Happy Tuesday, everyone! I am back from my trip and ready for a very busy week of Spirit games, as well as making a cake for a friend’s 40th birthday tonight. Happy birthday to Ryan Mock, and here are some Freedom Kicks for the rest of you!
United States, Mexico withdraw joint 2027 Women’s World Cup host bid (Stars and Stripes FC)
Two World Cups here in two years would have been too much, in my opinion. The U.S. and Mexico will switch to a 2031 bid instead. Per Meg Linehan, Brazil is now likely to be the 2027 host.
Premier League clubs agree spending cap, could begin in 2025 (ESPN)
Is the Premier League adopting… an American sports practice?
Team of the Matchday: Austin FC make statement, Messi & Benteke dazzle (MLS)
Benteke’s brace puts him on the Team of the Matchday!
Even though the Spirit lost, Ouleye Sarr’s chip is up for Goal of the Week:
Orlando Pride midfielder Luana diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma (Pro Soccer Wire)
Horrible news, but it sounds like they caught it quickly. We wish Luana a speedy recovery!
Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney buy stake in Mexico’s Club Necaxa soccer team after Wrexham success (Variety)
Hat tip to Ryan Keefer, who informs us that the investors working with Reynolds and McElhenney, Al Tylis and Sam Porter, are former D.C. United owners/execs.
Status report: What defines your team through Matchday 11? (MLS)
Some good and bad for the Black-and-Red here, but it seems generally positive?
The Washington Spirit partners with local bars to create the Spirit Bar Network (Washington Spirit)
Late addition because I forgot that I wanted to include this. I think this is a really good move. Especially with games appearing on channels like Prime, NWSL+, and Ion this year, it can be so hard to find a place to watch the NWSL.
For your fun post(s) today, check out these pics of D.C. United and Washington Spirit players going to each others’ games this weekend:
Have a good day!
For me, the real question is whether EPL teams will have Designated Players and whether they will designate them with the proper term.
The spending cap is barely a limit in that pegging it to a multiple of the lowest teams’ revenue. That ensures the wealth gap persists. Surprised that Villa joined with their wealthier counterparts from England’s other Second City. Maybe their ambitions are higher than we know. That said, they have to compete with PSG, Bayern, and the top teams in Spain who will not face such a cap. Big teams will still want to compete for the next Mbappe and Haaland, so I’d expect them to craft a DP-like loophole
Bayern is, I believe, subject to Bundesliga rules that do limit the unlimited spending. I am not sure of the rules exactly, and maybe I am daffy. I hope they give Real Madrid the business today. I further am so stoked that the game is on CBS. we have come a long way with soccer in the past 60 years….
I’m not sure if it’s their own finances or league rules, but Bayern definitely doesn’t spend in the same manner as the oil giants. Spain seems to have some sort of spending rules that have resulted in Real being the only ones able to spend at their discretion (it probably helps that they make oodles of money by always being elite).
Goff posted this. Nice to see he is back in the area.
Harkes takes over as technical director of McClean Youth Soccer.
John Harkes returns to youth game with a wide array of experience – Soccer America