Welcome to Wednesday one and all. The international break is done and dusted and club football is right around the corner, both men’s and women’s. First up, it’s the UEFA Women’s Champions League on Wednesday and Thursday before the men’s European club game starts up again. Before that, though, let’s chat some USMNT. I’m James Benge. Let’s go.
📺 Footy fix
All times U.S./Eastern
Wednesday, Oct. 15
🇪🇺 Champions League: Lyon vs. St Polten, 12:45 p.m. ➡️ Paramount+, CBS Sports Golazo Network
🇪🇺 Champions League: Roma vs. Barcelona, 3 p.m. ➡️ Paramount+
🏆 CONCACAF Champions Cup: Washington Spirit vs. Monterrey, 6:15 p.m. ➡️ Paramount+, CBS Sports Golazo Network
🏆 CONCACAF Champions Cup: Orlando Pride vs. Pachuca, 8:45 p.m. ➡️ Paramount+, CBS Sports Golazo Network
Thursday, Oct. 16
🇪🇺 Champions League: Atletico Madrid vs. Manchester United, 12:45 p.m. ➡️ Paramount+, CBS Sports Golazo Network
🇪🇺 Champions League: Bayern Munich vs. Juventus, 3 p.m. ➡️ Paramount+, CBS Sports Golazo Network
🏆 CONCACAF Champions Cup: Vancouver Rise vs. Alianza, 10 p.m. ➡️ Paramount+, CBS Sports Golazo Network
⚽ The Forward Line
🇺🇸 Pochettino finds depth after Pulisic injury in Australia win
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This is all starting to motor along quite nicely, isn’t it? If Friday’s 1-1 draw with Ecuador showed the benefits of the 3-4-2-1 system then a come from behind win over Australia suggested that Mauricio Pochettino has a fair few options to plug into it. Six changes from the last starting lineup soon became seven after an early injury to Christian Pulisic, who suffered a suspected hamstring injury. Losing their best player is not something any manager would want, but in a friendly game it does at least allow the US to answer a question that they’d really rather not be addressing for the first time at the World Cup: who steps up if a key man goes down? The answer, on the basis of this game, is quite a few players.
Most of all, what had long looked to be the problem position of the US setup could now be at least a spot where Pochettino does not have to worry himself too much. Haji Wright made sure of that, building on his outstanding form with Coventry City in the EFL Championship by scoring both goals on his first start under the current coaching setup. Folarin Balogun had thrown the gauntlet down for the other contenders with his performance against Ecuador. Wright responded and, as Pardeep Cattry noted in her dispatch from Commerce City, the real winner might be their head coach.
You suspect the No.9 jersey will be Balogun’s to lose for the time being. After all, it was the Monaco man who was given the run out against the toughest opposition. Still it is no great problem to have Wright waiting in the wings. The same is probably true of Cristian Roldon, who provided the assist for both of the US’ goals last night. The 30-year-old was sidelined after featuring in the 2023 Gold Cup and you’d have to go even further back than that, probably to before the last World Cup, for the last time Roldon had a look in at a spot in the USMNT’s strongest XI.
Again, that might not have changed off the back of this friendly and a sprightly display against Japan last month. But Pochettino has made clear that he has no issue picking the best that MLS has to offer and that might just include Roldon, who will be looking to rival the likes of Tanner Tessman, Weston McKennie and Yunus Musah for a spot next to Tyler Adams next summer. That is some pretty robust depth there, the sort that didn’t seem to be emerging in the early days of Pochettino’s tenure. Now the Argentine feels there is time to pick and choose, to see which combinations work and who might be the blocks on whom he builds next summer.
- Pochettino: “We’ve still a long time to the World Cup. It’s open to every single USA player playing here or outside this country. They need to feel that. They need to feel the confidence from us, that when they come we’re going to provide the possibility to play and show their quality… We have time to decide. This type of roster provided the possibility to see the combinations and assess in different ways.”
All in all, then, an extremely successful international break. It would be unwise to get carried away just yet, certainly not when next month could bring a Uruguayan-shaped reality check on where the USMNT stand against the upper mid tier of international teams. Still the system is bedded in and has proven itself able to deal with shocks. That is not a bad place to be as 2025 approaches its end.
Matchday 2 Today & Tomorrow!
🔗 Midfield Link Play
🇪🇺 Week two of the Champions League brings pressure for WSL
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The first league phase of the women’s Champions League is very much up and running and with a condensed six game schedule there really is no time like the present for some of Europe’s biggest names to get results. That is particularly the case for two-thirds of the WSL contingent, who did not get the results they wanted last week. Even the other is about to face what could be a serious test of their aspirations.
Holders Arsenal got their title defense up and running in exactly the wrong sort of fashion, an absorbing game against Lyon going the way of the visitors thanks to a fine double from Melchie Dumornay. Up next is a return to Lisbon, where the Gunners beat Barcelona to claim their second European crown, but this time they will be at Benfica‘s Estadio Da Luz. The Eagles are heavy underdogs but pushed Juventus close in the first round of games and will believe they can trouble Renee Slegers’ side, whose slump in form only partially eased with a 1-0 win over Brighton on Sunday.
Before they play on Thursday it is the turn of another London side who should be aspiring for the top four and a bye to the quarterfinals. Chelsea did their chances of achieving that no favors with a draw away to Twente, one of several games this season where their finishing has deserted them. Twenty shots worth over three expected goals resulted only in Sandy Baltimore’s 71st minute equaliser, a rough start to a fixture list that will get plenty tougher in the second half of the league phase. At home to Paris FC, Sonia Bompastor wants to see her side bear their teeth.
- Bompastor: “If you look at the stats from our last six games, we are really good in possession, we are bringing the ball high up the pitch, bringing it into the box in different ways but the most difficult thing in football is to score goals. We need to stay confident and keep trying. Sometimes, when you’re able to be clinical, you kill the opposition’s hope a bit sooner.”
Meanwhile the only one of the English teams to win in the first round of games face what might be the most intriguing clash of the second. Manchester United have been in freescoring form in the WSL this season with 16 goals in four wins and two draws. Set against them is an Atletico Madrid whose six goal drubbing of St Polten put them in the middle of a Spanish one, two, three at the top of the Champions League table. Fiamma has looked an exceptional striker in Spain and the Champions League this season, will she and her teammates be able to outscore the likes of Melvin Malard and Jess Park? With home advantage, you’d make Atleti slight favorites.
🔗 Top Stories
📺 How to follow UWCL: Want to keep up with all the drama of this week’s Champions League games? Here’s what you need to know.
🌟 Star players: Big performances from Wright and Roldon made sure that the win over Australia was a valuable one for Pochettino.
🤔 Lingering questions: Who leads the line? Can the USMNT play to their best level for 90 minutes? These are among the issues that still need to be addressed with the World Cup fast approaching.
🏴 Midfield questions addressed: Premier League watchers might think there’s a debate to be had over who should start for England, Elliot Anderson or Adam Wharton? There really isn’t.
🔝 Team of the week: Sandra Herrera picks out the best and brightest from this week’s NWSL games.
🏆 World Cup tracker: More than half of the spots at next summer’s tournament have now been claimed. Keep up to date with all the latest from a dramatic week of World Cup qualifiers here.
💰 The Back Line
💵 Best bets
- UEFA Women’s Champions League: Chelsea vs. Paris FC, Wednesday, 3 p.m.
💰 THE PICK: Aggie Beaver-Jones to score first and Chelsea to win (+320) — For all Chelsea’s relative struggles in front of goal this season, Aggie Beaver-Jones has justified the faith placed in her by Bompastor with four goals in the WSL. You would expect her to have plenty of opportunities to add to her tally in a game where the Blues are strong favorites.
For more picks, predictions, expert tips and the latest betting news, don’t miss out on CBSSports.com’s betting home page.
📺 What We’re Watching
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What’s on CBS Sports Golazo Network
☀️ Morning Footy (Weekdays 8-10 a.m.): Join Golazo Network as it helps fans get their day started on the right foot 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.
3️⃣ Attacking Third (Monday, Wednesday, Thursday): The leading women’s soccer podcast and social brand is now a live studio show. The NWSL season is back and our coverage of the women’s game is stronger than ever. Our analysts will be breaking down the USWNT, NWSL and European domestic season all year long. And don’t miss Sunday live streams on YouTube as soon as the last NWSL game of the weekend ends.
⚽ Call it What You Want (Tuesday and Thursday): Jimmy Conrad, Charlie Davies, and Tony Meola cover all things USMNT and the state of the game in the United States as the country prepares to co-host the 2026 World Cup. Catch new episodes live on the Golazo America YouTube channel every Tuesday and Thursday at 10 a.m. ET.
🥅 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+.
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