Men's National Teams

USMNT player ratings vs. Serbia: 3 who impressed, 1 who messed up

The USMNT began 2023 with a frustrating 2-1 friendly defeat to Serbia at BMO Stadium in Los Angeles on Wednesday night, taking the lead through Brandon Vazquez's powerfully snapped header before clear defensive errors ruined Anthony Hudson's debut as interim manager.

With all six substitutions being made by the 73rd minute, quite a few players graced the pitch without making much of an impression. Club América winger Alejandro Zendejas went the full 90 on the right, but the 24-year-old's talent only came through in flashes. 

Gio Reyna scores in 93rd minute for his second game-winner in a row

Giovanni Reyna. The man.

Borussia Dortmund have played two league games since the Bundesliga restart and Reyna has scored late game-winners in both. On Sunday he scored a rocket of a goal in the 78th minute to seal a 4-3 Dortmund victory.

On Wednesday he was the hero again, but this time snatched the winning goal in the 93rd minute for Dortmund’s 2-1 victory vs. Mainz.

How to watch the USMNT throughout 2023 (it's complicated)

2023 marked the beginning of a new era for U.S. Soccer with broadcast coverage of every USMNT and USWNT friendly being provided by Turner Sports. This has opened the door to live sports on HBO Max, although certain competitions remain reserved for Fox Sports and Paramount Global. 

It follows that the 2023 USMNT TV schedule is all over the place. Despite having just played in a World Cup, the U.S. has a busy calendar year with four windows for friendlies, the completion of the 2022-23 CONCACAF Nations League and the 2023 CONCACAF Gold Cup.

5 razones por las que Guillermo Almada es el técnico perfecto para la selección mexicana

El misterio en torno a quién será el nuevo director técnico de la selección mexicana pareciera ir disipándose, de acuerdo a una serie de reportes que ponen al entrenador del Pachuca, Guillermo Almada, a la cabeza del proyecto.

USMNT player watch: 3 trending in the right direction, 2 we're worried about

I'll whisper it, but I feel like I'm discerning some faint traces of light ahead with regards to the USMNT's direction. There's obviously still no permanent manager, but every day takes us further from Gregg Berhalter and closer to what's demanded when hosting the world's greatest sporting event come 2026.

Cristiano Ronaldo fails to score on hugely anticipated debut

RIYADH - Anderson Talisca earned Al Nassr a 1-0 home win over Al Ettifaq on Sunday, but the fans that turned up to Mrsool Park in droves to see Cristiano Ronaldo in action were left disappointed after he was unable to mark his Saudi Pro league debut with a goal.

Ronaldo signed a 2-1/2 year deal with Al Nassr last month, reported to be worth over $216.28 million, but has had to wait to play because of a two-match ban by England's FA for knocking a phone out of a fan's hand in April.

Jesse Marsch and Leeds left one point above the relegation zone after getting blanked by Brentford

LEEDS, England - Leeds United and Brentford played out a 0-0 draw in the Premier League at Elland Road on Sunday leaving the hosts a point above the relegation zone following a frustrating afternoon.

The disappointing result stretches Leeds' winless run to six league games and leaves them in 15th place in the standings just a point above third-bottom Bournemouth.

"Points are crucial for us at the moment," said Leeds forward Jack Harrison. "We would like to get as many as we can and would have liked to win but we take the point, move on and get ready for the next game."

Spanish police detain Brazil's Dani Alves over sexual assault allegation

BARCELONA — Dani Alves appeared before a judge in Barcelona on Friday over a sexual assault allegation after Spanish police detained and questioned the Brazil defender and the public prosecutor requested he be jailed on remand.

A spokesperson for the local Mossos d'Esquadra force said officers had taken Alves, who has denied the allegation, to a court office after his arrest where a judge would decide on his case.

Meaningless friendly emphasizes how Messi and Ronaldo should never be allowed to retire

The lasting feeling from Thursday's 5-4 friendly between PSG and a Riyadh All-Star XI in Saudi Arabia is that Cristiano Ronaldo, on the verge of his 38th birthday, and Lionel Messi, 35, could play forever. Neymar, 30, looks like he's got a year or two left in him.

It was Ronaldo who scored Riyadh's first two goals while Messi opened the scoring for PSG in the third-minute. Both provided moments of dazzling skill, much to the delight of the businessman who paid $2.66 million for a single ticket.

Messi opens the scoring off Neymar's pass

5 USMNT players we're excited to see during January camp

As Mary J. Blige once said, "No drama, no more in my life (no more drama in my life, no one's gonna make me hurt again)." I'm so tired of the USMNT manager discussion, so this is the only time I'm going to mention that or the fact that Anthony Hudson is serving as interim head coach for January camp. Let's get back to the only things that matter, the game and the players who play it.

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