Krikorian talks Spirit trades, Canada Soccer media rights drama, and more: Friday Freedom Kicks
Happy Friday, everyone! I am hoping to take things easy today after a trip to Philadelphia and back for work yesterday. This would be likelier if I hadn’t spent all week procrastinating on a number of household chores. But I have managed to get one thing done: a fresh batch of Freedom Kicks for all of you!
Mark Krikorian addresses the tough trades that shook up the Spirit (Washington Post)
The Spirit’s GM and President of Soccer Operations made a rare media appearance yesterday to discuss recent trades and his team’s preparedness for a new season. It doesn’t sound to me like they’ve got any big names coming in to replace Sam Staab, but I guess we’ll see.
Jason Anderson also shared notes from the press conference, for those of you without a Washington Post subscription.
Canadian Soccer Business takes back broadcast rights from Mediapro, launches legal action (CBC)
Canada Soccer’s slightly sketchy business deal with Canada Soccer Business continues to make news. CSB has now sued their broadcast partner, meaning Canada’s national team games may be temporarily unavailable.
Soccer’s unique stadium food and the stories behind them (ESPN)
Caution: reading this can cause hunger.
NWSL announces 2024 regular season schedule (NWSL)
I love NWSL schedule release day because the fans absolutely lose their minds over a bunch of dates, revealing us all to be planning nerds. André did a helpful summary of the Spirit’s schedule for us yesterday, but I also wanted to share the team’s announcement video.
Both the AFC Asian Cup and AF Cup of Nations begin their rounds of 16 this weekend. The AFC games start Sunday and can be watched on Paramount+, while AFCON games are on beIN Sports starting tomorrow. More details in the links.
Finally, the Loudoun United boys took a break from training for some putt-putt. Hoping you all have similarly fun activities planned for the warm weekend.
Lots of reasons to really dislike or even hate the trip to Saudi Arabia, but is anybody else worried that since someone else is footing the bill, there’s a limit on United’s traveling party size? Like, they can’t bring in any players until they get home?
Perhaps that’s a silly fear, but just trying to come up with some reasons why there haven’t been any moves to fill out our roster. If they do bring someone in after the trip, those players won’t have had any time to get practice games in with their new teammates. And we’re already without our main creative hub in Gabriel Pirani.
Or are we just going to sign Graham Jones as a homegrown, and Brandon Parrish (he’d be our second Second Round draft signing in three years), and that’ll bring the roster up to 27, and that’s what we’ll roll with for the beginning of the season?
On cue, Goff reports that Troy Lesesne is optimistic about signing Matti Peltola, whose rights DC have secured. That’s all well and good, and I think he’ll be a fine player. Will he join them in Saudi Arabia? Will there be any other new signings?
By my count, we only have six outfield players between the ages of 21 and 30.
Mohanad Jeahze (26)
Russell Canouse (28)
Martin Rodriguez (29)
Lucas Bartlett (26)
Aaron Herrera (26)
Jared Stroud (27)
Two of those guys are coming off of serious season-ending injuries, and three are new to the team this year.
Five players are older than 30.
Pedro Santos (35)
Steve Birnbaum (33)
Christian Benteke (33)
Mateusz Klich (33)
Cristian Dajome (30)
This is going to be a SUPER young team.
damn Birnbaum is 33…can’t believe its been 10 years since we took him in the first round of the SuperDraft.
Ku-DiPietro turns 22 this weekend if his Wikipedia bio is correct. Happy Birthday to the old man of the youngsters.
Also, according to Goff, the team never offered Ethan Doebbelaere a contract, so that’s one fewer 21 and under player.
Ugh, Goff is reporting that if Matti Peltola joins – and the club is sort of treating it more like “when” – he’d be a Young DP. What I’ve seen of Peltola makes me think he’s a good player, but I was going to think it would be overpaying if he was a U-22. Instead, he might be our third DP?!
Now, a Young DP would let us sign two more U-22 players, but… man.
I have no inside (or even outside) knowledge. However, I highly doubt that the team is on a travel budget they can’t exceed. If all expenses are being covered by the sports fund in the Kingdom and they say “no, you can’t fly over this trialist” then we just pay for one round trip ticket ourselves. And frankly, flying an Eastern European or African player to Riyadh is cheaper than flying them to the States. And I also don’t think the Saudis are going to have us staying at a Day’s Inn on this trip. This is a trial, and they want to impress and have DCU not only coming back both other clubs following suit. So no, I don’t worry that budget constraints on the trip are limiting our ability to invite another trialist or two (or three). I think a bigger issue if we decided to invite some people after a week there would be the lag in getting approval to travel. Not an issue for US citizens–it’s a quick process–but maybe someone from Africa or Eastern Europe–there may be a bit of a lag and paperwork issues.
I think the biggest reason why we don’t have a flood of trialists at this point is Lesesne is still learning about the talent he does have. He wants to see people on the field and in games to decide just how flexible are some players, where does he have big gaps. That probably means we aren’t going to bring in a 3rd DP this transfer window–more likely the summer. And that’s a shame because there is a great showcase of African talent right now.
If the team adds Peltola as a Young DP, they won’t have another DP slot to use.
Correct. But we’ll have U-22 slots to add.
That food article was awesome. I always find a pupuseria at Buzzard Point when I attend a game in person.
The Canadian FA is so screwed up. I think that’s why they lost Herdman (who has done a fine job with both their women’s and men’s teams). They’re mismanaged and cutting camps due to finances. The issue I don’t think people are addressing is: what does all of this incompetence bode for Canada’s role in organizing and hosting WC matches?
OGDC has announced the list of players from the 2023 roster that won’t be on the 2024 squad.
Quentin Newcomer, Nic Souchon, Api Naikatini, David Beach, Kyle Baillie, Alejo Daireaux, Fintan Coleman, LangiLangi Haupeakui, John LeFevre, Tito Diaz Bonilla, Owen Sheehy, Doug Fraser, Fermin Martinez, Marcos Young, Thretton Palamo, Gardy Lebon, Junior Sa’u, and Peni Lasaqa
Sad to see Bonilla go as he was amazing for our kicking game. I hope they have a plan to replace him.
The source is OGDC’s Facebook post they made less than an hour ago.
Weekend update: EA FC 24 is apparently (accidentally?) leaking a bunch of MLS and NWSL kits, including DC United’s!
https://twitter.com/DCUnitedKingdom/status/1751281977288782110?s=20
It wasn’t accidental. EA Sports told the teams when it was going out and the MLS tried to still slow roll the announcement even with the deadline.
This happens to some league every single year. It pains me to say this, but it’s not EA’s fault they couldn’t get their shit together.
Interesting. NWSL kits have now leaked too, and I don’t think any of the teams had announced designs yet. Seems silly not to do your announcement early and show the kit to its best advantage instead of letting a video game reveal it!
If the Spirit leaked version is accurate…ugh. I understand that yellow is Kang’s favorite color. But it’s a bit tone-def. It has no real connection to the DC area. But it does conjure up some rivals (Penguins, Columbus Crew).
I could be wrong, it may be an attempt to connect to early urban hip hop culture. Yellow and black were a big deal- does it connect today? Who knows
Nice brace of goals by Brandon Vazquez for Monterrey as they beat Atletico San Luis on Univision last night.
https://sbisoccer.com/2024/01/brandon-vazquez-nets-first-liga-mx-brace-in-monterrey-win
Neither goal disproves what I’ve said about Vasquez in the past- he’s good at headers and finishes fine when he doesn’t have to create the chance. Still, that header was McBride level skill