Loudoun United 2024 schedule, new NWSL salary record, and more: Tuesday Freedom Kicks
Hello all! Like Donald, I am temporarily picking up an extra day of Freedom Kicks, so I hope you are all prepared for an additional day of me and the (mostly) women’s soccer news I find interesting.
Loudoun United FC unveils 2024 USL Championship season schedule (Loudoun United)
Good on USL for getting the schedule out this early! Loudoun’s first game is March 9 at San Antonio FC.
María Sánchez is now the NWSL’s highest-paid player (Pro Soccer Wire)
Pertinent to us because Houston Dash’s Sánchez has surpassed the previous highest-paid player, Trinity Rodman. This deal, for $1.5 million over four years, also signals that the league’s salary cap may be going up by quite a bit next year.
Michele Kang at London City Lionesses: Late drama, grand ambitions – and big sunglasses (The Athletic $)
Fun little feature on Kang attending her first match at her newest team. It gave me a better understanding of 2nd-tier women’s football in England. An average of 550 fans! Sounds kind of fun to me.
How Argentina won the 2022 World Cup, in their own words (ESPN)
In honor of the 1-year anniversary of Argentina’s World Cup win: an oral history. Would’ve been even more interesting to get some quotes from French players as well.
What is lost with MLS’s self-interested snub of the U.S. Open Cup (Washington Post $)
Steven Goff, like many of us, is not happy about MLS’s Open Cup decision. See also the many reddit memes.
Hopefully, we’ll have more local news to chat about by Friday and we all make it through the week until then. Have a good Tuesday!
Annie, more of you is always welcome. We’re all grateful for the content (especially in the off-season).
As for Kang, her ambitions are clearly big. I can’t imagine she expects LC to stay second tier. And actually, this is a good model for Americans investing in teams outside the US that have promo/rel–buy cheap and low. Invest in the team and build brand (and value). It’s not like buying an NFL or MLB team. Letting Benny go wasn’t a wise move IMO. I lobbied for Parsons–that was a good choice at the time it seemed. The investments, movement to Audi–all smart. Is Krikorian making wise personnel decisions? Difficult to tell right now.
So, Nashville’s best draft pick was Jack Maher. It turns out that he’s got a brother in this draft, Joey Maher. Will Ally Mackay be tempted to replicate one of his previous employer’s draft successes by getting another Maher?
The thing with Maher is that by most consensuses, he would be a reach at #7. United could trade down to try and get him and some allocation money (although I do think there are some useful players that they could get at 7), or hope that he’s still available in the second round and try to get him then.
I agree. They should go with best prospect for the first pick (unless they decided to trade it) and definitely go for Maher with the next pick. There’s about 3-5 guys ahead of him in regards to best CB available (with that being said CB is always stacked heavy in the Superdraft, you rarely go wrong drafting a CB).
It’s kind of surprising that United hasn’t gone for more center backs in the draft. I think the last time they drafted a center back in the first round, it ended up being our current captain, and one of only four players to ever make over 200 appearances for the club.
I forgot about Michael DeShields. But I think most people did.
Looking at MLS Mock Draft, had me desperately wanting DCU to trade up. Jacob Murrell or one of the two Freshman Gen Adidas players coming from U. of Maryland and U of Virginia have me salivating about getting some badly needed offensive punch. One thing that gives me hope is the note that Murrell might return to Georgetown for his junior year. This would be a reprieve for DCU to figure out a way to get him (and maybe have an MLS NextPro club ready to go in Baltimore for him to really prepare for MLS. That might also mean he might slip a couple of places in the draft, as clubs look to get players they konw will come out for 2024.
Don’t know if the rest of you saw this, but Andre was good enough to post about the report that Kang looks to have nabbed Barca Women’s coach to bring to the Spirit. Personally think such a move has risks, not because the coach isn’t excellent, but because Sullivan and Metayer are, to put it mildly, not Barcelona midfielders.
It’s a great read.
agreed 100%
MLS looks terrible bagging the the US Open Cup.
Darth Garber is pleased that DC United is already ousted from the tourney…..
Still feeling pretty bummed about the Open Cup news, and thinking about what the SuperDraft used to be. The team would organize a bus and take fans when it was in Philadelphia or Baltimore. You got to see all these figures from the soccer world face to face, and meet all the other hardcore nerds from the other fanbases. You got to meet the new drafted players and maybe some others besides. The year that Perry Kitchen and Chris Korb were drafted, I got their autographs, and Santino Quaranta and Andy Najar (and Chris Pontius maybe? Memory is foggy.) swung by and I got their autographs too. I got to meet Steve Birnbaum and congratulate him right after he was drafted. I was there for Philly’s debut as a fanbase, and LAFC’s.
Likewise, the Open Cup was an opportunity to be closer to the players, to have a different and more intimate experience. To really grow your personal connection to the team and the players.
I miss these moments when MLS was small.
I remember your posts from SuperDraft. Fun!
Those are some of my most favorite memories of being a United fan.
I did get to tell Don Garber to his face that I was going to miss RFK Stadium and that moving the Crew was a shitty thing to do. If that was what ultimately led to the demise of an in-person SuperDraft, my bad!
Darth Garber is delighted with your misery.
RE: withdrawing from Open Cup
I get the business side of it. No way that Messi should be at minor league stadiums playing on sub-standard surfaces. It’s a risk to his body as well as a security nightmare for minor league hosts. Most of the MLS teams don’t take it seriously until about the quarters or semifinals if they get lucky and get there with their reserves. They all treat it as something to keep the starters out of to not risk injury until the quarters or semis.
The USSF needs to step up and make it into a big deal if they want MLS back. Don Garber made comments about how it’s not right to be able to see major league athletes at minor league venues. It dilutes the value of experiencing MLS quality players in person. There are also no TV rights as they are given away for free on Youtube. Meanwhile, the made-for-TV leagues Cup just drew much more attention and TV subscriptions than the Open Cup ever did.
MLS is a business that needs to grow and protect its brand. The USSF doesn’t do that as nobody cares except for the hardest of hardcore fans. They don’t fill the stadiums unless it’s for a final. MLS is right to take the Apple TV money for the Leagues Cup and play against major league competition in major league facilities rather than giving away poorly produced single camera games in minor league facilities for free on Youtube.
Can’t say I like it personally but I get the league’s perspective on this one wanting to protect its brand as well as investment in its players’ talents.
I can see the business side of the decision, but, I think the sticking point for me is the reason they actually gave of “schedule congestion.” The schedule would not be congested if it weren’t for this arbitrary tournament in the middle of the summer that we stop the entire season for. I also feel like there was a solution along the lines of “If a team is competing in the CONCACAF Champions League (Cup?) they will not compete in the US Open Cup (or can send their MLS NEXT Pro team), while all other teams will compete fully.” A solution like that would give a relatively equal number of games to all teams, with teams that succeed in their respective competition having to play more games. If not that, then give the individual teams the decision if they want to send their NEXT Pro team or participate themselves.
Which tournament drew tickets and Apple TV subs, had Apple TV quality production, featured all major league opponents, and was played completely in major league facilities with major league locker rooms and major league fields?
Which tournament is played on minor league fields and makes no money and has a single camera production dropped on Youtube for free?
The fixture congestion thing was secondary to the business problem. It was MLS being tactful and diplomatic. The MLS is now big enough and the competition is high enough where the Open Cup devalues the MLS product and puts undue risk on its players.
Tyrese Spicer, a LW, goes to Toronto with the first pick. MLSsoccer.com had him rated as the third best winger, and the top one is a freshman from Univ. of Maryland that’s actually a Toronto native. Kind of surprised to see that choice.
Travis Clark’s mock draft for the league site had him going at #9. He did score 14 goals in 16 games, so that’s not too shabby.
Kimani Stewart-Baynes was that Terp winger. He goes to the Rapids at #4. Colorado is mining the DMV.
It’s worth remembering we could have mined the DMV through the draft, as well, but we didn’t fail last season so abysmally
We might still mine it.
Local lad goes #2
Bethesda SC player Wayne Frederick!
Dallas traded up to get Logan Farrington, the guy that folks are pegging as this draft’s Duncan Maguire.
Nate Jones goes to Austin. He’s a 6’5″ left-footed center back. The league site mock draft had DC selecting him, and I wouldn’t have been upset about that.
Chicago takes Bryan Dowd, who was the consensus top goalkeeper. Chicago has done a good job with young goalkeepers from Gaga Slonina to Chris Brady, and now Dowd. I think he was a Chicago academy player, though? Not sure why they needed to draft him.
DC IS ON THE CLOCK!
It does seem odd. Perhaps the player wanted to have the chance to be selected in the draft by another team? In which case, would be odd for Chicago to nab him, still, if he didn’t want to sign as an academy player…
They also traded for Andrew Gutman, who had been a Chicago academy product.
Chicago does so zig when everyone else zags, for worse or for worse…
That really was a head-scratcher for me, too — though I’ve definitely seen that happen in the draft before. Maybe even at Chicago, if memory serves.
DC takes Jacob Murrell out of Georgetown. Nice to see them crack the Georgetown pipeline too. A sophomore, so fits in nicely with the Hopkins/Fletcher age group.
Looking forward to reading some write ups, I haven’t paid as much attention to the college prospects as I once did, but his rings a bell as a player with a good reputation- though maybe I just read about him in someone’s comment. We definitely need forward depth, let’s hope the lucky #7 pick does its magic…
Fischy was pushing hard for this to happen.
So was I. Hoya Saxa!!!!!!!
(total homey call)
I guess it should be noted he may still opt to return to school. If he does before preseason starts, if I interpreted what the Wiebe et. al. were saying correctly, that will mean he essentially was never drafted. So hopefully he decides to stick around, otherwise its just a loss
Yeah, it’s up to Mackay to close the deal. And hope that whoever the coach is likes the guy. (Or that Murrell likes the coach.)
I suppose one thing working for DC in this respect, is that it seems…plausible that he could still probably stay at Georgetown part-time and get his degree (and not play soccer for them) since its local, if that’s something he cares about. I feel like if he chooses not to commit to DC, that its probably more of a decision of “I don’t want to play for DC, specifically”
Goff just reported that Georgetown’s coach told him that Murrell is “heavily leaning toward coming back” to play with Georgetown next year, but decision has not been made. DC would keep his rights until the end of 2025
That would be kind of a bummer, but it seems like he could still play his junior season, and then DC could sign him to a contract after that.
But yeah, you sort of figure that if he doesn’t sign with United now, he would just rather not play for United and might re-enter the draft.
The video of Murrell being selected, he was not exactly oozing excitement.
Yeah…Parents and family, very excited. Him, not so much
Murrell’s own response to Goff seemed far more open to signing, or at least he’s very diplomatic about things. United has landed some reaches when it comes to homegrowns (Harkes, Pines, Fletcher), so we’ll see if Mackay can finish this process off.
I guess what sort of works out in that case is that if you assume he plays 2 more years at Georgetown, that would put him entering the draft ahead of the 2026 season. If thats the case, and IF the super draft is held in December of 2025 like it was this year, he would still only be eligible to sign with DC. Otherwise, he’d have to wait to January 2026 and try to sign somewhere as a free agent. So it might work out for DC in the long run, it might just take some time
That is the playbook going on, most likely. Ultimately, I think he would sign here.
I think it would be fine if he returns to G’town, so long as both sides are committed to bringing him in next year. Hopefully by then DCU will have a MLS NextPro team stood up in Baltimore, so he can have an option to get major playing time.
This coming year will be weird anyway. Very much rebuilding. It would be nice to see him work with Benteke for a year — good teacher, but no substitute for playing games that matter.
They got Jacob Murrell!! Don’t blame me if it doesn’t pan out, but I’m pleased. He may not have the speed or the size of other attackers taken ahead of him, but he clearly has the knack. Smart, and skilled when it comes to scoring. Also, he’s a local star, who decided to go to Georgetown, and also play semi-pro locally in the simmmer. He likes it here, sio he may be a long-time fixture.
He’s 6’3. He’s got size!
Looking at his highlights, he oddly didn’t have any headed goals included in that video. His goals were coming from positioning and pouncing on mistakes in the box.
Chip off the old Hoya block. I would be tickled if it all works out.
Tom Bogert is reporting that DC just traded for very-recently-signed Atlanta homegrown defender Garrison Tubbs. He’s 6’3″, was a Hermann Trophy Finalist at Wake Forest, and Atlanta fans seem pretty upset. We sent $125,000 GAM with another $150,000 in GAM add-ons. I’m not sure how that part shakes out, but seems like a fine deal. I’m kind of expecting that this is our Donovan Pines replacement.
I feel like DC has a good track record of signing fan-favorite players from Atlanta that end up working out decently well for us. Asad, Gressel, and now Tubbs. And who knows, maybe DC will land Robinson and Martinez too! (disclaimer: I do not actually want them to actually sign Martinez unless he takes a huge pay cut, and even then maybe not)
Tom Bogert reporting that DC has traded for Garrison Tubbs from Atlanta for somewhere between $125 and $275 GAM. He just signed a homegrown deal with Atlanta last week
Ben Olsen takes a UVA player, go figure. Picking up the guy who was viewed as one of the top two talents at #26 is pretty darn good for Houston.
For those who always say Matt Doyle hates us or whatever, he singled out the pick of Murrell as one of his favorites of the first round. He says that Murrell is 19 and lacks a little bulk, but once he starts working in a pro weight room, he’s going to turn into a starting level CF in MLS in a year or two.
Has anyone seen Matt Doyle and Darth Garber in the room at the same time?
Think about it…..
With their first pick of the second round, United takes Brandon Parrish, a midfielder from Clemson. Never hurts to pick someone from the national champs, and Parrish was the captain (and a goalscorer in the champsionship game) to boot. No idea if he has a shot at the senior team, but that’s a lot of nice checkmarks in his favor.
I think we’ve seen our first clear evidence of Ally MacKay’s influence on the roster, selecting a Nashville native in the 2nd round. Brandon Parrish, a midfielder who was a captain for Clemson this year.
I think the trade for Tubbs may also have MacKay’s fingerprints’ He probably saw him at Wake Forest.
Getting Tubbs and Murrell (assuming he winds up at DC) is doing good work for my “DC should be building a large, talented core of young players.” Adding them to Ku-DiPietro, Fletcher, Akinmboni, and Hopkins is quite nice, and if they can crown that with a Young DP and three U-22s, that should position us really well for 2025 and beyond when we cycle past Benteke and Klich as our DPs.
^^^^^^This
I agree 100%
DCU draft a goalkeeper in the 3rd round, from Wisconsin — passing up on UMBC FW Taylor Calheira, who was snagged with the next pick by NYCFC. Not that one can expect to get real value out of 2nd or 3rd round picks. DCU’s 2nd pick in the 2nd round was Aldair Sanchez, whose background is…a little yellow flaggy. A small defender at 5’8″, he did two years at UNC after coming thru the Timbers academy. No clue why he didn’t return to UNC in ’22, but can’t find anything on where he was that year. He did a tryout for Sacramento Republic in ’23 and made the team, where he seems to have been a starter in back four defense.
The goalie is Nate Crockford. Former Chicago Fire academy goalie. Had a stellar sophomore year in goal for UCLA, but moved on to Wisconsin this year, where he did pretty well, too. 17 starts, and held opponents to one or no goals in 12 of 17 starts.
Obviously, I have no clue about 99% of the players in the draft pool, but kinda surprised no one picked Noah Adnan. Gaithersburg native who was a 3-year starter in defense for Stanford. DC United should definitely kick the tires and bring him into camp, if he’s willing to take off from school for that chance.
Pareja re-signed with Orlando–so he’s not an option for DCU. Caleb Porter is the new head coach for New England.
I don’t think Mackay will choose Bruce, but if he does, I’m not renewing Appletv
I see. Without even knowing what it Arena was accused of doing.
How would you feel about Adrian Heath?
Honestly it doesn’t matter. Arena’s time in New England was a big meh. He had one good season and the rest were below average. He’s also now in his seventies, I’d rather they just go with a younger coach.
He’s a 72 year old man who was hounded out for lack of impulse control and some sort of prejudicial language, we don’t need any of that.
Heath is just untalented, and not exactly a fresh face, either. I know less about his character, Bruce would just be absolutely the wrong choice, and I’m not paying to watch that.
With vacant seats filling up and candidates dwindling, I’d rather DC took a gamble on BJ Callaghan. Young, driven to make a mark at the pro level, and unlikely to shirk responsibility for outcomes the way others who have ridden the merry-go-round would.
More than anything, I’m a bit surprised that you’re leveling some accusatory vibes my way for not wanting Arena. It’s a monetary choice