Happy Monday, everyone. MLS was back this weekend, so we start with the local team! Captains were named before the first match, and Steve Birnbaum remains our captain for the 2024 season.
Recap: New look D.C. United excite in home opener with 3-1 win over the New England Revolution (DP)
Christian Benteke gets a hat trick as the Black-and-Red open up the 2024 season with a win over the Revs. United looked well for large stretches of the match, accumulating an xG of over 5!
Of course, several of the supporters groups protested the team’s decision to go to Saudi Arabia for their preseason. One group held up a sign the entire match that showed their displeasure in simple terms:
D.C. United Announce The Fruitist as the Club’s Official Sleeve Patch Partner (DCU)
D.C. United has a new sleeve sponsor, as The Fruitiest agreed to a multiyear deal to be the official snack partner of the team.
There was a lot of MLS action this weekend, from defending MLS Cup champions Columbus Crew beating Atlanta at home to Lionel Messi scoring the final goal of the weekend to help Inter Miami to a draw against the LA Galaxy. Only one road team won this weekend, that team being Minnesota United beating Austin FC at Q2 Stadium.
USA vs. Mexico, 2024 W Gold Cup: What to watch for (SSFC)
The USWNT are back in action tonight, so learn what they need to do in order to beat Mexico and claim Group A.
Loudoun United released their 2024 jerseys. Your thoughts on these?
DC News Now official media partner of Loudoun United (DC News)
Loudoun United now has a new media partner, with DC News Now’s Game Night broadcasting Loudoun’s home matches this season and bringing other content focused on the players and coaches.
USA Soccercast, Episode 127: Michael Battista discusses the U.S. Open Cup (SSFC)
I discuss the U.S. Open Cup updates with Michael Battista, who’s done some great reporting on MLS’ desire to not be in the 109-year-old tournament.
McKennie dislocates shoulder in Juventus win over Frosinone (ESPN)
Wes McKennie logged 2 assists yesterday, but dislocated his shoulder against Frosinone. Just can’t get any good luck in the injury department.
Bordeaux’s Alberth Elis has surgery after serious head injury (ESPN)
Sending good vibes to Alberth Elis after he was placed in an artificial coma due to a serious head injury he sustained on the field.
Liverpool win EFL Cup with Van Dijk extra-time header (BBC)
A Virgil van Dijk goal in the 118th minute was the difference in a 1-0 Liverpool win in the League Cup final.
Some reporting on the regularly forgotten 1971 women’s World Cup tournament that FIFA ignores but did occur.
Finally, yesterday marked the 1 year anniversary of The District Press. We’re so thankful to each and every single person who has engaged with an article, read it, shared it, commented, and have done so much to help build this community. It keeps us going and we appreciate you all!
Let’s have a great week!
Happy Anniversary of keeping us going, District Press! Thank you to the writers for doing this, it’s an incredibly valuable space for us all, and the work you do is so appreciated and vital. Thanks also to the other commenters, who consistently bring the ingredients for lively discourse, and contribute material as well. Here’s to more years!
So, in the recap, I gave some love to the reffing crew who I thought handled the experience admirably, but I was unsure how the reffing experience would work out for everyone else, given that the official refs are striking. I was concerned that games would get out of hand, that there would be a dip in quality, and probably a considerable amount of controversy.
I haven’t exactly checked out every game, but I’ve also heard crickets in terms of all that business… which seems to indicate that the weekend was uneventful in terms of a reffing decline. And given how most weeks you hear some sort of howling about reffing in some game, could it be this was an improvement?
If so, the striking refs are in a tough position. Just to be clear, I have no idea how reasonable or necessary the terms they are striking for are, whether concerning pay or other considerations, but my oh my, did we dislike a lot of those refs. So, I’m not drawing any definite conclusions about their demands or this strike, but for a lot of those old refs, seems like their absence was appreciated.
The only thing I’ve heard about refereeeing is that the number of VAR reviews was a lot higher than in an average weekend. This tweet said 12 this week vs. 4 normally.
https://twitter.com/coreyrock/status/1761806878500376698?t=AyzT7bCEGB2dQGnEwdBWOQ&s=19
Note I have not checked these numbers.
Fascinating factoid (assuming it’s correct–and since Annie referred to it, it must be!)
I may be in the minority, but I don’t mind legit VAR checks if it improves decision making, especially if it overturns calls that got it wrong on the field. Our game had two, and both were necessary.
I think you’re definitely in the majority (as am I), there are enough wrong calls every day in every league. Often it’s just that there’s too much going on too quickly, without even accounting for feigning. It would be more of an issue if there was a 2 minute pause every other minute.
I’m glad we have overlap. I find that my VAR opinion that I think a lot would push back on is, “clear and obvious” is not a wording in any rules set that has any value, and is actually harmful to correct calls happening. All the time, on field refs are missing stuff that a VAR can perceive, but the wording means that, instead of making a human judgement (which, spoiler, is all we have as humans), the VAR have to search their own brains to see if there’s any subjectivity to the call. That’s absurd, if you see something, call down to the ref.
I’ve heard the ref situation referred to as a lockout rather than a strike. So your verbiage may ruffle some feathers while my comment may ruffle others…
I’ve only seen some highlights of the league’s weekend action. Vrioni’s slide tackle from behind – when he was already on a yellow – may not require VAR but should require the player to submit to some kind of brain scan!
Ha, I like it. Ruffle away!
As for the nature of the work stoppage, you’re right, that is troubling, and I do think the league should take care of those reffing games- although refs complaining they’re being paid like camera operators as if that’s an insult is not the greatest argument (referring to a reference in the Guardian coverage).
At the same time, it’s hard for me to fully back my principles consistently, cuz a lot of the union refs are preening incompetents.
It is, in fact a lock-out by Pro, but the refs were threatening to strike. He said/she said posturing.
Congrats District Press. You’ve given me just one more excuse (besides Saturday’s win) to eat cake. And ice cream. And before I dip in to my pint of Ben & Jerry’s, I will sing Happy Birthday to the DP (but with no-one around so I don’t get cited for violating a noise ordinance of some sort).
Good job crew. I really appreciate all the hard work y’all put in to it (most of which I’m probably not aware of).
BTW, my comments were not hyperbole. I did sing a quiet “happy birthday District Press” and I enjoyed a pint of B&J Caramel Chocolate Cheesecake.
Doyle (on the MLS website) does a recap of the weekend’s games. DCU is the second game he mentions and he goes in to detail. He talks about how in his gut he felt good about DCU but wasn’t courageous enough to pick them to make the playoffs. But he’s concluded that the basic system they play (forward pressure, wide play from the wings) is a proven system in MLS and it’s now being done with a dominant striker who can feast off of the wide play from Herrera.
It’s nice to read some good press about DCU and also some detail (rather than 1 or 2 passing lines).
Happy birthday!
So, with his hat trick, Benteke has 18 goals and 4 assists in 39 games for DC. Taxi Fountas had 18 goals and 4 assists in 38 games for DC. (Benteke did play nearly 850 more minutes).
Pretty impressive at the similarity of their production, even if it came about in wildly different ways.
Alex Bono is up to 19th all time in games played by a DC United goalkeeper, tied with Chris Seitz. He’s got a 1.09 GAA and five clean sheets in 11 games played (plus a scoreless half when he subbed in for Tyler Miller). He made a really fine save on Chancalay, and another nice one on Carles Gil’s free kick.
With Ally Mackay feeling really cash strapped, I’d be feeling a little trepidatious if I were Tyler Miller.
Also unfortunately for Miller, Lesesne is probably not asking his GK to be Ederson. I wouldn’t worry either way until the summer, when some other team has a goalkeeper crisis.
That team could conceivably be us, too. It’s never been more important in MLS to have real quality depth at goalkeeper (you may recall our 2022). Zamudio and Crockford are certainly projects, and not at all guaranteed to pan out. But do you take the chance and move Miller’s pretty hefty contract ($400K) to try and bolster another part of the roster, and then maybe retool the goalkeeping position in 2024?
Miller note is a great shout. Good business with Bono playing well. Also, would like Zamudio to get a real shot. He was living up to his nickname that last year at Loudoun.
I was really unimpressed with the little I saw of Zamudio, abdb it seems highly unlikely that Lesene will be comfortable handing the nets over to Crockford now, if Bono goes down. OTOH, we’re rolling with those 2 as the back-ups now.
Bono has been really good since he took over. So, Miller’s days in DCU’s nets may be over…assuming they can move him. Lesesne might be happy to watch them develop in practice and figure out if either looks ready step in next year, if needed. And, keep fingers crossed for now. If we’re in the Open Cup, he might get a decent look at one of them.
I’ve been looking at the height we added this offseason and thinking about how it could be used offensively. Obviously Benteke put on a show, but Bartlett, McKey, and Peltola put on a good show defensively, really controlling the air in the box.
Benteke’s hat trick opens Buzzard Points tally for 2024 in 3-1 home opener against Revs. Third was really impressive, outjumping 6’5” Revs keeper Navas to head ball right through Navas’s hands. The tally to date:
Buzzard Points (home goals): Benteke (3)
Talones (home assists): Antley, Herrera, Santos
Happy Birthday, or Happy Anniversary.
I love the Loudoun home white and red kit — better than anything I’ve seen for DCU — and I might even prefer their away blacks to the last several DCU home kits.
It incorporates the the Loudoun County flag well (also Clan Campbell arms, on which it is based).
Over the weekend the Men’s and Women’s 7s NTs participated in the Vancouver 7s on the HSBC 7s series. The Men came in 4th place, their highest placement so far this season. The Women came in 5th.
Coverage of the women’s team in the Vancouver 7s:https://eagles.rugby/news/usa-womens-sevens-recap-2024225
Coverage of the men’s team in the Vancouver 7s: https://eagles.rugby/news/usa-mens-sevens-recap-van-2024225
The US hosts the next event this weekend in LA with the LA7s. Currently in the series standings the men sit in the last non-relegation playoff spot with 30 series points in 8th place and are 10 points clear of the line. They are 6 points behind 7th place France who beat them in the bronze medal game yesterday. The Women are tied for 4th place in the Women’s Series standings with Canada on 48 points.
Benteke player of the Match Day for round 1: https://www.mlssoccer.com/news/dc-united-s-christian-benteke-named-player-of-the-matchday
Benteke is also the only DCU player in the Team of the Week: https://www.mlssoccer.com/news/team-of-the-matchday-who-were-the-mls-is-back-standouts
He was also player of the match week.