Liverpool kick off Manchester United’s latest crisis with 3-0 blowout at Old Trafford; USMNT change things up

Happy Labor Day! An entertaining batch of weekend games provided the perfect send-off to the international break, which officially begins today as national teams convene for some notable matches. I’m Pardeep Cattry with the latest to start the week.

📺 Footy fix

All times U.S./Eastern

Monday, Sept. 2
🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 League Two: Salford City vs. MK Dons, 3 p.m. ➡️ Paramount+, CBS Sports Golazo Network
🏆 U-20 WWC: Japan vs. New Zealand, 9 p.m. ➡️ FS2

Tuesday, Sept. 3
🏆 U-20 WWC: Mexico vs. Australia, 6 p.m. ➡️ FS2
🏆 U-20 WWC: Fiji vs. Canada, 9 p.m. ➡️ FS2

⚽ The Forward Line

🔴 Liverpool trounce Manchester United at Old Trafford

Arne Slot picked up his first statement win as Liverpool manager in style on Sunday, successfully guiding his side to a 3-0 win over Manchester United that called back to the familiarity of the Reds’ excellence, as well as United’s ongoing struggles under Erik ten Hag.

Liverpool looked the better team from start to finish, with Mohamed Salah assisting Luis Diaz’s first-half brace as the visitors began to put the game out of reach. Salah then scored in the 56th minute, notching his ninth goal in 10 games at Old Trafford. It was a fairly efficient outing in front of goals for the Reds, who outshot United 11 to eight but put just three shots on target and posted 1.65 expected goals to the opponent’s 1.27. Liverpool made the most of their chances despite marginally losing the possession battle, adding a new level of intensity to the calm effectiveness Slot has showcased in his first two games in England.

The Reds’ strengths, though, directly identified United’s weaknesses. Liverpool had few problems moving through the opposition midfield, while the Red Devils’ offense appeared disjointed yet again. It was in stark contrast to the excitement of Manuel Ugarte’s transfer deadline day arrival and his pre-match presentation on the pitch, and Jonathan Johnson writes that the game was a reminder that the defensive midfielder has a big job ahead of him at Old Trafford.

• Johnson: “[Casemiro] was at fault for both of Diaz’s goals with the ex-Real Madrid enforcer playing like a nervous rookie and making basic errors in a showing which Erik ten Hag mercifully ended after a single half in the latest illustration that the 32-year-old’s alarming drop-off in form might not be over. As for [Kobbie] Mainoo, the England international’s error was perhaps more forgivable given his young age as well as the fact that he has already shown that he is capable of much better, but it was disappointing nonetheless and will have already shown Ugarte much about his new midfield partners.

Ugarte will not alone solve United’s issues, which resemble last season’s chaos after two losses in their opening three games of this campaign. Ten Hag seemed to admit as much in his post-match press conference by claiming he’s not Harry Potter but after another summer of big signings, it is remarkable how quickly the mood has soured on the red side of Manchester — and ten Hag already seems resigned to the fact that it may not get better.

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🔗  Midfield Link Play

🇺🇸 USMNT focus on youth as Pochettino wait continues

The U.S. men’s national team may not have a new head coach just yet, but the group still plans to turn the page on this summer’s Copa America disaster when they return to play for a pair of friendlies against Canada and New Zealand this month.

Interim head coach Mikey Varas named a 24-player squad that includes 18 members of the Copa America team but a handful of newer faces. Here’s a look at the roster in full.

• Goalkeepers: Ethan Horvath (Cardiff City/WAL), Diego Kochen (FC Barcelona II), Patrick Schulte (Columbus Crew), Matt Turner (Crystal Palace/ENG)
• Defenders: Auston Trusty (Celtic/SCO), Marlon Fossey (Standard Liege/BEL), Kristoffer Lund (Palermo/ITA), Mark McKenzie (Toulouse/FRA), Tim Ream (Charlotte FC), Chris Richards (Crystal Palace/ENG), Joe Scally (Borussia Mönchengladbach/GER), Caleb Wiley (Strasbourg/FRA)
• Midfielders: Johnny Cardoso (Real Betis/ESP), Luca de la Torre (Celta Vigo/ESP), Aidan Morris (Middlesbrough/ENG), Yunus Musah (AC Milan), Gio Reyna (Borussia Dortmund/GER), Malik Tillman (PSV Eindhoven/NED)
• Forwards: Brenden Aaronson (Leeds United/ENG), Folarin Balogun (Monaco/FRA), Ricardo Pepi (PSV Eindhoven/NED), Christian Pulisic (AC Milan/ITA), Josh Sargent (Norwich City/ENG), Haji Wright (Coventry City/ENG)

Goalkeeper Patrick Schulte and defender Caleb Wiley jumped up from the U-23 team that reached the quarterfinals at the Paris Olympics, while Aidan Morris, Auston Trusty, Marlon Fossey and Diego Kochen join the team after missing the summer tournaments. It suggests that expanding the USMNT’s player pool could be a priority as they prepare for the 2026 World Cup on home soil, and that the search for talent could be far and wide. While most have had a linear path to the first team, the 25-year-old Fossey in particular is an example of unexplored option. The Standard Liege defender has experience at the youth levels and has not been in a camp since 2019, but could be an option at outside back while Sergino Dest remains sidelined after tearing his ACL in the spring.

It is unclear what involvement Mauricio Pochettino will have, if any, as the saga to hire him as the new USMNT head coach continues. He agreed to take the job last month but the agreement is reportedly still held up by Pochettino’s contract with Chelsea — he signed a two-year deal last year but surprisingly exited in May and is still negotiating a severance package of sorts with his former employer.

Varas’ efforts to explore the player pool, much like U.S. women’s national team assistant coach Twila Kilgore did before Emma Hayes’ late spring arrival, will no doubt be crucial once Pochettino takes charge of the USMNT with the countdown to the 2026 World Cup officially underway.

🔗  Top Stories

🇺🇸 USMNT roster: There’s refreshed competition for playing time in the USMNT’s September roster, especially after a strong weekend for some up-and-coming senior national team players.

✍️ Transfer deadline day: It was a busy transfer deadline day for the likes of Raheem Sterling and Jadon Sancho, but not so much for Victor Osimhen. Plus, Matt Turner moved to Crystal Palace on loan and Johnny Cardoso was the subject of the day’s strangest deal.

🇪🇺 UCL schedule: The fixture list dropped for the Champions League’s league phase and includes high-stakes matchups like Manchester City’s clash with Inter on Matchday 1.

🔜 Messi’s return: Lionel Messi could return to play for Inter Miami after the international break, two months after being sidelined with an ankle issue.

❌ Streak snapped: RB Leipzig beat Bayer Leverkusen on Saturday, bringing an end to the team’s 35 match unbeaten run in the Bundesliga.

🔴 Salah’s contract: Mohamed Salah hinted that this could be his last season at Liverpool after admitting the club has still not approached him to talk about a new contract.

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Dispatch from England: Erling Haaland scored another hattrick for Manchester City over the weekend, while Arsenal dropped points after Declan Rice was sent off against Brighton and Hove Albion.

⚫🔴 Milan malaise: AC Milan are now on a three match winless run to start the season, with Rafael Leao and Theo Hernandez’s cold shoulder treatment of new manager Paulo Fonseca adding to his less-than-ideal start at the club.

💰  The Back Line

💵 Best bets

• 2026 World Cup: champion
  💰 THE PICK: Spain to win the 2026 World Cup (+550) — A new international break means another chance for teams to continue their preparations for the 2026 World Cup with the tournament now less than two years away. Three teams are currently the oddsmakers favorites to lift the World Cup at MetLife Stadium, all with even odds — Brazil, France and Spain. The trio had very different showings at the summer tournaments — Brazil exited the Copa America in the quarterfinals, France unimpressively reached the Euro semifinals while Spain won the whole thing. Each team has the potential to get things right in North America in two years’ time but Spain feels like an obvious pick right now, even with plenty of time on the clock.

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

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