match between Borussia Dortmund and CF Monterrey at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on July 01, 2025 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by) Borussia Dortmund might not enjoy the same storied history as its Bundesliga rivals, Bayern Munich, but still can be a difficult side to overcome. Die Borussen (The Prussians) started off slowly, playing Fluminense to a 0-0 deadlock in Group F. Dortmund put together three one-goal victories, edging Mamelodi Sundowns, 5-4, and Ulsan HD, 1-0, and Monterrey, 2-1, in the Round of 16 in Atlanta on July 1. Guinea international striker Serhou Guirassy scored both goals in the latter win. The team has seen success without star center back Nico Schlotterbeck, who suffered a meniscus tear in April. Dortmund will be remembered as the team that kept its reserves in an air-conditioned locker room for its game vs. Mamelodi Sundown in Cincinnati on June 21. Also, U.S. international Gio Reyna, who could have helped his country in the Concacaf Gold Cup, was on the Dortmund roster, but has watched from the bench for most of the competition. "Of course, against Real Madrid we'll need to raise the level even more. With their individual quality, they have an advantage," goalkeeper Gregor Kobel said on DAZN after the win over Monterrey. "We'll need to compensate for that in other areas and have a really good day."
New York Times
2 hours ago
- New York Times
Lifting Gold Cup against Mexico can give Pochettino's USMNT the belief he craves
ST. LOUIS — As the realities faded from what this summer was supposed to be into what it was going to be, the goal of the tournament for the U.S. men's national team never truly shifted. The Gold Cup was meant to be the month that Mauricio Pochettino and his staff finally got some time with the group that it would lead into next year's home World Cup. But the FIFA Club World Cup, injuries and Christian Pulisic's decision to ask for the summer off meant the U.S. went into the tournament without many of its regulars. That shifted expectations. At least on the outside. Advertisement Internally, the group still believed the goal was singular: to win a trophy. On Sunday night in Houston, a group of players who have used this summer to try to force their way into the World Cup picture will get that chance against rivals Mexico. After two ugly friendly losses to start the summer, the U.S. can now end it with a continental title. To do so, they'll have to beat the best team they will have seen since Turkey and Switzerland. It felt, after those two friendly losses, that Pochettino's desire to send a message to the wider national team pool was going to be a lost cause. But the U.S.'s ability to grind out results — albeit against sides like Saudi Arabia, Haiti, Costa Rica and Guatemala — has given Pochettino enough of what he was looking for from the group. He wanted grittiness. He asked for more fight. It has not always been pretty, but this team has given him that foundational baseline. Beating Mexico would only reinforce the message that heart, desire and fight can be a differentiator. After the 2-1 win over Guatemala on Wednesday night in the semifinal, Pochettino's press conference turned into somewhat of an assessment of footballing culture in countries like Argentina, where he's from, and how it compares to the U.S. Pochettino came away impressed by a highly-partisan Guatemalan crowd. It felt like an 85-15 tilt toward the Chapines in the heartland of America. For fans of the sport in this country, it's not a new phenomenon. But Pochettino has been coaching this U.S. team for less than a year. He's still experiencing these things for the first time. Guatemala was playing in a Gold Cup semifinal for the first time since 1996 and just the second time ever. That made it a must-attend event for their fans, who came from around the country to rally behind a team that had shown real character over the course of the tournament. The scene around the stadium all day on Wednesday was a celebratory one. Blue-and-white clad fans were out eight hours before kickoff, grilling and partying. When the national anthem started a few minutes before kickoff, the stadium vibrated with the voices of Guatemalan fans singing pridefully. 'I loved it,' said U.S. winger Diego Luna. 'It was awesome, man. That's what every game should be like. And I think the Guatemalans should be very proud of the fans that they have and the energy they bring. It's badass.' Pochettino loved it, too. 'That is football,' Pochettino said. 'When we say the connection in between the fans and the team, that is the connection that we would like to see in the World Cup. That connection that makes you fly. Because the energy translates. … Today, do you think that was a sport, two teams playing, and doing a spectacle? No, you play for something more. You play for emotion. You play to be happy, be sad. Advertisement 'I saw players of Guatemala crying. I said, 'Congratulations, because you are in a good way.' That is the way that we need to feel. And our fans need to feel the same. It's not to come here to enjoy the spectacle, and if you lose nothing happens. Yes, [a lot] happens. Things happen because you play for your pride, you play for many, many things. … But I think this is good for our players. Because when we talk about culture — that is culture. To see [Guatemala's] team, how [it] fights, how [it] comes here and how the fans behave. That is an important thing that we need to learn here in this country. 'But I am not [here] to tell [you] that we need to do this or that. Only that sometimes, we talk about culture… I come from Argentina. And Argentina is not the same, win or lose. The consequences are massive.' It was less a critique of American soccer culture and more of an acknowledgement of the reality when we talk about the growth of this sport. The 1994 World Cup helped to establish soccer as a legitimate sport in the U.S. It launched a professional league. Thirty-two years later, that culture is still growing. As the team has struggled recently, the support has understandably waned. Since the Copa América exit last summer (and at times before it), the U.S. has played in front of relatively empty stadiums and now in a hostile home environment. Pochettino yearned for the World Cup stage where, in all likelihood, it will be a large pro-American crowd urging the team on — just as it was during home qualifiers in the 2022 cycle. More importantly, though, Pochettino wanted to break off the emotion of the night to inject into the group. He wanted that live-or-die feeling to exist within his team the way he felt it had for Guatemala on a night when its supporters were just as much a part of the result as any Guatemalan player on the field. Advertisement Pochettino went back to the idea later in an answer, this time in Spanish. This time, he spoke to his own emotion and attachment to the game. 'I have a lot of respect for this sport, because it's the sport that gave me everything,' Pochettino said. 'That gave me the possibility to achieve the dreams of a little kid who was in the middle of the field in Murphy, Argentina. And if it hadn't been for this sport, for soccer, I wouldn't be able to achieve everything I've achieved. 'That's why I have the utmost respect for Guatemala and for the game… I can answer that it was incredible, how the Guatemalan fans lifted the team and gave them energy. And the truth is it was important, too, for us to play in an environment like this, even if it's here in St. Louis, to be in a hostile environment with constant noise every time Guatemala took the ball from any position on the field. 'That added stress also means we learn to compete better and behave differently from a sporting perspective. And I think that's something for this young group, with some experienced players, that will be very useful for the future.' It will be useful in the immediate-term, for sure. The U.S. will likely face a similarly biased crowd against Mexico in Houston. The experience they got against Guatemala can immediately be applied to a bigger stage. 'This game tonight would be like the little brother to the U.S.-Mexico game,' U.S. center back Chris Richards said. 'If they were a bit nervous for that one, the next one is going to be a lot bigger… It was really important for some of the younger guys to experience that. International football isn't forgiving, it's one-and-one. I think we'll be ready for the weekend.' A win over Mexico in the final can be a validating moment, just as it was at the 2021 Gold Cup, when a squad that was similarly missing several top players won a trophy a few months after the full-strength squad had beaten El Tri in the Nations League. That win added to the culture and belief within the program. And several players from that group ended up making the World Cup team a year later. Advertisement That should provide plenty of motivation for this group, too. If Pochettino's hope was to use this summer to create a bonding moment — within the team; between the staff and the team; and the team with its fan base — a title can help accomplish all those things. The task after that will be to carry it forward into the next phase of preparation for the World Cup. But first, Mexico awaits.
