Introducing the Golazo 100, ranking the best men’s players in the world; USWNT roll on under Emma Hayes

Hello! I’m Pardeep Cattry, with a midweek check-in on new developments, including the USWNT’s new era under Emma Hayes and the official launch of the Golazo 100, CBS Sports’ ranking of the top 100 men’s soccer players.

Football correction

All times US/East

Wednesday, June 5th
Friendly: Belgium x Montenegro, 2:30 pm FS2
USL Championship: San Antonio vs. El Paso Locomotive, 9pm CBS Sports Network

Thursday, June 6th
Friendly: Netherlands x Canada, 2:45 pm Fox Soccer Plus

The hotline

Introducing the Golazo 100

Wednesday marks the debut of the Golazo 100, a collaboration between more than 30 voters across CBS Sport’s football departments to rank the 100 best men’s players currently in the sport.

Top of the list may have been a foregone conclusion last year when the incomparable Lionel Messi was just months away from winning the World Cup with Argentina and adding to his unrivaled legacy at the highest levels of club football. The 36-year-old player’s age and move to Inter Miami, along with Cristiano Ronaldo’s move to Saudi Arabia months earlier, gave rise to a new generation of stars that opens up a real debate to decide who the best players really are. of the world. The same applies to women’s football and therefore another Golazo 100 will be released just before next month’s Olympic Games.

So how do we decide who is in the top 100 and who actually got selected? Here’s a little introduction as the first batch of names are officially revealed.

How it works

Each voter was asked to compile individual lists ranking their top 100 players, with the best player receiving 100 points, the second player receiving 99 points, and so on. There was no criteria other than the fact that those selected had to be active players – everything from recent form, current club squads, accolades and injuries were taken into consideration at each voter’s discretion. You can read more about the voting process here.

Who made the cut

The players ranked between 81 and 100 were revealed on Wednesday, with Barcelona’s Ronald Araujo kicking things off by claiming the final spot in the Golazo 100. Here’s Roger Gonzalez on Araujo’s attributes ahead of his time at Copa América with Uruguay.

• González: “Continuing Uruguay’s tradition of producing elite defenders, the 25-year-old Rivera native is a threat in the middle. At 6-foot-4, he plays even better with his excellent aerial ability. He has the speed and strength to push almost any player off the ball with his aggression. A key player for Marcelo Bielsa’s Uruguay team, if Charrua makes any noise in the Copa América this summer, he will have to play a big role in the 2023-24 season for a strong. Inconsistent Barcelona will unfortunately be remembered for their questionable red card against PSG’s Bradley Barcola in the second leg of the Champions League quarter-finals. be at the top of the list.”

Wednesday’s drop includes some of football’s most consistent stars like Manuel Neuer, high-profile players now plying their trade outside of Europe like Neymar, and the only American on the list, Christian Pulisic. Another group of 20 will be revealed each day of the week until the top 20 are revealed next Tuesday and Wednesday.

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Dunn and Yohannes shine in USWNT victory

In their final game before Emma Hayes named her Olympic roster, the U.S. women’s national team defeated South Korea 3-0 on Tuesday as several players from a rotating squad made a case for being mainstays for the foreseeable future.

Hayes made nine changes to the team that defeated South Korea 4-0 on Saturday, hoping to test as many players as possible, including Crystal Dunn. The veteran scored her first international goal since 2018 in the 13th minute, making her mark in her first USWNT game as a striker since 2017. The strong performance likely shakes up the conversation about roster spots – Dunn has made a name for herself as a striker, but there is no A long-time USWNT left back, a role she appears to have lost to Jenna Nighswonger in recent months. Dunn is likely competing with Trinity Rodman for minutes on the right wing now, but the 31-year-old’s well-established versatility is undoubtedly an advantage as Hayes compiles an 18-player squad.

Another player who had a big night in Minnesota on Tuesday was 16-year-old Lily Yohannes, who made her international debut as a substitute and scored just 10 minutes after coming on. She is unlikely to make the Olympic team, but the USWNT is keeping an eye on the post-Paris future with Yohannes’ inclusion, especially as the talented youngster’s international future is up in the air. The Virginia native represented the U.S. at the youth levels, but after moving to the Netherlands at age 10, she is in the process of obtaining Dutch citizenship and is leaving her options open by attending a youth camp for them last December.

Above all, though, Hayes was able to outline an attacking strategy for the USWNT that appears to be in vogue following the roster refresh in recent months, led by assistant coach Twila Kilgore. Hayes said his first camp consisted of filling in the tactical details after Kilgore established a solid foundation, something Darian Jenkins said he realized after Hayes’ first two games were completed.

• Jenkins: “They attack. They like to move the ball quickly. We heard [Hayes] I talk a lot about patience – being patient, not forcing the game, and I think they finally have some tools in their arsenal when a team adjusts. We saw South Korea adjust [Tuesday’s] starting, enter a low block. They blocked the holes in the middle of the field. [The USWNT] will exaggerate, they will try to get [to the] In the final line, they will reduce crossings, so we are seeing them really adapt as the game goes on, rather than waiting game by game to make changes, tactically. …Less one-dimensional, for sure.”

Top stories

100 central goal: Here’s the list of players ranked 81 to 100, as well as the reasons why Christian Pulisic is the only American in the Golazo 100. Plus, here’s the hub for all things Golazo 100 and an explainer on the voting process .

Mbappé arrives at Real Madrid: Kylian Mbappe officially signed with Real Madrid on Monday, ushering in a new era of Galactico signings in the process. He leaves an unparalleled legacy at Paris Saint-Germain – even though he had a contentious relationship with the club’s management before Luis Enrique and Luis Campos “saved” him during his final year at the club.

Manchester City process: Manchester City is suing the Premier League over associated party transaction rules, with the court case set to begin next week and internal conflict between the 20 Premier League clubs will probably follow.

National team check-in: Here’s the latest edition of the player ratings following the USWNT win, as the Morning Footy team selects which USMNT players will have the biggest impact on Copa América.

Tell Naples: Napoli have officially signed four-time Serie A champion Antonio Conte after a nightmare season, but his impetuous personality and the club’s internal chaos can cause some friction even with success.

Arsenal off-season: The Morning Footy team plays a round of “Hold or Sell?” with some Arsenal playersincluding Aaron Ramsdale and Eddie Nketiah.

KDB to KSA?: Kevin De Bruyne has said he is open to a move to Saudi Arabia, probably to Al-Nassr, and argued that “If I play there for two years I could earn an incredible amount of money”.

Arena in Kickin’ It: Veteran football coach Bruce Arena talks about a variety of topics in the latest episode of Kickin’ It. He suggests MLS’s “miscommunication” on his release hurt his job prospects after he was suspended last season for “inappropriate and insensitive comments”, discusses his strained relationship with Clint Dempsey and the fallout from the USMNT’s failure to qualify for the 2018 World Cup. Cup.

The back row

Best Bets

• Friendly: Netherlands x Canada, Thursday, 3pm
  THE CHOICE: Teun Koopmeiners will score (+195) – Jesse Marsch’s first match as Canada coach will be a tough battle against the Netherlands, considered the big favorites at home. A lopsided victory could be on the cards for the Dutch, who may not be among the main contenders to win this summer’s Euros, but are undoubtedly an aspiring group with several top-flight talents. Midfielder Teun Koopmeiners is among the standouts and is ranked 98th in the Golazo 100 after a debut season with Atalanta. After developing into a defensive player, he demonstrated his attacking capabilities as the UEFA Europa League winners, scoring 15 goals last season.

What’s on CBS Sports Golazo Network

Morning Football (Weekdays 8am-10am): Hosts Susannah Collins, Charlie Davies, Nico Cantor and Alexis Guerreros help fans start their day on the network’s flagship morning show with highlights, interviews and the biggest stories in football. Morning Footy is also available in podcast formatso you’ll never have to miss an episode.

Box 2 Box (Weekday afternoons): The news-based program quickly recaps all the latest headlines from around the world, with panelists predicting the day’s top matchups. Catch Box 2 Box on CBS Sports Golazo Network on the CBS Sports app, PlutoTV and Paramount+.

3⃣ Attacking Third (Monday, Thursday): The main women football podcast It is social brand now it’s a live studio show. The NWSL season is back and our women’s soccer coverage is stronger than ever. Our analysts will analyze the USWNT, NWSL, and European domestic seasons throughout the year.

Kicking (Tuesdays): CBS Sports Golazo Network’s Unfiltered Interview Show Launches Tuesday. Hosted by Kate Abdo, Clint Dempsey, Mo Edu and Charlie Davies, the group chat candidly with the biggest names in the Beautiful Game and share their stories on and off the field.

Call it whatever you want (Monday night): A weekly podcast where Jimmy Conrad, Charlie Davies and friends cover all things USMNT and the state of the beautiful game in the United States.

Punctuation (Daily): Scoreline is the newest place for fans to keep up with all the biggest news and results impacting global football, match highlights from major football competitions and all the unmissable goals from the day’s action, which starts Thursday and goes live air for seven days. one week.

How to watch: CBS Sports Golazo Network is a free 24/7 channel exclusively dedicated to offering unparalleled coverage of all the world’s major football competitions. You can stream for free on CBS Sports app, Pluto TV It is Paramount+.

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