USMNT opens year with a win, Mbappe show and 'worst ever' United?
Kick your Monday off with all the news from this past weekend
Good morning!
This was a weekend that saw some of the very best and worst this game has to offer.
The best included a very young U.S. team defeating Venezuela, Kylian Mbappe finally coming into his own at Real Madrid and Napoli and Inter Milan setting up a fierce title race in Serie A.
The worst falls to none other than Manchester United. After yet another defeat, the underperforming side was labeled “maybe the worst team in the history of Manchester United” — and those words came from their own manager.
Here are the biggest storylines from this past weekend:
USMNT: Americans beat Venezuela 3-1 to open 2025
Three players — Jack McGlynn, Patrick Agyemang and Matko Miljevic — all found the back of the net as the United States downed Venezuela 3-1 victory in a friendly on Saturday at Chase Stadium in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.
“It was a big smile for me,” McGlynn said of his first U.S. goal. “It was a cool moment, definitely, to score your first goal for the men’s team. To finally do that meant a lot.”
While little can be gleaned from this game given that it’s loaded with MLS-based players and young talent, the annual January camp does help players make their case for future call-ups.
“I think today not only we saw good players and good performance. ... We played like a team,” USMNT coach Mauricio Pochettino said. “We respected some rules and concepts.”
The United States plays Costa Rica on Wednesday in Orlando.
La Liga: Mbappe puts Real Madrid back on top
Kylian Mbappe put on a show on Sunday, betting a brace as Real Madrid routed 10-man Las Palmas 4-1 on Sunday.
The goals prompted a big ovation from the at Santiago Bernabeu Stadium crowd for the France star who has struggled at times in his first season with the Spanish giants.
“It’s always a dream to get a standing ovation at this stadium,” Mbappe said. “I’m really happy, I’ve adapted to the team and I can play the way I want to. Everyone enjoys the team’s game. All the Real Madrid players are leaders because it’s the best team in the world. We have to be united because we have to win a lot of things. You always have to win at Real Madrid.”
Mbappe has really come into his own this month, scoring four goals in his last four matches.
As for Madrid, the win put Real into first place with 46 points, followed by Atletico Madrid at 44 and Barcelona with 39.
Premier League: Is this the worst Manchester United ever?
The question of whether this current Manchester United is the worst ever in club history was answered by their manager this past weekend.
Ruben Amorim, following the team’s 3-1 defeat at Brighton on Sunday, admitted that this latest defeat (their 10th in the league this season) might be the “worst” side in the club’s storied history.
“We are being the worst, maybe, in the history of Manchester United,” he said. “I am saying that because we have to acknowledge and change that.”
The 20-time English champion is currently 13th and closer to the relegation zone than Champions League qualification.
Amorim has lost seven of his 15 games in charge since replacing Erik ten Hag in November. Six defeats from the first 12 home league games of the season is United’s worst run since the 1893-94 season.
In other news: Manchester United and Scotland star Denis Law died on Friday at age 84. In 2021, he had been diagnosed with dementia. Law was the only Scottish player to win the Ballon d’Or. Law is forever linked with Bobby Charlton and George Best, the three-pronged strike force that led United to league titles in 1965 and ’67 and the European Cup in 1968. … Defender Denzel Dumfries was again on target Sunday as Inter beat lowly Empoli 3-1 to keep pace with Serie A leader Napoli. Inter captain Lautaro Martínez netted the opener to help the Nerazzurri move to within three points of Napoli, which won 3-2 at third-placed Atalanta on Saturday. Inter has a match in hand. … Lionel Messi scored a goal as Inter Miami beat Mexican club Club America 3-2 on penalty kicks after the teams played to a 2-2 draw in a preseason friendly on Saturday in Las Vegas. Messi’s goal came on a header in the 34th minute, taking a pass from Luis Suarez to even the match at 1-1.