Good day! The boys’s worldwide break is properly and actually right here, the main focus squarely on the 2026 World Cup as qualification continues in a handful of continents and the remainder maintain busy with all-important friendlies. I am Pardeep Cattry with an replace earlier than worldwide matches come thick and quick.
📺 Footy repair
All instances U.S./Japanese
Wednesday, Sept. 3
🌎 CWCC: Washington Spirit vs. Vancouver Rise, 7 p.m. ➡️ CBS Sports Network, Paramount+
🇺🇸 USL Championship: Hartford Athletic vs. Indy Eleven, 7:30 p.m. ➡️ ESPN+
Thursday, Sept.4
🌍 WCQ: Bulgaria vs. Spain, 2:45 p.m. ➡️ FS2
🌎 WCQ: Brazil vs. Chile, 8:30 p.m. ➡️ Universo
🌎 WCQ: Guatemala vs. El Salvador, 10:30 p.m. ➡️ CBS Sports Network, Paramount+
⚽ The Ahead Line
🇺🇸 USMNT’s striker contest takes middle stage (once more)
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U.S. males’s nationwide workforce head coach Mauricio Pochettino might have billed this worldwide break because the final likelihood to vet inexperienced gamers earlier than the World Cup, however the newest roster is headlined by a couple of acquainted faces, and a years-old quandary — who precisely goes to be the USMNT’s beginning ahead on the World Cup?
The competitors is probably going all the way down to 4 gamers — Patrick Agyemang, Folarin Balogun, Ricardo Pepi and Josh Sargent — and whereas Agyemang recovers from hernia surgical procedure and Pepi is within the early phases of a return from a knee harm, Balogun and Sargent will shoot their shot this month. Balogun has the possibility to swimsuit up for the nationwide workforce for the primary time after an injury-plagued yr and should be the frontrunner for the job, although Sargent theoretically poses a stiff problem.
Sargent has 5 objectives in 4 matches to begin the season with Norwich Metropolis, sticking round on the Championship membership after drawing curiosity elsewhere over the summer time, together with from Bundesliga membership Wolfsburg. The duty in entrance of him now could be translating that kind to the nationwide workforce – Sargent loved a 15 objective season with Norwich final marketing campaign however noticed his USMNT alternatives come and go, lacking out on this summer time’s Concacaf Gold Cup roster in what Pochettino described as a “soccer choice” on the time. This month’s friendlies, then, are the most recent in a dwindling variety of possibilities for Sargent to interrupt a world goalscoring drought that dates again to November 2019.
- Sargent: “I would in all probability be mendacity if I stated I did not give it some thought. After all, it has been some time. I am doing so properly on the membership stage in the intervening time. I simply maintain reminding myself how properly I am doing there. I do know I can rating objectives and I do know it is a matter of time that I’ll rating for the nationwide workforce so I am simply going to place my head down and maintain working arduous. I do know the objectives will come. … I type of simply took [the Gold Cup omission] as relaxation up through the offseason and hit the bottom operating with Norwich to be sure that I am again into the subsequent camp and I feel I’ve executed an excellent job of that on the membership stage and that is why I am right here.”
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🔗 Midfield Hyperlink Play
🌍 World Cup qualifying continues
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A handful of groups may e-book their spots on the 2026 World Cup this month as qualification tournaments proceed, with most of the world’s nationwide groups focusing on the 35 spots at subsequent summer time’s competitors which are nonetheless up for grabs.
South America’s qualification event involves a detailed this month, with three groups nonetheless within the combine for one assured spot on the World cup and a further berth within the intercontinental playoff. Colombia are the favorites to take that assured spot and will get throughout the end line as quickly as Thursday, after they host fellow contender Bolivia in Barranquilla. Los Cafeteros have a 5 level lead over Bolivia (and a 4 level benefit over Venezuela), a win sufficient to gather the final assured spot on the World Cup. That would depart Venezuela and Bolivia to duke it out for a spot within the playoff when CONMEBOL’s qualification run concludes, every with an uphill battle of their very own to climb – Venezuela will host Colombia, whereas Bolivia will welcome Brazil within the qualification finale.
In the meantime in Africa, there are nonetheless 4 video games to go within the first spherical of qualification however two regulars may get the job executed this month if all issues tilt of their favor. Morocco, the 2022 World Cup semifinalists, are poised to be the primary workforce from the continent to e-book their spot on the 2026 event with a win over Niger on Friday plus a Tanzania loss to Congo on the identical day. Egypt may be a part of them on Tuesday in the event that they win the 2 video games on their plate this month in opposition to Ethiopia and Burkina Faso.
No spots are up for grabs in Europe or North America, although every continent kicks off main phases of qualification this month. A handful of heavy-hitters in Europe will really start their qualification journeys over the subsequent couple of days, together with the final three groups from the continent to win the World Cup – France, Germany and Spain – whereas Portugal additionally makes up the record as groups start to compete for the 16 spots which are accessible to them. In North America, the third qualification spherical will start this month and finish in November with three groups reserving their spots on the World Cup and two extra playoff spots up for grabs later. After the three hosts, Costa Rica goal back-to-back World Cup journeys whereas Concacaf Nations League finalists Panama and regional heavyweights Jamaica are among the many favorites to complete the job by November.
🔗 Prime Tales
🇺🇸 USMNT gamers on the transfer: This is a glance again on the switch information from USMNT gamers this summer time and the place these gamers go from right here because the countdown to the World Cup continues.
🏟️ Chicago Stars’ new house: The NWSL’s Chicago Stars will play their house video games at Northwestern Drugs Discipline subsequent season, transferring away from SeatGeek Stadium.
✍️ Switch window newest: The window is shut in Europe’s prime 5 leagues, which implies it is time to resolve who the winners and the losers have been of the summer time, hand out some superlatives … and pivot our consideration to Turkiye?
1️⃣1️⃣ NWSL’s finest: The Chicago Stars’ Ludmila and Gotham FC’s Esther Gonzalez earned a spot on the NWSL workforce of the week after some spectacular work over the weekend.
👋 Managerial outgoings?: The Premier League season could also be simply three video games previous however with West Ham and Nottingham Forest already in disaster mode, it is time to ask – are respective managers Graham Potter and Nuno Espirito Santo on the recent seat?
💰 The Again Line
💵 Greatest bets
- World Cup qualifying: Bulgaria vs. Spain, Thursday, 2:45 p.m.
💰 THE PICK: Over 3.5 objectives scored (+134) – Spain kick off their World Cup qualifying marketing campaign on Thursday at Bulgaria, the lowest-ranked workforce in Group E of UEFA World Cup qualification. Away journeys can typically develop into sophisticated however the reigning European champions have all of the instruments they should overcome any bumps within the street, particularly with the likes of Lamine Yamal and Nico Williams within the squad. Anticipate a commanding win for Spain in Japanese Europe because the street to the 2026 World Cup formally begins for the title contenders.
For extra picks, predictions, skilled suggestions and the most recent betting information, do not miss out on CBSSports.com’s betting house web page.
📺What We’re Watching
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3️⃣ Attacking Third (Monday, Wednesday, Thursday): The main ladies’s soccer podcast and social brand is now a stay studio present. The NWSL season is again and our protection of the ladies’s sport is stronger than ever. Our analysts can be breaking down the USWNT, NWSL and European home season all yr lengthy. And do not miss Sunday live streams on YouTube as soon as the last NWSL game of the weekend ends.
⚽ Name it What You Need (Tuesday and Thursday): Jimmy Conrad, Charlie Davies, and Tony Meola cowl all issues USMNT and the state of the sport in the US because the nation prepares to co-host the 2026 World Cup. Catch new episodes stay on the Golazo America YouTube channel each Tuesday and Thursday at 10 a.m. ET.
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