Richards and Palace Keep a Clean Sheet on Monday After European Victory on Thursday
It's been a remarkable stretch for Chris Richards and Crystal Palace, and the American center back is embracing every moment of it.
Last Thursday, Richards helped Palace see off Fiorentina in the UEFA Conference League quarterfinal, holding firm through a nervy second half in Italy after Ismaila Sarr's early away goal had effectively ended the tie as a contest. Despite Fiorentina pulling back to within two goals on the night, Palace defended resolutely to advance 4-2 on aggregate and set up a semifinal clash with Shakhtar Donetsk. Richards spoke openly about the lessons the squad has absorbed throughout the European campaign, noting the adjustments required compared to Premier League football. He also praised young center back partner Jaydee Canvot, who has stepped up impressively since Marc Guehi's winter departure to Manchester City.
On Monday, Richards and Palace returned to league action against a West Ham side fighting for Premier League survival, and the backline was again solid in a 0-0 draw at Selhurst Park—Palace's 12th clean sheet of the campaign. Richards made eight clearances, six of them headers, and contributed nine defensive actions across 90 minutes. A potential Palace winner was disallowed late via VAR, but the point keeps their Conference League momentum intact heading into the semifinal.
Defender's Strike Not Enough as Mainz Snatch Late Point at Borussia-Park
Joe Scally gave Borussia Mönchengladbach the perfect start on Sunday evening, but a last-gasp penalty denied the Foals all three points in a 1-1 draw against Mainz at Borussia-Park.
The 23-year-old American right wingback opened the scoring in the seventh minute with a composed, well-taken finish—his first goal since netting in the first match back from Winter break against Augsburg back in January. The move was built from a headed flick-on by Haris Tabaković, which found Hugo Bolin in space. Bolin drove at his man before laying the ball off to Scally on the edge of the box, and the USMNT international opened his body and placed a low left-footed shot into the bottom corner, giving goalkeeper Daniel Batz no chance.
It was a clinical finish, but Scally's technique and composure made it look far more routine than the 0.07 xG suggested. He was equally disciplined throughout the 90 minutes at the other end, contributing five clearances, two of them headers, and four recoveries as Gladbach worked hard to protect their lead.
For long stretches, it looked like it might be enough. Mainz pressed continuously, and Gladbach had chances to put the game to bed, most notably when Jens Castrop found himself through on goal but was denied by Batz. Nelson Weiper thought he had equalized late on, only for VAR to rule it out for offside, and it seemed Gladbach would hold on.
But in the 96th minute, a foul in the box handed Mainz a lifeline, and Nadiem Amiri calmly converted the penalty to steal a point. For Scally and Gladbach, it was a deflating end to what had been a strong performance, extending their winless run to four matches.
Forward Scores in Eighth Straight Ligue 1 Match as Monaco Rescue a Point Against Auxerre
Folarin Balogun's remarkable scoring run continued on Sunday, but it wasn't enough to give AS Monaco the result they desperately needed in their pursuit of a Champions League place.
The 24-year-old American striker converted a penalty in the 59th minute to draw Monaco level at 2-2 against AJ Auxerre at Stade Louis-II, scoring in eight consecutive Ligue 1 matches—a feat achieved by only four other players in the French top flight this century. He joins an exclusive list that includes Sonny Anderson, Shabani Nonda, Rony Lopes, and Moussa Dembélé, the latter three all having done it in Monaco colors. It was his 12th league goal of the season and, notably, his tenth in his last ten matches across all competitions.
The context made the comeback all the more impressive. Monaco found themselves two goals down inside 33 minutes, first conceding a superb volley from Kevin Danois and then being punished when goalkeeper Lukas Hradecky let Lassine Sinayoko's shot slip under his body. It looked bleak. But Ansu Fati pulled one back in the 56th minute, and three minutes later, Balogun was brought down in the box, stepped up himself, and coolly converted to level things up.
Balogun's underlying numbers told the story of a man constantly in dangerous areas—nine touches in the opposition box and three shots, all on target. He even thought he had grabbed a second when he lashed a shot into the far corner, only to be flagged for offside.
Six of his last eight goals have come in the second half, underlining his ability to impact matches when it matters most. With Monaco still outside the European places, they'll need more of the same when they travel to Toulouse next weekend.
Midfielder Notched an Assist as Juventus Move Closer to Champions League
Weston McKennie is hitting his stride at exactly the right time, and Juventus is reaping the rewards.
The 27-year-old USMNT midfielder was one of his side's best players on Sunday as Juventus cruised to a 2-0 victory over Bologna at Allianz Stadium, moving five points clear of Como in the race for the final Champions League qualification spot with five games remaining. It was Juventus' seventh Serie A match without a defeat, a run in which they've accumulated more points than any other side in the division over that stretch.
McKennie's influence was total. He completed 88% of his passes, made ten passes into the final third, created two chances, including one big one, and contributed defensively with tackles, blocks, clearances, and four recoveries—covering the pitch from box to box for the full 90 minutes. He was dominant throughout, combining defensive solidity with driving forward runs.
The decisive moment came in the 57th minute. Manuel Locatelli's effort was blocked, and the ball dropped to McKennie, who took a couple of touches to compose himself before delivering a pinpoint cross from the right wing onto the head of substitute Khephren Thuram, who powered his header past Federico Ravaglia to double the lead. It was the kind of intelligent, composed delivery that unlocked a well-organized Bologna defense.
Juventus had actually been in front since the second minute, when Jonathan David glanced Pierre Kalulu's cross into the bottom corner in what was the fastest Juventus goal in a Serie A home match in nearly three years. With the World Cup approaching, McKennie's form couldn't be better timed.
Midfielder Had a Goal and an Assist as Real Salt Lake Stayed on a Roll
Diego Luna is making a strong case for a World Cup roster spot, and Saturday night in Sandy was his most compelling argument yet.
The 22-year-old contributed a goal and an assist as Real Salt Lake dismantled San Diego FC 4-2, extending their unbeaten run to six matches and matching the best seven-game start in the franchise's 22-season history. Head coach Pablo Mastroeni was effusive afterward, calling it "probably the best half of football" he's witnessed during his tenure, praising every phase of the game from pressing to build-up play.
Luna was the spark plug from the opening minutes. In the fourth minute, he read a careless attempted pass by San Diego goalkeeper Duran Ferree, intercepted it, and coolly slotted home to put RSL ahead. Just 60 seconds later, he shifted the ball wide and delivered a cross-field pass that Sergi Solans headed inside the left post to make it 2-0. Zavier Gozo set up Solans' second goal of the night, before Morgan Guilavogui added a fourth just before halftime to put the match beyond doubt.
Luna's underlying numbers were equally impressive. He created three chances, including two big ones, completed 67% of his crosses, and finished with an xG+xA of 1.34 in just 70 minutes of action. It was only his second start of the season, after recovering from a knee injury that kept him out during the March international window, yet he's scored in both outings.
The timing couldn't be better. With the 2026 World Cup on home soil less than two months away, Luna, a two-time MLS All-Star and breakout USMNT performer last year, is reminding coach Mauricio Pochettino exactly what he brings to the table.
Midfielder's Week Included Champions League Glory and Copa Heartbreak
It was a week that encapsulated everything about Johnny Cardoso's rollercoaster career—triumph, near-miss, and the tantalizing sense that something big is building.
The 24-year-old New Jersey native, raised in Brazil, returned from a leg injury in stunning fashion on Tuesday, entering in the 89th minute as Atlético Madrid clung to a 3-2 aggregate lead over Barcelona in their Champions League quarterfinal. With Barcelona reduced to 10 men following Eric Garcia's red card in the 79th minute, Atlético still faced eight nerve-shredding minutes of stoppage time. Cardoso helped Diego Simeone's side hold firm, booking their place in the semifinals for the first time since 2017. In doing so, the American midfielder became the first USMNT player to reach the UCL semifinals since Christian Pulisic's Chelsea run in 2021—a significant milestone in a competition that has historically been unkind to American players.
Four days later came the heartbreak. Saturday's Copa del Rey final against Real Sociedad in Seville was a dramatic, end-to-end affair that finished 2-2 after extra time, with Sociedad ultimately claiming the trophy 4-3 on penalties. Cardoso, who came on and played 42 minutes, was at the center of one of the game's defining moments, and not in the way he would have hoped. With Atlético desperately seeking a winner, he was among those who squandered a glorious opportunity from inside the six-yard box. His stats reflected a player who contributed defensively, with three tackles, four defensive contributions, 89% passing accuracy, but his big chance went begging, and Sociedad goalkeeper Unai Marrero was the night's hero.
Still, for Cardoso, the week represented real progress after months disrupted by injury. With a Champions League semifinal now on the horizon, his club form is finally building at exactly the right moment.
Defender's Red Card Opens Floodgates in Lille Rout
Mark McKenzie's afternoon to forget in Ligue 1 on Sunday helped swing a crucial match in Lille's favor, as the American defender was sent off in the early stages of the second half during a 4-0 thrashing of Toulouse, a result with significant Champions League implications.
McKenzie, one of the USMNT's key centerbacks heading into a home World Cup, had a relatively steady first half, completing 14-of-17 passes and contributing two defensive actions before everything unraveled. The turning point came just after the break when Nabil Bentaleb slipped a perfectly-weighted through ball into the path of young Belgian forward Matias Fernandez-Pardo. McKenzie, retreating desperately, hauled him down and was immediately given an early dismissal—a moment that effectively decided the contest.
Toulouse had already been trailing to Thomas Meunier's deflected 23rd-minute opener, and the dismissal opened the floodgates. From the resulting set piece, left back Romain Perraud drilled a low effort from 25 yards that flew past goalkeeper Guillaume Restes. Fernandez-Pardo then added a third moments later, turning onto Benjamin Andre's pass to stroke home right-footed. Olivier Giroud rounded out the scoring with a late penalty for his seventh goal of the campaign, completing a comprehensive 4-0 victory.
The result has significant stakes in France's top flight. Lille moved to 53 points, climbing back above Marseille into third place by a single point. The top three in Ligue 1 qualify directly for the Champions League, with fourth place dropped into qualifying, making every point a precious commodity down the stretch.
For McKenzie, the red card is an untimely blow. With the World Cup in a couple of months, the defender will want to put Sunday firmly behind him.
Midfielder Returns From Injury as Bournemouth Stun Arsenal
Tyler Adams made his long-awaited return from injury on Saturday, coming off the bench as Bournemouth pulled off one of the Premier League's biggest results of the season, a stunning 2-1 victory at Arsenal that blew the title race wide open.
The 27-year-old possible USMNT captain had missed Bournemouth's last two matches with a quadriceps injury, as well as two U.S. friendlies during the international break. Rather than traveling with the national team, Adams stayed behind to rehab, a decision he credited with accelerating his recovery. "It gave me a period of time to get stronger, get more fit and focus on the objectives with the boys here," he said.
Adams entered the match in the closing stages, logging 20 minutes and contributing three defensive actions, a clearance, and winning both of his aerial and ground duels—a tidy return for a player who has battled through both a quadriceps issue and an MCL tear this season. "I'm feeling consistent, I'm feeling strong now," he said ahead of kickoff, "and I think it's just important to finish the season strong."
The result itself was a statement. Bournemouth arrived at the Emirates on an 11-game unbeaten Premier League run, and they delivered, with Junior Kroupi and Alex Scott's goals bookending Viktor Gyokeres' penalty for Arsenal. The Cherries climbed to ninth, while Arsenal's lead over Manchester City was trimmed to six points after the Cityzens result over Chelsea on Sunday.
For Adams, the timing couldn't be better. With the 2026 World Cup on home soil approaching, with the USMNT opening against Paraguay on June 12, staying healthy and productive over Bournemouth's final seven matches is paramount. "I am feeling strong and ready to go," he said. Saturday was proof of exactly that.
Forward Scored the Opener as PSV Celebrates Title Win
Ricardo Pepi continued his impressive Eredivisie campaign on Saturday, netting his 11th league goal of the season as PSV Eindhoven defeated Sparta Rotterdam 2-0 at Het Kasteel—their first match since clinching a 27th Dutch league championship.
The 23-year-old USMNT forward proved to be the difference-maker in a competitive first half. After PSV endured an early spell of Sparta pressure, they gradually took control, with Pepi among several players, alongside Paul Wanner, Ivan Perisic, and Ismael Saibari, who threatened but couldn't find the breakthrough.
The opener finally arrived in first-half stoppage time when Pepi rose brilliantly to head home a right-wing cross from Guus Til, giving PSV the lead just before the interval. Sparta players voiced their displeasure at the officials over a potential foul in the buildup, but the goal stood. It was a moment of real quality from the American striker, who won his sole aerial duel of the afternoon and registered that one shot on target.
The second half was more subdued for PSV, who came agonizingly close to conceding when Joshua Kitolano could only tap the ball tamely at goalkeeper Matej Kovar. Saibari ultimately sealed the points with a goal in the 80th minute to wrap up a comfortable 2-0 result.
Pepi now has 14 goals across all competitions this season, and he knows there's still more to come. "I feel like I've been getting there," he said. "My focus is to be able to play as much as I can the next couple of games. And hopefully, I can get to that level where I continue to score, I continue to play, and I continue to help the team."
On This Day in 2006, the US Drew with Jamaica in the Final Audition Before Bruce Arena Named His World Cup Squad
Three weeks after Germany handed the United States a 4-1 lesson in Kaiserslautern, which was a sobering reminder of the gap between being ranked seventh in the world and actually performing on European soil, Bruce Arena's squad returned to familiar ground. SAS Soccer Park in Cary, North Carolina, had been the site of the team's training camp before the 2002 World Cup, and on April 11, 2006, it would host the last meaningful audition before Arena named his 23-man squad for Germany.
The Germany result had stung. But with the World Cup just eight weeks away, there was no time for extended reflection. Arena had rosters to finalize, fitness questions to answer, and decisions to make that would define an entire cycle of American soccer. Jamaica was a convenient opponent. The United States had never lost to them in 16 meetings, and the Reggae Boyz were carrying a roster heavy with MLS players. The setting, a sold-out SAS Soccer Park with 8,093 fans, was intimate and charged. But Arena was candid about what the scoreline would mean.
"Is the result important? No," he said. "What's important is to see where some of these guys are at and to try to confirm what I'm thinking. We have very little margin for error in this World Cup, and every bit of information we get is going to be helpful."
In his own mind, Arena believed two to five spots remained open. Among those with the most to prove: Steve Ralston, who had torn his quadriceps in January but had scored the September goal against Mexico that clinched World Cup qualification; Pat Noonan, versatile and highly regarded, who had impressed in earlier camp games before a hamstring injury cost him a month; Chris Albright, recovering from a knee injury; and John O'Brien, the most technically gifted American midfielder of his generation, whose body had spent the better part of a year betraying him. O'Brien hadn't played for the national team since the Gold Cup the previous summer.
Then there was the pregame ceremony. And Tony Meola.
No other American goalkeeper had reached 100 international appearances. On Tuesday evening in Cary, Meola became the ninth US player overall to reach the milestone, joining a list that included Cobi Jones, Jeff Agoos, Marcelo Balboa, Claudio Reyna, Paul Caligiuri, Eric Wynalda, Earnie Stewart and Joe-Max Moore. Before kickoff, he received a watch and an autographed ball.
Meola made his national team debut on June 10, 1988, as a teenager from Kearny, New Jersey, recruited by Arena himself while coaching at Virginia. He became the undisputed starter through the 1990 World Cup in Italy and the 1994 tournament on home soil, where his play and his ponytail made him a recognizable face across a country still learning the game. What came after nearly ended his international career: after floating the idea of pursuing a career as an NFL placekicker, he found himself frozen out of the national team setup until January 1999, by which point Keller and Brad Friedel had claimed the positions ahead of him. He came back anyway, earned a third World Cup in 2002 as third-choice keeper, and kept working.
"Any time you get to play for the national team, it is not a gift," Meola said, pushing back on the ceremonial framing. "Every time I play, I have a chance to impress."
The ceremony lasted longer than Meola's clean sheet. Within four minutes, a defensive breakdown undid the Americans. A corner kick headed away by Eddie Pope landed at the feet of Jamaican goalkeeper Donovan Ricketts, who pushed immediately forward. Ricketts found Jermaine Hue in midfield, and Hue's pass split a sluggish American defense to release Teafore Bennett. Running past Frankie Hejduk, who Arena said failed to communicate with Pablo Mastroeni on the play, Bennett drew Meola off his line and tucked a shot inside the right post from ten yards.
The Americans regrouped. In the 25th minute, Pat Noonan was fouled, and Landon Donovan spotted Jamaica's wall still organizing. He took the free kick quickly, finding Ben Olsen arriving from the left. Olsen's low shot from twelve yards caught goalkeeper Ricketts's hands and bounced into the net.
"Landon did a great job recognizing that they were a little unorganized on their free kick defense," Olsen said. "They were scrambling for marks, and no one picked me up."
The assist was Donovan's 23rd for the national team, moving him past Galaxy teammate Cobi Jones to set the American record. The Americans dominated the remainder but could not find a winner. Wolff had a goal ruled out for offside in the 41st minute. Arena grew frustrated watching his domestic forwards squander chances. "We haven't gotten consistent enough performances and goals out of our front-runners in 2006," he said. The absence of Brian McBride, who was earning his minutes with Fulham, felt in nearly every attacking sequence.
O'Brien entered in the 67th minute for his first international appearance in nearly eight months. His 23 minutes were careful and encouraging. Albright defended with purpose and nearly scored twice from set pieces. Ralston, making his first appearance of the year, left in the second half with a groin strain. Meola finished with three saves and the result he would have least wanted.
"Bruce did a good job," he said afterward. "His speech yesterday was, 'Nobody's going to make the team tomorrow night, and nobody's going to get cut from the team tomorrow night.' He knows it's a process, and the guys know it's a process."
The United States left Cary unbeaten in 17 games against Jamaica and 4-2-1 (WDL) in friendlies in 2006. Arena would name his 35-player pool the following day and announce the final 23 on May 2, before the team returned to Cary on May 10 for a two-week training camp. The opening World Cup group match against the Czech Republic was on June 12.
Arena told the squad he intended to watch the next three MLS rounds before making cuts. Every player on the 18-man roster retained a theoretical chance.
Meola remained characteristically undefeated in spirit. "If the national team left for Germany today, the goalkeepers would be Kasey (Keller), Marcus (Hahnemann) and Tim (Howard)," he said a few days later. "But the team isn't leaving today. There's always a chance for me. A chance to go to my World Cup again. How would you feel?"
He would not make the trip. The watch and the ball from Cary, the memory of 8,093 fans marking the end of a career that had stretched across 18 years and three World Cups—that would have to be enough. For a team now weeks from naming the 23 that would carry American soccer onto the biggest stage in the world, the clock was running.
