Hayes Provides Rodman Optimism, Forbes Recognizes Kang, World Cup TV Details, Candy Corn,and more: Thursday Freedom Kicks
We made it to Thursday. Tonight starts a pretty busy international window for players from the Spirit and D.C. Power. Between the two, they have 14 players out on international duty. Tara McKeown an Rebecca Bernal get things started tonight. The US will take on Portugal in Chester an Mexico face New Zealand in Mexico. Yesterday was a pretty busy news day so let’s get to it.
Hayes optimistic Rodman will return by NWSL playoffs (Pro Soccer Wire)
Possible good news for the Spirit out of the USWNT? Emma Hayes offered no new details on Rodman’s status after her MCL injury, but her words provide more hope that we haven’t seen Trinity for the last time this season.
FORBES: Michele Kang Named One of America’s 2025 Most Powerful Women in Sports (Washington Spirit)
Michele Kang lands at #5 on Forbes list of the most powerful women in sports. Kang wants to add to her constellation of teams by adding teams in Asia, Africa, and South America. I’m curious if she continues to add teams to her portfolio will all of them continue operating independently or will she take a more hierarchical approach sort of like Red Bull. If it goes more toward the Red Bull model which team takes the top spot the Spirit? OL Lyonnes?
Ranking the 10 greatest NWSL teams of all time: Who’s No. 1? (ESPN)
The 2024 Spirit squad appears at #4 on the list. The Spirit are one of four teams from last season to make the list and are the second highest ranked team from that year on the list. Only the Orlando Pride, who sit one spot above the Spirit at #3, are ranked higher.
Tullis-Joyce’s remarkable rise to USWNT and Man United No. 1 (ESPN)
Spending a summer shadowing a world class researcher and then returning to be Manchester United’s #1 keeper, with call ups to the USWNT is one heck of a few months.
Fox Sports reveals first details of World Cup 2026 broadcast plans (Pro Soccer Wire)
Given the difficulty and price involved with actually attending the matches, there is good news. Most of the tournament’s matches will be on Fox’s broadcast network and available on basic cable or with a digital antenna. The rest will be aired on FS1. All matches will be stream on Fox One or in their app.
It never really sunk in just how uninvolved in next year’s World Cup US Soccer has been. Maybe that’s part of the reason, at least to me, this has seemed so joyless. I hope if the US, Mexico, Costa Rica, and Jamaica get the 2031 Women’s World Cup it changes. If not, how sustainable is either tournament in the long run?
MLS playoffs started last night.
I didn’t really enjoy Gregg Berhalter’s time with the USMNT. I think he is better suited for a club team role than one at a national team. His Chicago Fire will face the Union on Sunday.
Portland will face the West’s top club, San Diego.
Seventy one goals on one match day is one heck of an offensive explosion. Given that there were three 0-0 draws and this wasn’t just the giants beating up on minnows adds to just how impressive it was.
The rush to implement and integrate AI into everything makes me think of a line from the first Jurassic Park. While discussing the park and the ethics of creating genetically engineered dinosaurs, Jeff Goldblum’s Ian Malcolm looks at the park’s owner John Hammond and comments that InGen’s scientists were “preoccupied with whether or not they could, they didn’t stop to think if they should”. This is another situation where the powers that be were in such a rush to implement AI to reduce costs they didn’t stop to think if they should from a fan experience perspective. We will probably be seeing more of this going forward. Part of me imagines the potential nightmare it could be on the concourses at Audi Field.
Angel City FC partners with California women’s prison for soccer rehabilitation program (KTLA)
A noble effort by Angel City.
And finally……….
Which states love candy corn — and which hate it (Axios)
Candy corn is arguably one of the most divisive topics every year at this time of year. (Maybe Pumpkin Spics is more divisive?) You either love it or you loath it. Most people stand agog when someone thinks otherwise. The DMV has opinions across the board on this topic. Based upon sales, D.C. loathes it, Maryland sort of dislikes it, and Virginia sort of likes it. Me, I tend to enjoy it.
Where do you stand? Until next week.
I’m a web dev as I’ve said before and there is a major push in the private sector to implement AI in the development process. There is even a push to replace junior devs with a AI. One of the main problems with that is where the hell where you’re eventual mid and senior level devs that you really need come from if you don’t have juniors learning the ropes because they’ve been completely replaced. The other issue is that AI generated code doesn’t necessairly work, probably doesn’t follow your architecture patterns, nor is it easily maintainable. There is a place for AI in the space, but it must be governed and guided. Sorry rant over.
But AI is taking over and its not a good thing. Fan experience is all about customer service and interpersonal relationships and interactions. You can’t get that with AI.
It’s really concerning to me that the main powers behind this push aren’t even your traditional “make more money” CEOs, but the Peter Thiels and Elon Musks of the world who have some insane agenda they’re pushing while funneling billions of dollars into their pockets. Consequences be damned, you will have some fictitious program jammed down your throat (or into your brain).
Enshittification:Why Everything Suddenly Got Worse and What To Do About It
by Cory Doctorow
Unfortunately, it appears as though Messi has signed a contract extension with Miami. Looks like we’ll have to put up with Messi League Soccer for at least a little while longer
I look forward to him continuing his bit of finding a way to never play in DC.
Yeah, it’ll be interesting to see how long he can keep that going
It’s an impressive bit.
As I depart my STH status, I am certain that he will not only feature, but he will repeated dive into the crowd and by drinks for everyone at Salt Line. He will pay you for photo ops!
Its through 2028. Ugh.
I watched Orlando get manhandled by Chicago last night. Imagine having a young playmaker surrounded by skilled, aggressive attackers and lead by an experienced coach who knows how to teach a system.
It was a bloodbath. Could’ve been 5 or 6 to 1. Orlando looked almost as bad defensively (after the half, at least) as we did. I think we’ll have competition for players to rebuild in the off-season, they did not look like a good team.
Thankfully we didn’t face that Chicago in the early part of the season or the unbeaten run would’ve ended sooner.
Gregg Berhalter winning MLS Cup for the first time this year, if it happens, would be a nice extra soupçon of terrible to help us wrap up the year.
His team will be aided by the fact he can’t sabotage them in a meaningful game by shouting the score of another in progress game to fuck with them.
He makes me so mad.
All they have to do is acquire Gio Reyna to satisfy you lust for misery upon Berhalter.
(Wouldn’t that be rich?)
Candy corn, yay!
Berhalter’s team won, yay!
I’ll see myself out
Just posted the game thread for tonight’s USWNT friendly
https://thedistrictpress.com/2025/10/23/uswnt-vs-portugal-october-2025-friendly-preview-time-and-how-to-watch/