Happy Tuesday, fam!
The Portland Timbers have parted with head coach Gio Savarese. An announcement late yesterday evening thanked Savarese for his contributions to the club since joining in December 2017. Miles Joseph takes over as interim head coach while the Timbers determine a new direction.
Inter Miami CF climbs into the MLS top ten. After a Leagues Cup trophy, it seems Miami has set its sights on the MLS Cup.
With the Leagues Cup win, Lionel Messi has become the most decorated soccer player in history. He has won 44 trophies over his career.
There are calls for Spanish soccer federation president Luis Rubiales to resign after he planted an unsolicited kiss on Jenni Hermoso after Spain had won the World Cup. Rubiales made a feeble apology, but his history of such unacceptable actions is telling.
Upcoming matches:
D.C. United returns home to face Philadelphia Union on Saturday, August 26, at 7:30 pm ET after a rough loss on the road in New Jersey.
The Washington Spirit also returns home to face the Portland Thorns on August 27 at 5 pm ET. The Spirit just went 1-1 with Houston on the road.
Loudoun United hits the road to play Indy Eleven on August 26 at 7 pm ET after a 1-3 loss at home to Sacramento Republic.
So time to play the kids right? I don’t see us making the playoffs except as the 9th seed.
I share your outlook on the eventual outcome for the season but its waaaaaay too early to punt away the possibility of making the postseason. Palsson, O’Brien and Taxi are gone forever but we did get some replacements. Most folks who watched the game Sunday think Pirani looked good. Eric Davis and Fajardo aren’t exactly Jordi Alba and Messi but they did help Panama to a very good Gold Cup performance. Klich will be back from suspension while Birnbaum, Canouse, Andy Najar and Ted KDP have returned from injury. Throw in some contributions from the other Loudoun players and we should be able to eke out out enough results to stay within sight of the playoff line.
You are just way too pessimistic.
Personally, I don’t expect to have my hopes crushed til the final weeks of the season!
Vamos United!
The offense just really hasn’t been firing. So I’m not really seeing more than a win or two in the remaining 9 games. I’m expecting some draws and mostly losses. And I’m pessimistic yes, but its based on recent run of form.
This team has pretty lost me. I am attending Saturday, but I just don’t feel any sense of corporate direction that provides an aesthetically pleasing experience. Honestly, it’s like the Skins, albeit the ownership is not morally toxic like Snyder (so glad that twit is gone); I just don’t feel value for my time. I fell asleep during the Red Bull game. Yet, I was up and at it for women’s world cup action like the soccer addict that I am.
To be honest, I didn’t miss DCU at all during this long break. That breaks my heart to say it, let alone feel it.
We are not going to make the playoffs. No chance, and everyone here knows it. Sorry to disappoint.
I’ve been a fan of the Skins/WFT since 1990, I survived Snyder and as I always said, I was here before Snyder so he wasn’t going to force me to stop loving my team. Why should he? I knew he would eventually be out of here.
I waited 36 years to watch Argentina win another World Cup. Argentina, my first sports fandom, the one I suppose will endure until I die, and I’m not even from Argentina. Argentina are always decent-good-very good but watching a good team not win is as hard or even harder than watching a bad team.
DC United is the first team I have followed since even before they kicked their first ball, whatever phase they are going through right now, with this ownership, will also go away at some point. I cheered during their dominance of the league, I cheered for them in 2013. That’s how Sports work, the mighty fall, then they get up and rise again and then they fall again.
A sanguine but wonderfully loyal viewpoint. I just don’t get the feeling that we are valued as fans anymore. It feels lather-rinse-repeat. I hate being bitter.
Oh, I completely get it. I am also frustrated and annoyed, and I wish the owners would just sell if they don’t intend on really, truly investing in the team, and I mean it in more ways than simply buying better talent. Also, though, my loyalty to the team, doesn’t mean that I’m blind to what the organization currently is. And it is becoming clear that the main culprits of the mediocrity we have now become are the owners and not simply this coach or the other.
Similar sentiments here, just stated differently.
I think there’s more value to “playing the kids” than simply giving up or punting games.
We’ve lost a lot of quality on field talent, and outside of Pirani, not seeing real replacements. If we lean on our veterans, with this depth, we’ll crumble anyway.
We need a boost, and it’s not coming from the transfer window. It has to come from the kids. Granted, it could not, but that’s where we’re at in my view- train the young and inexperienced and hope it gets us somewhere by the end of these games.
Yeah, I think there is a place for some freshness in the lineup. Personally, I thought Fletcher looked good in his last two appearances after having been woeful in Open Cup. Same for Hopkins after his return from Loudoun. If Benteke and Ku can get some minutes playing off each other, it could pay dividends, build a real partnership.
I’m not saying these are the answers I only hope some new options are on the table and this team hasn’t stagnated.
5 of their next 6 are at home. Time to put up or shut up.
The opportunity to make the playoffs is right there.
I feel like a new wrinkle, new starters here and there, could reset things post O’Brien, Palsson and Taxi departures.
I don’t know what exactly, but I’ll be looking for something fresh in the upcoming weeks.
Buzzard Point is not a fortress unfortunately as we’ve coughed up too many points at home already this season.
Chile has named their first ever roster for the Men’s Rugby World Cup this fall: https://www.americasrugbynews.com/2023/08/14/condores-roster-named-for-chiles-inaugural-rugby-world-cup/