Happy Monday, everyone. To all the dads in our community, we hope you had a terrific Father’s Day. There was ALL of the soccer this weekend, so let’s get right to it!
Euro 2024: Eriksen scores opener 3 years post-cardiac arrest (ESPN)
Euro 2024 began on Friday with hosts Germany dismantling Scotland, but easily the best story of the weekend was Christian Eriksen scoring a goal for Denmark 3 years after he collapsed in the opener of Euro 2020 in one of the worst moments in soccer history. What an incredible return to the Euro stage for him.
Last-minute Bethune goal gives Washington Spirit 1-1 draw with San Diego Wave (DP)
In front of a record crowd, Croix Bethune’s last minute goal gives the Spirit the draw against San Diego. What a thrilling end to the match, and it was super fun to be there!
Takeaways from Loudoun United’s wild 1-1 draw with Las Vegas
Loudoun United were able to draw 1-1 with Las Vegas Lights. They are 7th in the Eastern Conference with 18 points.
DC United went down to Charlotte on Saturday and unfortunately, they returned with a 1-0 loss. They are now 10th in the East with Atlanta coming to town midweek.
2024 Copa América: Group A Preview (SSFC)
Copa América begins on Thursday, and we start a ton of coverage over at Stars & Stripes FC with a Group A preview. Argentina is the team in the driver’s seat there.
USWNT drops to 5th in FIFA world rankings (SSFC)
Despite 3 wins and a draw since March, the USWNT drop 1 spot to 5th in the new FIFA world rankings.
Atlanta United transfer Giorgos Giakoumakis to Cruz Azul (MLS)
Atlanta will be without one of its best players when it comes to town this week, as Giorgos Giakoumakis has been transferred to Cruz Azul. Atlanta will likely be active again on the transfer market this summer.
Mbappé urges vote against ‘extremes’ in France elections (ESPN)
Kylian Mbappé is making his stance clear in France’s upcoming elections, urging people to vote against “extremes” when the election happens at the end of the month.
MLS suspends Sporting KC’s Felipe Hernandez for gambling (Pro Soccer Wire)
Felipe Hernández has been suspended yet again for violating gambling rules. He was suspended once back in 2021 and now has been deemed to have violated the terms of that reinstatement.
USWNT star Sophia Smith announces engagement to NFL receiver Michael Wilson (Pro Soccer Wire)
Congrats to Sophia Smith for her recent engagement to Michael Wilson! Is that why she got the red card last week for trying to hide the soccer ball? Inquiring minds wanna know!
Enjoy the day, everyone.
Brutal stretch coming up for the DC guys. I’m not anticipating good results and I can’t blame them if it looks ugly. We may as well sign some academy guys and ask them to run around. Not a good look to have only 3 or 4 field players available off the bench consistently.
Hopefully Jackson Hopkins is over whatever was wrong with his back, and hopefully Aaron Herrera’s plantar fasciitis clears up. Otherwise… Ted Ku-DiPietro should be able to give more minutes since he was just recovering from an illness, but there’s not much else. We could recall Sargis and Garay from their loans, but I don’t think they’re in Lesesne’s plans, so he likely won’t.
Casey Stengel famously said about his miserable Mets team “Can’t anybody here play this game?” He was talking about the quality of play. With DC United, the question is more literal — about quantity. Can’t anybody here play these games?
3 Old Glory players were named to the 30 man roster for the USA Men’s Eagles (Senior MNT 15s) for the matches in July. That includes the test match with Scotland at Buzzard Point on July 12th at 8 PM.
Prop: Jack Iscaro (hometown player)
Flanker: Jamason Fa’anana-Schultz (OGDC’s captain)
Center: Tommaso Bonni (former Italy int’l)
https://eagles.rugby/news/usa-mens-eagles-announce-30man-roster-and-reserves-for-two-july-tests-at-home-2024614
The Women’s 7s Olympic Team roster has been announced: https://eagles.rugby/news/usa-rugby-announces-womens-olympic-rugby-sevens-team-for-paris-2024617
Slovakia stun Belgium 1-0 for a big upset. Two goals by Belgium were overturned by VAR, but they were both correct calls. However, the main factors were mentality and connectivity, Slovakia prove it’s a team sport rather than a talent arithmetic table.
Kevin De Bruyne should join DC United in disgust.
I know you’re kidding, but there was an interesting report about De Bruyne in that it’s said he’s telling his agent to pitch him to Real Madrid as a Toni Kroos replacement, and is willing to take a pay cut. Madrid will probably take the option seriously, but with Mbappe coming, Bellingham is more likely to be a midfielder rather than a sort of deep running striker, and the club already have some really strong, younger midfield talents.
Anyway, I think that being part of a classy, deep midfield that wants him is better for De Bruyne than making him a pillar of an MLS club. If fans think Messi doesn’t play enough, De Bruyne seems even more likely to suffer injuries. We’ll see, but I doubt he’s considering Saudi Arabia too seriously, doesn’t seem like that’s in his nature
I would kind of like us to go after a South American with the next DP pick, but we’ve gone European with every DP signing since Edison Flores, I think. And most of those signings have worked out better than Flores, I have to say. With Ally Mackay in charge now, I kind of feel like the European tilt isn’t going away any time soon.
This is also me watching Lucho Acosta enter the Top 10 in assists in MLS history and getting angry all over again that kind of mutually burned that relationship to the ground.
I don’t think United was at all at fault for the Acosta situation. PSG came in for a core player casually at the end of the offseason for not enough money, Acosta is stupid enough to think he would have been a serious, long-term option and held it against us. PSG are a toxic giant, Acosta’s vain and vindictive. Not United’s fault.
Like, had Acosta just taken it personally and played well enough out of spite that season to sell him to Europe, that would have been something. He instead sulked and tuned out, and is now permanently an MLS star. Talented player, happy to root against him.
If we were going the route of older DP for this summer, KDB would be amazing but it would never happen. He probably has one more year at City and then he’s likely to land in LAFC or NYFC. I personally think someone like Alexis Sanchez or Marcos Acuna would be amazing for this team.
Think there’s a deal to be had from Man City this offseason, if the money is right. But I think an MLS club would be daft to pay that ransom for the actual on field impact. Don’t get me wrong, De Bruyne is one of the greatest central midfielders ever, but I don’t see him staying healthy enough across a season for that kind of outlay, and you could attract at least 3 players that could help you challenge for MLS cup with more pragmatic recruiting
Speaking of Euros, is it just me or is Southgate not the coach who should be leading this England team? Serbia played well and were deserving of at least a tie but how can England with all those amazing players just manage to score 1 goal and then spend much of the second half suffering?
I don’t think Southgate is brilliant by any stretch, but he’s effectively kept England from having the bottom fall out in tournaments in ways that other heavy weights have succumbed. Putting Trent in the midfield was a big call that we may not see again, but with a bit more function, they’ll probably go deep again
Annnd France get the same scoreline, arguably coming closer to shitting the bed
I guess is not so much about winning by a goal, my concern with England is that they had to sweat the game out. Did not see France play but France has a tendency of sleep walking games, when they turn it on they are hard to beat but they are not always on. With England it was a lot of laboring without much progress. Argentina and Uruguay will win lots of games 1-0 but it rarely feels like they are going to lose. I guess it often comes down to intensity and focus.
“is it just me or is Southgate not the coach who should be leading this England team?”
It’s just you…and the 200 million online who have been going at Southgate for years.