The USMNT looks to have lost out on one of MLS’s best prospects
Bosnia and Herzegovina has handed a first senior call-up to New England Revolution attacker Esmir Bajraktarevic.
The 19-year-old has been named to the country’s 26-man roster for upcoming UEFA Nations League matches against the Netherlands on September 7, and Hungary three days later.
Bajraktarevic has only represented the U.S. at the international level thus far, playing at several youth levels and making his senior debut this January against Slovenia.
The Revs star’s parents fled Bosnia in the early 1990s amid a devastating war, eventually settling in Wisconsin where Bajraktarevic was born and raised.
At a press conference on Friday, Bosnia and Herzegovina national team director Emir Spahić said that the player’s choice was clear, despite his previous representation of the United States.
“With Esmir Bajraktarevic and his father, the story from the start went in only one direction, and that is the national team of Bosnia and Herzegovina,” Spahić said. “Without a single moment of doubt, he had only one wish and that is why he is here.”
Should Bajraktarevic play for Bosnia and Herzegovina in either of its Nations League matches, he would not be permanently tied to the European nation. However, FIFA regulations would require him to wait three years before he would be able to play for the USMNT again.
The European season officially kicks off on Wednesday in Poland
The European season kicks off on Wednesday when Champions League winner Real Madrid faces Europa League winner Atalanta in the UEFA Super Cup.
Madrid won its 15th Champions League last season by defeating Dortmund in the final, while Atalanta stunned previously unbeaten Bayer Leverkusen in the Europa League final behind Ademola Lookman’s hat trick.
After also winning La Liga last term, the Blancos are looking for even more silverware in 2024-25 with Carlo Ancelotti returning as head coach.
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The biggest news of the offseason for Madrid was the club’s signing of French star Kylian Mbappé, who looks set to debut in the Super Cup after skipping the club’s preseason tour of the United States.
Should Madrid defeat Atalanta, it would win the UEFA Super Cup for a record sixth time. The club is currently tied for most titles ever alongside Barcelona and AC Milan.
Atalanta has strengthened in the offseason by signing Charles De Ketelaere on a permanent basis and also adding Italy striker Mateo Retegui from Genoa.
But the club will have to deal without injured pair Giorgio Scalvini and Gianluca Scamacca as well as Teun Koopmeiners, who is looking to force through a move to Juventus.
Here is everything you need to know ahead of the game.
Real Madrid vs. Atalanta (UEFA Super Cup)
When: Wednesday, August 14
Where: PGE Narodowy (Warsaw, Poland)
Time: 3 p.m. ET
Channel/streaming: Paramount+ (WATCH LIVE), CBS Sports Network, Univision, TUDN, ViX
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A Seleção plays its final warm-up match before Euro 2024 kicks off
Portugal will face Ireland on Tuesday as A Seleção plays its final warm-up match before Euro 2024 kicks off.
Roberto Martinez’s men will be among the favorites at the tournament in Germany, having won all 10 of their qualification matches in Group J.
They started a run of three friendlies with a 4-2 victory over Finland last week, before falling 2-1 to Croatia over the weekend.
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Portugal will face the Czech Republic, Turkey and Georgia in Group F at Euro 2024, with its first match on June 18 against the Czechs.
Ireland, which fell short of qualifying for Euro 2024, began this international window with a 2-1 win over Hungary last week. The Boys in Green are preparing to kick off Nations League play in September.
Here’s everything you need to know ahead of the match.
Portugal vs. Ireland (international friendly)
When: Tuesday, June 11
Where: Estádio Municipal de Aveiro (Aveiro, Portugal)
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The two European heavyweights meet as they continue preparing for Euro 2024
Portugal will face Croatia on Saturday as both teams continue preparing for Euro 2024.
A Seleção will be playing its penultimate warm-up match, with a game to follow against Ireland on Tuesday.
Roberto Martinez’s men will be among the favorites at the tournament in Germany, having won all 10 of their qualification matches in Group J.
They started a run of three friendlies with a 4-2 victory over Finland earlier this week.
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Croatia also started its warm-up matches with a win, defeating North Macedonia 3-0 in Rijeka on Monday. This will be the team’s final friendly before Euro 2024 begins.
Portugal will face the Czech Republic, Turkey and Georgia in Group F at Euro 2024, while Croatia has been drawn in Group B alongside Spain, Albania and Italy.
Here’s everything you need to know ahead of the match.
Portugal vs. Croatia (international friendly)
When: Saturday, June 8
Where: Centro Desportivo Nacional do Jamor (Lisbon, Portugal)
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Germany’s final prep match for Euro 2024 will be against a Greece side in flux after a coaching chang
Germany’s final prep match ahead of Euro 2024 will see Greece visit Borussia-Park for a Friday friendly.
Since taking over as Germany’s head coach in September 2023, Julian Nagelsmann has not quite convinced just yet. Wins over the U.S. men’s national team, France, and the Netherlands have helped his cause, but Die Mannschaft has also stumbled in losses to Turkey and Austria.
Coming off of a scoreless draw with Ukraine on Monday, Germany should have Niclas Füllkrug, Toni Kroos, Antonio Rüdiger, and Nico Schlotterbeck back in the fold. The quartet were all rested after participating in the UEFA Champions League final.
Germany, who will host Euro 2024, will face Scotland, Hungary, and Switzerland in Group A once the tournament begins on June 14.
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Greece, meanwhile, remains under the stewardship of interim coach Nikos Papadopoulos after Gus Poyet’s contract expired in March.
Papadopoulos has assembled a squad featuring four players from the Olympiacos side that in May became the first Greek club to lift a European trophy. The Pireaus-based club won the UEFA Europa Conference League after a 1-0 victory over Fiorentina in the final.
Here’s everything you need to know ahead of the match.
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The Wrexham star said his international coach “couldn’t get off the phone quick enough”
James McClean has hit out at former Ireland manager Stephen Kenny, saying his “disrespectful” response to his move to Wrexham led directly to his international retirement.
McClean signed with Wrexham prior to the current season, joining the League Two outfit after a season in which he was named Wigan Athletic’s player of the year.
There were some eyebrows raised after McClean’s decision, as he dropped down two divisions after a standout campaign in the Championship.
At the time, McClean was an active Ireland international but as he revealed in an interview with the Irish Examiner, the reaction from Kenny led to his international retirement in October.
“He couldn’t get off the phone quick enough,” McClean said of Kenny. “That spoke of what he thought about the move. I don’t think he was on board. Ultimately, I would say that was a major factor in my decision to step away from Ireland. Sometimes when you make a decision, you are made to walk the plank. I felt that if I don’t walk away now, I may never get the opportunity to say goodbye on my terms.
“I thought it was very disrespectful. I had offers to stay in the Championship but at my age I wanted to do something that would excite and be a challenge. Wrexham had a project and it’s a successful one. Nobody forced me to make the move but I’m glad I did and there’s a sense of justification.”
The 34-year-old has been a fixture for Wrexham this season, as the Red Dragons clinched promotion to League One with a win over Forest Green Rovers over the weekend.
The Irish federation confirmed in November that it would not be renewing Kenny’s contract after the team failed to qualify for Euro 2024.
With McClean’s former Ireland teammate John O’Shea now coaching the team, he did leave open the possibility of an international return.
“It’s not something I’ll be campaigning for but if the call ever comes to play for your country, it’s a hard one to turn down,” McClean said.
The South American and European sides clash in a friendly in Spain
Colombia and Romania continue their preparations for major tournaments this summer when they meet in Madrid on Tuesday.
Both teams are looking to continue unbeaten runs as they conclude the final international window before the summer.
Colombia defeated Spain 1-0 in London on Friday, stretching its unbeaten streak to an impressive 20 games as it aims to lift the Copa América this summer on U.S. soil.
Los Cafeteros were drawn into Group D at the Copa América, where they will face Paraguay, Costa Rica and Brazil.
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Romania, meanwhile, drew Northern Ireland 1-1 on Friday, stretching its own unbeaten run to 12 matches. Edward Iordanescu’s side has qualified for Euro 2024 this summer, where it will face Slovakia, Belgium and a playoff winner in Group E.
Here is everything you need to know ahead of the match
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Real Madrid, Barcelona, Chelsea, AC Milan, and Manchester City will all play in the U.S. this summer
The Soccer Champions Tour will return in 2024, with five European powers set to tour the United States during preseason.
The Soccer Champions Tour debuted in 2023, and will return this summer with six games featuring five clubs: Real Madrid, Barcelona, Chelsea, AC Milan, and Manchester City.
The marquee event of the Soccer Champions Tour will be a preseason El Clásico featuring Real Madrid and Barcelona, with this year’s edition taking place at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.
American fans will also get the chance to see AC Milan star Christian Pulisic face Madrid and Barcelona in Chicago and Baltimore, respectively, as well as Manchester City in New York.
“Soccer Champions Tour is thrilled to return this summer with enticing matchups featuring some of the world’s most storied clubs for fans in the U.S. to witness the beautiful game at the highest level,” said Joe Carr, the commissioner of the Soccer Champions Tour.
“With all five clubs possessing passionate supporters that span the globe, we’re pleased to unveil an exciting range of matches throughout the U.S., a market experiencing exponential growth in the sport’s popularity.”
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The Mexico international completed one of the strangest hat tricks you’ll ever see
Feyenoord striker Santiago Giménez completed one of the strangest hat tricks you’ll ever see on Wednesday, with his third goal against Ajax coming three days after his second.
Giménez netted a pair of goals on Sunday as the Eredivisie champions raced into a 3-0 lead at the Johan Cruyff Arena.
Ajax fans were not happy with their side’s insipid display, showing their displeasure by launching missiles, flares and fireworks onto the pitch. The game was suspended in the 56th minute, and eventually abandoned due to the unplayable conditions on the field.
The trouble continued outside the stadium in Amsterdam, as riot police charged at unruly fans.
After the mess on Sunday, the Eredivisie opted to resume the match on Wednesday behind closed doors at Johan Cruyff Arena. Just three minutes after the game restarted, Giménez scored his third of the game by putting home a rebound.
The Mexico international thus completed the rarely seen 47-hour hat trick.
Ajax 0-4 Feyenoord 📈
Feyenoord record a comfortable victory over Ajax after their game resumed today, with Santiago Gimenez completing his hat-trick in 47 hours and 16 minutes.
Local time, the goals came at: ⚽️ 14:39 (Sun 24 Sept) ⚽️ 14:48 (Sun 24 Sept) ⚽️ 14:04 (Wed 27 Sept) pic.twitter.com/dLFmUEIfzb
After helping Feyenoord to a league title last season, Giménez has started the current campaign in red-hot form. The 22-year-old’s hat trick against Ajax took him to nine goals in just six league games. It also made him the first Feyenoord player to score a hat trick in an Eredivisie away game at Ajax.
As for Ajax, defeat continues a disastrous season. The Dutch power is currently 14th out of 18 teams in the league and recently fired technical director Sven Mislintat. There is plenty of speculation that head coach Maurice Steijn could be next.
Asllani: “You have to pay tribute to your women’s national team and put it in a bigger arena”
Progress is not linear, particularly in women’s soccer.
Just consider Italy, a country that has a glorious tradition in the sport on the men’s side, but only did away with government regulations preventing Serie A Femminile from becoming fully professional in 2020.
The problem? The Italian federation (FIGC) decided to schedule the match in a small town’s equally small stadium.
Following a 1-0 win to the visitors, Sweden star Kosovare Asllani — who currently plays in Italy for AC Milan — ripped into the FIGC over its venue choice.
“It is under all criticism of the Italian federation to put the match here out in the forest,” Asllani told Swedish outlet SVT Sport. “I have seen more animals than people here.”
Reports held that just 2,500 people showed up for the match, which was played at the humble Stadio Teofilo Patini, a 7,200-seat venue that just so happens to be located in FIGC president Gabriele Gravina’s hometown. Castel di Sangro isn’t near any major population center, with the nearest city of note (Pescara) a 90-minute drive to the north.
“You have to pay tribute to your women’s national team and put it in a bigger arena and see how much you can pull,” said Asllani. “You can’t put the match out in the woods. It is under all criticism.”
Sweden’s previous match in the Nations League, a gripping 3-2 defeat against Spain, was played at Gamla Ullevi, a modern venue with a capacity of 18,416 that serves as home to men’s top-flight club IFK Göteborg. It had all the trappings of high-level international soccer.
Four days later, the Swedes stepped out onto the pitch at the Patini, nestled in a town with a population of 6,461. The normal home team, Castel di Sangro Cep 1953, currently sits in third place in the Eccellenza Molise, one of 29 regional divisions making up the fifth tier of Italian men’s soccer.
The Patini is a fine venue for fifth-division soccer played by a club that has never been to Serie A, and hasn’t been to Serie B since one eventful two-year stint from 1996-98 that was immortalized in Joe McGinniss’ book “The Miracle of Castel di Sangro.”
Readers of that book may be forgiven for seeing Gravina — whose exploits in that book included signing an actor and pretending he was actually a big addition from Leicester City — and being puzzled as to how he became the president of one of world soccer’s most successful federations.
In any case, the rolling green hills of the Abruzzo are visible from the stands at the Patini. It seems nice!
(Photo by Giuseppe Bellini/Getty Images)
“Nice” does not, however, mean “venue suitable for the top level of European women’s soccer,” which is the entire thing Italy and Sweden were meeting up to do on the day.
It’s not that the FIGC always sends its women’s national team as far away from population centers as it possibly can. Next month, Italy will host Spain at Stadio Arechi in Salerno. Which is to say, at a 37,800-seat venue in a city of 133,000 that happens to be just south of Naples.
“Women’s football is on such a sharp upward curve,” Sweden’s Magdalena Eriksson told TV4 on Monday. “We are coming from a World Cup with such fantastic attendance numbers… It’s an important match and obviously we would have liked to see and test the limits of how many people would have come if we had played in a bigger arena, but also in a bigger city.”
