Hi there, so I think the last time all three teams in the Top 2 divisions won was back in 2021, but could be earlier than that. Anyway, Saturday was fun.
Recaps of D.C. United’s 1-0 win over CF Montreal by us, WaPo and MLS. CTV with the footboys side.
Recap of the Washington Spirit’s 2-1 win over the North Carolina Courage by us. The News and Observer with the Triangle side.
Reviewing Loudoun United’s 3-0 win over Birmingham Legion (me): Look, it’s only five games in and you can very well throw those first six words back at me, but Loudoun’s played 4 games against teams in last year’s playoffs, including the defending Champs, won two and lost the other in a one-goal game. At the risk of harming whatever fortune-telling ability I have left, Loudoun may actually be for real this year.
Anyway, I won my first game as a U7 coach Saturday and am celebrating today by being in the car on a drive to North Carolina, so have fun while I keep things between the ditches.
Old Glory DC, wearing their 2023 Cherry Blossom Kit, defeated Rugby New York Ironworkers (formerly Rugy United New York) 41-32 at Segra yesterday afternoon. It was the first time OGDC has defeated RNY after losing the previous 5 meetings. With the win OGDC is in 4th place on tie breakers on 20 points and only 1 point behind New York in 2nd place in the last playoff spot. The season is at its halfway point. OGDC has never made the playoffs.
Congrats on the first win as a U7 coach. You do realize the pressure this puts you under–when you win, all of the other important sides in the DMV notch a win as well. We’re counting on you to make it possible for DCU, LU, and the Spirit to all go undefeated the rest of the way Ryan.
Amén. And add Old Glory Rugby Football Club to that as well.
From Buenos Aires: with Will Nelson keeping us well filled in on Old Glory Rugby Football Club whose home pitch is Segra Field (and I being a rugby veteran of 13 seasons), I’m ready to declare that The District Press covers FOUR local football clubs and they all won this weekend.
And I’ll bet that has NEVER happened before.
From Buenos Aires: I’m always ticked off that the Washington Post and other mainstream media keep referring to “the big four professional sports” and exclude MLS soccer. in 2022 MLS averaged 20,006 fans per match while the NBA averaged slightly over 18,000 and the NHL averaged slightly over 17,000. Granted NBA and NHL clubs play many more home matches than MLS’s 17 but still.
And NWSL averaged 11,000 fans this past weekend.
And arguably NWSL as a league features the world’s top women’s soccer talent (though some individual European clubs like Barcelona and Olympic Leon may be stronger.)
Plus, there are many more American youth playing organized soccer than gridiron football, ice hockey and baseball (but not than basketball).
So the WaPo and others should be talking about the Big FIVE.
The “Big 4” thing has driven me bonkers for years. The unfortunate thing about MLS is we have way more soccer fans who don’t show up to support MLS teams, choosing instead to watch Euro teams. I often dream about where we could be if all the Euro fans picked a MLS team to support as well as their Liverpools etc. (as ironically many/most Europeans do– support the local team no matter the level and one of the big ones) If we were selling out every single stadium every time (as guessing we could if we had the Euro fans) the general sports media would be much quicker to recognize soccer
Thanks for the update on a wonderful day for DC area teams. My coaching career is sadly over after an undefeated run with my son’s U7 and U8 teams, 4 seasons and we never lost. It had nothing to do with my coaching, that’s for sure. I missed all the games as I was enjoying the first hint of summer in the upper midwes at a U13 soccer tournament. Sadly today there is 2 inches of snow.
Lewis O’Brien made the bench of MLS’s team of the week: https://www.mlssoccer.com/news/team-of-the-matchday-portland-timbers-st-louis-city-take-flight-in-matchday-8
In this week’s instant replay, Doyle thinks Palsson should’ve seen red instead of yellow for a challenge he made in the first half: https://www.mlssoccer.com/video/handball-why-it-doesn-t-always-lead-to-a-penalty-kick#handball-why-it-doesn-t-always-lead-to-a-penalty-kick
I mean, agree! Palsson continues to be slow, and poor at most things and has one idea, chip to Benteke. It looked bad and should have been red. Hopefully his time is done being a starter now that Durkin and Najar are back (knocks on wood).
Now put that same “laws of the game” logic into Schulte punching Birnbaum last week and I’ll continue to be as fair about my criticisms of PRO.
btw, that’s Wiebe, not Doyle. But I bet he agrees too.
3 Loudoun players make the USL Championship team of the week: https://www.uslchampionship.com/news_article/show/1269407
OGDC have added back rower Niko Jones from New Zealand for the remainder of the 2023 MLR season and post season (if we make it). He’s played for Moana Pasifika in 2022 Super Rugby season and Auckland in New Zealand’s National Provincial Championship for the 2020, 2021, and 2022 seasons.