Good morning DMV soccer family! Happy Ted Lasso and NWSL FIFA 23 eve! You know we won’t be getting much accomplished tomorrow.
Today there is a lot of news we love and some we most decidedly do NOT.
Berhalter investigation concludes
We believe in starting with the not-so-pleasant stuff, so let’s get that out of the way first. US Soccer released the findings of the Greg Berhalter investigation. And yes, the Reynas have been top-level cringe. Donald has more for Stars and Stripes FC.
Alright, enough negativity to cloud our morning. On to the really good stuff!
Kang nominated for “Deal of the Year”
Y. Michele Kang has been nominated for Sports Business Journal’s prestigious sports business awards in the “Deal of the Year” category for her acquisition of the Washington Spirit.
The winners will be announced live on Wednesday, May 24, at the New York Marriott Marquis Times Square.
Bayern x LAFC
FC Bayern and LAFC have announced a partnership focusing on youth development. This is absolutely huge for the sport in the US, and we are expecting this and similar partnerships to have long-lasting positive impacts on the growth of soccer. The joint venture, Red&Gold Football, will be based in Munich.
Bayern’s CEO, Oliver Kahn, said, “FC Bayern will expand its promotion of young talent with Los Angeles Football Club. On an international level, soccer is developing rapidly, which is also evident in the transfer market. We see this partnership as an opportunity to strengthen FC Bayern in the sporting competition with the best clubs in Europe and the Bundesliga. The fact that the 2026 World Cup will largely take place in the USA, where we already have an office in New York, makes Los Angeles even more attractive. I expect a boost in quality and young talent in Major League Soccer, which will have a positive impact on our partnership.”
Messi to MLS?
If Lionel Messi doesn’t commit to Paris Saint-Germain, Major League Soccer may be an option. MLS is mulling over offering Messi a deal similar to the one David Beckham inked that would see the Argentine with his own franchise.
Bobby Firmino… also to MLS?!
Rumors are swirling that the Liverpool star striker is garnering interest from MLS teams, including St. Louis City FC and LAFC. The Union and Nashville SC could also be potential suitors. Tell me which jersey to buy. That’s all I need to know.
Trinity Rodman is the real deal
I mean, just watch:
WashPost article on the Berhalter was informative and Greg came out looking decent. He didn’t run from the facts. The Reynas, however, were very much cringe-worthy. I hope Gio has a fine career, but the parents really need to go on a permanent vacation from USSF, or perhaps they can explore haunting the Liechtenstein National Team so they can hover, glom and manipulate something in the soccer world…..
Doc96 sees pathology…..dysfunction….icky…..
Right? Very sad situation there.
Any update on O’Brien? Want to see him signed!
Tom Bogert mentioned it in his notebook. It sounds like they’re still moving on it, but if it is indeed only going to be a loan until English soccer starts up again, we’d want to hurry things up.
I hope it’s a loan with a strong buy option. Would be a major upgrade in midfield and would allow us to free up Palsson who has been… meh
Maybe the best thing about Palsson is that he’s helping Russell Canouse to stay sharp. Maybe.
Goff confirms that he’s in DC getting his physical and finalizing the paperwork. Then we’re just waiting on the visa.
The RFK Refugees guys were kind of pessimistic about this deal, noting that he plays a position that we have some pretty good depth at, but more importantly that they don’t see any way he lasts past the summer. If he’s doing well, Nottingham Forest will want him back. If he’s not doing that well, they’ll try to loan him somewhere else (like the Championship). And his transfer fee would likely be prohibitively high to make a permanent buy for him.
That’s all likely to be true, but I guess I’ll take what I can get.
The Reynas look really, really bad in this investigation. About the one saving grace is that the law firm concluded their actions were somewhat short of blackmail or extortion. And they’re still clueless. Their best strategy at this point is to say nothing and let time go by. But no, they continue, arguing with the findings of the report. As Bill Clinton once said: “when you find yourself at the bottom of a hole, the best strategy is to stop digging.”
Trinity Rodman is pure class. What a great move on her part.
Glad to see Kang get some good recognition. I hope that the Spirit are on the way to become a prestige organization, one that people can look to and say “they do things the right way.” We’ll see.
Not sure how I feel about the LAFC-Bayern announcement. Is it just PR or real? And is this about Bayern being able to poach American talent or just increase visibility in order to sell Bayern jerseys?
Re: Bayern
I think it’s a wait-and-see, but the opportunity is massive for youth development. The linkup with MLS seems mutually beneficial. Thinking critically, I’d be thrilled to get back players that missed meeting Bayern’s high standards by millimeters. Let them come home and continue to grow with that great foundation in place.
You will see more clubs “investing” in relationships with MLS teams. Some are developing camps in a geographic sense. this has more umph to it. Yep, potential poaching is offset by near misses that you get to retain. Yep, brand recognition in LA is not a bad things for Bayern’s sales. As you know, they are headquartered in NY, but they travel to treat DC Bayern club like we matter. So much so, they set up 60 lucky DC Bayern fans for seats at PSG vs Bayern last week. Shuttles from hotels, tours, various other events (beer) were all in play. Ticket cost $60 per person.
That’s how you sustain a brand.
I can’t imagine what it must be like to be a young black girl seeing a player like Trinity in person and getting that jersey. I can imagine that the future for an even stronger USWNT is inspiring girls like that from every corner of the nation by featuring more and more stars like Rodman. Really awesome to see, may it lead to a virtuous cycle that never ends.
MLS writer’s bureau power rankings place us at #22 up from #23 last week. https://www.mlssoccer.com/news/power-rankings-lafc-overtake-seattle-sounders-after-matchday-3
US Soccer announcing that Alex Zendejas has officially committed to the USMNT program.
Newer WashPost drop: Gio Reyna going to USMNT camp.
The little girl crying into her Rodman jersey! So cute
A little boy crying into his Edison Flores shirt. Not so cute.
(I think a lot of us were crying, or something….)