Champions League group stage openers, Championship win for Preston North End
Tuesday’s soccer news starts with the first matchday for USMNT players in the 2023-24 Champions League. In group F, Christian Pulisic subbed on in the 61st and Yunus Musah followed in the 72nd for Milan’s 0-0 home draw with Newcastle United. Milan put nine shots on goal to Newcastle’s one. Musah saw yellow in the 82nd minute.
“We’re disappointed, because when you play like this, you have to win,” AC Milan coach Stefano Pioli said. “The performance was all-round good, but we wanted to win. Our aim is to progress from this group and we wanted to start well. All players are important: those who start and those who come on. We didn’t take easy chances.”
Also in group F, Gio Reyna was on the bench for Borussia Dortmund’s 2-0 loss at PSG to a 49th minute penalty and a goal in the 58th. “We can say clearly that we were not brave enough in the first-half,” Dortmund coach Edin Terzic said. “We wanted to be braver, attack more, leave our positions more. We saw after the break what is possible if you are ready to move those three to five metres up and trust the player behind you. Unfortunately, we lost every other ball we possessed in the first-half.”
Sam Vines isn’t in the squad for Royal Antwerp, losing 5-0 at Barcelona in group H to goals in the 11th and 19th, a 22nd minute own-goal, and goals in the 54th and 66th. Cameron Carter-Vickers wasn’t in the squad for Celtic’s 2-0 loss at Feyenoord in group E. Feyenoord scored two minutes into first-half stoppage time and doubled the lead in the 76th.
Zack Steffen wasn’t in the squad for Manchester City’s 3-1 home win over Red Star Belgrade in group G. Falling behind in the 45th, Julian Alvarez equalized for City in the 47th and scored again in the 60th. Rodri added a goal in the 73rd minute.
Moving to England’s Championship, Duane Holmes’s Preston North End beat Birmingham City 2-1 at home. With PNE trailing from the 46th, an own-goal leveled the score in the 51st. Milutin Osmajic scored for Preston in the 67th.
“I’m not going to get too carried away because we know it’s a tough league, we know where we are,” Preston North End manager Ryan Lowe said. “But the togetherness and the camaraderie of what we’ve got – staff included with the players – it’s special.”
Haji Wright subbed out in the 83rd minute of Coventry City’s 3-2 loss at Cardiff City. Down a goal from the 8th minute, Coventry’s Matthew Godden equalized in the 35th. Cardiff retook the lead in the 61st and added a goal in the 84th. Godden scored again six minutes into stoppage time.
USMNT alum Tab Ramos is now an assistant coach with the New England Revolution, the club announced on Tuesday. “We are pleased to welcome Tab Ramos to our coaching staff in New England,” the club’s technical director and interim sporting director Curt Onalfo said. “In addition to a Hall-of-Fame career as one of the best players of his generation, Tab’s wealth of experience as a coach, knowledge of our league, and proven track record of developing top talent will all be assets to our club as we get ready for the postseason.”
THURSDAY’S SOCCER TV
Pro League on FS2: Dhamk vs Al Hilal at 11am. Europa League on CBS Sports: Sheriff vs Roma at 12:45pm and West Ham vs Backa Topola at 3pm. UniMas has LASK vs Liverpool at 12:45pm. Brighton vs AEK Athens is on TUDN at 3pm. The USA WNT vs South Africa friendly is on TNT at 7:30pm ET.
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Photo by Fabrizio Carabelli – IPA via ZUMA Press – ISIPhotos.com
