LA Galaxy win MLS Cup, FIFA Club World Cup Draw results, and more: Monday Freedom Kicks
Happy Monday, everyone. It was a busy soccer weekend, but we start with the men’s top flight championship…
CHAMPIONS! LA Galaxy lift MLS Cup 2024 over New York Red Bulls (MLS)
The Galaxy win their 6th MLS Cup, extending their record over DC United. They also equal the Black-and-Red in number of major trophies with 13. And the Red Bulls continue to wait for their first MLS Cup title.
The FIFA Club World Cup Draw was on Friday in Miami, and there will be three matches at Audi Field next summer:
Looks like USMNT stars Wes McKennie and Tim Weah are coming to town, as well as Neymar (if he remains on Al Hilal at that point).
Explained: FIFA and DAZN’s $1billion broadcast deal for the 2025 Club World Cup (The Athletic)
The Club World Cup also got a broadcast partner, with all matches being shown for free on DAZN. That’s not going to help showing the tournament around the world in sports bars and other gathering places.
The 2024 Washington Spirit season is over, what happens next? (DP)
André gives us a brief overview of what awaits Spirit fans in the offseason, as there could be some roster moves that can help get this team back to the final next season.
DC United GM Ally Mackay recaps 2024 season, explains postseason roster moves (WTOP)
Ally Mackay breaks down some of his postseason moves for DC United. There will be a lot of turnover this offseason.
Many of those moves involve DC United getting some goalkeepers, of which they currently only have 1 under contract. Now, it appears to be two:
But wait, it looks like even more competition is coming to the goalkeeper spot:
Finally, we could be saying goodbye to a Homegrown as Matai Akinmboni could be headed to Bournemouth in January.
Botafogo beats Sao Paulo to win first Brazilian league since 1995 (ESPN)
On top of their Copa Libertadores win last week, Botafogo has added the Brasileiro title. They beat São Paulo to claim their first league title since 1995.
U.S. Soccer signals support for Women’s World Cup expansion (PSW)
FIFA is considering expanding the Women’s World Cup to 48 teams, and it sounds like US Soccer would be supportive of that proposal. What do you think?
Vote for USMNT International Goal of the Year (SSFC)
There were many candidates, but you can vote on what USMNT goal you thought was the best of the year.
Enjoy the day and let’s have a great week.
“They also equal the Black-and-Red in number of major trophies with 13.”
This is ATX Pro Challenge erasure and I will not stand for it.
This is crowning achievement. I love this trophy.
I obviously don’t know a lot about Kim Joon Hong, but it’s exciting to see him discussed as the presumptive #1. I think Luis Barraza is adequate, though would be largely a lateral move from Bono (although a bit younger and a bit cheaper). Hoon being 21 has the potential to grow and improve, and getting called into the various levels of the national team is a good thing (caveat: Jurgen Klinsmann is the one doing the calling for the senior national side).
We’ll see what Hong would be in line to command, salary-wise, but United should be in a somewhat improved goalkeeper situation. Farr is at least as good as Zamudio, and probably a bit better. Barraza might be better than Bono, but as I said, is cheaper. There shouldn’t be a need to spend a fourth roster slot on goalkeeper, so that can go to improved depth in the outfield. And hopefully Hong is better than Miller. And possibly cheaper. Certainly younger.
Keylor Navas would have been the splashy move, and one to go all in for trophies in the Benteke Window, but Hong is likely the better move for the long term. Of course, getting some solid center back pieces (and fullback depth) will help any of the goalies improve quite a bit. I’m fine with selling Akinmboni on and I’m assuming that United is getting an agreeable price. That makes CB just a little bit more of a position of need, and one place to start is the half day trading window that is open for just a little bit longer today. I’m expecting some action there.
Based on the responses to Bogert’s posts about Barraza, the NYCFC fans were all collective very happy to be getting rid of him. I saw several point out that the $50k GAM (essentially the lowest monetary trade possible) was one-sided in favor of NYCFC. I don’t know much about him, so its hard for me to make my own assessment of him, but that did not give me a ton of confidence.
Also I feel like one place the US team under Klinsman always did really well was goalkeeping, so maybe Klinsman knows what he’s actually doing/looking for there? Either way, excited to see what Kim Joon Hong can do
DC United is waiting for the Elves to be released in the winter transfer window. There are three targets in the North Pole Elf League that we may sign. They have tremendous potential.
Steven Goff and Tom Bogert are both independently reporting that a deal for Akinmboni to Bournemouth is complete. Goff said that details were coming, and Bogert is reporting that the fee is for $2.5 million and a sell-on percentage. I was considering that $2 million would be a good return and a sell-on percentage is a good lottery ticket, so that’s some good business from Mackay. We’ll see what Goff ends up reporting, as he usually has closer ties to the team itself.
Good luck to Matai, and congratulations!
Goff coming through with the details. The number is actually $1.25 million from Bournemouth, going up to $2.5 million if he makes a first team appearance (plus the sell-on fee regardless).
Less than I wanted, but still gives the team the max allotment of GAM from a homegrown sale ($1.05 million). Gregory Roche has a good take on this, that it’s basically a “fine” deal for all parties.
Goff is further reporting that the transfer fee for Peglow will be about $700K, which is down from the $1 million that he was reporting, and more in line with reports out of Poland. Still not certain what the fuss over him is about (we’ll see), but that’s a bit better.
Ryan Keefer found and shared a couple of DC-related things on Twitter today.
First, there are rumors that Klich could be leaving to go back to Poland
Second, DC is being linked to a French center back, Steve Kapuadi, who currently plays for Legia Warsaw. He also has interest from Torino. Seems like DC is heavily focused on scouting in Poland this winter either way
Klich certainly has put in a shift, but I would be over the moon if we could get a more dynamic attacking DP
Klich is currently 11th all-time on DC’s assists leaderboard. He has more assists than De Ro had in fewer games. If he were to stick around for 2025 and get 11 assists (he got 9 in 2023 and 13 in 2024, so 11 wouldn’t be too far out of the question), he’d be tied with Gomito for 5th place overall. Even Lucho would only have two more assists than that for DC in essentially one more year.
So yeah, I’m in agreement that a Klich departure could lead to some potentially exciting things for the club, but I think he’s kind of underappreciated in his time here a little bit, too.
I agree completely that Klich has been undervalued by some of the Commentariat. He’s done everything that’s been expected of him, always gave 100% effort (though we could have done for several yellow cards for dissent, etc.).
No, he’s not under appreciated. Benteke is an attacking DP. That’s the bar, and I really cannot believe anyone can’t see how much Klich does not make that attacking DP bar.
I’m expressing my hope that we can do better, and certainly now ready to move past the mentioning of this shithouser with marginally better touch and passing ability. If we had a team where all the role players were Klichs, sure, sounds good. As a DP, he is not nearly enough, and will decline with age.
There had been some earlier speculation about a fairly uninteresting Brazilian player coming to DC as a Klich replacement, so there could be some truth to those rumors that Klich is departing.
Is that in relation to Peglow? Or is there someone else on the radar too?
No, it was a different player. Although I’m not quite certain why Peglow is attractive at $1 million to transfer, either. He seems fast, which is good, and can play left or central, so it’s replacing Martin Rodriguez, but I’ve said before that his highlight videos kind of remind me of Ema Boateng.
Ah, I hadn’t seen that one. For Peglow, I’ll be interested to see which of Goff’s number of $1 Million or the reports out of Poland of $600k-$700k end up being accurate.
Kapuadi is 6’5″ and will turn 27 in April. I don’t really know anything else about him, but he seems to be on upward trajectory for his career, players from the Polish league have done quite well in MLS (fingers crossed for Peglow), and United has done well with at least one other French center back before. Could be a pretty good signing.
In other league center back news, LAFC have re-signed Aaron Long. He would have been the top center back if United was looking to sign a free agent from within the league. He might have been tempted to go for Walker Zimmerman money, and I don’t think he’s worth quite that much, so probably a good thing for DC.
Also, Colorado traded for Chidozie Awaziem and Ian Murphy from Cincinnati, sending $1 million in GAM back. Would have been a solid move by United, but it also helps set the domestic center back market a bit.
I’m a bit more excited by the potential Steve Kapuadi news.