While the European club football season has recently concluded with the UEFA Champions League final, there remains a wealth of soccer action scheduled for the summer months.
USWNT Young Core Shows Promise
The U.S. Women`s National Team kicked off the international window impressively with a 3-0 victory over China on Saturday. This match served as a clear indicator of the positive strides Emma Hayes` developing team is making as they navigate a period of strategic experimentation.
The win offered another glimpse of the evolving USWNT setup, demonstrating how different elements are beginning to coalesce after significant work together. The team effectively broke down China`s high defensive line throughout the encounter. Catarina Macario was a notable performer, contributing both a goal and an assist. Hayes attributed the strong showing to the team`s consistent effort over the past several months, noting that the initial learning curve is gradually flattening.
- Hayes on tactical understanding: `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.`
The USWNT`s attacking lineup on Saturday, featuring Macario, Alyssa Thompson, and Michelle Cooper, performed admirably, stepping up as Hayes explores her options while key players like Trinity Rodman, Mallory Swanson, and Sophia Wilson remain unavailable. Hayes has additional players to consider for the upcoming match against Jamaica, including young talents Ally Sentnor and Emma Sears, as well as veteran Lynn Williams. Regardless of the specific combination chosen, Hayes identified areas for continued improvement for the relatively young squad as they proceed with the lengthy preparation towards the 2027 Women`s World Cup.
- Hayes on dynamic play and patience: `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.`
Anticipating a Summer Packed with Soccer
While the offseason is here or approaching for many top players globally, the next two months promise a busy football calendar, featuring several high-stakes competitions.
World Cup Qualification Resumes
June 11 marks one year until the 2026 World Cup, a tournament currently at the forefront for numerous national teams aiming to secure their place in the expanded 48-team event in North America. Four nations—Japan, New Zealand, Iran, and Argentina—have already qualified alongside the three hosts, and several more teams could join them this month.
While some confederations are well into their qualifying campaigns, Europe is just beginning its journey. Several prominent teams, including past World Cup winners Germany, Spain, France, and Italy, will play their initial qualifiers this month. Italy, led by Luciano Spaletti, will be a particularly watched team in UEFA qualification, having surprisingly missed the last two World Cups despite winning the Euros in 2021.
Expanded Club World Cup Debuts
Meanwhile, 32 clubs globally are finalizing preparations for the inaugural expanded version of the Club World Cup. Hosted in the U.S., the tournament starts on June 14 and will feature teams like the new Champions League winners Paris Saint-Germain, fellow European powerhouses Real Madrid and Chelsea, and Lionel Messi`s Inter Miami. MLS representative LAFC secured the final spot after winning a play-in match against Club America.
How each participating team will approach this new competition remains a key question, likely varying greatly. Al-Hilal, backed by Saudi Arabia`s sovereign wealth fund, might pursue ambitious transfers like Cristiano Ronaldo, though they face a tight deadline. The strategy for European clubs is particularly uncertain, given the tournament concludes a demanding season that began in August and could extend until July 13 for finalists.
Women`s Euro Returns in July
This summer`s major international tournament is the Women`s Euro, taking place in Switzerland with 16 teams competing. England enters as the defending champions, having won on home soil in 2022 in a tournament that set attendance and viewership records. However, the European landscape has shifted significantly since then, notably with the rapid rise of Spain. Once a team with potential but limited success in major tournaments (exiting the 2022 Euros in the quarterfinals), Spain defeated England in the subsequent Women`s World Cup final and are now considered favorites for the title in Switzerland.
England still holds high hopes, though they will be without goalkeeper Mary Earps, who announced her international retirement. Earps had recently lost her starting position to Chelsea`s Hannah Hampton, who is widely expected to be England`s first-choice keeper at the Euros.
