Boston Legacy reveals name, US Open Cup finds TV partner, and more: Thursday Freedom Kicks
Happy Thursday, y’all. Some news came down yesterday, so let’s get right to it.
NWSL Boston has a new (new) name, and it’s Boston Legacy. They discuss the process from which they rebranded from the old name, which felt flat with fans across the country.
The U.S. Open Cup has a home for the next two years, as Paramount+ will broadcast every Open Cup match from the Third Round on. Select games, including the final, will be on CBS Sports Network and Golazo Network.
MLS Fantasy Focus: The Real Deal (DP)
Rick gives us the players who are up and down as you set your fantasy lineup for this weekend.
Worry, anger, frustration: What past USMNT greats think of struggling side (The Athletic)
The USMNT is once again in a state of regression, and some of the former players are not happy about it.
‘Excited’ Trinity Rodman looking forward to USWNT return (PSW)
The GOAT Jason gives us some updates on Trinity Rodman’s progress and how the Spirit’s injury list might be less crowded this week.
ESPN moving Los Angeles ‘SportsCenter’ to Bristol headquarters (Awful Announcing)
Hidden in this announcement is that all of ESPN’s soccer programming will also move back to Bristol. What this means for the people on those shows or whether some of them will continue remains to be seen.
I’m gonna get ready for basketball now…
The view from Buenos Aires:
I spent Tuesday night watching Argentina totally dismantle Brazil 4-1 in World Cup qualifier. 12 shots to 3; 7 shots on goal to 1 (see below); 56% possession; 6 corners to none. Amazing!
Brazil’s score came from only sloppy play by center back Christian Romero, who was too casual with ball, letting Brazilian take it off his foot and send a 20 yard grass cutter into the net. I thought at that moment that I was watching a DC United match.
It was a pleasure watching Argentina create passing triangles in a phone both — reminiscent of Barcelona ca. 2009.
Manager Scaloni says stop hounding Messi about whether he’ll play in World Cup 2026; Messi will decide. Julian Alvarez: we would have scored 2-3 more goals v Brazil with Messi. Rodrigo de Paul: of course we’re better with Messi. He’s GOAT.
The one realistic thing that most national teams should try to emulate from this Argentina team is hustle. I get that most teams cannot produce the level of talent overnight but most can at least try to match their fight. Look at how all those players move, look at Julian Alvarez who never tires, he’s always alert, if he needs to drop down to create he does it, if he needs to make a run to score he does it AND most importantly if he needs to sacrifice and defend he does it. And look at the fourth goal, Simeone was way behind two Brazilian players and his team was already winning 3-1, yet he still made a tremendous effort to get to the ball and score. Brazil has talent galore but they don’t have many players who actually care.
Lately it seems that the US doesn’t have players that care that they are wearing the red, white, and blue out there repping the stars and stripes.
The more I think about the interview I saw with Pulisic, the more I think it has to do with the players buying into the delusion that superior ideas alone win soccer games, to the point where fight, aggression, and effort are downplayed or even sneered at. As those were the qualities that kept the US in games that they had no business truly competing in for decades, and since that’s arguably our truest national sporting identity, that’s a problem.
It seems like they’re more worried they’re not displaying superiority than actually getting in the game winning mentality.
Berhalter was a vessel for this sort of nonsense, Poch needs to break it rather than encourage it.
In my mind it seems like opposite problems from the coaching staff resulting in the same lack of intensity. Berhalter’s directives were too complicated and rigid for what the team needed. Pochettino doesn’t seem to have given them much instruction. End result is players don’t move because they’re scared of disobeying instructions or because they don’t know what to do.
I think you are on to something there for sure. The players that are in Europe have always had to fight the stereotype that Americans don’t know anything about soccer, etc. Part of that gets tied to our national team only succeeding through will over skill. Therefore, to try to show skill in Europe, as an American, you almost have to deny the will part of it. To try to break through that stereotype, to earn respect as a highly skilled footballer, I can see players internalizing that they shouldn’t act with that big, loud, forceful American attitude.
It also doesn’t help that it seems like all of our players’ ligaments are made of tissue paper, and have injury lists to match. Constantly being on the injury list will certainly put a damper on drive.
I think the team has to believe in itself for that intensity to come out from everyone. Scaloni’s been a master at instilling that belief. It’s turned them from being entirely reliant on Messi’s brilliance to not even needing him to rout Brazil. Every player plays with intensity because a) they know it will be rewarded and b) they can trust a their teammates to do the same. We don’t have 11 guys that check both boxes right now.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/ianquillen/2025/03/26/5-expansion-markets-usl-should-target-ahead-of-division-one-launch/
Riverside, CA
Baltimore, MD
Virginia Beach, VA
Memphis, TN
Grand Rapids, MI
https://www.rugbypass.com/news/usa-make-decision-on-ilona-maher-as-they-name-player-pool/
Ilona Maher, the 7s star from Paris 2024, makes the player pool for this year’s US Women’s XVs matches.