USL removes Hailstorm FC, USMNT win, and more: Friday Freedom Kicks
Happy Friday! I write to you from scenic Columbus, Ohio, where I am visiting family for a few days. This means I will be missing Washington Spirit’s semifinal match this weekend, and I expect several of you to be there cheering loudly in my place.
United Soccer League Statement (USL)
This vaguely-named statement announces a number of changes to League One. Northern Colorado Hailstorm FC and Central Valley Fuego FC will both be leaving the League, while five new teams (unnamed) join next season.
USMNT player ratings: Pulisic leads the way in gritty win over Jamaica (Pro Soccer Wire)
Jason Anderson weighs in on who impressed and who didn’t in last night’s USMNT 1-0 win over Jamaica.
D.C. United appoints Dr. David Rhodes as Director of Human Performance (D.C. United)
His most recent position was with Burnley FC as Head of Medicine, Performance and Innovation.
DC Power FC brings former NFL player Vernon Davis to ownership group (DC News Now)
Power FC love a celebrity athlete owner. They’ve added Vernon Davis to a group that includes Angel Reese, Hendrix Lapierre and Josiah Gray.
National Women’s Soccer League announces 2024 NWSL award finalists, opens fan voting round (NWSL)
Three Washington Spirit players have been nominated for four end-of-year awards: Trinity Rodman for MVP, Croix Bethune for Rookie of the Year and Midfielder of the Year, and Tara McKeown for Defender of the Year. I have plenty of opinions on these nominations that I’m happy to share in the comments if there’s interest, but for now, get your votes in! Fan voting closes at 3 p.m. today.
Hal Hershfelt interview and NWSL awards debate (Full Time with Meg Linehan)
A recent podcast interview with a player I think should have gotten a nomination or two.
Héctor Herrera fined, suspended after Houston Dynamo vs. Seattle Sounders (MLS)
Herrera will be suspended for two additional MLS games and fined an unspecified amount for spitting at a ref. John McCarthy and Franco Negri have also been issued fines.
Finally, here’s the short schedule of games for the weekend. Have a good one!
| Teams | When | Where | Watch |
|---|---|---|---|
| Washington Spirit vs. NJ/NY Gotham FC | Sat., Nov. 16 at 12 p.m. ET | Washington, DC | CBS, Paramount+ |
I’m sorry to say that I don’t think any of the Spirit players are going to win. Bethune simply missed too many matches–she might get the ROTY but not midfielder. The disadvantage that Rodman, McKeown, and Bethune all face is that they play for a team that rotates a lot of players, has a lot of depth and so their individual impact gets minimized in the eyes of outsider viewers. And that’s a shame.
In fact, I think the NWSL coverage (outside of the excellent work by Daily Press) by the National Media has been mediocre. KC got a lot of press because they started hot and have the first stadium specific to a women’s team. NY got press because they’re defending champs, they’re in NYC, and they have a lot of USWNT players. Orlando got press because of their streak. The Spirit, IMO, have been mostly ignored (or undiscovered) by the people outside of DC covering women’s soccer. They’ve put together an amazing season (when you look at the initial coaching uncertainty and then coaching transition plus the injuries and the number of players lost due to the Olympics). In the effort to focus on a unique element of a story (KC, Orlando, Morgan’s retirement) or failure to go below the surface (Gotham), the Spirit have been under the radar. And I think that’s a shame. Kudos to you Annie and the rest of the DP for the depth and detail you’ve provided on the Spirit.
Thanks for the compliments!
I think Croix is still the frontrunner for ROTY. Even with the number of games she’s missed, no one has come close to her numbers or impact on the field. I agree the other Spirit nominations are unlikely to win.
I know nothing about sports science or David Rhodes, but his resume seems fairly impressive. Hopefully he can keep our guys healthy and giving peak performance!
Glad to see The Spirit on network tv again, looking forward to the match!
Jason’s ratings of the USMNT I suppose are fair, but it’s worth pointing out how friggin bananas a venue and atmosphere Kingston Jamaica typically is. Even when both sides have considerably more players at more esteemed clubs playing high level soccer, it all goes to chaos when they get thrust into that environment. It wasn’t gorgeous, but keeping a clean sheet down there, no matter the circumstances, is an achievement.
It’s called The Office for a reason…
Cuz it hasn’t changed since the 60’s, and everyone plays like they’re wasted there?
Was the goal smaller than usual, or am I just used to watching women in goal?
Now that you point it out, maybe? I always find the place a little discombobulating to behold. The pitch, the hazy camera, the frenzy. The only thing that caught my eye in game is that Pulisic looked physically weird out there, and I couldn’t place why.
More than anything, I just thought it’s good to escape the fun zone mirror stadium with a goal advantage before coming home.
Its always good to come out of their with at least a draw. Its even better when you come out of it with a win!
https://sjvsun.com/sports/central-valley-fuego-fc-parts-ways-with-usl-league-one/
Apparently the other USL League 1 team that’s out is Central Valley Fuego FC from Fresno, CA. They couldn’t secure a soccer-specific stadium plus former USMNT player Jermaine Jones was their head coach but he was suspended in August for harassment, hostility towards players, and retaliation based on a report from the Athletic.
https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5832159/2024/10/10/usl-suspension-jermaine-jones?source=user-shared-article
https://www.bbc.com/sport/rugby-union/articles/cwy5n54re9po
Four new laws from World Rugby are being tested during this November international window in addition to several other events earlier this year including the Pacific Nations Cup (where the US placed 4th). The laws are primarily aimed at speeding up play in Rugby Union play.
The first 3 laws haven’t seen much controversy:
The 4th law change though has been controversial. This is a change to red cards. The new law states that after 20 minutes a player maybe subbed in to replace the ejected player. That law being implemented has been delayed. A version of the law is undergoing testing at this year’s Rugby Championship between Argentina, Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa.
The Irish Union wants a team to be permanently reduced to 14 for deliberate foul play whereas the French Union doesn’t want the law change at all.
https://www.espn.com/soccer/story/_/id/42414218/lyon-provisionally-relegated-ligue-2-amid-financial-struggles