PL clubs expected to keep VAR, MLS All-Star voting update, and more: Thursday Freedom Kicks
Happy Thursday, everyone. Hope everyone is safe from the storms and tornadoes that rocked Maryland last night, particularly those of you from Montgomery County on up to Baltimore City. Here’s some of the news from the past couple days.
Premier League clubs expected to reject proposal to abolish VAR (The Athletic)
The EPL is expected to vote down a Wolves proposal to abolish VAR. Good, just because they’re not good at it doesn’t mean they should get rid of it.
Aguero gets into scuffle as TST 2024 gets spicy (Pro Soccer Wire)
TST began yesterday, and it was highlighted by Sergio Aguero getting into a staredown with a defender from Say Word FC. The defender was not phased. TST continues through the weekend.
MLS All-Star voting update: Which players lead the way? (MLS)
Good news! Aaron Herrera is the leading vote getter at right back! Christian Benteke is 4th in voting among forwards behind Lionel Messi, Cristian Arango, and Luis Suarez. Get those votes in!
The USWNT can’t let Lily get away (Pro Soccer Wire)
The USWNT won 3-0 Tuesday night, and we saw Lily Yohannes take the field and score in her debut cap. We can’t let her slip to the Dutch…we just can’t.
Charlotte FC in advanced talks with Fulham over move for USMNT’s Tim Ream (The Athletic)
Tim Ream could be returning to MLS to play with Charlotte FC. That would be an interesting move for him considering his hometown St. Louis now has a team.
St. Louis CITY’s Chris Durkin wins Goal of the Matchday (MLS)
Former DC United Homegrown Chris Durkin wins goal of the week for his golazo over the weekend…congrats Durk!
Amnesty International wants human rights guarantees at World Cups (ESPN)
Amnesty International wants FIFA to guarantee human rights protections at the 2030 and 2034 World Cups. It’s very ambitious to think FIFA will go along fully with that.
Hey Spirits: Bangers, Breakers, and the orange bow with Brittany Ratcliffe (DP)
There’s a new Hey Spirits episode featuring Brittany Ratcliffe, so check it out!
Does Christian Pulisic have a golfer girlfriend? Maybe! (Pro Soccer Wire)
CP10 entering the dating pool? Inquiring minds wanna know!
‘Tired of being humiliated’: Argentina players walk out over pay and conditions (The Guardian)
Argentina women’s national team players are protesting training conditions and low pay and have walked out on the federation. Good for them, and hopefully it leads to a resolution where they’re getting the resources they deserve.
Hope to see people this weekend at the USMNT-Colombia match! Catch me at the American Outlaws DC Chapter’s Night Before Party at Astro Beer Hall (1306 G Street NW) on Friday night and then at the tailgate on Saturday. That information will be posted on the AO website when it’s finalized…all are welcome!
Peltola started at CM and went 90 for Finland against Poland on Tuesday. I hope we can move away from playing him at CB because he really does look better playing higher up the pitch. I’m not sure how well he fits there in Lesesne’s pressing style – he’s closer to Junior Moreno than Canouse in terms of off the ball work, preferring to shut down lanes and fill space as opposed to closing down players – but his showings at CB haven’t been great.
First, on the Argentine women…they deserve better. I understand their decision to walk out. But the Argentine Federation has a long reputation of playing hardball, of even denying their best players any chance to come back or play after any kind of confrontation. I foresee a situation similar to Spain where a group (I think 17?) NT women signed a letter to the Federation and were then banned (with only about 4 of them allowed back on for the most recent WC). I hope for the best with the women but I fear that’s not going to play out that way.
Second, congrats to Durkin. I think we got the best of that deal (and not because he’s a bad player or a bad fit, but Stroud and Bartlett have been such great contributors). But there will always be a spot in my heart for Durkin for an early Homegrown who never quit and worked his way into a good, steady, MLS player who’s a total professional.
Yeah, definitely congrats to Durkin, but United got two starters (who make $132,784 less than Durkin, combined), plus $300,000. Those two players already have 9 assists between them, which is Durkin’s career total in DC, and two combined goals, which is one fewer than Durkin scored last year.
Love the guy, have his jersey from his first ever professional appearance in the Open Cup, and wish him nothing but the best. But DC absolutely won that trade.
Hell of a goal, though!
I love Durkin as a player and am very high on him, but once we picked up Klich there wasn’t really a spot for him on the team. Everything Durkin does well, Klich does better. Maybe they could have worked together as dual shuttlers in a 4-3-3 or a 4-4-2 diamond, but at his salary he wasn’t really suited for a rebuilding year and we got fantastic value for him. Hopefully he does well in STL.
I’m not sure I’d agree that Klich does everything better — Durkin has scored some bangers, and I haven’t seen that from Klich…and I think Durkin is quicker — but Klich is a DP, so….
I think both teams did well with the trade. Durkin is better quality than either, but DCU needed Stroud and Bartlett more than they needed Durkin.
In Arlington MA for our granddaughter’s wedding. I would have commented on the USWNT v South Korea matches yesterday but even the Acela was too bouncy.
1) as most commentariat on the impromptu thread noted, a front line of Rodman, Smith and Swanson is just lethally fast and skilled. Rodman can get to the end line for an excellent cross almost anytime she wants.
2) I was sorry that Kingsbury and Hershfelt didn’t see the pitch.
3) I would choose Croix Bethune over Macario, Lavell, even Shaw. I hope that Croix showed super well in training.
4) with her skills and ability to literally play anywhere Crystal Dunn has guaranteed a spot on the Olympic 18.
Yeah, a bit surprised that Kingsbury still isn’t higher on the depth chart.
Think you’re also right about Dunn, she can play wingback, forward, maybe even CM or wide CB in an absolute disaster scenario. She’s too versatile and good not to bring.
Bethune will get a chance soon, but eclipsing Shaw would be tough. Not saying she couldn’t, but Shaw has hit the USWNT waters like a goddess transformed into a duck.
On a small roster, players like Dunn and Sonnett (swiss army knives) are invaluable.
I echo this. It would be madness to not have both fit and ready.
I wouldn’t be dismayed by any means if Sonnett made it, but something tells me a more natural CB would take her spot
First, I”m thinking that the USWNT will play with 3 in the backline at times in Paris. And in a 3-back setup, Sonnett is a great fit. And she’s a holding mid/defensive mid as well in a double pivot system (which again I won’t rule out with Hayes).
Would it be fair to argue that Dunn is the most complete soccer player in US history? Men or women?
She’s likely in the conversation. DaMarcus Beasley came to mind, but he’s more of a traditional “start at one position, transition to another” over time. Dunn plays in different spots much more regularly.
I can’t think of another player who has played so many positions WELL for club and country. I think it’s safe to call her that.
Nah, she’s good but “most complete”? Michelle Akers probably takes the cake. I might even say Sam Mewis (who was regarded as the best female player in the world for 1-2 years, something that Dunn has never been regarded as). I have tremendous respect for Dunn and think she’s a real asset. But right now she’s a fast, versatile, experienced asset. There are a number of elements that have never been part of her game or she’s not strong at. But she can play a bunch of roles. That doesn’t make her the most complete soccer player (even as just a woman).
Michelle Akers performance in the 1999 World Cup final was the second greatest athletic performance I have ever seen. Suffering often from sudden fatigue syndrome, she played herself to total exhaustion through 90 minutes and had to be revived with intravenous transfusions in the locker room during the extra periods.
The greatest athletic performance ever? Secretariat in the 1973 Belmont Stakes.
Think we’re using different criteria. Akers was a giant, but I’d put her in the category of, say Ballack for the German Men in terms of overall scores in a lot of areas. Dunn has played just about every position well.
So, apples and oranges
I get your point about Dunn having been an outside back, outside mid, striker/winger, A-mid. Akers didn’t play that many positions. Neither did Mewis. But I think both Akers and Mewis had a more complete set of tools. For instance, both were dominant in the air. I rate both of them better at free kicks. And while Dunn is a good defender, I rate both Akers and Mewis as having better defensive instinct/judgment and being better ball-winners (being 5 inches taller than then player you’re facing may have something to do with that).
Getting Lily into the 18 for the Olympics is desperately tough without pissing off someone pretty majorly. Without getting into a naming game, an 18 woman roster includes your 11 starters, 1 backup for every generic position (goalie, CB, wingback, CM, FW), and that alone gets you up to 16. If you feel the need to add a third goalie, that’s one spot probably available for some sort of creative X factor to throw on that doesn’t exactly fit in with the staple positions. Which, and now I will name names, is likely Lavelle, Macario, and Lily.
In short, a real shame the roster is so limited if you want to cap tie Lily ASAP, and I think it’s worth Hayes having a conversation with her to see where she’s at mentally. My guess would be that she was already leaning heavily US- (in a Sam Mewis interview, she admitted she was rooting for the US against the Netherlands when they play), and that that goal and resulting team and fan reaction gave her the good chemicals.
But yeah, I’d love to lock her down
Can’t an Olympic squad also have four replacement players who can be drawn upon to replace an injured 18 before actual matches begin? If so, that might be a spot for Lily.
Bitmoji: Facts
I think that’s accurate, but I don’t think being an alternate would mean she would be cap tied, I believe that’s only if she plays in an official match. It would be another thing if she had to file a one time switch, but that’s not the case
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/rugby-union/2024/06/05/qatar-800m-deal-nations-championship-final-eight-years/
Aaron Herrera has left the Guatemalan team with what Goff is reporting as “foot irritation.” It’s not great that there’s an injury involved, but it also doesn’t sound too bad. We still have nine days til our next game, so hopefully he’s ready to go by then. Because our right (wing)back depth is precisely nil. Play Dajome there? Stroud? Who knows! Antley was the backup, and he’s out for the year.
Him getting to rest up instead of featuring is maybe ideal for United.
Yes, hopefully so. I saw some people positing that his last couple of somewhat substandard performances might have been because of this injury, but I’d be more inclined to believe that it was fatigue. He’s never been subbed out of a game.
It was 💯 fatigue to my eye
Holy Cow the US has defeated Pakistan at the Cricket World Cup: https://www.sbnation.com/2024/6/6/24173104/usa-pakistan-cricket-world-cup-t20#:~:text=There%20is%20absolutely%20no%20planet,to%20a%20five%20run%20win.
For the record the 2024 ICC (International Cricket Council) Cricket World Cup is being jointly hosted by the US and the West Indies.
Here’s the ESPN coverage: Read the detailed Reports & Articles of United States of America vs Pakistan, ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024, 11th Match, Group A only on ESPN.com https://www.espn.com/cricket/series/8604/report/1415711/united-states-of-america-vs-pakistan-11th-match-group-a-icc-mens-t20-world-cup-2024
via @ESPN App http://espn.com/app