Football

Team USA men's and women's soccer head to knockout rounds in Paris; It's preseason friendly season for Europe

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3m ago

Aug 01, 2024 / 3322 Views

Evan Walker

With the USMNT and the USWNT through to the Olympic soccer quarterfinals in Paris, attention has already turned to the final eight in France before EMMA Hayes' side has even completed their Group B slate. Jonathan Johnson here to help you look ahead to the Olympic knockout phase.

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All times U.S./Eastern

Wednesday, July 31
🥇 Olympics: Australia WNT vs. USWNT, 1 p.m. ➡️ Peacock Premium/Universo
🥇 Olympics: Colombia WNT vs. Canada WNT, 3 p.m. ➡️ Peacock Premium/Universo
🤝 Friendly: RB Leipzig vs. Aston Villa, 8 p.m. ➡️ CBS Sports Golazo Network

Thursday, August 1
🇺🇸 Leagues Cup: FC Cincinnati vs. Queretaro, 8 p.m. ➡️ MLS Season Pass
🇺🇸 Leagues Cup: Portland Timbers vs. Colorado Rapids, 10:30 p.m. ➡️ MLS Season Pass

⚽ The Forward Line

❓ Who next for USWNT at Paris Games?

The USWNT already know that they will be in the Olympic quarterfinals after a 4-1 win over Germany in Marseille last Sunday to go with an opening 3-0 victory over Zambia. The big question now is who Emma Hayes and her players will be up against in the final eight given that they currently lead Group B and are favorites to win the group which would put them on a collision course with Japan and Brazil -- both contenders to finish behind Spain in Group C. Sandra Herrera has the U.S. rising in her Olympic power rankings with Japan arguably a bigger potential threat than Brazil.

Herrera on USWNT: "Ranked fifth in the World and started out sixth on our power rankings, the Emma Hayes era is in full effect after two dominant performances in the group stage against Zambia and Germany. The attacking trio of Trinity Rodman, Sophia Smith, and Mallory Swanson are emerging as a three-headed monster sending nightmares to everyone else's Olympic dreams."
Herrera on Japan: "Japan seem to be getting stronger as the tournament goes on and that's dangerous for other squads who will have to face them as the games go on. It seems like Aoba Fujino is constantly in dangerous spaces, and the veteran Saki Kumagai is reminding everyone this Japan has it all -- technicality, ability, and experience."
Herrera on Brazil: "A roster full of exciting technical players who have only managed to score one goal per game came back to haunt them on matchday 2. Despite a successful Olympic opener against Nigeria, the Brazilians were unable to hang on to their game against Japan, beaten by a long-range stunner with the keeper off the line. Now they'll need to put up a fight against Spain to determine their Olympic fate."

It should be noted, though, that a specific combination of results -- notably Canada beating Colombia and New Zealand beating hosts France could see the Canadians finish second in Group A. That is only of concern to the USWNT if they drop to second in Group B which is unlikely with only a point needed against the Matildas, but it is a scenario which remains possible given Canada's intriguing situation after they had six points removed owing to the controversy over their use of a drone for spying on opponents.

Herrera on Canada: "The Tokyo gold medalists have found themselves in the middle of a cheating scandal, with multiple coaches sent home and suspended. Also docked six points, the players are responding with valiant efforts to get the math, and luck, back on their side. Two wins against New Zealand and France would have them through the knockouts already, and probably No. 1 in our rankings, but they still have work to do for now."

🔗 Midfield Link Play

🇲🇦 USMNT set for Morocco Olympic quarterfinal

The United States men's national team under-23 side has made history as the first American men's team to reach the Olympic soccer quarterfinals since 2000 after a 3-0 win over Guinea secured second spot in Group A on Tuesday. Goals from Djordje Mihailovic and Kevin Paredes (two) saw Marko Mitrovic's men run out deserved winners in Saint-Etienne to ensure second spot behind hosts France. On top of being a first knockout appearance at this level for 24 years, it was a first ever U.S. Olympic soccer victory over an African nation. Chuck Booth wonders whether Paredes will be key to any knockout round hopes.

Booth on Paredes: "Kevin Paredes is dancing yet again as the United States booked their place in the quarterfinals of the Olympics with a 3-0 victory. Part of the reason behind that is Paredes' brace in the match. Already having an assist to his name during the group stage, Paredes showed that he should be feared as a finisher as well after making the most of his chances. For the Wolfsburg man, this could be an important platform. One of his goals this season was to take part in CONCACAF Nations League and the Copa America with the senior national team, and while that didn't happen due to depth at his position, more performances like this will ensure that Paredes doesn't miss out on another opportunity with the senior side."

The Guinea result means a final eight matchup with Morocco for Mitrovic's men on Friday at 9 a.m. ET after the Atlas Lions topped Group B ahead of pre-tournament favorites Argentina. It is now do or die time for the U.S. against the Moroccans who boast Paris Saint-Germain's Achraf Hakimi in their ranks while further history beckons for the USMNT given that no generation has ever won an Olympic medal. Up against a team with as much attacking quality as Morocco, the clean sheet against Guinea will have boosted defensive confidence although four goals conceded from three games for seven goals scored suggests that there is work to be done in order to make it to the semifinals.

🔗 Top Stories

🐂 RB Leipzig vs. Aston Villa: CBS Sports caught up with Yussuf Poulsen and Peter Gulasci as part of the German outfit's preseason stint in the U.S. and clash with Unai Emery's Premier League side, and took them on a tour of classic New York eats.

🤔 Who wants Victor Osimhen? Napoli's hotshot is not attracting the expected interest but Chelsea could look to do a deal involving the Nigeria international and Romelu Lukaku.

🇮🇹 Calafiori is a Gooner: How the Italian defender will fit in with the North London giants who add quality at left back but also cover in central defense.

⚽ Get your friendly footie fix: Where to watch Liverpool vs. Arsenal, Manchester United vs. Real Betis and Milan vs. Real Madrid in the coming days.

💰 The Back Line

💵 Best bet

Friendly: Milan vs. Real, Wednesday, 8:30 p.m. ET
💰 THE PICK: Draw and both teams to score (+333) -- Real and Milan clash for a prestigious preseason friendly in Chicago this Wednesday. The Spanish and European champions do not have Kylian Mbappe with them in the U.S. with the French superstar only due to return to training next week, but fellow new arrival Endrick could feature at Soldier Field. Christian Pulisic is back with Milan after his summer Copa America duties with the USMNT. Carlo Ancelotti's side has not been in major action since beating Borussia Dortmund in London in the Champions League final for a record 15 title but they did register a 3-0 win over Albacete before flying out. Milan are now being bossed by Paulo Fonseca with the Portuguese returning to Serie A after two years with Lille OSC in France. The Rossoneri will be keen to challenge for the Italian title after bitter rivals Inter won it last term. A defeat to AS Roma, a draw with SK Rapid Wien and a win over Manchester City has been a mixed bag of results so far but Milan are further along with their preparations than Real so expect a tight encounter with a goal apiece possibly paying out well.

📺 What's on CBS Sports Golazo Network

☀️ Morning Footy (Weekdays 8-10 a.m.): Hosts Susannah Collins, Charlie Davies, Nico Cantor and Alexis Guerreros help fans get their day started on the network's flagship morning show with highlights, interviews and the biggest soccer storylines. Morning Footy is also available in podcast form, so you'll never have to miss an episode.

3️⃣ Attacking Third (Monday, Thursday,): The leading women's soccer podcast and social brand is now a live studio show. The NWSL season is back and our coverage of the women's game is stronger than ever. Our analysts will be breaking down the USWNT, NWSL and European domestic season all year long. And don't miss Wednesday live streams on YouTube at 11 a.m. ET.

⚽ Call it What You Want (Monday night): A weekly podcast where Jimmy Conrad, Charlie Davies and co. cover all things USMNT and the state of the beautiful Game in the United States. You can also catch the show streaming live on YouTube every Monday at 11 a.m. ET.

🥅 Scoreline (Daily): Scoreline is the newest place for fans to catch up on all the biggest news and results impacting global football, match highlights from the top soccer competitions and all the can't-miss goals from the day's action, starting Thursday and airing seven days a week.

📺 How to watch: CBS Sports Golazo Network is a free 24/7 channel exclusively dedicated to offering unparalleled coverage of all the top soccer competitions worldwide. You can stream for free on the CBS Sports app, Pluto TV and Paramount+.