Coaching

One of U.S. soccer’s greatest strikers is hanging up her boots to join the coaching ranks. Amy Rodriguez, who won at every level, retired from the NWSL on Friday to join her alma mater, USC, as an assistant coach.

A-Rod, as the 34-year-old is affectionately known, won an NCAA title with USC, two Olympic gold medals and the 2015 Women’s World Cup. She led FC Kansas City to back-to-back NWSL titles, scoring 64 goals in 160 matches in her professional career. 

There was but one major global international soccer tournament in 2021. For some reason, the coach who inspired an underdog victory in that competition wasn’t deemed worthy by FIFA to even be a finalist for the organization’s FIFA Best Coach of 2021 award. Not that we’re the least bit surprised; we’ve long learned to expect the worst from FIFA.

LAFC will introduce former United States men's national team defender Steve Cherundolo as their next manager on Monday, ESPN reported.

Cherundolo, 42, replaces Bob Bradley, who left the team after his contract expired at the end of the 2021 season. Bradley was later named the head coach at Toronto FC.

Cherundolo managed the Las Vegas Lights, LAFC's USL Championship affiliate, last season.

Sierra Leone are hoping to prove competitive and lay the foundation for future qualification as they compete at this month’s Africa Cup of Nations finals for the first time in a quarter century, coach John Keister said.

Having last qualified for the 1996 edition in South Africa in only their second appearance at the finals, the west African country returns hoping to become a more regular participant, according to their Manchester-born coach.

LONDON - Chelsea striker Romelu Lukaku was left out of the squad to face Liverpool at home on Sunday after saying he was dissatisfied with his role at Stamford Bridge.

The 28-year-old, who signed from Inter Milan in the close season for a club-record $132 million, told Sky Italy recently that he was unhappy with manager Thomas Tuchel's system. Lukaku also said he would like to return to Italy at some point in his career.

Asked about the Belgian international's comments ahead of the Liverpool game, Tuchel said they were "not helpful."

MANCHESTER, England - Manchester United's new interim manager Ralf Rangnick said he was impressed with how well his team responded to his input during Sunday's 1-0 Premier League win over Crystal Palace.

A 77th-minute goal from Fred earned Rangnick a victory in his first game in charge at Old Trafford.

Manchester United get their goal!

RB Leipzig, last season's Bundesliga runners-up, have mutually agreed to part company with head coach Jesse Marsch after a poor start to the season, the German club said on Sunday.

Leipzig suffered a 2-1 defeat at Union Berlin on Friday, a third consecutive league loss that left them 11th in the standings and piled pressure on American Marsch who was not at the game due to being in COVID-19 quarantine.

Marsch, who joined this season to replace Bayern Munich-bound Julian Nagelsmann, has led his team to only five wins in 14 league games.