The United States will embark on the final journey to Rio as the U-23 team begins Olympic qualification on October 1.
With the opening match against Canada less than two weeks away, U.S. Soccer has announced its final roster for the qualification round, and while the group is a promising bunch, there are a few key omissions. It’s unclear why a number of these players were left off, although the possibility remains that they were not released by their club and therefore were unable to attend.
Goalkeeper Zach Steffan, who impressed many at the U-20 World Cup earlier this summer in New Zealand, is the highlight of the shot-stoppers and will likely start unless Molde goalkeeper Ethan Horvath gets the nod. One name not on the list is the incumbent Cody Cropper, who has recently completed a summer transfer to English Championship side MK Dons, but is shelved after undergoing knee surgery in mid-September.
Along the back line, another pair of young men who were stellar in New Zealand anchor as New York Red Bulls defender Matt Miazga and Tottenham Hotspur youngster Cameron Carter-Vickers stand out among those named. Will Packwood gets the call despite not being attached to a club after his release from Birmingham City this summer. A pair of MLS defenders round out the list in Eric Miller of Montreal and Dillon Serna of Colorado. Shane O’Neill of Belgium’s Royal Mouscron-Peruwelz was left off.
In the midfield, Fulham’s Emerson Hyndman and Arsenal’s Gedion Zelalem (on loan at Rangers) pop off the list, but the big name missing is Tijuana youngster Paul Arriola. Columbus star Wil Trapp makes the list and will be instrumental in locking down the middle of the park.
Up front is the most intriguing. Jordan Morris makes the cut despite also being named on the senior preliminary squad for the one-game playoff against Mexico during that time, and Maki Tall, who has risen in notoriety in recent months since scoring a goal for the U-20 side in New Zealand before promptly breaking his toe. Unfortunately, missing from the list is both Rubio Rubin and Julian Green. Speculation about Green’s abilities and club situation remain abound, but with little clues on Rubin, it is easiest to assume he wasn’t released by his Eredivisie club FC Utrecht.
Full Roster:
GOALKEEPERS (3): Charlie Horton (Leeds), Ethan Horvath (Molde), Zack Steffen (Freiburg).
DEFENDERS (5): Cameron Carter-Vickers (Tottenham Hotspur), Matt Miazga (New York Red Bulls), Eric Miller (Montreal Impact), William Packwood (Unattached), Dillon Serna (Colorado Rapids)
MIDFIELDERS (8): Fatai Alashe (San Jose Earthquakes), Gboly Ariyibi (Chesterfield), Luis Gil (Real Salt Lake), Emerson Hyndman (Fulham), Marc Pelosi (San Jose Earthquakes), Matt Polster (Chicago Fire), Wil Trapp (Columbus Crew SC), Gedion Zelalem (Rangers).
FORWARDS (4): Alonso Hernandez (C.D. Juarez), Jerome Kiesewetter (VfB Stuttgart), Jordan Morris (Stanford), Maki Tall (FC Sion).
Aston Villa sends hosts Chelsea into bottom half with deserved win
Aston VIlla leapfrogged Chelsea on the Premier League table with a decisive 2-0 win at Stamford Bridge on Saturday, sending the hosts to the bottom half of the table after 28 games of the 2022-23 season.
Ollie Watkins lofted Kepa Arrizabalaga in the first half and John McGinn spun a pearler past the Spanish keeper in the second half as Villa deserved every bit of the 39th, 40th, and 41st points they’ve claimed this season.
Once a relegation candidate, Unai Emery’s changed Villa into a fringe candidate for the top seven. The Villans’ 41 points have them ninth on the table, two points back of the top seven.
Chelsea drops into 11th with its 38 points and now has a negative goal differential. Heady times for Graham Potter and his Blues, who did see N’Golo Kante make his first appearance since late summer.
Chelsea: Lots of fun attackers, but do any of the pieces fit?
Perhaps Graham Potter feels pressure to plug Todd Boehly’s purchases into the Starting XI, but the Chelsea’s trident lacks a barbed focal point.
Kai Havertz can score — he had a goal in each of Chelsea’s last two Premier League games — and has size but he does neither of those things in the way you expect of a ‘Big Six’ center forward. If he did it regularly, the Blues’ wingers would be climbing up the Premier League assist charts.
But that doesn’t forgive Mykhailo Mudryk, who scudded a breakaway chanced into the arms of Emiliano Martinez. And Joao Felix is a fun player but continues to look like a player who is ages away from his reputation (and he’s now 23, no longer 18).
Noni Madueke took Mudryk’s place after 58 minutes and showed bright spots but shouldn’t be expected to be saving games for Chelsea at this stage in his career. Christian Pulisic entered late and forced an acrobatic save out of Emiliano Martinez.
Raheem Sterling will return from injury and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang will be available selection soon but this performance made it seems like Chelsea’s past few games weren’t the cleaning up a mess but the shoving of most of it under the bed, hoping that no one finds it’s still there.
Aston Villa is good
It’s as simple as that: Unai Emery has organized a group of players who are capable of getting results and they all seem to understand their roles.
That doesn’t mean that Watkins won’t miss a chance here or there — he did before scoring at The Bridge — or that there won’t be lapses at the back on occasion.
But Villa knows its job and also the goals of the opponent: Countless Chelsea crosses never reached their back post targets because Tyrone Mings and friends were ready for them.
And when Villa got the ball? Zooooom.
If Villa can manage a top seven place, it will not have been unearned by the players and, especially, their new boss.
Graham Potter reaction: Chelsea performed but didn’t finish, made errors
“We were second best,” Potter said on USA Network after the game. “The first goal for them is disappointing from our perspective. We need to do a little bit better there of course, but there’s a lot of good things in the game, attacking play, attacking entries, shots. Look at the stats of the game and it’s a positive performance but in terms of the score line it’s not because we’re down in the game.”
“The personality on the pitch was there. They tried. They had shots, they had attacks, the entries into the box but ultimately you need to defend better than we did and ultimately I’m responsible for that so we need to do better.”
Chelsea vs Aston Villa player ratings: Stars of the Show
The Blues host Liverpool on Tuesday in one of the least consequential matches between the two sides in recent history, then head to the Molineux on Saturday to tangle with Wolves.
Villa gets a scrap with Leicester City at the King Power on Tuesday and then hosts Nottingham Forest on Saturday.
Ollie Watkins goal video: Villa’s in-form striker feasts on Chelsea error
John McGinn goal: Goal of the Month contender makes it 2-0
How to watch Chelsea vs Aston Villa live, stream link and start time
Kick off: 12:30pm ET, Saturday TV Channel: USA Network Online: Stream via NBCSports.com
Key storylines & in-form players to watch
Chelsea have so many players stepping up in recent weeks but Joao Felix and Kai Havertz have really got going in attack. The duo are scoring goals, creating chances and Chelsea look much more confident when they get into the final third. Enzo Fernandez and Benoit Badiashile have both slotted in seamlessly following their January moves. Yes, Chelsea are still a long way back when it comes to the top four but they are they kind of team who can go on a long unbeaten run and they certainly have so many options with a massive squad of players all pushing to start in this new fluid 3-4-3 system.
Villa’s recent success has been built on solid defense and Emiliano Martinez in goal and Tyrone Mings at center back have been back to their best. Ollie Watkins leading the line always causes problems and midfield creators and wingers always seem to be ready to counter and cause a surprise. Emery has done a remarkable job at Villa and it will be a lot of fun to see how close they can get to a top six finish this season.
Managerial starts don’t get much better than Thomas Tuchel’s debut as Bayern Munich boss against former club and Bundesliga title rival Borussia Dortmund.
Thomas Muller scored twice as Bayern ran up a four-goal lead at home and outlasted a few defensive lapses in a 4-2 win that sent the Bavarians back atop the Bundesliga.
BVB is in pursuit of its first Meisterschale since the 2011-12 season, its eighth in history, and opened Saturday with a one point lead on its Klassiker rivals. That’s now a two-point deficit, and Bayern is now in the catbird seat in its bid to claimed an 11th-consecutive league crown.
Bayern still has to contend with the UEFA Champions League’s affecting their domestic chase — Man City’s up next in the quarterfinals — and there’s a German Cup quarterfinal against Freiburg on Tuesday, but Saturday was a huge signal to the rest of the Bundesliga.
Things might not be perfect in Bavaria, but there’s a new boss in town with a 1-0 record where it matters most: against Dortmund and atop the table.
How to watch Bayern Munich vs Borussia Dortmund live, stream link and start time
Kick off: 12:30pm ET, Saturday TV Channel/Online:Stream via ESPN+
Updates: Scoreboard, stats, more at Scoreboard.nbcsports.com
Key storylines & star players
Bayern’s all about controlling the game, and it does so with aplomb thanks to Joshua Kimmich and Leon Goretzka. The side has pace for days and has also gotten monstrous amounts of creativity from Alphonso Davies and Jamal Musiala. There’s no Robert Lewandowski, but Bayern spreads the goals around through Musiala (11), Choupo-Moting (10), and Serge Gnabry (9). Manuel Neuer’s out, but the club’s quickly filled his space with Yann Sommer.
Dortmund slipped itself a couple of matches ago, a 2-2 draw in the Revierderby, but it bounded back with a 6-1 demolition of Koln. Bundesliga assist hero Raphael Guerreiro scored in that game while Sebastien Haller and Marco Reus both posted braces. Reus remains the heart of the club and has been a boon for Edin Terzic. A wild card is USMNT star Giovanni Reyna, who has posted terrific advanced stats in Bundesliga play but is still mainly just getting 15-20 minute cameos if he plays at all for BVB.
Bayern Munich team news, injuries, lineup options
OUT: Lucas Hernandez (ACL), Manuel Neuer (leg), Paul Wanner (adductor), Mathys Tel (muscular), Arijon Ibrahimovic (virus).
Who’s looking like title contenders and/or favorites?
As we head into the final months of the 2022-23 season, Arsenal and Manchester City are looking head and shoulders above the rest and although Manchester United briefly surged into the picture, they look more likely to cement their spot as the third best team in the Premier League.
The Gunners will have their hands full for the duration of their title challenge, as Erling Haaland continues to take the Premier League by storm with an almost impossible goal-scoring record.
What about the top four and European places?
Uneven Tottenham are hanging in the top four battle and for the moment have hunted down Newcastle, while Liverpool is back in the Champions League picture after their return to form and Chelsea looks like a top six finish is their ceiling. For now.
Surprising Fulham, Brentford, and Brighton are all hanging around on the periphery with fine campaigns. Can one of them surprise and qualify for Europe?
Who are the candidates for relegation?
Southampton, West Ham, and Leicester City currently occupy the relegation places but that keeps changing all the time and it is so tight at the bottom of the table.
Nottingham Forest, Bournemouth, Wolves, Leeds, and Everton all find themselves within a few points of the bottom three as the race to stay in the Premier League intensifies. This could be the craziest relegation scrap in Premier League history.
Below you will find the latest Premier League table.
Can Manchester United’s new-look side keep its place in the top four? What about Tottenham? Is Newcastle going to claim a place or will another new name, Brighton or Brentford, make their claim?
How will the new boys get on? Who will be the surprise package? Will Chelsea and Liverpool recover to finish in the top seven?
Those questions will be answered from August 2022 to May 2023, with the full list of Premier League fixtures.
While below are the answers to all of the questions you have around the Premier League fixtures and everything else you need to know for the upcoming season, with full details on the Premier League TV schedule across the NBC family of channels and more.
The Premier League fixtures for the 2022-23 season were announced on Thursday June 16, 2022 at 4am ET. Below is the full schedule, as you can watch all 380 games across our NBC platforms.
The Premier League fixture computer decides who plays who and when, as teams located close to one another are usually playing at home on opposite weekends to help with policing, crowd control and transport congestion in those areas.
When will the Premier League take a break for the 2022 World Cup?
When will the 2022-23 Premier League season finish?
The final day of the season will be on Sunday, May 28, 2023.
Which teams will compete in the 2022-23 Premier League?
These are the 20 teams which will compete in the Premier League for the upcoming season:
Arsenal, Aston Villa, Bournemouth, Brentford, Brighton and Hove Albion, Chelsea, Crystal Palace, Everton, Fulham, Leeds United, Leicester City, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United, Newcastle United, Nottingham Forest, Southampton, Tottenham Hotspur, West Ham United, Wolverhampton Wanderers
Predictions for 2022-23 Premier League season
We made a few bold predictions ahead of the Premier League campaign, which you can read in full here. And we’ve also predicted how we think the Premier League table will look at the end of the 2022-23 campaign. I’m sure you agree wholeheartedly with these predictions…
2022-23 Premier League TV schedule
Below are the Premier League fixtures in full, with all kick offs listed at 10am ET unless otherwise stated:
2:45pm: AFC Bournemouth v Brighton
2:45pm: Leeds v Nottingham Forest
2:45pm: Leicester vs Aston Villa
3pm: Chelsea vs Liverpool
Wednesday 5 April
3pm: Man United v Brentford
3pm: West Ham v Newcastle
Matchweek 30
Saturday 8 April
7:30am: Man Utd v Everton
Aston Villa v Nottingham Forest
Brentford v Newcastle
Fulham v West Ham
Leicester v AFC Bournemouth
Spurs v Brighton
Wolves v Chelsea
12:30pm: Southampton v Man City
Sunday 9 April
9am: Leeds v Crystal Palace
11:30am: Liverpool v Arsenal
Matchweek 31
Saturday 15 April
7:30am: Aston Villa v Newcastle
Chelsea v Brighton
Everton v Fulham
Southampton v Crystal Palace
Spurs v AFC Bournemouth
Wolves v Brentford
12:30pm: Man City v Leicester
Sunday 16 April
9am: West Ham v Arsenal
11:30am: Nottingham Forest v Man Utd
Monday 17 April
3pm: Leeds v Liverpool
Matchweek 32
Friday 21 April
3pm: Arsenal v Southampton
Saturday 22 April
7:30am: Fulham v Leeds
Brentford v Aston Villa
Crystal Palace v Everton
Leicester v Wolves
Liverpool v Nottingham Forest
Sunday 23 April
9am: AFC Bournemouth v West Ham
9am: Newcastle v Spurs
Postponed due to European action
Man Utd v Chelsea
Brighton v Man City
Matchweek 33
Tuesday 25 April
2:30pm: Wolves v Crystal Palace
2:45pm: Aston Villa v Fulham
2:45pm: Leeds v Leicester
Wednesday 26 April
2:30pm: Nottingham Forest v Brighton
2:45pm: Chelsea v Brentford
2:45pm: West Ham v Liverpool
3pm: Man City v Arsenal
Thursday 27 April
2:45pm: Everton v Newcastle
2:45pm: Southampton v AFC Bournemouth
3:15pm: Spurs v Man Utd
Matchweek 34
Saturday 29 April
7:30am: Crystal Palace v West Ham
Brentford v Nottingham Forest
Brighton v Wolves
12:30pm: Arsenal v Chelsea
Sunday 30 April
9am: AFC Bournemouth v Leeds
9am: Fulham v Man City
9am: Man Utd v Aston Villa
9am: Newcastle v Southampton
11:30am: Liverpool v Spurs
Monday 1 May
3pm: Leicester v Everton
Rearranged games
Wednesday 3 May
3pm: Liverpool v Fulham
3pm: Man City v West Ham
Thursday 4 May
3pm: Brighton v Man Utd
Matchweek 35
Saturday 6 May
AFC Bournemouth v Chelsea
Spurs v Crystal Palace
Wolves v Aston Villa
12:30pm: Liverpool v Brentford
Sunday 7 May
9am: Man City v Leeds* subject to possible Champions League schedule
11:30am: Newcastle v Arsenal
2pm: West Ham v Man Utd
Monday 8 May
10am: Fulham v Leicester
12:30pm: Brighton v Everton
3pm: Nottingham Forest v Southampton
Saturday 13 May
Arsenal v Brighton
Aston Villa v Spurs
Brentford v West Ham
Chelsea v Nottingham Forest
Crystal Palace v AFC Bournemouth
Everton v Man City
Leeds v Newcastle
Leicester v Liverpool
Man Utd v Wolves
Southampton v Fulham
Saturday 20 May
AFC Bournemouth v Man Utd
Brighton v Southampton
Fulham v Crystal Palace
Liverpool v Aston Villa
Man City v Chelsea
Newcastle v Leicester
Nottingham Forest v Arsenal
Spurs v Brentford
West Ham v Leeds
Wolves v Everton
Sunday 28 May
16:00 Arsenal v Wolves
16:00 Aston Villa v Brighton
16:00 Brentford v Man City
16:00 Chelsea v Newcastle
16:00 Crystal Palace v Nottingham Forest
16:00 Everton v AFC Bournemouth
16:00 Leeds v Spurs
16:00 Leicester v West Ham
16:00 Man Utd v Fulham
16:00 Southampton v Liverpool
