UEFA Euro 2024 kicks off the summer of soccer with USMNT at Copa America waiting on deck

Happy Friday! The summer of soccer is finally here with the opening matches of Euro 2024 and the much anticipated U.S. men's national team roster for the Copa America. I'm Pardeep Cattry with the latest before the Euros kick off in Germany.

📺 Footy fix

All times U.S./Eastern

Friday, June 14
🏆 Euros: Germany vs. Scotland, 3 p.m. ➡️ Fox
🇺🇸 MLS: NYCFC vs. Columbus Crew, 7:30 p.m. ➡️ Apple TV+
🇺🇸 NWSL: KC Current vs. Chicago Red Stars, 8 p.m. ➡️ Prime Video

Saturday, June 15
🏆 Euros: Hungary vs. Switzerland, 9 a.m. ➡️ Vix
🏆 Euros: Spain vs. Croatia, 12 p.m. ➡️ Fox
🇺🇸 NWSL: Racing Louisville vs. Gotham, 12 p.m. ➡️ ESPN
🏆 Euros: Italy vs. Albania, 3 p.m. ➡️ Fox
🇺🇸 MLS: Philadelphia Union vs. Inter Miami, 7:30 p.m. ➡️ Apple TV+

Sunday, June 16
🏆 Euros: Poland vs. Netherlands, 9 a.m. ➡️ FS1
🏆 Euros: Slovenia vs. Denmark, 12 p.m. ➡️ FS1
🏆 Euros: Serbia vs. England, 3 p.m. ➡️ Fox
🇺🇸 NWSL: Seattle Reign vs. Portland Thorns, 4 p.m. ➡️ CBS
🇺🇸 NWSL: Bay FC vs. Utah Royals, 10 p.m. ➡️ CBS Sports Network

⚽ The Forward Line

🇺🇸 The USMNT's Copa roster is here

U.S. men's national team head coach Gregg Berhalter officially trimmed his 27 player training roster to a 26 person Copa America roster on Friday, sending LAFC midfielder Timothy Tillman home before the comPetition begins.

Here's a look at the roster in full.

• Goalkeepers: Ethan Horvath, Sean Johnson, Matt Turner
• Defenders: Cameron Carter-Vickers, Kristoffer Lund, Mark McKenzie, Shaq Moore, Tim Ream, Chris Richards, Antonee Robinson, Miles Robinson, Joe Scally
• Midfielders: Tyler Adams, Johnny Cardoso, Luca de la Torre, Weston McKennie, Yunus Musah, Gio Reyna, Malik Tillman
• Forwards: Brenden Aaronson, Folarin Balogun, Ricardo Pepi, Christian Pulisic, Josh Sargent, Tim Weah, Haji Wright

The final list contains few surprises, since Tillman had the fewest caps of the players on the training roster. Berhalter's final selections offer a vote of confidence in Tyler Adams and Josh Sargent, though, both of whom have struggled with injuries in recent months. Adams' game time is being carefully managed after spending around a year on the sidelines with a hamstring issue, playing just 214 minutes for club and country since March 13. His 14 minute cameo in the USMNT's 1-1 draw with Brazil on Wednesday, though, suggests he might be able to play a notable role in the team's Copa America campaign.

As for Sargent, he's on the hunt for his first national team minutes since starting the USMNT's 1-0 group stage win over Iran during the 2022 World Cup. Like Adams, injuries have gotten in his way -- most recently, he missed the Concacaf Nations League finals in March with an ankle issue, and did not play either of the USMNT's friendlies this month while dealing with a foot injury.

Both players have the chance to shake up the lineup, depending on their fitness. Adams was one of the USMNT's standouts at the 2022 World Cup and it feels like a starting spot in midfield has been waiting for him ever since, in large part because Berhalter has yet to strike a balance in the middle of the park  without Adams. The head coach rotated between Yunus Musah and Johnny Cardoso in this month's friendlies, partnering each of them with Weston McKennie and Gio Reyna, but neither seems to have surpassed Adams in the pecking order and it still feels like a toss-up on which one of the two Berhalter prefers if Adams cannot play.

Things are less certain up top, where Sargent might become one of the top contenders for a starting spot alongside wingers Christian Pulisic and Tim Weah. Folarin Balogun and Ricardo Pepi split starts in the pre-Copa friendlies, but neither is coming off a particularly impressive season. Balogun scored eight goals for Monaco last season, while Pepi scored nine times for PSV. Sargent, meanwhile, had a 16 goal season for Norwich and has earned the right to be in the conversation and so his long-awaited return to the national team might come with some pretty high stakes.

The USMNT begin their Copa America campaign on June 23, when they take on Bolivia at AT&T Stadium in the Dallas suburb of Arlington.

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🔗  Midfield Link Play

🇩🇪 All eyes on Germany as Euros kick off

Germany kick off the summer of international soccer on Friday, when the hosts play the opening match of the Euros against Scotland.

It has been a winding road to opening day for the hosts, who are just a decade removed from winning the World Cup but now feel like a team in desperate need of redemption. A quick peek at their recent record in international tournaments showcases their downward trajectory in recent years -- back-to-back group stage exits at the World Cup sandwich a round of 16 elimination at the pandemic-delayed 2020 Euros. The malaise led the German Football Federation to fire Hansi Flick in September -- the first time they fired the head coach of the Germany men's national team -- and hire Julian Nagelsmann to steady the ship.

So far, the Nagelsmann experiment has paid off. Germany have lost once in eight games since he took over, most impressively beating France and the Netherlands in back-to-back friendlies in March. Those were the first matches after Nagelsmann convinced World Cup winner Toni Kroos to come out of international retirement, and Nigel Reo-Coker noted his importance to a talented -- if unbalanced -- Germany midfield.

• Reo-Coker: "I think the biggest thing is Toni Kroos coming back into that team. He has been such a big, impactful player and when you've got Toni Kroos in the form he's playing right now … he's the big difference maker in that team. [Ilkay] Gundogan's a bit of a problem, where they're still trying to find him to fit right in this system. Florian Wirtz, fantastic player, as we all know. [Jamal] Musiala, for me, is going to be the key player. For me, he's going to be the young player of this tournament. "

The last few months offer optimism for Germany, who likely aim to win the Euros for the first time since 1996 and enter the competitions with the third-best odds to win the whole thing. A group stage schedule against Scotland, Hungary and Switzerland should only provide limited stumbling blocks but there's no shortage of talented teams at the Euros this summer. The big question for the hosts is if they can actually correct course and put a rocky chapter behind them, or if the crisis will continue for another few years.

🔗  Top Stories

🏆 Euros central: Check out our picks and predictions ahead of kickoff, as well as five high-profile games to watch in the group stage. Plus, here's a glance at another one of the tournament favorites -- a Kylian Mbappe-led France.

🇺🇸 USMNT draw Brazil: Here's more from the USMNT's "palate cleansing" 1-1 draw with Brazil, including Gregg Behalter's words on the team's response after a lopsided loss to Colombia and a round of player ratings. Plus, here's a look at where the team stands ahead of the Copa America.

🏟️ Red Stars' stadium problem: The NWSL's Chicago Red Stars are considering legal action because a music festival obstructed their ability to use SeatGeek Stadium for their September 21 match against the San Diego Wave.

👋 Comings and goings: Juventus hired Thiago Motta and AC Milan picked Paulo Fonseca to fill their managerial vacancies, while Borussia Dortmund's Edin Terzic leaves the club by mutual consent after their run to the UEFA Champions League final.

💰  The Back Line

💵 Best bets

• Euro 2024: Germany vs. Scotland, Friday, 3 p.m.
  💰 THE PICK: Kai Havertz to score (+135) -- After an impressive season with Arsenal, Kai Havertz returns to the Euros as Germany's main man in attack. He'll be counted on to score as the hosts eye a deep run and there's no better time to open his goalscoring account than on opening day, when Germany are the heavy favorites to begin their campaign with a win over Scotland.
• Euro 2024: Serbia vs. England, Sunday, 3 p.m.

💰 THE PICK: England to win 2-0 (+600) -- England begin their campaign on Sunday and are expected to demonstrate why they're the tournament favorites with a win over Serbia. As long as Harry Kane's fit and on the pitch, you can always count on England for goals but considering they're in Germany with the likes of Bukayo Saka and Cole Palmer, the Three Lions should have no problem scoring regardless of the personnel.

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⚽ Call it What You Want (Monday night): A weekly podcast where Jimmy Conrad, Charlie Davies and friends cover all things USMNT and the state of the beautiful game in the United States.

🥅 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.

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