Category: Premier League

JJ and Kealia Watt will both play for Burnley in TST 2024

Burnley’s high-profile co-owners are ready to test themselves on the field.

Burnley’s high-profile co-owners are ready to test themselves on the field.

JJ and Kealia Watt will both play for Burnley in the 2024 edition of The Soccer Tournament (TST), a 7v7 event with a $1 million winner-take-all prize.

Burnley will enter a team in both the men’s and women’s division of the tournament, with the NFL legend and the ex-NWSL star set to captain their respective sides.

“It’s really exciting for both Kealia and I to headline Burnley FC’s men’s and women’s teams at TST,” JJ Watt said in a statement. “We’ve called some friends and are planning on bringing the best teams we can to compete. We are both highly competitive individuals, so we’ll be giving it our all in claret and blue!”

The couple announced last May that they had become investors in Burnley.

Kealia Watt added: “We’re delighted to announce our involvement in TST. Having the opportunity to represent Burnley on the pitch and compete against clubs from around the globe will be incredibly special.

“I’m also looking forward to making history with the inaugural women’s Tournament. This is an important addition and I’m pleased to see TST’s commitment to an equal prize for the winning men’s and women’s teams. I’m looking forward to playing in the Burnley shirt and reuniting with some of my former teammates.”

This year’s TST will feature an eight-team women’s tournament and a 48-team men’s tournament, with the winner of each competition taking home $1 million.

Other notable figures confirmed to be involved in this year’s tournament include Sergio Agüero, Nani, Mario Balotelli, Ali Krieger, Heather O’Reilly and more.

TST will be held at WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary, NC from June 5-10, with ESPN broadcasting select matches.

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Bournemouth midfielder Adams misses Luton Town clash with back spasms

Adams was not in uniform for the Cherries after suffering from back issues

Just when everyone thought Tyler Adams was back, the U.S. men’s national team midfielder has — at least for now — returned to the sidelines.

Adams was not in uniform as Bournemouth took on Luton Town on Saturday, marking the second straight match for the Cherries in which the USMNT star did not play.

Following the match, Bournemouth head coach Andoni Iraola confirmed Adams had been suffering from back spasms throughout the week.

Bournemouth would go on to lose 2-1 at Kenilworth Road after the Hatters staged a late comeback.

Adams was in uniform but did not appear in Tuesday’s 1-0 win over Crystal Palace. That match came three days after Adams stood out in a 2-1 win over Everton, playing 90 minutes for the first time in over a year.

Iraola said before the match that an unspecified malady had thrown the status of several players in doubt.

“This week is going to be difficult,” Iraola told reporters at a pre-match press conference. “We have some cases of — I don’t want to say ‘illness’ — but they are not probably feeling 100 percent, but we still have two days.

“Tomorrow they could come fresh and [if so] they are available for the game. It is true we have some players who are let’s say in doubtful conditions to perform if the game was today.”

On Friday, Bournemouth posted a gallery of photos of its team’s final training session before the clash with the Hatters, but Adams did not appear anywhere among the 70 images.

Heading into this week, Adams had been showing promising signs of finding his form instantly after an excruciating injury layoff. The New York native had effectively missed a full year after a hamstring injury required two separate surgeries.

However, he scored a brilliant goal for the USMNT in the Concacaf Nations League final, and had appeared in Bournemouth’s matches on either side of the international break.

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Richards out 2-3 weeks with injury, Crystal Palace boss Glasner confirms

The USMNT defender had played 16 straight league matches before his injury

Chris Richards is set to miss between two and three weeks with an undisclosed injury, Crystal Palace manager Oliver Glasner has confirmed.

Richards suffered the injury in Palace’s 1-1 draw with Nottingham Forest last weekend, then missed his side’s midweek defeat to Bournemouth.

With the Eagles set to face Manchester City on Saturday and Liverpool next weekend, Glasner said at a press conference that the U.S. men’s national team defender would be out for both matches.

“We will look from day to day — one day it looks better and then the next day not so,” Glasner said.

“But I think he will miss at least the Liverpool game and then we will see. He will be out for two or three weeks.”

Prior to the Bournemouth game, Richards had gone the distance in 16 consecutive Premier League matches. After starting the season on the bench, the 24-year-old has become an ever-present for Palace — first playing as a defensive midfielder before shifting to his natural defensive position.

Richards also played the full match in both of the USMNT’s Nations League encounters last month, as Gregg Berhalter’s team beat Jamaica and Mexico to retain the title for the third straight tournament.

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Pulisic’s father: It’s a misconception he disappointed at Chelsea

Mark Pulisic said that his son simply wasn’t given a consistent chance with the Blues

Christian Pulisic’s father has defended his son’s time at Chelsea, saying that it’s a “misconception” he disappointed with the Premier League giants.

Pulisic struggled to find consistent playing time during his spell in London, setting a career low in minutes last season before moving to AC Milan in the summer.

But the U.S. national team star also experienced his share of highs during his four years with Chelsea, as he scored 26 total goals and helped the Blues win the 2020-21 Champions League.

According to Mark Pulisic, his son didn’t disappoint at Chelsea as much as he simply wasn’t given a consistent chance to impress.

“For me it’s not true that Christian disappointed at Chelsea. He simply didn’t play regularly,” Mark said on his podcast, as recorded by Gazzetta dello Sport.

“For me he is now reaching his peak, he is 25 years old, he works hard to develop his game and is respected by his teammates.”

Pulisic has thrived in his first season in Milan, receiving the consistent minutes he never could while at Chelsea. The USMNT star has already set a career high in goals with 12 while starting almost every week.

Pulisic’s father credited Milan coach Stefano Pioli for giving his son the latitude to make mistakes, as well as some former Chelsea teammates for helping him adjust to the Rossoneri.

“Christian has had everyone’s trust,” he said. “Pioli trusts him, he always lets him play and doesn’t immediately replace him if things go wrong. Then he likes Milan and he always speaks well of his teammates. Fikayo Tomori and Olivier Giroud helped him a lot when it came to choosing Milan.”

Though Pulisic is thriving in Milan, his father stopped short of saying that he could stay for the rest of his career. The forward’s time at Chelsea taught him that nothing in the game is permanent.

“Football changes quickly and we have understood for some time that this is a business. You can only think in the short term,” Mark said.

Still, Pulisic’s father insisted his son has no desire to go anywhere else in the near future.

“Let’s be clear: Christian loves Milan and wants to stay. He lives in Busto Arsizio to be close to Milanello (Milan’s training center). He’s learning to speak Italian and he gets on very well with teammates like Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Yunus Musah.”

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Tyler Adams shines in first full 90-minute appearance in over a year

Adams came through unscathed, and was one of the best players on the pitch as the Cherries claimed a win

Sometimes in life, it’s the simple things that are truly worth savoring.

Take for example Tyler Adams, who played a full 90 minutes for Bournemouth in a 2-1 win over Everton on Saturday.

The U.S. men’s national team midfielder getting through one entire game of soccer without issue — or even playing well, as Adams did — is normally not a story.

However, for Adams it was the latest step in an encouraging return from an injury nightmare. The 25-year-old had not come through a 90-minute stint in over a year, with his last such full shift coming all the way back on March 11, 2023 with Leeds.

Adams suffered a hamstring injury in training the following week, eventually undergoing surgery on the problem. Adams would change clubs in the summer, moving from Leeds to Bournemouth, but a September debut off the bench for the Cherries effectively set him back to square one after a recurrence of the same issue.

The USMNT star made his second return on March 13, coming off the bench in a 4-3 Bournemouth win over Luton Town, and Gregg Berhalter took the gamble of calling Adams up for the Concacaf Nations League finals.

While Berhalter drew criticism for that choice from Adams’ former coach Jesse Marsch, it’s safe to say things worked out. The headline item is a spectacular goal against Mexico, but the USMNT stint also served to accelerate Adams’ return to full match fitness in a way that training with Bournemouth wouldn’t have allowed.

That set the stage for a classic Adams showing at the Vitality Stadium, in which the New York native was all over the pitch.

Data from Sofascore bolsters the case that Adams wasn’t just back on the field, but truly looked like his old self. He won seven of eight ground duels on the day, and his four interceptions led all players from both teams.

Adams also posted four successful tackles (joint-best, alongside Everton’s Ben Godfrey), and attempted more passes (46) than any other Bournemouth player.

In other words, Adams isn’t just back. He’s back.

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Iraola: Adams ready to ramp up Bournemouth minutes after USMNT exploits

The USMNT midfielder is looking to start his first club game in a year

Bournemouth head coach Andoni Iraola has said Tyler Adams is ready to ramp up his minutes after a successful return with the U.S. men’s national team.

After a hamstring injury kept him out for the better part of a year, Adams made his Bournemouth return right before the international break, before playing his first USMNT minutes since the 2022 World Cup.

Adams played in both of the USMNT’s Nations League matches, going 40 minutes in the semifinal against Jamaica before playing the first half and scoring a sensational goal in the final against Mexico.

The 25-year-old seems to have returned to England no worse for the wear, as Iraola said he is ready to continue building up his minutes as the Premier League season enters its final stretch.

“I think he’s improving a lot,” Iraola said at a press conference. “He’s in the process of adding minutes. He played 45 minutes in two different games [during the international break] and he finished with good feelings. I think he’s available to play the same amount or even more minutes.”

Bournemouth hosts Everton in the Premier League on Saturday, as Adams aims to start his first club game since March 2023.

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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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The Cavan Sullivan hype train will be tough to slow down

The “best 14-year-old in the world” is set for a move to Manchester City

Before saying anything else about Cavan Sullivan, it’s probably worth emphasizing that, yes, he is 14 years old.

The world of soccer is filled with previously hyped-up 14-year-olds who never amounted to anything. Freddy Adu is the archetype here but let’s not forget he earned 17 senior national team caps, played well over 100 MLS games, and represented European powers like Benfica and Monaco.

He didn’t live up to the hype, obviously, but Adu went much farther than many other 14-year-old future Pelés.

But Sullivan, who is per multiple reports set to sign with Manchester City, does appear to be more can’t-miss than the average player his age.

Taylor Twellman has claimed that Man City scouts consider the U.S. under-15 attacker the best 14-year-old in the world, which is some heady stuff to hear for an American prospect. It also ensures the attention on Sullivan is only set to increase.

Fair or unfair (and it’s probably the latter), Sullivan captures the imagination right now because he seems to represent the next hope for American fans to finally see one of their own among the world’s best men’s players.

With apologies to the current crop of USMNT stars, there are no future Ballon d’Or candidates among them. As long as the country continues to lack that player everyone hoped Adu would become 20 years ago, the next 14-year-old prodigy will always have a little extra riding on their development.

Sullivan, of course, isn’t doing much on the field to tamp down the excitement. In his first pro game last weekend, he delivered the game-winning assist for Philadelphia Union II in MLS Next Pro.

“Those that maybe haven’t learned yet, a young Cavan Sullivan has the talent and ability to become, I’ll just say a household name and is doing really big things,” Union head coach Jim Curtin said last year.

Curtin appears as though he’ll have one of the first cracks to help shape Sullivan at the pro level. The teenager won’t be eligible for Man City until he’s 18, and The Athletic reports that he is set to sign the richest Homegrown Player contract in MLS history with the Union in the meantime.

Though the agreement comes with the stipulation that Sullivan could be sent to a City Football Group side in Europe “if his development surpasses MLS before his 18th birthday,” the possibility of Sullivan actually playing for his hometown team is strong.

That didn’t appear to be the case when early reports emerged of City’s interest. This appears to be a win-win for all parties, as Sullivan has the chance to play at home for a few more years, presumably joining his older brother Quinn on the first team eventually. The Union will get to see one of their brightest prospects play for them, and reap the financial benefits from a sale and future a sell-on percentage.

And if Sullivan is as good as they say he is — a big if, obviously — then Man City could have a future first-team contributor. That would put Sullivan in a rarified space that few American players have ever reached.

It’s a long way away, but it’s possible. And for a clamoring American fan base, that possibility is intoxicating.

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Manchester City USA tour 2024: Schedule, tickets, stadiums and more

The Premier League champions return to the U.S. for a four-game tour this summer

Manchester City is heading back to the United States.

Pep Guardiola’s side will play four preseason matches in the U.S. this summer, returning stateside after touring Asia in the summer of 2023.

“Our 2022 pre-season visit to the United States was hugely successful, including our sell-out fixture at Lambeau Field, Green Bay and the club’s presence, fan base and status continues to grow significantly within the region,” said Peter Laundy, senior vice president of partnerships at City Football Group.

This summer City will take part in the Soccer Champions Tour, which also includes Real Madrid, Barcelona, Chelsea, and AC Milan.

Here are the fixtures for Manchester City’s summer tour of the United States, including information on purchasing tickets.

Man City USA tour 2024

July 23: Manchester City vs. Celtic — Kenan Memorial Stadium, Chapel Hill, NC.

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July 27: Manchester City vs. AC Milan — Yankee Stadium, New York, NY.

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July 30: Manchester City vs. Barcelona — Camping World Stadium, Orlando, FL.

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August 3: Manchester City vs. Chelsea — Ohio Stadium, Columbus, OH,

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Stones suffers injury for England in another blow for Man City

Another potentially major blow for Man City and England

Manchester City has suffered another injury blow during the international break, with England defender John Stones exiting Tuesday’s friendly against Belgium after just nine minutes.

Stones appeared to feel something as he played a pass and after attempting to play on for a few minutes, he was forced to come off the pitch.

The defender’s injury comes just days after Kyle Walker, his teammate for club and country, was injured in England’s friendly defeat to Brazil.

The timing for the injuries to Stones and Walker could hardly be worse, as Man City has a crucial Premier League match against Arsenal on Sunday.

Pep Guardiola’s men go into the game at Etihad Stadium in third place, but just one point behind both Liverpool and Arsenal in the table.

Sky Sports has reported that Walker’s injury doesn’t appear to be too serious, with City hopeful he can pass a late fitness test to start against Arsenal.

Stones will have to be considered a bigger doubt, with his injury coming just five days before the match against Mikel Arteta’s side. The 29-year-old defender has been a regular for City this season, starting the club’s past four Premier League games.

Guardiola does have some serious depth at his disposal, with Rúben Dias, Nathan Aké, Manuel Akanji and Joško Gvardiol all options at center back.

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