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Welcome to the Nutmeg, each week, you can expect: Exclusive previews of major football events – Spotlight features on top football creators – In-depth analysis of trending football culture.
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Happy Friday, squad. We’re only two weeks into the season, but we’ve hit our first international break.

MUST WATCH MATCHES

Croatia vs Poland | Sunday, September 8th | 2:45pm EST

Croatia’s recent form has been pretty lackluster. They weren’t able to manage a bid out of their group at Euro 2024 and lost their first Nations League game. This is the perfect storm to turn everything around against a good, but beatable team. Led by experienced midfield maestro Luka Modrić, and with young stars like Josko Gvardiol and Mario Pašalić supporting the attack, Croatia is poised to go all the way in this Nations League campaign. They’ll be especially motivated playing at home in Osijek, where they’ve been tough to beat​.

On the other hand, Poland will be no pushovers. With Robert Lewandowski leading the line, they’re always a goal threat, and they’ve been solid in recent matches despite some mixed results. Poland is coming off a 1-1 draw against France, and while they’ve been a bit leaky defensively, they’ve still managed to score consistently, averaging 1.9 goals per game over their last few matches.

Coach Michał Probierz will be keen to tighten things up at the back while hoping Lewandowski can continue his goal-scoring form​.

Switzerland vs Spain | Sunday, September 8th | 2:45pm EST

Spain, our Euro 2024 champions, has been on an unstoppable roll, winning six of their last six games and scoring an average of 2.67 goals per match. Players like Alvaro Morata and Mikel Oyarzabal are clicking at just the right time under coach Luis de la Fuente. They’ve proven to be a resilient squad, bouncing back after tough battles at Euro 2024​.

Switzerland, though, has shown they can be stubborn opponents. Despite only winning two of their last six matches, they have proven difficult to beat, as seen in their 1-1 draw against England in the Euros​.

Expect Spain to dominate possession and push Switzerland’s defense to its limits. However, the Swiss aren’t to be underestimated—especially with players like Breel Embolo capable of causing trouble on the counter-attack. Spain might be favorites on paper, but Switzerland has beaten them before, including a shock 2-1 win in last year’s Nations League.

HONORABLE MENTION

Barbados vs The Bahamas | Saturday, September 7th | 4:00pm EST

This match is a highlight because our own Carl Hinkson will be on the squad for Barbados for their CONCACAF Nations League match. Go crush it, Carl!

RONDO

🥅 It’s over 900. With his goal against Croatia yesterday, Ronaldo became the first player in history to record 900 goals for both club and country. This is a truly impressive feat that we’re not sure if we’ll see again any time soon. No one is even close to the Portuguese legend, with 2nd place being Messi at 838 goals. The next active player is Robert Lewandowski at 635. He’s solidified himself as one of the best to ever do it with a record that may never be touched. Hopefully whatever statue he gets next is better than this.

🇺🇸 It’s quitting time. The pinnacle of American women’s soccer, Alex Morgan, took to X yesterday to let us know that she’ll be hanging up her boots. With two World Cups, an Olympic Gold medal, and a CVS receipt of other titles and accolades, she became one of the biggest faces in women’s soccer during its meteoric rise. Her 15-year pro career is ending on a high note, as she also announced that her family is expecting a second child.

🇸🇲The drought is over. After 20 years and 140 games without a win, San Marino secured their first competitive victory by beating Liechtenstein 1-0 in the UEFA Nations League. Nicko Sensoli was the hero, netting the only goal in the 53rd minute to send the players and fans into absolute pandemonium. Seriously, look at their reaction after the game.You could say they own Lichtenstein now, as their last win was also against Liechtenstein in 2004, but that was just a friendly.

Leading 5-a-side soccer facilities in North America 🇺🇸 🇨🇦

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