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  1. <?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
  2. <feed xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" xml:lang="en">
  3.  <title>Stars and Stripes FC -  All Posts</title>
  4.  <subtitle>Home of Brian, Brandi and Beer</subtitle>
  5.  <icon>https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/38285/StarsAndBars_Fav.png</icon>
  6.  <updated>2024-05-23T06:00:00-07:00</updated>
  7.  <id>http://www.starsandstripesfc.com/rss/current/</id>
  8.  <link type="text/html" href="https://www.starsandstripesfc.com/" rel="alternate"/>
  9.  <entry>
  10.    <published>2024-05-23T06:00:00-07:00</published>
  11.    <updated>2024-05-23T06:00:00-07:00</updated>
  12.    <title>SSFC Spotlight: Andrew Privett emerging at Charlotte FC</title>
  13.    <content type="html">  
  14.  
  15.    &lt;figure&gt;
  16.      &lt;img alt="MLS: FC Cincinnati at Charlotte FC" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/v857WelH3yep8TpH2mYuuHJ0jss=/0x0:5082x3388/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/73365379/usa_today_22907584.0.jpg" /&gt;
  17.        &lt;figcaption&gt;Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports&lt;/figcaption&gt;
  18.    &lt;/figure&gt;
  19.  
  20.  &lt;p&gt;The centerback is making an impression in his second season.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p id="pRlX7D"&gt;While collegiate soccer has declined as a development pathway, there are still several players who benefit from spending a few years as a student-athlete before making the jump to the next level. They are then able to enter into the professional game with more maturity and physical development, capable of contributing much sooner after joining. Andrew Privett has been quietly emerging as one of the best young American defenders in Major League Soccer, picking up start after start. The 23-year-old Charlotte FC centerback received a position switch and thrived despite taking on new responsibilities.&lt;/p&gt;
  21. &lt;div id="aFrR1s"&gt;&lt;div style="left: 0; width: 100%; height: 0; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%;"&gt;&lt;iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ubp93JDif18?rel=0" style="top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute; border: 0;" allowfullscreen="" scrolling="no" allow="accelerometer; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share;"&gt;&lt;/iframe&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  22. &lt;p id="SJGgsu"&gt;Born in Fallston, Maryland, Privett &lt;a href="https://www.topbin90.com/post/andrew-privett-a-career-in-the-making"&gt;came &lt;/a&gt;up outside of the academy &lt;a href="https://www.charlottefootballclub.com/players/andrew-privett/"&gt;system &lt;/a&gt;and played with the Baltimore Bays and the powerful Baltimore &lt;a href="https://www.celticsblog.com"&gt;Celtics&lt;/a&gt; youth program, &lt;a href="https://gopsusports.com/sports/mens-soccer/roster/andrew-privett/12813"&gt;winning &lt;/a&gt;back-to-back U.S. Youth Soccer national championships. He also &lt;a href="https://www.baltimoresun.com/2018/12/26/2018-all-metro-boys-soccer-player-of-the-year-andrew-privett-mcdonogh/"&gt;attended &lt;/a&gt;McDonogh School and was a member of the varsity team for four years. His high school career included two MIAA championships, multiple all-state selections, and being named All-Metro Boys Soccer Player of the Year and &lt;a href="https://www.topdrawersoccer.com/high-school-soccer-article/boys-high-school-all-american-game-roster_aid45379"&gt;an &lt;/a&gt;All-American as a senior. &lt;/p&gt;
  23. &lt;p id="TTEP5V"&gt;Privett then &lt;a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2UhovExPiiE"&gt;matriculated &lt;/a&gt;to Pennsylvania State University and became a versatile multi-positional option but primarily a midfielder, contributing two goals and three assists as a freshman, followed by one goal and two assists during the COVID-shortened sophomore campaign. As a junior, he put up a career-best nine goals and four assists, leading the &lt;a href="https://gopsusports.com/sports/mens-soccer/roster/andrew-privett/12813#sidearm-roster-player-bio"&gt;program &lt;/a&gt;to the first Big Ten title since 2005 and earning All-Big Ten Second Team honors. His final year as a Nittany Lion ended with two goals and four assists in 15 appearances, a down note due to two &lt;a href="https://www.psucollegian.com/sports/men_soccer/former-penn-state-mens-soccer-midfielder-andrew-privett-signs-with-charlotte-fc/article_771c6aca-b466-11ed-80a7-5782857803ea.html"&gt;sprained &lt;/a&gt;ankles but with scouts “[taking] notice of his ability to score while distributing in the middle of the pitch.” Additionally, his &lt;a href="https://oceancityfc.com/latest-news/five-former-ocean-city-nor-easters-selected-in-mls-superdraft"&gt;summers &lt;/a&gt;included brief amateur &lt;a href="https://www.christosfc.com/teams/usl-2/roster"&gt;spells &lt;/a&gt;with the Ocean City Nor’easters and Christos FC. &lt;/p&gt;
  24. &lt;div id="S9q16c"&gt;
  25. &lt;blockquote class="twitter-tweet"&gt;
  26. &lt;p lang="en" dir="ltr"&gt;ANDREW PRIVETT!!!&lt;a href="https://twitter.com/PennStateMSOC?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;@PennStateMSOC&lt;/a&gt; takes an early 2-0 lead over Michigan St. &lt;a href="https://t.co/fbspYYzX3g"&gt;pic.twitter.com/fbspYYzX3g&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;— Penn State On BTN (@PennStateOnBTN) &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/PennStateOnBTN/status/1457460865137995781?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;November 7, 2021&lt;/a&gt;
  27. &lt;/blockquote&gt;
  28. &lt;script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"&gt;&lt;/script&gt;
  29.  
  30. &lt;/div&gt;
  31. &lt;p id="8pzQgH"&gt;Eschewing a fifth potential &lt;a href="https://www.charlottefootballclub.com/news/charlotte-fc-signs-mls-super-draft-picks-agyemang-scardina-and-privett"&gt;season &lt;/a&gt;of eligibility at the collegiate level, Privett was selected with the 69&lt;sup&gt;th&lt;/sup&gt; overall pick in the third round of the 2023 SuperDraft by Charlotte FC and subsequently signed to a professional contract, with the club considering him a “very smart guy” who “would develop quickly.” His first year began with the reserves, save for a substitute appearance in the third round of the Lamar Hunt &lt;a href="http://www.sbnation.com/us-open-golf"&gt;U.S. Open&lt;/a&gt; Cup, all the while training as a centerback. In July, he entered into a match with CF Montréal and proceeded to start the following 12 fixtures, &lt;a href="https://charlotteledger.substack.com/p/privett-proving-more-than-stopgap"&gt;including &lt;/a&gt;in the first round of the MLS Cup Playoffs. There were occasional moments of inexperience, but “teammates and coaches gained more trust in [him] with each passing game” as his &lt;a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4fk0436SNFI"&gt;confidence &lt;/a&gt;grew in the new role. &lt;/p&gt;
  32. &lt;p id="PK91ch"&gt;“Privett’s calm on the ball allowed now-former coach Christian Lattanzio to experiment a ton with Charlotte’s build-out shape, both for good and for bad,” &lt;a href="https://www.mlssoccer.com/news/every-eastern-conference-team-s-breakout-player-candidate-in-2024"&gt;wrote &lt;/a&gt;Matt Doyle for &lt;em&gt;MLSSoccer.com&lt;/em&gt;. “Probably the most interesting permutation came when [the manager] had Privett in the John Stones role – i.e., starting as a center back in a 4-2-3-1 shape, but eventually pushing into central midfield as Charlotte morphed into a 3-2-2-3 with the ball. It was fun to watch even if it wasn’t all that successful. That lack of success wasn’t because of Privett, though. He was actively good across basically every permutation [the manager] came up with.”&lt;/p&gt;
  33. &lt;div id="ZaK7mJ"&gt;
  34. &lt;blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-dnt="true" align="center"&gt;
  35. &lt;p lang="en" dir="ltr"&gt;Tonight’s man of the match Andrew Privett &lt;a href="https://t.co/nWepSYdjz3"&gt;pic.twitter.com/nWepSYdjz3&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;— TopBin90 (@Topbin90) &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/Topbin90/status/1792006681318006888?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;May 19, 2024&lt;/a&gt;
  36. &lt;/blockquote&gt;
  37. &lt;script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"&gt;&lt;/script&gt;
  38.  
  39. &lt;/div&gt;
  40. &lt;p id="l5Q193"&gt;Despite a &lt;a href="https://www.charlotteobserver.com/sports/charlotte-fc/article281583033.html"&gt;manager &lt;/a&gt;change during the offseason, Privett began 2024 in the starting lineup and has played every single available minute across 14 matches. Charlotte currently has 21 points, good enough for sixth place and the likelihood of qualifying for the playoffs in the fall. He has been &lt;a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XVUXcl_Gfjg"&gt;building &lt;/a&gt;chemistry with his teammates and feels that &lt;a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nw7QQLxVLok"&gt;everything &lt;/a&gt;“clicked” in his second year as a &lt;a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=edNEO99JG14"&gt;professional &lt;/a&gt;as his hybrid midfielder-defender role transferred into a full centerback position. His &lt;a href="https://www.mlssoccer.com/news/team-of-the-matchday-fc-cincinnati-make-history-lafc-show-potential"&gt;“lock-down” &lt;/a&gt;performance against Nashville SC earned a spot on the MLS Team of the Matchday, winning eight duels and 100% of &lt;a href="https://x.com/CharlotteFC/status/1790021754598924779"&gt;ground &lt;/a&gt;duels along with making eight recoveries.  &lt;/p&gt;
  41. &lt;p id="jHnKyT"&gt;“To solidify that [starting] spot for the start of the season, so far, of course, [I] want to keep that going,” Privett &lt;a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XVUXcl_Gfjg"&gt;shared &lt;/a&gt;recently. “It gives me a sense of comfort being a true centerback this year and then growing on the defensive side of the ball, keeping the ball out of the goal. I think we’re improving as we go on this year. I think the challenge is ‘How many clean sheets can we get?’ from now until the end of the season.” &lt;/p&gt;
  42. &lt;p id="L1JM3r"&gt;Spending his youth and collegiate career as a midfielder, the six-foot-one Privett has &lt;a href="https://charlotteledger.substack.com/p/privett-proving-more-than-stopgap"&gt;thrived &lt;/a&gt;in a centerback role and taken charge while in a possession-based build-up, stepping forward when his team is on the attack. Coaches &lt;a href="https://fbref.com/en/players/4fd77159/scout/365_m2/Andrew-Privett-Scouting-Report"&gt;praise &lt;/a&gt;him as calm and composed, operating on a three- and four-player back line and preventing the counter-attack. He brings the ball forward often and takes regular long distribution with appealing field switching, crossing, and chance creation numbers. His defensive work &lt;a href="https://www.charlottefootballclub.com/news/the-full-time-clip-charlotte-fc-triumph-in-tight-match-over-nashville-sc-behind-agyemang-strike"&gt;continues &lt;/a&gt;to improve, recently praised for “putting on a masterclass by constantly putting out fires and making well-timed tackles in his own box.” &lt;/p&gt;
  43. &lt;div id="bJjyh4"&gt;
  44. &lt;blockquote class="twitter-tweet"&gt;
  45. &lt;p lang="en" dir="ltr"&gt;A Charlotte FC player who's gone under the radar this season is Andrew Privett.&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;Check out this sequence where he anticipates a pass to make an important interception and comes up with a crucial tackle on 2023 MLS MVP Lucho Acosta.&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;Impressive   &lt;a href="https://t.co/LDX7NJKG7Y"&gt;pic.twitter.com/LDX7NJKG7Y&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;— Caleb Adams (@itscalebadams) &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/itscalebadams/status/1774574687651062037?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;March 31, 2024&lt;/a&gt;
  46. &lt;/blockquote&gt;
  47. &lt;script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"&gt;&lt;/script&gt;
  48.  
  49. &lt;/div&gt;
  50. &lt;p id="CNA851"&gt;The switch to centerback proved apt for his player profile. “In the backline, you have the whole game in front of you,” &lt;a href="https://charlotteledger.substack.com/p/privett-proving-more-than-stopgap"&gt;said &lt;/a&gt;Privett. “You can see everything. And I think that plays to a strength of mine, my vision, and being able to see the way players move and find spaces and play the right passes that are going to get us out of pressure.”&lt;/p&gt;
  51. &lt;p id="gW68q9"&gt;After a consistent but far from overwhelmingly successful collegiate career, Privett quickly adapted to the professional level and thrived following a change of positions. He is in a curious age range: too old to be considered a young talent but, with several years of development ahead, far from a finished veteran product. In part due to the newness of his breakthrough, his current ceiling is a bit of a question, although his performances are intriguing and could lead to further opportunities. Reliable centerbacks are a limited resource, thus indicating the potential for his name to appear on a future January camp roster. &lt;/p&gt;
  52.  
  53. </content>
  54.    <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://www.starsandstripesfc.com/2024/5/23/24161526/andrew-privett-charlotte-fc-center-back-national-team-usmnt-major-league-soccer-mls-transfer"/>
  55.    <id>https://www.starsandstripesfc.com/2024/5/23/24161526/andrew-privett-charlotte-fc-center-back-national-team-usmnt-major-league-soccer-mls-transfer</id>
  56.    <author>
  57.      <name>Brendan Joseph</name>
  58.    </author>
  59.  </entry>
  60.  <entry>
  61.    <published>2024-05-21T09:18:28-07:00</published>
  62.    <updated>2024-05-21T09:18:28-07:00</updated>
  63.    <title>USWNT 23-player roster announced for June friendlies</title>
  64.    <content type="html">  
  65.  
  66.    &lt;figure&gt;
  67.      &lt;img alt="United States v Canada - 2024 SheBelieves Cup" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/7kbsOBc7ruEK1FvxBWmvScPAu0E=/0x0:5024x3349/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/73361197/2148333226.0.jpg" /&gt;
  68.        &lt;figcaption&gt;Photo by Jason Mowry/Getty Images&lt;/figcaption&gt;
  69.    &lt;/figure&gt;
  70.  
  71.  &lt;p&gt;It’s the first matches with Emma Hayes in charge.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p id="zKEnZB"&gt;The United States Women’s National Team has a roster for Emma Hayes’ first matches in charge. Today, &lt;a href="https://www.ussoccer.com/stories/2024/05/us-womens-national-soccer-team-roster-korea-republic-june-colorado-minnesota"&gt;U.S. Soccer announced&lt;/a&gt; the 23-player roster for two friendlies against South Korea on June 1st in Colorado and June 4th in Minnesota.&lt;/p&gt;
  72. &lt;p id="L3jIVX"&gt;The matches mark the first with Emma Hayes officially on the sidelines as head coach. Hired back in November, Hayes recently completed her season with &lt;a href="https://weaintgotnohistory.sbnation.com"&gt;Chelsea FC&lt;/a&gt; Women, winning her fifth consecutive WSL title on the last day of the season. She now assumes her duties as &lt;a href="https://www.starsandstripesfc.com"&gt;USWNT&lt;/a&gt; head coach with 4 friendlies before the team heads to France for the 2024 Olympics.&lt;/p&gt;
  73. &lt;p id="H055eA"&gt;The June roster features veterans and some of the young talent that is starting to make up the new core of the team. There are 3 players who are uncapped on the roster. 19 players on the roster were part of the SheBelieves Cup-winning team in April. Rose Lavelle, who returns to the roster after an injury absence, enters camp sitting just 2 appearances shy of her 100th cap.&lt;/p&gt;
  74. &lt;p id="1D77PS"&gt;Hayes also called in 3 additional players - Olivia Moultrie, Croix Bethune, and Kate Wiesner - to serve as training camp players. They will not be included on any game rosters, but will take part in the camp alongside the rest of the roster. It marks the first senior national team camp for Spirit teammates Bethune and Wiesner.&lt;/p&gt;
  75. &lt;p id="gC1NQt"&gt;“I’m really looking forward to getting started,” said Hayes in a statement. “The preparations have been well underway and I can’t wait to get into camp. We know it’s a short turnaround and we have a lot of work to do, but I’m fully focused on making sure that the performances are at the levels that are required to compete. I want to build on the work that (former interim head coach and now assistant coach) Twila (Kilgore) has been implementing over the last six months. I expect complete commitment from everyone to absorb very quickly the things that I value as the most important so that we can compete this summer. I know they are a highly coachable group and I’m looking forward to challenging them. It’s time to go to work. I can’t wait to meet the fans and it’s really time to get behind the team as we get closer to putting a roster together for the Olympics.”&lt;/p&gt;
  76. &lt;p id="FJ6oBO"&gt;The 23-player roster:&lt;/p&gt;
  77. &lt;p id="ajzoNX"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;GOALKEEPERS (3):&lt;/strong&gt; Jane Campbell (Houston Dash), Aubrey Kingsbury (Washington Spirit), Casey Murphy (&lt;a href="https://www.dirtysouthsoccer.com/"&gt;North Carolina Courage&lt;/a&gt;)&lt;/p&gt;
  78. &lt;p id="r09Gxf"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;DEFENDERS (7):&lt;/strong&gt; Tierna Davidson (NJ/NY Gotham FC), Emily Fox (&lt;a href="https://theshortfuse.sbnation.com"&gt;Arsenal FC&lt;/a&gt;, ENG), Naomi Girma (San Diego Wave FC), Casey Krueger (Washington Spirit), Jenna Nighswonger (NJ/NY Gotham FC), Emily Sonnett (NJ/NY Gotham FC), Sam Staab (Chicago Red Stars)&lt;/p&gt;
  79. &lt;p id="lAUfW8"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;MIDFIELDERS (6):&lt;/strong&gt; Korbin Albert (Paris Saint-Germain), Sam Coffey (Portland Thorns FC), Hal Hershfelt (Washington Spirit), Lindsey Horan (Olympique Lyon), Rose Lavelle (NJ/NY Gotham FC), Lily Yohannes (Ajax)&lt;/p&gt;
  80. &lt;p id="pMnT6k"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;FORWARDS (7):&lt;/strong&gt; Crystal Dunn (NJ/NY Gotham FC), Catarina Macario (Chelsea FC), Alex Morgan (San Diego Wave FC), Trinity Rodman (Washington Spirit), Jaedyn Shaw (San Diego Wave FC), Sophia Smith (Portland Thorns FC), Mallory Swanson (Chicago Red Stars)&lt;/p&gt;
  81. &lt;p id="ObVwf6"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;TRAINING ROSTER (3): &lt;/strong&gt;Croix Bethune (Washington Spirit), Olivia Moultrie (Portland Thorns), Kate Wiesner (Washington Spirit)&lt;/p&gt;
  82. &lt;div id="a7y6NC"&gt;
  83. &lt;blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-dnt="true" align="center"&gt;
  84. &lt;p lang="en" dir="ltr"&gt;LET'S GO TO THE MOUNTAINS! ⛰️ ️ &lt;a href="https://t.co/eaBg9v3X4n"&gt;pic.twitter.com/eaBg9v3X4n&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;— U.S. Women's National Soccer Team (@USWNT) &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/USWNT/status/1792949052893491400?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;May 21, 2024&lt;/a&gt;
  85. &lt;/blockquote&gt;
  86. &lt;script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"&gt;&lt;/script&gt;
  87.  
  88. &lt;/div&gt;
  89. &lt;p id="FxMea5"&gt;Hit the comments to discuss the USWNT roster.&lt;/p&gt;
  90.  
  91. </content>
  92.    <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://www.starsandstripesfc.com/uswnt-news/2024/5/21/24161708/usa-uswnt-23-player-roster-june-friendlies-south-korea-emma-hayes-head-coach"/>
  93.    <id>https://www.starsandstripesfc.com/uswnt-news/2024/5/21/24161708/usa-uswnt-23-player-roster-june-friendlies-south-korea-emma-hayes-head-coach</id>
  94.    <author>
  95.      <name>Donald Wine II</name>
  96.    </author>
  97.  </entry>
  98.  <entry>
  99.    <published>2024-05-20T08:11:44-07:00</published>
  100.    <updated>2024-05-20T08:11:44-07:00</updated>
  101.    <title>USMNT 27-man June roster announced</title>
  102.    <content type="html">  
  103.  
  104.    &lt;figure&gt;
  105.      &lt;img alt="Mexico v USMNT" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/HLjhSUBYOrXVuCwZjVuu2n02lbw=/0x0:4145x2763/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/73358618/2118144521.0.jpg" /&gt;
  106.        &lt;figcaption&gt;Photo by John Dorton/ISI Photos/USSF/Getty Images for USSF&lt;/figcaption&gt;
  107.    &lt;/figure&gt;
  108.  
  109.  &lt;p&gt;The roster will prepare in two friendlies for Copa América.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p id="gOdvsq"&gt;The June roster is here. Today, &lt;a href="https://www.ussoccer.com/stories/2024/05/us-mens-national-soccer-team-roster-players-june-2024-colombia-washington-dc-brazil-orlando"&gt;U.S. Soccer announced&lt;/a&gt; the 27-man roster for the United States Men’s National Team ahead of two friendlies to prepare for Copa América. The team will report to Washington, DC on May 28th.&lt;/p&gt;
  110. &lt;p id="6Xt9NS"&gt;The roster will come together for friendlies against Colombia on June 8th in the DC area and on June 12th against Brazil in Orlando. For the most part, it will be the pool that &lt;a href="https://www.starsandstripesfc.com/"&gt;USMNT&lt;/a&gt; head coach Gregg Berhalter selects the final roster for Copa América, which is due June 15th. The final Copa América roster must be a minimum of 23 players but can have up to 26 players.&lt;/p&gt;
  111. &lt;p id="ISZIgd"&gt;“This summer presents an opportunity for us to progress and grow as a team as we continue to build towards the 2026 FIFA World Cup,” Berhalter said in a statement. “We have a talented group of players and are excited about the opportunity to compete against some of the best teams in the world.”&lt;/p&gt;
  112. &lt;p id="iJvw74"&gt;Forward Josh Sargent is named to the roster after having to withdraw from camp for the Concacaf Nations League Finals due to injury. Cameron Carter-Vickers, Luca de la Torre, and Sean Johnson also make their first appearances of the year in USMNT camp. The most notable omission is Sergiño Dest, who will miss at least the rest of 2024 with a torn ACL suffered while on loan with PSV Eindhoven a few weeks ago.&lt;/p&gt;
  113. &lt;p id="Koobn3"&gt;The 27-man roster:&lt;/p&gt;
  114. &lt;p id="0NTyiq"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;GOALKEEPERS (3):&lt;/strong&gt; Ethan Horvath (Cardiff City), Sean Johnson (Toronto FC), Matt Turner (Nottingham Forest)&lt;/p&gt;
  115. &lt;p id="eItjNd"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;DEFENDERS (9):&lt;/strong&gt; Cameron Carter-Vickers (Celtic FC), Kristoffer Lund (Palermo), Mark McKenzie (Genk), Shaq Moore (Nashville SC), Tim Ream (&lt;a href="https://cottagersconfidential.sbnation.com"&gt;Fulham FC&lt;/a&gt;), Chris Richards (Crystal Palace), Antonee Robinson (Fulham FC), Miles Robinson (FC Cincinnati), Joe Scally (Borussia Mönchengladbach)&lt;/p&gt;
  116. &lt;p id="SoqGF8"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;MIDFIELDERS (8):&lt;/strong&gt; Tyler Adams (Bournemouth), Johnny Cardoso (Real Betis), Luca de la Torre (Celta Vigo), Weston McKennie (&lt;a href="https://www.blackwhitereadallover.com"&gt;Juventus&lt;/a&gt;), Yunus Musah (&lt;a href="https://acmilan.theoffside.com"&gt;AC Milan&lt;/a&gt;), Gio Reyna (Nottingham Forest), Malik Tillman (PSV Eindhoven), Timmy Tillman (LAFC)&lt;/p&gt;
  117. &lt;p id="zKEnZB"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;FORWARDS (7):&lt;/strong&gt; Brenden Aaronson (Union Berlin), Folarin Balogun (Monaco), Ricardo Pepi (PSV Eindhoven), Christian Pulisic (AC Milan), Josh Sargent (Norwich City), Tim Weah (Juventus), Haji Wright (Coventry City)&lt;/p&gt;
  118. &lt;div id="a7y6NC"&gt;
  119. &lt;blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-dnt="true" align="center"&gt;
  120. &lt;p lang="en" dir="ltr"&gt;The roster to start a busy summer stateside, presented by &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/MarriottBonvoy?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;@MarriottBonvoy&lt;/a&gt;   &lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;Full Details » &lt;a href="https://t.co/TAXXFuabQl"&gt;https://t.co/TAXXFuabQl&lt;/a&gt; &lt;a href="https://t.co/QCPsfP7chz"&gt;pic.twitter.com/QCPsfP7chz&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;— U.S. Soccer Men's National Team (@USMNT) &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/USMNT/status/1792570992511812022?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;May 20, 2024&lt;/a&gt;
  121. &lt;/blockquote&gt;
  122. &lt;script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"&gt;&lt;/script&gt;
  123.  
  124. &lt;/div&gt;
  125. &lt;p id="FxMea5"&gt;Hit the comments to discuss this roster.&lt;/p&gt;
  126.  
  127. </content>
  128.    <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://www.starsandstripesfc.com/usmnt-friendly/2024/5/20/24160813/usa-usmnt-june-roster-copa-america-friendly-colombia-brazil"/>
  129.    <id>https://www.starsandstripesfc.com/usmnt-friendly/2024/5/20/24160813/usa-usmnt-june-roster-copa-america-friendly-colombia-brazil</id>
  130.    <author>
  131.      <name>Donald Wine II</name>
  132.    </author>
  133.  </entry>
  134.  <entry>
  135.    <published>2024-05-20T07:53:42-07:00</published>
  136.    <updated>2024-05-20T07:53:42-07:00</updated>
  137.    <title>USMNT midweek viewing guide: Playoffs, playoffs everywhere</title>
  138.    <content type="html">  
  139.  
  140.    &lt;figure&gt;
  141.      &lt;img alt="Palermo FC v Sampdoria - Serie B" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/KzzlWP7cap7IYlaU2S0_JODoryo=/0x297:2989x2290/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/73358543/2136574855.0.jpg" /&gt;
  142.        &lt;figcaption&gt;Photo by Gabriele Maricchiolo/NurPhoto via Getty Images&lt;/figcaption&gt;
  143.    &lt;/figure&gt;
  144.  
  145.  &lt;p&gt;Tessmann, Busio, and Lund push for Serie A; Zendejas could be Liga MX champion; US Open Cup rolls on with the round of 16.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p id="hF9iCd"&gt;Midweek &lt;a href="https://www.starsandstripesfc.com/"&gt;USMNT&lt;/a&gt; action is here. Let’s get into it!&lt;/p&gt;
  146. &lt;h2 id="WJcWTZ"&gt;Monday&lt;/h2&gt;
  147. &lt;ul&gt;
  148. &lt;li id="UEx0Xw"&gt;
  149. &lt;strong&gt;Palermo vs Venezia, 2:30p on FOX Deportes, FOX Soccer Plus, FuboTV (&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://www.fubo.tv/lp/soccer/?irad%3D343747%26irmp%3D482924%26sharedid%3DStarsAndStripesFC&amp;amp;sa=D&amp;amp;source=calendar&amp;amp;usd=2&amp;amp;usg=AOvVaw0DWJ40gT3-PrqSXVpGNqr-"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;free trial&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;strong&gt;):&lt;/strong&gt; Kristoffer Lund and Palermo face Tanner Tessmann, Gianluca Busio, and Venezia in the first leg of Serie B’s promotion playoff semifinal. Venezia finished 3rd in the regular season, Palermo 6th. Kristoffer Lund provided an assist in Palermo’s 2-0 win over Sampdoria in their first playoff game (Venezia had a bye).&lt;/li&gt;
  150. &lt;li id="moHteu"&gt;
  151. &lt;strong&gt;Bologna vs &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.blackwhitereadallover.com"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Juventus&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;strong&gt;, 2:45p on Paramount+:&lt;/strong&gt; Weston McKennie, Tim Weah and Juventus are moving forward in Serie A without manager Max Allegri, who &lt;a href="https://www.espn.com/soccer/story/_/id/40164655/juventus-sack-massimiliano-allegri-cup-final-antics"&gt;was fired shortly after their Coppa Italia victory&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/li&gt;
  152. &lt;/ul&gt;
  153. &lt;p id="MUffoW"&gt;&lt;em&gt;Also in action:&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  154. &lt;ul&gt;
  155. &lt;li id="KCBlyq"&gt;
  156. &lt;em&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Lyngby vs Viborg, 8a:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;em&gt; Jonathan Amon and Lyngby meet Viborg in Denmark’s Superligaen Relegation Group.&lt;/em&gt;
  157. &lt;/li&gt;
  158. &lt;li id="9vOT9f"&gt;
  159. &lt;em&gt;&lt;strong&gt;FC Zurich vs Lugano, 12p:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;em&gt; Milton Valenzuela and Lugano are second in Switzerland’s top tier, currently holding onto a &lt;/em&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.sbnation.com/champions-league"&gt;&lt;em&gt;Champions League&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;em&gt; qualifying spot.&lt;/em&gt;
  160. &lt;/li&gt;
  161. &lt;li id="zMtA0b"&gt;
  162. &lt;em&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Genk vs Antwerp, 12:30p on ESPN+ (&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://go.web.plus.espn.com/c/482924/651866/9070?sharedid%3DStarsAndStripesFC&amp;amp;sa=D&amp;amp;source=calendar&amp;amp;usd=2&amp;amp;usg=AOvVaw0vq2O91Ttkf224NpimO4J4"&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;strong&gt;free trial&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;strong&gt;):&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;em&gt; Mark McKenzie and 5th-place Genk have lost 4 in a row, as have 6th-place Antwerp, who were last season’s champions.&lt;/em&gt;
  163. &lt;/li&gt;
  164. &lt;/ul&gt;
  165. &lt;h2 id="sUgptS"&gt;Tuesday&lt;/h2&gt;
  166. &lt;ul&gt;
  167. &lt;li id="9P9ogW"&gt;
  168. &lt;strong&gt;Charleston Battery vs &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.dirtysouthsoccer.com"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Atlanta United&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;strong&gt;, 7p on &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.ussoccer.com/"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;USsoccer.com&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;strong&gt;, &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.mlssoccer.com/"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;MLSsoccer.com&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;strong&gt;:&lt;/strong&gt; Caleb Wiley and Atlanta United visit USL Championship side Charleston Battery in the US Open Cup round of 16.&lt;/li&gt;
  169. &lt;li id="Bwcju9"&gt;
  170. &lt;strong&gt;LAFC vs Loudoun United, 10:30p on &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.ussoccer.com/"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;USsoccer.com&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;strong&gt;, &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.mlssoccer.com/"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;MLSsoccer.com&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;strong&gt;:&lt;/strong&gt; Timothy Tillman and LAFC host 17-year-old defender Matai Akinmboni (on loan from DC United) and Loudoun in the US Open Cup round of 16.&lt;/li&gt;
  171. &lt;/ul&gt;
  172. &lt;p id="SvTBhj"&gt;&lt;em&gt;Also in action:&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  173. &lt;ul&gt;
  174. &lt;li id="UANC6A"&gt;
  175. &lt;em&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Jüchen-Garzweiler vs Gladbach, 1p:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;em&gt; Jordan Pefok, Joe Scally, and Gladbach have a friendly against sixth-tier opposition.&lt;/em&gt;
  176. &lt;/li&gt;
  177. &lt;li id="fVECbM"&gt;
  178. &lt;em&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Sacramento Republic vs San Jose Earthquakes, 10p on &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.ussoccer.com/"&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;strong&gt;USsoccer.com&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;strong&gt;, &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.mlssoccer.com/"&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;strong&gt;MLSsoccer.com&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;strong&gt;:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;em&gt; Niko Tsakiris, Jackson Yueill, Cristian Espinoza, and the Quakes visit USL Championship club Sacramento Republic in the US Open Cup round of 16. Sacramento reached the Open Cup final in 2022.&lt;/em&gt;
  179. &lt;/li&gt;
  180. &lt;/ul&gt;
  181. &lt;h2 id="7UV3G8"&gt;Wednesday&lt;/h2&gt;
  182. &lt;ul&gt;
  183. &lt;li id="HmyHqZ"&gt;
  184. &lt;strong&gt;Tampa Bay Rowdies vs FC Dallas, 7:30p on &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.ussoccer.com/"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;USsoccer.com&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;strong&gt;, &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.mlssoccer.com/"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;MLSsoccer.com&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;strong&gt;:&lt;/strong&gt; Jesús Ferreira, Bernard Kamungo, Nkosi Tafari, and Dallas visit Tampa Bay from the USL Championship in the US Open Cup round of 16.&lt;/li&gt;
  185. &lt;li id="Wuf8JG"&gt;
  186. &lt;strong&gt;Seattle Sounders vs Phoenix Rising, 10:30p on &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.ussoccer.com/"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;USsoccer.com&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;strong&gt;, &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.mlssoccer.com/"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;MLSsoccer.com&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;strong&gt;:&lt;/strong&gt; It’s yet another MLS-USL showdown as Josh Atencio, Obed Vargas, Reed Baker-Whiting, and the Sounders welcome 21-yeard-old Argentina-American goalkeeper Rocco Ríos Novo and Phoenix for the US Open Cup round of 16.&lt;/li&gt;
  187. &lt;/ul&gt;
  188. &lt;h2 id="lcGH2p"&gt;Thursday&lt;/h2&gt;
  189. &lt;ul&gt;
  190. &lt;li id="4E8oEV"&gt;
  191. &lt;strong&gt;Utrecht vs Sparta Rotterdam, 3p:&lt;/strong&gt; In the Netherlands, teams that finish 6th-9th in the Eredivisie play single elimination playoffs for a Europa Conference League spot. Taylor Booth and Utrecht finished 7th, and they face Sparta Rotterdam (8th) in the semifinal.&lt;/li&gt;
  192. &lt;li id="NMrwuT"&gt;
  193. &lt;strong&gt;Cruz Azul vs América, 8p:&lt;/strong&gt; Alex Zendejas and América will be Liga MX champions if they defeat Cruz Azul in Liga MX's Clausura playoff final. &lt;/li&gt;
  194. &lt;/ul&gt;
  195. &lt;h2 id="HAAQRG"&gt;Friday&lt;/h2&gt;
  196. &lt;ul&gt;&lt;li id="hMqVtt"&gt;
  197. &lt;strong&gt;Venezia vs Palermo, 2:30p on FOX Deportes, FOX Soccer Plus, FuboTV:&lt;/strong&gt; Tanner Tessmann, Gianluca Busio, and Venezia play the return fixture against Kristoffer Lund and Palermo in Serie B's playoff semifinal.&lt;/li&gt;&lt;/ul&gt;
  198. &lt;p id="S6kdFf"&gt;&lt;em&gt;Also in action:&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  199. &lt;ul&gt;
  200. &lt;li id="IxcsX2"&gt;
  201. &lt;em&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Hobro vs SønderjyskE, 1p:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;em&gt; José Gallegos and SønderjyskE are 7 points clear atop the table in Denmark's second tier, looking for promotion. (Denmark 2nd Promotion Group)&lt;/em&gt;
  202. &lt;/li&gt;
  203. &lt;li id="gh48Wi"&gt;
  204. &lt;em&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Charleston Battery vs El Paso Locomotive, 7:30p on Paramount+, CBS Sports Golazo:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;em&gt; Brandan Craig and El Paso visit Charleston in the USL Championship.&lt;/em&gt;
  205. &lt;/li&gt;
  206. &lt;/ul&gt;
  207. &lt;p id="f9GzXP"&gt;That’s it! Did I miss anything that matters? Let me know in the comments below. Let’s see who impresses this week!&lt;/p&gt;
  208.  
  209. </content>
  210.    <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://www.starsandstripesfc.com/usmnt-news/2024/5/20/24156481/usa-usmnt-midweek-viewing-guide-playoffs-playoffs-everywhere"/>
  211.    <id>https://www.starsandstripesfc.com/usmnt-news/2024/5/20/24156481/usa-usmnt-midweek-viewing-guide-playoffs-playoffs-everywhere</id>
  212.    <author>
  213.      <name>Justin Moran</name>
  214.    </author>
  215.  </entry>
  216.  <entry>
  217.    <published>2024-05-17T09:34:34-07:00</published>
  218.    <updated>2024-05-17T09:34:34-07:00</updated>
  219.    <title>USMNT weekend viewing guide: Avoiding the drop</title>
  220.    <content type="html">  
  221.  
  222.    &lt;figure&gt;
  223.      &lt;img alt="1. FC Köln v 1. FC Union Berlin - Bundesliga" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/c1AS-KnSRTW90Mfge8nQVCIu41M=/0x0:4431x2954/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/73354045/2152465727.0.jpg" /&gt;
  224.        &lt;figcaption&gt;Photo by Christof Koepsel/Getty Images&lt;/figcaption&gt;
  225.    &lt;/figure&gt;
  226.  
  227.  &lt;p&gt;Seasons come to a close and teams are facing the relegation axe.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p id="xEsZcf"&gt;The last matchday of the 2023-24 season in the Bundesliga means things get started with a fury on Saturday morning with all 18 clubs kicking off simultaneously at 9:30a. Then on Sunday morning the Eredivise completes there season with kickoffs at 8:30a, the EPL kicks off at 11a, and in France they will be kicking off at 3p. La Liga and Serie A still have one more weekend left so will have games scattered across this weekend before wrapping up their season next week Sunday. There’s quite a bit of action including some significant situations still to be settled so let’s get to it. &lt;/p&gt;
  228. &lt;h2 id="Hs69c2"&gt;&lt;/h2&gt;
  229. &lt;h2 id="eeQs2v"&gt;Saturday&lt;/h2&gt;
  230. &lt;h4 id="RAt7wD"&gt;Union Berlin v Freiburg - 8:30a on ESPN+&lt;/h4&gt;
  231. &lt;p id="FlyTNM"&gt;Brenden Aaronson started last weekend and Union Berlin were leading 2-1 against 17th place Koln but two late goals would see Berlin drop three points and fall into the relegation playoff spot. Now Berlin, who started the season in the &lt;a href="https://www.sbnation.com/champions-league"&gt;Champions League&lt;/a&gt; need a win on Saturday against 8th place Freiburg (who are still within striking distance of Europa Conference League) and a loss by Mainz to Wolfsburg or they will finish no better than the relegation playoff spot.  If Berlin were to lose and Koln can win again, this time against Wolfsburg, while making up a three goal differential it would be a straight and stunning drop for Berlin to the 2 Bundesliga. Berlin have lost five of their last six and have just one win since mid-February. Rumors this week suggest that Aaronson will not be back in Berlin next season regardless of the outcome on Saturday but also that &lt;a href="https://throughitalltogether.sbnation.com"&gt;Leeds&lt;/a&gt; do not plan to keep him for next season so it seems as though he will be on the move this summer. &lt;/p&gt;
  232. &lt;h4 id="cglwae"&gt;Wolfsburg v Mainz - 9:30a on ESPN+&lt;/h4&gt;
  233. &lt;p id="EKoY3C"&gt;Kevin Paredes has started two straight for Wolfsburg and will finish the season just under 1,500 minutes across all competitions for his club who head into the final weekend in 12th place. It’s been a solid, if not spectacular, season for Paredes as he builds on the 500 minutes he saw in the 2022-23 campaign.  Wolfsburg are comfortably middle of the table in 12th place but can play spoiler to Mainz who are holding on to hopes of safety. &lt;/p&gt;
  234. &lt;h4 id="UZGCiu"&gt;Hoffenheim v Bayern Munich - 9:30a on ESPN+&lt;/h4&gt;
  235. &lt;p id="ZLwDL8"&gt;John Brooks has not appeared in three straight matches and has not started a game since he picked up a red card in early March and served a two match suspension. Hoffenheim are in seventh place, one point ahead of Freiburg for Europa Conference League qualifying and three points (and a three goal differential) behind Eintracht Frankfurt for sixth place and Europa League qualification. Hoffenheim’s opponent this weekend are &lt;a href="https://www.bavarianfootballworks.com"&gt;Bayern Munich&lt;/a&gt; who’s fate has been settled in an unusual way as they are currently in second place, fifteen points behind first place Bayer Leverkusen (who will look to complete their unbeaten run through the Bundesliga when they face Augsburg). &lt;/p&gt;
  236. &lt;h4 id="DR20rJ"&gt;Stuttgart v Borussia Monchengladbach - 9:30a on ESPN+&lt;/h4&gt;
  237. &lt;p id="TOLS8O"&gt;Joe Scally, Jordan Pefok and Borussia Monchengladbach go into the final weekend clear of relegation thanks to a draw against Frankfurt last weekend with Scally picking up the assist on Gladbach’s only goal. Scally has started all but a handful of matches for Gladbach this season and has racked up more Bundesliga minutes this season than any other American, still just 21 years old. Pefok did not appear last weekend and has not started a match since March, he has also been in a goal drought with his last goal coming in late February.  Gladbach’s opponent this weekend is third place Stuttgart who technically don’t have much to play for this weekend but could pass Bayern in the standings with a win and a Bayern loss. &lt;/p&gt;
  238. &lt;h4 id="IeVENr"&gt;Heidenheim v Koln - 9:30a on ESPN+&lt;/h4&gt;
  239. &lt;p id="MhqV10"&gt;The second leading minutes man for American’s in Germany is Lennard Maloney who returned from injury last weekend to see 24’ minutes off the bench in Heidenheim’s 1-1 draw with Freiburg.  Maloney has missed five matches due to injury and came off the bench in two other matches immediately after his return from said injuries but has otherwise started every match for a Heidenheim side who came into the season as an odds on favorite to return to 2 Bundesliga but have had a solid season and are currently in 9th place, tied with Augsburg and Werder Bremen.  Heidenheims opponent this weekend are Koln who need a win, a loss by Union Berlin, and to make up a three goal differential in order to crawl into the relegation playoff spot for one final chance to maintain their Bundesliga standing for next season. &lt;/p&gt;
  240. &lt;h4 id="SmerVv"&gt;Torino v AC Milan - 2:45p on Paramount+&lt;/h4&gt;
  241. &lt;p id="PPIcJ7"&gt;Christian Pulisic had a pair of goals last weekend in &lt;a href="https://acmilan.theoffside.com"&gt;AC Milan&lt;/a&gt;’s 5-1 romp over Cagliari to bring his season total to 12 goals and 7 assists in league plan and 15 goals and 9 assists across all competitions.  It has been a fantastic individual year for Pulisic though without any team awards to show for his accomplishments as &lt;a href="https://www.serpentsofmadonnina.com"&gt;Inter Milan&lt;/a&gt; have won the league title going away. Yunus Musah also started and went the full 90’ last weekend in the win, returning from his one game yellow card suspension.  It’s been a quieter year for Musah but he’s started the last four games he’s been eligible for and with two more strong appearances to close the season could finish with over 1,500 league minutes and 2,300 minutes across all competitions. Milan face tenth place Torino in their penultimate match with Milan having already sealed second place and Torino out of the European competition running. &lt;/p&gt;
  242. &lt;p id="F4Uoy0"&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  243. &lt;h2 id="zSw3n2"&gt;Sunday&lt;/h2&gt;
  244. &lt;h4 id="zTx0Qp"&gt;PSV Eindhoven v RKC Waalwijk - 8:30a on ESPN+ &lt;/h4&gt;
  245. &lt;p id="v5ZlPb"&gt;Malik Tillman and Ricardo Pepi close out their season with league champion PSV Eindhoven Sunday morning with a match against RKC Waalwijk who are tied with Excelsior for the relegation playoff spot.  Tillman started and went the full 90’ last weekend in PSV’s draw with Fortuna Sittard while Pepi came on for the final 20’ but neither player made the scoresheet as the match finished 1-1. &lt;/p&gt;
  246. &lt;h4 id="DdLfhY"&gt;Burnley v Nottingham Forest - 11a on Peacock&lt;/h4&gt;
  247. &lt;p id="5GKP56"&gt;Gio Reyna was strikingly absent from the matchday squad for Forest last weekend as they fell to Chelsea 3-2 to remain three points ahead of Luton Town for the final relegation spot heading into the final matchday.  It’s been a bust of a transfer for Reyna who will return to Champions League finalists &lt;a href="https://www.fearthewall.com"&gt;Borussia Dortmund&lt;/a&gt; this summer with an uncertain future ahead of him.  It looks as though Matt Turner may also need a move this summer as he hasn’t appeared for Forest since late January, shortly after the team brought in Matz Sels, though frankly Sels has not preformed any better than Turner in his spell. &lt;/p&gt;
  248. &lt;h4 id="TipqgB"&gt;Chelsea v Bournemouth - 11a on Peacock&lt;/h4&gt;
  249. &lt;p id="uA3Han"&gt;In a bit of more positive news Tyler Adams returned to the field for Bournemouth last weekend getting ten minutes off the bench in their 2-1 loss to Brentford. It was just Adams third appearance in what has been a lost season but it is good to see him back on the field heading into the Summer and the &lt;a href="https://www.starsandstripesfc.com/"&gt;USMNT&lt;/a&gt;’s upcoming involvement in the &lt;a href="https://www.sbnation.com/copa-america"&gt;Copa America&lt;/a&gt;. Bournemouth are solidly middle of the EPL table in eleventh place. They are facing a hot Chelsea side that have won four straight and are making a late push currently three points ahead of &lt;a href="https://cominghomenewcastle.sbnation.com"&gt;Newcastle United&lt;/a&gt; and &lt;a href="https://thebusbybabe.sbnation.com"&gt;Manchester United&lt;/a&gt; for Conference League play and looking to overtake &lt;a href="https://cartilagefreecaptain.sbnation.com"&gt;Tottenham&lt;/a&gt; for Europa League qualification. &lt;/p&gt;
  250. &lt;h4 id="9XWg1y"&gt;Crystal Palace v Aston Villa - 11a on Peacock&lt;/h4&gt;
  251. &lt;p id="fPSwAq"&gt;Chris Richards looks to have secured a spot with Crystal Palace moving forward.  Richards made the starting lineup in December and hasn’t looked back, starting and going the full 90’ in all but three matches in which he was left out due to injury in early April.  Richards will finish the season with over 2,000 minutes in EPL play and 2,500 minutes over all competitions.  Palace enter the final week in twelfth place and are facing fourth place &lt;a href="https://7500toholte.sbnation.com"&gt;Aston Villa&lt;/a&gt; who can’t move up or down on the final weekend. &lt;/p&gt;
  252. &lt;h4 id="nRE7W3"&gt;Luton Town v Fulham - 11a on Peacock&lt;/h4&gt;
  253. &lt;p id="7hAPSR"&gt;Tim Ream faces a more uncertain future though he recently signed an extension with Fulham.  Ream signed a one year extension that would take him through the 2024-25 season but he hasn’t seen the field for Fulham since mid February.  Antonee Robinson on the other hand has played nearly every minute for Fulham this year, missing one match due to muscular problems back in September and just an additional 58 minutes across the remainder of the season, he’ll finish with over 3,200 minutes in league play.  Fulham are in fourteenth place, easily safe from relegation and face a Luton Town side that are all but mathematically eliminated. Luton would need a win, a Forest loss and to make up the 12 goal difference in order to avoid the drop. &lt;/p&gt;
  254. &lt;h4 id="9oXZu7"&gt;Sheffield United v Tottenham Hotspur - 11a on Peacock &lt;/h4&gt;
  255. &lt;p id="ggfDjp"&gt;Sheffield’s disastrous EPL campaign comes to a merciful close this weekend with the only outstanding question being just how many goals will they allow in their record setting season. Sheffield have allowed 101 goals and will face a Tottenham side that need a result this weekend to ensure they hold off Chelsea for fifth place and Europa League qualification. Auston Trusty has started the past eight for Sheffield and looks set for a return to the Championship as he is signed with the club through the end of the 2026-27 season. &lt;/p&gt;
  256. &lt;h4 id="nyv5Nm"&gt;Real Betis v Real Sociedad - 1p on ESPN+&lt;/h4&gt;
  257. &lt;p id="k6mvNi"&gt;Real Betis pulled ahead of Real Sociedad last weekend with a win over Almeria but fell back to seventh place midweek when they settled for a draw with Las Palmas while Sociedad was   beating Valencia.  Sociedad now holds a one point lead for sixth place and Europa Conference League qualifying heading into their head-to-head matchup.  Betis need at least a draw to keep their hopes alive as a win would seal sixth place for Sociedad.  Johnny started again last week and has over 1,100 minutes since joining Betis in January. &lt;/p&gt;
  258. &lt;h4 id="0HWiYb"&gt;Granada v Celta Vigo - 1p on ESPN+&lt;/h4&gt;
  259. &lt;p id="ndE8y0"&gt;Luca de la Torre was an unused substitute last weekend and hasn’t started a match since he was injured in early March. Celta Vigo have four wins over that time and with a five point lead over Cadiz a result of any kind this weekend against relegated Granada would guarantee they are safe heading into the final weekend. &lt;/p&gt;
  260. &lt;h4 id="a9pzDN"&gt;Monaco v Nantes - 3p on beIN Sports&lt;/h4&gt;
  261. &lt;p id="XEXCQ8"&gt;Folarin Balogun came off the bench late in the first half last weekend to replace the injured Breel Embolo and picked up an assist on the opening goal as Monaco would go on to win 2-0. With the result his side are guaranteed to finish in second place heading into the final weekend as they take on a Nantes side that are just guaranteed safety.  The assist was Balogun’s second in three weeks and his seventh of the season giving him fifteen goal contributions across all competitions. &lt;/p&gt;
  262. &lt;h2 id="a9LJJC"&gt;&lt;/h2&gt;
  263. &lt;h2 id="Ouwm6J"&gt;Monday&lt;/h2&gt;
  264. &lt;h4 id="tPgpzz"&gt;Bologna v Juventus - 2:45p on Paramount+&lt;/h4&gt;
  265. &lt;p id="RlchRd"&gt;Weston McKennie and Timothy Weah lifted the Copa Italia trophy on Wednesday but saw their manager dismissed on Friday in what has been a turbulent week.  McKennie started the match while Weah came on in the final minutes to put in a defensive effort and see out the 1-0 victory.  &lt;a href="https://www.blackwhitereadallover.com"&gt;Juventus&lt;/a&gt; have had a disappointing league season including a draw to last place Salernitana last weekend, though the point was enough to ensure that they will qualify for Champions League play next season.  They face third place Bologna on Monday who are tied with Juventus on points and lead them in goal differential by +3. &lt;/p&gt;
  266.  
  267. </content>
  268.    <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://www.starsandstripesfc.com/2024/5/17/24158712/usa-usmnt-weekend-viewing-guide-threatened-bundesliga-epl"/>
  269.    <id>https://www.starsandstripesfc.com/2024/5/17/24158712/usa-usmnt-weekend-viewing-guide-threatened-bundesliga-epl</id>
  270.    <author>
  271.      <name>jcksnftsn</name>
  272.    </author>
  273.  </entry>
  274.  <entry>
  275.    <published>2024-05-17T05:56:48-07:00</published>
  276.    <updated>2024-05-17T05:56:48-07:00</updated>
  277.    <title>Brazil to host 2027 Women’s World Cup</title>
  278.    <content type="html">  
  279.  
  280.    &lt;figure&gt;
  281.      &lt;img alt="TOPSHOT-FBL-FIFA-CONGRESS-THA" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/myI5ZJLhd8zk6YJ3SOlxSbOq8SQ=/0x0:2947x1965/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/73353403/2152780402.0.jpg" /&gt;
  282.        &lt;figcaption&gt;Photo by MANAN VATSYAYANA/AFP via Getty Images&lt;/figcaption&gt;
  283.    &lt;/figure&gt;
  284.  
  285.  &lt;p&gt;They win the vote over the Belgium-Netherlands-Germany bid.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p id="ob5Lnk"&gt;Brazil is officially on the clock. Very early this morning, at the 75th FIFA Congress in Bangkok, FIFA awarded Brazil the rights to host the 2027 Women’s World Cup over the joint bid of Belgium, the Netherlands, and Germany. The vote was 119-78.&lt;/p&gt;
  286. &lt;div id="WDEuz9"&gt;
  287. &lt;blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-dnt="true" align="center"&gt;
  288. &lt;p lang="en" dir="ltr"&gt;The 2027 &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/FIFAWWC?src=hash&amp;amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;#FIFAWWC&lt;/a&gt; will be hosted by Brazil!     &lt;a href="https://t.co/iPAISNUZmc"&gt;pic.twitter.com/iPAISNUZmc&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;— FIFA Women's World Cup (@FIFAWWC) &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/FIFAWWC/status/1791345631249973726?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;May 17, 2024&lt;/a&gt;
  289. &lt;/blockquote&gt;
  290. &lt;script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"&gt;&lt;/script&gt;
  291.  
  292. &lt;/div&gt;
  293. &lt;p id="Sw1bTE"&gt;The vote came towards the end of the FIFA Congress, the annual conference for soccer’s world governing body. Both Brazil and the joint Euro bid gave their final presentations to the governing body before the vote, which took about 30 seconds after several minutes of video explainers. The United States and Mexico, who withdrew their 2027 bid late last month to focus on a bid for the 2031 Women’s World Cup, &lt;a href="https://x.com/JeffKassouf/status/1791416588429647985"&gt;both voted for Brazil&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
  294. &lt;p id="xfOJZ5"&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  295.  &lt;figure class="e-image"&gt;
  296.        &lt;img alt=" " data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/tIaOQVkSCqe8mkDQ1dUCSd7pJPg=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25452276/Screenshot_2024_05_17_at_1.52.52_AM.png"&gt;
  297.  &lt;/figure&gt;
  298. &lt;p id="65CVVN"&gt;Brazil will become the first South American country to host a Women’s World Cup, and it will be their 3rd World Cup that the soccer-crazed nation will host. They hosted Men’s World Cups in 1950 and 2014. Ten cities will serve as host cities for the tournament, with all 10 also hosting Men’s World Cup matches in 2014. Curitiba and Natal are the only cities from 2014 who will not host matches in 2027.&lt;/p&gt;
  299.  &lt;figure class="e-image"&gt;
  300.        &lt;img alt=" " data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/8m81ArivU4JiVnA67BOIH4x8pEc=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25452446/Screenshot_2024_05_17_at_8.50.24_AM.png"&gt;
  301.  &lt;/figure&gt;
  302. &lt;p id="THjva8"&gt;Brazil was incredibly excited to host the tournament, and it comes at a pivotal time in their women’s soccer history. 2027 will mark 48 years since the ability for women to play soccer in the country was legalized, and it will be 20 years since the debut of Brazil’s first women’s professional soccer league. The 2027 Women’s World Cup will hope to continue the success of the 2023 tournament in Australia and New Zealand and accelerate the meteoric rise of women’s soccer around the world.&lt;/p&gt;
  303. &lt;p id="u9awl7"&gt;“This is a win for women’s football in South America, and for women’s football everywhere which FIFA works every day to improve and strengthen,” &lt;a href="https://www.allforxi.com/2024/5/17/24158861/brazil-are-the-hosts-for-the-2027-womens-world-cup"&gt;said Ednaldo Rodrigues&lt;/a&gt;, President of the Brazilian Football Association (CBF), in a statement. “You can be certain that, without wanting to be vain, we will try to stage the biggest and best FIFA Women’s World Cup™ of all. I hope you can all come to Brazil and enjoy the hospitality of our country.”&lt;/p&gt;
  304. &lt;div id="OjsEpm"&gt;
  305. &lt;blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-dnt="true" align="center"&gt;
  306. &lt;p lang="pt" dir="ltr"&gt;2027 É NO BRASIL!   &lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;É oficial: O Brasil irá sediar a Copa do Mundo Feminina FIFA 2027! Que honra! Vamos juntos nessa!   &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/2027noBrasil?src=hash&amp;amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;#2027noBrasil&lt;/a&gt; &lt;a href="https://t.co/s6GRdfwqyX"&gt;pic.twitter.com/s6GRdfwqyX&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;— Seleção Feminina de Futebol (@SelecaoFeminina) &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/SelecaoFeminina/status/1791345808337404096?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;May 17, 2024&lt;/a&gt;
  307. &lt;/blockquote&gt;
  308. &lt;script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"&gt;&lt;/script&gt;
  309.  
  310. &lt;/div&gt;
  311. &lt;p id="cmOV0T"&gt;Nos vemos no Brasil em 2027!&lt;/p&gt;
  312.  
  313. </content>
  314.    <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://www.starsandstripesfc.com/2024/5/17/24158797/brazil-2027-fifa-womens-world-cup-host"/>
  315.    <id>https://www.starsandstripesfc.com/2024/5/17/24158797/brazil-2027-fifa-womens-world-cup-host</id>
  316.    <author>
  317.      <name>Donald Wine II</name>
  318.    </author>
  319.  </entry>
  320.  <entry>
  321.    <published>2024-05-16T06:00:00-07:00</published>
  322.    <updated>2024-05-16T06:00:00-07:00</updated>
  323.    <title>SSFC Spotlight: Fidel Barajas steps into Major League Soccer</title>
  324.    <content type="html">  
  325.  
  326.    &lt;figure&gt;
  327.      &lt;img alt="MLS: Sporting Kansas City at Real Salt Lake" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/EFnWOdLAJuBiCIw5xD4H_R4tluU=/0x0:4716x3144/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/73351107/usa_today_23192940.0.jpg" /&gt;
  328.        &lt;figcaption&gt;Rob Gray-USA TODAY Sports&lt;/figcaption&gt;
  329.    &lt;/figure&gt;
  330.  
  331.  &lt;p&gt;The dual-national seamlessly adjusted after his transfer.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p id="zUQy7a"&gt;While the rivalry between the United States Men’s National Team and Mexico is intense on the field, there is also the long-running recruiting battle for players who could potentially help either program. Some of the names are brought into the fold and fail to rise to the level of their initial promise, but others become stalwarts and lineup fixtures for years. Fidel Barajas is enjoying a sharp rise through the footballing world, which is attracting attention from both north and south of the border. The 18-year-old dual-national midfielder recently moved from the Charleston Battery to Real Salt Lake and has quickly adapted to Major League Soccer. &lt;/p&gt;
  332. &lt;div id="Z8VG4V"&gt;
  333. &lt;blockquote class="twitter-tweet"&gt;
  334. &lt;p lang="en" dir="ltr"&gt;      -           .  &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/fideljr_barajas?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;@fideljr_barajas&lt;/a&gt; added another goal to his impressive season before heading out on international duty!    &lt;a href="https://t.co/QuORvj1Y2I"&gt;pic.twitter.com/QuORvj1Y2I&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;— Charleston Battery (@Chas_Battery) &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/Chas_Battery/status/1673337981657133057?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;June 26, 2023&lt;/a&gt;
  335. &lt;/blockquote&gt;
  336. &lt;script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"&gt;&lt;/script&gt;
  337.  
  338. &lt;/div&gt;
  339. &lt;p id="idPlWj"&gt;Born in Sacramento, California, Barajas &lt;a href="https://www.charlestonbattery.com/news/2022/09/02/battery-sign-u-s-and-mexico-starlet-fidel-barajas-to-pro-contract/"&gt;competed &lt;/a&gt;with FC Sacramento and Sacramento Republic at the youth level before joining the San Jose Earthquakes academy — &lt;em&gt;Top Drawer Soccer &lt;/em&gt;rated him as the fifth-best player in his recruiting class. In September of 2022, he signed a professional “multi-year contract” with Charleston Battery of the USL Championship, &lt;a href="https://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/sport/football/hibs/fidel-barajas-who-is-the-charleston-battery-phenom-handed-chance-to-impress-with-hibs-in-portugal-tournament-3914173"&gt;describing &lt;/a&gt;the move as “euphoric” and the achievement of “a dream.” His first, abbreviated season comprised three appearances: starting twice and contributing two assists. &lt;/p&gt;
  340. &lt;p id="jzfHAB"&gt;The cross-country move was born out of a desire to expedite his growth process. “I wanted to turn pro, and Charleston was going to be a step higher than the academy level,” Barajas &lt;a href="https://www.postandcourier.com/sports/minor_leagues/charleston-batterys-16-year-old-soccer-phenom-to-make-home-debut/article_fef06712-4b20-11ed-bd79-67693cb5aeb7.html"&gt;said &lt;/a&gt;after signing. “I wanted the chance to play against other professionals and develop as a player, and I felt like Charleston was going to give me the best opportunity to play and develop my game.”&lt;/p&gt;
  341. &lt;div id="8CjIXc"&gt;
  342. &lt;blockquote class="twitter-tweet"&gt;
  343. &lt;p lang="en" dir="ltr"&gt;Rapid start!   &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/fideljr_barajas?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;@fideljr_barajas&lt;/a&gt; gives the &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/Chas_Battery?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;@Chas_Battery&lt;/a&gt; an early lead at Patriots Point ⏳&lt;a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/CHSvTUL?src=hash&amp;amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;#CHSvTUL&lt;/a&gt; &lt;a href="https://t.co/T36BXbJ0xc"&gt;pic.twitter.com/T36BXbJ0xc&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;— USL Championship (@USLChampionship) &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/USLChampionship/status/1705730212753780906?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;September 23, 2023&lt;/a&gt;
  344. &lt;/blockquote&gt;
  345. &lt;script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"&gt;&lt;/script&gt;
  346.  
  347. &lt;/div&gt;
  348. &lt;p id="mNmgRc"&gt;Following an offseason training &lt;a href="https://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/sport/football/hibs/fidel-barajas-who-is-the-charleston-battery-phenom-handed-chance-to-impress-with-hibs-in-portugal-tournament-3914173"&gt;invitation &lt;/a&gt;from Scottish side Hibernian F.C. and adding ten &lt;a href="https://www.postandcourier.com/sports/midfielder-fidel-barajas-17-makes-quick-charleston-battery-impact/article_49dc1340-e52f-11ed-825e-9314f44e29b6.html"&gt;pounds &lt;/a&gt;of muscle, Barajas was a full-fledged starter for Charleston, appearing in 34 total matches across all competitions. He contributed four goals and nine assists, including netting a brace in September’s 2-1 victory over FC Tulsa. Additionally, his goal and two assists were &lt;a href="https://www.charlestonbattery.com/news/2023/11/16/fidel-barajas-named-2023-usl-championship-young-player-of-the-year/"&gt;crucial &lt;/a&gt;during the first two rounds of the playoffs as the Battery notched a runners-up finish, although international duty kept him out of the semifinal and championship. The USL Championship named him Young Player of the Year and All-League Second Team, along with the Players Association selecting him as Young Player of the Year. &lt;em&gt;The Guardian &lt;/em&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.charlestonbattery.com/news/2023/10/11/fidel-barajas-named-to-the-guardians-next-generation-2023-for-best-young-players-in-the-world/"&gt;included &lt;/a&gt;him on the Next Generation list of the world’s top-60 young players. &lt;/p&gt;
  349. &lt;p id="dSVKZy"&gt;Amid &lt;a href="https://www.transfermarkt.us/fidel-barajas-charleston-battery-wonderkid-has-talent-for-the-quot-highest-european-level-quot-/view/news/431167"&gt;reported &lt;/a&gt;interest &lt;a href="https://go.redirectingat.com?id=66960X1516590&amp;amp;xs=1&amp;amp;url=https%3A%2F%2Ftheathletic.com%2Flive-blogs%2Fmls-usmnt-transfers-news-live-updates%2FQU9bmUR1Jmzi%2FhSbRJopZnhaq%2F&amp;amp;referrer=sbnation.com&amp;amp;sref=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.starsandstripesfc.com%2Fmls-usmnt%2F2024%2F5%2F16%2F24156504%2Ffidel-barajas-usmnt-usa-united-states-mens-national-team-mexico-el-tri-real-salt-lake-transfer" rel="sponsored nofollow noopener" target="_blank"&gt;from &lt;/a&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.intothecalderon.com"&gt;Atlético Madrid&lt;/a&gt;, PSV Eindhoven, &lt;a href="https://www.villarrealusa.com/"&gt;Villarreal&lt;/a&gt;, FC Nordsjælland, and Chivas, Barajas &lt;a href="https://espndeportes.espn.com/futbol/mundial/nota/_/id/12840387/fidel-barajas-seleccion-mexicana-sub-17-deseo-chivas"&gt;moved &lt;/a&gt;up a level in the domestic pyramid, signing with Real Salt Lake in Major League Soccer, with the club praising him as a “technical” &lt;a href="https://www.mlssoccer.com/news/real-salt-lake-sign-fidel-barajas-from-charleston-battery"&gt;player &lt;/a&gt;with a “great left foot, great vision, and the ability to beat [opponents] one-on-one from either flank.” He has enjoyed a smooth transition, with regular time as a rotational starter in 11 total matches. His stand-out performance was a full 90-minute appearance against Vancouver Whitecaps FC, contributing both assists in a 2-1 victory. His first goal with the club came in a 4-2 loss to New Mexico United in the Round of 32 in the Lamar Hunt &lt;a href="http://www.sbnation.com/us-open-golf"&gt;U.S. Open&lt;/a&gt; Cup, “streaking into the box” and &lt;a href="https://www.rsl.com/news/real-salt-lake-falls-2-4-at-new-mexico-in-2024-lamar-hunt-u-s-open-cup"&gt;beating &lt;/a&gt;the goalkeeper with “a risky shot to the far post at a tight angle with no margin for error.”&lt;/p&gt;
  350. &lt;div id="LOc355"&gt;
  351. &lt;blockquote class="twitter-tweet"&gt;
  352. &lt;p lang="en" dir="ltr"&gt;First RSL goal by &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/fideljr_barajas?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;@fideljr_barajas&lt;/a&gt; came at the right time &lt;a href="https://t.co/liSU0A6mGu"&gt;pic.twitter.com/liSU0A6mGu&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;— Real Salt Lake (@realsaltlake) &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/realsaltlake/status/1788386923800850511?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;May 9, 2024&lt;/a&gt;
  353. &lt;/blockquote&gt;
  354. &lt;script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"&gt;&lt;/script&gt;
  355.  
  356. &lt;/div&gt;
  357. &lt;p id="mbRYnT"&gt;Despite moving to MLS, his eyes are still on a future abroad. “Looking at [Real Salt Lake’s] history, it was a great step for me and where I want to go, which is Europe,” Barajas &lt;a href="https://www.transfermarkt.us/barajas-real-salt-lake-talent-opens-up-on-european-ambitions-and-first-steps-in-mls/view/news/435552"&gt;shared &lt;/a&gt;with &lt;em&gt;Transfermarkt&lt;/em&gt;. “There are many things clubs say to make you join. But they created a pathway for me to go to Europe, and at the end of the day, that was decisive. I wanted to end up in Europe. But everyone has a different pathway, and I feel like going from Charleston to MLS and having such a great club in RSL to be able to pick me up is great. I am really proud to be here.”&lt;/p&gt;
  358. &lt;p id="puQApC"&gt;At the international level, Barajas is &lt;a href="https://www.topdrawersoccer.com/club-soccer-articles/us-u17-mnt-roster-for-camp-in-florida_aid50419"&gt;eligible &lt;/a&gt;to represent the United States and Mexico. He initially featured with the &lt;a href="https://www.topdrawersoccer.com/club-soccer-articles/us-u17-mnt-heading-to-europe_aid50774"&gt;former &lt;/a&gt;program at the U-17 level, competing at the UEFA Development Tournament. However, the &lt;a href="https://www.sjearthquakes.com/news/academy-fidel-barajas-called-into-the-mexican-national-team-training-camp"&gt;latter &lt;/a&gt;country began including him in the U-16 and U-17 groups, with the young attacker taking a leading role in the squad. His three goals and four assists drove &lt;em&gt;El Tri &lt;/em&gt;to the title at the 2023 CONCACAF U-17 Championship, followed by a goal and an assist during the run to the Round of 16 at the ensuing U-17 World Cup. His most &lt;a href="https://www.rsl.com/news/rsl-attacker-fidel-barajas-called-into-mexican-u-20-camp"&gt;recent &lt;/a&gt;call-up was in March for a U-20 camp, &lt;a href="https://www.espn.com.co/futbol/mexico/nota/_/id/13587342/dia-del-nino-futbolistas-promesas-futbol-mexicano-seleccion-mexicana"&gt;although &lt;/a&gt;his birth nation is reportedly “still closely following” him. &lt;/p&gt;
  359. &lt;div id="6SvhWI"&gt;
  360. &lt;blockquote class="twitter-tweet"&gt;
  361. &lt;p lang="en" dir="ltr"&gt;17-year-old Fidel Barajas with an excellent assist in his first start for Real Salt Lake.&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;Barajas played for Mexico at the U-17 World Cup. Eligible to represent the US in the future still with a one-time switch. &lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;Big talent.&lt;a href="https://t.co/naSDS3A6UA"&gt;pic.twitter.com/naSDS3A6UA&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;— Tom Bogert (@tombogert) &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/tombogert/status/1771707795051565536?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;March 24, 2024&lt;/a&gt;
  362. &lt;/blockquote&gt;
  363. &lt;script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"&gt;&lt;/script&gt;
  364.  
  365. &lt;/div&gt;
  366. &lt;p id="4NE84O"&gt;Standing 5’9”, Barajas is a versatile left-footed winger who can also line up at attacking midfielder, &lt;a href="https://www.charlestonbattery.com/news/2022/09/02/battery-sign-u-s-and-mexico-starlet-fidel-barajas-to-pro-contract/"&gt;praised &lt;/a&gt;as “smart and crafty on the ball” with “very good technique, smart vision, and a fearlessness.” He is &lt;a href="https://www.theguardian.com/football/ng-interactive/2023/oct/11/next-generation-2023-60-of-the-best-young-talents-in-world-football"&gt;dangerous &lt;/a&gt;when charging in transition but can also punish defenders giving him too much space with incisive crosses and passes. His self-confessed &lt;a href="https://www.transfermarkt.us/fidel-barajas-charleston-battery-wonderkid-has-talent-for-the-quot-highest-european-level-quot-/view/news/431167"&gt;strengths &lt;/a&gt;are his “shot from outside the box” and “one-on-ones against defenders,” while noting his “shot and control with [his] right foot” are areas for improvement. Real Salt Lake &lt;a href="https://www.mlssoccer.com/news/fidel-barajas-shows-great-future-in-first-real-salt-lake-start"&gt;manager &lt;/a&gt;and former &lt;a href="https://www.starsandstripesfc.com/"&gt;USMNT&lt;/a&gt; member Pablo Mastroeni describes his greatest attribute as “always thinking of goals,” never appearing preoccupied with “possession or trying to keep the ball.” &lt;/p&gt;
  367. &lt;p id="R4SiCY"&gt;“Barajas is at his best when he’s working in transition,” &lt;a href="https://www.usltactics.com/p/barajas-breakdown"&gt;wrote &lt;/a&gt;John Morrissey for &lt;em&gt;USL Tactics&lt;/em&gt;. “[He carves] into space on the break with a real sense of poise and maturity... Often, it’s his ability to modulate speeds and slow down the game that stand out... The crux of any elite player’s game is their ability to minimize their weaknesses and maximize their strengths, and Barajas is adept at doing so. Off the ball, he’s excellent at positioning himself and contorting his frame to put himself in the threatening spots. This aspect of Barajas shines when he’s creating shots for himself.”&lt;/p&gt;
  368. &lt;div id="wEeOw4"&gt;
  369. &lt;blockquote class="twitter-tweet"&gt;
  370. &lt;p lang="en" dir="ltr"&gt;Showing out in Europe    &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/fideljr_barajas?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;@fideljr_barajas&lt;/a&gt; scored twice in the &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/miseleccionmx?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;@miseleccionmx&lt;/a&gt; U-17’s 2-1 victory over the Czech Republic! &lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;You'll want to see both goals    &lt;a href="https://t.co/OIPVF4U7cH"&gt;pic.twitter.com/OIPVF4U7cH&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;— Charleston Battery (@Chas_Battery) &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/Chas_Battery/status/1575212648114913281?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;September 28, 2022&lt;/a&gt;
  371. &lt;/blockquote&gt;
  372. &lt;script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"&gt;&lt;/script&gt;
  373.  
  374. &lt;/div&gt;
  375. &lt;p id="YW1pI7"&gt;Barajas has enjoyed a fast start to his professional career despite moving across the country twice, adapting to the demands of two separate clubs. With his level of skill and production, he could also be a future difference-maker as a senior international. While Mexico currently has the edge on his commitment, circumstances can change with time as players alter their opinions and priorities. The teenager is a young talent to monitor over the coming years, particularly if his success continues and leads to a transfer overseas. &lt;/p&gt;
  376.  
  377. </content>
  378.    <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://www.starsandstripesfc.com/mls-usmnt/2024/5/16/24156504/fidel-barajas-usmnt-usa-united-states-mens-national-team-mexico-el-tri-real-salt-lake-transfer"/>
  379.    <id>https://www.starsandstripesfc.com/mls-usmnt/2024/5/16/24156504/fidel-barajas-usmnt-usa-united-states-mens-national-team-mexico-el-tri-real-salt-lake-transfer</id>
  380.    <author>
  381.      <name>Brendan Joseph</name>
  382.    </author>
  383.  </entry>
  384.  <entry>
  385.    <published>2024-05-14T05:00:00-07:00</published>
  386.    <updated>2024-05-14T05:00:00-07:00</updated>
  387.    <title>Jesse Marsch named Canada Men’s National Team head coach</title>
  388.    <content type="html">  
  389.  
  390.    &lt;figure&gt;
  391.      &lt;img alt="Nottingham Forest v Leeds United - Premier League - City Ground" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/_J-qYgtvX0AXqyN7-Dnwlf2lf5w=/0x0:6000x4000/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/73346013/1246816115.0.jpg" /&gt;
  392.        &lt;figcaption&gt;Photo by Mike Egerton/PA Images via Getty Images&lt;/figcaption&gt;
  393.    &lt;/figure&gt;
  394.  
  395.  &lt;p&gt;There’s a familiar face taking charge just north of the border.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p id="15umsQ"&gt;The Canadian Soccer Federation have announced Jesse Marsch as the new head coach of the Canadian Men’s National Team. &lt;/p&gt;
  396. &lt;div id="aokXLz"&gt;
  397. &lt;blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-dnt="true" align="center"&gt;
  398. &lt;p lang="en" dir="ltr"&gt;We got our guy  &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/CANMNT?src=hash&amp;amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;#CANMNT&lt;/a&gt; &lt;a href="https://t.co/IErZjDx6O7"&gt;pic.twitter.com/IErZjDx6O7&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;— CANMNT (@CANMNT_Official) &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/CANMNT_Official/status/1790147932236161492?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;May 13, 2024&lt;/a&gt;
  399. &lt;/blockquote&gt;
  400. &lt;script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"&gt;&lt;/script&gt;
  401.  
  402. &lt;/div&gt;
  403. &lt;p id="ebHaoG"&gt;Marsch becomes the first American to lead the CANMNT in their history, taking over from the caretaker Mauro Biello. The position had been left vacant since John Herdman left to take over at Toronto FC in October. &lt;/p&gt;
  404. &lt;p id="CVtqGP"&gt;As a player, Marsch had a prodigious career in MLS as a midfielder, splitting over 300 league appearances between DC United, Chicago Fire, and the-now-defunct Chivas USA, winning 3 MLS Cups, 2 Supporter’s Shields, and 4 US Open Cup titles. His international career was more limited, with just 2 caps to his name.&lt;/p&gt;
  405. &lt;p id="dplTCD"&gt;Marsch actually made his coaching debut in Canada, stepping into the Head Coach role for the Montreal Impact (now CF Montreal) in their debut season in MLS. He was let go after a single season, eventually finding his way to the New York Red Bulls in 2015. With the Red Bulls, Marsch found immediate success, winning the Supporters’ Shield in 2015, the second major title in the club’s history. Marsch’s success was such that sister club RB Leipzig in the German Bundesliga poached him to be an assistant in the summer of 2018 (the Red Bulls would go on and win another Shield that year). &lt;/p&gt;
  406. &lt;p id="RgT8E7"&gt;Marsch then caught the attention of European onlookers with his handling of Red Bull Salzburg in the Austrian Bundesliga from 2019 to 2021 with his motivational style and his team’s aggressive pressing systems. However, Marsch’s bright career dimmed somewhat after a mediocre start to the 2021-22 Bundesliga season in charge of Leipzig ended in a December sacking, followed by a doomed attempt to prevent &lt;a href="https://throughitalltogether.sbnation.com"&gt;Leeds United&lt;/a&gt; from being relegated from the English Premier League in successive seasons. Despite being connected with several English Premier League and Championship clubs, Marsch remained unattached. Rumor had it that Marsch was looking for the United States Men’s National Team Head Coach position, but, despite a protracted and somewhat-public flirtation, the US Soccer Federation eventually decided to reinstate Gregg Berhalter.&lt;/p&gt;
  407. &lt;p id="oDyQmf"&gt;The Canada role thus presents not just a first foray into international coaching for Marsch, but also a chance to renew some of that faded luster on his career, and possibly stick it to the &lt;a href="https://www.starsandstripesfc.com/"&gt;USMNT&lt;/a&gt; and U.S. Soccer after they spurned him. For Canada, this is a hope for a new and energetic direction after a limp finish in their return to the World Cup in 2022 after a 36-year hiatus. Now, with a &lt;a href="https://www.sbnation.com/copa-america"&gt;Copa America&lt;/a&gt; this summer and the 2026 World Cup held partially in Canada, both Marsch and Canada have some big spotlights aimed at their direction.&lt;/p&gt;
  408. &lt;p id="r1OxSz"&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  409.  
  410. </content>
  411.    <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://www.starsandstripesfc.com/2024/5/14/24156181/jesse-marsch-canada-mens-national-team-head-coach-canmnt"/>
  412.    <id>https://www.starsandstripesfc.com/2024/5/14/24156181/jesse-marsch-canada-mens-national-team-head-coach-canmnt</id>
  413.    <author>
  414.      <name>Adnan Ilyas</name>
  415.    </author>
  416.  </entry>
  417. </feed>
  418.  

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