Published on Jun, 03 2024
Happy Monday! With some big games on both sides of the Atlantic in the rearview mirror, it's time to focus on what's ahead, both in terms of international tournaments and some high-profile signings. I'm Pardeep Cattry with the latest.
All times U.S./Eastern
Monday, June 3
🌍 Men's friendly: England vs. Bosnia and Herzegovina, 2:45 p.m. ➡️ FS2
Tuesday, June 4
🌍 Men's friendly: Portugal vs. Finland, 2:45 p.m. ➡️ FS2
🇪🇺 Women's Euro qualifying: France vs. England, 3 p.m. ➡️ CBS Sports Network
🌍 Women's friendly: USWNT vs. South Korea, 8 p.m. ➡️ Max
Real Madrid re-asserted their dominance in Europe by lifting a record 15th UEFA Champions League title on Saturday, beating Borussia Dortmund 2-0 in their trademark style this season -- surviving the opposition's dangerous but wasteful tendencies and capitalizing on their own fleeting moments to emerge victorious. Dortmund were tactically outmaneuvering Madrid, while Karim Adeyemi and Niclas Fullkrug had near-perfect chances to score in the first half. Their inability to convert those golden opportunities just paved the way for Real Madrid to do what they have done all season -- find a way to win anyway. James Benge was at Wembley Stadium to watch it all unfold as Real Madrid predicatbly went from second best to champions of Europe.
The result confirmed that Real Madrid can always rely on their star power, with Vinicius Junior once again emerging as the main man on a team of world class talent. This marks the second time he scored in a Champions League final, two years after he scored the lone goal in Real Madrid's win over Liverpool at the Stade de France. Thierry Henry argued ahead of the game that, right now, the Brazil international is the best player in the world, complimenting him on his versatility as well as his reliability.
As if Real Madrid did not already boast a reputation for steamrolling through Europe, their unbeatable status will likely hit another level as soon as this week. The Champions League winners are set to announce the long-awaited signing of Kylian Mbappe any day now, who is expected to transform an already star-studded attack into an eye-popping juggernaut. Real Madrid's constant success arguably forces the question: Do they actually need Mbappe? Jude Bellingham happily entertained the question with broadcasters post-match despite the lack of confirmation on Mbappe's signature, and simply concluded that he's the team's missing piece.
The Emma Hayes era began on a winning note for the U.S. women's national team, who beat South Korea 4-0 on Saturday thanks to braces from Mallory Swanson and Tierna Davidson. The new head coach prioritized a youthful lineup in her first match, something that may have felt unfamiliar a year ago at the Women's World Cup but reflected the months-long squad refresh led by assistant coach Twila Kilgore with next month's Olympic Games in mind.
The USWNT's attack was in full focus, overcoming the opposition's low block after a slow start to deliver a lopsided victory. Swanson was the standout with her first international goals since she tore her patellar tendon in April of last year, re-asserting herself as the focal point of a new look offense. The goalscorer combined well with fellow Colorado native Sophia Smith, who notched the assist to Swanson's first goal.
Hayes' post-match analysis was chiefly focused on making progress, constantly mentioning that there's a lot of room for growth for individual players as well as the team as a whole. The head coach said that her first five days with the team were very tactic-heavy, identifying that one of her priorities was set pieces. That focus paid off -- Davidson's two goals came off of set pieces, making her the first defender to score a brace since Julie Ertz in 2016.
The USWNT return to the pitch against South Korea on Tuesday, which will be the team's final game before Hayes names the Olympic squad. What Hayes plans to gather from this final tune-up remains to be seen, though. There was limited experimentation with the personnel she chose on Saturday -- Catarina Macario made her first start in 781 days and was convincing in her 60 minute shift, but Rose Lavelle filled in strongly for the final 30 minutes to keep the competition alive in one area of the pitch. Alex Morgan sat out Saturday's game entirely, but Hayes explained it was precautionary to ensure she could participate come Tuesday.
From Hayes' point of view, it's clear there's plenty of work to do before and after the Olympics, but she also admitted that things are so far, so good.
🔗 Top Stories
🏆 UCL parting shots: Here's praise for Jude Bellingham and Carlo Ancelotti, Dani Carvajal's dream for more titles, a look back at the top moments of the season and a glance at who might be in the running to lift next season's trophy.
🇺🇸 USWNT's big win: The player ratings for the USWNT's win over South Korea are in and it's good news for everyone, including new head coach Emma Hayes.
🎠 Coaching carousel: Chelsea officially hired Enzo Maresca after his successful spell at Leicester, Jose Mourinho has a new gig at Fenerbahce and Napoli are set to hire Antonio Conte.
🇫🇷 No Mbappe at the Olympics: Thierry Henry named his preliminary roster for the Paris Olympics, leaving out Real Madrid-bound Kylian Mbappe.
🇲🇽 Pachuca win CCC: Pachuca lifted their sixth Concacaf Champions Cup title on Saturday, battering MLS' Columbus Crew 3-0 to do so.
💰 The Back Line 💵 Best bets
📺 What's on CBS Sports Golazo Network
☀️ Morning Footy (Weekdays 8-10 a.m.): 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 soccer storylines. Morning Footy is also available in podcast form, so you'll never have to miss an episode.
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👟 Kickin' It (Tuesdays): CBS Sports Golazo Network's unfiltered interview show releases Tuesday. Hosted by Kate Abdo, Clint Dempsey, Mo Edu and Charlie Davies, the group chat candidly with the biggest names from the Beautiful Game and share their stories from on and off the pitch.
⚽ Call it What You Want (Monday night): A weekly podcast where Jimmy Conrad, Charlie Davies and friends cover all things USMNT and the state of the beautiful game in the United States.
🥅 Scoreline (Daily): Scoreline is the newest place for fans to catch up on all the biggest news and results impacting global football, match highlights from the top soccer competitions and all the can't-miss goals from the day's action, starting Thursday and airing seven days a week.
📺 How to watch: CBS Sports Golazo Network is a free 24/7 channel exclusively dedicated to offering unparalleled coverage of all the top soccer competitions worldwide. You can stream for free on the CBS Sports app, Pluto TV and Paramount+.
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