Good morning! Look in your in-box later today for a special edition of Soccer America Daily with USMNT coach Gregg Berhalter’s June training camp roster. It won’t be the official Copa America roster, but it should be close. Last week, Conmebol agreed to allow expanded squads of 26 players (with matchday squads still at 23). The deadline for teams to submit their final squads is June 12. The USA faces Colombia June 8 and Brazil June 12 in friendlies.
Soccer America Daily is edited by Paul Kennedy and Mike Woitalla.
MLS
Real Salt Lake enjoys ‘special moment’
Real Salt Lake is in first place in MLS’s Western Conference and loving it.
On Saturday, RSL came back from 3-2 to beat the Colorado Rapids 5-3 with three goals in the final 11 minutes of the Rocky Mountain Cup.
• More: Coach Pablo Mastroeni on the resiliency and mindset of his players and the support of the RSL fans.
Most goal contributions (MLS duos):
1. Luis Suarez, Lionel Messi (Inter Miami), 38 (21G+17A)
2. Chicho Arango, Andres Gomez (Real Salt Lake), 32 (20G+12A)
Saturday night heroes
• Mounsef Bakrar: The Algerian center forward Mounsef Bakrar scored his first goal in 12 games this season to give NYCFC a 2-1 victory over the New York Red Bulls in the Hudson River Derby, its third win in eight days.
“He has worked incredibly hard to get to our football club and make the step into MLS,” said Nick Cushing, the NYCFC head coach. “I watch him every day, working incredibly hard to refine his ability. Never once did I think he wouldn’t score. Never once did I believe that he wasn’t going to be a top striker at New York City FC for us.”
• Federico Bernardeschi: The Italian star, derided for his poor attitude a year ago, is enjoying the Toronto FC turnaround.
He scored his first MLS hat trick in the Reds’ 5-1 win over CF Montreal for their first Classique victory since he joined them from Juventus in 2022.
“I think maybe it’s one of the best performances that I have seen here in Toronto,” he said.
• Leonardo Campana: Luis Suarez’s high-paid backup came off the bench and scored a stoppage-time winner 17 seconds later as Inter Miami beat D.C. United, 1-0.
Despite the return of Lionel Messi to the starting line-up, after he missed the 0-0 draw at Orlando on Wednesday, Miami struggled to create chances against a very well organized D.C. defense.
Top 5: Supporters’ Shield standings:
1. Inter Miami (9-2-4), 31 pts.
2. FC Cincinnati (9-2-3), 30 pts.
3. Real Salt Lake (8-2-4), 28 pts.
4. Minnesota United (7-2-3), 24 pts.
5. New York City FC (7-5-2), 23 pts.
WHAT THEY’RE SAYING: EMMA HAYES
“I can’t say it’s my most enjoyable title. It’s definitely been the toughest without doubt, for that reason probably the sweetest. Great memories, listening to the fans, the connection with the players. I just haven’t got any more to give, I know that.”
— Emma Hayes, who will take over as USWNT head coach after leading Chelsea to its fifth straight Women’s Super League championship with a title-clinching 6-0 win at Manchester United. The Blues finished on top with a +53 goal difference compared to Manchester City’s +46. (AFP)
2024 USWNT European champions:
• Chelsea: Catarina Macario (359 minutes, 1 goal, 5 assists)
• Lyon: Lindsey Horan (966 minutes, 6 goals)
NWSL
Lynn Williams becomes all-time leading scorer
Lynn Williams became the NWSL’s all-time leading scorer when she scored her 79th goal in Gotham FC’s 2-1 win over the Chicago Red Stars on Sunday.
The record covers all competitions in the NWSL and breaks Sam Kerr’s record. Williams has played in 10 NWSL seasons with four different teams. Kerr spent seven years in the NWSL before moving to Chelsea in 2020.
Results: NWSL (Friday-Sunday):
NC Courage 1 Utah 0. (Goal: Kurtz 76. Att.: 4,528.)
Bay FC 2 San Diego 1. (Goal: Camberos own goal 87; Carusa 23. Att.: 16,930.)
Houston 0 Portland 2. (Goals: Dias 56, Moultrie 68. Att.: 5,726.)
Washington 4 Angel City FC 2. (Goals: Rodman 9, 30, Krueger 34, Sarr 36; own goal 20, Leroux 23. Att.: 13,342.)
KC Current 3 Racing Louisville 3. (Goals: LaBonta pen. 45+3, Cooper 56, Robinson 90+2; Sears 18, Erceg 68, DeMelo 90+13. Att.: 11,500.)
Gotham FC 2 Chicago 1. (Goals: Williams 57, Stevens 90; Hocking 74. Att.: 8,996.)
Seattle 2 Orlando 3. (Goals: James – 45+5, Balcer 48; Sams 9, Banda 18, 58. Att.: 6,781.)
USL CHAMPIONSHIP
Indy Eleven extends unbeaten run
Indy Eleven, which has been embroiled in a dispute with Indianapolis mayor Joe Hogsett over new stadium plans, extended its unbeaten streak in all competitions to seven games with 4-1 victory over Hartford Athletic.
Indy Eleven hosts Detroit City FC, which was idle, on Wednesday in the lone matchup of USL Championship teams in the U.S. Open Cup’s round of 16.
Here’s how the seven other USL Championship teams still alive fared this weekend:
• Charleston Battery (vs. Atlanta United), idle
• Loudoun United (at LAFC), 3-0 vs. Monterey Bay
• New Mexico United (at NYCFC II), idle
• Phoenix Rising (at Seattle Sounders), 2-0 vs. Miami FC
• Sac Republic FC (vs. San Jose Earthquakes), idle
• Tampa Bay Rowdies (vs. FC Dallas), 5-0 vs. FC Tulsa
• FC Tulsa (at Sporting KC), 0-5 at Tampa Bay Rowdies
AMERICANS ABROAD
Brenden Aaronson helps keep Union Berlin in Bundesliga
Brenden Aaronson assisted in Union Berlin’s 2-1 win over Freiburg and avoided suffering relegation in two straight seasons.
Union Berlin needed a win on the last day of league play to avoid the promotion-relegation playoffs because of Mainz’s 3-1 win over Wolfsburg, for which Kevin Paredes scored the lone goal. Berlin was saved when Bochum dropped to 16th place with a 4-1 loss at Werder Bremen.
U.S. players in Bundesliga (2023-24)
1. Lennard Maloney (M, Heidenheim, 8th) 2,293 minutes (1 goal, 1 assist)
2. Joe Scally (D, Bor. M’Gladbach, 14th) 2,235 minutes (1 goal, 4 assists)
3. Kevin Paredes (M, Wolfsburg, 12th) 1,427 minutes (4 goals)
4. Jordan Pefok (F, Bor. M’Gladbach, 14th) 1,424 minutes (5 goals, 4 assists)
5. Brenden Aaronson (M, Union Berlin, 15th) 1,262 minutes (2 goals, 2 assists)
6. John Brooks (Hoffenheim, 7th) 1,539 minutes (2 goals)
7. Gio Reyna (M, Borussia Dortmund, 5th) 270 minutes (1 assist)
8. Damion Downs (F, FC Cologne, 17th) 171 minutes (2 goals)
9. Timothy Chandler (D, Eintracht Frankfurt, 6th) 12 minutes (1 assist)
10. Joel Imasuen (F, Werder Bremen, 9th), 2 minutes
* Moved on loan to Nottingham Forest in January.
Antonee Robinson boasts best Premier League season of U.S. contingent
American players largely experienced disappointing 2023-24 Premier League seasons.
The big exception was England-raised left back Antonee Robinson. The 26-year-old appeared in all but one of Fulham’s 38 games and finished with six assists.
U.S. players in Premier League (2023-24):
1. Antonee Robinson (D, Fulham, 13th) 3,270 minutes (6 assists)
2. Auston Trusty (D, Sheffield United, 20th) 2,572 minutes
3. Chris Richards (D, Crystal Palace, 10th) 2,091 minutes (1 goal, 1 assist)
4. Matt Turner (G, Nottingham Forest, 17th) 1,530 minutes
5. Tim Ream (D, Fulham, 13th) 1,505 minutes (1 goal)
6. Gio Reyna (M, Nottingham Forest, 17th) 230 minutes (1 assist)
7. Tyler Adams (M, Bournemouth, 12th) 118 minutes
YOUTH
USA captures Vlatko Markovic Tournament
The USA won Croatia’s Vlatko Markovic Tournament for under-15 men’s national team with a 1-0 win over Japan in Sunday’s final.
Omar Hassan scored the game’s only goal in the 59th minute, his third of the tournament. The Americans advanced to the final when they beat Morocco 4-2 and England lost to Croatia 3-2.
🎥 Watch: Full match.
• USA starting XI — Donaldson; Gomez, Espy, Forfor, McLean, Mehmeti, Spivey, Cook, Hassan, Cadet, Hyte
ENGLAND
Man City makes case to be ranked as England’s greatest-ever team
Manchester City’s 3-1 win over West Ham sealed its unprecedented fourth consecutive Premier League title. On top of six league titles in the past seven years, City has been crowned Club World Cup and European champion, won two FA Cups and lifted four League Cups.
• Up next: Man City is the favorite to beat Manchester United on May 25 in the FA Cup for the second straight season.
• Trivia: Arsenal set a club record with 28 wins in a season, yet 89 points was not enough for its first Premier League title in 20 years.
MONDAY MORNING: WHAT WE’RE READING
1. Emma Hayes ‘reinvigorated and re-energized’ by USWNT job By Emily Keogh (ESPN)
2. A German soccer club just can’t stop winning. Its owner Is sruggling pharma giant Bayer By Tim Loh (Bloomberg)
3. FIFA to seek legal advice on Palestinian proposal to suspend Israel from international soccer (AP)