Happy Wednesday folks! It’s now officially the season of sweat and mosquitos, a season a significant portion of the population looks forward to for some reason.
A general announcement: you can now sign into our comments section using your Twitter account. If you’re a lurker holding out for such a feature, today’s your lucky day to tell us how you feel! To the kicks!
D.C. United Defender Mohanad Jeahze to Undergo Surgery after Sustaining a Right Ankle Fracture and Dislocation (D.C. United): 2023 just isn’t the year for Mohanad Jeahze. He is placed on the Season-Ending Injury List. Now there’s an open roster slot right as the transfer window gets set to open.
Victor Pálsson played the whole 90 minutes for Iceland in their EURO 2024 qualification loss to Portugal. Depending on your perspective, he either could have prevented the Ronaldo goal, or he was the only defender to react to the goal-scoring opportunity. I choose to believe the latter.
Andi Sullivan, Ashley Hatch, and Gabrielle Carle to extend time with Washington Spirit (The DP): With contracts situated, may the Spirit be free to focus on maintaining their position in the standings… it’s 1st by the way.
NWSL Weekend Take-Off: McKeown, Spirit back atop table after parity-driven week (Pro Soccer Wire): So much to say regarding the Spirit’s exciting victory last weekend, let alone the rest of the matches played throughout the NWSL. This roundup has a heavy focus on Tara McKeown; check it out!
Miami FC Announces Departure of Anthony Pulis as Head Coach (Miami FC): The other Miami soccer team has a head coaching change, and is that… LEWIS NEAL spotted! LEWIS NEAL will be the interim coach for Miami FC. I, for one, wish LEWIS NEAL all the best and look forward to welcoming LEWIS NEAL to Segra Field on July 29.
We now have public places in D.C. from which we may watch the Women’s World Cup. As alcohol will not be served from 4:00 AM to 6:00 AM, you will have to do your best to pregame in preparation for the soccer feelings that take place during 90 minutes.
The USWNT lineup for said event is expected soon!
Beyond xG: Using PFF Shooting Grades to Improve Goalscoring Predictions in MLS (American Soccer Analysis): If you thought we were done talking about how superhuman Ola Kamara’s finishing was in 2021, you’d be wrong. Here are more numbers as proof.
That’s all for today. Get kicking in the comments (now with Twitter account support)!
Always interesting, but a bit unfortunate to have a major and likely very fun World Cup in the opposite time zone from your own. I’ll probably just dive into the most comprehensive highlight packages I can find after waking up to the results- as cool as it sounds to be up in the AM for a game, my sleep cycle is not something I can currently sacrifice.
It stinks because the World Cup is fun and could really contribute to a growth in popularity of the Women’s game. But even as a current (and avid) fan, I don’t know how many games I’ll watch outside of the few at 9 p.m.
Fortunately, being retired, my wife Delcia and I will be able to watch all the group matches of the two teams we’ll really be rooting for — USA and Argentina. Three in early morning, three in prime time evening.
Who knows maybe my currently 13 month old baby girl will break her habit of sleeping through the night resulting in me being awake for it.
I guess we’ll just have to console ourselves that the game needs growing in Asia more than it necessarily does in North America, outside of Japan and their commendable program, not a lot of countries in that general region have quite gotten the bug. Australia is sold for the most part, I think, but would be good to see even just China get invested and maybe see their program scale back to where they were around 1999
Glad to see Ola Kamara getting some love. Kamar’s xG got a boost from all the penalties he took, but aggressively pressing and earning those penalties was part of Losada’s strategy, and Kamara was able to put them away. Obviously, his ability to get into good finishing situations and then putting those chances away was the other part of his game.
But I’m not sure people realize that he’s sixth in all-time goals scored for DC. He was one saved (by Tyler Miller!) penalty from tying Roy Lassiter for fifth. He has more goals than Marco Etcheverry, more than Pontius, Olsen, Quaranta, Acosta…
We’re playing with a different type of center forward now, but I don’t think we have anybody on the team that you’d feel as confident to nail a penalty as you would with Ola Kamara.
Taxi is the next closest on the active roster, and needs 19 more goals to catch Kamara. Let’s hope he does!
To be fair none of those guys listed played as forwards, except maybe my precious, I mean Pontius.
Aubrey Kingsbury selected for USWNT World Cup (well merited) but Ashley Hatch is NOT (something of a surprise though she was on the bubble). Other Spirit selections as expected: Sullivan, Sanchez and Rodman.
Alyssa Thompson probably took Hatch’s spot.
I think initially you’d think that. I actually think Rapinoe took her slot on the roster. Yes, I know–Hatch is a striker, Rapinoe a winger. But Thompson and Williams can both play outside. Hatch is your target player sub for Morgan if she needs a break or gets hurt. None of these other players can fulfill that role. Given the wingers (Smith, Rodman, potentially Thompson and Williams), I don’t see Rapinoe playing unless it’s the dying minutes in a knockout round and you want a PK taker on the field. I think Kingsbury made it through the poor play of Franch (though admittedly Kingsbury has been superb, she’s just never gotten much of a look from the current staff).
You’re probably correct. Do I recall that roster replacements can still be made up to a certain point if there are injuries?
Looking at the roster, there’s plenty of players the coaching staff knows can play and succeed centrally, though Morgan is likely to see a number of minutes. I’m looking at Sophia Smith, Lynn Williams, and even Trinity Rodman, all athletic, technical, lethal finishers who have experience in that role. Hatch is a damn good finisher, and excellent aerially, but I see the logic.
Massive shoutout, btw, to Kristie Mewis for making the roster, nothing but admiration for the effort she has put in to climb into even consideration. Well done.
Edit: honestly, looking again, I think the desire for the surprise inclusion of Savannah Demelo as midfield cover hurt Hatch more than anything. Uncapped midfielder, amazing
I haven’t seen enough of Demelo to comment on her. I remember Klinsman putting together a roster for Brazil and he had no-one to be Jozy-lite. I get that you may not have someone that similar . But if you’re going to play a system, you need depth at critical roles. The USWNT relies on the wings to get a lot of goals and that means that striker plays a target role. Williams, Rodman, Smith and Thompson can all play centrally. But Rodman is the closest to being comfortable with her back to goal and playing as a target.
Kudos to Mewis. I still question bringing Rapinoe–even though she’s having a good season.
Actually, Lynn Williams won a championship not long ago playing centrally, so I don’t think it’s much of a stretch. Even if Morgan gets injured, any configuration of Rodman, Smith, and Williams is terrifying to an opposing backline. Rapinoe is there for a number of reasons that have nothing to do with play, but she’ll find ways to contribute late I have no doubt, and it’s not the worst idea to have someone who can ping it on a dime over the top to speedsters.
It’s good to see Palsson getting time for his national team. Taxi also got to play against a foreign team with guys who had funny names like Greaseman and Mbappe. On the weekend, I had thought Taxi had returned from a Euro trip and might be available off the bench. But he wasn’t even on this side of the ocean.
Anyway, I finally saw a highlight package of the game and Taxi does seem to be playing an important subs role on a pretty good Greek team. So I would expect him to keep getting called up. In Paris, Taxi came on in the 66th minute right before the Greeks had a man sent off. He has a pretty good chance in the 87th but his shot is blocked and deflects out off the French defender.
Here’s the YouTube highlight package for the game:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gxefsnkupsk
And, good for all the barhopping night owls and early birds that want to watch the Women play in the World Cup Down Under. I remember going to see the US men – featuring young Ben Olsen play Spain (I believe) in the semifinal game of the Sydney Olympics. Summers was pretty packed with early AM coffee drinkers. At the end of the game Bruce Arena grabbed his VHS tape out of the VCR behind the bar. Scouting done the old school way!