Gotham become Monstars, Sam Kerr tears ACL, and more: Monday Freedom Kicks
Happy Monday, everyone. The snowstorm that rolled through over the weekend brought DC a ton of…rain. So, while we settle into the first full week of 2024, here’s some stuff that occurred over the weekend.
Gotham FC has completed their transition to being the Monstars, as they add Rose Lavelle and Emily Sonnett via free agency. The Athletic has more on the impact of Gotham’s incredible offseason so far on the league.
Chelsea’s Kerr suffers ACL injury at training camp in Morocco (ESPN)
Terrible news, as Sam Kerr has torn her ACL and will be out for the rest of the season. She will also miss the Olympics this summer. The impact of ACL injuries in the women’s game has been staggering the past few years.
USMNT January Camp roster released (SSFC)
No DC United players make the roster, however former Homegrown Player Griffin Yow was set to be called in by head coach Gregg Berhalter. Unfortunately, Yow’s club blocked the call-up, which they are able to do since this match occurs outside a FIFA international window. There are a plethora of newcomers who can make a great first impression.
Kim Stone hired as new Washington Spirit CEO (DP)
The Washington Spirit have a new CEO, as Kim Stone will come in to organize the business side of things. We look forward to seeing what she brings to the club.
Kylian Mbappe knows what Real Madrid will pay him if he signs with him. Now it appears to be a waiting game as to whether he will take the deal or once again spur Los Galácticos.
Dorival Júnior set to be named Brazil head coach after leaving São Paulo (The Guardian)
With Carlo Ancelotti no longer moving to Brazil, Dorival Júnior will be the new Brazil head coach through 2026.
NWSL Announces 2024 Salary Cap, Other Competition Updates (DP)
The NWSL salary cap is up to $2.7 million, and there are some other rules changes that the league has made for the 2024 season.
Mário Zagallo obituary (The Guardian)
Brazil’s Mário Zagallo passed away over the weekend at the age of 92. He has a record that is unrivaled, as he was a part of all of Brazil’s 5 World Cup titles: as a player in 1958 and 1962, as manager in 1970, as assistant manager in 1994, and as an advisor to the team in 2002. Truly a legendary career and life.
MLS referees work stoppage ‘imminent’ amid ongoing CBA negotiations (The Athletic)
If MLS and the referees don’t agree to a CBA, we could see the start of the season operate with replacement referees.
Long way home: French Cup minnows travel 8,600 miles – and lose 12-0 (The Guardian)
A team from Martinique traveled to France to compete in the French Cup. They got pummeled, but their story on making it to this point (and France allowing teams from all of its overseas departments to compete) is pretty cool.
Let’s make it a great week, everyone!
First, I personally think that Gotham’s signings aren’t so smart–this year at least. I think it’s likely that most of their NT players will end up on the Olympic team in Paris. Figure they’ll be missing a minimum of a month–maybe longer (long camp with a new coach, if the team advances to the metal rounds…). As we’ve discovered with the Spirit, that’s a long time to be missing the core of your team.
Second, that’s terrible new about Kerr. What that “might” do in other ways is: free up Emma Hayes earlier (if Chelsea gets knocked out of the European competition earlier and but lock down the league title in England–two big “if’s”).
Third, the Brasil-Real-Ancelotti-Junior story shows the risk of signing a coach and they’re supposed to arrive 6 months later. Sometimes they change your mind and your team has been in limbo for 6 months. That’s relevant considering where the US Women and the Spirit are today. I’m not saying signing Hayes or Giraldez are bad moves. They just demonstrate the risk involved.
And while I wish Yow had been released, that shows that his club now places some value on him–he’s not just one of the reserves who they figure a NT call up is a chance to earn some PT and get a bit sharper. He’s someone they count on, don’t want to risk injury, and have designs on. And that’s good. A call up would have been better. But at least he’s in a situation where he’s valued.
Steve Goff has the good news that Jacob Murrell is going to forego his final two years of college eligibility and sign with DC. He also has the news that United’s third round pick, goalkeeper Nate Crockford, is close to signing. Good for him, but it’s a bummer because Tyler Miller is still far enough away from returning that it necessitates a solution. I feel very confident in Alex Bono as a starter, and we keep hearing positive reports about Luis Zamudio. It makes a position of relative strength pretty thin though. On the bright side, Crockford comes out of the Fire’s academy, and they’ve been churning out top notch goalkeeping prospects for awhile.
That’s also potentially bad news for Brandon Parrish. There had been some chance that United’s second round pick could impress and make the roster. He still might, since central midfield is thin as well, but using three roster slots on one year’s draft picks seems a bit much. It might make it more likely that he signs with Loudoun and gets the chance to earn a call up from there. That might have always been the most likely course, anyway.
I don’t think it impacts Parrish at all. He’ll get a serious look. Not sure about Sanchez, but Parrish will get his chance.
The roster is pretty thin all around, and while other teams are signing veterans from MLS and bringing in strong internationals from South America and Europe, DC United still hasn’t announced the coach. This season is shaping up disastrously, but the draft picks will have their shot. The team doesn’t have much choice.
I’m not thrilled to have either Zamudio or Crockford as the primary back-up, but perhaps one will emerge as a MLS-calibre keeper.
Donald or Sarah
I’m concerned about Ryan Keefer’s absence from Freedom Kicks. I know that he has two small children who have had various health problems. I hope that Ryan and his family are well.
Joseph Lowery suggests that United should sign Cameron Puertas with their remaining DP slot. He’s a 25 year old Swiss attacker who can be a 10 or a winger. He plays for Royale Union Saint-Gilloise in Belgium, and has 4 goals and 12 assists in 1600 minutes. I’ve been pushing the idea of a Young DP so that United could also sign two more U-22 players, but they could do that if Puertas were a cheap enough DP that he could be bought down under the TAM threshold.
With Garbriel Pirani back in the fold, I think the idea would be to play him more as a winger. It’s an interesting idea. We’ll see what United does.