Category: Concacaf Nations League

Did Reyna’s USMNT exploits earn him more minutes at Nottingham Forest? Nuno says…maybe

Nuno liked what he saw out of Reyna with the USMNT, but didn’t commit to giving him more minutes at Forest

Gio Reyna’s star showing for the U.S. men’s national team in its Concacaf Nations League triumph was impressive, but it’s not clear whether it will matter much to Nottingham Forest manager Nuno Espírito Santo.

The Forest boss was asked on Thursday whether Reyna’s performance with the USMNT could help him crack the club’s lineup after playing just 39 of a possible 810 minutes since joining the club on loan from Borussia Dortmund this winter.

Nuno acknowledged Reyna’s excellent work with the U.S., but wasn’t ready to commit to any increase in playing time.

“Reyna, very happy, because he was [named Best Player in the Concacaf Nations League] and he did very well,” Nuno told reporters when asked about the status of Forest’s returning internationals. “So we need all the players, because we have a hard [road], and we need all of them.”

When a reporter asked directly about whether Reyna’s showings in Texas might push him into the team for Saturday’s clash with Crystal Palace, Nuno indulged in some classic coach-speak.

“We’re gonna see more of everybody!” insisted Nuno. “Because we need all of them, all of them. They are aware that now is not important to to get any feeling of selfishness. Selfish? No. It’s all about the team, and if you play one minute, it’s for the team.”

The manager was not willing to divulge much about the fitness status of his side, but did admit that striker Taiwo Awoniyi will remain out with an unspecified injury.

That might not help Reyna crack the lineup, as Awoniyi is very much a target man, and Forest expects leading scorer Chris Wood to be available on Saturday anyway.

However, if Nuno looks to winger Anthony Elanga as a second option up front, it could open up at least one avenue to more playing time for the USMNT playmaker, even if being out wide isn’t his top choice.

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Reyna rules Concacaf again as USMNT star named player of Nations League

There’s something about this competition that brings out the best in Reyna

Gio Reyna clearly loves the Concacaf Nations League.

The U.S. national team midfielder was named the best player of the Nations League after scoring in Sunday’s 2-0 win over Mexico in the final.

That performance followed a star showing in the semifinal against Jamaica, as the 21-year-old came off the bench to assist two Haji Wright goals in extra time of a 3-1 win.

With the USMNT up a goal thanks to a rocket from Tyler Adams before the break on Sunday, Reyna all but put the game out of reach against Mexico at AT&T Stadium.

Following some excellent work on the left flank from Christian Pulisic, Mexico could only clear as far as Reyna, who smashed a half volley to the near post that Guillermo Ochoa couldn’t reach.

Even as his loan at Nottingham Forest continues to be a massive struggle, Reyna once again found his best level with the USMNT.

“It never gets old winning titles with your country so I won’t take anything for granted,” Reyna told CBS Sports after the game. “I’m so happy for the guys and how they played today and how we fought through adversity. It was just a great game and I’m so happy for everyone.

“The group of guys and the energy we have here, it’s amazing. I always love coming to camp. I really mean it from the bottom of my heart. It’s a great group of guys and they’re so great to work with and be around. I can’t really say much more, I’m at a loss for words right now. It’s an honor to play with these guys and for my country.”

There’s something about this competition that brings out the best in Reyna, who had one of the best performances of his USMNT career in last year’s Nations League final against Canada.

Even as his club future continues to be murky, Reyna’s national team displays mean his role as a prominent member of this USMNT is unquestionable.

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USMNT vs. Mexico: How to watch Concacaf Nations League final, TV channel, live stream

Concacaf bragging rights are once again up for grabs as the USMNT faces its biggest rival, Mexico

The U.S. men’s national team will face arch-rivals Mexico Sunday night in the Concacaf Nations League final at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.

The USMNT comes into this match after Thursday’s unusual 3-1 extra-time win over Jamaica. The U.S. conceded in the first minute and trailed well into second-half stoppage time, yet ended up with a multiple-goal win after Gio Reyna and Haji Wright took over in extra time.

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Mexico beat Panama 3-0 in the other semifinal, though the scoreline again doesn’t quite paint an accurate picture. El Tri certainly looked dangerous going forward, but conceded some big chances defensively.

The USMNT has been rather unimpressive since late last year, but has been on one of its best-ever runs against Mexico. A six-game unbeaten run matches the longest such streak for the U.S., with El Tri not winning a match between the sides since a September 2019 friendly.

Gregg Berhalter’s side is aiming to make it three Nations League titles from three tournaments, while Mexico will look for revenge after losing to the USMNT in a dramatic 2021 final.

Here’s everything you need to know ahead of the match.

USMNT vs. Mexico (Nations League final)

  • When: Sunday, March 24
  • Where: AT&T Stadium (Arlington, Texas)
  • Time: 9:15 p.m. ET
  • Channel/streaming: Univision, TUDN, Paramount+ (WATCH LIVE)

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Mexico coach Lozano: There are no favorites in final vs. USMNT

The USMNT will aim for its third straight Nations League title on Sunday

Mexico head coach Jaime Lozano has said there will be no favorites when his side meets the U.S. men’s national team in the Concacaf Nations League final.

The USMNT barely got past Jamaica on Thursday night, posting a 3-1 win in extra time to reach the showpiece on Sunday. On the other hand, Mexico earned a 3-0 win over Panama in its semifinal match.

That set up a high-profile clash on Sunday at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. The USMNT will be looking to make it three Nations League titles out of three, while Mexico will aim for some revenge after the U.S. won an epic 2021 final in extra time.

Though the USMNT will enter Sunday’s match on a six-game unbeaten run against its biggest rival, Lozano said after the Panama match that the final could go either way.

“There are no favorites,” Lozano said. “Whoever does things better and tries to recover better will be best prepared for the final. Both teams are intent on winning the trophy. There are a lot things for us to improve.”

Lozano: Panama scoreline was misleading

Though the scoreline would seem to indicate a comfortable win against Panama, Lozano felt that his side was not three goals better than Los Canaleros on the night.

“It’s soccer and we made mistakes,” Lozano said. “Luckily for us, they couldn’t take advantage of them. We made some important interceptions to stop them. The final score is very misleading, but we were resolute, we knew how to withstand pressure, remain calm and make the most of our opportunities.”

Mexico was outshot 18-6 on the night and conceded 59 percent of the possession, though El Tri did have a 6-5 advantage in shots on goal. But the match could have been very different were it not for some stellar second-half saves from Guillermo “Memo” Ochoa.

“The important thing is to get results. In international tournaments, getting through the group stage is life or death, and you have to learn to withstand pressure and take advantage of your opportunities, your moments, and be efficient in both penalty areas,” Lozano said. “We had a bit of luck when Panama weren’t able to take their chances. Some were saved by Memo Ochoa. But we were resolute.”

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Did Berhalter take a shot at Marsch after USMNT-Jamaica game?

The USMNT coach couldn’t help but spike the football after Gio Reyna’s display

After watching Gio Reyna’s incredible display for the U.S. men’s national team on Thursday night, Gregg Berhalter couldn’t help himself.

The USMNT defeated Jamaica 3-1 in extra time, advancing to Sunday’s Nations League final against Mexico at AT&T Stadium.

In his post-game press conference the USMNT coach was asked about Reyna, who came off the bench at halftime and delivered two outstanding assists for Haji Wright to decide a dramatic semifinal.

Chief on Berhalter’s mind was criticism he’d received for calling Reyna up amid a loan at Nottingham Forest in which he’s hardly seen the field.

“I think I heard somewhere or read somewhere, ‘Why did Gio get called in the camp?'” Berhalter said. “Did you guys hear any of that? Anyone?

“Well, I think he showed why he got called into camp. Amazing quality, amazing talent. And for us, it’s about supporting him through the difficult times of adapting to the Premier League. But his quality is unquestionable.

“When you see the plays he made on both the second and third goal, I think most importantly, the ball he wins and then makes the pass [on the third goal]. He has that quality that not many players have and it’s clear that he deserves to play on this team.”

Though Berhalter didn’t name any of the critics, he may very well have been referring to one in particular: Jesse Marsch.

The former Leeds coach and one-time candidate for Berhalter’s job questioned Reyna’s inclusion last week on CBS’s “Call It What You Want” podcast.

Marsch even seemed to suggest that Berhalter was overly deferential to Reyna after the scandal that erupted between the pair and their families last year.

This was hardly the first time that Marsch had taken aim at Berhalter in recent months. The former Red Bull Salzburg and RB Leipzig coach also questioned the inclusion of Tyler Adams on the current roster, called for exiled defender John Brooks to be given a major role on the USMNT, and said the USMNT lacks a signature win under Berhalter.

Given all of the above, it’s tough to really blame Berhalter if he felt like spiking the football a bit on Thursday night.

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Mexico vs. Panama: How to watch Concacaf Nations League, TV channel, live stream

Both sides will be looking to go one step further after they each lost at the semifinal stage of this competition last year

Mexico will face Panama on Thursday night in a Concacaf Nations League semifinal at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.

Both sides will be looking to go one step further after they each lost at the semifinal stage of this competition last year. Panama fell to Canada, while Mexico was defeated by arch-rival United States.

This time around, Mexico barely advanced past Honduras on penalties in the quarterfinal, while Panama impressively knocked off Costa Rica by a 6-1 aggregate scoreline in their quarterfinal matchup.

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Panama will be looking to gain some revenge on Mexico after falling to El Tri in last year’s Gold Cup final.

The winner of this match will face the winner of the USA’s semifinal against Jamaica in Sunday’s final, while the two losers will meet Sunday in the third-place game.

Here’s everything you need to know ahead of the match.

Mexico vs. Panama (Nations League semifinal)

  • When: Thursday, March 21
  • Where: AT&T Stadium (Arlington, Texas)
  • Time: 10:15 p.m. ET
  • Channel/streaming: Univision, TUDN, Paramount+ (WATCH LIVE)

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USMNT vs. Jamaica: How to watch Concacaf Nations League, TV channel, live stream

The USMNT will face the Reggae Boyz with a berth in Sunday’s final at stake

The U.S. men’s national team will face Jamaica on Thursday night in a Concacaf Nations League semifinal at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.

Jamaica has reached this stage for the first time, while the USMNT is looking to make it three titles out of three in the Nations League.

The USMNT would have been favorites even if Jamaica was at full strength, but the Reggae Boyz enter this match missing several key players. Jamaica will be without Michail Antonio, the injured Ethan Pinnock and Amari’i Bell, the suspended Demarai Gray and Shamar Nicholson, as well as Leon Bailey and Trivante Stewart, who were dropped after missing curfew Jamaica’s last camp.

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The USMNT will be mostly full strength, but did have to make a pair of roster changes ahead of this match with Brenden Aaronson and Haji Wright replacing the injured Luca de la Torre and Josh Sargent.

Overall, the USMNT has a 19W-3L-10D record against Jamaica, including a run of 5W-0L-1D in its last six encounters.

The winner of this match will face the winner of Mexico’s semifinal against Panama in Sunday’s final, while the two losers will meet Sunday in the third-place game.

Here’s everything you need to know ahead of the match.

USMNT vs. Jamaica (Nations League semifinal)

  • When: Thursday, March 21
  • Where: AT&T Stadium (Arlington, Texas)
  • Time: 7 p.m. ET
  • Channel/streaming: Univision, TUDN, Paramount+ (WATCH LIVE)

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NFL star and former MLS defender Aubrey pays visit to USMNT camp

Brandon Aubrey, a former MLS draft pick who led the NFL in scoring last season, stopped by USMNT camp this week

The U.S. men’s national team had a special guest at Tuesday’s practice, a familiar face for fans in Dallas.

The USMNT invited Cowboys kicker Brandon Aubrey to a training session ahead of Thursday’s Concacaf Nations League semifinal showdown with Jamaica at AT&T Stadium.

Aubrey, 29, emerged as one of the best kickers in the NFL last season, but his professional sports career actually started in soccer.

Aubrey was a defender at Notre Dame from 2013-2016, scoring 15 goals and earning first-team All-ACC recognition with the Fighting Irish. He was drafted by Toronto FC in the first round of the 2017 MLS SuperDraft.

The defender spent his first season on loan to Toronto’s second team (a USL squad at the time), then he spent one year with Bethlehem Steel FC (another USL team that formerly served as a Philadelphia Union affiliate). After 47 appearances in the USL, Aubrey was out of soccer by 2019.

Aubrey started working as a software engineer. While watching an NFL game in 2019, Aubrey and his wife looked on as a kicker missed an attempt.

“You could do that,” she told him.

So he did.

Aubrey hired a kicking coach and he worked in his garage during the pandemic. After three years of training, he finally got an opportunity with the Birmingham Stallions (then of the USFL, a league that has since merged with the XFL to form the UFL).

In his first season as a professional kicker, Aubrey made the All-USFL first-team and he won back-to-back championships with the Stallions. After going 32-of-37 on field goal attempts in the spring league, Aubrey was invited to Cowboys training camp last summer.

Aubrey ended up winning Dallas’ starting kicker job and he went on to go 36-of-38 on field goal attempts in 2023, leading the NFL with 157 points. He quickly established himself as one of the best kickers in the NFL and made the Pro Bowl in his first season.

Aubrey is following in the footsteps of Josh Lambo, who switched from soccer to American football and went on to have a seven-year career as a kicker in the NFL. If his first season is any indication of what’s to come, Aubrey is well on his way to surpassing Lambo’s feats.

The winner of the USA-Jamacia match on Thursday will advance to face the winner of the Mexico-Panama clash in the Concacaf Nations League final at the Cowboys’ stadium on Sunday night.

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Already shorthanded, Jamaica sees Antonio withdraw ahead of USMNT clash

If Jamaica is to spring an upset over the USMNT, it will have to do so the hard way

If Jamaica is to spring an upset over the U.S. men’s national team on Thursday night, it will have to do so the hard way.

Already missing a host of key players for the Concacaf Nations League semifinal, the Reggae Boyz will now also be without star forward Michail Antonio.

West Ham said on Tuesday that Antonio had withdrawn from the Jamaica squad, declining to provide a reason. The 33-year-old was originally named to Jamaica’s roster for the Nations League finals, and scored on Sunday in West Ham’s 1-1 draw with Aston Villa.

Antonio joins a growing list of players who won’t be available on Thursday when Jamaica faces the USMNT at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.

Leon Bailey and Trivante Stewart were both not selected for the roster after missing curfew at Jamaica’s most recent camp. Center backs Ethan Pinnock and Amari’i Bell also weren’t called up due to injury, while Demarai Gray and Shamar Nicholson are on the roster but will be suspended against the U.S. due to card accumulation.

The USMNT is aiming for its third consecutive Nations League title, while Jamaica is making its first semifinal appearance in the competition.

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Adams provides fitness update ahead of USMNT Nations League matches

The USMNT captain isn’t in camp just to provide a locker room presence.

Tyler Adams may have only played a couple times over the past year, but he’s not at U.S. men’s national team camp just to provide a locker room presence.

After two hamstring surgeries knocked him out for nearly a full year, Adams has been named to a USMNT roster for the first time since the 2022 World Cup.

The midfielder has joined up with the USMNT ahead of Thursday’s Concacaf Nations League semifinal against Jamaica. The winner of that match will face the winner of Mexico’s semifinal against Panama in Sunday’s final, while the two losers will meet Sunday in the third-place game.

Adams made his first Bournemouth appearance since September last week, coming on in the 71st minute of a 4-3 comeback win over Luton Town.

Some have questioned the wisdom of bringing Adams into USMNT camp with such limited recent game action, but in a call with the media on Monday, the 25-year-old insisted he’s ready to play some significant minutes.

“I played a bit in a [Bournemouth] reserve game, so I got a few minutes there. I had been training for a good amount of time, doing a lot of fitness,” Adams said. “But I felt really good in the [Luton] game. I think I ended up playing — with like 12 minutes of extra time or something — close to 30 minutes and came out of that in a good position.

“I was talking to Gregg [Berhalter, USMNT coach] all along and we were deciding whether I would just come into camp and be around the guys and continue my fitness and training, or if I felt I could play a role in an active roster.

“If anybody asked me, of course I want to play a role and be on the active roster. So I think for these games, I’m still probably minute-capped maybe a little bit. It’s not you know, come flying out of the gates, but I know I can contribute 45 to 60 minutes.”

Adams said that despite a lengthy period of rehab that had to start all over again after his second surgery in October, he always believed he would be back with the USMNT.

“There was never a doubt in my mind that the moment would come,” he said. “Anyone that knows me knows that I do a lot of my work behind the scenes. I go about my business in the right way. I’ve been continuously working nonstop in the past months to make sure that this time would come.

“I’m not sure if anyone thought it would come this soon, but I was continuously just pushing myself and making sure that I was hitting objectives in a smart way. Not rushing the process, making sure I was hitting all my benchmarks, and now here I am.”

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