USWNT make Emma Hayes official while USMNT struggle with injuries ahead of Concacaf Nations League showdown
It's a busy break for America's soccer team with the USWNT making waves as USMNT finally play some games that matter
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6 min read
Happy Wednesday! I'm Pardeep Cattry with a check-in amidst a newsy week in American soccer.
📺 Footy fix
All times U.S./Eastern
Wednesday, Nov. 15
🌍 Friendly: Belgium vs. Serbia, 2:45 p.m. ➡️ FS2
🇪🇺 UWCL: Real Madrid vs. Chelsea, 3 p.m. ➡️ DAZN
Thursday, Nov. 16
🇪🇺 Euro qualifying: Azerbaijan vs. Sweden ➡️ FS2
🌍 Concacaf Nations League: USMNT vs. Trinidad and Tobago ➡️ Paramount+
🌍 WCQ: Argentina vs. Uruguay ➡️ Telemundo
⚽ The Forward Line
🆕 Emma Hayes to the USWNT
It's official: Emma Hayes will be the next head coach of the U.S. women's national team. She will officially begin duties at the conclusion of Chelsea's season in May, giving her a very short ramp ahead of the Olympics just two months later. Twila Kilgore, previous boss Vlatko Andonovski's assistant, who took charge of the team during the coaching search, will continue as the interim in the meantime and then join Hayes' staff.
It's an ambitious hire from U.S. Soccer, who will reportedly pay her the same as her men's team counterpart Gregg Berhalter, but one that might come at exactly the right time. Hayes is known equally for her tactical pragmatism and on-field success as well as her drive to raise the standards in the women's game. There's a new world order after Spain's Women's World Cup win, and it will require intelligent decision-making on all levels to ensure the USWNT compete at the highest levels moving forward.
That includes an honest assessment of the talent pool, and hopefully the prospect of inviting some new faces to carve out their place on the national team. That rebuild might not kick off in earnest until after the Olympics, but as Sandra Herrera writes, there's a possibility that the USWNT might have a little bit of a refreshed roster for Paris.
- Herrera: "Newer faces might be closer to a year away. That's not to say new mainstays Jaedyn Shaw or Mia Fishel won't be part of the build-up to Paris, but their continued development might be an additional component to Olympic prep. Hayes' bigger plans will need to include potential future players, and her ability to scout and develop will be an asset in her new role."
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🔗 Midfield Link Play
🇺🇸 USMNT battle injury crisis
The U.S. men's national team return to Concacaf Nations League action tomorrow, but will play the two-legged tie with Trinidad and Tobago without a handful of players. Christian Pulisic and Tim Weah are out with short-term hamstring injuries while Johnny Cardoso withdrew with an ankle issue. It leaves several question marks about how Berhalter's midfield and attack will look in Austin.
Yunus Musah has started all four games since Berhalter's return and will likely do so again, while Weston McKennie is also a front-runner to start with three starts in that stretch. The on-field openings, though, truly set up for Gio Reyna to play a big role after he impressed during the last international break. Regardless of how the team lines up tomorrow, Reyna will likely be counted on to be the star of the show and as Chuck Booth notes, his skillset is well-positioned for such a role.
- Booth: "Few players have the ability to spot and make a pass before space closes down like Reyna can do but his on-the-ball ability to make space for himself is impressive as well. In the most recent window, even his defensive work rate shined as Reyna grows into being a complete midfielder. With a tangible result at the end of this two legged tie, the goal is clear -- defeat Trinidad and Tobago to book a place in Copa America while also getting to defend the Concacaf Nations League title."
🔗 Top Stories
🆕 Hayes mania: Here's more on Hayes' management style, her adjustment to international soccer, and the incoming coach's aspirations with the USWNT.
🇺🇸 USMNT central: The Morning Footy crew discusses the team's weakest position, as well as chats with Kevin Paredes and Marko Mitrovic, the coach of the Olympic-bound team.
🇩🇪 Leverkusen transformation: Here's an inside look at how Bayer Leverkusen went from the relegation battle to first place in the Bundesliga under the leadership of Xabi Alonso.
🌍 New blood: This international break could be all about new players breaking into their national teams, including England's Cole Palmer and Colombia's Cucho Hernandez.
🇮🇹 Mazzarri in: Napoli sacked Rudi Garcia and replaced him with Walter Mazzarri after a start that has then fourth in Serie A and fifth in our power rankings.
🏆 Best XI: With the first round of the MLS Cup Playoffs officially in the books, here's a look at the best players during the initial stage of play.
🔮 Fortune teller: It's never too early to think about the 2024 NWSL season, so here's a way-too-early batch of power rankings for the league's 14 teams.
🎬 Fassbender's next role?: Michael Fassbender, star of Next Goal Wins, stopped by Morning Footy to do a Jurgen Klopp impression and pick winning an Oscar over Liverpool's future success.
♥️ Healing process: The Lewiston High School boys' soccer team are state champions, giving the Maine town a cause for celebration after last month's mass shooting.
💰 The Back Line
💵 Best bets
- UWCL: Real Madrid vs. Chelsea, Wednesday, 3 p.m.
💰 THE PICK: Chelsea to score more than three goals (+112) -- Chelsea are the heavy favorites in this one so expect Hayes to officially kick off her farewell tour in style, and hopefully with the help of USWNT newcomer Mia Fishel. - Concacaf Nations League: USMNT vs. Trinidad and Tobago, Thursday, 9 p.m.
💰 THE PICK: Gio Reyna to score (+115) -- With Pulisic and Weah unavailable, the USMNT will count on some of their other stars to turn up on Thursday. Reyna's a prime candidate to deliver now that he's fit and fully integrated into the team, so it's worth betting on him to deliver.
📺 What's on CBS Sports Golazo Network
☀️ Morning Footy (Weekdays 8-10 a.m.): Hosts Susannah Collins, Charlie Davies, Nico Cantor and Alexis Guerreros help fans get their day started on the network's flagship morning show with highlights, interviews and the biggest soccer storylines. Morning Footy is also available in podcast form, so you'll never have to miss an episode.
📦 Box 2 Box (Weekday afternoons): The news-driven show quickly recaps all the latest headlines from around the world with panelists previewing the top matchups of the day. Catch Box 2 Box on CBS Sports Golazo Network on the CBS Sports app, PlutoTV and Paramount+.
3️⃣ Attacking Third (Monday, Wednesday and Friday evening): The leading women's soccer podcast and social brand is now a live studio show. Just because the NWSL season is over doesn't mean that our coverage of the women's game is going anywhere. Our analysts will be breaking down the USWNT. NWSL offseason and European domestic season all winter long.
👟 Kickin' It (Tuesday, 7 p.m.): CBS Sports Golazo Network's new unfiltered interview show returns Tuesday Hosted by Kate Abdo, Clint Dempsey, Mo Edu and Charlie Davies, the group chat candidly with the biggest names from the Beautiful Game and share their stories from on and off the pitch.
🥅 Scoreline (Daily): Scoreline is the newest place for fans to catch up on all the biggest news and results impacting global football, match highlights from the top soccer competitions and all the can't-miss goals from the day's action, starting Thursday and airing seven days a week.
📺 How to watch: CBS Sports Golazo Network is a free 24/7 channel exclusively dedicated to offering unparalleled coverage of all the top soccer competitions worldwide. You can stream for free on the CBS Sports app, Pluto TV and Paramount+.
