Earlier this week, I got after Red Bulls star striker Thierry Henry a little. Not much, really, just a minor journalistic swat across the butt for not being bigger after his team’s loss.
I added the proper context, that Henry is a competitive individual whose side had lost its season opener. I never expected Henry to joyously embrace interview opportunities, only to do his share and not be obtuse about it. Still, some people disagreed, feeling that Henry (or any athlete) enjoys the right to button up at will. We can agree to disagree on that.
So what did I want, exactly, from Henry? How about something like this:
It was more difficult for us in the first half, because they were putting pressure and I don’t think we did pretty well to come out from the back on the ground. So in the second half I decided to drop and get the ball. It’s not what I wanted to do, but if I don’t, sometimes I don’t see the ball up there.
See? That’s quality, thoughtful analysis. It’s from Dave Martinez’s comprehensive report, over at Ives Galarcep’s Soccer By Ives, on Henry’s helpful and astute comments following Thursday’s Red Bulls practice. Henry has plenty to say about what his team can do to improve, about this week’s match against Real Salt Lake, etc.
The man is no dummy. He knows the game, clearly. You don’t become a legend at fabled Arsenal without knowing how many players to put on the field.
Maybe it’s too much to ask for Henry, or anybody, to be so cooperative, forthcoming and analytical in the foggy, semi-furious aftermath of a loss. Especially one where such costly mistakes are made. Then again, Henry is paid a whole bunch of money … and he clearly has it in him to help supporters understand.
League Cup: Manchester United wins; West Brom, Watford bounced
Luton Town made Manchester United work for its spot in the League Cup fourth round, while another lower league side simply ended another Premier League side’s tournament in Tuesday’s FA Cup results.
West Bromwich Albion is out of the tournament after blowing two leads and losing in penalties at home to Brentford, while West Ham blasted Hull City after an alarming COVID-19 moment and League Two side Newport County dismissed Watford.
Then there’s Tottenham and Leyton Orient, who didn’t even get to play. It’s all in the FA Cup wrap.
Luton Town 0-3 Manchester United
The score line does not tell the story here (aside from, you know, the goal total).
Brandon Williams won a late first-half penalty that Juan Mata smashed home as the Red Devils labored to a win over the Championship’s Hatters.
Marcus Rashford came off the bench to ice the game off a feed from fellow sub Mason Greenwood, who was later assisted by another sub in Bruno Fernandes.
Dean Henderson made an outstanding save in his long-awaited Manchester United senior debut.
The 23-year-old has been United property since he was 14 and has taken loans with four clubs including a highly-celebrated two years with Sheffield United.
Henderson did not have to make a save until the 81st minute, when he made a big stop to keep United on top at Kenilworth Road.
Mata’s goal came in his 200th appearance for the Red Devils. Donny van de Beek made his first Manchester United start in the win.
23 & 19 – Since the start of last season, Manchester United have both taken (23) and scored (19) more penalties in all competitions than any other English league side. Inevitable. #CarabaoCup
Yarmolenko now has nine goals and five assists in just over 1700 minutes with West Ham. He missed 2.5 months with a muscle tear last season.
Sebastien Haller had a brace and Robert Snodgrass scored the other goal as West Ham’s “second string” continues to beat up on lower league competition while awaiting chances off the bench in the PL.
Mallik Wilks had brought Hull within two in the 70th minute only to see Haller and Yarmolenko complete their braces in stoppage time.
West Ham United’s Andriy Yarmolenko (center front) with Felipe Anderson, Haller, and Lanzini (Photo by ALASTAIR GRANT/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)
Newport County 3-1 Watford
The Hornets had little going for them despite having the better of possession, outshot 12-2 by the time League Two’s Exiles reclaimed their two-goal lead with 25 minutes on the clock.
Adelberto Penaranda came off the bench to score for Watford after the Exiles built a 2-0 lead through Tristan Abrahams and Josh Labadie. Padraig Amond bagged County’s third goal to turn the screws on the former Premier League side.
Stipe Perica sealed Watford’s fate with an 88th-minute red card. The Hornets have a win and a draw in their return to the Championship and will focus on that until the FA Cup.
West Bromwich Albion 2-2 (4-5 pens) Brentford
The Bees couldn’t catch the Baggies in the race for the automatic promotion last season but kept scrapping en route to a pair of equalizers at the Hawthorns on Tuesday.
Brentford made all of its penalties, its fifth sealing the win after Grady Diangana’s effort was saved by David Raya.
Hal Robson-Kanu scored both of West Brom’s goals but answers came from Emiliano Marcondes and Marcus Forss to have it level with 17 minutes left in scheduled time.
For now, health aside, Spurs are probably quite happy to have day off given a wild fixture list across three competitions which includes a trip to Macedonia for Europa League action on Thursday.
Next League Cup third round fixtures
All times ET
Wednesday
Preston North End v Brighton — 2 pm
Millwall v Burnley — 2 pm
Fulham v Sheffield Wednesday — 2 pm
Stoke City v Gillingham — 2 pm
Chelsea v Barnsley — 2:45 pm
Leicester City v Arsenal — 2:45 pm
Fleetwood Town v Everton — 2:45 pm
Morecambe v Newcastle United — 2:45 pm
Thursday
Bristol City v Aston Villa — 2 pm
Lincoln City v Liverpool — 2:45 pm
Manchester City v Bournemouth — 2:45 pm
League Cup fourth round draw
Lincoln City/Liverpool v Leicester City/Arsenal
Millwall/Burnley v Manchester City/Bournemouth Brentford v Fulham/Sheffield Wednesday
Fleetwood Town/Everton v West Ham United
Bristol City/Aston Villa v Stoke City/Gillingham
Leyton Orient/Tottenham v Chelsea/Barnsley Newport County v Morecambe/Newcastle United
Preston North End/Brighton v Manchester United
It was revealed Tuesday that the quartet will now play the first ever CONCACAF Nations League Finals in June, three months behind schedule and just before the 2021 Gold Cup.
The Gold Cup was previously postponed to June 10 – July 1 and the draw is set for Monday.
The Nations League semifinals see No. 1 seed Mexico against No. 4 Costa Rica and the No. 2 Catrachos of Honduras meeting the third-seeded USMNT.
A U.S. Soccer Federation release said the move is to put the focus on first stage of qualifying (It also gives all of the participants more time to figure out the pandemic atmosphere if it, as anticipated, reaches into a second year dramatically affecting sporting competitions):
This official competition Finals event will take place in a centralized location in the United States in June 2021. Concacaf will now work with our stakeholders to finalize the location and specific dates for this competition.
Playing this competition in June 2021 will enable the First Round of the Concacaf Qualifiers for the FIFA World Cup, which involve 30 Concacaf Member Associations, to take center stage in March 2021.
Concacaf remains in discussions with FIFA to agree a new schedule for the Concacaf Qualifiers which retains the current format.
U.S. Soccer also announced that it will not play any matches or train in the October international break, aiming for a November return. That means Christian Pulisic will have even more time to find top form for Chelsea.
General manager Brian McBride says Gregg Berhalter’s group may have an additional December camp with its January camp, which is great news for MLS players hoping to cement their statuses in Berhalter’s mind while the European talent continues to play overseas.
“After extensive conversations about holding a men’s national team camp in October, we ultimately determined the unique challenges created by COVID-19 as it relates to hosting international opponents and getting our players together wouldn’t allow us to move forward,” men’s team general manager Brian McBride said, via the Associated Press. “While we won’t have the team together in this upcoming window, we are making considerable progress for November.”
West Ham United’s preparations for Tuesday’s League Cup match against Hull City were rocked by positive COVID-19 tests for three members of the first team.
Irons boss David Moyes, center back Issa Diop and midfielder Josh Cullen all were informed of positive coronavirus tests before the match. All were sent home and said to be asymptomatic.
The match went on with assistant manager Alan Irvine taking the reigns.
Diop is by far the most significant name on that list when it comes to West Ham’s competitive fortunes (Yes, we know Moyes in the manager).
West Ham stressed that it’s been vigilant when it comes to COVID-19:
The Club’s measures and protocols around COVID-19 remain stringent. This included offering to test the Hull City team ahead of tonight’s fixture – an offer which they opted not to accept.
Diop went the distance in both of West Ham’s PL matches this season, while Cullen has not featured for Moyes. The Irons lost 2-0 to Newcastle and 2-1 to Arsenal.
The 12 clubs remaining in the race for the final UEFA Champions League group stage slots will be pared down to six in the next eight days.
There are American connections to two of the six ties.
Former USMNT midfielder Jesse Marsch manages Austria’s Red Bull Salzburg toward the next round, while Molde right back Henry Wingo came up with the Seattle Sounders.
Salzburg are significant favorites to advance over two legs, odds accentuated by Maccabi Tel-Aviv’s seven players absent due to positive COVID-19 tests.
Marsch had previously said he did not want to go to Israel due to COVID-19 concerns, calling it “dangerous,” but has accepted the task at hand.
“The moment UEFA said we were going to play in Tel Aviv, it wasn’t a problem for me. Maccabi has a great team. We are not naive. We understand that we have to fight tomorrow.”
At 3:10 in some sportsbooks, Marsch’s men are the only club favored to win the first leg away. Salzburg is led by Dominik Szoboszlai and Patson Daka, who’ve helped the team thrive despite the sales of several stars including Erling Haalandand Takumi Minamino.
Molde has a much tougher test with Hungarian side Ferencvaros, who knocked off Celtic. That tie could go either way, while Slavia Prague and Olympiakos are respectively noticeable favorites to beat Midtjylland and Omonia Nicosia.
Dynamo Kiev will be expected to outlast Gent over two legs, while it would be a minor upset if PAOK takes down Krasnodar.
How to watch the UEFA Champions League qualifying playoff round
