Wednesday already? I’m still riding the high from the season opening victory where I foolishly believed in the 10th minute that it wasn’t that cold, but by the 30th minute, I convinced myself to take a lap or two around the stadium to warm up. At least now it’s March, so True Spring is around the corner. To the Kicks!
Team of the Matchday: Who shined brightest on MLS is Back weekend? (MLS): Spoiler: Ted Ku-DiPietro was quite shiny in the dying seconds of the match last Saturday.
And in my humble opinion, as someone too busy at Buzzard Point and thus did not watch other matches, I would put Klich on the Bench of the Week. He was a joy to watch for 90 minutes. He knows it too:
Who were the best young-player performers in MLS Matchday 1? (MLS): The Team of the Matchday honors answers this question pretty well. Eyes will no doubt be watching TKP attentively this weekend at Columbus. Or is it TKD? I’m seeing both on social media. Which is it?
There will be a familiar name in the booth for that aforementioned match this weekend…
Jo, André, and Annie are unmatched in Washington Spirit coverage. They will be introducing us all to the Spirit’s latest draft picks. Catch up on the first two stories now:
Concacaf announces Nations League format changes (SSFC): I’m going to need this format to remain unchanged for a few cycles so that I can commit to understanding what the Nations League even is. The USMNT will need every minute of competitive soccer to prepare for the 2026 World Cup.
SD Loyal Signs Forward Adrien Perez (SD Loyal): I always felt Perez displayed an admirable effort when he played for the Black and Red. Injuries hampered his time here. I wish him the best of luck moving forward!
Eddie Johnson’s new journey: “Changing the whole narrative” as grassroots coach (MLS): This slipped through the cracks over Black History Month. I remember when D.C. United signed Eddie Johnson… he was huge in the league at the time of his signing. A big what-if had he not been forced to retire due to a heart condition. He is now on a quest to aid the next generations of American soccer stars.
That’s all for today. Get kicking in the comments!
They’re really calling it “team of the matchday” now?
Team of the Week is so awkward.
And imprecise.
If you have OCD.
It should be Team of the Matchweek.
Presented by Continental Tires, no less!
Looks like Yamil is coming back. Third time is the charm!
Me before reading Goff’s article: I’m not sure why we’d make this move, we have a similar player in Pedro Sant…
(Seeing that he has permanent US residency)
Me: Oh, Asad, welcome back, it’s been too long!!!
(Seriously, though, not needing to use that international slot is huge).
Better than “Team of the Weak” (I saw one league announce that with the misspelling–wish I could remember where I saw that).
Kudos to all of the staff you are just cranking out the content. Good work gang!
I agree that Klich should have made the bench. It’s not everyone’s idea of an MLS A-mid (who is hitting glorious free kicks or dancing with the ball). He plays more of a box-to-box role, defends, wins balls, serves as a “drop” when teammates are pressured, and puts in a ton of work. But I bet Rooney was very happy with MK’s game, that he brought EXACTLY what Wazza wanted him to provide.
Wow–Asad coming back. I never did hear about the falling out between him and Losada–what the explanation was. Maybe that will emerge now that he’s back in the league.
Also, for all the people complaining that Dave Kasper is still effectively the GM. It appears that the TD Stewart Mairs is playing that role in at least an unofficial capacity (as he’s now responsible for player acquisition).
Last thing: please don’t take this as a complaint, just a sharing of information. I signed up, set up an account and now I can’t sign in to the account. Consequently, I can’t “like” posts. But I can offer comments. Go figure. I may have to set up a new account (in which case the writing of JoeW may appear under another name). I’m not trying to go undercover, just adjusting to a new platform.
I don’t know if Losada and Asad ever actually had a blow up, seemed more the case that Asad was not designed for Losadaball. He’s a combination and skill player without a lot of speed or a motor to get back and forth, and certainly is no one’s idea of a DM in a 3-4-3. He normally lines up on the left, and will provide direct competition for Pedro Santos, but I do worry slightly we’re robbing Fletcher of minutes in the lineup when he clearly deserves more. That said, when the injury bug inevitably strikes, will be important to have bodies, and one things likely the case: Rooney has a better relationship with Asad and his playstyle than Losada did.
It was probably a little bit of a, a little bit of b with Asad/Losada. Clearly the coach had an issue if he wouldn’t even dress Asad despite the rash of injuries (justified or not). Rooney doesn’t seem to have an issue dropping players even if he first wanted them (re: Morrison).
Still seeing how commenting system works.
I totally agree that Asad was not a fit for Losada system. Asad could do the high press in an effective way in spurts, but not the whole game. He will be better in Rooney’s system. Sounds like he will be depth for Pedro Sandos.
Except that some games we didn’t even dress 18 players and Asad was left off the squad. I don’t know what it was, only that this was more than just “fit.” He was truly in Losada’s doghouse.
Yeah that was about the most in the doghouse I’ve ever seen, not even minutes as a sub, he might be really jazzed up for redemption
Ah, yeah, that does jog my memory a little. I didn’t remember Asad opting out of his time as openly and as loudly as Arriola, say, but that’s solid evidence. Still, Asad really didn’t fit the style or any individual role in the lineup, but will definitely be a better fit for the 4-4-2 wing system, in the mold of Pedro Santos.
I had some issues signing in for the first couple of days. Then all of a sudden, it worked. I had fiddled with the Jetpack help link.
That said, we are looking into ways to improve our comment system. You may see dramatic changes to it in the coming week if some behind-the-scenes demos work as intended!
So… Let us know what you all think of the comment system now! I hope it’s more intuitive.
I think Asad is a great depth signing if he can still play. I assume that DC feels he can still play from watching him in training, so good enough for me.
I was wondering if we were a little thin through the middle. Maybe not so much wide where most think he would slot in, but I really liked him when he played some of the 8 here before. Very sturdy in possession and a good outlet, he was a good option in transitioning offense to defense. I thought he turned the ball over too much in attacking positions, though I appreciated his aggression on the dribble. But in the middle, he was pretty good to my eye. Kind of like Djeffal without all the turnovers.
This is the most confused / cofusing schizophrenic comment I’ve ever read.
Asad has always been wildly overrated in theory — there’s a reason he didn’t play much in Chile, maybe? I’m not expecting much here, but this is what we’ve come to expect from a front office that has almost no scouting staff.
That’s a take. Asad has shown he can be a good player, and score some goals, too. It’s a bonus that he can play all across the midfield. It’s true he hasn’t been chosen in DC or in Chile for some time, no doubt about it. Still, I feel confident the DC staff has a handle on what he’s capable of today, and I’ve seen what he’s capable of in the past.
He’s tidy and a much better fit for Rooney, particularly in a shuttler’s role. I feel pretty good about my ability to spot a good player, but I’m not always right. I look forward to seeing what Asad can contribute to the team.
Testing
Alright, balance restored. Weird stuff happened when the comments got changed, couldn’t log back in properly. All good.
Working out the kinks! Thanks for your patience.
All good, I think it will be easier to comment from now on