Friday morning: USMNT Copa America opponents. Also: Soccer’s seven-year (and ongoing) antitrust lawsuit.

Good morning! We’re about halfway through the 2024 MLS regular season, and the surprise is Western Conference leader Real Salt Lake. It has one of the lowest salaries in MLS – 27th of 29 teams based on the recent MLSPA release – but fields one of the most exciting MLS squads with MVP candidate Chicho Arango, Andrés Gómez and Diego Luna. As Steve Davis, who has covered MLS since its inception, writes, RSL is a perfect example of what a well-functioning technical staff can mean for an organization.

Soccer America Daily is edited by Paul Kennedy and Mike Woitalla.

COPA AMERICA

USMNT players have the rest of the week off before returning to work in Dallas next week for the start of the Copa America.

However, the U.S.’s first two opponents, Bolivia and Panama, will play games this weekend as preparations for the tournament wrap up.

• Bolivia: : La Verde is no longer the same team it played in the 1994 World Cup, introducing fans to future MLS champions Marco Etcheverry and Jaime Moreno. Last fall, it lost five of its first six qualifying matches for the 2026 World Cup, and its only victory in 2024 came against tiny Andorra.

Bolivia (Copa preparations):
May 31st Mexico 0-1 (friendly)
June 12 Ecuador 1-3 (friendly)
June 15 Columbia in East Hartford, Connecticut (friendly)

• Panama: : Los Canaleros, who eliminated the U.S. from the 2023 Gold Cup on penalties last time out, were in Spain to face regional selections and tiny Montserrat at the start of qualifying for the 2026 World Cup. They returned home where optimism is high. Former stars Gaby Torres and Blas Pérez choose Panama and Uruguay to advance at the expense of the USA and Bolivia.

Panama (Copa preparations):
May 29 Catalonia XI 2-2 (friendly)
May 31st Galicia XI 2-0 (friendly)
June 6 Guyana 2-0 (2026 World Cup qualifiers)
June 9 Montserrat 3-1 (2026 World Cup qualifiers)
June 16 Paraguay in Panama (friendly)

• Uruguay: La Celeste will be the favorites in Group C after winning 4-1-1 last fall in qualifying for the 2026 World Cup and 2-0 victories over Brazil and Argentina (in Buenos Aires!) after an impressive 2-2 draw with Colombia in Barranquilla. Darwin Nunez (top photo), who has scored in each of the last four qualifying games, had a hat trick in Uruguay’s 4-0 win over Mexico in Denver. The biggest news this week: the return of Luis Suarez.

Uruguay (Copa preparations):
May 31st Costa Rica 0-0 (friendly)
June 5 Mexico 4-0 (friendly)

• Confidential SA: US recovery: Berhalter triumphs with draw and Pulisic proves he is invaluable (Author: Mike Woitalla)

NASL v. USSF and MLS

NASL’s antitrust case is ongoing against US Soccer and MLS over the federation’s use of Pro League standards.

When the case, now in its seventh year, goes to trial, it will be heard by the third judge of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York.

Judge Brian M. Cogan granted one of U.S. Soccer and MLS’s motions for summary judgment, but denied the other motions of both NASL, the plaintiff, and U.S. Soccer and MLS, the defendants.

An order was also issued to reassign the case to Judge Hector Gonzalez for the entire proceedings. The order was issued by Margo K. Brodie, the original judge of the case who now serves as Chief Judge of the Eastern District of New York.

• Timeline: : NASL v. USSF and MLS

MEDIA FOOTBALL WATCH

USL Super League has reached an agreement with NBCUniversal that will air every game in the first season of the new women’s professional league – 115 regular-season and playoff games – on Peacock as part of a multi-year deal.

The streaming service is best known for its Premier League broadcasts, but it also aired Telemundo’s Spanish-language coverage of the 2022 Qatar World Cup and the 2023 Women’s World Cup, and broadcast women’s and men’s soccer matches during the Summer Olympics in 2024

SUMMER OF FOOTBALL: WATCH EVENTS

• Kansas City: Viewing events will be held at KC Live! and No Other Pub in Kansas City’s Power & Light District, which hosts the U.S. and Mexico matches during the Copa America group stage. (Information)

• San Francisco Bay Area: The San Jose Earthquakes will host Euro 2024 and Copa América events around San Jose (North San Pedro Street, Mexican Heritage Plaza and PayPal Park). (Information)

EURO 2024

France star Ousmane Dembele admitted on Thursday that the political situation in the country had “set off alarm bells” and said he and his teammates intended to vote in the upcoming legislative elections, even if they still take part in Euro 2024 in Germany.

President Emmanuel Macron called elections for the lower house of the National Assembly in response to the results of the European Parliament elections, in which far-right parties made stunning gains. The French soccer federation plans to help players vote in Germany if Les Bleus are still alive.

Top 5: Most goals scored (in euros):
1. Cristiano RonaldoPortugal (14+7), 21st
2. Antoine GriezmannFrance (7+3), 10
2. Karel PoborskiCzech Republic (2+8), 10
4. Michel PlatiniFrance (9+0), 9
4. Jurgen KlinsmannGermany (5+4), 9

GERMANY

Borussia Dortmund coach Edin Terzic is leaving the Bundesliga club less than two weeks after losing to Real Madrid in the Champions League final.

Terzic led Dortmund to victory in the 2021 German Cup just months after taking the helm. In his first full season, BVB were on course to win the 2023 Bundesliga title until a 2-2 draw with Mainz on the final day, where substitute Gio Reyna assisted on both goals to secure victory for Bayern.

ITALY

Portuguese Paulo Fonseca (photo) became the new boss of AC Milan, where he will coach Americans Christian Pulisic and Yunus Musah.

Since 2022, Fonseca has been playing for the French club Lille, where he turned Tim Weah into an outside defender.

Weah and Weston McKennie (if he stays) will gain a new coach at Juventus: Thiago Motta, who qualified for the UEFA Champions League with Bologna for the first time.

FRIDAY MORNING: WHAT WE’RE READING

1. German authorities have halved the alcohol content of England’s “high risk” Euro 2024 opening match. Lawrence Ostlere (Independent)

2. Soccer – and life – through the eyes of the US Deaf Women’s National Team by Jeff Kassouf (ESPN)

3. Sounders’ Obed Vargas follows his heart as he makes the transition from the US to Mexico Author: Jayda Evans (Seattle Times)