Update: Djordje Mihailovic replaces Duane Holmes due to injury. Tyler Adams is out of the Gold Cup squad with a groin injury. Reggie Cannon is added to the roster. The soccer news starts with the announcement of the USMNT's 2019 Gold Cup roster. USMNT coach Gregg Berhalter picked 13 players without previous Gold Cup experience. That includes Christian Pulisic who has never played in . . .
USMNT U-20s move on at the World Cup
The soccer news starts with a simple presumption that it's hard to call any result an upset at the U-20 World Cup. It's a different type of soccer than the senior tournament, with the age restrictions lacking the sense of familiarity and experience. That's part of the point, of course. It takes nothing away from the teams that do their job by advancing to the next round. The USMNT did that, . . .
The return of the UEFA Nations League
We start the soccer news with the final four of the first ever UEFA Nations League set for Porto and Guimaraes. Portugal plays Switzerland on Wednesday and the Netherlands vs England is on Thursday with the final set for Sunday at the Estadio do Dragao. The competition might feel like an after thought just days following the Champions League final, with the quick switch from club to country. That . . .
The Champions League has a champion
The soccer news starts with Liverpool's 2-0 win over Spurs to lift the 2018-19 Champions League trophy. The story of the game happened less than a minute in when referee Damir Skomina awarded Liverpool a penalty at the 22 second mark. Whether or not you believe Tottenham's Moussa Sissiko handled the ball enough to warrant the call is the story of this final. Mohamed Salah converted after instant . . .
Liverpool’s title to lose
The soccer news starts with one more game that counts for the Premier League. Two of their clubs play for the Champions League title on Saturday (3pm ET - TNT and Univision) in one of the surprises of the 2018-19 season in Europe. For Spurs, it's a chance to put a remarkable cap on a season where they finished 4th in the Premier League. For Liverpool, it's the opportunity to put one over on . . .
Atlanta’s late goals and LA’s win
The soccer news starts with the midweek MLS games. Atlanta shutout Minnesota 3-0 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Franco Escobar opened the scoring in the 23rd. Josef Martinez scored in the first and fourth minutes of stoppage time. Atlanta goalkeeper Brad Guzan made three saves to keep the clean sheet. "This is what we want to see, this is what our fans want to see," Atlanta coach Frank de Boer said. . . .
Philadelphia at the top of the Eastern Conference
MLS is getting the games in prior to the Gold Cup break with 10 teams in action later tonight. That includes Eastern Conference leaders DC United. As always with the MLS schedule, there's a catch. DC United leads the Eastern Conference with 25 points from 15 games, a point ahead of Philadelphia on 14 games played. Both teams are in action tonight with DC at home against Chicago and Philadelphia . . .
The return of Aston Villa
Aston Villa is back in the Premier League after beating Derby County 2-1 in the Championship promotion playoff final. Anwar El Ghazi put Villa up in the 44th with John McGinn doubling the lead in the 59th minute. Derby County's Martyn Waghorn pulled a goal back in the 81st. Aston Villa joins Norwich City and Sheffield United as the promoted clubs. Villa's promotion ends three seasons in the . . .
Playing the Premier League money game
Aston Villa plays Derby County on Monday for a spot in the Premier League. They meet at Wembley Stadium in a game worth many millions no matter how you run the numbers. The winner gets the economic rewards of England's topflight. Broadcast money domestic and international is the prime mover for why the Premier League can offer so much to its teams. That doesn't exist at anywhere near the same . . .
FIFA opts against 2022 World Cup expansion
We start the soccer news with FIFA not bringing their proposed World Cup expansion for 2022 to a vote. Amid several questions about how expansion would work with the limited number of stadiums in Qatar and their relationship with other Gulf countries, FIFA had expansion on the agenda for the June 5 Congress in Paris. That is now off, with FIFA opting against trying to start expansion a cycle . . .
