Welcome back, Reds and Blues! We survived the international break and the first week back. But things have not gone well for the Red-White-and-Blue, the Reds, or the Blues since we last chatted. Let’s get into it.

Chelsea desperately needed the international break. 4 losses on the trot had dropped them out of the Champions League spot. They returned to face Port Vale in the FA Cup, and it was a welcome respite as they ran out 7-0 against the League One side. But they were brought back to earth this weekend when they hosted Manchester City. The first half seemed even, but the late-season beast that is City awoke in the 2nd half. 2 goals inside about 15 minutes ended the contest, with a third coming later to rub it in. The return of Enzo Fernandez may be a boost, but they face a Manchester United side that will be looking to bounce back from their loss to local rivals Leeds. Brighton and Leeds round out the month of April, which may decide their European fate.

United had an extended break with the first weekend back being dedicated to the FA Cup. But that extra time seemed to add cobwebs rather than freshness. Leeds showed up to Old Trafford ready to fight. They figuratively and literally punched United in the face in the first five minutes and made it clear they were not going to lie down in their own relegation fight. A second goal on the half hour mark and a United red card made a fightback more difficult. An in-perfect cross from Bruno for Casemiro’s header gave the home crowd some hope, but Leeds managed to turn away multiple goal-line opportunities to give Carrick only his 2nd loss in this stint. United will look to revive their top-4 hopes with a trip to Stamford Bridge. The outcome of that game will have massive impact on the future of both clubs.

The USMNT played 2 friendlies in further preparation for the upcoming World Cup, and let’s just say we now have more questions than answers. After a decent but probably far too open first half against Belgium, the floodgates were opened and the final score of 5-2 was flattering. It felt like the Belgians scored about every 5 minutes or at least could have. The match against Portugal was only slightly better because of the scoreline. But the US was truly never in the game, as Portugal dominated possession and position. Both games should serve as a reality check for what expectations should be, as well as demonstrating that some players are just not at the level required to go deep in a Cup run. Pulisic’s poor start to 2026 at club level carried over, and a few players should be told now that they are not going to be on the plane. The USMNT now has 2 games to find some semblance of form, or this could a short Cup.

The USWNT play a friendly against Japan this evening at 10pm.

The field is now set after the last round of playoff matches. We’ll run down who punched their ticket and the likely big matchups.

We’ll be wondering what counts as a foul and a card, so join us Wednesday at 7 p.m. live at Chatham Tap, or online via Facebook Live and YouTube Live as well. You can also catch us on the platforms listed below. Like, subscribe, comment, and raise a glass with us wherever you listen. Cheers!

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