It’s a three-day weekend! Am I the only one who’s mostly excited because it will give me more time to get chores done? Maybe I need a vacation. Until then, I’ve got plenty of soccer news and fun content for you to peruse.
Tigres, Chivas earn scoreless draw in Liga MX final first leg (ESPN)
Last night’s game was the first in a 2-game series that will decide the Liga MX champion. The second match takes place on Sunday.
Top-selling MLS jerseys: LAFC’s Carlos Vela leads in 2023 (MLS)
Mateusz Klich in spot #20!
You know I love a good Spirit goof-around video.
Off to strong start with Spirit, Ashley Sanchez has eyes on the World Cup (Washington Post)
Sanchez spoke to the Post about how her game’s changed this season and how she manages the pressure of being in contention for the World Cup roster.
Bürki, Gauld & O’Brien: 10 MLS players who deserve more hype (MLS)
Another spotlight on a D.C. United player. This time it’s Lewis O’Brien, getting some praise for his performance this far. Though I think the speculation that the Black-and-Red are likely to pay to keep him around may be a bit optimistic.
NWSL power rankings: Gotham FC climb the rankings, while Pride give us something to talk about (CBS Sports)
At least one ranking outlet has faith that the Spirit’s loss last week was just a blip. They remain at the top of CBS Sports’ power ranking this week.
OL Reign coach Harvey: Lavelle has had “setback” with knee injury (Pro Soccer Wire)
I don’t know that it’s panic time yet, but this is not the kind of news I like to hear with fewer than 60 days until the World Cup kicks off.
What I don’t like about that post is that there aren’t more photos of D.C. United players snuggling kittens.
We’ll close out, as always with your schedule for the weekend. Have a good one, everyone!
| Teams | When | Where | Watch |
| D.C. United vs. Toronto FC | Sat., May 27 at 7:30 p.m. ET | BMO Field | Apple TV |
| Washington Spirit vs. NJ/NY Gotham FC | Sun., May 28 at 5 p.m. ET | Audi Field | Paramount+ |
| Loudoun United FC vs. Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC | Sun., May 28 at 6 p.m. ET | Segra Field | ESPN+ |
| Old Glory DC vs Seattle Seawolves | Sat., May 27 at 6 p.m. | Segra Field | FS2 |
Nice to see a United player among the highest-selling jerseys. I think our last one was probably Rooney? I’m a bit surprised that it’s Klich and not Benteke, but either way, it’s a fun tidbit!
Agreed about everything you just said.
Klich’s jersey popularity is probably a carryover from his Leeds days as that EPL club has a considerable USA following.
Love the video and love the cracks some of the players have…”because they have cute outfits”–hah!
Also, sorry to hear about Lavelle. But with Macario out, this makes Sanchez just about a lock for the USWNT WC roster. Again, I don’t root for anyone’s injury. But I have legitimate concerns that if Ertz starts at DM with Sullivan as a backup, then that pushes Horan more up the field. Lavelle makes the squad if she has one leg to stand on. Suddenly, Sanchez’ slot is a bit more precarious.
I think Sanchez is pretty high on the list to go either way. She’s been consistently treated as the back-up to Lavelle
Per Rooney with Taxi, Birnbaum, Santos and Najar all available, we’ll have a power packed bench for Toronto. I’m betting that Rooney starts his recent lineup with bench coming on in minute 60. Bigger rotation for next Wednesday match.
That seems about right to me, too. Rooney has talked about how happy he was to have been able to start the same lineup in back to back games, and how well those players have performed (they have!). I think it makes a lot of sense to keep that continuity going, reward the players for their good work, and to ease in everyone coming back from injury. And then those four can take on a bigger load on the next game with short rest. And while all those players coming back are potentially starters, you’d think that the current group can get the job done against Toronto.
Given the current run of form. Does Birnbaum take back over for Williams as the central CB? I was honestly nervous for the defense when Birnbaum went down with injury, but Williams has had some stellar performances. Do you ride the hot hand or give the captain his spot back?
I think Birnbaum gets his spot back. Does Williams take over for Palsson, though?
I would love for someone to do a deep dive into the financial gymnastic needed to keep O’Brien. Even beyond the $8-10million price tag to buy him from Forest, DC already has 3 DPs and several high-earners on the senior roster. I’td be incredibly impressed if the FO/ownership pull it off.
Nothing is impossible.
It really depends on Nottingham Forest. Do they want to bring him back, sell him or extend his loan? A loan through the end of the season would give him an opportunity to develop that he may not have in EPL.
Obviously, a loan may benefit all three: the player, DCU and NF. A sale would be complicated given DCUs existing DPs. Bringing him back to play would be good but if he doesn’t have a chance to play it may be better for them to extend the loan.
Only time will tell.
ChatGPT has selected its all-time USWNT XI: Solo; Fawcett, Chastain, Pearce Rampone; Foudy, Rapinoe, Akers, Lloyd; Morgan, Wambach, Hamm. Manager: Jill Ellis
ChatGPT gained instant credibility in my eyes by selecting Michelle Akers. Akers gave one of the three greatest sports moments I ever saw (on TV, all three) with her play in the 1999 World Cup final. In the final years of her career she had contracted Chronic Fatigue Syndrome which some days left her unable even to get out of bed. Yet in the final against China in a sweltering Rose Bowl Akers played 90 minutes flat out and brilliantly. She had to be subbed out at the end of regulation, taken to the locker room, and given transfusions just to keep her going (alive?). What a demonstration of competitive willpower!!!
The other two supreme moments?
Willie Mays’ catch (and subsequent throw) on Vic Wertz in the 1954 World Series in the Polo Grounds — at 480 feet undoubtedly the longest out ever recorded in baseball.
Secretariat at the Belmont Cup in 1973: to see that magnificent horse — without any urging from jockey Ron Turcotte — just tearing up the track with no rival in sight (Secretariat won by 31 lengths!) was unforgettable.
Gotta have Kristine Lilly there, at the expense of Morgan I think.
I’d go with Lilly over Foudy.
I’m starting to panic about the USWNT. The game is won in the midfield, and Lavelle has become a huge part of that. Obviously Sam Mewis has been in the recovery wilderness for a long, long time, but Rose was attempting to pick up a lot of the two way slack. I don’t even know who would be a World Cup winning midfield without her.
Parsons was definitely spot-on about Sanchez floating in and out of games. Watching a national team game last year, with Lavelle to compare, Sanchez struggled to see much of the ball. It seemed like if you weren’t active in trying to get the ball, you just weren’t going to get it. Hopefully in addition to improving her teams defensive game, it’ll help her see more time with which to dribble/pass through the opponent.
Yes, everything looks like it’s going swimmingly in Toronto.
News that Bernardeschi is being benched for the game against us for his comments about Bradley. As if they didn’t have enough problems. We need to get an earlier goal and break their morale and spirit–then more will come.
Feels like a trap game. Hopefully Benteke has a field day and the midfield dominates like they did against Philly.
I don’t see either him nor Insigne being all that respected given their behavior in the locker room, regardless of what everyone thinks of Bob. There’s a chance they just look better for lack of a diva they don’t want to upset not being on the field.
Kind of speculation on my part, but his tirade about them not practicing tactics sounds to me like a team that doesn’t have their fundamentals down and doesn’t have time to do it. Aka, us last year.
The US U-20 men’s team has sailed through the group stage with three wins, and no goals conceded. They’ll pick up a player or two, I think, now that they’re in the knockout rounds, bottom line for me is getting prospects experience with successful tournament progression, which is not always a given at the youth level. This World Cup is probably less of a showcase from a scouting standpoint than it used to be, but hope this means we’ve got some solid competitors to add to the ranks.
Kevin Paredes is joining, which is exciting. I don’t know if he’ll start but he’ll definitely play right away.
I think Kevin would start, and be devastating at this level.
Tomorrow night’s game for OGDC will be a tough challenge. Seattle is sitting 2nd in the Western Conference on 49 points with 10 wins 2 Losses and 0 Draws. They have a +161 point differential when compared to OGDC’s -10. Admittedly, a large chunk of that is the absolute demolition of Dallas 61-19 at the end of April. My prediction is that OGDC will lose, though its really a question of which OGDC team shows up. Is it the one that went toe to toe and nearly came back to beat New England back in March or the one that got taken to the woodshed several times
I’ll be at the game with my dad and younger brother.