Good morning! The USMNT are officially back in action for the new year, and the UEFA Champions League will join them this week ahead of an exciting end to the league phase. I’m Pardeep Cattry with the latest news to start the week.
📺 Football correction
All US and Eastern times
Monday January 20
🏴 EPL: Chelsea v Wolves, 3 p.m. ➡️ USA Network
Tuesday January 21
🇪🇺 UCL: Monaco vs Aston Villa, 12:45 p.m. ➡️ Paramount+CBS Sports Golazo Network
🇪🇺UCL: Liverpool vs Lille, 3 p.m. ➡️ Paramount+
🇪🇺UCL: Benfica vs. Barcelona, 3 p.m. ➡️ Paramount+
🇪🇺 UCL: Atletico Madrid against Bayer Leverkusen, 3 p.m. ➡️ Paramount+
⚽ The front line
🇺🇸 MLS-rich USMNT beats Venezuela
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The United States men’s national team built on the work of its annual January camp on Saturday, beating Venezuela 3-1 as a handful of players on the MLS roster began to make their presence known in as regulars for the national team.
Eight players made their international debuts on Saturday, while all three scorers – Jack McGlynn, Patrick Agyemang and Matko Miljevic – scored their first goals for the USMNT. This trio has increased their stock as competition for places in the 2026 World Cup roster heats up, although McGlynn arguably led the way after a strong performance in midfield. As Chuck Booth writes, this performance included not only his stunning aim, but also his leadership qualities.
- Stand: “Always a player willing to show off his skills, Jack McGlynn stepped up when the USMNT needed him most. With the team struggling to string together passes, McGlynn fired a shot from outside the box to find the back of the net with venom The Philadelphia Union midfielder then made a superb pass to also set up Matko Miljevic to score a goal of his own. Partick Agyemyang had shot and left the field with his arm around Miljevic, after his miss, shows a mature player ready to break through.
McGlynn, 21, has been a part of the USMNT youth team for some time, including as a member of the U-23 team that reached the quarterfinals of the Paris Olympics last summer . He is one of the players to watch in this Olympic squad as several players aim to gain a foothold in the senior team’s player pool, and McGlynn in particular could fill a role in a midfield that has seemed unresolved since the 2022 World Cup.
McGlynn and the rest of the January camp will have one last chance to impress on Wednesday against Costa Rica. A place in March’s Concacaf Nations League roster could be at stake, marking the first time Pochettino will have access to the senior national team’s entire reserve pool in 2025.
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🔗 Midfield link-up play
🇪🇺 Champions League nears thrilling end
The UEFA Champions League returns on Tuesday after cutting short its winter break, but that’s not the only new thing in the competition for the new year. The penultimate round of the very first championship phase takes place this week, with a series of substantial confrontations scheduled before a final series of chaotic matches next week.
The biggest surprise of the championship stage so far has been the performance of several continental heavyweights, who face elimination by the end of the month if they fail to turn things around. Real Madrid, in 20th place, have a game against Red Bull Salzburg that should help them improve their position, but the real headliner of Matchday 7 is the trip of 22nd-placed Manchester City to 25th. of Paris Saint-Germain.
This week’s circumstances alone seem to be enough to declare the championship phase a success, providing a new dose of entertainment to the competition. It’s not just that the top teams avoided difficulties all the way to the finish line of the championship stage; as James Benge writes, their losses are other teams’ gains, and some surprise teams could end up finishing in the top eight as a result.
- Advantageous: “Why such difficulties for the big teams? Perhaps it is simply because the small ones have nothing to fear. Take for example the opponents of Madrid on the last day, a club from Brest whose professional status is n was reinstated until 2004. In the old format, the lowest ranked team in the competition in terms of coefficients would have been matched with the big hitters from Pots One and Two, a minor misfortune with which came in the third group and the journey of their life could have been tough work Instead, a bit of luck from the draw and they turned matches against the opposition from pots three and four into six points from six. As (RB) Leipzig can attest, when and where you play your matches might well matter more in the league stage, but the few guys have a chance now.
The top eight places will be the focus of Tuesday’s action, especially as 11th-placed Atletico Madrid attempt to sneak into the group by hosting fourth-placed Bayer Leverkusen and first-placed Liverpool challenge Lille, eighth.
🔗 Best Stories
✍️ Latest transfer market: Khvicha Kvaratskhelia’s transfer to Paris Saint-Germain is official, Neymar is working on a return to his boyhood club Santos and Viktor Gyokeres could be a good fit for struggling Manchester United.
🔴 Arsenal stumble again: Arsenal drew level with Aston Villa on Saturday, possibly sounding the end of their quest for the Premier League title.
🇫🇷 Barcola shines for PSG: Bradley Barcola scored his first goal of the season in Paris Saint-Germain’s win over Lens on Saturday, stepping up as Kvaratskhelia is set to take his place on the pitch.
👎 United, the Spurs’ struggles continue: Manchester United’s Ruben Amorim said his side were “possibly the worst team” in the club’s history after yet another defeat, with adversaries who no longer fear them. Coupled with Tottenham Hotspur’s defeat on Sunday, the two teams’ high-profile struggles reveal years of mismanagement by each club’s management.
🇪🇸 The rise of Atletico: Atletico Madrid are just two points behind Real Madrid in La Liga, which makes them real contenders for the title now that the second half of the season is underway.
🏆 Naeher’s latest distinction: Alyssa Naeher won the 2024 U.S. Soccer Player of the Year award, winning the award after a stellar final year with the USWNT that included an Olympic gold medal.
🇺🇸 Presentation of the American method: US Soccer has unveiled the US Way, a strategy with the 2026 World Cup and the 2027 Women’s World Cup in mind.
🌴 Messi scores again: Lionel Messi scored in Inter Miami’s pre-season win over Club America, taunting opposing fans during his celebration.
⚽ Weah on the scoresheet: USMNT’s Timothy Weah scored for Juventus in their 2-0 win over AC Milan in Serie A on Saturday.
🟰 MLK Jr. Day: On the occasion of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, the Morning Footy team have chosen the footballers who they believe embody the activist’s legacy.
💰 The back line
💵 Best Bets
- UEFA Champions League: Benfica – Barcelona, Tuesday, 3 p.m.
💰 THE CHOICE: Lamine Yamal scores (+260) – With nine goals and 12 assists already this season, it is difficult to bet against Lamine Yamal as the teenager adapts well to the pace of high-level football. Expect him to play an important role again as Barcelona aim to improve their position in the top eight, and perhaps score another goal along the way. - UEFA Champions League: Atletico Madrid – Bayer Leverkusen, Tuesday, 3 p.m.
💰 THE CHOICE: Patrick Schick scores (+250) – Bayer Leverkusen enters matchday 7 in fourth place and on a 13-game unbeaten run, so they will no doubt fancy their chances on Tuesday in Madrid. Count on Patrick Schick, who has scored nine goals this season, to play an important role for them as they seek another victory in the competition.
For more picks, predictions, expert advice and the latest betting news, don’t miss the CBSSports.com betting homepage.
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