Alex Morgan stuns the soccer world with retirement announcement; USMNT look for good vibes in friendlies |Max Sporty|

Happy Friday! The men’s soccer international break has officially begun and offers some exciting matches, while this weekend also offers a chance to celebrate one of the game’s all-time greats in Alex Morgan, who will play the last game of her 14-year career on Sunday. I’m Pardeep Cattry checking in before the weekend’s action begins.

📺 Footy solution

Always American/Oriental

Friday, September 6th
🇪🇺 UEFA NL: Wales v Turkiye, 2:45 pm ➡️ Fox Soccer Plus
🇪🇺 UEFA NL: France vs. Italy, 14:45 ➡️ Fubo Sports
🌎 CONMEBOL WCQ: Brazil vs. Ecuador, 21:00 ➡️ Universo
🌎 CNL: Honduras vs Trinidad and Tobago, 22:00 ➡️ Most important+

Saturday, September 7th
🇪🇺 UEFA NL: Ireland v England, 12 pm ➡️ FS1
🇪🇺 UEFA NL: Germany vs. Hungary, 14:45 ➡️ ViX
🇺🇸 Friendly: USMNT vs. Canada, 4:00 PM ➡️ TBS
🇲🇽 Friendly: Mexico vs New Zealand, 21:00 ➡️ TUDN

Sunday, September 8th
🇪🇺 UEFA NL: Portugal vs Scotland, 14:45 ➡️ FS1
🇪🇺 UEFA NL: Switzerland vs. Spain, 14:45 ➡️ ViX
🌎 CNL: El Salvador vs. Bonaire, 22:00 ➡️ Most important+
🇺🇸 NWSL: San Diego Wave vs. North Carolina Courage 4 pm ➡️ Most important+

⚽ The Front Line

👏 Alex Morgan announces retirement

Two-time Women’s World Cup winner Alex Morgan announced her retirement from soccer on Thursday, as well as her pregnancy with her second child. Morgan said she made the decision at the beginning of the year and the timing of the pregnancy means she will play the last game of her storied 14-year career on Sunday when the San Diego Wave host the North Carolina Courage in an NWSL regular season game. performance

Morgan will retire as one of the most accomplished players to play the game with two World Cups, gold and bronze medals at the Olympics, one WPS Championship, one NWSL Championship and one NWSL Shield, as well as the UEFA Women’s Champions League and long. list of personal accolades. She was considered one of the U.S. women’s national team’s most promising prospects when she began her professional career in 2010 and lived up to that promise, becoming the face of the USWNT as she went on to earn 224 caps and score 123 goals, fifth most all-time. . – time

Most notably, however, Morgan was an agent of change who left an indelible mark on the sport. She earned her first USWNT cap in 2010 and began her club career in the now-defunct WPS the following year, a time when women’s soccer lacked significant investment, broadcast slots and audiences. Morgan will be doing so during the undeniable rise of women’s sports, something she helped foster and can observe through the lens of her daughter, Charlie.

• Morgan: “Charlie came to me the other day and said that when she grows up she wants to be a soccer player. It just made me so proud, not because I want her to be a soccer player when she grows up, but because there is a path that even a four-year-old can see now. We’re changing lives and the impact we’re having on the next generation is irreversible and I’m proud of the hand I’ve had in pushing the game forward. , leaving it in a place I’m so happy about and proud.”

Even considering her on-field accolades, Morgan’s most impressive accomplishments are the off-field battles she won. She was one of five USWNT players to file a complaint against U.S. Soccer in 2016 and then became the lead plaintiff in the team’s equal pay lawsuit in 2019, successfully reaching a landmark settlement in 2022 and ending a decade-old dispute in the process. Morgan also played a significant role in establishing the NWSL’s first anti-bullying policy, serving as an ally to ex-Portland Thorns teammate Mana Shim when she and Sinead Farrelly were the catalysts for dismantling widespread abuse of players in the league. The World Cup winner organized a group of 240 NWSL players who successfully demanded the league institute the anti-bullying protocol in 2021, creating a wave of change that inspired the player-first approach the league has taken ever since, including in the new collective bargaining. agreement ratified last month.

Morgan’s final game will air Sunday at 8pm ET and can be streamed Most important+.

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🔗 Midfield League Game

🇺🇸 Positive vibes for the USMNT

The US men’s national team returns to action on Saturday when they face Canada in a friendly, their first game since their group stage exit from the Copa America forced a rethink of the team’s direction ahead of the 2026 World Cup on home soil.

Interim head coach MIkey Varas will work with a roster that consists mainly of players who took part in the competition, although midfielder Gio Reyna was a late scratch from the group after being diagnosed with a left groin strain. Cade Cowell will take his place, making him the seventh fresh face on the roster, as Varas uses his time on the job to slightly expand the player pool. Defender Mark McKenzie, an unused substitute during the Copa America run, as well said Morning Footy this week that this month’s friendlies are a chance to get back to basics.

• McKenzie: “Everyone knows directly from the Copa America, we were disappointed with that… We stepped back into camp and understood that the purpose of this camp is to show who we are, to show the qualities we have, to show that we probably played under the level we wanted to and now it’s time to get back up.”

Saturday’s game against Canada serves as a nice opportunity for a reboot in more ways than one. Jesse Marsch’s Canadian team set new standards for themselves after placing fourth at the Copa America and will be a good measuring stick for the USMNT, seasoned players and rookies alike. The core of the USMNT has a wide range of experience against Canada, losing a crucial 2022 World Cup qualifier to their neighbors but defeating them in the 2023 Concacaf Nations League final to assert regional supremacy, while the ambitious opponent could offer a solid proving ground for the. fresh faces in camp.

The combination of new players and the Copa America wake-up call could see increased competition for places, leaving Varas with some interesting choices to make. The USMNT starter who may be most likely to lose his starting spot is goalkeeper Matt Turner, who has struggled for playing time at the club level since leaving MLS for the Premier League in 2022 and has few strong performances to back up his claim for the job. . His longtime understudy Ethan Horvath could throw his hat in the ring, but Olympic goalkeeper Patrick Schulte is a fascinating addition to the roster that could suggest the competition for the starting job in 2026 is already on.

Other focuses could be on defense, where the USMNT will likely need to move on from 36-year-old center back Tim Ream in the coming years as well as line up depth at right back in the absence of the injured Sergino Dest. McKenzie is a contender for Ream’s place but far from the only one, while 25-year-old Marlon Fossey – a youth international who is in a national team camp for the first time in five years – has been identified as a possible back- up to Dest.

🔗 Top Stories

🇺🇸 Alex Morgan retires: Tributes are pouring in for Alex Morgan, who leaves a lasting legacy on women’s football at the end of her 14-year career.

🆕 Ballon d’Or nominees: The candidates are for the Men’s and Women’s Ballon d’Or, rewarding young players and offering the prospect that a first-time winner could win both prizes.

🏀⚽ Magic Johnson’s NWSL move: Magic Johnson has joined the ownership group of the NWSL’s Washington Spirit, becoming the latest celebrity owner amid an influx of investment in women’s soccer.

🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia’s next transfer?: James Benge reports that Cristiano Ronaldo is pushing Al-Nassr to sign Manchester City’s Mateo Kovacic, perhaps teasing another big spending spree from the Saudi Pro League.

🇵🇹 900 for Ronaldo: Cristiano Ronaldo scored his 900th career goal on Thursday in Portugal’s win over Croatia, becoming the first man to score 900 in official matches.

🇸🇲 History of San Marino: San Marino beat Liechtenstein on Thursday, scoring their first win in 20 years and their first ever competitive win.

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 England post-Southgate: Ahead of England’s game against Ireland on Saturday, here look at the training search as the FA is looking for Gareth Southgate’s successor.

🩹 Croix Bethune injury: Washington Spirit rookie will miss the rest of the NWSL season after tearing her meniscus.

❌ Palmer misses Conference League: Chelsea have excluded Cole Palmer from their UEFA Conference League squad to manage his minutes.

🏆 Best MLS teams: From David Beckham and Landon Donovan’s LA Galaxy to the early days of DC United, here’s a look at MLS’s most dominant teams.

🇨🇦 Marsch on CIWYW: Jesse Marsch appears on Call It What You Want to talk about Canada’s drone spy scandal, the USMNT’s aim to hire Mauricio Pochettino and a prediction for Saturday’s match.

💰 The Back Line

💵 Best bets

• UEFA Nations League: France vs. Italy, 2:45 pm ET
  💰 THE CHOICE: Under 2.5 goals (-130)
  There have been over 2.5 goals in just two of Italy’s last nine games, and it hasn’t happened in any of the last three. Apart from the 2-1 loss to Spain in the Euro 2024 semi-final, the super have not scored in France’s previous six games. Sure, we saw France win a match 14-0 against Gibraltar last year, but this is a battle of heavyweights, and Italy’s emphasis has always been defense first. That, combined with an inconsistent attack, and not to mention Kylian Mbappe’s slower-than-expected start to life at Real Madrid, means the sub is a good play here.

For more picks, predictions, expert tips and the latest betting news, don’t miss the CBSSports.com betting homepage.

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