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Morning update

Midweek rundown: Inter Miami meltdown, Pulisic in final, Wright out, USMNT lookahead, & Much more

It's been a busy time on many, many fronts in American soccer as Americans in MLS and abroad have been busy and the USMNT is ready to put March behind them. ASN's Brian Sciaretta goes deep on every single front in a big piece. 
BY Brian Sciaretta Posted
May 14, 2025
6:10 AM

THERE IS A LOT TO break down this Tuesday night and we’ll try to cover it all from MLS to Americans abroad, to U.S. national teams with thoughts on everything. We will break down Americans abroad thoughts from the weekend, MLS at midweek where some of the biggest clubs are melting down, and the USMNT schedule for the fall begins to take shape.

For now, lets start on the domestic front.

MLS thoughts

 

Inter Miami melting down

 

Inter Miami is one of the most popular and most hated teams in MLS. That’s to be expected, Lionel Messi is one of the game’s greatest ever players, but the team is built around him and his old friends along with a manager who used to be his teammate. Meanwhile, the team hogs the spotlight within the league and things tend to just go their way because of their name recognition (like getting invited to the FIFA Club World Cup). 

But now the team isn’t doing particularly well. They were bounced from the Champions Cup in ugly fashion by Vancouver, and top MLS teams are starting to have their way. The latest came in a 4-1 away loss to a rising Minnesota United team.

The word seems to be out. Miami gets tired towards the end of games as old legs get heavy and too many players don’t defend.

But the big story is head coach Javier Mascherano’s statements when asked about his thoughts on the team’s struggles.



This is not normal from a manager, and it makes Miami’s struggles something to watch. If the team wants to build a plan for sustained success across a season while fixing some serious problems, it requires thoughtfulness from a leader.

 

Both LAFC and Vancouver impress
 

Vancouver and LAFC played to a 2-2 draw on Sunday night in a game the league tried to hype up. While some of the hyped games this year have been duds, this one wasn’t. Both teams played well and looked well worthy of being considered top teams in the league.

LAFC didn’t start off the season well but it was only a matter of time before Denis Bouanga got going. Even if he is not a 30+ goal scorer this year, he was still going to score enough to be effective.

LAFC will be disappointed to not claim a win after it had a 2-0 lead, but Brian White was the difference has he scored both goals and he now has 13 across all competitions this season – still in early May. Meanwhile, Sebastian Berhalter had another assist as he continues to breakout.

 

Is White going to make the USMNT this summer? The reasons for including him are just too long. Ricardo Pepi is injured. Folarin Balogun is hurt, again, and hasn’t done much since December. Haji Wright is ending the season in the Championship poorly. Josh Sargent has a valid case to be included with White, but Sargent also hasn’t scored for the USMNT since 2019. Patrick Agyemang is not producing nearly as well as White. There simply isn’t a strong case right now to consider Jordan Pefok or Brandon Vazquez. Damion Downs remains an interesting candidate but has yet to be in with the group.

In the end, Pochettino might just want to role with the most in-form striker he has.

 

Philadelphia and Columbus flex muscle

 

The Philadelphia Union welcomed Daniel Gazdag back to Chester, PA when they played Columbus to a 2-2 draw. Like the Vancouver vs. LAFC game, this game did not disappointing and both teams showed they should be there late in the playoffs.

The Union should feel disappointed they did not hang onto the lead after conceding a late equalizer to Sean Zawadzki in stoppage time, but this was a good game between two good teams who play very different styles.

It was a good game for Philadelphia’s next generation of young players as Quinn Sullivan assisted to Tai Baribo on the opening goal and Frankie Westfield scored a banger for the second. Westfield should be there in September at the U-20 World Cup.


 

Luna scores goalazo

 

After spending a lot of time on teams that I think are good, Real Salt Lake and FC Dallas played to a 1-1 draw between teams I am completely unsure about. FC Dallas played much better than in the 5-0 pounding from San Diego.

Right now, Real Salt Lake is led by Diego Luna. Sometimes, that is good enough. We will see him this summer with the USMNT again.

 

 

Red Bulls embarrass the LA Galaxy

 

People are trying to answer a big question after the New York Red Bulls pounded the LA Galaxy 7-0: are the Red Bulls decent or are the Galaxy that bad? My guess is that this is far more indicative of the Galaxy being bad than the Red Bulls being good. The Red Bulls played as well as they could, but this Galaxy team started off with luck not going their way and then by the end they had given up.

It was an ugly scene, and the reigning champs look completely void of confidence or fight. Typically, when a team has a game get away from them, they get physical and send a message that they are not there to be embarrassed. There was none of that from the Galaxy.

 

As for the Red Bulls, I remain pessimistic they continue the playoff streak but we will learn more about them in the coming weeks.

 

Atlanta woes continue

 

Among all the bad teams in the league, Atlanta United is the biggest mess simply because they are the most expensive mess. But the team is disorganized, and its tactics are a mess. Even worse, it’s just the basics that are missing. No one is making runs off the ball and there is no Plan B when things don’t work. This was again on display in the team’s 2-1 loss to Chicago. I am not sure what the solution is for them right now. It can’t be a healthy environment on the training grounds.

 

As for Chicago, they are very inconsistent but are good when they’re in form. Gregg Berhalter is not afraid to play young players and right now Sergio Oregel is building a nice case to make the U.S. U-20 World Cup team this fall. He had another game and leads the entire U-20 pool in minutes played in 2025.

 

MLS Midweek games
 

There are 13 games on the docket on Wednesday, and the league has scheduled a lot of rivalry games. As always, some games are better than others.

Orlando hosting Charlotte is one of the best matchups this Wednesday on the earlier side. Charlotte has lost three games in a row but still has talent. But this is an opportunity to reverse that skid. There isn’t much difference in terms of the talent level between both teams. From an American perspective, Patrick Agyemang needs to start scoring to remain in the USMNT hunt and Orlando right back Alex Freeman is one of the league’s top young American players.

 

Houston hosts a rising Minnesota United team and one tidbit for the Dynamo is U.S. U-20 midfielder Brookyln Raines is now starting for the club. He has a big upside and is uniquely strong in the possession game in a style like Darlington Nagbe. Earlier this season, he was not playing and there were significant offers in for him but those were turned down and he is now playing. But it could be a potentially big summer for him.

 

Atlanta visits Austin FC in a game they can win. If they don’t, look out.

The best of the late games is LAFC hosting the Seattle Sounders. Both teams are now playing better than they were at the start of the season and these teams along with Vancouver are the best in the West.

San Diego has won two games in a row and hosts a skidding Colorado team. A SDFC win keeps them on pace to be a playoff contender as an expansion team. I like what Mikey Varas has done. Just a few weeks ago, it seemed like things were coming unglued but he has managed to keep the team together.

 

Americans abroad

 

Wright struggles as Coventry bounced

 

Coventry City’s season is over after a 3-2 aggregate loss to Sunderland on Tuesday. The second leg finished 1-1 with Sunderland scoring late in extratime to equalize the game and win the series. Haji Wright had a very tough two games. He missed a header in stoppage time in the second leg that would have won it for Coventry. But he only had 14 touches and six completed passes in 120 minutes. He had 24 touches in the 90 minutes of the first leg and that gave him the least amount of touches for any starter in either game.

 

Being a low touch player is okay, but he needs to do other things such as stretch defenses with runs, occupy centerbacks, and capitalize on limited chances. He did neither.

We will now see if Wright is in the picture for the USMNT this summer or if Coventry consider offers to sell him.

 

Venezia climbs out of relegation zone

 

Not long ago, it seemed as if Venezia was certain to be relegated. But that is no longer the case after Venezia posted a big 2-1 upset win over Fiorentina. They are now a point out of the relegation zone with two games remaining.

Gianluca Busio played all 90 minutes but was held to just 23 touches and six completed passes. But Busio continues to be a lock starter, and he has made some big plays in recent months as Venezia has improved its form.

 

Regardless of form, it would be a great accomplishment for Busio to help Venezia survive.

Kelman and Leyton Orient’s big day

 

Kelman’s brace gives Leyton Orient hope

 

In the League One promotional playoffs, Leyton Orient and Stockport County will face each other on Wednesday in the second leg of their semifinal even after the two teams played to a 2-2 draw at Leyton Orient’s home ground of Brisbane Road in London.

Fresh off winning the league’s Golden Boot with 21 goals in the regular season, American forward Charlie Kelman again made an impressive statement that he dominates this league as he scored both of Leyton Orient’s goals. He opened the scoring in the 30th minute on a play that seemed as if he was offside but was allowed to stand. On the play, he got on the end of a looping ball into the box, controlled it, and finished from close range.

 

After Stockport County equalized and took the lead, Kelman equalized in the 88th minute when he converted a penalty that was awarded after a Stockport County handball.

Kelman has done everything right this season and he can lead his team into Wembley with a big performance on Wednesday. Regardless of how this season ends, it’s hard to see a situation where Kelman won’t be in the Championship next season. It’s just a question of which team.

Once there, he can being to attempt to make a case for a spot on the USMNT.

 

Pulisic and AC Milan in Coppa final Wednesday

 

Christian Pulisic and AC Milan will take on Bologna in the Coppa Italia final on Wednesday. Milan is trying to make a late push to salvage their season and a Coppa win would help placate things a bit.

Pulisic was named the Man of the Match again for AC Milan on Friday after his goal and assist performance in a 3-1 win at the San Siro. Both of his big moments came when he was alertly able to make the most out of a broken play.

 

Once thought extremely unlikely, Milan’s chances of a top four finish are back in play. With two games remaining in Serie A, Milan is two points out of both fifth and fourth place (and is three points out of sixth).

 

Serie B promotional playoffs

 

Two Americans will be involved in the Serie B promotional playoffs in Italy as the season wrapped up on Tuesday.

Jonathan Klinsmann made two saves for Cesena in a 1-0 win over Modena. That was enough for them to finish in seventh place. Klinsmann has been steady and has made few mistakes for Cesena this season. Is he ready for the USMNT? That seems unlikely. There isn’t much time yet separating himself from a poor run with the LA Galaxy.

 

Kristoffer Lund played 61 minutes for Palermo in a 1-1 draw with Carrarese to end the season in eighth place – the final playoff position. It’s been a rocky season for Lund who has not stood out much for Palermo. Fortunately for him, all will be forgotten if he plays well in the playoffs. If not, he needs to refocus for next season. But right now, the USMNT seems a long way off.

 

Arminia Bielefeld promoted, Corboz honored

 

Arminia Bielefeld is one of the best stories in European soccer this season given their run to the DFB Pokal final (through five Bundesliga teams) as a 3.Liga team. The story got even better as the club secured promotion to the 2.Bundesliga with a 2-1 win over Unterhaching.

During Arminia’s historic season the team has been captained by American midfielder Mael Corboz, who went 75 minutes in the big win.

 

But the biggest news for Corboz is that he was named the 3.Liga’s Player of the Season on Monday.

Corboz’s career began with him getting cut by the New York Red Bulls in preseason. From there he bounced around the lower levels of Germany and Holland. But now, at age 30, Corboz has emerged as a sort of folk-hero in leading one of the sport’s biggest Cinderella stories in years.

 

PSV nears stunning rise, big game Wednesday

 

Two months ago, it seemed as if Ajax was coasting for the title and an injury-plagued PSV had no chance of catching them. But things have changed. Ajax has just one point from its last three games and PSV has now won five in a row following Sunday's 3-2 away win over Feyenoord in a game where they trailed 2-0. Noa Lang scored the winning goal in the seventh minute of stoppage time.

Malik Tillman played the entire game for PSV while Richard Ledezma started at right back but was replaced by Sergino Dest in just the 23rd minute shortly after Ledezma picked up a yellow card.

Tillman had an outstanding game despite not scoring or assisting. He had seven shots, won 9/13 ground duels, drew two fouls, was 4/6 in dribbles, and completed 30/32 passing.

 

Dest also made a big impact after coming on creating a ton of danger from the right side.

With two games remaining for each team, Ajax now has just a one-point lead on PSV.

On Wednesday, PSV hosts Heracles while Ajax visits Groningen. This will be a gripping day in the Eredivisie.

2.Bundesliga: thrilling conclusion awaits

 

After this weekend’s games, the 2.Bundesliga season will now head into its final round of games next week with much uncertainty in both the promotion and relegation races. Americans are involved in both races.

Paderborn defeated Magdeburg 2-1 on Saturday and American defensive midfielder Santiago Castaneda, 20, came into the game in the 69th minute after all the goals were scored. He still had a good performance on both sides of the ball and even hit a nice through-ball late that set up a golden chance for his team which was missed.

With the win, Paderborn sits in fourth place but is even on points with third place Elversberg. Both Paderborn and Elversberg are three points behind Cologne for second place and automatic promotion.

Castaneda has now played 2267 minutes for Paderborn this season across 31 appearances (25 of which were starts). Perhaps no other young American player has boosted his stock more this European season than Castaneda, a native of Tampa who developed playing high school soccer.

Also in the promotion race, Damion Downs did not get off the bench for Cologne in its 2-1 away win over Nurnberg to sit in second place heading into the final weekend of the season. While he has had a good year with 10 goals, Downs struggled the past two weeks with poor performances. During the midweek, Cologne made the surprising move to fire its manager Gerhard Struber (who previously had managed the New York Red Bulls).

At the bottom end of the 2.Bundesliga, Eintracht Braunschweig is in the relegation playoff position heading into the final week of the season after a 3-0 loss to third-place Elversberg. The bottom of the table is tight and a draw in the final game of the season against Nurnberg could be enough for survival but a loss will likely send them into the relegation playoff to try to remain in the second tier. Johan Gomez was an unused substitute in Saturday’s loss and his role within the team has been uneven in recent months.

Julian Green and Max Dietz both started for Greuther Furth away at Hannover. It appeared as if a Green-assisted goal was going to be enough, but Greuther Furth conceded a late equalizer in a 1-1 draw and that left them heading into the final weekend in a perilous state, only one point clear of Eintracht Braunschweig for the relegation playoff. To make things even worse, Furth must now face leaders Hamburg in the finale.

The bottom line is that every American in the 2.Bundesliga has something very important to play for next weekend.

 

The United States National Team

 
September games announced

U.S. Soccer announced the September friendlies for the USMNT on Tuesday with a pair of top Asian teams heading to the USA.

The USMNT will first host Korea Republic on Sept. 6 at Sports Illustrated Stadium, former Red Bull Arena, in Harrison, N.J.  Kickoff will be at 5:00pm EST.

ASN will be at the game and the preceding camp given our New Jersey base. This is the first time the USMNT will have played in Harrison since the ill-fated loss to Costa Rica in a 2017 World Cup qualifying loss that doomed their hopes of qualifying for Russia 2018.

 

 The USMNT next will host Japan at Lower.com field in Columbus on Sept. 9 at 7:30pm EST.

Overall, a nice pair of friendlies that will challenge the USMNT. It will require effort from Maurcio Pochettino’s team, and that has been lacking.

 

Predicted Gold Cup roster

 

The 26-player USMNT roster for the Gold Cup will be announced next week according to Doug McIntyre at Fox Sports. This comes on the heels of the disastrous Nations League showing in March where the team lost to Panama and Canada.



We know Mauricio Pochettino wants to bring a strong team and will only be prevented from selecting Weston McKennie and Tim Weah due to the club World Cup. Borussia Dortmund will take part but it seems unlikely Gio Reyna will be part of that as it has been widely reported he must look for a new team. Alex Zendejas and Club America might also take part, but they must face LAFC for a spot.

What is my projected roster right now? I’ll give it a shot and regardless of Reyna’s availability, he might be left off until he finds a place where he can finally play.

Goalkeepers (3): Patrick Schulte, Zack Steffen, Matt Turner
Fullbacks (4): Antonee Robinson, Sergino Dest, Joe Scally, John Tolkin
Central defenders (4): Chris Richards, Cameron Carter-Vickers, Tim Ream, Miles Robinson
Central Midfielders (5): Johnny Cardoso, Tyler Adams, Yunus Musah, Jack McGlynn, Tanner Tessmann
Attacking mids, wingers, center forwards (10): Christian Pulisic, Diego Luna, Brenden Aaronson, Paxten Aaronson, Matko Miljevic, Alex Zendejas*, Malik Tillman, Brian White, Patrick Agyemang, Folarin Balogun

* replace Alex Zendejas with Brian Gutierrez if Club America qualifies for Club World Cup.

 

 

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