SEAN JOHNSON

The United States and the Netherlands will vie for the opportunity to play in the quarterfinals of the World Cup on Saturday. The loser will go home.

DOHA, Qatar — Sean Johnson was into Year 4 as a player under coach Gregg Berhalter when he started wondering about the bounce passes. Whenever a stray ball would trickle out of play and into the vicinity of the USMNT coach, he’d delight fans with an aggressively sharp bounce pass, and sometimes even a behind-the-back pass, to one of his players. The bounce, as he told Johnson, allows the ball to arrive at the player traveling upward, right into a natural overhead throwing motion. “If you want to get detailed about it, I guess.”But the bounce pass has also become a living, breathing phenomenon of its own. (Berhalter is, after all, an avid pickup basketball player; he’s been known to hop into drills at training; he might just want a bit of action.)

The U.S. men's soccer team will face England in a critical World Cup match that may determine who advances out of Group B and into the knockout stage.

The U.S. men's national team is ready to make a run at the World Cup in Qatar. Get to know the Americans who are on the 26-man squad.

The U.S. men's national team rebranded its shield for its press room and training facility in Qatar to support LGBTQ people ahead of the World Cup.

Then just over a dozen were dealt the devastation of missing the cut, Ricardo Pepi and Zack Steffen among them. Tim Ream, Haji Wright, Joe Scally and Sean Johnson made it. Norwich's Josh Sargent and Antalyspor's Wright beat out Pepi, the 19-year-old whose three goals in qualifying were second behind Christian Pulisic's five. "He’s playing in the best league in the world and he's playing at a very high level,” Berhalter said. Berhalter, the first former U.S. player to coach the Americans at a World Cup, reminded those who fell short of how he was left off the roster in 2006.

Sean Johnson will compete for the No. 1 goalkeeper spot at the World Cup, Laken Litman writes.

NEW YORK — (AP) — Tim Ream, Haji Wright, Joe Scally and Sean Johnson made the United States’ World Cup roster, while Zack Steffen, Paul Arriola, Jordan Pefok and Ricardo Pepi were among those cut. Yedlin, Christian Pulisic, Kellyn Acosta and Ream are remaining players from the infamous loss at Trinidad that prevented the Americans from reaching the 2018 tournament. Ream captains Fulham in England’s Premier League and has gone a full 90 minutes in 14 of 15 matches this season. Carter-Vickers, Johnson, goalkeeper Ethan Horvath, Scally and Wright did not appear in any of the 14 qualifiers. Jesús Ferreira, Josh Sargent and Wright are the three forwards, a position that provided just four of the Americans’ 21 goals in qualifying.

The U.S. World Cup roster had some surprises: Ricardo Pepi was left off along with Zack Steffen, Paul Arriola and Jordan Pefok.

Talles Magno’s goal helped lead New York City FC to a 2-1 victory over Orlando City.

Josh Sargent is back on the U.S. roster for the first time in a year, picked at forward along with Ricardo Pepi and Jesús Ferreira for the Americans’ final two World Cup warmup matches.

Tesho Akindele scored in the sixth minute of second-half stoppage time to lead Orlando City to a 2-1 victory over New York City FC.

Carlos Vela scored in the third minute and Raúl Ruidíaz’s converted a penalty kick in the 73rd minute in the Major League Soccer All-Star team’s 2-1 victory over Mexico’s Liga MX on Wednesday night.

The United States qualified for its first Olympic men's soccer tournament since 2008 when the Americans beat Honduras 3-0 at San Pedro Sula on Friday night in the semifinals of the Under-20 championship of North and Central America and the Caribbean. Paxten Aaronson of the Philadelphia Union, an 18-year-old brother of Leeds midfielder Brenden Aaronson, scored in the third minute. Olympic men’s soccer is limited to players under 23, with each nation allowed three wild cards over the limit. The Americans lost a 2016 Olympics qualification game to El Salvador 2-0, then were beaten 3-2 by Colombia in a two-leg playoff for another berth. The Dominican Republic also clinched a berth, defeating Guatemala 4-2 on penalty kicks following a 2-2 draw.

Bayern Munich midfielder Malik Tillman is switching affiliation from Germany to the United States and is among 27 players invited to the Americans’ next-to-last training camp ahead of the World Cup.

Forward Jesús Ferreira, winger Paul Arriola, midfielder Luca de la Torre and right back Shaq Moore entered the United States’ starting lineup for a World Cup qualifier against Panama as coach Gregg Berhalter made four changes.

Zack Steffen was picked over Ethan Horvath to be in goal at Estadio Azteca when the United States opened the final qualifying window against Mexico.

Gio Reyna, Jordan Pefok and Ethan Horvath are back for the United States’ final World Cup qualifiers but Sergiño Dest appears likely to miss the three games.

Jordan Morris, Tim Weah, Sergiño Dest and Gyasi Zardes returned from injuries to make the U.S. roster ahead of the next three World Cup qualifiers.

Alex Callens converted his penalty and New York City FC won its first MLS Cup title on a shootout after a 1-1 draw with the Portland Timbers on Saturday.

Talles Magno scored in the 88th minute to send New York City FC into the MLS Cup final with a 2-1 win over the Philadelphia Union.

Defender Chris Richards and midfielder Gianluca Busio entered the U.S. lineup for a match at Jamaica as the Americans started their second-youngest lineup ever in a World Cup qualifier.

CINCINNATI — (AP) — Miles Robinson and Walker Zimmerman were paired in central defense in front of goalkeeper Zack Steffen for the United States’ World Cup qualifier against Mexico on Friday night. U.S. coach Gregg Berhalter changed just two starters from last month’s 2-1 win over Costa Rica, inserting DeAndre Yedlin at right back for injured Sergiño Dest and Zimmerman for Chris Richards. The American front six remained unchanged, with Tyler Adams in defensive midfield, Weston McKennie and Yunus Musah in advanced midfield, Tim Weah and Brenden Aaronson on the wings and Ricardo Pepi up front. Eight U.S. starters are 24 and younger, all but Steffen, Yedlin and Zimmerman. Miles Robinson was the only holdover from the CONCACAF Gold Cup final at Las Vegas on Aug. 1, when he scored in the 117th minute for a 1-0 victory.

Forward Jozy Altidore and goalkeeper Brad Guzan are on a preliminary 59-man United States roster with a mostly junior varsity appearance for next month’s CONCACAF Gold Cup, the championship of North and Central America and the Caribbean.

United States' Sebastian Soto reacts at the end of a Concacaf Men's Olympic qualifying championship semi-final soccer match against Honduras in Guadalajara, Mexico, Sunday, March 28, 2021. Lalas maintains the burden to improve the Olympic effort lies with Kreis, senior national team coach Gregg Berhalter and U.S. men’s national team general manager Brian McBride. FIFA regulations say clubs don’t have to release players for Olympic qualifying or the Olympics. FIFA restricts Olympic qualifying to players 23 and under. AdNone of Honduras’ players on the roster for last week’s national team exhibition against Greece were Olympic age eligible.

Another missed Olympics soccer tournament for the U.S. men. AdThe American Olympic skid is part of a trend that includes the senior national team missing the 2018 World Cup. Olympic men's soccer is limited to players both Jan. 1, 1997, and later, and clubs don't have to release players. Johnny Cardoso mis-hit an open header in second-half stoppage time. “I think the first half looked a lot like the Dominican Republic first half,” Kreis said.

A group of black Major League Soccer players has formed a coalition that seeks to address racial inequities in the league and across soccer, and to positively impact local communities. Started by Toronto FC defender Justin Morrow, the group grew to some 70 MLS players, who formed the Black Players Coalition of MLS. And when I reached out to my black soccer player peers, they all felt the same way, Morrow said. Major League Soccer proudly recognizes and supports the Black Players Coalition of MLS -- a group of players who today, on Juneteenth, have established themselves as influential change leaders, MLS said in a statement. The league looks forward to continued and longstanding collaborations.The MLS Players Association also vowed to work with the coalition.