Tag: Americans Abroad

Wright wants to make Man Utd ‘feel the pressure’ in FA Cup semifinal

The USMNT striker is hoping to capitalize in Sunday’s FA Cup semifinal

Haji Wright knows his Coventry City side will be major underdogs in Sunday’s FA Cup semifinal against Manchester United, but said that “anything can happen” in one game.

Coventry will travel to Wembley Stadium as it looks to keep a Cinderella run going in the cup competition.

Already, Coventry has produced a memorable upset by defeating Wolves 3-2 in a wild quarterfinal last month.

The Championship side was down a goal late, but knocked out the Premier League outfit with a pair of stoppage-time goals. U.S. national team striker Wright scored a dramatic 100th-minute winner to send his side to Wembley.

Now Coventry finds itself in the final four among a group of Premier League giants. Chelsea will face Manchester City in the other semifinal on Saturday, meaning Wright’s side would need two straight huge upsets to lift the FA Cup.

Though the odds are stacked against his team, Wright said he is hopeful that Coventry can put a struggling United side under pressure.

“It’s one game, it can go in either direction,” Wright told ESPN. “They’re a big club, have a lot of great players but I think we are going to get opportunities. Hopefully, we can make them feel the pressure a little bit. Anything can happen in one game.”

United is winless in four straight matches, dropping to seventh in the Premier League table. The pressure will be huge on the Red Devils as they look to avoid a demoralizing upset against lower-league opposition on a big stage.

Wright, meanwhile, has hit the ground running in England after joining Coventry from Turkish side Antalyaspor in the offseason, scoring 17 goals so far this term.

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Bournemouth coach Iraola rules Adams out for another game

It will be the fourth straight match Adams has missed with a back injury

Tyler Adams looks set to miss a fourth consecutive match due to back spasms, according to Bournemouth manager Andoni Iraola.

Adams has been held out of three straight matches due to back trouble, and Sunday’s trip to Aston Villa appears to be too soon for the U.S. men’s national team midfielder.

Iraola gave updates on several injured Cherries players at his pre-match press conference on Friday, but did not specifically mention Adams among that group.

The coach was then asked about the remainder of his injured players, to which he replied: “Some are getting closer but I don’t expect them for the Villa game, no.”

The back injury is turning into an increasingly frustrating setback for Adams, who only returned from nearly a year out last month.

Adams was sidelined after a hamstring surgery in March 2023, and had to have a second operation after suffering a setback upon his return in September.

The 25-year-old’s start against Everton on March 30 marked his first time playing a full match in over a year.

Overall, Adams has made just three appearances for Bournemouth this season. He made an emphatic return to the USMNT in the Nations League last month, scoring a memorable long-range strike against Mexico in the final.

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Gaetino anticipates ‘incredible’ challenge from Horan, Lyon in Women’s Champions League

Eva Gaetino highlighted USWNT captain Lindsey Horan as Lyon’s most important player ahead of Saturday’s semifinal

Eva Gaetino hasn’t gone up against Lindsey Horan all that often in her young career, but she’s seen enough of the U.S. women’s national team captain to be impressed.

Ahead of a UEFA Women’s Champions League semifinal between Gaetino’s Paris Saint-Germain and Horan’s Lyon, the 21-year-old highlighted the USWNT veteran as possibly the most important player in the tie.

In quotes published by Goal, Gaetino made it clear that she spent some of her first USWNT camp paying close attention to Horan, and praised the 29-year-old’s all-around game.

“I think even just being in camp with her and being on her team and seeing her strengths, she’s incredible on both sides of the ball,” explained Gaetino. “She’s very dynamic in the attack, very creative, and is also a very good defender. Having to face her higher up the field is exciting for me because I look up to her so much.”

Gaetino ‘excited’ to face Horan, Lyon

Despite going pro before finishing her collegiate eligibility and the big names on the PSG roster, the 5-foot-11 Gaetino has pushed her way into regular starts already. The former Notre Dame captain has started seven games for manager Jocelyn Prêcheur since arriving in the French capital.

That puts her in line to face Lyon in the biggest pair of games in PSG’s season. The Parisians will play the first leg at Lyon’s Groupama Stadium on Saturday, before hosting the second leg at the Parc des Princes on April 28.

Gaetino — who only signed with PSG earlier this year —  indicated that she knows full well that PSG faces a really difficult task against Lyon, a perennial Champions League finalist and a side that has more often than not bested PSG in domestic play.

“They have world-class players and even in my [30] minutes against them previously, just the types of crosses that they were hitting and the runners and the timing of their headers, it’s a huge threat,” said Gaetino, whose professional debut came in Division 1 Féminine play against Lyon in February. “I think that’s going to be a huge challenge and I’m excited for it.”

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Richards: Crystal Palace boss Glasner sees me as center back

The USMNT defender is happy to be back in his natural position after a spell at defensive midfield

Chris Richards is back playing his natural position, and he looks set to stay there for the foreseeable future.

Richards has played center back his entire career, but started in defensive midfield for a stretch of Premier League matches earlier in the season.

But under new Crystal Palace head coach Oliver Glasner, the U.S. international has returned to his natural position, starting four straight games at center back under the Austrian before suffering an injury last month.

Speaking to Palace’s website, Richards said he was happy to return to center back after being shifted around earlier in the season under Roy Hodgson.

“Centre of defense, preferably,” Richards said of his ideal position. “It was a lot of learning this year, playing right back, center back, center mid.

“[It was] a lot of positions that I’m not quite used to, but again, like I said, I’ll do whatever to be on the pitch and help us win. I think it’s been good to play in different positions because you learn a lot.

“We played against [Glasner’s] teams in Germany, so I think he remembers what my best position was.

“But coming in, we did have a small conversation, and he just kind of said that for the future he sees me playing center back. All the games I played for him have been at center back.”

Richards provides injury update

The USMNT defender has now missed three straight games with what he revealed to be a knee injury.

Speaking before last weekend’s match at Liverpool, the 24-year-old said he was targeting this Sunday’s game against West Ham for a potential return.

“I think frustrating would be a good word for it,” Richards said.

“I feel like I worked hard over the last two seasons that I’ve been here and I think I was finally reaping the benefit of that. It’s always nice playing games.

“I have a knee injury. Hopefully, what we’re aiming for is West Ham. I’m just kind of taking it day by day, hoping that it continues to heal and that’s what I’m aiming for, at least, is the West Ham game.”

Prior to his injury, Richards had gone the distance in 16 consecutive Premier League matches.

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USWNT star Macario gets assist in first Chelsea start

It’s been 686 days, but Macario is back starting games again

Making a big step after her injury nightmare, Catarina Macario started a match for the first time in 686 days.

The U.S. women’s national team star was on the pitch from kickoff as Chelsea hosted Aston Villa in the Women’s Super League on Wednesday, making her first start for the Blues since joining the club in June 2023.

The 24-year-old would end up logging 70 minutes in a 3-0 win, with the Blues climbing back above Manchester City at the top of the WSL standings on goal difference.

Macario had not started a game anywhere since tearing her ACL in her final appearance with Lyon, all the way back on June 1, 2022.

Since then, Macario has missed a World Cup for the USWNT, and had totaled just 169 minutes of playing time for Chelsea and the U.S. before being named to the starting 11 by Emma Hayes for Villa’s visit.

Villa goalkeeper Anna Leat was sent off after just four minutes for denial of an obvious goalscoring opportunity after making a save well outside her 18-yard box, helping Macario and the Blues ease into the game.

Aggie Beever-Jones’ 18th-minute volley opened the scoring, and Macario followed that strike up with a clever 38th-minute assist. The USWNT attacker’s near-post heel flick completely caught the visitors’ defense off-guard, setting Japan forward Maika Hamano up for a tap-in.

Despite her lack of playing time, this marked the third assist for Macario since her return, to go with two goals (including one in her first appearance for the club).

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Lalas: Nottingham Forest decided long ago it can’t count on Reyna

The USMNT star made his first start for Forest over the weekend

Gio Reyna may have finally made a start for Nottingham Forest, but that doesn’t mean the club believes it can count on him.

That is the opinion of Alexi Lalas, who spoke about the U.S. men’s national team midfielder’s dire club situation on the latest episode of his State of the Union podcast.

Reyna finally made his first Premier League start over the weekend, notching an assist from a corner kick as Forest drew Wolves 2-2 in a vital match.

It took the American nearly three months of his loan from Borussia Dortmund to get his first start, having played a total of just 90 minutes for Forest prior to Saturday’s match.

Though Reyna has finally made a breakthrough, Forest now has just five matches remaining this season. As a disappointing loan stint gets set to conclude, Lalas didn’t mince words about the USMNT star’s situation.

“You don’t need me to tell you that Gio starting, and Gio playing after what has been an absolutely abysmal time in terms of this loan to Forest is a good thing. Yes it’s a good thing. Does it change who Gio is as a player? No. Does it change how Forest in general look at him going forward? No,” Lalas said.

“I think they have gotten plenty of looks at what Gio is. And I think they have made the determination long ago that this is not somebody for the long haul. Not somebody they want to count on.”

Forest will face Everton on Sunday in a crucial relegation six-pointer. Reyna’s side enters the match one point and one place above the drop zone, with Everton just one point and one place above Forest.

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Report: McKennie has Saudi Arabia, MLS offers as Juventus contract talks continue

The USMNT midfielder will have plenty of options as his contract nears its final year

Weston McKennie’s outstanding season with Juventus has left him with plenty of options.

One year after an ill-fated loan to Leeds, McKennie has become a fixture for Juve in 2023-24. The U.S. national team midfielder has started nearly all of the club’s matches while tallying a career-high 10 assists.

McKennie’s contract with Juve expires at the end of next season, making this upcoming summer crucial to his future with the team. Juventus has been in talks with McKennie over a new contract, but may be forced to sell if a deal can’t be reached.

Calciomercato has reported that Juventus made an offer to McKennie that would maintain his annual salary of €2.5 million and extend his deal by a season or two.

That offer was rejected by McKennie’s entourage, with further talks expected in the coming days.

In the meantime, the report says that the USMNT star already has offers on the table from MLS and Saudi Arabia — two leagues with a lower standard of play than Serie A which can undoubtedly offer more lucrative financial terms.

McKennie has never played in MLS, but came up through the FC Dallas academy before moving to Schalke in 2016.

Juventus sporting director Cristiano Giuntoli is reportedly a fan of McKennie, and sees the American as an important part of the project regardless of whether head coach Massimiliano Allegri sticks around next season.

For now, it’s unclear how high Giuntoli may be willing to go. If McKennie can’t find the terms he’d like at Juventus, he’ll undoubtedly have plenty of suitors elsewhere.

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De la Torre: Red card led to torrent of abuse from angry gamblers

“Football is entertainment for a lot of people and they just want to talk s–t about it online and have a good time”

Luca de la Torre has said his social media was flooded with angry messages from gamblers after a red card earlier this season.

The Celta Vigo midfielder was sent off midway through the second half against Alavés in September. His side was ahead 1-0 at the time of his red card, but the visitors would equalize in a match that would end 1-1.

De la Torre appeared on a recent episode of the Vamos podcast with Herculez Gomez, and detailed how he was on the receiving end of a torrent of abuse in the aftermath of his red card.

“I was sent off this season against Alavés at home,” the U.S. men’s national team midfielder said.

“And it was a game we were winning 1-0 and then we drew, so I think I messed up a lot of people’s bets on the game. And I got a couple hundred direct messages — things like, ‘kill yourself, I hope your mom dies, I hope you break your leg and you never play again.’

“I just turned off my direct messages and now I don’t see that anymore. But that’s not nice that people would lack the empathy for other people to send that type of stuff.”

In addition to turning off his direct messages, the 25-year-old said he copes with the abuse by trying not to take it to heart.

“Remembering that it’s difficult for people probably to have empathy for footballers if they haven’t played professionally like we have,” De la Torre said. “They don’t really understand what it’s like and how difficult it is. Football is entertainment for a lot of people and they just want to talk s–t about it online and have a good time. Just trying not to take things to heart or not seeing things at all I think is the best way.”

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Report: AC Milan prepared to extend Pulisic’s contract

Amid an outstanding season, the American star is already in line for an extension

AC Milan is reportedly prepared to extend Christian Pulisic’s contract by one season.

According to Monday’s edition of Corriere dello Sport, Milan has already been sufficiently impressed by the American to exercise its option to extend his deal by an extra campaign.

Pulisic signed a contract through 2027 when he joined the Rossoneri from Chelsea in the summer, and he could now see his deal extended through 2028.

The report comes amid a season in which Pulisic has already set a career high for goals with 13 in all competitions, including 10 in Serie A. Only three players have more non-penalty Serie A goals than Pulisic this season, and only five have more combined goals and assists.

Corriere dello Sport called Pulisic his club’s “best summer signing,” adding that the 25-year-old is feeling settled and happy with life in Italy after spending four seasons in England.

Milan head coach Stefano Pioli was full of praise for Pulisic after his latest goal, which came in Saturday’s 3-0 win over Lecce.

“I must say that when I have video meetings to explain to a player what our path and ideas are, I’m rarely wrong about personal and character sensations,” the coach told DAZN. “Pulisic is a quality player, I already knew him. But when we spoke two or three times I heard something very positive. I saw desire and curiosity in him. I found everything I had heard.

“He’s not a guy who opens up a lot, it’s not what makes the difference but his attitude does. He has a fantastic attitude, about the team and about everyone. An exemplary worker and professional like all Milan players, this has raised the level of professionalism and seriousness that will help the group become ever stronger.”

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USMNT attacker Aaronson open to permanent Union Berlin stay

The 23-year-old’s loan from Leeds expires at the end of the season

Brenden Aaronson has said he could see himself staying at Union Berlin for the long term.

The U.S. national team attacker is currently on a season-long loan from Leeds, with his future at the end of the season unclear.

Aaronson played just one season at Leeds before moving to Germany on loan, following the club’s relegation from the Premier League at the end of last season.

The 23-year-old has struggled to find minutes for much of the season at Union, but has recently started to find his footing. Aaronson has started three straight matches and has scored two goals in the past seven, following a period of a year and a half without a club goal.

As his loan winds down to its final two months, Aaronson told Get German Football News that he is open staying at Union.

“I can see myself remaining here,” Aaronson said.

“The club is amazing. it’s not up to me at the end of the day but I have so much respect for Union, the way it has been built, the staff, it’s an amazing family club and they’ve done an amazing job.

“For me, it’s (about) making the right decision in the summer, evaluating the year and going from there. Staying is an option but I can’t say much more.”

Aaronson said he’s also been keeping a close eye on his parent club, which is in third place in the Championship as it eyes an immediate promotion back to the Premier League.

“I’ve been paying close attention to Leeds, I know a lot of the guys, I get on with a lot of them, they are good guys,” he added.

“I’ve been paying attention because they’ve been having a fantastic season so it’s been great to watch.

“They just need to keep pushing because they’ve got good things coming their way at the end of the season.”

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