The U. S. Men's National team is two months away from a crucial test in the Gold Cup, a biennial tournament that decides North America's strongest soccer team. The Gold Cup will be the USMNT's last competitive international competition before the United States, Canada and Mexico host the World Cup in 2026, and the pressure is on for it to perform.
Here's how USMNT players are playing on the world stage as the Gold Cup draws near:
Winger Christian Pulisic | AC Milan, Italy
This is a less-than-stellar season for AC Milan, which was eliminated from the Champions League before the knockout rounds and sits ninth in Italy's Serie A. But there's one bright spot in Milan's dismal season: Pulisic, who scored Sunday in a 2-0 victory over Venezia.
The goal was his 50th goal/assist in all competitions for the team since joining Milan in 2023. Pulisic, Milan's leading goal scorer this season, is putting together one of the stronger seasons for an American abroad in history.
"It's always good to get goals and assists," Pulisic said after the match, per goal.com. "That's our job." Sure, but some players do that job better than others — and Pulisic is doing it better than just about everyone.
Defender Chris Richards | Crystal Palace, England
Defense has been a weak spot for the USMNT for years, but 25-year-old Alabama native Richards is looking to change that. He played in all 90 minutes of Crystal Palace's 3-0 win over Aston Villa on Saturday in an FA Cup semifinal.
Richards has played lights-out in the FA Cup since the tournament started last fall. He and his Palace back line have conceded just one goal on their way to the final against Man City on May 17.
"Hopefully we can make it just one goal conceded for the whole tournament," Richards said, per the Crystal Palace website.
Defenders Cameron Carter-Vickers and Auston Trusty | Celtic, Scotland
Carter-Vickers and Trusty, Celtic's American center back pairing, lifted the Scottish Premiership trophy on Saturday after beating Dundee United 5-0. It's Celtic's 55th Premiership title, which levels it with Glasgow rival Rangers for the most wins in Scottish Premiership history.
Midfielder Johnny Cardoso | Real Betis, Spain
Cardoso led Betis to an impressive 5-1 win over Valladolid in La Liga on April 24. The win lifted Betis to sixth in La Liga and put it just one point outside of the Champions League qualification spots for next season.
Cardoso is a composed, cerebral midfielder vital to Betis' success but is rarely the star of the show. Don't let his lack of flash fool you, though. His fitness, consistency and intelligence make him a crucial depth piece for the USMNT.
Diego Luna | Real Salt Lake, United States
Luna scored twice Saturday against San Diego FC, but it was his first goal — an impressive solo effort that began with a muscly interception and ended with a looped shot into the top corner — that showed off his skill set best.
"That's just my style of play, right?" he said, per goal.com. "I'm not the tallest, not the fastest, not the strongest, right, but it's the creativity and the risk-taking that's gotten me here."
Creativity and risk-taking? Sounds like exactly what the USMNT needs as it gears up for the Gold Cup. After years on the sidelines, Luna is finally a shoo-in for the senior roster.
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Sunderland are having a very busy summer, and they have already announced eight signings during the current transfer window. However, manager Regis Le Bris has already acknowledged the need to loan out and sell some players to maintain a reasonable balance in the squad. One of Sunderland fans' favorite players is attracting interest from clubs in Spain, but for now, there is no indication he will leave the club. Sunderland's Patrick Roberts turned down transfer approaches from LaLiga Sunderland fan-favorite Patrick Roberts has turned down transfer approaches from Spanish clubs, though his future at the club remains uncertain. The Sunderland Echo has revealed that Roberts is of interest to several LaLiga clubs, but the 28-year-old winger is not currently considering leaving the Stadium of Light. However, the same outlet notes that both Chemsdine Talbi (20) and Simon Adingra (23), recent signings for the club, can play as right-wingers - the same position as Roberts - meaning competition for that spot is fierce. According to the Sunderland Echo, representatives from at least two Spanish clubs met with Patrick's camp, but for now, the Englishman has rejected the possibility of playing in LaLiga, as the player is "prepared to fight for his place under Regis Le Bris." When Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola praised Patrick Roberts A few years ago, Pep Guardiola expressed his admiration for Patrick Roberts when the Englishman was one of Manchester City's youth players. It was specifically during Roberts' first spell at Premiership side Celtic in 2016 that the Spanish manager highlighted the quality of what is now Sunderland's winger. "He has potential. I am so happy with his performance," said Guardiola after being asked if he counted on the then-youngster for his City squad. "We know his quality, but the decision is not about one game. It is for one season," added the still-Citizens boss in comments reported by the BBC. We'll see what happens with Roberts as August progresses. Read More:
The Minnesota Vikings will be without one of their top wide receivers for the start of the regular season. On Tuesday, wideout Jordan Addison was suspended without pay for the season's first three games after pleading no contest earlier this offseason to a "wet reckless" charge. He was initially charged with DUI on July 12, 2024 and pleaded not guilty to those counts on Dec. 3, 2024. In July 2023, he was also cited for speeding a reckless driving when going 140 mph in a 55 mph zone. During his first two seasons, Addison, a 2023 first-round pick (No. 23 overall), has 133 receptions, 1,786 receiving yards (13.4 yards per reception) and 19 touchdowns. During that span, only Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase, Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Mike Evans and Detroit Lions wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown have more receiving touchdowns. His absence is a blow to the Vikings offense, entering its first season with 2024 first-round pick J.J. McCarthy as the starting quarterback. While McCarthy will still have arguably the NFL's best wide receiver, Justin Jefferson, to throw to during the season's first three weeks, Addison's suspension severely compromises the team's depth. Jalen Nailor, a 2022 sixth-rounder, should be in line for an increase in playing time. Last season, he played a career-high 51 percent of his available offensive snaps, via Pro Football Reference. Offseason free-agent signings Rondale Moore and Tim Jones, 2025 third-round pick Tai Felton and undrafted free agents Lucky Jackson and Silas Bolden could also be forced into more prominent roles. Last season, Moore missed the entire year after suffering a training-camp knee injury with the Atlanta Falcons, while Jones had just three receptions on five targets for the Jacksonville Jaguars. Felton and Bolden are rookies and might not be ready for heavy workloads, while Jackson is possibly having the best training camp of the group, recently making impressive plays on back-to-back days. Regardless of who takes Addison's snaps, the Vikings offense won't be at full strength to begin the season. Opponents will be able to focus their attention on Jefferson with double-teams and force Minnesota's unproven secondary and tertiary options to beat them. It's not an ideal set of circumstances for McCarthy as he preps for his regular-season debut, but the Vikings have no other choice than to make it work.
The Boston Celtics got under the second luxury-tax apron by trading Georges Niang to the Utah Jazz Tuesday. The move also gives them a huge incentive to deal their most expensive new player. The Celtics have dramatically reduced their payroll in the wake of Jayson Tatum's Achilles injury. With their superstar unlikely to play in 2025-26, the Celtics traded away starters Jrue Holiday ($94.4M for three years, plus a $37.2M player option in 2027-28) and Kristaps Porzingis ($30.7M next season). They also let Luke Kornet ($2.8M) leave as a free agent, and Al Horford ($9.5M) is almost certainly gone as well. They received Georges Niang ($8.2M) in the Porzingis deal, but traded him Tuesday for undrafted R.J. Luis Jr., a rookie on a two-way deal. That effectively takes Niang's full salary of their books and gets them under the second luxury-tax apron, freeing them from the penalties and restrictions that go along with second-apron status. According to cap expert Yossi Gozlan, the Celtics have saved a whopping $286M in salary and taxes with their moves. Still, the team can reap a larger long-term reward by dropping below the luxury tax entirely, which requires reducing their payroll by just over $12M more. The Celtics don't seem inclined to trade Jaylen Brown, Derrick White or Payton Pritchard, wanting to keep some core members of their 2024 title team together for Tatum's return. Sam Hauser is on an affordable four-year, $45M deal, but losing his $10M salary wouldn't get them under the tax line. That's why Anfernee Simons, acquired in the Holiday trade, is likely not long for Boston. The 26-year-old guard makes $27.7M in the last year of his contract, making him the perfect trade piece to get Boston under the luxury tax. Not only would getting under the tax line free the Celtics of their tax obligations and save them as much as $40M, but it would make them eligible to share in the money from tax-paying teams. The Celtics would also be able to avoid the dreaded repeater tax penalties, which make every dollar over the luxury-tax number progressively more expensive every year a team stays over the tax line. This doesn't mean Simons is going to be traded this summer. Boston has until the Feb. 5 trade deadline to move Simons, since luxury tax is calculated on the team's total payroll the last day of the season. But given the massive savings they'd get back from losing Simons' salary, it seems inevitable. The Celtics have lost a lot of talent this summer, but they've saved a tremendous amount of money in the process. They might have to attach draft capital to get off Simons' deal, but if he plays well in Boston, he might even bring back something in a trade next season. Tatum's injury threw a huge wrench in the Celtics' plans. If they can use this season to get under the luxury tax, they'll have the flexibility to reload and contend again when their star is back in a year.
Aaron Judge didn’t ease into his return. After missing over two weeks with a strain in his right elbow, the Yankees’ captain was activated Tuesday and inserted as the designated hitter. But his presence wasn’t enough to stop the bleeding or the finger-pointing. As the Yankees dropped their fifth straight game, falling 2-0 to the Rangers, the calls for a change in leadership were growing louder. Yankees fans were howling for Aaron Boone’s job and wanted Brian Cashman to be sent packing with him. But, Judge made it clear who bears the blame. “About us in this room, we’ve got to step up, look ourselves in the mirror and do our job,” he said. That was the message from a captain who went 0-for-3 with two strikeouts in his first game back. Judge didn’t shift the focus to his own timing at the plate or the limitations of his injury. He kept the spotlight squarely on the team’s performance and their accountability. New York has now lost 19 of its last 27 games and watched a once-secure playoff position slip into a Wild Card race that’s tightening by the day. The loss dropped them behind Boston and just a half-game ahead of Texas for the final AL Wild Card spot. Mistakes continue to mount. On Tuesday, it was another bullpen collapse, another critical misplay in the field, and another night where the offense failed to deliver in key spots. For Judge, the diagnosis was simple. Do your job. With the standings getting tighter, Judge’s words carry weight. The Yankees have time to turn this around, but not if they keep looking elsewhere for answers or excuses. The answers, as Judge reminded everyone Tuesday night, have to come from within.