Rise and shine! We hope you all had a great long weekend as we honored and celebrated Juneteenth.
Both Major League Soccer and the National Women’s Soccer League created commemorative shirts and merchandise in collaboration and support of the Black Women’s Player Collective and Black Players for Change. Sales benefited organizations engaged in advocacy work and serving the community.
Black Players for Change celebrated the organization’s three-year anniversary. Founded on Juneteenth in 2020 as the Black Players Collective, Black Players for Change has been making an impact in MLS markets nationwide ever since.
Taxi Fountas played for Greece against France in the UEFA EURO qualifiers. Greece, playing with ten men, lost 0-1 as Kylian Mbappe scored the game-winner.
Mexico fired Diego Cocca yesterday on the heels of their most recent 3-0 loss to the USMNT in the Concacaf semi-finals on June 15.
New Zealand Football is raising concerns of racism to FIFA on the heels of their abandoned friendly with Qatar. New Zealand alleges that a Qatari player used a racial slur against defender Michael Boxall.
Local soccer photographer (Loudoun United, Washington Spirit, D.C. United) Ari Anderson celebrated her 18th birthday on the pitch in a different way with a hat trick for her club Gunston SC (VA) in their 5-3 win over Velocity Premier SC (ME).
Hope you all have a wonderful day and week ahead!
RSL’s 68 yard miracle goal plus DOGSO offset Durkin’s Buzzard Point 1-2. The tally to date:
Buzzard Points (home goals): Benteke (4); Ku-DiPietro (3); Durkin & Klich (2); Dajome, Fountas, Greene, Pines
Talones (home assists): Benteke, Ku-DiPietro & Ruan (2); Canouse, Fletcher, Jeahze, Klich, O’Brien, Santos
Taloncito (drew home penalty kick): Fountas
Mexico seem like a Federation in chaos. Just look at all the changes in the past 6 months–they’re almost a revolving door.
And I would think it’s almost a lock that Tata Martino ends up coaching InterMiami.
From what I understand, the Mexican FA has badly stagnated, and needs a massive internal overhaul in many departments. A coach likely can’t correct course on their own.
Mohanad Jeahze has been placed on the Season Ending Injury List after suffering a broken ankle and dislocation in training. Sounds like a really nasty injury as he was working his way back from a thigh ailment. It’s been a really disappointing time for Jeahze as he started his MLS career. He only appeared in six games, and never got to show a whole lot. Then legal troubles in Sweden, the thigh injury, and now this. I think it will probably take a good bit of rehab to recover.
United has had a problem keeping their fullbacks/wingbacks healthy, but at least players like Jacob Greene and Gaoussou Samake have stepped up and shown themselves to be decent enough replacements.
If I recall, going on the Season Ending Injury List means that United can use Jeahze’s roster spot and international spot to bring in a replacement player, but there’s no salary cap relief.
Hm, what a bust for everyone involved.
My general impression of his early play was that he had quality going forward, but could easily be got in behind against and outmuscled. Now he won’t get a chance to turn the page on that impression till next season, if he even comes back. Given the allegations in Sweden, the price tag, the injuries, and the less than solid play when he has made it on the field, I’m guessing DC will want to convince him to move on mutually.
Perhaps. I think he signed a three year deal, and this is basically a lost year. Outside of buying him out, moving him on could be very tough to do. That said, he could make a recovery from this injury and show the potential that I was really excited about. The rest of our attack will be a year older, though…
Agree it could be difficult if he doesn’t want a fresh start, and it will matter what offers are out there. I’m hoping he wants to move on, personally, but we’ll see what happens in the offseason,
Well, that sucks. Hope for as speedy a recovery as he can have, as least there’s plenty of time for him to focus on that.
Unfortunately it wouldn’t have been too hard to predict us having issues with our WB/FB positions going into the season. Najar has a lengthy injury history, Santos is in his mid 30s, Samake showed poorly most of last year, and no one wanted to put Greene on the field. The latter two have looked much better, but are not on the high end as far as technique and experience go. We might be wise to look for another wide option, especially with O’Brien likely to return to England (I’m a bit pessimistic he stays).
Here’s my read on the situation.
First, he didn’t impress a lot as a left back. But as a wingback–that could be a different story. And players coming to MLS for the first time often need an adjustment period.
Second, I think some player movement is imminent. The injury to Jeahze was a week ago (last Wednesday). I think they were keeping him on the roster because maybe there was a chance he could play towards the end of the season. But putting him on the season-ending injury list frees up a little cap money and (more importantly), an international spot.
I think there’s definitely incoming players. It’s clear that our depth needs upgrading pretty well across the board (probably fine at GK and CB). O’Brien is likely going back to England (I’ve actually gotten a little more bullish on the possibility of him staying through the season, but the odds are he goes back). Jeahze is now on the injured list. Perhaps they can find a club for Ravel. Maybe they do something nuts and try to move Taxi. Probably not, but they’ve got some wiggle room, and the Erik Hurtados of the world just aren’t doing it. Rooney has talked about needing players, and ownership has usually liked to accomodate him. Hopefully we’re looking to bring whomever in closer to the opening of the window rather than the closing.
I find the salary cap relief provision here a bit confused and confusing. The team CAN get salary charge relief, paid out of their own pocket. At least that’s what the rule says. The key provisions there are the player has to be put on the list prior to 2nd window (that’s done here), and the player signed as replacement can’t have a higher charge. Jeahze is already above DP level — so can’t be higher charge so long as the same allocation money can be used.
The confusing bit is that the rule ALSO says
“The replacement player’s charge will not be charged against the Club Salary Budget.”
That doesn’t make sense to me. The point is that the relief granted on the inured player goes to the replacement, no? But. maybe it’s just a matter of semantics. They can pay for the other player’s charge and get a freebie? If they’re willing to splash a little cash (about half a million this year), they can get a replacement without changing their salary cap situation.
https://www.mlssoccer.com/news/updates-to-the-2023-mls-roster-rules-regulations
Kasper: But you know who DoEs know what that means??
(Pops collar)
This guy….
Major League Rugby’s First XV (https://www.majorleague.rugby/news/first-xv-wk-18-2/) features 2 OGDC players this week:
Jack Iscaro: One try scored, 25 ruck arrivals, 4 tackles madeTevita Naqali: One try scored, 111 meters run, 11 tackles made
Cali Martinez is OGDC’s nominee for the 2023 S. Marcus Calloway Community Impact Award: https://www.majorleague.rugby/news/nominees-2023-s-marcus-calloway-community-impact-award-presented-by-fastenal/
World Rugby has granted funding for a US Youth Rugby initiative for the first time ever ahead of the 2031 Rugby World Cup and 2033 Women’s Rugby World Cup hosted in the US. It was granted to Imagine Rugby the umbrella organization responsible for running US Rugby’s Rookie Rugby Initiative. For more: https://www.majorleague.rugby/news/world-rugby-grants-first-ever-funding-to-u-s-youth-rugby-initiative-rookie-rugby-to-grow-game-ahead-of-2031-rugby-world-cup/