Soccer Monday: Italy opens Spalletti era, Inter Miami without Messi and USMNT wins big
Kick off your week with all the action from this past weekend
The international break meant plenty of national team action from across the planet. MLS, meanwhile, continued minus its biggest stars.
From 2026 World Cup qualifiers across South America to European Championship qualification for next year’s tournament — not to mention so many friendlies — it has been a very busy few days.
Here’s a look at the major stories from this weekend:
3. Spalletti starts off Italy era with a draw
Italy's new cycle under manager Luciano Spalletti started Saturday in North Macedonia, where the Azzurri faced the same side that knocked them out during 2022 World Cup qualification.
In the end, the Italians could only muster a 1-1 draw. As a result, Group C has become increasingly tight and complicated after this weekend’s results, which also saw England held to a 1-1 draw by Ukraine. Since Italy were in the Nations League Final Four in June, they have only played three games in this group.
England top the group with 13 points (from five games played), followed by Ukraine with seven points (from four matches). Italy have four points after three games, while North Macedonia are also on four points, but having played four times. Malta are last with zero points (in four games). The top two automatically qualify for the Euros.
Overall, 12 teams enter the playoff round. Only three of them qualify for the finals.
2. Inter Miami wins without Messi
Who needs Lionel Messi when you have Sergio Busquets?
That was the big takeaway from this weekend’s MLS games when Inter Miami, in need of points in order to make the playoffs, defeated Sporting Kansas City 3-2.
While Messi was on international duty with Argentina, Busquets took over the Inter Miami midfield on Saturday night and, as MLSSoccer.com put it, “devised the game’s defining moment in the 60th minute.”
That moment was a pass from Busquets to Facundo Farias that resulted in the winning goal at DRV PNK Stadium. The win made it 12 straight games that Miami is unbeaten, across all competitions, as they moved within just six points of the Eastern Conference’s playoff line.
Messi was one of eight Inter Miami players missing for national team duty, but eight starters from last week’s 3-1 win over defending MLS champion LAFC were in the lineup.
1. USMNT scores three against Uzbekistan
Gregg Berhalter’s second stint as U.S. coach “began with a quick start, 80 sluggish minutes, two late goals and a 3-0 victory over Uzbekistan.”
The Associated Press put it that way when describing the USMNT’s win on Saturday night at CityPark in St. Louis. Tim Weah put the U.S. ahead after just four minutes, Ricardo Pepi doubled the lead just into second-half stoppage time and Christian Pulisic put away a penalty kick in the fifth minute of injury time.
Berhalter was hired after the failure to qualify for the U.S. failed to qualify for the 2018 World Cup. He was briefly replaced at the start of this year while U.S. Soccer investigated a domestic violence accusation brought to its attention by the family of USMNT player Gio Reyna. He was rehired this past June.
“At the anthem, you reflect on it a little bit that you’re back,” Berhalter told reporters. “And then it’s back to work and then you’re on the sidelines, you’re coaching and trying to help the team win a game.”
The U.S. plays Oman on Tuesday at St. Paul, Minn., in a second friendly to close out the international break.
In other news: Spending by English and Saudi Arabian teams fueled a record-setting year for the international transfer market that reached highs in deals done, money spent and agent fees. FIFA’s analysis of players moving between member countries from June through Sept. 1 counted 10,125 transfers, $7.36 billion spent by clubs and almost $700 million paid to intermediaries representing players and clubs. English clubs spent almost $2 billion — while recouping $956 million in sales of players abroad — and Saudi clubs spent $875.4 million on international deals through FIFA’s Sept. 1 cutoff. … Luis Rubiales, the disgraced head of the Spanish FA, resigned on Sunday three weeks after kissing a player on the lips without her consent following the country’s first-ever Women’s World Cup title. Rubiales had been at the center of a global scandal after he kissed Jenni Hermoso during the awards ceremony after Spain defeated England to win the title on Aug. 20 in Sydney, Australia. … Bruce Arena resigned on Saturday as New England Revolution coach and sporting director. Arena was placed on administrative leave on July 30 after it was revealed he had made insensitive and inappropriate remarks. In a statement, Arena said he had “made some mistakes and moving forward, I plan to spend some time reflecting on this situation and taking corrective steps to address what has transpired.”