The Athletic FC: USMNT now need 'game of their lives'; a retro kick-off trend at Euros (2024)

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Hello! The Copa America was meant to be abig step forward for the U.S.But is it over already?

On the way:

🇺🇸Weah red cardcostsUSMNT

🇺🇾 Ominous signs fromUruguay

🔭Why teamsgo long from kick-offs

🎶The story of football’stop anthem

Copa Corner: Weah’s ‘Beckham moment’

The spectrum of red-card offences ranges from the excusable to the idiotic andTim Weah’s in the USMNT’s 2-1 defeat to Panamalast night was right at the ‘David Beckham’ end of the scale.

You’ll probably have seenBeckham’s dismissal at World Cup 98— the flick of a boot at Argentina’s Diego Simeone — many times over, especially if you’re English. Weah suffered the same loss of control, lashing out18 minutes into the United States’ second Copa America match (above). And as with Beckham, it might be the defining factor in his nation’s elimination.

The USMNT’s Copa America campaign is hanging by a thread. Defeat to Panama was the price of Weah aiming a cheap shot at Roderick Miller off the ball, a jab to the back of Miller’s head.Folarin Balogunopened the scoring with a cracking goal (below), but weight of numbers turned the game around for Panama. A late red card for Adalberto Carrasquilla made no difference.

The result leaves the U.S. and Panama tied on three points.Lose to Uruguay in their final group matchand Gregg Berhalter’s squad, to coin a phrase, will probablybe homebefore their postcards.

Weah can only sit and hope after apologising to his team-mates.He gets an automatic one-match ban, but don’t be surprised if CONMEBOL seeks to impose a longer suspension.

What now?

Group C was always heading for a showdown between the U.S. and Uruguay,Berhalter versus Marcelo Bielsa. In theory, it was supposed to decide who topped the section.

Not anymore. And make no mistake, Uruguay are flying. They’ve rolled with Bielsa’s madness and injected his spirit, routing Bolivia 5-0 last night.Christian Pulisic is bang on: the USMNT have to find the ‘game of their lives’ to stay in the tournament next week. They could seriously do without aninjury to goalkeeper Matt Turner.

We’ve figured out the Group C permutations, but on the basis that Bolivia won’t offer huge resistance to Panama, they have to squeeze something out of Uruguay. They must match or better Panama’s result — and if they don’t, get ready for some bloodletting. On the back of all the hype going into the Copa, combusting in the group stages would leave nowhere to hide.

Huge racism problem

There’s a deeply depressing trend in football of on-pitch failure leading to online racist abuse of the players involved.

It happens at club level, it happens internationally (Canada’s Moise Bombito was subjected to racism on Instagram last week), and some USMNT players were victims of it after the loss to Panama.

The United States Soccer Federation (USSF) said it was “deeply disturbed” by what it called “hateful and discriminatory behaviour”. What the solution to this dreadful routine is, I don’t know, but someone has to find one.

How to fix Brazil

Brazil’s coach, Dorival Junior, is seeking some ‘dirty movement’ to get them out of a slow start. He wants deep runs beyond the last line of defence — avoiding the passive setup shown above, with Brazilians spread across the midfield.

But don’t worry DJ, our writers have a plan for their match against Paraguay in Group D this evening.

Glove love

Yes, you may well be counting your digits, but your eyes are not deceiving you. Here’s Mexico goalkeeperJulio Gonzalez wearing aMickey Mouse-style glovewith only four fingers.

The reason? He’s had a broken finger on his left hand for a while and the choice was either undergo surgery and miss the Copa, or find a way to play with his hand strapped up. Voila.

Catch a match

Today

(Times ET/UK): Group D —Colombia vs Costa Rica(6pm/11pm) —Fox Sports 1, Fubo, Premier Sports 1;Paraguay vs Brazil(9pm/2am) —Fox Sports 1, Fubo, Premier Sports 1

Saturday

Group A —Argentina vs Peru(8pm/1am) —Fox Sports 1, Fubo, Premier Sports 1;Canada vs Chile(8pm/1am) —Fox Sports 2, Fubo, Premier Sports 2

Sunday

Group B:Mexico vs Ecuador(8pm/1am) —Fox Sports, Fubo, Premier Sports 1;Jamaica vs Venezuela(8pm/1am) —Fox Sports 1, Fubo, Premier Sports 2

News Round-Up

• Lionel Messisat out ofArgentina’s latest training session with a hamstring issue. No decision yet on whether he’ll feature against Peru tomorrow. You’d assume not.
• Europa League winners Atalantaare buying defenderBen GodfreyfromEverton.He’s having a medical today. I’d be very chuffed with that move, if I was him.
• Manchester United manager Erik ten Hagis poised to add two new faces to his coaching team,including ex-United striker Ruud van Nistelrooy.
• Transfer-wise,Chelseajust cannot sit still. They’veexpressed an interestin signingKiernan Dewsbury-Hall(26 goal contributions in the Championship this season) fromLeicester City.

Euros Zone: A retro kick-off trend

Earlier in Euro 2024, TAFC wrote about Albania breaking the record for the fastest European Championship goal in history — scored in 23 seconds.

What wasn’t spoken about so much was how it came about, via a long ball from the kick-off, which forced Italy to take a throw-in deep in their own half — a throw-in Italy then made a mess of.

Hoof ball, the route-one approach or whatever you want to call it is back in business at the start of games. Jordan Campbell has written about the tendency of more and more teams to go direct when they kick off, in spite of the likelihood that they will simply concede possession.

The rationale appears to be: why bring pressure on yourself immediately by playing backwards and inviting the opposition forward? It’s not pretty, but it makes sense when you think about it.

What to watch for…

Theround of 16gets going in Germany tomorrow. My word,England need to wake up. A‘snoozefest’isMarco van Basten’s verdicton Gareth Southgate’s style.Phil Foden is back in the mix after becoming a father again.

But let’s talk about Spain instead. They walked their group and Mark Carey’s analysis of the Euros so far confirmed something we’ve been highlighting: Nico Williamsis having a big tournament and having fun on the left flank. It’s harder and harder to imagine thatsomeone won’t be signing Williams from Athletic Bilbao. He’s in the sweet spot — just likeLamine Yamalwho, in teenage prodigy fashion,has just nailed his school exams.

Saturday

(Times ET/UK): Last 16 —Switzerland vs Italy(12pm/5pm) —Fox Sports 1 Fubo, BBC One;Germany vs Denmark(3pm/8pm) —Fox, Fubo, ITV 1

Sunday

Last 16:England vs Slovakia(12pm/5pm) —Fox, Fubo, ITV 1;Spain vs Georgia(3pm/8pm) —Fox, Fubo, ITV 1

Around The Athletic FC

• Barcelona, the basket case, are a constant fascination. Their finances are shot, they’re giving Hansi Flick a whirl as boss and I foundthis audit of their squadby Laia Cervello Herrero very insightful.After all the effort to sign him two years ago, I’m intrigued to see if they flogRaphinha.
• Writer and Manchester United fan Andy Mittenhas given his takeon the club potentially sellingnaming rights to Old Trafford. The debate around this must confound our U.S. readers. There’s barely a major venue in the States which isn’t sponsored by somebody.
• The Athletic’s Tim Spiers is salt of the earth and I assumed it would never get funnier than seeing him coveringthe libel trial between footballers’ wives Coleen Rooney and Rebekah Vardy. But no! Now he’s interviewedGala, the musical force behind that massive football anthem,‘Freed from Desire’.What a dream team.
• Do you love or hateFox Sports’ football coverage? Judging by the sheer number of comments onGreg O’Keeffe’s assessment of the channel’s Euro 2024 output, everybody has an opinion. And not justAlexi Lalas.

Quiz Question

Stand by your beds for our Friday quiz question:

Which six players have scored four or more goals in the knockout stages of the European Championship?

Stuck? The answer will be revealed here later today and in Monday’s TAFC.

(Top photo: Eduardo Munoz/AFP via Getty Images)

Got a question/feedback? Email us: theathleticfc@theathletic.com

Phil grew up near Edinburgh in Scotland and is a staff writer for The Athletic, covering Leeds United. He previously worked for the Yorkshire Evening Post as its chief football writer. Follow Phil on Twitter @PhilHay_