THE CHEAP SEATS with STEVE CAMERON: Here's your futbol update — in particular, the U.S. women

With apologies to reader and friend John McTear…

It’s time to talk about soccer.

On the men’s side of things, the Seattle Sounders are clawing their way up in the MLS Western Conference — one point behind St. Louis, but having played two games more.

Over in Europe, the summer market has burst into life.

Vast amounts of money will change hands as clubs across the continent try to improve their squads.

English giant Manchester City has just completed a “treble,” having won the Premier League, the FA Cup and the UEFA Champions League — that last with a nervy 1-0 triumph over Inter Milan.

However, City and coach Pep Guardiola are waiting to see if a hammer drops on their entire program.

The Premier League has levelled 114 charges against the club for violating financial restrictions over more than a decade, and then refusing to cooperate with the entire investigation.

Meanwhile, some huge player movement is a lock, with Arsenal — who finished just five points behind Man City — already having agreed a deal worth more than $120 million to pry powerhouse midfielder Declan Rice from West Ham United.

(Personal note: YESSSS!!!)

Sorry for the outburst, but you know I’m a Gooner for life.

WITH ALL due respect to the men’s game — and the zillions of transfers, rumors and nonsense that bury us each summer — the soccer spotlight now shifts to a different part of the world.

And another gender.

The FIFA Women’s World Cup begins July 20, hosted jointly by Australia and New Zealand.

Once again, the best women’s teams on the planet will be gunning to take down the United States, now the two-time defending world champion.

In a clever Fox commercial spot promoting the tournament, representatives of several countries (including some Aussie airline ticket agents, trying to cancel flights) are seen trying to halt the U.S. from winning a third straight Cup.

The Fox promo ends with American star Alex Morgan smiling into the camera and chirping: “Good luck with THAT!”

It’s a brazen attitude that the U.S. will carry to its tournament base in Auckland, but that’s how the Yank women have treated the World Cup in the past — with the attitude that they’re the best on the globe, and they look forward to proving it again.

No doubt some of the other women’s soccer powers chafe at the attitude, but until someone takes the U.S. down, well …

Morgan can feel free to infuriate the English, as she did four years ago when pretending to take a sip of tea after scoring the go-ahead goal, and everyone else.

In fact, however, women’s soccer is getting better everywhere else, and another coronation for the States can hardly be considered a given.

Yes, the American’s are 7-0 in pre-tournament friendlies and still sit at No. 1 in FIFA’s world rankings — ahead of Germany, Sweden, England and France.

The Netherlands, which played the U.S. tough in the 2019 tournament final before falling 2-0, has dropped to No. 9 in the rankings — in part because of a knee injury to star striker Vivienne Niedema that will keep her sidelined for months.

AS USUAL, one of the toughest challenges for U.S. coach Vlatko Andonovski will be slicing a pre-tournament group of 30-plus players down to the roster limit of 23 for the flight to New Zealand.

Andonovski has several current concerns as he prepares to unveil the official roster next week, then take the team to its stateside training base in California.

Midfielder Rose Lavelle, a heartbeat of this team in midfield, suffered what was described as a “knock” in the team’s friendly against Ireland, and hasn’t played a minute since then for her NWSL club team.

Defender Julie Ertz gave birth last August, and is fighting to be in game shape for the World Cup, having played 90 minutes just once so far.

Morgan also has become a mom since the last Cup, but appears she’ll be in pretty close to top form.

One issue for Andonovski is whether some other U.S. veterans, like Becky Sauerbrunn, Lindsay Horan, Kristie Mewis and (most notably) 37-year-old Megan Rapinoe, are still among his best group.

USWNT fans besieged team officials when Rapinoe did not appear on the latest 30-player pre-Cup roster, but the word — at least until next week — is that Rapinoe missed the last two friendlies due to an ankle injury, and that she’ll be on the plane.

The U.S. does have some new and exciting contributors, though, and it’s expected that Rapinoe will be used as an impact sub off the bench.

Alyssa Naeher will be back in goal (you can hear opponents groaning), and yes, the United States deserves the role of favorite.

The U.S. begins Group E play against Vietnam on July 21 in Auckland, and should negotiate the group (Netherlands and Portugal are other two entrants) to begin knockout play on Aug. 5 in Australia.

The world is desperate to upset these American women, who are perceived to be just a bit too smug.

But as Morgan says …

Good luck with that.

Email: scameron@cdapress.com

Steve Cameron’s “Cheap Seats” columns appear in The Press four times each week, normally Tuesday through Friday unless, you know, stuff happens.

Steve suggests you take his opinions in the spirit of a Jimmy Buffett song: “Breathe In, Breathe Out, Move On.”