Despite FA Cup Defeat, Goalkeeper Made Countless Saves in a Productive Week
Ethan Horvath delivered an outstanding performance despite Cardiff City's 2-0 defeat to Aston Villa in Friday's FA Cup fifth-round clash. The American goalkeeper made seven crucial saves at Villa Park, frustrating the Premier League side for over an hour before Marco Asensio finally broke the deadlock in the 68th minute.
Horvath's heroics included denying Ollie Watkins at close range early in the match, producing a save from Leon Bailey's powerful strike, and stretching to full length to tip away John McGinn's low drive. His most impressive moment came against Marcus Rashford when he tipped away a fierce, deflected effort that seemed destined for the net. Statistics confirm Horvath's excellence, with 1.06 goals prevented based on the quality of chances faced.
Coach Omer Riza praised Horvath's performance, calling it "superb" and highlighting his shot-stopping and distribution skills. Despite facing 25 shots, 10 of which were on target from the Champions League-bound hosts, Horvath maintained composure throughout, completing 81% of his passes and successfully executing seven long balls.
This performance followed Horvath's midweek heroics in Cardiff's 1-0 victory over Hull City, where he kept a clean sheet in his first league start since August. Though he faced less pressure against Hull, making just one save from Alfie Jones's header attempt, the victory significantly moved Cardiff six points out of the Championship relegation zone.
Horvath's back-to-back strong performances couldn't have been better timing for his international prospects. The U.S. men's national team goalkeeper situation remains fluid, with presumed starter Matt Turner struggling for playing time at Crystal Palace. Meanwhile, Zack Steffen is just beginning his MLS season with the Colorado Rapids.
With Turner receiving limited minutes and Steffen still finding his rhythm in the new MLS campaign, Horvath's commanding displays for Cardiff in both cup and league competition may position him for a more prominent role in the U.S. goalkeeper hierarchy. His patience behind Jak Alnwick at Cardiff is paying off, with Alnwick's thigh injury potentially opening the door for Horvath to cement his place as the Bluebirds' first-choice goalkeeper for the remainder of the Championship season.
Center-back Had a Productive Week as Palace Won Back-to-Back Matches
Crystal Palace's Chris Richards has continued his impressive form as a key defensive pillar in Oliver Glasner's resurgent Eagles squad. The 24-year-old American defender has been instrumental in Palace's recent success, helping the team secure two significant victories in the past week.
Against Fulham at Craven Cottage, Richards played a crucial role in Crystal Palace's surprising 2-0 upset over fellow American Antonee Robinson's side. The victory was secured through an Andersen own goal and a Daniel Munoz strike assisted by Jean-Philippe Mateta. Despite controlling only 38% of possession, Palace's disciplined defensive performance, with Richards at its core, helped them climb to 13th in the Premier League table.
Midweek saw Richards deliver another standout performance as Palace dominated Aston Villa in a convincing 4-1 victory at Selhurst Park. The US international was solid defensively but contributed offensively by forcing a save from Villa goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez, leading to Ismaila Sarr's opening goal. Sarr would later complete his brace, with Mateta and Nketiah also finding the net in the comprehensive win.
Richards's consistent performances have been crucial to Palace's impressive 2025 form. Since the start of the calendar year, the team has won seven of its ten matches across all competitions. His inclusion in the starting lineup for eleven consecutive matches since December underscores his importance to Glasner's defensive setup.
Looking ahead, Richards is expected to retain his place in the squad for Saturday's FA Cup fifth-round London derby against Millwall at Selhurst Park. With Marc Guehi available after midweek treatment and Palace losing just one of their last ten games against lower-league opposition, the Eagles will be confident of progressing to the quarterfinals as they continue their impressive run of form.
Despite Recent Struggles, Milan Wants to Secure the American Until 2029
AC Milan has confirmed it is close to securing Christian Pulisic a new long-term contract. Technical director Geoffrey Moncada stated they are "very close" to finalizing the agreement. The USMNT captain is set to sign a four-year extension to keep him at the San Siro until 2029. His annual salary will increase from €4 million to €5 million before bonuses.
The renewal comes despite Pulisic's recent struggles in Serie A, where he hasn't scored a non-penalty goal since October 6. While the American attacker began the season in blistering form with five goals in his first seven league appearances, he has since experienced a concerning drought, converting only once from the penalty spot against Parma on January 26 across his last 15 Serie A matches.
His recent substitute appearance against Bologna highlighted these struggles. He created zero chances and didn't take a shot in a disappointing 2-1 defeat that left Milan languishing in eighth place in the standings. Despite his Serie A difficulties, Pulisic has shined in other competitions. He scored a record-breaking four goals in the Champions League campaign—the most by any American player in a single season—and contributed to Milan's Italian Super Cup triumph.
Pulisic will look to end his scoring drought this Sunday when Milan hosts Lazio at the San Siro. The Rossoneri enter the match in poor form after consecutive league defeats to Torino and Bologna, compounded by their Champions League elimination against Feyenoord. Milan maintains an impressive historical advantage at home against the fifth-placed Biancocelesti, with 22 wins, 11 draws, and just one defeat in their last 34 meetings at the San Siro. However, if they fail to secure a result against Marco Baroni's Champions League-chasing side, they risk suffering a third straight Serie A defeat for the first time since early 2023.
Manager Lampard Confirmed the Striker is Available This Weekend
Coventry City manager Frank Lampard has received a significant boost ahead of Saturday's lunchtime kick-off at Oxford United with the news that Haji Wright will be included in the matchday squad for the first time in almost four months.
The US international forward, who hasn't played since the 2-2 draw at Sunderland on November 9 due to an ankle injury, returns at a crucial time as the Sky Blues push for a playoff spot. Wright's availability marks a welcome return for one of City's joint leading scorers, who netted seven goals before his injury layoff. He was left off the 60-man preliminary roster for the Nations League next month.
"He's in the squad, so good," Lampard confirmed. "The last two or three weeks have been physical training without the concern of the ankle injury, which has obviously taken a while. I haven't worked with him yet, properly. He hasn't played for me, so it's a really great feeling for the group and for me to have him back available."
Lampard's squad is further strengthened by captain Ben Sheaf, who returned from the bench in last week's 2-1 victory over Preston North End. With only midfielder Victor Torp (calf) currently sidelined, Coventry is approaching full strength at the perfect time.
The Sky Blues visit Oxford in exceptional form, having won seven of their last eight league matches. Three consecutive Championship victories have propelled them to within touching distance of the playoff places, which, with a positive result at the Kassam Stadium, they could occupy for the first time this season.
Oxford, meanwhile, is struggling under Gary Rowett, having failed to score in its last four matches during a six-game winless run.
With Lampard now facing welcome selection decisions regarding Wright's reintegration alongside the in-form Ephron Mason-Clark and versatile Jamie Paterson, Coventry looks well-positioned to continue its promotion push and seek a second-ever league double over Oxford.
Duo Based in Germany Named to Nations League Preliminary Roster
Promising dual-nationals Noahkai Banks and Damion Downs have been named to the U.S. men's national team's 60-man preliminary roster for the upcoming CONCACAF Nations League Finals. Both players have yet to receive a senior USMNT call-up.
The 18-year-old Banks has rapidly established himself as one of the most promising center backs in the American pipeline. After making his senior debut with Augsburg last month, the Hawaii-born defender started five consecutive Bundesliga matches before being an unused substitute in their previous two outings. His emergence has attracted significant interest, with reports indicating that Augsburg recently rejected a high seven-figure bid from a top-five Serie A club, considering Banks key to their future plans.
While Banks is eligible for Germany, appearing for the USMNT in the Nations League would require a three-year waiting period and a one-time switch to represent the European nation in the future. Banks will look to strengthen his case for selection this weekend when Augsburg, currently sitting 11th in the Bundesliga and riding a seven-game unbeaten streak, host fourth-placed Freiburg on Sunday.
Meanwhile, Damion Downs has enjoyed a breakout season with FC Koln in the 2. Bundesliga. The 20-year-old striker, who most recently represented Germany's U-20 side last fall, has kept Koln near the top of the table. Downs demonstrated his opportunistic finishing ability earlier this month, capitalizing on a Schalke defensive error to score the lone goal in a crucial 1-0 victory.
Downs will lead Koln's attack against Karlsruher this weekend. The Billy Goats are looking to rebound from a 1-1 draw against Fortuna Dusseldorf. Despite that recent setback, Koln remains favored to secure all three points as they pursue promotion back to the Bundesliga.
On This Day in 2001, Wolff Came off the Bench to Inspire an American Victory
On a cold evening in Columbus, Ohio, a term synonymous with the US Men’s National Team was born. Dos a Cero. Two-nil. Two-to-nothing. The regional darlings Mexico came to the midwest for the first time to play the United States and left with zero points.
The US was moving in a new direction after crashing out of World Cup ‘98. Manager Steve Sampson resigned, and Bruce Arena, formerly of DC United and University of Virginia fame, was put in charge. Arena’s tenure began with a third-place finish at the 1999 Confederations Cup over the summer of 1999 before a 2000 Gold Cup Quarterfinal exit in February. The Americans won the seventh and final US Cup in June one month before the semifinal round of CONCACAF World Cup qualifying, where the US finished atop Group 3 despite earning just one point from the opening two matches. After splitting the friendly results after the January camp to open the year, the US had three weeks to prepare for Mexico to open the Hexagonal.
Arena spent time in England scouting Americans abroad in preparation for the camp one week before the match. The manager was expected to play more European-based players as they were in season. Players like Brad Freidel, Brian McBride and Claudio Reyna headlined a roster destined for Ohio. The selection of Columbus was strategic. The US Soccer Federation had been searching for the right place to play Mexico for years. This rivalry would draw big crowds in the past, but the mass majority were rooting for the Mexicans. Over the last decade, the US has hosted Mexico in California and Washington DC, which provided more pro-Mexico crowds. So the strategy was to think small and think cold. In November 2000, when the Hexagonal schedule was released, Columbus Crew General Manager Jim Smith hatched a plan to bring the match to Columbus, which had the only soccer-specific stadium at the time. The idea was to divvy tickets, starting with Crew season-ticket holders, next to in-state youth associations, and another percentage to U.S. Soccer and its supporters’ club. That allotted only 6k tickets to go on sale to the general public. This would ensure a pro-US crowd. The other factor is the weather, and Ohio on the last day in February seemed perfect until the weather report came out Tuesday night. The forecast for Wednesday, February 28, said temperatures near 40 with no rain or snow. That is barely winter.
ESPN broadcaster Jack Edwards sets the scene for the audience at home: “We come to you live from the most partisan arena the US has. A chilly reception greets the regional dynasty Mexico at the Crew Stadium in Colombus Ohio.” The pregame keyed on Reyna and McBride. Reyna, known then as Captain America, hasn’t played with the US since September, serving a two-match ban for the final two games of the semifinal round. McBride also missed the last two semifinal round matches but for medical reasons. While on loan from Columbus at Preston North End, McBride had a blood clot surgically removed from his arm, which consisted of having a rib removed. This sidelined the forward for three months. McBride had scored in all six World Cup qualifiers he had started in and scored the only goal in France in 1998. Those two also headlined the starting XI. Friedel started between the sticks. The backline consisted of David Regis, Jeff Agoos, Eddie Pope, and Tony Sanneh from left to right. Chris Armas would sit at home with Reyna in front of him. The tireless Earnie Stewart and Cobi Jones started on the flanks with Joe-Max Moore and McBride upfront.
On the other hand, Mexico lined up with five across the back with Alberto Macias, Claudio Suarez and Rafael Marquez as the three in the middle. The eccentric Jorge Campos manned the net. Mexican legend Luis Hernandez started up front and partnered with Francisco Palencia. Despite being the darlings of the region over the last 80 years, it has been rough against the Americans as of late. At the time, Mexico led the all-time series with a record 27-8-8. But since the calendar changed to the year 2000, the US has two wins in two matches, including a 3-0 win on Jun 11, 2000, to win the US Cup, though neither Mexican team was their full squad. This was the first match against the full Mexican squad since the 1-0 defeat in the Copa America Semifinal on Aug 1, 1999.
The match starts, and by the 8th minute, it takes a turn for the worse for the Americans. McBride won a header over Macias, and the forward's eye started to swell. Four minutes later, McBride ran to the sideline for treatment and “he took some nasty shot to his right eye. It literally looks like a boxing fight. His right eye is swollen shut. He just said he can’t see out of his right eye” sideline reporter Rob Stone said during the broadcast. Josh Wolff would replace McBride in the 15th minute, and the dynamic of the forward partnership would shift. McBride is known for his presence in the air and, at the time, was the fourth all-time in the men's team goalscoring list. Wolff, a 24-year-old speedy forward playing for the Chicago Fire, was relatively inexperienced at the senior national team level, and he wasn’t currently in season. It was considered a bold move with Ante Razov also available. Wolff was a key piece to the team that finished fourth at the 2000 Summer Olympics, scoring twice in the tournament. He had earned four caps up, scoring once, resulting in the 2-0 win over Mexico three months earlier.
“When you’re thrown in like that, you don’t have much time to think, and sometimes that’s a good thing. That’s how opportunity arrives sometimes, whether it’s injury or sometimes just late in a game. You’ve got to get up to speed quickly.” Wolff recalled in an interview with SI. Within four minutes on the field, he had a chance to score the opener after Moore dribbled to the end line and played a low inviting cross. His subsequent significant involvement saw Marquez dropping Wolff after a slide tackle in the middle of the field. Salvadorian referee Rodolfo Sibrian showed the defender the match's first yellow card. Wolff made sure the Mexican defenders knew he was tough too, fouling Salvador Carmona near the sideline, receiving a yellow card of his own in the 41’. Wolff was caught on camera telling Campos “That was bullshit” with a smirk on his face.
Things went from bad to worse for the United States when Claudio Reyna was replaced by Clint Mathis in the 43’. Reyna had pulled his groin after attempting a pass about 15 minutes prior and tried to play through it before being removed right before halftime. At the time, Mathis had just enjoyed a fantastic first season with the NY/NJ MetroStars, where he finished second in the league in scoring with 16 goals and 14 assists and was named to the MLS Best XI. On the international level, though, Mathis had only five caps and one goal in three years with the national team. Mathis actually declined knee surgery so he could play in this game. The half ended in a goalless stalemate. It was not a great half for the United States, which made two changes due to injury and lost two of the better-attacking players on the team.
The second half started fast, and Chris Armas put Marquez on the floor near midfield just 30 seconds in. The play restarts, and Marco Ruiz throws in a cross from the left wing. Agoos cleared the ball out to about 40 yards from goal. Moore won the second ball, and his one-timed pass fell to Mathis. As Mathis plays the ball over the top, Wolff springs loose and gets behind the high Mexican line. As Wolff is catching up to the ball, Campos charges out of his box to win the ball first. Wolff gets the first touch and, after spinning all the way around, took one more touch before slotting the ball in the empty net. The goal came one minute and eight seconds into the second half with both substitutes combining to give the United States the 1-0. "That play, Clint and I played together for several years and know each other’s strengths. That was two guys being on the same page at the moment, two guys being aware of who they are and what the situation is," Wolff said. The duo played together at the University of South Carolina in the mid-1990s.
With the one-goal lead, the Yanks settled in, and Moore had a chance four minutes later where it looked like the forward would have a free shot before Macias came back to make the tackle. In the 65’ after an Agoos corner was cleared, Jones hit a shot on the volley from over 20 yards out that was goal-bound before it hit Regis. On the replay, that shot was toward the corner and is 50/50 if Campos is making the save. Freidel made his biggest save of the night came four minutes later, denying Francisco Palencia from point-blank range. Over the next 10 minutes, the United States weathered a few Mexico attacks, including one halted by a Moore slide tackle in the box in the 76th minute. Freidel was called into action again in the 79’ minute, catching Palencia’s shot. Arena made his final change not long after, replacing offense for defense with Carlos Llamosa coming on for Moore. The formation switched to five in the back to close out this final 10 minutes and a little extra. In the 87th minute, Mathis and Wolff connected again when Mathis played over the top to the right corner. Wolff went down toward the corner flag before earning a throw-in.
Jones takes the throw-in, and Wolff is double-teamed on the right sideline. His man-of-the-match performance was solidified when he turned and beat the double-team, drove the ball on the end line, and played the ball back into the middle of the box before being crushed by Campos. The ball appears to be setting up for Mathis to strike before Stewart enters the picture and smashes the ball into the open net. The lead was doubled. Three points to start the Hexagonal was imminent. The broadcast just lets the sounds of the stadium fill the air for the next 20 seconds or so. A turning point in the team’s history. About two minutes later, a minor scuffle ensues, with Hernandez giving Sanneh a forearm to the face. After a few minutes to calm down, no yellow cards were issued. The match was called two and a half minutes into stoppage time before a Mexican corner kick. The United States beat the regional powerhouse. It happened in an American city with mostly pro-American support. It was only Mexico’s 10th loss in its qualifying history. The win marked the first time the US won three straight over Mexico and the first win in World Cup qualifying against Mexico since 1980. After the match, Wolff exchanged kits with Campos. Both played for the Chicago Fire in 1998.
Arena had nothing but praises for this early substitute — “Wolff was terrific. He really pulled it off at the end of the game. It’s not that we had to get him the game, but thought Josh’s speed would be a factor, and he was able to get behind the defense.” The United States would use this win as a springboard in its Hexagonal journey, rattling off wins over Honduras and Costa Rica for nine points from the opening three matches. After a draw with Jamaica and a win over Trinidad and Tobago, the US lost three straight, including the reverse fixture against Mexico. The team would secure its spot to South Korea/Japan with the 2-1 win over Jamaica on Oct 7, 2001, setting up a remarkable summer in 2002, where the name Dos a Cero would be cemented in the history books.
