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Fox News
4 days ago
- Sport
- Fox News
Gold Cup roundtable: Should the U.S. fear Canada or Mexico more?
Next up for the U.S. men's national team is a CONCACAF Gold Cup quarterfinals clash against Costa Rica on Sunday (7 p.m. ET on FOX). To recap their group stage. A 5-0 drubbing of Trinidad & Tobago, followed by 1-0 win over Saudi Arabia (an invited team to the tournament) and then an entertaining 2-1 victory over Haiti. Those aren't the biggest brand-name wins, but that's okay. The way the U.S. entered the tournament amid drama of which players are here (and who isn't), any positive momentum for coach Mauricio Pochettino and his crew was welcome. So, which players have made the most of it with the 2026 World Cup next summer? Can the U.S. finish this Gold Cup as winners? Here's what stood out from the group stage of the Gold Cup and what's for this weekend's quarterfinals. Which USMNT player has made the best case for a World Cup spot? McIntyre: Malik Tillman, without a doubt. Three years after almost making the 2022 World Cup roster as a 20-year-old, Tillman began 2025 as a coin flip for next summer. But with three goals in three games at this Gold Cup, he's staking a claim for a starting spot at main event — even when regulars like Christian Pulisic and Tim Weah return. The silky attacker seems well-suited to occupy a central playmaking role between Pulisic and Weah — the job Gio Reyna has at times filled for the U.S. Tillman's emergence this month is more bad news for Reyna, who didn't play in either of Borussia Dortmund's first two matches at the FIFA Club World Cup. But it's great for Tillman and the USMNT. Litman: Outside of Tillman, I would say Sebastian Berhalter has raised his profile. He was especially noticeable against Saudi Arabia, where he won most of his one-on-one battles and stood up for Tyler Adams when he was pushed to the ground. Berhalter has been extra impressive when it comes to set pieces, too, offering a perfect ball on Chris Richards' goal in that same match. Set pieces have been a thorn in the USMNT's side. In the past, Christian Pulisic has taken them – the overall service was suboptimal and the Americans didn't capitalize enough. Berhalter, meanwhile, offers this critical skill set that will be important for Mauricio Pochettino to take into consideration when he's mulling over roster selection for the 2026 World Cup. Who has been the biggest surprise at this Gold Cup? McIntyre: It has to be Panama's Ismael Diaz. Díaz scored five goals in the group stage, leapfrogging Tillman and into the top spot in the Golden Boot race with his hat trick against Jamaica on Tuesday. I know he also scored a hat trick in the 2023 Gold Cup, but his production so far is still a surprise. Litman: It was surprising to see Jamaica eliminated in the group stage. The Reggae Boyz went 1-2 in the group stage to skid to a third-place finish in Group C. They were surprisingly upset by Guatemala 1-0 in their first match (after beating that same squad 3-0 the week prior) and were crushed by Panama 4-1 in the third match to seal their fate. Mexico and Canada: What has stood out from the biggest rivals? McIntyre: I don't think either has looked invincible, or even all that good, at this Gold Cup. El Tri struggled to beat the Dominican Republic and settled for a scoreless tie with a banged up and shorthanded Costa Rican side (though add my name to the list of people who think Santi Gimenez's late golazo should've counted). Meantime, Les Rouges have been wholly unconvincing since their tourney-opening thumping of Honduras. Canada couldn't beat Curaçao in their second match, and they couldn't score in Tuesday's group finale until El Salvador had been reduced to nine men. They're also missing their best player in captain Alphonso Davies — and maybe some swagger because of it. Litman: I'll take Canada. From the controversy around manager Jesse Marsch which resulted in a two-game suspension, to the team tying Curaçao and only beating El Salvador 2-0 when they were down two men doesn't give good feelings that this is a team who has what it takes to win it all. If they're not careful, Canada could be ousted by Guatemala in the quarters this weekend. True or False: Will the U.S. win the Gold Cup? McIntyre: False. I think the U.S gets past Los Ticos and advances to Wednesday's semifinal against either Canada or Guatemala. Beating Canada won't be easy, though not impossible, assuming they prevail as expected. But beating Canada and then either Panama or especially Mexico, who'd take the field for the finale in front of a sea of green shirts in Houston on July 6, might be a little bit beyond a U.S. squad that is missing more than a dozen of its top players. Can it happen? Sure. It did in 2021. This group, like that one, is tight off the field and has been building momentum on it. If they play their hearts out, play together and get a bounce or two, they can win this thing. I just wouldn't bet on it. Litman: True. The USMNT should beat Costa Rica in the quarterfinal and advance to the semi, where it would face the winner of Canada-Guatemala. If it's Canada, the U.S. has an opportunity for Nations League revenge. And if this motley crew of an American squad can come together and do that, they would have the momentum to potentially take on a quality Mexico squad in the final. Playing El Tri in front of what would likely be a pro-Mexico crowd in Houston will be challenging, but that's the kind of test the team needs a year before the World Cup. Plus, wouldn't it be quite the story if the USMNT came together after all the pre-tournament drama and raised the Gold Cup trophy? Doug McIntyre is a soccer reporter for FOX Sports who has covered United States men's and women's national teams at FIFA World Cups on five continents. Follow him @ByDougMcIntyre. Laken Litman covers college football, college basketball and soccer for FOX Sports. She previously wrote for Sports Illustrated, USA Today and The Indianapolis Star. She is the author of "Strong Like a Woman," published in spring 2022 to mark the 50th anniversary of Title IX. Follow her at @LakenLitman.
New York Times
5 days ago
- Sport
- New York Times
Manchester City squad audit: Pep Guardiola has ‘too many players', but who goes?
Manchester City brushed Juventus aside in a highly impressive 5-2 win to confirm their status as group winners Getty Images Getty Images Having flirted with the idea of making Manchester City's squad bigger to help combat injuries, Pep Guardiola is sticking to his guns and wants to again work with a relatively small group. The problem is that City currently have 32 senior pros. 'We have a long squad, too many players,' Guardiola said on Sunday. 'We cannot go with 26 or 27 players this season because there would be more not playing. 'Step by step, maybe a few players are going to move.' So who should stay and who should go? Sam Lee takes a look... GO FURTHER Manchester City squad audit: Pep Guardiola has 'too many players', but who goes? Getty Images Feeling brave? Weston McKennie and Timothy Weah clearly were this week when they committed the ultimate faux-pas for many in their adopted home. They criticised the food. The Juventus duo did not have their diplomatic hats on when they suggested that Italians "don't have variety" in their cuisine. Now it's got the US versus European food debate fired up with some pretty invested people on both sides of the Atlantic arguing their case. Will there be post match pasta if Juventus win tonight? GO FURTHER How Weston McKennie and Tim Weah wound up a nation: 'Are you going to say Italian food is trash?' 'It's impossible, terribly hot. My toenails were hurting; I couldn't slow down or speed up. It was unbelievable.' Players, fans and executives have been complaining to The Athletic about the heat at the Club World Cup - and it's about to get a lot hotter as a heatwave will shortly hit the U.S., taking temperatures past 100F and turning up the humidity. FIFA says it has cooling breaks in place for players but experts say it should take more proactive action. The Athletic 's staff on the ground explain the issues, how teams are trying to cope, what FIFA is doing and consider if it should do more. Dive deeper below. It would be clumsy to say that Kenan Yildiz would be making a name for himself if he has a good tournament this summer. After extending his contract until 2029 last summer, the Turkey international took over the iconic No 10 shirt worn by some of the greatest players in the club's history — but at just 20, there is still so much to be excited about. Fleet-footed, fearless, and forward-thinking, Yildiz is a box of tricks in his desire to dribble past his opponent. Yildiz's 113 take-ons are more than any other Juventus player in Serie A this season. Much like his team, Yildiz's form has fluctuated this season but there is undoubtedly enough evidence in his performances that he can be the key attacking weapon in Juventus' attack. As the club known as The Old Lady negotiates a tricky period in their recent history, Yildiz looks to be a window into their future. GO FURTHER Club World Cup Group G: A chance for Manchester City and Juventus to end the season positively? Getty Images These tournaments are all about the shared experience — and we would love to hear from you throughout this Club World Cup. Be it a comment, observation, prediction, a question you always wanted answered, or something completely different, we welcome it all. Email us at live@ and have your say. We're already looking forward to reading what you've got for us. Getty Images With just four games left of the group stage at the 2025 Club World Cup, we already know six of the eight last-16 ties — and we have a few cracking ties to look forward to already. Here is how the knockouts are shaping up ahead of today's matches. Saturday 12pm – Palmeiras vs Botafogo – Palmeiras vs Botafogo 4pm – Benfica vs Chelsea Sunday 12pm – Paris Saint-Germain vs Inter Miami – Paris Saint-Germain vs Inter Miami 4pm – Flamengo vs Bayern Munich Monday 3pm – Inter vs Fluminense – Inter vs Fluminense 9pm – Group G winner vs Group H runner-up Tuesday 3pm – Group H winner vs Group G runner-up – Group H winner vs Group G runner-up 3pm – Borussia Dortmund vs Monterrey All times ET Getty Images Juventus vs Manchester City, a clash of two of Europe's heavyweights, is the standout match of the group — and it is not even close. Helpfully, we can use some crumbs of tactical insight from earlier this season, when they faced off in the Champions League, with Juventus running out 2-0 winners in a league-phase fixture in Turin on December 11. Visitors City dominated the possession and territory, pinning Juventus back with wide combinations. However, it was the home side who were sharper in attack, with both goals coming from crosses which City failed to defend properly. At a time when City were still adjusting to not having injured midfielder Rodri around to break up opposition attacks, their vulnerability to the counter was rife in nearly every game. City's rest defence has tightened up in the months since, but keep an eye out to see whether Guardiola's side fall back into old habits this summer. Fans have had to wait until matchday three for the European pair to face off in Orlando, but given this will be the blockbuster tie of the group, you would imagine it will be worth the wait. Getty Images And here is a more easily digestible look at today's four fixtures and where they are all being played. Group G – 3pm ET Juventus vs Manchester City — Camping World Stadium, Orlando Wydad AC vs Al Ain — Audi Field, Washington, DC Group H – 9pm ET Al Hilal vs Pachuca — GEODIS Park, Nashville — GEODIS Park, Nashville RB Salzburg vs Real Madrid — Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia Both of these teams will be desperate to avoid Real Madrid in the last 16, I imagine. Group G is twinned with Group H and Xabi Alonso's men are in pole position to finish first in the latter. Madrid, currently first, and second-placed Salzburg are level on points and if, as expected, Xabi Alonso's side avoid defeat and top the group, they will face the second-placed team in Group G... which will be decided in this match. All clear? It has been a case of total domination in Group G from Juventus and Manchester City. They have won both of their matches and have already booked their places in the knockouts. The only thing left to be decided is who advances as group winners. As for Al Ain and Wydad AC, there is little else other than pride left to play for. Venue: Camping World Stadium, Orlando, Florida Camping World Stadium, Orlando, Florida Capacity: 58,500 58,500 Team(s): UCF Knights, Orlando Guardians Camping World Stadium opened before World War II, and it's a huge stadium that is well known in the U.S. as a neutral site stadium for college football games. It has undergone several remodels and expansions that make the venue ideal for big concerts. In that sense, it's clear why FIFA picked Camping World Stadium as one of the stadiums that will host one of the tournament's marquee games. Juventus versus Manchester City will have a U.S. summer tour feel to it. This time it'll be, in theory, a meaningful match in which two European powers battle for first place in Group G. It'll be scorching hot in Orlando, so bring your sunscreen and drink plenty of water. The Athletic Sign up to The Athletic If you're a soccer fan — and you love a plethora of other sports too — there is no better place to follow all your favourite teams, leagues, and players than with The Athletic . From the UK, we've got you covered throughout this expanded Club World Cup and on into the build-up to next summer's World Cup, with Wimbledon tennis next week, F1's iconic European races, and The Open golf all on the way soon too. We have the lot covered and much more besides, so make sure you're fully informed with access to our full experience. And you're in luck — you can subscribe to The Athletic on an exclusive offer here. All matches at this Club World Cup are available to watch on DAZN, so you can watch this afternoon's game in the United States and anywhere else that has access to DAZN. You can also tune into this match via TNT and truTV in the U.S. This match has been chosen for broadcast on free-to-air TV in the UK, via Channel 5. Getty Images The match kicks off at 3pm ET, 12pm midday PT in the United States. That works out as 8pm BST in the UK and 9pm CET in Italy. Getty Images Hello everyone! Our 2025 Club World Cup coverage continues today with a clash of two titans of European football: Juventus and Manchester City. Both have already qualified for the knockout stages, but will be keen to secure top spot in their group to avoid potentially facing Real Madrid in the next round. Who will prevail? The Athletic is the best place to find out.
New York Times
7 days ago
- Entertainment
- New York Times
How Weston McKennie and Tim Weah wound up a nation: ‘Are you going to say Italian food is trash?'
A football career is short and players often muse over what they might do afterwards. For Weston McKennie and Tim Weah, perhaps scratch diplomacy off the list… or being food critics. The pair, who have collectively spent seven years at Italian club Juventus, have committed the ultimate faux-pas for many in their adopted home. They criticised the food. Advertisement Speaking on an episode of the Turin club's Talk with Us podcast, the USMNT internationals tentatively discussed Italian cuisine before, possibly with a side of tongue-in-cheek, accusing it of 'lacking variety'. At least Weah seemed to acknowledge it was a bad idea before they even got started. 'I was going to say something crazy but I don't feel like having that debate right now, so please,' said the New Yorker, before being urged on by McKennie, who has previous for not being afraid to speak his mind. 'Nah, I don't wanna get bashed,' insisted the 25-year-old son of Milan legend George Weah (a man who could offer advice on international politics, as he is also the former president of Liberia). But McKennie, 26, who grew up in Little Elm, Texas, seemed to be in the mood for mischief. 'Are you going to say Italian food is trash? Needs some work?' he prompted. Weah continued to demur, while indicating he did have something to get off his chest, until his team-mate went ahead and spat it out. 'Y'all don't have much variety, I'll give you that,' said McKennie. 'Pasta, pizza, fish, steak… and if you go anywhere it's all… You know what the problem is with Italian food? It's great. It's good food. 'You guys have good specific things that you do very well. But in America, the thing is, if I go to a burger joint or steak house, and then I go to one that's like 10 minutes down the street, I'm still eating a burger but it's a completely different taste. 'In Italy, if I go here to this restaurant and get a pesto pasta, and then go 10 minutes down the street and order a pesto pasta, it's going to be the same thing. You guys don't have variety so that's why I say American food is…' Then Weah nips in with, 'Hot take,' before claiming he prefers American-Italian dishes, and the pair reminisce about a delicious chicken parmesan Weah once enjoyed at a restaurant in Atlanta, Georgia. There was just time for one last serving of controversy with, again, perhaps a splash of deliberate devilment. 'But I mean, Americans do everything better so…' said Weah. 'That's true,' added McKennie. The pair were speaking from the U.S. where Juventus are participating in the Club World Cup — they play Manchester City in their final group game tonight. Advertisement It did not take long for offended Italians to respond. Former Italy and Fiorentina goalkeeper Emiliano Viviano served up a withering (if also light-hearted) response. 'The United States is the country with the worst food in the world,' he told TV Play. 'They would even deep-fry the soles of their shoes. If I was (Italian Prime Minister Giorgia) Meloni, I wouldn't let him back into Italy. 'How can you say there's no variety in Italian cuisine? His very definition of 'variety' irritated me. McKennie, there are 200million of you Americans and all you ever eat are hamburgers. 'The truth is, all the food in America was brought there by other nations. I just want to tell McKennie that he has achieved the incredible feat of managing to unite all of Italy against him. It is not about fans anymore, he can be insulted by absolutely everybody.' McKennie, whose personal chef is Italian, has possibly contradicted himself in the past, when asked by Juventus' social media team for his favourite food in 2023. While many team-mates replied it was pasta or pizza, he also opted for a local dish — pasta with pesto, tomato and chicken. In December this year, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) will decide whether to grant Italian food its prestigious Heritage Site status. It was made a candidate in 2023, around the same time as a row prompted by Italian food history professor Alberto Grandi, who told the Financial Times that Italians' attitude to food comes from insecurity. 'When a community finds itself deprived of its sense of identity, because of whatever historical shock or fracture with its past, it invents traditions to act as founding myths,' he said. 'Italian cuisine really is more American than it is Italian.'
The Guardian
21-06-2025
- Sport
- The Guardian
USA forward Haji Wright out for rest of Gold Cup with achilles injury
US forward Haji Wright will miss the rest of the Concacaf Gold Cup because of an injured left achilles. A 27-year-old from Los Angeles, Wright scored in the 84th minute of last weekend's opening 5-0 win over Trinidad and Tobago, 11 minutes after entering. He did not play in Thursday's 1-0 victory over Saudi Arabia and the US Soccer Federation said Saturday he will return to Coventry City for evaluation and treatment. US coach Mauricio Pochettino said Wright arrived from the League Championship season with the achilles problem. Wright cannot be replaced on the tournament roster. The US, who already have clinched a quarter-finals berth, play Haiti on Sunday in the Americans' group stage finale. 'The problem increased the pain,' Pochettino said. It's unclear whether midfielders Tyler Adams and Johnny Cardoso will he healthy enough to start Sunday. Adams (turf toe) and entered in 62nd minute against Saudi Arabia and Cardoso (illness) entered in the 89th. Three days after Juventus players, including Americans Tim Weah and Weston McKennie, stood behind US president Donald Trump during an Oval Office media briefing, Pochettino said he hopes the national team gets a White House invite. 'Very jealous because we didn't receive an invitation,' Pochettino said. 'Maybe we will have the luck and they will invite, one day for sure.' Juventus players stood behind Trump during a 16-minute briefing. 'It was all a surprise to me, honestly – they told us that we have to go and I had no choice but to go,' Weah was quoted as saying after a 5-0 victory over Al-Ain that night in the Club World Cup. 'I was caught by surprise, honestly. It was a bit weird. When he started talking about the politics with Iran and everything, it's kind of like, I just want to play football, man.' Seated aside Pochettino, American defender Chris Richards was asked what he felt like having to answer questions about international events. 'I think what makes America beautiful is we can all have different opinions, but kind of strive for the same thing, which is freedom in the prosperity,' Richards said. 'In this tough political time, there's a lot of stuff going on in the Middle East and things like that, but I think one thing that we can do is kind of give hope to people. That's all we can do at this point, and we're not politicians for a reason.'
Yahoo
20-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
USMNT Star's Reaction To Seeing President Trump Goes Viral
USMNT Star's Reaction To Seeing President Trump Goes Viral originally appeared on The Spun. The Juventus F.C. soccer club were at the White House on Wednesday ahead of their FIFA Club World Cup match that night and it was an awkward experience for the USMNT star who was part of the trip. Advertisement Juventus and USMNT winger Tim Weah spoke to the media today and had a mixed reaction to the visit to see President Donald Trump. He said that he was given no choice but to go and felt that the whole thing was "a bit weird." Weah said that while it was "a cool experience" to go to the White House, President Trump made it uncomfortable by talking about politics while he was there. "It was all a surprise to me, honestly — they told us that we have to go and I had no choice but to go so I showed up," Weah said. "I guess it was a cool experience being in the White House for the first time. It's always wonderful but I'm not one for politics so it wasn't that exciting. "I was caught by surprise, honestly. It was a bit weird. When he started talking about the politics with Iran and everything, it's kind of like, I just want to play football, man." It certainly appeared to be awkward for most, if not all, of the players there beside Weah at the White House. Everyone simply stood awkwardly behind President Trump in the Oval Office as the President fielded questions and spoke about everything from ongoing armed conflicts to his political enemies. US President Donald Trump, center, during a meeting with members of the Juventus soccer club in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC, US, on Wednesday, June 18, 2025. Juventus will play at the Club World Cup Wednesday night in Washington, DC. Photographer: Ken Cedeno/UPI/Bloomberg viaFans were critical of the team allowing itself to get into a political situation: Advertisement "Bad publicity for the team. How could anyone think this is good for the team and the name of Juventus to get caught in politics," one user remarked on X. "How the (expletive) is this happening lol? Juventus, from Italy, in the background answering these questions lol." "You know how random it is to answer military stance questions with an Italian football team just standing behind lmao why are they there???" It was weird for everyone, not just Weah and not just the players. Well, maybe not for President Trump. Related: Donald Trump Won't Watch U.S. Soccer, NFL If Players Kneel During The National Anthem USMNT Star's Reaction To Seeing President Trump Goes Viral first appeared on The Spun on Jun 19, 2025 This story was originally reported by The Spun on Jun 19, 2025, where it first appeared.
