Category Uncategorized

[ad_pod ]Crystal Palace legend Julian Speroni is set to make a rare appearance this weekend when he and his teammates travel to Anfield to take on the Premier League leaders Liverpool.

What’s the latest?

The game against Jurgen Klopp’s table-topping Reds will be the 39-year-old’s first Premier League start since December 2017, and it has come in bizarre circumstances. First choice keeper Vicente Guaita limped out of the recent 2-1 home defeat to Watford, and his replacement, Wayne Hennessey, also picked up an injury.

It is credit to the veteran stopper that he has kept himself in tip-top condition despite being so far down the pecking order, and the Premier League’s oldest player will need to be in his best shape in order to keep out the likes of Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino.

Check out Neymar’s controversial new haircut for 2019 and Xherdan Shaqiri as you’ve never seen him before in the video below…

Speroni has made over 400 appearances for the south London club across a 14-year stay at Selhurst Park, and is somewhat of a club legend around SE25 – he even owns his own restaurant within the local area.

How will he fare?

The Argentine is a model professional and always gives 100 per cent when called upon.ÂHe is set to turn 40 in May but still looks as sharp and nimble as ever, whilst he also performed admirably in his run in the team back in 2017 before Hennessey took over.

Unfortunately for him, he is being thrown into the deep end this weekend against one of the most ruthless sides in the division, but his experience will enable him to overcome any nerves or doubts with ease.

[ad_pod ]

Each week, the team over at totalfootballanalysis.com give us a tactical breakdown of our Fixture in Focus. Today, Simon Doyle previews Arsenal vs Liverpool and looks at how Liverpool’s attacking output has evolved this season so far.

Another mouth-watering top-of-the-table clash highlights this weekend’s Premier League fixtures as fourth placed Arsenal host second placed Liverpool at the Emirates Stadium this Saturday evening. Games between the top six sides in the Premier League this season have overall delivered some thrilling football, perhaps most notably in games featuring both the Gunners and the Reds.

Arsenal’s 10-game winning streak in all competitions came to an end as a result of their 2-2 draw away at Crystal Palace last Sunday. While the Gunners’ current form is impressive, they’ve not played a team of Liverpool’s calibre since the second weekend of the season when they lost to Chelsea at Stamford Bridge, despite creating the better of the chances against their hosts. At that time however, Emery’s ideas were still very fresh and the results for the north London side have improved significantly since.

Liverpool have equalled their strongest ever start to a Premier League campaign after 10 games, fittingly 10 years after their previous best in 2008/09. The manner in which they’ve accrued those points is perhaps a surprise to most who were thrilled by their breathless, high-octane football of last season. This campaign has been approached with more of an emphasis on control and defensive solidity by Jürgen Klopp’s team.

A Case for the Defence

“Attack wins you games, defence wins you titles”, words of Sir Alex Ferguson, a man who knew a bit about winning the Premier League. No honest football fan would deny Klopp’s Reds were one of the most entertaining sides in Europe last season, but ultimately they finished the season empty-handed. Their frighteningly rapid counter-attacks ripped apart the best of teams, punishing any mistakes in their opposition’s build-up, but issues in their defensive phases held them back in crucial moments of the season.

After 10 league games last season, Liverpool had a +1 goal difference, scoring 17 goals and conceding 16. In contrast, this season the Reds have racked up a total of 20 goals, conceding only four. But an average of two goals per game is below expectations for a team that finished last season with 84 in the league, as well as scoring 17 goals in their six knockout round games en route to the 2018 Champions League final. Has the Liverpool attack suffered a loss of form, or is Klopp evolving his side into a more conservative, possession based team?

In some recent fixtures in which Liverpool were considered heavy favourites before kick-off, Klopp has deployed his side in a 4-2-3-1 formation, a change from the typical 4-3-3 which has become synonymous with Liverpool’s style of play in Klopp’s time at Anfield. This change in formation utilises a ‘double-pivot’, a two-man base in midfield as opposed to the single ‘number 6’ regista role.

Liverpool have set up in a 4-2-3-1 in most of their recent matches. Above, Georginio Wijnaldum and Fabinho form a double-pivot at the base of the midfield.

This formation has seen Mo Salah, who had a sensational year in the 2017/18 campaign for Liverpool, play as a number 9, with Sadio Mane, new signing Xherdan Shaqiri and Roberto Firminho the usual trio behind him. Firminho has become one of the finest examples of the ‘false 9’ forward role in world football and has seamlessly transferred those attributes to play as an accomplished number 10 as of late. In this formation Liverpool can still execute rapid transitions into attack where Mo Salah and Sadio Mane can utilise their extreme pace, while Firminho can display his range of passing in a more play-making role.

As Liverpool win back possession and find Firminho dropping deep to support, the Brazilian striker immediately takes note of the forward runners ahead of him.

Salah and Mané have bags of pace and will punish any space in disorganised defences.

However, Liverpool have still deployed their usual 4-3-3 formation in big games so far this season, beating Spurs and PSG, drawing with Chelsea and City and losing 1-0 away to Napoli in the Champions League. With this formation they are happier to concede possession as the midfield three screens their back four and the front three relentlessly press the opposition to disrupt their build-up play, a disruption Arsenal could seriously do without.

Liverpool will likely setup in their 4-3-3, the forward three look to cut off passing lanes.

If they are passed-by the forwards press intensely from behind the player in possession.

League Winning Credentials

So rather than reverting to a more defensive setup, Liverpool’s marked improvement at the back is perhaps a sign of maturity. Klopp’s side are no longer a plucky outsider and do not pose as much of a surprise as they did last season. The varied approaches seen this season still facilitate fast, direct football against teams that prefer to keep possession while also allowing a more patient, controlled setup against smaller teams – games which have cost Liverpool dearly in recent seasons.

Given Liverpool’s transfer outlay this summer, their target is to turn Klopp’s impressive team into trophy winners and the trophy they covet most is the Premier League. Any modern day Liverpool title challenge has always been undermined by dropped points against inferior sides – beating title rivals has never been the Merseyside club’s biggest issue – and Klopp’s heavy-metal football can be too tiring and unpredictable across a long Premier League season. This explains their less gung-ho approach in some matches, often replaced by a more measured, patient game plan.

Klopp may be taking a inspirations from Liverpool’s biggest title rivals this season, Manchester City. Runaway league champions of last season, City overcame many big opponents in the early rounds of the campaign with narrow, hard-fought victories. A 1-0 win away at Chelsea, a 2-1 win at Old Trafford and a few late winners against Bournemouth, Huddersfield, Southampton and West Ham (the last three all in succession) were crucial to their large points gap over the chasing pack, which effectively wrapped up the title come Christmas time.

A Big Test

For Arsenal this game will be seen as a true marker of their progression under Unai Emery. Since their opening defeats at home to Man City and away at Chelsea, Arsenal have won seven games in a row, which would have been eight were it not for the concession of a late penalty in their 2-2 draw away to Crystal Palace last week. Talk of a title challenge may be premature but a win against Liverpool would make the rest of the league take serious note of Emery’s Arsenal.

Arsenal’s approach under Emery contains many principles of positional play and at their best Arsenal have looked simply sublime this season. All three goals against Leicester in their 3-1 win over the Foxes two weeks ago were sensational team goals, as was THAT goal away at Fulham.

Emery’s Arsenal typically set up in a 4-2-3-1 formation, the double-pivot in midfield sits deep to aid build-up from the back, looking to unleash a narrow attacking quartet ahead of them as both full-backs push extremely high up the pitch in wide areas. Liverpool’s few weaknesses in defence this season have included defending wide areas, so this may be a way in for Emery’s side.

Arsenal’s positional play means players are responsible for ensuring certain positions or areas are occupied when the team has possession. The full-backs are responsible for providing width, allowing the attackers and midfielders to stay central.

While they play some of the most enjoyable football in the league, Arsenal’s issues lie where they always have for the last decade, the defence. Where Liverpool seem to have stabilised in the last 12 months, Arsenal continue to struggle, the north London side having conceded 13 goals in their 10 games so far this season.

The Gunners’ troubles are seen regularly in transition from attack to defence as Emery demands that his side build from the back to ensure they can keep possession, but this has caused issues. Perhaps a hangover from Arsene Wenger’s era, the Arsenal defenders are not among the best in one-on-one challenges and when spread far apart during build-up play, they also struggle to reorganise when the ball is lost. This combination leads to them conceding many chances in open play and will be music to the ears of the pacey Liverpool attack.

Above, Nacho Monreal has closed his body off to most of the pitch, under pressure from the Fulham forward.

Monreal’s forward pass is cut out and Fulham immediately play the ball forward, exploiting the gaps in Arsenal’s defence.

Arsenal never regain their organisation and Fulham take full advantage as André Schürrle strikes

Prediction

Upon analysing both sides it seems both teams’ strengths in attack foil the other team’s weaknesses in defence, a recipe for a high scoring game in theory. This fixture is no stranger to high scoring games having witnessed a 3-3 draw last season. In fact Arsenal and Liverpool have astonishingly averaged over five goals a game in their last five meetings – did someone say five-all draw?

If anyone did it might have been Salah – the Egyptian has scored in every one of his three Premier League appearances against Arsenal for both Liverpool and Chelsea. He will be keen to add to his five league strikes this campaign. However, it is Arsenal who boast the current Premier League top goal scorer in Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. The Gabonese forward has seven goals so far this season along with Eden Hazard.

[brid autoplay=”true” video=”325875″ player=”12034″ title=”Watch The Accy Show Liverpool Chelsea wins and EFL fourfold”]

Arsenal’s problems with their build-up play will play right into Liverpool’s hands provided Salah and Mané are ruthless in transition moments. If Emery can find a way to play through Liverpool’s press, then the Reds’ excellent defence will have their work cut out for them in wide areas. Arsenal will be desperate to have injury stricken full-backs Héctor Bellerín and Nacho Monreal pass late fitness tests.

If Granit Xhaka is deployed at left back again, Arsenal could possibly look to copy Napoli’s approach in their 1-0 win over Liverpool in early October. Napoli used their full-backs to play a back three in possession and a back four when defending.

Simply put, while anything can happen in a one-off game, this Liverpool side are a level or two above the current Arsenal team, a few years ahead of the Gunners in their development. Arsenal have the potential to beat any side on their day, but Liverpool are primed for a title challenge and will be determined to continue their impressive record against rival teams. I’m tipping the Reds to notch their 20th ever Premier League victory over Arsenal in a 2-1 win.

With less than 24 hours to go until the summer transfer deadline, and with the latest reports revealing the only player Tottenham have been consistently linked with this summer, Jack Grealish, won’t leave Aston Villa, Mauricio Pochettino has every right to feel betrayed by Daniel Levy.

After all, it was only four months ago, back at the start of the summer in May, that the manager who has taken the north London club from perennial fifth place to three years of consecutive Champions League qualification and the cusp of two Premier League titles laid it all on the line.

Openly and honestly, albeit no doubt a political move to put pressure on his paymasters too, Pochettino declared that Tottenham must make changes to match his ambitions, to take the club to the next level from daring to win silverware to actually doing it.

A big part of that was, of course, transfers. It would be wrong to insinuate Tottenham haven’t backed Pochettino financially; from his eight full transfer windows as Spurs boss, the Argentine has spent the best part of £300million. Not quite in line with the rest of the big six and certainly not enough to simply spend Tottenham’s way past their divisional rivals, but not poles apart from their levels of spending either.

The real problem during Pochettino’s reign has been the delivery of new signings and particularly the timing of their arrivals. From Pochettino’s four summers in charge, just nine of 21 signings have moved to north London prior to the first game of the Premier League season, and only seven have arrived before the start of August.

That’s more than half of Pochettino’s summer signings not getting anything close to a full pre-season under the Argentine, and the problem has only exacerbated the more successful he’s become. In summer 2016, just two signings were made before the Premier League’s opening weekend, and in summer 2017 none were made at all. See only Tottenham’s slow starts to their two serious title bids, and how close they’ve actually finished to the top of the table, to realise how detrimental this approach has been. A few early wins rather than draws could have made all the difference.

It looks set to be the same case this time around, but the ramifications are now far more severe. Should Tottenham fail to bring in any players within the next day, Pochettino will be left with exactly the same squad as last season and although most of Spurs’ players are young enough to naturally improve anyway – particularly their core of Harry Kane, Dele Alli and Christian Eriksen – it still leaves the north Londoners standing still rather than gaining ground on the teams who finished above them in 2017/18, having failed to address some key deficiencies of depth within the squad.

And that appears to be due to Levy’s insistence on getting the best value possible on players leaving the club. It’s no great secret that contract situations have put Danny Rose, Toby Alderweireld and Mousa Dembele in the shop window, while recent reports claim Victor Wanyama and Fernando Llorente are up for sale as well.

Perhaps Levy assumed the early close of the Premier League window would have obliged some of Tottenham’s divisional rivals to put big fees on the table by now, but if that’s the case then potential suitors have wisely called the chairman’s bluff. Rather than seeing the luxury of European clubs being able to sign players for an extra three weeks until the end of August as a threat they must avoid, the pool of potential buyers within England has gravely diminished – it seems nobody’s actually too bothered if Levy ends up selling Alderweireld, Rose or Dembele to foreign teams instead.

After all, while they’ll miss out on signing talented individuals, it’s a much lesser loss than Tottenham’s in the grand scheme of things. For starters, Alderweireld, Rose and Dembele will be moved out of the Premier League landscape completely, so nobody in the top flight is gaining any real advantage from their transfers. More significantly, Tottenham will probably have to settle for lesser fees and won’t be able to immediately replace them, so it actually weakens the north Londoners to sell players after the English deadline, which – in terms of next season’s table – could prove almost as valuable as signing players directly from them.

But Levy views the world through the lens of the bottom line, which is no doubt what Pochettino was alluding to back in May. Compare that approach to how some of Tottenham’s key rivals have acted this summer; Liverpool have been meticulous and direct in their recruitment, bringing in the players they want regardless of cost or how long they have to wait, Arsenal began the Unai Emery era by making all of their signings before the first fortnight of July and while Manchester City have only made a single addition, it was one of just two players Pep Guardiola really wanted to acquire – the other being now-Chelsea’s Jorginho. They haven’t bothered shopping around for a less appealing alternative.

[brid autoplay=”true” video=”255896″ player=”12034″ title=”Watch Tottenham’s opening fixtures for the 201819 Premier League season”]

In contrast, Levy’s still doing exactly what Pochettino surely didn’t want – maintaining a transfer model that hinders his ability to truly prepare the squad for the coming season, that depends on outgoings to make incomings, that cares more about Tottenham’s financial than footballing concerns. While we aren’t privy to exactly what was said between Pochettino and Levy to convince him to sign a new deal and stay in north London, it’s practically impossible to imagine this is what the Tottenham boss hoped for when he put pen to paper.

Tottenham may be moving into a new stadium, Pochettino may have agreed a new contract, but the club’s new era is already feeling like the same-old, same-old. The emotional and psychological consequences, putting something of a dark cloud over the club ahead of their first Premier League clash of the new season, could prove to be almost as detrimental as the lack of summer business itself.

West Ham are in talks to sign Barcelona’s Andre Gomes on loan, according to MailOnline.

What’s the story?

The Hammers are already looking in to alternative options should they fail to get their move for Sporting Lisbon’s William Carvalho over the line before Thursday’s 11pm transfer window deadline.

Carvalho’s move to east London has been on a knife edge for some time now and as things stand a deal is unlikely to happen, hence West Ham currently exploring a move for Gomes instead.

The season-long loan move reportedly has a number of caveats West Ham must agree to before the Catalan giants will allow Gomes to make the switch – the main one being a guarantee that the midfield will play at least 70% of the Hammers’ games.

Gomes, 24, has struggled for game time since signing from Valencia last summer but did make a number of impressive appearances from the bench in La Liga last term.

Which would be the better deal?

On paper, Carvalho would represent the better deal for West Ham but Sporting Lisbon’s £40m valuation is currently putting the club off a permanent deal. According to MirrorFootball, West Ham are only willing to pay £30m plus £5m in add-ons.

The defensive midfielder is exactly the style of player West Ham are crying out for following a shockingly poor opening three games of the season, which has seen them ship 10 goals.

Carvalho would add steel, strength and defensive protection to West Ham’s midfield, which is why so many West Ham fans are desperately urging the club to pay whatever Sporting want for the player.

In comparison, Gomes – who is valued at £22.5m by transfermarkt.com – would be a free loan if the Hammers agree to Barcelona’s loan demands, but he isn’t necessarily a direct alternative to Carvalho. The Portuguese is a more attack minded midfielder, which is where West Ham are arguably at their strongest at the moment.

The clue is in the two players’ respective stats from last season, too.

Carvalho, who is a first team regular at Sporting Lisbon, completed almost double the amount of tackles in Primeira Liga as Gomes did in La Liga last term, as well as four times the amount of successful interceptions.

Such stats evidently point towards Carvalho as the more sensible deal for West Ham on deadline day, but in the end it seems money, or more likely the reluctance to spend it, could decide which deal West Ham decide to go for.

The Premier League weekend of action was rounded off last night by a return to form for Leicester City and – in many ways – a return to form for Liverpool too.

Whilst much will be made of the reigning champions deciding to turn up after Claudio Ranieri’s sacking and running out 3-1 victors, more will be discussed about just where their opponents go from here.

Jurgen Klopp’s men had been on a training camp, they’d had two weeks to get ready for this one and, indeed, the top-four chase that looks set to leave them behind now.

They looked slow, jaded in fact, and you could just sense from the opening five minutes that this was going to be a performance similar to those that have plagued the Reds’ season up until now.

The pressing was off, the passing was wayward and the impetus was all with the hosts, and Adam Lallana’s performance summed it up in a wretched nutshell…

As our infographic shows, the ex-Southampton man did very little to help change the way the game was going before being duly hooked in the second half.

He looked to have cracked playing for the Reds earlier on this season but he, like the majority of his team-mates, have gone backwards in 2017 and it’s a trend that is showing no sign of abating.

[ad_pod id=’playwire’ align=’center’]

Hello internet! Welcome back to another edition of Fantasy Premier League captain choices, in which we look into which players have a rather high possibility of earning mega points for their respective managers.

But before we delve into our options, let’s look at our performance from the previous gameweek, with many FPL managers swapping players around due to blanks.

1. Alexis Sanchez (3)

2. Sergio Aguero (6)

3. Harry Kane (2)

4. Daniel Sturridge (6)

5. Riyad Mahrez (9)

With the average being just 39, it wasn’t the biggest of hauls for many managers, showcased by the lack of big name players exploding with points. Alexis Sanchez was a disappointment after seven consecutive games with positive returns, bagging just three points. Sergio Aguero, Riyad Mahrez, and Daniel Sturridge all grabbed a goal each to satisfy those that gave them the armband, but the biggest downer was Harry Kane, who drew a blank in probably Tottenham’s most important game this season.

But let’s move on to Gameweek 36, shall we?

Here are FIVE FANTASY PREMIER LEAGUE CAPTAIN CHOICES ahead of Gameweek 36.

Alexis Sanchez

Alexis Sanchez (11.1) is the obvious captaincy choice for this gameweek, given that the Gunners host lowly Norwich City at the Emirates.

The Chile international may have blanked last weekend but is currently on incredible form, scoring six and supplying three assists in his last seven matches. With no European football or domestic cups to worry about, Sanchez will be fully focused on the Gunners in beating the Canaries to keep hold of their top four status.

Daniel Sturridge

Liverpool’s Daniel Sturridge (10.1) is also in good knick, with five goals and two assists in his last six matches. The England international was considered a rotational risk with the Reds facing Villarreal in the Europa League semi-finals, but Divock Origi’s injury has increased Sturridge’s game time.

Next up for Liverpool is Swansea City at the Liberty Stadium, and with the Swans having nothing to play for and have just come out of a 4-0 bashing by Leicester City, Sturridge could go on a rampage.

Dimitri Payet

Having not played a game last weekend, West Ham United and Dimtri Payet (8.4) will be up and ready when they face West Bromwich Albion on Saturday, making the Frenchman a viable option to give the armband.

Payet was selected in the PFA Team of the Year and you can see why, with the former Marseille man having nine goals and 10 assists in 29 appearances this term. The Hammers’ opponents West Brom have conceded in their last four games, and a shut-out against Slaven Bilic’s men is unexpected.

Andy Carroll (6.4) is also a choice, but despite his form, the Englishman could be rotated with the likes of Diafra Sakho and Enner Valencia this weekend.

Jermaine Defoe

It’s not often that a Sunderland player makes our picks, but Jermaine Defoe (5.2) is a risky yet logical choice to be a given the armband this weekend.

The Black Cats have suddenly found some good form, climbing out of the bottom three after only losing one game in their last seven. And during that period, Defoe has scored three goals, also supplying an assist.

Up next for Sunderland are Stoke City, who have just lost 12 goals in their last three games and have nothing to play for. Defoe is also strange in that he has scored 10 of his 13 strikes away from home, boding well for their trip to the Britannia Stadium.

Romelu Lukaku

You must think we’re having a laugh for considering Romelu Lukaku (8.7), who has not scored a goal in his last five games despite playing all 90 minutes in each of them.

But let’s think about this first. Lukaku is (on his day) one of the best strikers in the division, with 18 goals already to his name. Yes he may be frustrating at times, but with no more FA Cup to worry about and Roberto Martinez doing everything to save his job, Everton will be pushing hard to finish the season strongly.

Their opponents are also Bournemouth, who have nothing to play for losing four out of their last five. The last time I remember Lukaku playing in a dead-rubber match was with West Brom against Man United, which ended in a 5-5 draw and the Belgian grabbing a hat-trick.

Barcelona beat Atletico Madrid on Sunday but controversy soon followed, as they complained about the assistant referee spying on them after the match.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

Barca celebrate narrow win over AtleticoNumber of controversial decisions Assistant caught eavesdropping outside dressing roomWHAT HAPPENED?

Jose Maria Sanchez Martinez was in charge of the match and the Montjuic home crowd felt that Barcelona had been given the short end of the stick on several occasions, particularly about Joao Felix's penalty appeal, Memphis Depay's two fouls, and his block of Ilkay Gundogan during the German's forward play. Linesman Raul Cabanero was allegedly discovered outside the Barcelona locker room following the game, according to [via ]. They claim he was listening in on the players throughout both half-time and full-time. Press officer Edu Polo instructed Cabanero to leave the premises of the locker room at full-time; however, the linesman summoned Sanchez over his radio, who subsequently inquired about Polo's identity. When Xavi Hernandez showed up, he verified Polo's identification.

AdvertisementTHE BIGGER PICTURE

According to Diario AS [Football Espana], Sanchez urged composure, and a discussion was able to fix the matter. They do, however, support Sport's accusations, asserting that Cabanero entered the locker room at half-time to perform the routine player kit check, which is typically done outside the locker room.

DID YOU KNOW?

This season, the Catalans and referees have had a tense relationship that president Joan Laporta brought up last weekend when he insisted his club should have received a penalty for a foul on Raphinha in the LaLiga match against Rayo Vallecano.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

WHAT NEXT FOR BARCELONA?

Although there isn't likely to be any official process for this type of action, Barcelona will undoubtedly be tempted to vent their displeasure even more in a period when the big two have been eager to fuel the embers of refereeing controversy. All things considered, in recent seasons, officiating in Spain has far too frequently been a topic of discussion.

GOAL sat down with the American fullback to discuss how she redefined her goals to make her World Cup dream a reality

Let Sofia Huerta hype herself up for just one moment – she deserves to, after all. By any measure, Huerta shouldn't be here; she shouldn't be with this team for this tournament for this moment; it feels unfathomable.

A woman who initially opted to play for Mexico couldn't have imagined herself playing for the U.S. women's national team. And a player that once had so many reasons to doubt herself could never have predicted that she'd have so many reasons to believe.

That's what got Huerta to this moment: belief. It's what got her from the wilderness to the World Cup. Seven years ago, she found herself playing for Adelaide United with no real idea of what would come next. On Friday night, she could very well start for the USWNT in Auckland in the first game of their 2023 World Cup.

The path to this point has been anything but a straight line. Huerta isn't like many of her team-mates, many of whom were tipped for success at an early age. For so long she was an outsider. Yet, here she is among the stars with a chance to represent her country at a World Cup.

"I've been in the league [NWSL] for 10 years," she says. "That is an accomplishment, for sure. I just signed a deal with Lotto. That's a big deal! I'm the first player from Idaho to become a female professional soccer player, the first to play for and against Mexico and the U.S. There are so many things! I know I just sounded a little cocky there, but I just think, in general, the mentality is now to focus on what you do have instead of what you don't.

"I think, right now, there are just so many things to be thankful for."

Ahead of the World Cup, the USWNT fullback sat down with GOAL to talk about the things she's thankful for, her winding path to a World Cup and how her one world-class skill got her to where she always dreamt of being.

GettyA long journey and nothing to lose

To understand Huerta, you have to understand her journey.

"Everyone's journey is very different and unique and amazing in its own way," she says. "My journey, specifically, has not been a straight line."

A Mexican-American born and raised in Idaho, Huerta's path to USWNT stardom has been anything but normal. In fact, her path to the USWNT ran straight through one of the team's big rivals, Mexico.

Having represented the U.S. and Mexico as a youth international, Huerta opted to join the latter back in 2012. She played five matches for them at international level, scoring twice, before deciding that her heart really was with the USWNT.

The problem was that, for a while, the USWNT didn't necessarily love Huerta back. Having earned seven caps with the U.S. after her initial switch, she tumbled down the pecking order after she failed to impress. It was at that time that her mental health began to deteriorate as she developed anxiety that made her lose belief in herself as a player and person.

That is what Huerta has battled back from. For three years, she found herself out of the USWNT picture and, for three years, she wondered: what's the point? In those moments, she wasn't just battling defenders, but herself.

"I'm a great teammate, a great friend, like there are so many things, and just because I'm not on the national team doesn't mean I'm not successful," she said while reflecting on those darker times. "Changing that narrative a few years back has definitely served me in the best way possible because it has made this time period before the World Cup easier. I've heard players say that if they don't make the roster, will they feel fulfilled in their career? I understand that, but, no matter what, I'm still gonna feel good about my career."

Huerta, admittedly, is still fighting back against that anxiety with the help of a mental health coach. But it's hard to say she isn't giving it hell, having built herself into one of the 23 best players in the USWNT player pool.

"It's never been guaranteed for me, and even right now, going into the World Cup, it's not guaranteed. My journey, specifically, definitely has allowed me to appreciate the position I'm in. I'm very thankful that I'm in the conversation, that I've been getting to camps the last couple years and I'm in a position where I can go to work. [Going to] a World Cup, I'll be one of the few who have gone to that first World Cup in their 30s. That kind of describes my journey a little bit.

"I was playing for the Mexican national team and I was with the U.S. and then I didn't do what I needed to do and then there was a few years in between and then I finally got called in again in a different position. I'm playing a completely different position than I have over the majority of my professional career.

"It's never been like linear for me. It's always been really winding and with a lot of uncertainty and I think really, just going into this summer, I had just more peace than I think anyone would expect considering my journey. But I think at this point, I have nothing to lose."

AdvertisementGetty ImagesDealing with doubts

During those darker moments, Huerta had to ask herself some tough questions.

"I think it's human nature," she says. "I definitely always felt like I was enough and had the quality to be on the national team, but that wasn't really aligning with what the reality was. I wasn't getting called in. I wasn't really in the conversation. So then it was like, 'Okay, well, is my perception of myself different than what everyone else's perception of me is?' Of course, doubt creeps in and I think, 'Hey, did I miss out on that opportunity, or we're not gonna get this opportunity again?' That would have come in every once in a while.

"I think just with all the mental work I've done, that doesn't really serve me. In fact, it just like causes me to have more anxiety and really, ultimately, if I can't really perform at my highest level anyway, I'm never going to get called back."

For years, the national team was that definition. It is the pinnacle of the game, after all – the highest level a player can play at. Every player dreams of those moments of hearing the national anthem play. It was hearing that anthem, while on the Mexican side of it all, that convinced Huerta to switch over and follow her heart with the USWNT.

The USWNT always was the goal, but Huerta realized she couldn't make it her everything. Instead, she had to fall in love with the process again and rediscover why she got into this line of work in the first place.

"When you start getting in your head, you're not having fun anymore," she says. "Really, what are you doing? We all play! Yeah, the money has gotten better, of course, but we all started playing when there was absolutely no money! We played it because we loved it and it was fun and we enjoyed it. It was about getting back to that. So I just thought about how I want to be the best player I can be. I know that when I'm my best, I can be on the national team, so it was just getting back to that.

"I finally got back to that and, of course, I was noticed by Vlatko and got called up again."

GettyFaking it, Making it

Despite all she's done over the last few years, Huerta very much found herself right in that bubble heading toward the World Cup.

She felt good about what she'd done, and she had every reason to. Since returning to the USWNT in 2021, she's amassed 22 caps with 16 of them coming in 2022. Featuring that heavily in the year before a World Cup is, generally, a good sign, but World Cup rosters are always nervy, aren't they?

"Obviously, it's all about your perception," she says. "I think the initial few days when I left camp [in April], we had basically like two-and-a-half months until [Vlatko Andonovski] made the roster. There was a lot of anxiety. It was kind of like 'Okay, did I do everything that I need to do to solidify my spot?' It's almost like these questions that no-one knows the answer to and it was kind of pain-seeking a little bit. As I worked through that, I was like, 'Well, that's not really serving me'. I know what I've done the last couple of years with the national team, and in fact, what I've done in the NWSL.

"Of course, doubt can creep in and anxiety can creep in but at the end of the day, as we've heard many times, 'just fake it 'til you make it', and so I kind of took that mentality."

In the end, she was one of five fullbacks named to the U.S. squad and one of 14 first-timers heading to the World Cup. She's one of only five players in the squad that hasn't even played at a youth World Cup. She's the first player from Idaho to ever make the team and only the second, after Sydney Leroux, to make a USWNT squad after switching their international allegiance.

"I know I'm a good player, but, ultimately, the decision is kind of based on one person or a few coaches' decisions," she says. "If there was another coach, maybe I wouldn't be a guarantee. You never know! All I can do is what I can do, what's in my control, control the controllable. Vlatko is the one that has the hard job here, in my opinion!"

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

LottoA supreme crosser of the ball

The big reason Huerta is back with the USWNT? A positional switch that has allowed her to flex her world-class attribute week in, week out.

For the earlier parts of her career, Huerta was a winger but, in recent years, she's shifted back to right-back. And since that switch, she's become a crossing machine. Huerta is regarded as one of the world's best crossers of the ball. She's a player that can create a goal out of nothing with one swing of her foot.

"When I was in college, my coach Jerry Smith told me that one of the keys to being on the national team is being the best at something," she says. "That gets you in and keeps you in the national team: being the best at something. You kind of look at everyone and say, 'Oh, this person does that'. I've always had a pretty good cross. It's obviously going better because I've worked on that craft, but I remember him telling me that I have a world-class cross, keep working on it, and that will be my ticket. And it's pretty funny now because I think he's right!

"I believe I'm a quality player for sure, but I think one of the main reasons I'm on this team is because I have such a good cross."

Huerta is right: that's why she's here. And it's what makes her such an interesting option for the USWNT.

So often, teams sit in deep against the U.S. and, over the last few years, the team has struggled a bit to break teams down. That's where Huerta could come in. There's no real defense for a perfectly-hit cross, after all.

"That's my favorite part about playing since the position change," she says. "Previously being an attacking player, obviously I have a very attacking mindset. I play defense and that's the priority, of course, but I'm on the national team because I'm an attacking outside back. I'm not necessarily this phenomenal one-on-one defender. I can get forward and I get crosses in the box for my team-mates to score.

"I really try to focus on what I'm really, really good at. That's always the main key of mine in the game: let me have at least two to four key passes that can create big chances. It's also about getting better at what I get better at, and I'm a defender now so I need to get better in certain areas and I focus on that on the daily as well. It is a balance, but I definitely try to focus on, and what I find important, is just being good at what I'm really good at."

It remains to be seen how much Huerta will play this summer. She'll be battling star fullback Emily Fox and veteran Kelley O'Hara for a spot on that right-hand side. But, if there comes a time where the U.S. needs someone to create some danger, Andonovski will know where to look.

MatériaMais Notícias

O Palmeiras anunciou, na noite desta segunda-feira, as medidas que tomará em relação às equipes de futebol feminino e masculino, tanto profissionais quanto das categorias de base, com a paralisação de todos os torneios, por conta da pandemia do coronavírus. Somente atletas lesionados e com casos específicos precisaram manter tratamento na Academia de Futebol.

-Frequentarão a Academia de Futebol os jogadores que estão em tratamento de lesão e atletas específicos que realizarão atividades sob orientação do Núcleo de Saúde e Performance (NSP), respeitando sempre os protocolos de prevenção das autoridades competentes – informou o clube, em nota.

continua após a publicidadeRelacionadasFutebol NacionalFederação suspende o Campeonato Paulista por tempo indeterminadoFutebol Nacional16/03/2020PalmeirasPalmeiras aponta acerto com Paulista parado: ‘Precisamos preservar vidas’Palmeiras16/03/2020PalmeirasAllianz Parque paralisa todas as atividades a partir desta segundaPalmeiras16/03/2020

No momento, do elenco profissional masculino, estão em tratamento de lesão o lateral-direito Mayke, já trabalhando fisicamente no campo depois de sofrer contusão no pé esquerdo diante do Mirassol, em 16 de fevereiro, e o atacante Luan Silva, que sofreu lesão na coxa esquerda contra a Ferroviária, há oito dias.

Todos os jogadores do elenco receberam um programa de treinamento individualizado, e serão monitorados à distância. Há também uma série de recomendações de prevenção, com os médicos estarão à disposição para qualquer dúvida ou necessidade.

– Teremos treinamentos isolados, para preservas as pessoas. O objetivo maior é que as pessoas não estejam juntas. Precisamos trabalhar nessa direção, para ter o menor número de casos possível – disse o presidente do Verdão, Maurício Galiotte, ao falar quando ainda era apenas um tendência a liberação dos treinamentos, no começo da tarde desta segunda-feira.

O último passo para paralisação total foi dado nesta segunda-feira, após reunião na Federação Paulista de Futebol (FPF) que definiu a interrupção imediata e por tempo indeterminado do Campeonato Paulista. A decisão é igual à que a Confederação Sul-Americana de Futebol (Conmebol) teve, ainda na semana passada, e da anunciada pela Confederação Brasileira de Futebol (CBF), no domingo. Decisões valem para torneio profissionais e de base.

Na sexta-feira, para contribuir para reduzir o contágio do coronavírus, o Palmeiras já tinha informado a suspensão de todas as atividades no clube social. Nesta segunda-feira, o Allianz Parque anunciou medida similar.

Confira a íntegra do comunicado oficial do Palmeiras nesta segunda-feira:

“A Sociedade Esportiva Palmeiras informa que, em função da decisão da Federação Paulista de Futebol (FPF), da Confederação Brasileira de Futebol (CBF) e da Confederação Sul-Americana de Futebol (Conmebol) de interromper temporariamente as partidas de suas respectivas competições, as atividades relativas ao futebol do clube, tanto nas categorias principal e de base masculina quanto na equipe feminina, estão suspensas por tempo indeterminado a partir desta segunda-feira (16).

Sociedade Esportiva Palmeiras”

MatériaMais Notícias

O Palmeiras conheceu nessa terça-feira os adversários na Libertadores de 2020. Disputando a quinta edição consecutiva, algo inédito para o clube, o Verdão aposta desta vez em Vanderlei Luxemburgo, que ainda não tem em seu vencedor currículo a competição continental. Em 2020, pode haver o Dérbi já na fase de grupos.

Luxa já comandou o time em duas edições: de 1994 e 2009. Na primeira, foi eliminado nas oitavas de final pelo São Paulo, com jogos intercalados por uma excursão por Europa e na Ásia durante a pausa para a Copa do Mundo. Luxa era contrário à viagem, pelo desgaste dos atletas. Ainda na fase de grupos, porém, fez história ao golear o Boca Juniors (ARG) por 6 a 1.

continua após a publicidadeRelacionadasPalmeirasPalmeiras negocia empréstimos de Antônio Carlos e BorjaPalmeiras17/12/2019PalmeirasPalmeiras tem orçamento de 2020 aprovado; veja verba para reforçosPalmeiras17/12/2019

Há dez anos, a campanha contou com jogos marcantes, como a vitória contra o Colo-Colo (CHI) que garantiu a classificação ao mata-mata, e a classificação nos pênaltis contra o Sport, nas oitavas. O time, contudo, caiu para o Nacional (URU) nas quartas, com dois empates.

⚽️🇳🇬 Um gol inesquecível! Foi com Vanderlei Luxemburgo no banco de reservas que o @Palmeiras conquistou uma classificação épica no fim da fase de grupos de 2009.

🇨🇱 Cleiton Xavier fez este golaço contra o @ColoColo. Após 1⃣1⃣ anos, Luxa voltará a dirigir o Verdão na Copa. pic.twitter.com/ixrgCKASTe

— CONMEBOL Libertadores (@LibertadoresBR) December 16, 2019

Durante a última participação com o Palmeiras, Luxemburgo teve de responder sobre o fato de não ter conquistado uma Libertadores e evitou tratar como uma obsessão.

– É claro que eu quero ganhar uma Libertadores. Você tem de ganhar todas as competições. Eu quero ganhar porque eu sou vencedor, e não porque eu não tenho Libertadores. O pessoal diz que o Zagallo não ganhou Brasileiro, mas não lembra que ganhou Copas. Isso é do Brasil, só lembram o que não ganhou – dissera em 2009.

De volta ao Palmeiras, ele encontrará um clube que trata a competição como o maior sonho. Desde a reconstrução em 2015, a melhor campanha foi de 2018, quando chegou à semifinal. Luiz Felipe Scolari, técnico campeão em 1999, era o comandante na ocasião.

Luxa é o segundo técnico com mais partidas pelo Verdão na Libertadores (20), atrás justamente de Felipão (44). Além de aguardar o destino do Corinthians nas duas primeiras fases da competição, o Palmeiras terá na sua chave o Bolívar (BOL) e o Tigre (ARG).

continua após a publicidade