The European club soccer season recently concluded with the UEFA Champions League final, but despite the end of the club calendar, a vibrant summer of soccer awaits fans worldwide.
Upcoming Matches
Notable fixtures in the near future include:
- June 3: Spain vs. England (UWNL), 1 p.m. ET
- June 3: USWNT vs. Jamaica (Friendly), 8 p.m. ET
The Forward Line
USWNT Youngsters Begin to Gel
The U.S. Women`s National Team commenced the international break with a solid 3-0 win against China on Saturday. This match served as a strong indicator of the progress Emma Hayes` relatively young team is making during this period of exploration and development.
Saturday`s performance offered a clearer look at the evolving USWNT lineup, where individual players are starting to find synergy after several months of collaborative effort. The squad successfully navigated China`s defensive high line throughout the game, with Catarina Macario standing out by contributing both a goal and an assist. Coach Hayes attributed the team`s effective display to the groundwork laid over recent months, acknowledging that the initial challenges and learning adjustments are becoming less prominent.
Hayes commented on the tactical strides: “When you`re trying to put together so many new players as a coach, you want to make sure that every time you`re with them, you`re making less and less tactical corrections and this week, we`ve made less than we`ve ever had to make because Avery Patterson knows where to be [on] both sides of the ball, so does Lily [Yohannes], so does Michelle Cooper and so that, in return, means the whole group can go up a higher level because they`re getting better at their understanding of that. That`s the first thing.”
With the regular starting attacking trio often referred to as the “triple espresso” (Trinity Rodman, Mallory Swanson, and Sophia Smith) currently unavailable, the forward line of Macario, Alyssa Thompson, and Michelle Cooper performed commendably on Saturday as Hayes continues to assess her attacking options. Hayes has additional players, including young talents Ally Sentnor and Emma Sears, as well as veteran Lynn Williams, available for the upcoming game against Jamaica. Regardless of the specific lineup chosen, Hayes noted areas for further refinement for the young squad as they continue their extensive preparation for the 2027 Women`s World Cup.
Regarding areas for improvement and overall satisfaction, Hayes stated: “We wanted to be a bit more dynamic in our rotations so the timing of our rotations to pull their wide players out. I thought in the first half, we did that really, really well. What we didn`t do as well as we wanted to was [that] we tried to find the spaces in between when actually, the space was in behind so sometimes we overplayed. They want to give us some areas, we take them areas but I`m asking them to deliver a performance with a level of patience so I`m not going to criticize them for that. I feel like, tactically, we`ve gone up another level. I really feel that way. I feel that there`s so many more players that are so much more in control, that were able to do more and I was pleased with the performance.”
Midfield Focus
Soccer in the Summertime
Although the offseason is either imminent or already underway for many of the world`s premier players, the next couple of months feature a packed schedule of soccer. A unique summer filled with high-stakes competitions is on the horizon.
World Cup Qualifying Resumes
June 11 marks exactly one year until the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Qualifying matches are top priority for many national teams vying for a spot in the expanded 48-team tournament in North America. While the three host nations (USA, Canada, Mexico) are already in, joined by early qualifiers Japan, New Zealand, Iran, and Argentina, more teams could secure their place before the end of the month.
While some confederations are well into their qualification campaigns, Europe is just beginning. Several high-profile teams, including former World Cup champions Germany, Spain, France, and Italy, will play their initial qualifiers this month. Italy, coached by Luciano Spalletti, will be particularly under scrutiny in the UEFA qualifiers, having surprisingly missed the last two World Cups despite winning the Euros in 2021.
New-look Club World Cup Gets Underway
Thirty-two clubs from across the globe are finalizing preparations for the expanded FIFA Club World Cup. The tournament, hosted in the U.S., kicks off on June 14. Participants include recent Champions League winners Paris Saint-Germain, European giants Real Madrid and Chelsea, and Lionel Messi`s Inter Miami. MLS side LAFC recently secured the final spot after winning a playoff match.
A major question is how each participating club will approach this competition, especially considering it follows a demanding season that for some could run until July 13 if they reach the final. The potential recruitment of players like Cristiano Ronaldo by teams such as Al-Hilal specifically for the event adds an interesting dynamic.
Women`s Euro Returns in July
The main international tournament of the summer is the UEFA Women`s Euro in Switzerland, featuring 16 teams. England are the defending champions from the 2022 edition, which set attendance and viewership records. However, the landscape in Europe has shifted significantly since then. Notably, Spain has transformed from a team with potential but limited major tournament success (exiting in the quarterfinals in 2022) to World Cup winners in 2023 (beating England in the final). They arrive in Switzerland as strong favorites.
Despite Spain`s favoritism, expectations remain high for England, though they will be without key goalkeeper Mary Earps, who recently announced her international retirement. Hannah Hampton of Chelsea has been the expected starter for the Euros in recent months.
The Back Line
Betting Insights
Analyzing potential outcomes for upcoming competitions:
- Club World Cup: Potential Champions
Some analysts view Paris Saint-Germain as strong contenders for the Club World Cup title (+650 odds), despite other teams like Real Madrid or Manchester City potentially being listed as favorites. PSG`s mastery of Luis Enrique`s new tactics makes them exceptionally challenging to defeat. While Real Madrid might be adjusting under a new coach (reportedly Xabi Alonso, though the text originally mentioned Alonso for Real Madrid which seems to be an error, Ancelotti is the current coach – let`s rephrase to avoid specific coach name errors), and City recently faced challenges against PSG, the French champions appear well-equipped to add this trophy, potentially turning their recent treble into a quadruple season success.