Happy Monday, everyone! I had such a great time this weekend in Detroit for the NFL Draft. I was there all 3 days to help set the record: 775,000+ people attended and there could’ve been so many more had they not shut the gates the first 2 days. Ain’t no party like a Detroit party! With that, let’s recap the soccer from the weekend…
Recap: D.C. best 10-man Seattle 2-1 with Benteke brace (DP)
DC United win at home, taking advantage of a Stefan Frei red card to win 2-1. Christian Benteke gets another brace! However, it was a bittersweet night as a man was fatally stabbed outside Audi Field before the match. No word yet on whether the victim was attending the match or if it was, as the team called it, an isolated event.
Washington Spirit’s win streak stopped by Orlando Pride, 3-2 (DP)
The Spirit drop their first home match this season, trying hard to catch up against the Pride but falling short.
D.C. United Midfielder Russell Canouse Underwent Surgery (DC United)
It was announced late last week that Russell Canouse underwent successful surgery to remove his colon. Canouse has Ulcerative colitis, and this was the first of 3 surgeries that will hopefully see him back to 100%. He hopes to return to training in the fall. We’re all wishing the best for Russ and hope he’s back to 100% health in his life as soon as possible.
New England Revolution set attendance record as Lionel Messi visits Gillette Stadium (MLS)
Lionel Messi becomes the first player ever to have 5 straight MLS matches with multiple goal contributions as Inter Miami trounce New England 4-1 in front of a record Revs crowd.
PSG crowned Ligue 1 champions in Mbappe’s likely final season (ESPN)
PSG has won Ligue 1 and keep their hopes alive for a quadruple in Kylian Mbappé’s final season with the club. In the match, he set the record for most goals with one club in French soccer.
Indianapolis mayor announces MLS expansion bid, former Chelsea exec among investors (The Athletic)
What a weird situation, as Indianapolis’ mayor walked away from a $1 billion stadium project for USL club Indy XI. Why? He traveled to New York City to meet with MLS and then promptly announced that he was leading a bid to bring MLS to Indianapolis. MLS wasn’t bursting at the seams to announce the feeling was mutual, so it leaves a ton in the balance.
Barcelona beat Chelsea in Women’s Champions League to advance to the final, but a 2nd yellow early in the second half to Kadeisha Buchanan had Emma Hayes seething.
Enjoy the start of the week, everyone.
Reposting from the Spirit recap:
Barbara Banda is incredible. She reminds me of Samuel Eto’o when he played for Barcelona, just an incredibly dynamic talent. No real weaknesses as a forward. We do not have a poor defense, her talent was just not contained, as you say, when she started hunting for gaps across the backline.
It made me honestly think, I know the economic forces are different in the women’s game, but if I could sign a front line of Sophia Smith, Mallory Swanson, and Barbara Banda for three million dollars, I’m slamming the spend button.
If I could get Jadyn Shaw or Trin instead of Swanson, I’d probably be ok with that, too. My point is, it’s crazy the economics and how three million, which is basically one relatively promising youth prospect on the men’s side… why isn’t anyone pulling the trigger?
I also talked about how the expansive passing style of the Spirit really requires better deep lying passers than they have, and possibly can afford.
Benteke’s Buzzard Point brace tops Seattle 2-1. The tally to date:
Buzzard Points (home goals): Benteke (6, incl. pk): Pirani, Santos, Stroud
Talones (home assists): Herrera & Klich (2); Antley, Benteke, Santos
Taloncitos (drew home pk): Stroud
Sarr, Hatch Buzzard Points can’t top Orlando’s Banda 2-3. The tally to date:
Buzzard Points (home goals): Bethune, Hatch (incl. pk), Sarr (2); Hershfelt, Sullivan
Talones (home assists): Rodman (2); Bethune, Hatch, Krueger
Taloncitos (drew home pk): Bethune (2)
It’s a shame to hear about the stabbing fatality. I believe that the last time the Sounders visited, in 2019, there was some violence involved with the DC fans ganging up on a Sounders supporter and sending them to the hospital. It’s unknown if the stabbing was related to the game in any way, but it’s a terrible coincidence either way.
It wasn’t. Sounders supporters had a security escort into and out of the stadium.
This was a reported to be a “work related incident” and the suspect is arrested.
The team put together a nice little travel vlog on their YouTube channel, showing what it’s like when the club travels on away days. This was showing their trip to New York, and while I’m glad the players have gotten the right to take charter planes, it still would have been cool if they had taken the train up. One of the perks of being on the East Coast is getting to take the train, and it’s more environmentally friendly.
Ah well, still a nice peak behind the scenes.
Would it free up cap space to put Canouse on IR for the season? It would be a shame to see him miss the whole season but the last two games have hammered home our nonexistent depth.
I’m always a little iffy on this, but I think the team would get the roster spot and the cap room, but still be on the hook for paying Canouse if he’s on the season ending injury list. And I think they did put him on that. Canouse has expressed his desire and intent to be back by late summer or fall, but Goff was mentioning in his write up that the team is expecting him to miss the whole season. And if he does miss the season, there’s a very good chance that we’ve seen the last of Russ in a United jersey.
You are correct about salary and roster relief. I (respectfully) think that you could be premature about next season. His colon was under autoimmune assault and that can wreak havoc with electrolytes, hydration etc. With it out, these is no more autoimmune activity, and it will be much easier for him to get into peak condition. I see the corporate wisdom on considering season-ending injury status, because we are very thin. I do not see any wisdom (if he can get to fitness) in not having him on our roster next year. We will have freed up the cap space to retain him, and he provides so much in a United uniform. Stay tuned, I guess.
It’s not a sure thing, but his contract is up. Ally Mackay was brought in kind of particularly for his salary negotiation skills, and he’s also been pretty ruthless about moving on every remnant from the previous regimes that he can. So, we’ll see how Canouse recovers (and no reason to think he can’t make a complete recovery), but the new front office may be more interested in building their own team.
Indeed true, but to toss the baby out with the bathwater, well…..maybe your instincts are spot on.
I think there must be exceptions for roster ties to the old regime.
Saw Kasper in the club section. Kind of got the vibe that he has been gently moved aside in the power scope of things. He’s always been friendly with me, and was so again, but much more reserved (like something was on his mind).
I’d like to see Canouse signed for next season. Ideally on a lower contract after he’s successfully recovered. But keeping him on the roster until the fall when we supposedly have no room to sign a player is bonkers (assuming, ofc, that the owners will actually shill out)
If he can return to some sort of normalcy next season in terms of form, he’s worth his salary, and will still be younger than 30. If he’s unable to, then I think Mackay will have to make the hard call. I’m definitely in the camp that losing Canouse and making him find a new club would be a tragedy, let’s hope it’s not an unavoidable one
I have a family member who went through the same procedure(s) as Canouse, I’m pretty confident he’ll return to form. It does take a while, so for his sake it’s good that the team doesn’t anticipate him returning this season. Getting back to training later in the year will be great
Unfortunately, I see the most likely outcome being Canouse getting offered a low salary and moving to another team in the league. McKay has been very unsentimental, for better or for worse. Peltola has been quite good (and is quite young), and Hopkins has become an option in the center (though he’ll need to learn some more positional discipline). This could very well be Birnbaum’s last season too.
Birnbaum is under contract through 2025. He could possibly retire, or the team could buy him out. But he’s a bit more likely to return next year than Canouse is, in my mind.
They are both popular veterans, I would not be surprised if Russell is back (if he can get to form; likely, in my opinion).
Ah, I retract my statement. Unless someone makes an enticing offer for him (I don’t get the sense he’s close to retiring). Having a solid veteran center back is hardly a problem.
First, please excuse the ridiculous user name. I used to post under DCUniverse, but I had to log back in and this is the name that was given somehow, I have no idea. I can’t change it, I can’t delete the account and start anew unless I want to use a different email. So here we are, again, apologies.
I wanted to jump in on the Canouse discussion, because it’s been my impression that he’s a decent/good player and a great character guy who misses a lot matches. I want sure, though, so I looked it up.
These are the matches played each season:
10 (acquired in August so fair enough)
20
26
15
21
18
16
Zero
I think he should be re signed, but at a salary that more closely resembles his likely contribution. With Canouse, best to expect he’ll miss time and be pleasantly surprised when he doesn’t than be disappointed he misses time.