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Hello there! The matches may not have started yet during the men’s international break, but Concacaf’s pranks are already making headlines. I’m Pardeep Cattry with a North America themed midweek update.
📺 Foot correction
Always US/East
Wednesday November 13th
🇪🇺 UWCL: Real Madrid vs. Twente, 12:45 pm ➡️ DAZN
🇪🇺 UWCL: Celtic vs. Chelsea, 3pm ➡️DAZN
Thursday November 14th
🇪🇺 UNL: Greece vs. England, 2:45 PM ➡️ FS1
🌎 WCQ: Paraguay vs. Argentina, 6:30 PM ➡️ Fanatiz
🌎 CNL: Jamaica vs. USMNT, 8pm ➡️ TNT
⚽ The forward line
🇺🇸 Decisions, decisions for Pochettino and USMNT
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The U.S. men’s national team’s Concacaf Nations League match with Jamaica this month is increasingly feeling like a potential showcase for the depth of the team, which will essentially audition new head coach Mauricio Pochettino as preparations for the 2026 World Cup continue.
Pochettino will miss a handful of players through injury, while Timothy Weah will miss Thursday’s first leg in Jamaica due to suspension. On those terms alone, a revamped lineup seems all but certain, although the head coach’s suggestion that the likes of Tim Ream and Yunus Musah could slot in at full-back means that not just new players, but new ideas could be on display. The situation carries the threat of upsetting the multi-position hierarchy under Pochettino’s predecessor Gregg Berhalter, putting pressure on some of the USMNT’s long-time starters to stick to their roles.
That group also includes goaltender Matt Tuner, who has long been the team’s first choice but has come under scrutiny in recent years. Turner, 30, left MLS for the Premier League two years ago but has struggled for regular minutes at club level since then and as Charlie Davies notes on Morning Footy: his recent move to Crystal Palace has not inspired more confidence in his chances.
- Davies: “You have no time to waste. You are a backup [at Crystal Palace]. You are a backup. It’s a terrible move. He went from being a back-up at Nottingham Forest – he was a back-up when they were bottom of the table and fighting for survival. … He was in a bad situation as a third string so far, Crystal Palace are terrible, fighting for survival … and he’s still not going to play.
For his part, Turner started both USMNT friendlies in October, Pochettino’s first matches in charge. The goalkeeper also believes he is building a strong bond with Pochettino and advocates continuing as the USMNT’s star goalkeeper even as he struggles for game time at club level.
- Turner: “My situation over the last twelve months has been inconsistent, to put it in a nice, simple word, at club level. That has been a big challenge for me and [Pochettino’s] I have only shown understanding for the position I am in, but he is also not in the business of handing out handouts. He doesn’t spend these last matches in October just because “he might need it for his self-confidence, to show himself.” No. “I’ve been in training, I’ve done well and I’ve proven that I can play for him and play in his style.”
The goalkeeper position will be one of many to keep an eye on in the coming week as Pochettino balances the need to progress in the Nations League with the task of building for the future. Ricardo Pepi, who scored in the USMNT’s 2-0 win over Panama in October, will be another focus player as a likely starter in attack while Folarin Balogun and Josh Sargent battle injuries.
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🔗 Link play in midfield
🇨🇦 Bev Preistman is out, John Herdman is in trouble
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The Canadian Soccer Association said Tuesday that Bev Preistman will not return as head coach of the women’s national team, one of several announcements bundled with the findings of an independent investigation into a yearslong drone spying program by Canadian men’s and women’s national team personnel. ploughing.
Priestman was given a one-year ban for directing assistant coaches Jasmine Mander and Joey Lombardi, who will also not return to the team, to spy on New Zealand during the Paris Olympics, a scandal that exposed the Canadian national teams have been spying for years. on opponents. The independent investigation, commissioned by Canada Soccer, confirmed the events that took place in France, as well as a previously known incident that took place during the Copa America in June. The latest incident was described as “very different from what happened at the Olympics” by investigators, who found it was not orchestrated by head coach Jesse Marsch. The sole person responsible for spying before Canada’s Copa America match against Chile had his credentials revoked, and CONMEBOL fined Canada Soccer for the incident.
The independent investigation focused on incidents from June 2022 to the present, which found that unnamed staff also used drones to spy on opponents during unspecified matches from June 2022 to March 2024. However, given the scope of the investigation, there are several reported espionage incidents. unaddressed. One notable exception involves a spying incident during the pandemic-postponed 2021 Tokyo Olympics. revealed in a TSN report last summer. Investigators said “there was no information presented in the investigation” that staff members spied on opponents en route to the women’s team’s gold medal run, but also admitted that “the investigation was not a complete assessment of whether covert surveillance was used during the competition in Tokyo in 2021. Olympic Games.”
The narrow focus of the investigation also means that reports identifying John Herdman, the former head coach of the men’s and women’s national teams, as the mastermind behind the spy operation were not addressed in the findings. However, the findings revealed that Herdman did not participate in the investigation “due to scheduling conflicts” and is currently the subject of a disciplinary proceeding with Canada Soccer. However, the details surrounding that case were not shared.
🔗 Top stories
❌ Coote removed: UEFA subsequently removed referee David Coote from his Nations League assignments a video in which he disparaged Liverpool and Jürgen Klopp led to his suspension.
🇺🇸 USMNT stock watch: Ahead of the USMNT’s matches against Jamaica, here’s a look at players who should impress as preparations for the 2026 World Cup continue.
🇫🇷 Difficult times for Mbappé: Between his poor form at Real Madrid and his exclusion from the French national team, it’s worth asking: what went wrong with Kylian Mbappé?
🔴🟠 Roma’s next move: After the dismissal of Ivan Juric, here’s a look at Roma’s search for their third manager of the season.
���� Shipping from England: Manchester City and Arsenal‘s bad form might mean a the near-perfect Liverpool are the favorites to win the Premier League title. Plus, here’s a look at it Charlie Davies’ predictions for the top six.
🇦🇷 Influencer research: Argentinian club Riestra is under investigation for “disrespect for football” after playing influencer ‘Spreen’ as part of a publicity stunt.
⚖️ Ben Yedder convicted: Wissam Ben Yedder from Monaco was sentenced to a two-year suspended prison sentence for assault while intoxicated.
💰The Back Line
💵 Best bets
- UEFA Nations League: Greece vs. England, Thursday, 2.45 pm
💰 THE CHOICE: Harry Kane scores (+135) – England are undoubtedly focused on turning around after losing at home to Greece last month, so expect their most reliable goalscorer to play a big role on Thursday. Harry Kane has been in good form this season with 17 goals in 16 appearances for Bayern Munich this season, making him as easy to score as anyone on Thursday. - CONMEBOL World Cup Qualifier: Paraguay vs. Argentina, Thursday, 6:30 PM
💰 THE CHOICE: Lautaro Martinez scores (+150) – Argentina are the favorites to retain their place at the top of the CONMEBOL World Cup qualifying table by beating Paraguay on Thursday, mainly because they have a host of goalscorers to rely on. Lautaro Martinez, with six goals for Inter this season, could be one to keep an eye on, especially after scoring eight goals for the national team since June.
For more picks, predictions, expert tips and the latest betting news, don’t miss CBSSports.com’s betting homepage.
📺 What’s on CBS Sports Golazo Network
☀️ Morning Footy (Weekdays 8-10am): 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 football storylines. Morning Footy is also available in podcast formso you never miss an episode again.
3️⃣ Attacking third (Monday, Thursday): The leading ladies football 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 analyze the USWNT, NWSL and European domestic seasons throughout the year. And don’t miss it Wednesday livestreams on YouTube at 11 a.m. ET.
⚽ Call it what you want (Monday evenings): A weekly podcast featuring Jimmy Conrad, Charlie Davies and friends cover all things USMNT and the state of the beautiful game in the United States. You can also watch the show live on YouTube every Monday at 11 a.m. ET.
🥅 Scoreline (Daily): Scoreline is the latest place for fans to keep up to date with all the biggest news and results impacting global football, match highlights from the best football leagues and all the unmissable goals from the day’s action, which starts on Thursday and airs for seven days a week.
📺 How to watch: CBS Sports Golazo Network is a free 24/7 channel solely focused on providing unparalleled coverage of all the top football leagues worldwide. You can stream for free on the CBS Sports App, Pluto TV And Biggest+.