Managers

United States women’s national team defender Naomi Girma is cementing herself as the top center back in the world during the 2024 Summer Olympics. Her head coach Emma Hayes agrees as the 24-year-old has played every minute of the campaign so far.

Girma has led a stout USWNT defense to the gold medal match only conceding two goals in the process. Throughout the tournament Girma has had different center back pairings due to a Tierna Davidson injury.

Another day, another USMNT head coach candidate.

Pellegrino Matarazzo linked to USMNT head coach position

The U.S. men’s national team is not slowing down their hunt for a new coach and has contacted American and current TSG 1899 Hoffenheim manager Pellegrino Matarazzo about the possibility of taking the United States’ vacant head coach position, according to multiple reports.

PARIS — France coach Thierry Henry called the behavior of some of his players unacceptable after their 1-0 Olympic quarter-final victory over Argentina in Bordeaux ended in a brawl and a red card for midfielder Enzo Millot.

Hosts France knocked out Argentina on Friday to avenge the country's defeat in the last World Cup final in a bitter rivalry recently fuelled by a video of Argentine players directing chants labelled as racist at French players.

An incredible Trinity Rodman goal vs Japan in extra time of the Olympics quarterfinal saved the United States women’s national team in a poor showing on Saturday.

The USWNT were untouchable in the group stage sweeping Zambia, Germany and Australia while scoring a team record nine goals in the three games.

Saturday was a drastically different performance as head coach Emma Hayes deployed an exhausted side that were off the pace and tremendously struggled to break down Japan’s defense which utilized a brick wall 5-4-1 defense.

United States women’s national team head coach Emma Hayes started the same players in midfield (Lindsey Horan, Rose Lavelle and Sam Coffey) for all three Olympic group stage games. The USWNT midfield will change for the quarterfinals.

Hayes made a risky decision for the group stage finale against Australia and started Coffey plus Trinity Rodman despite the two players already having a yellow card in the tournament. A second yellow would mean they miss the quarterfinals.

Former U.S. men’s national team manager Gregg Berhalter is bound take a break from international soccer and is likely to return to the club scene after six years with the USMNT, with fans speculating where the American coach will end up this summer. According to Fabrizio Romano, it won’t be in Europe.

Fabrizio Romano reveals no European clubs have contacted Gregg Berhalter this summer

Well, let’s not act too surprised.

PARIS — Canada were deducted six points from the Olympic women's soccer tournament and their head coach Bev Priestman banned for a year, global governing body FIFA said on Saturday, following a drone spying scandal that has tainted their gold medal defense.

Priestman, who has coached the team since 2020, and Canadian officials Joseph Lombardi and Jasmine Mander have been banned from any soccer-related activity for one year for "offensive behavior and violation of the principles of fair play", FIFA said.

Canada points deducted in Olympics

PARIS — New information from Soccer Canada showed suspended women's head coach Bev Priestman was likely aware of the drone use that has caused a scandal at the Paris Olympics, Canadian Olympic Committee CEO David Shoemaker said on Friday.

The COC removed head coach Priestman on Thursday after her suspension by Canada Soccer. The decision followed complaints from New Zealand that Canada flew drones over two of their training sessions before the two sides met in their opening Olympic fixture, which Canada won 2-1.

United States women’s national team head coach Emma Hayes says that assuming the USA will reach the final or semifinals of the Olympics is “disrespectful” to the rest of the world.

Hayes spoke with the media on Tuesday ahead of the USWNT’s Olympic campaign and warned that the rest of the world has caught up to the U.S. in women’s soccer.

“Too often we keep talking about what we’re going to do in Paris, or what happens when you get to the semis or the finals,” Hayes said. “I think it’s disrespectful to the rest of the world to talk like that.”