Club World Cup heads towards knockout stage | Could some big USMNT names be on the move this summer?

It is Wednesday folks. The football world continues to motor on, the knockout stages of the Club World Cup rapidly approaching while we await the return of the USMNT to action. James Benge here, let's have a look shall we?

📺 Footy fix

All times U.S./Eastern

Wednesday, June 25
🇪🇺 U19 Euros: England vs. Netherlands, 12 p.m. ➡️ Vix
🏆 CWC: Fluminense vs. Mamelodi Sundowns, 3 p.m. ➡️ DAZN
🏆 CWC: Inter vs. River Plate, 9 p.m. ➡️ DAZN
🇺🇸 MLS: Vancouver Whitecaps vs. San Diego FC, 10:30 p.m. ➡️ MLS Season Pass

Thursday, June 26
🏆 CWC: Juventus vs. Manchester City, 3 p.m. ➡️ DAZN
🏆 CWC: Salzburg vs. Real Madrid, 9 p.m. ➡️ DAZN
🌍 Friendly: USWNT vs. Republic of Ireland, 9 p.m. ➡️ Max

⚽ The Forward Line

🏆 Club World Cup knockout rounds shaping up

There are just two days of the Club World Cup group stages left to play and we already know the identities of 10 of the competition's last 16 teams. Juventus and Manchester City are already qualified and will face off in a playoff for top spot on Thursday, but before then it is all eyes on Groups E and F. The latter is hardly replete with big names, but there is intrigue to Borussia Dortmund vs. Ulsan HD and Mamelodi Sundowns vs. Fluminense. If the South African side were to win in the latter match they would find themselves as Africa's only representatives in the last 16, on the evidence of how close they pushed Dortmund in a 4-3 loss it would be foolish to rule that out.

Meanwhile, there is pressure aplenty on Inter, who must win against River Plate to be certain of their spot in the knockout stages. A last gasp win over Urawa Red Diamonds saved them from humiliation and new head coach Cristian Chivu is hoping it was enough to break the "cycle of negativity" that built up after their near miss in the Serie A title race and resounding defeat at Paris Saint-Germain's hands in the Champions League final.

Chivu is not the only European coach with work to do. Xabi Alonso should be thinking about topping Group H, to do so Real Madrid will need to beat Salzburg. Simple enough, but the cost of failure could be severe, defeat to the Austrians and a win for Al-Hilal would mean the Club World Cup losing its biggest club.

Another of the Champions League winners negotiated their own tricky final group game on Wednesday night, Chelsea beating Esperance de Tunis 3-0 in the blazing heat of the Philadelphia night. That was game number 60 of what has proven to be a gruelling season for Enzo Maresca's side, but they are determined to make an advantage out of what might otherwise be a last slog towards their summer vacation. As Liam Delap noted last night, the Club World Cup has actually served him well.

• Delap: "This tournament has really helped me settle in because you know if we're back at the training ground, everyone would be disappearing at three o'clock. And here we're together all the time, so it's a great way to get settled in, and everyone's been really helpful."

Benfica's surprise 1-0 win over Bayern Munich proved they are a side to be taken seriously, but it would surely have been welcomed by Chelsea, who will now face the Portuguese side in the round of 16 with the winners of Palmeiras vs. Botafogo to follow. Meanwhile, Bayern slipped to what looks an altogether more challenging side of the bracket, the impressive Flamengo ahead of them in the round of 16 followed by the winner of the glamour tie between Inter Milan and Paris Saint-Germain. An intriguing knockout stage is already taking form.

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🔗  Midfield Link Play

🇺🇸 USMNT stars on the move

Meanwhile at the Gold Cup, we play the waiting game. Honduras, Panama, Canada and Guatemala all confirmed their places in the quarter finals on Tuesday night with the winner of a match between the latter two waiting for the USA if they get out of their game against Costa Rica in Minneapolis this Sunday. While we wait for the tournament to resume, we are reminded that football abhors a vacuum and so if the USMNT aren't playing then their players must be on the move.

One of those is Yunus Musah, absent from the Gold Cup for personal reasons. Though he made 40 appearances across all competitions last season, it appears that the 22-year-old is going to be a victim of the changes in the dugout at the San Siro, where Massimiliano Allegri is in and Sergio Conceicao out. No less significantly for Musah, Luka Modric is expected to sign once Real Madrid's involvement in the Club World Cup ends. As their sporting director Igli Tare confirmed today, that means curtains for the US international:

• Tare: "I consider Musah an excellent player, but we are looking for profiles with characteristics that fit the project we have with coach Allegri. We are seeking deep-lying midfielders for a three-man midfield. Musah doesn't have these characteristics. He can play in a two or three-man midfield but with different characteristics. This is the real reason why we want to do something different."

What the next destination for Musah might be is not as clear as it seemed a week or so ago. At that time it seemed inevitable the midfielder would swap Milan for Naples, joining up with Antonio Conte's champions. That trail appears to have gone rather cold however since Kevin De Bruyne signed up. West Ham have also been linked with Musah and are long-standing admirers, targeting him in the summer of 2023 when Declan Rice departed. For now, however, his future is shrouded in mystery.

The same could not be said for Johnny Cardoso, who is reportedly close to joining Atletico Madrid from Real Betis. The deal could ultimately set Atleti back $34.8 million for an anchoring midfielder who is currently out in the US with Mauricio Pochettino's squad. Expect this one to reach its conclusion whenever the hosts' wrap up their Gold Cup involvement.

Cardoso's out of possession skills are certainly the sort prised by Atletico boss Diego Simeone and the chance to test himself in the Champions League will doubtless be appealing to the 23-year-old. If this moves goes right it could offer Pochettino some certainty in an area of the pitch that has looked so hard to read in recent months. Equally it is hard not to fear that Cardoso might find himself buried below the likes of Koke and Rodrigo De Paul in the depth chart, struggling to build rhythm for next summer. Only time will tell if this move proves to be as promising as it might be for Cardoso. 

🔗  Top Stories

⬇️ Lyon sent into Ligue 2: Stunning news out of France, where Lyon have been relegated from Ligue 1 for financial mismanagement. The eight time French champions will appeal.

🇳🇿 Auckland City make history: In scenes we love to see, amateur side Auckland City stunned the world by earning a 1-1 draw against Boca Juniors. What's next for goalscoring hero Christian Grey? It's back to school for the teacher.

💰 Arsenal make Norgaard bid: It has been relatively quiet on the transfer front during the Club World Cup but Arsenal are bidding to spice things up, offering over $12.5 million for Brentford midfielder and Tottenham target Christian Norgaard.

🔴⚫️ More on Musah and Pulisic: Here's Francesco Porzio with more from Igli Tare on the futures of AC Milan's US duo, Musah and Christian Pulisic.

🔵 Chelsea get the job done: Chuck Booth fought through the 100 degree heat to bring us the latest from Chelsea after their important win over Esperance de Tunis.

🧑‍💼 Boston Legacy name their new boss: Filipa Patao, formerly of Benfica, will take the helm at the NWSL expansion club next season.

🇵🇹 Benfica get US investment: Speaking of the Portuguese club, they have become the first in their country to receive US investment in a deal worth up to $23.1 million.

🎽 Morgan's No.13 retired: San Diego Wave are paying tribute to a legend. No one else will be able to wear her iconic No.13 jersey in their colors.

🤑 Inter Miami cash in: Inter Miami will be the only MLS club competing in the knockout stages but what's that worth to Lionel Messi's employers? Another $7.5 million... at least

🏆 CWC hub: Looking to keep up to date with the games, the talking points and the standings? Here's everything you need to know about the Club World Cup.

💰  The Back Line

💵 Best bets

• U21 Euros: England vs. Netherlands, Wednesday, 12 p.m.
  💰 THE PICK: Harvey Elliott to score anytime (+240) -- Over in Slovakia we are into the business end of the European Championships, where England are bidding to retain the title they won two years ago. Liverpool midfielder Elliott is one of the holdovers from that triumph and a player Lee Carsley tends to rely on in the biggest moments. No wonder given how frequently he has already delivered for club and country during his career.

For more picks, predictions, expert tips and the latest betting news, don't miss out on CBSSports.com's betting home page.

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