DC United, Power and Spirit draw, and more: Monday Freedom Kicks
Happy Monday, everyone. It’s been a long week and weekend for me, so let’s catch you up quickly on what happened over the past couple of days in the soccer world:
Scrappy Spirit draw Current 0-0 after going down to 10 players (DP)
Despite going down to 10 players after Hal Hershfelt picked up 2 yellows, the Spirit hung on for a scoreless draw on the road to KC.
DC United got another goal from Jackson Hopkins, but they ended up sharing the points with Orlando City.
DC Power was also at home this weekend, getting a scoreless draw against Lexington SC. DC Power are still unbeaten on the season.
Loudoun United was unfortunately the only local team to not get a result, falling 5-2 to San Antonio FC.
Navigating the first phase of World Cup tickets (SSFC)
The Visa Presale application window is still open until September 19th…here are some of the ins and outs on the first application phase for World Cup tickets.
Seattle-Racing Louisville match abandoned after DeMelo collapse (PSW)
Prayers up for Savannah DeMelo and hopefully she is okay!
Seattle Reign forward Latsko retires, will attend law school (PSW)
If I knew Latsko, I’d tell her not to go to law school. But congrats on a great career and for taking the next step in her life to pursue her dream.
How ‘sleeping giant’ Liga MX is poised to capitalize on 2026 World Cup bump (The Athletic)
Liga MX is setting itself up to get a boost from the World Cup coming to its shores next summer.
Howard and Donovan respond to Pochettino’s message on USMNT critics (PSW)
There’s more back and forth between the USMNT old heads and current head coach Mauricio Pochettino. This time, it’s Landon Donovan and Tim Howard taking shots on their own podcast.
Let’s have a great week, people.
Well, Rene Weiler is still undefeated. Pretty impressive, especially given the results that Troy Lesesne and Kevin Flanagan were getting with the same crew. The only new addition is Caden Clark, except Weiler has only used Clark in one exhibition game so far. Which is curious.
Jackson Hopkins definitely seems to be thriving under the new coach. Weiler also seems to favor Luis Barraza and Lukas MacNaughton (although we’ll see after the red card). Those are the only two players who are out of contract after the season (many others have options that can either be declined or picked up). It would seem – if roster rebuilding is in the offing – that those would be two easier spots to free up, but Weiler seems to like them. And if Weiler is getting decent results with the squad as it is, perhaps there’s not a need for as wholesale a roster turnover as we thought.
There’s certainly going to be some change, and I’m expecting at least two more DPs, and probably three. I could see us pretty easily moving on from Benteke this year. Those three would all have to hit, but take the results this squad is getting and toss in a net two better players… that starts looking respectable.
I’d be pretty disappointed if we started off next season with McNaughton as a starter. I’ve liked what I’ve seen from Tubbs a lot more. But I’m not the coach and Weiler seems to know what he’s doing.
Barraza… he’s shown himself to be quite a decent shot-stopper. We’ll be quite limited with him as the starter in building out from the back, though that could be an issue with any of our current center backs too.
Signs are pointing to us standing mostly pat with the defense, so hopefully an entire preseason under the coach will benefit them.
I don’t think I saw it anywhere else, but it looked like Garrison Tubbs got loaned back down to Loudoun? Did that actually happen? I like Tubbs too, but I do wonder if he’ll be back next year. I do hope we’ll sign a center back of Rowles’s quality or higher. I also am not convinced that Herrera will be back next year.
Herrera was in my section, getting a lot of attention. Tubbs is at LU.
I’m not sure that means either will be back. I see it as Weiler concluding that his scheme is going to require a reliable shot-stopper, and Barraza is that. And MacNaughton is the best option he’s got for how he wants to play. I think Weiler has been close to the vest about the talent on the squad (other than he really wanted Clark and he seems to see a lot of possibility with Hopkins–making him captain for a game, moving him up the field, etc.).
He really wanted Clark… but hasn’t played him when he’s been available for league games?
I think goalkeeping is still a problem. Barraza has bad knees. I think he sat down in three games and had the trainers look at him. Which of our goalie group would step in if he was out? I think the attack is still a problem. Still not scoring enough to win games. The attack was built around Benteke and now they are including others in the attack. I think the defense has been good recently, but they have to see where they need to upgrade. I think the improvement is partially because of the change in tactiss. I think there is a rebuild in the off season. I hope they don’t blow up the team like they did the past season and a half. Hopkins is the only player left from then. Keep the good players and upgrade others. Keeping a consistent starting line up will help a lot. There is a big problem with not having depth. Do we have subs who can impact a game? I don’t think so. We played a season with a roster that is less than the maximum allowed. There is still a lot of work to be done if we want to be competitive.
That would require the FO to layout more money than they have been and I don’t know if the owners are willing to do that.
There needs to be a fair amount of change, as much as it’s been bad for us over the course of the last 6+ years. The strategy has flip flopped between “cheap guys who are willing to run a lot”, and “extremely expensive and sometimes skilled players”. Obviously neither builds a winning team.
There does look to be good news in the “please don’t tear it apart” camp. Hopkins has been a recent revelation, Peltola looks comfortable, our defenders look like they belong in this league (though I argue we need at least 1 new body), Pirani has remained fairly productive, and we have decent, affordable veteran depth in guys like Servania and Antley. Weiler has mentioned numerous times that the team needs quality to be more competitive, and it seems like he’s demonstrating that it’s worth getting some quality in so that the rest of the guys can flourish.
Sav deMelo had what has been called “an incident” in the Racing-Reign match that led to her being taken off the field and in to an ambulance. The match has been postponed.
Yeah, they said dizziness and chest tightness, and that’s about it.
In a tight cagey defensive match until the final 10 minutes the USA Men’s Eagles upset Samoa 29-13 and booked the final auto berth for Australia 2027 for the Pacific region as Pacific 3. The US came into the game on a 5 game losing streak while Samoans were on a 3 game losing streak but the favored team given their higher ranking.
The game was intense from start to finish with Samoa jumping out to a 3-0 lead with a penalty kick goal in the 3rd minute. The Samoans continued to push but the American defensive effort held the line until in the 21st minute a patient steady attack led to a try out on the wing during a penalty advantage by Toby Fricker. The try wasn’t converted by Luke Carty and the Eagles led 5-3. Samoa retook the lead 6-5 with another penalty goal in the 33′. The US responded with its own penalty goal in the 36′ by Carty and took an 8-6 lead into halftime. However, American Pono Davis saw a yellow and went to the sin bin in the 37′ for disrupting a player before he could receive a pass. The following penalty kick goal was missed badly leaving the US in the lead 8-6 at half.
The US defense would continue to hold strong for the remaining 6/7 minutes of the yellow card in the 2nd half. Luke Carty missed his 2nd attempted penalty kick goal. Then the Samoans retook the lead with a try of their own in the 64′ and it was converted leaving the score 13-8 in favor of Samoa in the 65′. The in the 70′ the US offense kicked up a gear with a try by Luke Carty who was injured while scoring. Mitch Wilson took over conversion attempts due to Carty’s injury and he converted the try after a TMO check on the tackle that injured Carty and the score was 15-13 in favor of the US. The Eagles offense stayed in gear the rest of the match as Captain Jason Damm punched in another try in the 74′ and Wilson converted it extending the Americans’ lead to 22-13 with 5 minutes to play. A Samoan midfield blunder was pounced on by Ruben de Haas and a few passages of play later Kaleb Geiger worked through the Samoan defense for another try. Wilson also converted that one 29-13. Then a late yellow card after a TMO check to Samoan Tuna Tuitama in the 79′ for forceable contact with the shoulder and upper arm into the head/neck region of an American player in the ruck made it academic as Samoa was reduced to 14 for the remaining minute plus bonus time.
The US next plays Scotland in Edinburgh on Nov 1st as their only test match of the November International window.
https://eagles.rugby/news/usa-punches-ticket-to-2027-rugby-world-cup-after-a-2913-victory-over-samoa-2025914
https://www.world.rugby/news/1015587/asahi-super-dry-pacific-nations-cup-usa-shock-samoa-to-book-rwc-2027-slot
Caleb Porter out in New England.
https://www.mlssoccer.com/news/new-england-revolution-part-ways-with-caleb-porter
Pep saw it coming
The Women’s Rugby World Cup had its own Luis Suarez incident on Sunday in the quarterfinal match between France and Ireland.
The bite wasn’t called during the match though if it had been seen by the ref or TMO it would’ve certainly been a red and changed the dynamics of the match. The French had stormed back from down 13-0 at half.
Another French player received a 3 match ban for a high tackle. That ban has been reduced to 2 on successful completion of the Coaching Intervention Program. A hearing before the disciplinary committee for both players has been scheduled for tomorrow 16 September.
https://www.skysports.com/rugby-union/news/12040/13431521/womens-rugby-world-cup-frances-axelle-berthoumieu-handed-tournament-ending-12-match-ban-for-biting-irelands-aoife-wafer
I’m beginning to question whether it’s really so wild that athletes bite and spit at each other…