Callaghan is USMNT interim coach, U-20s advance, LAFC in the CCL
Wednesday’s soccer news starts with US Soccer’s announcement that BJ Callaghan is taking over as interim USMNT coach with Anthony Hudson “departing for a new opportunity.” In a press statement, US Soccer sporting director Matt Crocker said, “BJ has been an integral part of the USMNT staff during the last four years as this young team has grown and developed. Working alongside Anthony Hudson these last five months, we are confident he is prepared and ready to lead this group in the summer tournaments. We are grateful to Anthony for the tremendous job he did and wish him success in the future.”
Staying with the USMNT program, the USMNT U-20s advanced to the quarterfinals of the U-20 World Cup with a 4-0 win over New Zealand. Owen Wolff opened the scoring in the 14th and Cade Cowell doubled the lead in the 61st with Diego Luna assisting on both goals. Justin Che scored in the 75th and Rokas Pukstas finished off the goals in the 82nd minute. USMNT goalkeeper Gaga Slonina kept the clean sheet with one save.
Haji Wright’s Antalyaspor lost 2-0 at Fenerbahce in the Super Lig to goals in the 2nd minute and five minutes into stoppage time. Antalyaspor is in 14th-place on 38 points with two games left in the season, four points above the relegation places.
Moving to Major League Soccer, the LA Galaxy announced that Chris Klein is no longer president of the club. “I’d like to thank Phil Anschutz and Dan Beckerman for the opportunity to serve as president for the LA Galaxy for the past 11 years,” Klein said in a press statement. “My family and I love this club and I’m grateful to have spent 16 years with this organization as a player and an executive. Thank you to our supporters, partners, players, coaches, and staff for all of the passion, dedication, and hard work.”
The Galaxy is at Real Salt Lake tonight, one of a dozen games on the Wednesday MLS schedule. With games played more of an issue in the Western Conference than the East, it’s worth pointing out that Eastern Conference leaders FC Cincinnati tops the Supporters’ Shield table with 33 points from 14 games played for a 2.36 points per game. They’re at 11th-place NYCFC. Seattle, 1st in the West, hosts San Jose.
Meanwhile, LAFC has the best points per game in the Western Conference at 2.08 but is in 3rd-place with 25 points on 12 games played, tied on points with 2nd-place St Louis who has played 13 games (1.92 ppg) and a point behind 1st-place Seattle with 15 games played (1.73 ppg). It’s LAFC with the biggest game on Wednesday’s schedule, the first-leg of the Concacaf Champions League final at Leon.
WEDNESDAY’S SOCCER TV
U-20 World Cup round of 16 on Fox Soccer Plus: Gambia vs Uruguay at 1:30pm and Ecuador vs Korea at 5pm ET.
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Photo by John Dorton – ISIPhotos.com
