What do we make of the FA Cup in 2025? The competition certainly doesn’t carry its old weight. These days, it runs off fumes and vibes, surviving mostly on nostalgia and the vague promise that an upset or two is likely. We are told, every year, that a lower-league club could threaten a top-tier team. It looks less and less likely with every iteration of the competition. Still, there is football to be played, and USMNT regulars to play it. Antonee Robinson will be in the mix for Fulham, who will feel that they have a winnable tie against struggling Wigan. Josh Sargent, too, has a shot for Norwich as they take on Derby. Two Americans in the last 16 certainly wouldn’t hurt.
Elsewhere on the continent, Christian Pulisic should be up to his usual antics for Milan. There aren’t many good opponents for the Rossonieri these days. Empoli is a rare team that they routinely trounce. No way this can go wrong, right? There is poor news out of Holland, though, with scattered reports that USMNT striker Ricardo Pepi could miss the season after sustaining a knee injury against Liverpool in the Champions League – ending his best campaign yet prematurely.
Either way, there are storylines to follow all over the place, and GOAL US previews all of them ahead of what should be another interesting weekend for Americans on the continent.