This post is for all SBI Subscribers and will be open to all readers on Friday ..read more

The Columbus Crew are 90 minutes away from reaching the CONCACAF Champions Cup Final for the first time in franchise history. Jacen Russell-Rowe and Cucho Hernandez both scored on Wednesday as Wilfried Nancy’s squad earned a 2-1 first leg semifinal win over visiting Liga MX giants Monterrey. Patrick Schulte made five saves in net, helping the Crew take a slim advantage into next week’s second leg in Mexico. It marked Monterrey’s first loss in CONCACAF play since 2019. “I’m really proud of the guys,” said Nancy postmatch to reporters. “Because we did a really good game in terms of when we had t ..read more

Sergino Dest’s season-long loan spell at Dutch leaders PSV is set to conclude this coming June, but manager Peter Bosz is open to the idea of the club acquiring him long-term. Bosz revealed his interest in keeping Dest in his squad, the manager said Wednesday in a pre-match press conference. Dest, who will reportedly be sidelined for the remainder of 2024 due to a serious knee injury, is set to return to leave Eindhoven at the conclusion of May’s schedule. The U.S. men’s national team right back made 37 combined appearances for PSV, scoring two goals and adding seven assists across all competi ..read more

2024 has been a productive year for American attacker Alex Zendejas and that trend continued Tuesday in CONCACAF Champions Cup semifinal action. Zendejas scored his 10th goal of the year across all competitions as Club America tied fellow Liga MX side Pachuca 1-1 in its first leg showdown. The 26-year-old Zendejas needed only 12 minutes to break the deadlock at Estadio Azteca as his left-footed shot nestled into the bottom-right corner. Pachuca battled back before halftime through Andrés Micolta’s headed finish, giving them a lifeline heading into next week’s second leg. Zendejas played 72 min ..read more

It’s time to get excited, LAFC fans! According to reports from CBS Sports, the contracts have officially been signed to bring legendary French striker Olivier Giroud to LAFC through December 2025 on a free transfer from AC Milan during this summer’s international transfer window. At 37 years old, the Frenchman is proving true the cliché “age is just a number” with one of the most productive seasons of his storied career with 13 goals and eight assists across 30 Serie A matches. That’s no small feat for a player whose resumé includes a World Cup, UEFA Champions League, multiple golden boots, an ..read more

Both Christian Pulisic and Weston McKennie have enjoyed productive seasons in Serie A this season and have credited the league as a whole for helping them develop at club level. Pulisic and McKennie are heading into the final weeks of the Serie A season, starting with Saturday’s Serie A clash against one another. AC Milan visits Juventus in the headlining match in Italy’s top-flight, with both teams seeking a statement win against one another. The 25-year-old Pulisic made the move to Serie A last summer and has been one of the Rossoneri’s best players throughout the whole of the season. His 13 ..read more

Juventus’ quest of reaching May’s Coppa Italia Final almost came to a painful ending on Tuesday night in Rome until Timothy Weah came off the bench to play a vital role in the deciding goal against Lazio. Weah’s assist on Arkadiusz Milik’s goal proved to be the difference in Juventus’ 3-2 aggregate victory over Lazio. Despite losing Tuesday’s second leg 2-1, Massimiliano Allegri’s squad will now meet either Fiorentina or Atalanta later this spring in the tournament final. Former NYCFC striker Taty Castellanos boosted Lazio in front after 12 minutes before the Argentinian doubled his tally four ..read more

The U.S. women’s national team’s final pre-Olympic friendly will come in the Nation’s Capital. Emma Hayes’ squad will host Costa Rica at Audi Field on July 16 in its send-off match before traveling to Paris, France for the 2024 Olympics, U.S. Soccer announced Tuesday. The USWNT will also face Mexico on July 13 at Red Bull Arena in its second pre-Olympic friendly of the July window. Hayes will join up as USWNT head coach during the June international window, which features matches against South Korea on June 1 at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park in Colorado and June 4 at Allianz Stadium in Minnesota ..read more

By Justin Ruderman and Favian Renkel Welcome back to week nine of Justin and Favian’s Weekly MLS Awards where SBI staff writers Justin Ruderman and Favian Renkel bring you a glimpse at the best of each week in MLS. Rivalries were renewed and the MLS MVP race is heating up. Let’s discuss! Player of the Week Justin Ruderman: Chicho Arango (RSL) Lionel Messi’s name recognition may grab all the headlines but it is Chicho Arango leading the MLS goalscoring charts through Matchday 10. Both players produced a brace and assist on Saturday but Arango gets the nod for me because he didn’t need a penalty ..read more

Juventus has been interested in extending Weston McKennie’s contract by another two seasons, but the American midfielder has reportedly declined the Old Lady’s latest offer. McKennie has turned down Juventus’ latest contract extension offer due to no increase in his salary, CalcioMercato reported Tuesday. Juventus has offered McKennie a two-year extension at €2.5 million per year, but McKennie “is not satisfied” with the offer from the club, according to the report. The 25-year-old has enjoyed a sensational season for the Old Lady, registering 10 assists in 33 combined appearances. McKennie ha ..read more