All posts by h716a5.icu

As USWNT stars return from a triumphant Paris 2024, there’s plenty to look out for as NWSL gets back in action

An Olympic gold medal has made it a summer to remember in U.S. women’s soccer, Emma Hayes’ side triumphing at Paris 2024 despite the coach only taking charge nine weeks before the Games got underway. But as the NWSL prepares to return this weekend, there is still plenty for fans to look forward to before the year is out.

There are just four points between the top three teams in the battle for the NWSL Shield – and a couple of sides further back are sure to fancy their chances of emerging as a contender for that title, with there still 30 points to play for.

There will be plenty of twists and turns when it comes to sealing playoff spots as well. While the Chicago Red Stars, in seventh, have a five-point cushion to Bay FC in the eighth and final postseason place, there are four teams just outside that are breathing down the neck of the expansion side.

So, as the NWSL prepares to resume on Saturday, what should you be looking out for? GOAL picks out 10 things to keep an eye on in the final 10 games of the regular season.

Getty Images1Olympians to be honored

Angel City was the only NWSL club not represented at this summer’s Olympics, with the 50 stars the league sent to the Games expanding to a total of 58 via the mid-season transfer window. Twenty-nine of those landed on U.S. soil this month with an Olympic medal to show for their efforts, and they will get a chance to show off those prizes over the next few weeks.

Gotham has plans to welcome back its seven Olympians on Saturday when it plays the Portland Thorns. The Washington Spirit is going to celebrate its representatives over the course of its next three home games and there are more and more plans being unveiled by clubs across the league as the NWSL prepares to resume.

AdvertisementUSA Today Images2Golden Boot race

Among those returning Olympians are two names in the mix for the NWSL Golden Boot, with Barbra Banda and Sophia Smith both out to pick up where they left off in the battle for that accolade.

Banda is tied at the top of the goal-scoring charts with Temwa Chawinga, having scored 12 goals in 12 games. She exited the Olympic tournament earlier than she would’ve liked, as Zambia crashed out in the group stage, but she did maintain her fantastic form with four goals in three games and will hope to continue that with the Orlando Pride.

Creeping up behind the two African superstars is Smith, who won the accolade last year and has 10 in 2024 for the Portland Thorns. She could be at a disadvantage in this race because the USWNT’s gold medal-winning efforts will likely mean she gets a longer break and might not be back this weekend. However, you’d be brave to count the 24-year-old out of what, with 10 games to go, promises to be a thrilling battle to be crowned the NWSL’s top-scorer.

USA TODAY Sports3Orlando Pride’s unbeaten streak

No team in NWSL history has ever gone unbeaten for an entire season – but the 2024 Orlando Pride has as good a chance as any at becoming the first. Through the first 16 games of the year, it is yet to lose, winning 11 of those matches and drawing five.

The best season in league history was achieved by the North Carolina Courage in 2018 when it lost just once, beating the Seattle Reign's record of twice from 2014.

It’s been a remarkable year so far for the Pride, with the franchise on the brink of qualifying for the playoffs for just the second time ever after years of underachievement. But could it be record-breaking? It’ll take something special to beat this team and it’ll be fascinating to watch on and see if that happens in these next 10 games, or if Orlando can hold on and do something truly historic.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

USA TODAY Sports4Alex Morgan’s form

When Hayes unveiled her USWNT roster for Paris 2024, the big news was that it did not feature Alex Morgan, the two-time World Cup winner and 2012 Olympic champion. Though she had been involved with the U.S. throughout the year and shown, on and off the pitch, some glimpses at how she could contribute, there was just no room for the veteran in an 18-player squad.

Still, it doesn’t feel like that omission means Morgan has no future with the USWNT. She is a quality player with plenty of experience that this young group can benefit from – but if she wants to get back into the picture, she’ll need to get back into form.

The 35-year-old has yet to find the back of the net in the NWSL this season in what has been a tough year for the San Diego Wave, the 2023 NWSL Shield winner sitting 10th after 16 games. However, there’s no doubt that Morgan’s absence from Hayes’ latest roster will only motivate her more to turn things around.

Even the most sanguine of Liverpool supporters will likely have conceded that the Premier League title is now out of reach for Jurgen Klopp as he approaches the culmination of his tenure.

Just like Steven Gerrard's final moments as a Liverpool player, the club's latest bona fide legend is facing a bleak and bitter exit after a career on Merseyside that has left him lionised as one of the most influential figures in the club's modern history, the man who lifted a wayward club and placed it back among the trophies and back among Europe's elite.

Mohamed Salah is likely leaving too, involved in an enflamed clash with his manager when told to come on after the 80th-minute, refusing to disclose the specifics and saying that if he speaks, "there will be fire" when quizzed by a reporter post-match against West Ham United.

It all speaks of ingredients for a cauldron of calamity following such sublime progress throughout the lion's share of the 2023/24 campaign, but the draw against West Ham was emblematic of the glaring issues: slow starts, a lack of unity and defensive fragilities.

Transfer guru Fabrizio Romano has revealed that incoming Liverpool manager Arne Slot's priority will be signing a centre-back this summer, with young star Jarell Quansah perhaps feeling the weight of a lightning-fast acceleration to the senior squad.

Jarell Quansah's performance vs West Ham

Quansah must be proud of his rise to prominence this season, he must be proud of his steely disposition on the field, his natural reading of the game and his ball-playing quality that makes him an attractive prospect for a top outfit like Liverpool.

But he must also be accepting of his faults and he must be willing to absorb criticism and use it to fortify his resolve and continue to build next season, at a new phase in his side's history.

Against West Ham, as has been the case on multiple occasions in recent weeks, the 21-year-old struggled to contain his opponents and played a part in both of the Irons' goals, conceding possession in the build-up to Jarrod Bowen's opener and losing out against Michail Antonio as the veteran placed a free header past Alisson to restore parity.

GOAL's Mark Doyle even decided to brand Quansah with a lowly 4/10 match rating after his tough Irons test, writing: 'Was looking so comfortable – particularly on the ball – until a loose pass eventually led to West Ham taking the lead. Then caught in no man's land when Antonio headed home the equaliser.'

Minutes played

89'

Touches

102

Accurate passes

80/89 (90%)

Possession lost

11x

Tackles

3

Interceptions

1

Clearances

5

Duels won

8/14

Dribbled past

1

As the table above shows, Quansah didn't exactly suffer a shocker at the London Stadium when considering the scope of his display, with his robustness and passing skills indeed on show.

But he's undoubtedly lacking polish and he has been a victim of his own precocity this season, deemed ready to play an important role after completing a season on loan in League One last year.

As per FBref, Quansah ranks among the top 1% of centre-halves across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for passes attempted, the top 16% for progressive passes, the top 20% for progressive passes, the top 12% for successful take-ons, the top 19% for shot-creating actions and the top 10% for aerial duels won per 90.

It's a remarkable array of qualities for one so young, so early in his craft, and it's for this reason that Quansah has amassed 30 appearances for the Liverpool first team this season, scoring one goal and supplying three assists during the Carabao Cup run – a run that handed the 6 foot 5 titan his first piece of silverware.

But it's his regular inclusion in the starting line-up that highlights exactly why Romano believes Slot will move to sign a new defender as his first port of call.

Why Arne Slot must sign a centre-back this summer

Virgil van Dijk was awarded the captaincy at Anfield last summer following Jordan Henderson and James Milner's departures, and while the Dutchman has been one of the finest defenders in Europe, he has struggled with a lack of cohesion stemming from regular disruptions in Liverpool's rearguard.

Joel Matip, a stalwart at Liverpool under Klopp, ruptured his anterior cruciate ligament in December and won't feature again this season – the 32-year-old is out of contract in a few months and it is unlikely a deal will be reached.

Moreover, Ibrahima Konate's flaws have been on full show in recent matches, with The Athletic's James Pearce even remarking that the France international's display was "dreadful" as Liverpool lost at home to Crystal Palace two weeks ago.

Who Slot might move for to strengthen the Liverpool defence is uncertain at this stage but it's likely that a deal could be struck early given the judicious nature of FSG's chief of football Michael Edwards.

It's also important to note that Liverpool will, in all likelihood, return to the Champions League next season and will, as such, need extra firepower to wade deep through the testing waters of that competition.

Quansah has been immense this season but he was able to cut his teeth in the Europa League and it might have been a wholly different tale had he been chucked into the Champions League at the dawn of his Liverpool career.

Liverpool lead race for Slot favourite who's "10x the player" Wijnaldum was

This star could be the final piece of the puzzle to Liverpool’s midfield.

ByAngus Sinclair Apr 26, 2024

Let's not forget that this time last year Quansah plied his trade in League One with Bristol Rovers. His rise, frankly, has been nothing short of meteoric, and there is a high-level star in there.

But Quansah is still young, coarse and unrefined, and while Matip's season-ending injury accelerated his Anfield development, there is no doubt that Van Dijk and Konate could do with another backliner to strengthen Slot's accord.

Quansah might lose out on a bit of game time, but in the long run, it would only benefit him in the long term as he forges an illustrious career.

The pair have both promised items of memorabilia to be auctioned on behalf of the Centre for Disaster Philanthropy

George Dobell03-Apr-2020Wasim Akram and Darren Gough are among the latest cricketing personalities attempting to combat the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic.The pair have both promised items of memorabilia to be auctioned on behalf of the Centre for Disaster Philanthropy who have set up aCOVID-19 Response Fund.Akram, Pakistan’s highest wicket-taker in both Test and ODI cricket, has pledged a signed bat and ball while Gough, England’s second-highest wicket-taker in ODI cricket, has pledged a signed ball.Stars from other sports involved in the fundraising include Jack Nicklaus, Mike Tyson, Nick Faldo, Rory McIlroy, Martina Hingis,Stephen Curry, Michael Phelps and Rose Lavelle. To enter the competition, visit athletesrelief.orgAkram and Gough join a long list of cricketers who have made charitable efforts to help out during the crisis, including JosButtler, who is auctioning the shirt he was wearing when England won the World Cup.Ravi Bopara has offered free chicken from his restaurant in London to NHS staff, the umpire Aleem Dar has offered free food from his restaurant in Lahore to those who have lost their jobs, and Kent’s Sam Billings has offered to shop for vulnerable people in his area.England women’s captain Heather Knight and the Surrey allrounder Rikki Clarke and are among those to have signed up as NHSvolunteers, while Sam Curran has launched a fundraising campaign.

Enzo Maresca shared an advice to Chelsea star Cole Palmer as the England international looks to replicate his first season form at Stamford Bridge.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

Palmer scored 27 goals last seasonWas impressive against Wolves last weekendMaresca wants him to enjoy his footballWHAT HAPPENED?

The England international won over the Blues with his goal-scoring exploits as he netted 25 times in 45 appearances across all competitions following a shock move from Manchester City. He was called upon by Gareth Southgate to the England squad for the European championship where he further improved his burgeoning reputation with a goal in the final against Spain.

AdvertisementTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Palmer has been impressive in the first two matches of the new Premier League campaign and played a key role in helping Chelsea thrash Wolves at Molineux with a goal and three assists. Although Maresca admitted that it is not an easy task to reach the same heights as last season, the manager wants the youngster to keep enjoying his football rather than succumbing to the pressure of the English top flight.

WHAT MARESCA SAID

"I’ve been very impressed with Cole, even though I have known him very well for many years," Maresca explained.

"It’s never easy to repeat the same numbers as last year in terms of goals and assists, but the most important thing for Cole is to enjoy football, relax and not feel pressure on his shoulders. He has to enjoy training every day and then the goals and assists will come for sure."

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

WHAT NEXT FOR PALMER?

Palmer will be back in action on Sunday at Stamford Bridge against Crystal Palace where the 22-year-old will look to add to his season's tally and bring Chelsea back on the winning track after a shock loss to Servette in the Europa Conference League playoff.

Tottenham have already begun discussions over multiple exits with a move for one "world-class" striker "on the cards", according to a report this week.

Spurs set for summer overhaul as Ange calls for "drastic" change

Reliable Spurs source Paul O'Keefe recently shared news that the club are open to offers for over a dozen members of Ange Postecoglou's squad this summer, coming after the Lilywhites head coach pleaded for "drastic" change.

Tottenham could re-sign £30 million player who Dele Alli called fantastic

Daniel Levy let him go years ago.

ByEmilio Galantini May 10, 2024

It's been a regrettable end to the Premier League season for Spurs, who all but have to settle for a Europa League place as Aston Villa take cruise control in the race for fourth and Champions League qualification next term.

Unai Emery's side hold the mathematical advantage and could secure fourth in their next two games, regardless of what else happens in north London. The north Londoners have tasted bitter defeat in four of their last five top flight matches, including a few drubbings, and it highlights the work which still has to be done on Postecoglou's team.

"We need change. Change has to happen," Postecoglou said on his Spurs team. "You can’t want to alter your course and expect the same people are going to be on that.

"It’s just not going to happen. We’ve had two windows and we’ve had some development of players, for sure, but when I say we’ve still got a long way to go, that’s what I’m talking about.

Liverpool 4-2 Tottenham

Chelsea 2-0 Tottenham

Tottenham 2-3 Arsenal

Newcastle 4-0 Tottenham

Tottenham 3-1 Crystal Palace

"It’s impossible to say you’re going to have drastic change and yet expect everyone to be on that journey. It’s not for the want of trying. It’s just that we’re going to play a certain way, we’re going to train a certain way and we’re going to have a certain mindset. And that’s not for everyone."

In terms of who could leave, we can take a pretty good guess when it comes to the 12 players mentioned by O'Keefe. Bryan Gil, Giovani Lo Celso, Troy Parrott, Joe Rodon, Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, Richarlison, Tanguy Ndombele, Sergio Reguilon, Japhet Tanganga, Manor Solomon and Djed Spence are the players linked with Tottenham exits ahead of this summer, with all being mentioned at least once by media sources.

More recently, some reports have claimed that Tottenham are also open to offers for both Emerson Royal and Yves Bissouma, so it appears barely anybody is safe.

Tottenham begin exit discussions as deal for Ivan Toney possible

Now, according to Football Insider, Tottenham have already begun discussions over multiple summer exit moves. Chairman Daniel Levy is seeking ways to bolster summer funds and trim the squad down, especially as a deal for Brentford striker Ivan Toney is "on the cards".

The "world-class" striker could cost as much as £50 million, but he could be worth that amount given Postecoglou's need for a new number nine to replace Harry Kane. Toney scored 20 league goals last season before his ban for alleged gambling breaches, so there is little question he'd strengthen Spurs.

Still no movement on club cricket, in wake of Prime Minister’s comments in Commons

ESPNcricinfo staff29-Jun-2020The ECB has confirmed that the delayed 2020 county season will get underway on August 1. However, there is still no update on the status of the recreational game in England and Wales, despite reports that the government was preparing to give the sport the go-ahead for a return in early July.As yet, there is no confirmation of which formats will be played in the truncated county season. With the Vitality Blast sure to be restored as the most financially important form of domestic cricket, the first-class counties were recently split 14-4 as to whether to play Championship or 50-over cricket as well, and a revised fixture list will be released following a meeting in early July.”It is a significant step for our game that we are able to approve the start of the men’s domestic season for 1 August and one which will be welcomed by everyone connected with County Cricket,” said Tom Harrison, the ECB chief executive.”It follows extensive consultation between the 18 First-Class Counties, the Professionals Cricketers’ Association and ECB and has only been achievable thanks to the significant hard work that continues to occur as we prepare for a domestic season unlike any the game has faced before.”Harrison added that the first priority throughout the discussions had been the “safety of our players, staff and officials”, and that government guidance would “continue to shape our planning and preparation”.In preparation for the official start of the season, Durham and Yorkshire have announced they will contest a two-day red-ball warm-up at Emerald Headingley on July 27 and 28, behind closed doors, and with a live stream for club members. Last week, Surrey and Middlesex confirmed their own plans for a similar fixture at the Kia Oval.The ECB have also committed to ensuring that some form of women’s domestic cricket is able to take place this summer in spite of the Covid-19 pandemic, but added that it “may differ from the planned rollout of the new women’s elite domestic structure”.ALSO READ: ‘Clubs are desperate for cricket, just to stay alive’ – Mark WoodLast week, 25 domestic retainers were announced across the eight regions that comprise the new-look women’s domestic scene.The first season of the Women’s Hundred has already been postponed until 2021, but subject to a final decision on recreational cricket from the UK Government, the Vitality Women’s T20 County Cup could still form part of the 2020 calendar.”Planning for the return of the women’s domestic game remains ongoing, but our commitment to women’s domestic cricket is unwavering and we look forward to sharing further news shortly,” said Harrison.”Our strong preference is that the women’s new elite domestic structure starts this summer and we will work hard to ensure that happens. For this to be achieved, brand new infrastructure still needs to be rolled-out, alongside imperatives we need in place when playing competitive cricket during a pandemic.”Our first choice remains to do everything we can to start this year and build on the fantastic momentum in the women’s game. In the event that proves impossible, we will explore other options for play to enable our women’s players to enjoy competitive domestic cricket in 2020.”We will continue to work closely with both the men’s and women’s domestic game to ensure necessary safety measures are in place to protect the wellbeing of everyone involved.”The ECB remain optimistic of confirming the return of recreational cricket in the near future, in the wake of comments from the prime minister, Boris Johnson, that a cricket ball is a “natural vector of disease”, but in the meantime Ben Stokes has echoed Mark Wood’s call last week for an immediate reinstatement.”For club cricket to be put back but pubs back open on Saturday is a bit strange to comprehend,” Stokes said. “I know that people are absolutely desperate. I have friends who play in the leagues in the north East and Cumbria who are just dying to get back out on the field.”Everybody needs something and for people who love cricket they are just desperate to get back on the field and start playing. The quicker that happens the better. I just don’t really see why it can’t happen, especially when you see the other things that are allowed to happen.”

While an Arsenal fan's opinion of Tottenham Hotspur is often not very pleasant – to put it mildly – just a week ago, Gooners everywhere were tuning in and praying for the Lilywhites to take points off Manchester City.

On the other hand, you had a significant portion of Spurs faithful hoping for the exact opposite and club captain Son Heung-min must've felt that permeating from the stands, as in the 85th minute, with the scores level, he completely fluffed his lines in a one-v-one with Stefan Ortega.

So, by making a mistake, the South Korean was able to once again rain on the Gunners' Premier League parade, although at least the red side of North London can hold on to the fact that their first-choice right-back, Ben White, is worth twice as much as their new number one enemy – now that's parade-worthy.

Ben White's Arsenal career

Arsenal signed White from fellow Premier League side Brighton & Hove Albion in July 2021 and were immediately criticised for spending around £50m on a player with just a single season of top-flight experience.

Former Chelsea and Arsenal defender William Gallas – the fount of reasonable takes – claimed it was "difficult" to understand why Mikel Arteta and Edu Gaspar signed off on the deal, questioning whether the Spanish manager and Brazilian sporting director did it "because Ben White is English."

Amidst the confusion surrounding his transfer, the Poole-born "warrior", as described by talent scout Jacek Kulig, put together a strong first campaign under Arteta, making 37 appearances – mostly at centre-back – and helping the team finish higher than eighth for the first time in two years.

The following season saw the Englishman move to right-back to make way for the arrival of William Saliba, and while detractors such as Gabby Agbonlahor claimed the Arsenal man would "get found out playing right-back," he has gone on to become even more important to the side.

Starts

39

87

Goals

0

5

Assists

0

10

Goal Involvements per Match

0.00

0.17

In all, the 26-year-old has started 87 games for Arteta on the right side of the defence, in which he has scored five goals, provided ten assists and won two Player of the Month awards at the club.

Ultimately, while there was once an element of doubt as to where the £50m man would play – if at all – in the team, he has since gone on to become one of the first names on the teamsheet, perhaps behind only Bukayo Saka, Saliba, and Declan Rice, and his recent valuation reflects that fact.

Ben White's valuation in 2024

According to the CIES Football Observatory, White is now worth €60m, which converts to around £51m, or £1m more than the Gunners paid for him almost three years ago.

1

Destiny Udogie

€80m (£68m)

Tottenham Hotspur

2

Pedro Porro

€60m (£51m)

Tottenham Hotspur

2

Ben White

€60m (£51m)

Arsenal

3

Levi Colwill

€50m (£43m)

Chelsea

4

Malo Gusto

€40m (£34m)

Chelsea

4

Jakub Kiwior

€40m (£34m)

Arsenal

5

Marc Cucurella

€30m (£26m)

Chelsea

This new price tag also means that Arsenal's number four is now the joint-second most valuable full-back in London alongside Spurs' Pedro Porro and just behind their exciting young left-back Destiny Udogie.

However, the former Seagulls ace is now worth twice as much as the man who broke Arsenal hearts last week, Son, whom the CIES price at just €30m, or about £26m.

Now, this isn't down to a lack of quality, as in his 36 games this season, the Chuncheon-born star scored 17 goals and provided ten assists, meaning he averaged a goal involvement every 1.33 games.

Instead, it's most likely due to the fact that his current £190k-per-week contract expires next June and that he is turning 32 this summer.

Of course, players can play at the top level well into their 30s these days, but the fact is that there often is a drop off in output once they are sufficiently past their prime, which, according to research done by The Athletic, is around 26 years old for wingers.

At the end of the day, the former Tottenham captain is still a very effective player, but the fact he's worth only half as much as Arsenal's number one right-back might just help Gooners everywhere cope with the fact that he wasn't quite effective enough the one time they needed him to be.

Football FanCast's Premier League Team of the Season

Our expert writers helped compile their 2023/24 Premier League Team of the Season.

ByMatt Dawson May 20, 2024

Legspinner outlines the challenges posed by the uncertainty surrounding India women’s international fixtures

ESPNcricinfo staff25-Jul-2020Poonam Yadav, India women’s premier legspinner, believes that it will be hard to come out of months of physical inactivity and resume playing at peak intensity following the pandemic-induced hiatus. Yadav last played competitive cricket earlier this year in March, when India lost to Australia by 85 runs in the women’s T20 World Cup final at the MCG.ALSO READ – Poonam Yadav: India’s pint-sized magicianIndia were initially scheduled to tour England in June, but it was pushed back to September because of covid-19, and England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) subsequently planned to turn it into a tri-series with South Africa as the third team. However, India pulled out of the tour earlier this week because of the growing threat posed by the pandemic.”If you turn up at the ground after four-five months, it will be very difficult to perform instantly for all players,” Yadav told . “But we are keeping ourselves fit and when we are allowed to resume group training, we should be back to full fitness in 20-25 days.”The men’s T20 World Cup that was scheduled for October-November this year has already been postponed to next year, and a decision on next year’s Women’s ODI World Cup in New Zealand will be made soon, according to Greg Barclay, chairman of New Zealand Cricket.”It is a massive challenge,” Yadav said of the uncertainty around international fixtures following the pandemic. “I have been bowling here but it is totally different in a competitive environment. We last played in March and there is still no clarity over our next series.”So, what has Yadav been up to at her home in Agra during this downtime?”There are many things I have done in this phase that otherwise I didn’t have time for,” she said. “Spending time with family, watching TV (mainly Mahabharat and Ramayan – Indian mythologies). I can cook now, my mother always wanted me to learn that. I had never cooked anything other than (tea) and Maggi (instant noodles) but thanks to the lockdown.”I always wanted to ride a bullet but I was not being able to learn with the schedule that I had. There was this fear also: what if I get injured?So I never used to try it, but now I have learnt that, thanks to my brother.”Yadav had a memorable T20 World Cup in Australia, where she emerged as India’s highest wicket-taker, with ten strikes in five games at an average of 11.90 and economy rate of 5.95. On the bigger grounds down under, she proved particularly difficult to get away with her loopy legbreaks and wrong’uns. She is now looking to add more variations to her repertoire and be ready for the ODI World Cup if it goes ahead.”I plan to start working on a few variations like working on a flipper and topspinner,” Yadav said. “Flipper is much tougher and it will take me at least three-four months to perfect the ball.”

Nations League or Gold Cup trophy would be a win for Mexico's demanding fan base

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

Aguirre returns to Mexico for third timeManager led El Tri in 2002, 2010 World CupsCan Mexico return to their best?AFPEl Vasco is back

Javier Aguirre will be in familiar settings when he walks to the touchline Saturday to lead the Mexico national team into a friendly match against New Zealand at the Rose Bowl.

For one, he’s done this job before. Twice. , his nickname, led El Tri to both the 2002 and 2010 World Cups, both times bowing out just before reaching that elusive that still looms for Mexico.

In both of his previous stints, the manager has taken Mexico to the Round of 16 before bowing out. El Tri has only advanced past the Round of 16 twice, in 1970 and 1986. In addition, the locale of which Aguire will be making has some significance. Aguirre used to play in Pasadena's Rose Bowl as a midfielder during his stint with the NASL’s Los Angeles Aztecs between 1980-81.

But a look at Aguirre’s haircut shows a lot has changed for him since the early 1980s in Southern California. And a look at his squad shows a lot has changed since 2010, when Aguirre last led the national team.

As Mexico begin their preparation for the 2026 World Cup, which will start on home soil, the team hopes to advance through the knockout stages in Mexico City before aiming for a quarterfinal match in the U.S. However, much work remains to be done before then, and a lot has changed – not just since Aguirre's time on the Rose Bowl pitch in 2002, but also in the 14 years since he last managed Mexico.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportWhat’s different?

Plenty. Even the crest he'll wear is different, upgraded to a sleeker, more modern look in 2021.

It’s not that Aguirre hasn’t been attuned to the changes taking place in Mexican soccer. He’s been part of some of them. As one of the few Mexican managers who has ventured abroad – not only coaching in La Liga after leaving the job but also leading Japan and Egypt at the international level, Aguirre's ideas have had an outsized influence in Mexico's coaching community.

And, since he led Monterrey in 2021-22, they've seen him up close and personal, plus watched as Aguirre and brought many Mexico national team players back from Europe.

The amount of Mexicans plying their trade abroad in football is rare. One could make the case Rafa Marquez or Javier "Chicharito" Hernandez are the last two El Tri players to have a substantial career abroad, and Marquez is now Aguirre's top assistant.

West Ham United’s Edson Alvarez might be the exception. He is a 26-year-old who can dominate the midfield or play center back, but so few Mexico players aside from him are playing regularly at the highest level with their clubs.

In the 2002 World Cup, it wasn't as critical to have players developing outside of Mexico. Outside of Marquez, only Cuauhtémoc Blanco, Gerardo Torrado, and Francisco Palencia were based outside of Liga MX.

But times have changed, with the Premier League, La Liga and the Champions League emerging as the top club competitions in the world. In 2010, those differences in the club soccer landscape started to show, and Mexico was able to compete with some of the best in the world due to having nine players in Europe's top leagues – including Marquez, who was at Barcelona at the time.

AFPWhat’s the same?

This is a Mexico team that doesn’t have as much talent as previous editions, a challenge previous managers Diego Cocca and Tata Martino struggled to navigate through.

Yet, Aguirre might tackle that same challenge in a different way. He has a few difficult choices to make about his player selection. The biggest one is whether to bring in some of his aging veterans or close the door on their international futures. In Mexico, whether or not to move on from older players always is a theme of the national team.

One of Aguirre's strengths was his ability to find the right balance in his squads.

In 2010, Aguirre took a 37-year-old goalkeeper Óscar “Conejo” Pérez, and a 37-year-old Cuauhtémoc Blanco to South Africa but also made room for rising stars like Carlos Vela, Javier “Chicharito” Hernandez, Hector Moreno and a 24-year-old América goalkeeper named Guillermo Ochoa.

For the upcoming friendlies, Aguirre left some key veterans off the squad, including Ochoa, winger Hirving Lozano and forward Raul Jimenez. But he might reconsider some of those decisions, depending on each of those player's club situations.

Ochoa signed with Portuguese top flight club AVS and Lozano is thriving with PSV ahead of his anticipated move to MLS with San Diego FC. Jimenez might not be the player he was with Wolves during the 2019-20 season, where he scored 17 Premier League goals, but he is still featuring in the English top flight with Fulham.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

AFPWhat would success be for Aguirre?

In the last decade, the margin of error has widened for Mexico's national team managers. It used to be that a heavy defeat or a loss in a final spelled the end for a manager. That is no longer the case.

Juan Carlos Osorio kept his job after falling 7-0 to Chile in the 2016 Copa América Centenario. Tata Martino survived multiple defeats to the rival United States in two finals in 2021. Jaime Lozano continued on after his own loss to the U.S. in the Nations League Final Four in 2023, though a group-stage elimination at the 2024 Copa América was the end of his tenure.

Aguirre's lengthy resume means he doesn't have to worry about earning respect or about future job prospects if Mexico struggles. His main focus will be returning Mexico to its previous standard.

With the 2026 World Cup – to be hosted by Mexico, Canada and the United States – less than two years away, expectations are already starting to mount for this Mexico team. The fans have their hearts set on making a World Cup quarterfinal, but that's a task no El Tri manager has met since Aguirre was a player for the national team under Bora Milutinović in 1986.

Reaching that standard would likely place Aguirre on a reverential level in Mexico. In reality, Aguirre has to get his team back to being one of CONCACAF's elite teams, if not, the top team in the region again.

Yes, Mexico won the Gold Cup in 2023, but that was largely against most countries' B squads. The team has lost two Nations League finals and outside of the 2023 win, hasn't won a Gold Cup since 2019. The region is a lot tougher with the U.S. reportedly set to hire Mauricio Pochettino and Canada showing surprising growth under Jesse Marsch.

If Mexico can win either the 2025 Nations League or the 2025 Gold Cup, along with advancing out of the 2026 World Cup, that would likely be seen as a win to Mexico's demanding fan base.

Whatever happens against New Zealand and next week against Canada – a reverse of the USMNT's friendly schedule, as the three 2026 hosts struggle to find opponents during other teams' qualification campaigns- won’t immediately add pressure on the 65-year-old in his return.

But it might influence Aguirre’s thinking about just how different things are since the last two times he was leading the national teams.

England’s highest wicket-taker may have a novel way of confounding batsmen with his wrist position

ESPNcricinfo staff10-Jul-2020Fast bowlers are widely known to use three different methods to get the ball to swerve through the air: conventional swing, contrast swing, reverse swing. James Anderson, however, can lay claim to a fourth method: reverse reverse swing.What’s that?According to no less an authority than Sachin Tendulkar, who faced him in 14 Test matches and was dismissed by him a record nine times, Anderson has a way of confounding batsmen with his wrist position while delivering the outswinger with the reverse-swinging ball.The conventionally swinging ball swings towards the rough side, and the reverse-swinging ball towards the shiny side. The ball’s orientation for the conventional inswinger, therefore, is the same as the one for the reverse outswinger. The two deliveries usually involve different wrist positions, but Anderson, Tendulkar noted in a chat with Brian Lara on the app, had the ability to deliver a reverse outswinger with the wrist position of a conventional inswinger.

While batting against @jimmy9, I noticed his remarkable ability to bowl reverse swing REVERSE!

He is one of the best exponents of this art! Will be interesting to watch him bowl once the ball starts to reverse. #EngvWI @brianlara pic.twitter.com/zhPM8MXsUM

— Sachin Tendulkar (@sachin_rt) July 9, 2020

“With reverse swing, Jimmy Anderson was possibly the first bowler who bowled reverse swing also reverse,” he said. “What I experienced, over a period of time, [is] that he would hold the ball as if he was bowling [a reverse] outswinger, but [at] the release point, he would try and bring the ball back in, and [a] number of batters would look at the wrist position, and what he has actually done, he’s shown you that he’s bowling inswing, but the imbalance between both sides of the ball would take the ball away from you.”What he has done is, he’s got you to commit to play, for an [inswinger], and the ball, after covering almost three-fourths of the length of the pitch, starts leaving you. But you had already committed [to play], because you’ve seen that inswing position, and that is something which was new to me. Nobody had done that.”Now, [a] number of guys, you see their shine, and what they’re trying to do – I spotted even Stuart Broad trying to do that at some stage, but Anderson started this [a] long time ago. So I rate him very very highly. One of the best exponents of reverse swing.”One of Anderson’s best spells in reverse-swinging conditions came in Kolkata in 2012, when he took three wickets in each innings to help England take a 2-1 series lead. Anderson had Tendulkar caught behind for 76 in the first innings with a reverse outswinger, but it’s unclear whether that ball was a reverse-reverse outswinger.Nonetheless, if other bowlers can master Anderson’s seeming ability to deliver reverse reverse swing, it gives batsmen one more thing to worry about, particularly when the ball is at that stage of its lifespan when it’s transitioning from swinging conventionally to reversing.