There’s been a lot of talk — A LOT — about how the USMNT is going to play three World Cup qualifiers in frigid temperatures this international break. Almost every post the @USMNT Twitter account has made this week has highlighted the fact it gets kinda cold in the northern parts of the U.S. in the winter.
Built for the elements. ❄️ pic.twitter.com/vvVJyO3QBY
It is, we're learning, a question that can be framed in countless ways — "Will it be an advantage? But will it really be an advantage? How will you prepare? How will you mentally prepare? Will you put hot chicken broth in your water bottle so it doesn't freeze?" — but really only ever has one definitive plan of action: Deal with it.
Ghana and the United States men’s national team have a rich history of meeting at the World Cup. The African nation knocked out the USMNT of the world’s biggest tournament in 2010 and 2006 and the Americans got revenge in 2014. Both teams failed to make the 2018 edition and now the question of will Ghana make the World Cup looms after the latest World Cup qualifying draw.
USMNT head coach Gregg Berhalter released the latest national-team roster that has, as always, caused controversy. Before we get into the roster, let’s see who Berhalter thinks has what it takes to qualify the USMNT for Qatar.
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The number of USMNT winter transfers to Europe continues to grow by the day. With Major League Soccer not beginning until Feb. 26, some of the brighter stars are skipping out on next season with their respective MLS clubs and looking for minutes in Europe.
There was a bizarre Ricardo Pepi quote making the rounds in Germany this week. Thankfully, the fine folks at FC Augsburg were kind enough to dispel it as fake. But we still have so, so many questions.
The U.S. men’s national team has a striker problem. Players like Ricardo Pepi, Jordan Pefok, Gyasi Zardes and Daryl Dike have all attempted to fill the No. 9 vacancy on the team with mixed results. The team has been searching for an answer, but little did they know the solution has been one step away from the field this whole time.
Gregg Berhalter needs a go at striker. Don’t believe me? Check out this video from the USMNT’s Arizona training camp and try telling me that Mr. Nike Shirt couldn’t score a goal for this team.
A Premier League transfer caught my eye over the weekend, not because of the notoriety of the player, but actually for the exact opposite reason. Chelsea midfielder Lewis Baker joined Stoke City on a permanent deal following 17 years with the Blues.
Not familiar with the name? Don't feel too bad. Baker made just two first-team appearances during his time in London — FA Cup cameos during the 13-14 and 21-22 seasons. Instead, the 26-year-old had eight loan spells in four countries after being promoted to the Chelsea senior squad in 2014.
Watching Ricardo Pepi make his first Augsburg start on Sunday against Eintracht Frankfurt in the Bundesliga, I realized that either Pepi's performance was exactly the same as the debuts of Clint Dempsey with Fulham, Christian Pulisic with Borussia Dortmund and Tyler Adams with Leipzig or that I have a tendency to see exactly what I want to see when hugely talented Americans finally grace the field in Europe.
MUNICH, Germany — Bayern Munich keeper Manuel Neuer and winger Leroy Sané are among several players to return for Saturday's trip to Cologne in the Bundesliga but Alphonso Davies will be out for some time with a heart muscle inflammation, said coach Julian Nagelsmann.
The league leaders suffered a 2-1 loss to Borussia Moenchengladbach last week which allowed Borussia Dortmund to close in to within six points. They now want to bounce back as players return following a string of COVID-19 infections.