Chelsea snap losing skid with 3-0 win over West Ham

0 Comments

Chelsea – West Ham: The Blues scored once early and twice late to snap their two-game losing skid and secure all three points at Stamford Bridge on Monday.

[ MORE: How to watch PL in the USA ]

Thiago Silva bagged his second goal for the Blues inside the first 10 minutes and Tammy Abraham added a late brace to secure a victory that was, on the whole of 90 minutes, far less comfortable than the final score would indicate.

The victory sends Chelsea back into fifth in the Premier League table, while West Ham are down to 10th following results elsewhere this weekend.


3 things we learned: Chelsea – West Ham

1. Lampard’s best attackers don’t quite fit together: Fit matters, perhaps just as much — or more than — talent when it comes to building a cohesive and fruitful attacking unit. Frank Lampard presently has a handful of very talented attacking players who don’t fit into the same team. Tammy Abraham’s hold-up play is fantastic, but can only be used at center forward, which is where Timo Werner is best suited to play, so Werner gets pushed out to the left wing so he can remain somewhat goal-dangerous, but that means Christian Pulisic then has to move to the right wing where he’s far less involved. The tactical dominoes are falling the wrong direction for Lampard. It’s the only way to get Chelsea’s three best (healthy) attackers on the field together, but it results in half of the front-four being played out of position.

2. Chelsea’s transitions a bit sloppy and very slow: Chelsea have the personnel to play just about any way Lampard wants them to play — possession/breaking teams down, counter-attacking, or a mixture of both — but the one facet that remains important is how they transition from defense to attack in the first few seconds after winning the ball back — it has to be crisp, it has to be quick, and it has to move the ball forward. Far too many times the ball was either played sideways, backwards or to a West Ham player. Not only does it kill the opportunity for quick chances at the other end, but it keeps the Chelsea defense under undue pressure where they’re hardly at their best.

3. Conceding early goal doomed West Ham: David Moyes’ plan ahead of Monday’s game — and every game of his entire career — will have been to sit deep, soak up pressure and hit Chelsea on the counter. It’s worked wonders for the Hammers this season, as they entered the weekend 8th in the table, but that plan went out the window as soon as Chelsea scored with 10 minutes on the clock. The, it was the Blues who retreated and left little to no space in behind. West Ham didn’t have the personnel to break them down, and they never really had a sniff of the goal.


The game’s first scoring chance came in the 7th minute, and Declan Rice slotted the ball into the back of the net from an incredibly tight — nearly impossible — angle with multiple defenders racing back, and failing, to clear the ball off the line. However, Rice was far enough offside — half a body’s width — when the free kick was taken that video review wasn’t even required.

Chelsea hit back and took the lead almost immediately, as Silva was left all by his lonesome on a corner kick won by Christian Pulisic in the 10th minute. Mason Mount served up the perfect ball for the Brazilian, who powered the ball home with Lukasz Fabianski helpless in the West Ham goal.

Werner should have doubled Chelsea’s lead in the 43rd minute after the ball fell to Pulisic in the middle of the field, with plenty of space — and a pair of teammates — ahead of him. Pulisic carried the ball 25 or 30 yards straight forward and slid it to Werner immediately to his left. Werner received the pass 15 yards from goal and tried to slot it under Fabianski, who made a fairly tough save look easy.

[ VIDEO: Premier League highlights ]

West Ham enjoyed the lion’s share of (meaningful) possession in the second half, though the Hammers managed to create very little from it — partially down to the absence of anything resembling a final pass, and partially down to Chelsea’s constricting defensive block.

Abraham blew the game wide open in the 78th minute, as he slotted a deft finish home from Werner’s low cross just inside the far post.

Two minutes later, Abraham cleaned up Fabianski’s mess in front of goal to make it 3-0. Pulisic helped to force the goal by challenging Fabianski as Mount’s floated cross arrived at the back post. Fabianski had to deal with Pulisic first, which resulted in the ball being spilled inside the six-yard box for Abraham to pounce and hammer home.

Follow @AndyEdMLS

The Soccer Tournament to air across NBC platforms in summer 2023

0 Comments

27 games from the The Soccer Tournament (TST) will be aired across NBC Sports’ platforms in the summer of 2023 as some of the biggest clubs in the world will be represented as teams square off to try and win the $1 million grand prize.

[ LIVE: Watch The Soccer Tournament on Peacock ]

Games will be aired on Peacock and CNBC, as the inaugural 7-a-side tournament takes place in Cary, North Carolina and the likes of West Ham United, Wolves, Borussia Dortmund, Wrexham and various teams from around the world including former USMNT and USWNT players will compete.

“On June 4th, two teams will face off in our championship game for a million dollars. The second place team will get nothing. We are excited to showcase the drama of that moment and 26 additional high-stakes matches through this partnership with NBC Sports, home of the Premier League in the United States,” said TST founder and CEO Jon Mugar.

[ MORE: How to watch Premier League in USA


What is The Soccer Tournament?

Here are more details on what to expect from The Soccer Tournament this summer:

“A first-of-its-kind soccer event, TST will feature 32 teams from eight different countries competing in a World Cup-like group stage. Sixteen teams will advance to the knockout stage, where they will compete in single elimination games for a $1 million grand prize.

“Teams competing in the event include 7-a-side teams from notable European clubs such as Borussia Dortmund, West Ham, Wolverhampton Wanderers, Wrexham, Como 1907, Israeli club Hapoel Tel Aviv, MLS club Charlotte FC, Liga MX’s Club Necaxa, Clint Dempsey’s Team Dempsey, and US Women, a team of former US women’s national team players organized by Heather O’Reilly and coached by Mia Hamm.

“Notable players include legendary Spanish midfielder Cesc Fabregas (Como 1907), NFL wide receiver Chad Ochocinco (Nati SC), social media influencer and former MLS Academy product Noah Beck (Borussia Dortmund), among others. TST’s field will also include 23 former U.S. senior national team players on both the men’s and women’s side with nearly 1,400 matches of experience combined.”

Below is the full TST game schedule and tickets for all TST games are on sale now at thetournament.com/tst-tickets.


The Soccer Tournament schedule, how to watch live, start times, dates


June 1, 2023

Borussia Dortmund 2-5 Hoosiers Army (Indiana Alumni) – June 1, 9am ET

West Ham United 2-4 Far East United – June 1, 10:30am ET

US Women 0-5 Say Word FC – June 1, 12pm ET

Wrexham Red Dragons 3-2 Como 1907 – June 1, 1:30pm ET

Wolverhampton 3-4 Blade & Grass – June 1, 5pm ET

Club Necaxa 2-3 Hapoel Tel Aviv – June 1, 6:30pm ET

Wrexham Red Dragons 12-0 US Women – June 1, 8pm ET

Team Dempsey 0-3 Sneaky Fox – June 1, 9:30pm ET


June 2, 2023

Borussia Dortmund vs. Kingdom FC – June 2, 9am ET
West Ham United vs. Culture by Mo Ali FC – June 2, 10:30am ET
Wrexham Red Dragons vs. Say Word FC – June 2, 12pm ET
Team Dempsey vs. Zala FFF – June 2, 1:30pm ET

Knockout Round (8 games) – June 2, 6pm – 11pm ET
Quarterfinals (4 games) – June 2, 12 pm – 4:45pm ET

June 3, 2023

Semifinals (2 games) – June 3, 7 pm and 9:30pm ET

June 4, 2023

TST $1M Championship Game (Live) – June 4, 3pm ET CNBC – Encore to air on June 10, 2pm ET (NBC)


Manchester City vs Manchester United: How to watch FA Cup Final

0 Comments

It’s a Manchester derby in the FA Cup Final for the first time in tournament history when Manchester City and Manchester United trade blows at Wembley Stadium on Saturday.

Not that any more juice is needed for an FA Cup Final or a derby, let alone both, but Manchester United can deny Man City its hopes of joining the Red Devils as a treble winner.

[ MORE: How to watch Premier League in USA ]

And a win for Erik ten Hag would give him a domestic cup double in his first season as United boss, leaving Pep Guardiola to max out as a Premier League and Champions League winner should City beat Inter later this month.

The FA Cup has been played since 1871, and Man United’s 12 tournament wins trail only Arsenal’s 12. United last won in 2016 and appeared in 2018.

City has rung up six FA Cup wins and last claimed the prize in 2019.

Man City smashed Manchester United 6-3 in October on a double hat trick day spread between Erling Haaland and Phil Foden, but United won 2-1 at Old Trafford early in 2023 to split the season series.

Here’s everything you need to know ahead of Manchester City vs Manchester United.


How to watch Manchester City vs Manchester United live, FA Cup Final fstream link and start time

Kick off: 10am ET, Saturday
Where: Wembley Stadium, London
Online: Stream via ESPN+
Updates: Stats, commentary on NBCSports.com


FA Cup Final odds (Betting odds provided by our partner, BetMGM )

BetMGM is our Official Sports Betting Partner and we may receive compensation if you place a bet on BetMGM for the first time after clicking our links. 

Man City (-200) vs Manchester United (+525) | Draw over 120 mins (+375)


Manchester City team news, injuries, lineup options

QUESTIONABLE: Manuel Akanji, Ruben Dias, Kevin De Bruyne, Jack Grealish

Manchester United team news, injuries, lineup options

QUESTIONABLE: Antony. OUT: Lisandro Martinez, Marcel Sabitzer, Donny van de Beek.

Manchester City vs Inter Milan: How to watch Champions League Final, odds, predictions

0 Comments

Manchester City is on the chase for a historic treble and standing in the way is Inter Milan, one of Europe’s precious few to claim such an honor.

The Premier League winners three times running could have an FA Cup under their belt by the time the Champions League Final in Istanbul arrives on June 10.

[ MORE: How to watch Premier League in USA ]

Should City get past rivals Manchester United in the FA Cup Final, Pep Guardiola could lead a second club to a treble after he did it with Barcelona in 2008-09.

And it would forever burn United to have domestic company on the treble stage right down the road.

Here’s everything you need to know ahead of Manchester City vs Inter Milan.


How to watch Manchester City vs Inter Milan live, stream link and start time

Dates: 3pm ET June 10, 2023
Online: Live updates via NBCSports.com
How to watch: TUDN, Paramount+


What Premier League clubs have won the treble?

Manchester United won the Premier League, FA Cup, and Champions League in 1998-99.

Sir Alex Ferguson’s Red Devils are the lone Premier Leagueb club to win it.


How many times has the treble been won?

Nine times in history has a team won its domestic league, top domestic cup, and the European Cup.

Bayern Munich and Barcelona have each done it twice, with Bayern doing it in 2012-13 and 2019-20 and Barca pulling it off in 2008-09 and 2014-15.

Celtic was the first to win a treble, doing it in 1966-67, while Ajax was the next in 1971-72.

PSV Eindhoven then won it in 1987-88 before Man United made it happen 11 years later. Inter Milan is the only Italian team to pull it off, winning in 2009-10.

(UEFA.com)


Champions League Final odds (Betting odds provided by our partner, BetMGM )

BetMGM is our Official Sports Betting Partner and we may receive compensation if you place a bet on BetMGM for the first time after clicking our links. 

Man City (-250) vs Inter Milan (+625) | Draw over 120 mins (+380)

Over 2.5 goals (-160). Under 2.5 goals (+110)


Champions League Final predictions

Joe Prince-Wright: Man City 2-1 Inter Milan
Andy Edwards: Man City 3-1 Inter Milan
Nick Mendola: Man City 2-0 Inter Milan


Manchester City team news, injuries, lineup options

QUESTIONABLE: Manuel Akanji, Ruben Dias, Kevin De Bruyne, Jack Grealish

Inter Milan team news, injuries, lineup options

QUESTIONABLE: Henrikh Mkhitaryan, Joaquin Correa. OUT: Dalbert.

USMNT upcoming schedule – Nations League, friendlies, Gold Cup

0 Comments

After reaching the last 16 of the 2022 World Cup, the USMNT have a big 2023 coming up as they aim to build off a successful showing on the world’s biggest stage.

[ LATEST: Balogun named to Nations League roster ]

For the next few months CONCACAF Nations League takes center stage, while the program is very much in transition as Anthony Hudson was in temporary charge but he has now moved on with B.J. Callaghan taking over an interim basis as the search for a new permanent head coach continues.

After both the general manager (Brian McBride) and sporting director (Earnie Stewart) left in recent months, Matt Crocker has arrived as U.S. Soccer’s new sporting director and has some huge decisions coming up as the USMNT’s talented youngsters need some guidance with a World Cup on home soil just three years away.

[ MORE: How to watch Premier League in USA

As for now, here is the USMNT’s upcoming schedule for 2023, with plenty more games to be added based on their qualification for the 2023 Gold Cup on home soil. 


How to watch USMNT

TV channels in English: HBO Max, TNT
TV channels en Español:
Universo, Telemundo Deportes
Streaming en Español: Peacock


USMNT upcoming schedule

* Friendly | ** CONCACAF Nations League | *** 2022 World Cup | **** Gold Cup

2023

vs. Serbia* — Jan. 25, 10 pm ET — Loss 2-1 | Recap & highlights
vs. Colombia* — Jan. 28, 7:30 pm ET — Draw 0-0 | Recap & highlights

at Grenada** — March 24, 8 pm ET — Won 7-1 | Recap & highlights + Player ratings
vs El Salvador** — March 27, 7:30pm ET — Won 1-0 | Recap & highlights
vs Mexico* — April 19, 10:22pm ET — Glendale, Arizona – More details

vs Mexico ** — June 15, 10pm ET — Las Vegas, Nevada (Nations League semifinal)

2023 Gold Cup from June 16 to July 19 

vs Jamaica**** — June 24, 9:30pm ET — Chicago, Illinois 
vs TBD****
— June 28, 9:30pm ET — St. Louis, Missouri 
vs Nicaragua****
— July 2, 7pm ET — Charlotte, North Carolina

October 2023

vs Germany* — October 14, 3pm ET — Rentschler Field, East Hartford, CT
vs Ghana* — October 17, 8:30pm ET — GEODIS Park, Nashville, TN


USMNT games in 2022

vs. Morocco* — June 1 — Win 3-0
vs. Uruguay* — June 5 — Draw 0-0
vs. Grenada** — June 10 — Win 5-0
at El Salvador** — June 14 — Draw 1-1
vs Japan* — Sept. 23 (in Dusseldorf, Germany) — Loss 2-0
vs Saudi Arabia* — Sept. 27 (in Murcia, Spain) — Draw 0-0


USMNT at 2022 World Cup

Group B
vs. Wales*** — Nov. 21, 2 pm ET — Draw 1-1
vs. England*** — Nov. 25, 2 pm ET — Draw 0-0
vs. Iran*** — Nov. 29, 2 pm ET — Win 1-0

Last 16
vs. Netherlands*** — Dec. 3, 10 am ET — Loss 3-1


USMNT 2022 World Cup qualifying scores, recaps, analysis

at El Salvador — Sept. 2Draw 0-0
vs. Canada — Sept. 5 — Draw 1-1
at Honduras — Sept. 8 — Win 4-1

vs. Jamaica — Oct. 7 — Win 1-0
at Panama — Oct. 10 — Loss 0-1
vs. Costa Rica — Oct. 13 — Win 2-1

vs. Mexico — Nov. 12 — Win 2-0
at Jamaica — Nov. 16 — Draw 1-1

vs. El Salvador — Jan. 27 — Win 1-0
at Canada — Jan. 30 — Loss 0-2
vs. Honduras — Feb. 2 — Win 3-0

at Mexico — March 24 — Draw 0-0 
vs. Panama — March 27 — Win 5-1
at Costa Rica — March 30 — Loss 0-2 


Final CONCACAF World Cup qualifying standings

Canada — 28 points – (QUALIFIED) GD +16 – automatic qualification
Mexico — 28 points (QUALIFIED) GD +9 – automatic qualification
USMNT — 25 points – (QUALIFIED) GD +11 – automatic qualification


Costa Rica — 25 points (PLAYOFF) GD +5


Panama — 21 points (ELIMINATED)
Jamaica — 14 points (ELIMINATED)
El Salvador — 10 points (ELIMINATED)
Honduras — 4 points (ELIMINATED)

Follow @AndyEdMLS