Welcome to this week`s soccer rundown. Although it`s the height of summer, the football world remains bustling. We have the Women`s Euro, the Club World Cup, a heating-up transfer window, and the USMNT`s Gold Cup final defeat to discuss. Let`s dive in!
Upcoming Matches
All times U.S./Eastern
Monday, July 7
🇪🇺 Women`s Euro: Spain vs. Belgium, 12 p.m. ➡️ FS1
🇪🇺 Women`s Euro: Portugal vs. Italy, 3 p.m. ➡️ Fox
Tuesday, July 8
🇪🇺 Women`s Euro: Germany vs. Denmark, 12 p.m. ➡️ FS1
🇪🇺 Women`s Euro: Poland vs. Sweden, 3 p.m. ➡️ Fox
🏆 CWC: Fluminense vs. Chelsea, 3 p.m. ➡️ DAZN
Key Storylines
🇺🇸 USMNT Outplayed by Mexico in Gold Cup Final
The next competitive match for the U.S. Men`s National Team will be their home World Cup opener on June 12, 2026, at SoFi Stadium – a moment nearly a decade in the making. Time certainly flies.
Ending this cycle of significant fixtures on a high note would have been a morale boost, but it wasn`t to be. Despite a promising start highlighted by Chris Richards` fourth-minute goal, the U.S. lost 2-1 to Mexico. By adding the Gold Cup to their Nations League crown this year, Mexico has firmly re-established its position at the top of the CONCACAF hierarchy.
Coach Mauricio Pochettino had little cause to complain about the result itself, as Richards` early strike was one of only six shots the U.S. managed compared to Mexico`s 16 in Houston. Pochettino did, however, express frustration over a controversial non-penalty decision in the 67th minute when Jorge Sanchez appeared to handle the ball in the penalty area. While this angered the coach, who felt it would have been called against his team, the U.S. ultimately did not do enough to earn a victory.
After Raul Jimenez equalized for Mexico, `El Tri` largely controlled the game at NRG Stadium, outshooting the USMNT 12-5 in the second half, completing significantly more passes in the attacking half (96 vs. 31), and registering 34 touches in the penalty box compared to just 14 for the U.S. Edson Alvarez`s winning goal in the 77th minute felt almost inevitable. A penalty decision changing the outcome would have required extreme luck given Mexico`s dominance. As Charlie Davies noted, this was not a winning performance from the USA.
Davies: `Overall, this was a terrible performance. This was difficult to watch. They brought the fight, they got the early goal, we`re all hyped but they weren`t connecting passes after that. Mexico woke up, they started keeping possession. Any time we did win the ball, we gave it right back. Sloppy passes, miscalculated passes, long balls when they should be short, short when they should be long. Ultimately, that was not a great game to watch.`
There is, of course, a significant mitigating factor, one we`ve mentioned throughout the summer: this was far from the USMNT`s full-strength `A` team, missing key players like Christian Pulisic, Antonee Robinson, Folarin Balogun, and many others. In these circumstances, Pochettino`s primary goal was likely to assess the depth of his talent pool. This summer provided valuable insights into players who could potentially make a meaningful impact next year. Diego Luna, Malik Tillman, and Matt Freese, for example, showed enough promise before Sunday`s final to suggest at least one might feature in the starting lineup at SoFi Stadium.
While the disappointment of a defeat to a major rival might temper enthusiasm, there is still momentum to build on ahead of the U.S.`s September matches against South Korea and Japan. As Pardeep Cattry observed, it`s now clearer what areas need improvement within the setup.
Cattry: `The USMNT managed to complete a redemption arc of sorts at the Gold Cup, complicated as it may be. Pessimism is no longer the prevailing sentiment but the onus is still on Pochettino and company to get the balance right …The fact that the USMNT exit the Gold Cup with several standouts may not have answered the question of if they can live up to the hype next year, but it likely gives this group a better chance to actually realize their potential – even if tempering expectations may still be required.`
Ideally, the U.S. would benefit from more time and more truly competitive matches going forward. This is the reality of being a World Cup host. As hosts (alongside Canada and Mexico), they automatically qualify and don`t need to navigate qualifiers. Their competitive fixtures for this cycle have concluded on a slightly negative note. The hope is that the value of this summer lies more in the experience gained by the players than in lifting silverware.
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🇪🇺 As Women`s Euro Heats Up, Can Anyone Stop Spain?
There`s nothing quite like a 16-team summer international tournament. While expansive World Cups offer every nation a qualifying dream, their group stages can feel like a lengthy grind. The European Championships, with fewer teams, are moving swiftly this summer.
The tournament began just days ago, yet we already have our first qualifier for the knockout rounds: Norway, after beating Finland 2-1, secured their spot when Switzerland eliminated Iceland. Spain is likely to join them soon, having convincingly defeated Portugal 5-0 on Thursday and being strong favorites against Belgium in Thun.
Currently on a six-game winning streak, the world champions started the tournament in devastating form. They could become even stronger with the potential return of Aitana Bonmati, the Ballon d`Or winner, who recovered from viral meningitis in time to join the squad in Switzerland. Despite their impressive start, Spain isn`t taking anything for granted, according to Olga Carmona.
Carmona: `We have to keep our feet on the ground despite the great result the other day. We can`t make the mistake of being overconfident. We know Belgium are a great team, we`ve played against them a lot and we know they`re going to make it very difficult for us, so we have to stay very alert, go out there giving 100%, and we want to win.`
What about Spain`s rivals? Germany had a solid start and will need to adapt against Denmark on Wednesday following a serious knee injury to captain Giulia Gwinn during their 2-0 win over Poland. Meanwhile, Saturday`s clash between two other favorites went decisively to France, whose 2-1 victory means England faces a significant challenge against the Netherlands just to reach the quarterfinals. Sandy Baltimore was outstanding for `Les Bleues`, with Elisa de Almeida equally effective on the opposite flank.
Laurent Bonadei`s team might be the dark horses in the lower half of the bracket, but today`s match will likely serve as another strong reminder of Spain`s quality. They remain the clear team to beat.
Top Stories
- 🇺🇸 USMNT breakdown: So where do the USMNT stand at the end of this international season? Pardeep Cattry assesses what can be learned from the Gold Cup.
- ❤️ Jimenez pays tribute to Jota: A touching moment in the Gold Cup final as Raul Jimenez paid tribute to Diogo Jota, who died with his brother on Thursday in a car wreck. The two had spent a thoroughly successful season together at Wolves in 2018-19.
- 💷 Arsenal splash the cash: A busy weekend on the market for Arsenal. They`ve signed Martin Zubimendi for $76.5 million, a deal we love, and are closing in on Sporting striker Viktor Gyokeres.
- 🤔 Alonso`s lineup troubles: Real Madrid are through to the semifinals of the Club World Cup, but their setup should be giving Xabi Alonso all sorts of headaches.
- 🏥 Musiala suffers leg break: Horrible news from the Club World Cup quarterfinals, where Jamal Musiala suffered what Bayern subsequently confirmed was a broken fibula.
The Back Line
💵 Best Bets
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Club World Cup: Fluminense vs. Chelsea, Tuesday, 3 p.m.
💰 THE PICK: Chelsea to win to nil (+175) — The experience of the Club World Cup as a whole suggests that discounting Brazilian sides can come back to bite you, particularly when they`ve performed as obdurately as Fluminense have in knocking out Inter and Al-Hilal. Still, the Tricolor attack has been running a little hot in terms of expected goals during this tournament and might just find it hard to break down a conservative, organized Chelsea.
For more picks, predictions, expert tips and the latest betting news, don`t miss out on the betting home page.
📺 What we`re watching
📺 What`s on CBS Sports Golazo Network
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☀️ Morning Footy (10 a.m. ET): A special edition of Morning Footy, the network`s flagship morning show with highlights, interviews and the biggest soccer storylines, will kick off Golazo Network`s coverage of the big game. Morning Footy is also available in podcast form, so you`ll never have to miss an episode.
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