Analysis

MANCHESTER, England - British billionaire Jim Ratcliffe's interest in buying Manchester United has raised the hopes of the club's supporters that their American owners, the Glazer family, might now sell the club and pave the way for a return to glory on the field.

Whether that happens will depend on three key factors: how much they think the club is worth; whether there are potential buyers willing to pay that price; and finally, if the much-criticized Glazers are willing to take the money and leave.

Ninety-five days to go now. There's still so much to prove but so little time for our boys in r̶e̶d̶, white and blue ahead of the World Cup. 

The past week in Europe saw the emergence of a young star, strong performances from guys on the fence and two locked-in starters enter transfer purgatory. 

The result of the 2022 MLS All-Star Game is no reason to philosophize over the shifting balance of North American soccer, but it is the perfect time to address the format of the All-Star Game itself: 2023 should see the return of a super club to play Major League Soccer's finest.

New season, same old media drama between Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel and USMNT star Christian Pulisic. The Guardian’s Jacob Steinberg has reignited the Pulisic Tuchel feud with an article stating that the German manager “does not trust Pulisic."

There’s no direct quote from Tuchel stating lack of faith in the American, but that didn’t stop the Twitter-sphere from popping off about the news.

For 45 minutes, it looked like it was Megan Rapinoe’s day. She watched her fiancée, Sue Bird, play her final regular-season home game in the WNBA before heading over to Lumen Field, where she promptly put OL Reign ahead in the 16th minute with her first goal of the season. Then Ebony Salmon took over.

Opening week of the 2022-23 season is in the books, and by the time next weekend's action gets under way we'll be less than 100 days from the start of the World Cup in Qatar. Every performance truly matters now.

USMNT manager Gregg Berhalter has built a solid core of players over the qualifying cycle that'll comprise a majority of the 26-player squad, but there are still fierce competitions raging and open places for players who go on a tear through the first couple months of the season.

American Premier League fans who woke up early Saturday morning were treated to quite the entertaining fixture. Newly promoted Fulham hosted last season’s runners-up Liverpool at Craven Cottage and both sides shared the honors with a 2-2 draw after a back and forth affair.

Liverpool vs Fulham Highlights

Fulham played with guts and desire, and honestly, looked like the better side throughout the 90 minutes. A pair of goals from Aleksandar Mitrović gave Fulham every chance of leaving with all three points but Liverpool equalized on both occasions to secure the draw.

Multiples sources have now confirmed that the Riqui Puig LA Galaxy contract has been agreed to, with the 23-year-old joining from Barcelona on a free transfer despite still having one year left on his contract at the Camp Nou.

Barça manager Xavi told Puig back in May that he wasn't part of the club's midfield plans for the new campaign, and after being left off the team's preseason tour of the United States, the "next Iniesta" has signed a three-year deal ahead of the MLS transfer window closing Thursday.