Tag: USMNT

USMNT goalkeeper Turner left off Nottingham Forest squad for Premier League opener

The USMNT starter appears to be third-string at his club

Matt Turner appears to have been demoted at Nottingham Forest — again.

The U.S. men’s national team goalkeeper was not in Forest’s matchday squad for its Premier League opener against Bournemouth on Saturday, indicating he may have dropped to third on the depth chart.

Turner joined Forest last summer in a £10 million move from Arsenal. After a promising start to his time at the City Ground, the 30-year-old would eventually lose his starting position due to a series of high-profile errors.

Forest signed Matz Sels from Strasbourg in February, relegating Turner to a spot on the bench for the remainder of the Premier League season.

In the summer, Forest signed goalkeeper Carlos Miguel from Corinthians. The Brazilian was on the bench on Saturday, with Sels in goal to kick off the 2024-25 season.

With Turner’s chances of playing time now seemingly gone at Forest, the focus will turn to whether he can secure a move away before the transfer window closes at the end of August.

CBS Sports has reported that Turner has been subject to interest from Bundesliga and La Liga clubs this summer.

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USMNT left back Robinson praises impending Pochettino hire

The ex-Chelsea boss is closing in on taking over the USMNT

Mauricio Pochettino may not officially be U.S. men’s national team head coach yet, but one of the team’s key players is already praising his arrival.

Multiple reports this week have said that Pochettino and U.S. Soccer have reached an agreement for the Argentine to take over the USMNT. The hire will be made official when the final details between the coach and his former club Chelsea are ironed out.

In the meantime, Robinson became the first USMNT player to react to the hire, as NBC Sports quizzed him following Fulham’s season-opening loss to Manchester United on Friday.

“Good,” Robinson said when asked about his reaction to the former Chelsea, Tottenham and PSG coach taking over for Gregg Berhalter.

“He’s a very good manager, so I’ll be interested to see obviously how he comes in, how he gets used to the boys, how we get used to him.

“It’s a fresh start now, obviously eyes are going to be on the World Cup and he’s got two years to get the best out of us that we can and we gotta give it everything for him, so that he can be successful with us.”

The USMNT will face Canada and New Zealand in a pair of friendlies on September 7 and 10, with the team expected to use an interim manager for the games. Pochettino could make his debut as U.S. boss during the October international window.

Watch Robinson react to Pochettino hire

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USMNT prospect Bajraktarevic named to Bosnia and Herzegovina roster

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.

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Howard unloads on ex-USMNT boss Klinsmann: We won in spite of him

“He specialized in fluff and philosophical rhetoric. But there was zero soccer”

Tim Howard apparently didn’t much like playing for Jürgen Klinsmann.

The former U.S. men’s national team goalkeeper unloaded on his former coach in an article for the Daily Mail, saying that the team won in spite of the German manager.

Klinsmann was in charge of the USMNT from 2011 to 2016, a period during which Howard was usually the team’s starter in goal.

The ex-Germany coach’s time in charge of the U.S. was full of highs and lows. He led the team to the 2013 Gold Cup before guiding them out of a difficult group at the 2014 World Cup.

But Klinsmann’s methods and popularity with his players were always in question, and he left two games into a World Cup qualifying cycle that ended with the team shockingly missing out on the 2018 event in Russia.

Howard’s column in the Daily Mail was ostensibly about the USMNT reportedly closing in on hiring Mauricio Pochettino, who would be the team’s first foreign coach since Klinsmann.

But in addition to praising the rumored new hire, the USMNT legend had a lot to say about his former coach. For example:

He organized a lot of team excursions. He specialized in fluff and philosophical rhetoric. But there was zero soccer.

We went to Versailles, we went to the 9/11 memorial, we went on boating trips. He made us come into lunch and sing the national anthem. He dictated when we slept and when we woke up. He decided what we wore.

He replaced sugary snacks and enforced tighter curfews. He tried to change our breathing, he sent us on ’empty stomach runs’ at dawn. He hired people and literally made up staffing positions for them.

Jurgen tried to reinvent the wheel but he didn’t teach us a lot of soccer. So we had to on rely on the likes Michael Bradley, Clint Dempsey, Landon Donovan and Jozy Altidore to bring the team together and win games – in spite of the manager.

The lesson for Pochettino to learn from Klinsmann? Understand the American player. Don’t make it about yourself. Every culture has different nuances – wherever you coach around the world. So, yes, players have to be pushed out of their comfort zone, but you have to learn what makes people tick.

After leaving the USMNT, Klinsmann had a brief stint in charge of Hertha Berlin before he took over as South Korea manager last year. The 60-year-old was sacked in February after the Taegeuk Warriors were eliminated by Jordan in the Asian Cup semifinal.

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Reports: Mauricio Pochettino to be named USMNT head coach

The hire would be a massive statement ahead of the 2026 World Cup

The U.S. men’s national team may have its new head coach.

According to journalist Iván Kasanzew, U.S. Soccer and Mauricio Pochettino have reached an agreement for the Argentine to become the new coach of the USMNT.

That report was later corroborated by several others, including ESPN, GIVEMESPORT and The Athletic.

The hire would be a massive statement ahead of the 2026 World Cup, with Pochettino having developed a reputation as one of the world’s top club coaches during his time at Tottenham, Paris Saint-Germain and Chelsea.

Pochettino, 52, is currently a free agent after leaving Chelsea by mutual consent in May.

Last week, The Athletic reported that Pochettino was emerging as the favorite for the USMNT head coaching position, which has been vacant since Gregg Berhalter was sacked last month.

U.S. Soccer sporting director Matt Crocker has worked with Pochettino before, with the Welshman serving as Southampton’s academy manager in 2013 when Pochettino was hired as head coach.

Pochettino has never managed in the international game before, but told Sky Sports in 2022 that he would be open to the idea.

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Americans Abroad: Slonina stars while Trusty, Pines both score in Carabao Cup

If you’ve got a couple USMNT caps and played in the Carabao Cup on Wednesday, odds are you had a good day at the office

Tuesday was a very good day to be an American Abroad, with multiple U.S. men’s national team prospects standing out in the first round of the Carabao Cup.

Gabriel Slonina had a Barnsley competitive debut to remember, while the club’s other U.S.-born player Donovan Pines marked his return from a long-term injury with an equalizer as the Tykes survived a penalty-kick tiebreaker to advance past Wigan Athletic.

Auston Trusty, meanwhile, bagged his first Sheffield United goal as the Blades defeated Wrexham 4-2 at Bramall Lane.

After the regulation 90 minutes ended in a 1-1 draw for Barnsley, Slonina saved spot kicks from Josh Stones and Thelo Aasgaard to propel his side through to the second round. It was the perfect way to endear himself to Tykes fans after only joining the club on loan from Chelsea last week.

Barnsley had trailed at halftime, only for Pines — making his first appearance since March after a thigh injury ended his 2023-24 season — to nod home a 48th-minute set piece.

After the match, Tykes assistant coach Martin Devaney called Slonina “the hero” of the match.

“[Slonina has] done really well,” Devaney told reporters. “We’ve all been looking forward to watching him tonight and seeing how he handles his debut and all in all, he’s done really well. He’s come out the hero, I suppose.”

Slonina came up with his stops in the first and third rounds of the tiebreaker, helping to ensure Barnsley of a spot in Wednesday’s draw for the second round.

Trusty scores first Blades goal

Roughly 64 miles to the west, USMNT defender Auston Trusty scored his first-ever goal for Sheffield United as the Blades got past a tricky challenge from Wrexham.

The Red Dragons took the lead after 29 minutes, but Trusty had the perfect response, getting wide open to head home a 35th minute corner.

While both teams scuffled along the goal line over uncertainty as to whether the ball had crossed the line, Trusty waited for the signal before beginning his celebrations.

The Blades would settle the contest with two goals in 12 second-half minutes, eventually tacking on a late third before Wrexham grabbed a second in stoppage time.

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Ream: Charlotte FC move shouldn’t knock me out of USMNT picture

The center back has returned to MLS 12 years after he initially departed the league

Tim Ream believes that his recent move to Charlotte FC should not mean his U.S. men’s national team career is in jeopardy.

The veteran defender signed with the MLS side last week, ending a nine-year stint with Fulham.

Ream has become a vital part of the USMNT during the latter portion of his career, as a renaissance at Fulham over the past two seasons led to him starting every game at the 2022 World Cup and the 2024 Copa América.

But a move back to MLS may be detrimental to his USMNT future, with former coach Gregg Berhalter mostly phasing out players from the North American top flight in recent years.

Of the 26 players on Berhalter’s Copa América roster this summer, only three were based in MLS.

Though Berhalter is gone, the USMNT is likely to remain heavily Europe-based under his successor.

Ream spoke to the media on Tuesday and declared his intention to remain part of the USMNT player pool under whichever coach comes in to replace Berhalter.

“I think there is no reason that I should not be [considered],” Ream said. “I understand that playing is an important part of that. I’m not going to take myself out of the hat just because people want me to or people think I’m too old. I don’t see the point of that.

“Like I said before, it’s a matter of just continuing to put my head down [and work], and if I get picked, I get picked. If I don’t, I don’t. It’s one of those things that partially under my control and partially not.”

Ream, who turns 37 in October, is looking to regain a regular role at his club after losing his starting spot at Fulham in the second half of last season. Still, Ream said that the Premier League club wanted him to stay for the upcoming season.

“The day after the season finished, I sat down with Marco [Silva, head coach] and we had a good chat,” Ream said. “They wanted me to stay. They tried to push me to stay and really think about it. But, it’s not so much that if I get something in my head that I go for it, but I really think through things.

“We had really thought through this whole move. For us, personally, as a family, it was the right thing to do. It was time to move on.”

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Pochettino reportedly emerges as favorite for USMNT coaching job

Hiring the Argentine manager would be a major statement by U.S. Soccer

Could Mauricio Pochettino be the answer for the U.S. men’s national team?

The former Tottenham, PSG and Chelsea head coach may well be, according to a report in The Athletic that says he is emerging as the favorite for the vacant USMNT head coaching position.

The report states that U.S. Soccer is in talks with the Argentine’s representatives, and some view him as the front-runner for the job.

Pochettino left Chelsea by mutual consent in May, following just one season in charge. His departure was somewhat surprising despite a difficult campaign, as the Blues put together a late-season surge that saw them finish sixth.

The 52-year-old began his coaching career in Spain with Espanyol before moving to England and taking over Southampton and then Tottenham.

It was at Spurs where Pochettino built his reputation as one of the world’s leading club managers, taking the north London side to the 2019 Champions League final while leading the club to three straight top-four finishes in the Premier League.

Pochettino has never managed in the international game before, but told Sky Sports in 2022 that he would be open to the idea.

USMNT to use Varas as interim in September

U.S. Soccer sporting director Matt Crocker has said he would like to have a new head coach in place by September.

But as the coaching search continues, the chances decrease that a new boss will take charge of games against Canada on September 7 and New Zealand three days later.

In its report on Pochettino, The Athletic said that U.S. Soccer is planning on using Under-20 men’s national team boss Mikey Varas as an interim head coach for those two matches.

The USMNT position has been vacant since Gregg Berhalter was dismissed last month in the wake of the team’s stunning group-stage exit at the Copa América.

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Hoffenheim boss Matarazzo reportedly offered USMNT job

Could the USMNT be set to hire the New Jersey native?

Could the U.S. men’s national team be closing in on its new head coach?

That appears to be the case, per two reports out of Germany that strongly link Hoffenheim’s Pellegrino Matarazzo to the vacant position.

According to Kicker, Matarazzo has been offered the USMNT head coaching job and is still undecided, though he is open to to the position.

Bild was more emphatic, reporting that Matarazzo has already informed Hoffenheim that he wants to leave to take the USMNT job.

The time may be right for Matarazzo to seek out a change, as Hoffenheim is currently in the midst of some upheaval that has recently seen the club sack managing director for sport Alexander Rosen.

Matarazzo was born and raised in New Jersey before he moved to Europe for a playing career spent in Germany’s lower divisions. After retirement, Matarazzo began a coaching career that saw him earn his first head coaching role in 2019 with Stuttgart.

The 46-year-old impressed with his work at Stuttgart, and just guided unfancied Hoffenheim to a seventh-place Bundesliga finish and a European place.

Matarazzo even expressed his interest in the USMNT position last year when it was vacant, saying: “At some point, I do feel like it’s time to give back to soccer in the States but when that time will be we’ll see.”

The USMNT position has been vacant since Gregg Berhalter was dismissed last month in the wake of the team’s stunning group-stage exit at the Copa América.

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Zimmerman calls out players taking USMNT spot for granted: ‘It pisses me off’

Zimmerman is fed up, and he’s not afraid to say it

Walker Zimmerman is fed up with the attitude of some of his U.S. men’s national team teammates, and he’s not afraid to say it.

Zimmerman was one of three overage players with the U.S. under-23 side at the Olympics, which ended with a thud on Friday in a 4-0 rout against Morocco in the quarterfinal.

The 31-year-old was able to play at the Olympics after he wasn’t selected for the Copa América roster, with the center back falling out of the senior team picture over the past year.

After the U.S. was bounced from the Olympics, the veteran spoke to the media about what it meant to him to represent his country. According to Zimmerman, there are too many players involved with the program who have begun to take that privilege for granted.

“I think to some degree we’ve gotten away from that and [players] feel like just because we’re whoever you are that you just can get called in — that stuff pisses me off,” Zimmerman said in quotes on ESPN.

“I think guys need to, every time they put on the jersey, I don’t care how talented you are, you want to play with pride. I think we have the characters to do it, but we don’t always do it.”

Zimmerman didn’t name any specific players, but during the latter days of Gregg Berhalter’s tenure as USMNT head coach, some fans and pundits began to question whether some players had become too comfortable with their spot on the team.

The defender, who hasn’t played for the USMNT since last summer, seems to agree.

“You need to know what it means to represent the U.S., and that’s where I think we can improve,” Zimmerman said. “I hope that that’s what we can kind of push forwards and push towards with the culture moving forward.”

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