Elsewhere on the Golazo Starting XI newsletter, ranking possible Lionel Messi trophies
Elsewhere on the Golazo Starting XI newsletter, ranking possible Lionel Messi trophies
Happy Friday! There’s USWNT action to wrap up from the SheBelieves Cup and FA Cup play on the horizon in England. I’m Chuck Booth, here to get you ready for the weekend.
📺 Footy fix
All times U.S./Eastern
Friday, Feb. 28
🇩🇪 Bundesliga: Stuttgart vs. Bayern Munich, 2:30 p.m. ➡️ ESPN2, Fubo TV
🇮🇹 Serie A: Fiorentina vs. Lecce, 2:45 p.m. ➡️ Paramount+, CBS Sports Golazo Network
🏴 Championship: Sheffield Wednesday vs. Sunderland, 3 p.m. ➡️ Paramount+,
Saturday, March 1
🇮🇹 Serie A: Napoli vs. Inter, 12 p.m. ➡️ Paramount+
🇪🇸 La Liga: Real Betis vs. Real Madrid, 12:30 p.m. ➡️ ESPN+
🏴 FA Cup: Manchester City vs. Plymouth Argyle, 12:45 p.m. ➡️ ESPN+
🇺🇸MLS: San Deigo FC vs. St. Louis City SC, 10:30 p.m. ➡️ MLS Season Pass
Sunday, March 2
🇪🇸 La Liga: Barcelona vs. Real Sociedad, 10:15 a.m. ➡️ ESPN+
🏴 FA Cup: Manchester United vs. Fulham, 11:30 a.m. ➡️ ESPN+
🏴 Women’s Super League: Arsenal vs. West Ham United, 11:30 a.m. ➡️ ESPN+
🇺🇸 MLS: Houston Dynamo vs. Inter Miami, 7 p.m. ➡️ MLS Season Pass
⚽ The Forward Line
🏆 The FA Cup Rolls on
After knocking Liverpool out of the FA Cup, Plymouth Argyles’ reward in the round of 16 is a trip to face Manchester City. While Pep Guardiola’s side has struggled this season, it would be a monumental task for a team sitting in the relegation zone of the Championship to find a way to victory. But the same could’ve been said for facing Liverpool, and that’s why we play the games. On any day, a “cupset” can happen and a team can make history. The Argyle are already writing theirs and they’ll certainly be ready to give City a go and deepen their spiral in what has been a season to forget so far.
Crystal Palace are another side that should be on cupset watch, facing Millwall. Behind a defense with Premier League experience, Millwall have only allowed two goals in their last three games and this could be another low scoring affair at Selhurst Park. Whichever team makes the most of their set plays could emerge with a victory in what will be a tense match. There are also quite a few Premier League affairs with Manchester United hosting Fulham and Newcastle United hosting Brighton.
Untied’s outlook has changed drastically since losing Amad DIallo to injury, but manager Ruben Amorim will be looking for any silver lining that he can get to the season. United will have to balance this match with Europa League play, but they can’t afford to look past either when cups will be their only chance at a European spot next season. Meanwhile, Fulham have been flying high, and winning at Old Trafford would be monumental for their unlikely push for a European spot.
After a poor showing in the Champions League last season, Newcastle United are now making the most of their cup runs. Already in the EFL Cup final, the Magpies will also have a chance to add themselves to the last eight of the FA Cup as well. There would be no better way to break their trophy drought, which has been going since 1955, than pulling off a domestic double in the cup competitions.
Sponsored by Paramount+
🔗 Midfield Link Play
🇺🇸 Hayes’ first loss costs USWNT SheBelieves Cup
The U.S. women’s national team fell short of winning the 2025 SheBelieves Cup but earned plenty of tactical and developmental victories in the end. The USWNT lost 2-1 to Japan on Wednesday and settled for second place in the 10-year-old tournament.
Head coach Emma Hayes went with a similar line-up that defeated Colombia 2-0 to open the competition, and despite an equalizer by Ally Sentnor, after conceding early, the group was unable to overcome a strong performance by the best team in the tournament. Still, Hayes set objectives for the squad ahead of the event, citing the need for overall development and specific positional areas on the pitch. The 23-player roster, with multiple uncapped players, managed two wins and a shot at a title.
There were small silver linings in the second-place finish, more players made their senior team debuts, and some scored their first goals. But a bigger picture of player pool depth is the brightest positive, with several cornerstone caliber players unavailable to play in the tournament. There was no “triple espresso” attacking line of Trinity Rodman, Sophia Wilson, or Mallory Swanson, and no Naomi Girma or Rose Lavelle as multiple players manage injury and preseason form.
The opportunity fell to Sentnor and she took it with two stellar goals from distance. Catarina Macario scored her first goal in three years after a lengthy injury. Michelle Cooper scored her first-ever senior-level goal, while Gisele Thompson and Tara McKeown earned their first starts on the defensive backline.
Hayes intends to build the momentum from SheBelieves, and the program already has their sights on April, with matches against Brazil. The manager has already stated that the spring camp will be focused as a U-23 event so be on the lookout for even more evaluations of uncapped players.
🔗 Top Stories
🗣️Javier Tebas said what: The La Liga president had quite a comparison for Manchester City saying they’re like Enron and are hiding financial losses in companies.
⏸️ Match stoppage in La Liga: Real Madrid’s Copa Del Rey match versus Real Sociedad had to be stopped due to racist taunts directed to Vinicius Junior from fans. Tebas says that La Liga is on the right path to rid the league of these issues.
🔵Chelsea fans aren’t happy: Owner Todd Boehly isn’t phased by Chelsea fan protest due to the team’s form.
⚽ What all can Inter Miami win: We take a look at the five trophies that Lionel Messi and the Herons are competing for to see what they’re most likely to win.
💰 The Back Line
💵 Best bets
- Serie A: Napoli vs. Inter, Saturday, 12 p.m.
💰 THE PICK: Both teams to score (-118) – Inter are back atop Serie A after Napoli led for most of the season, so this will be a match that’s more open than the average top of the table clash due to it possibly being Napoli’s only chance to put some space between themselves and Inter. Even with UCL play on the horizon, this is quite a clash for both sides. - MLS: Houston Dynamo vs. Inter Miami, Sunday, 7 p.m.
💰 THE PICK: Jack McGlynn to have 1+ shot on target (+125) – Inter Miami will likely win this game but there’s no telling what kind of lineup they’ll put out with Tomas Aviles suspended and Concacaf Champions Cup play on the horizon. Given that, one thing that is certain is that the defense will allow chances and with Houston’s new look, the person most likely to take them is midfielder Jack McGlynn. In a role where he can show off his shooting skill, McGlynn will test Miami’s defense early and often.
For more picks, predictions, expert tips and the latest betting news, don’t miss out on CBSSports.com’s betting home page.
📺 What’s on CBS Sports Golazo Network
☀️ Morning Footy (Weekdays 8-10 a.m.): Join Golazo Network as it help fans get their day started on the right foot on the network’s flagship morning show with highlights, interviews and the biggest soccer storylines. Morning Footy is also available in podcast form, so you’ll never have to miss an episode.
3️⃣ Attacking Third (Monday, Thursday): The leading women’s soccer podcast and social brand is now a live studio show. The NWSL season is back and our coverage of the women’s game is stronger than ever. Our analysts will be breaking down the USWNT, NWSL and European domestic season all year long. And don’t miss Wednesday live streams on YouTube at 11 a.m. ET.
⚽ Call it What You Want (Monday and Thursday): A weekly podcast where Jimmy Conrad, Charlie Davies and Tony Meola cover all things USMNT and the state of the beautiful game in the United States. You can catch the show streaming live on YouTube every Monday at 1 p.m. ET and Thursday at 6 p.m. ET.
🥅 Scoreline (Daily): Scoreline is the newest place for fans to catch up on all the biggest news and results impacting global football, match highlights from the top soccer competitions and all the can’t-miss goals from the day’s action, starting Thursday and airing seven days a week.
📺 How to watch: CBS Sports Golazo Network is a free 24/7 channel exclusively dedicated to offering unparalleled coverage of all the top soccer competitions worldwide. You can stream for free on the CBS Sports app, Pluto TV and Paramount+.