Rodman contract saga, USMNT gear up for Uruguay, and more: Tuesday Freedom Kicks
Morning everyone! I had my last 30+ soccer league game of the season yesterday and though we lost…I scored a goal! (And no injury which, in your 30s, feels like scoring a goal).
Anyways, I’m hyped after attending the Spirit semifinal over the weekend. I don’t think I’ve ever witnessed such a dominant performance in person before which makes me feel pretty good looking ahead to this Saturday. I have lots of news to share with you all, especially pertaining to the Spirit so let’s dive in!
First, our very own André Carlisle writes a well worded op-ed on the Trinity Rodman contract saga. I don’t know what will happen with Trin, but what I do know is you can’t claim to be the best league in the world if your star players continue to run to Europe for a bigger payday.
Inspired by this weekend’s victory, I decided to take a look back at the team that last won the championship for the Spirit. Who will further etch their name into NWSL lore this time around?
USA vs. Uruguay, 2025 USMNT Friendly Preview (SSFC)
The USMNT is looking to avenge a 1-0 from last year’s Copa America game against Uruguay. From a tactical standpoint point, I’m fascinated with Poch using a 3-4-2-1 formation and how successful it has been. Maybe it will all come together in time for the World Cup?
The USMNT is making progress. The fans it hoped to attract haven’t (yet) noticed. (NYT$)
I decided to take a look at ticket prices for the game in Florida tonight and the cheapest one is $55 (which is a friendly match). I was able to attend the Spirit semifinal game for $36. Do what you will with that information…
‘We backed our guy’: Inside the USMNT’s unified response to the Alex Freeman-Paraguay melee (Yahoo Sports)
Despite the lack of media hype around the team, they do seem to be willing to scrap for each other. Hopefully this sense of camaraderie continues to build as next summer’s World Cup approaches.
FIFA announces expedited U.S. visa process for World Cup ticket holders (PSW)
If you or anyone you know abroad has bought a World Cup ticket, this is important info! Some officials say though that buying a ticket does not guarantee entry into the US.
Wayne Rooney Reveals President Trump’s Nuclear Message During Bizarre Meeting (SI)
Spoiler alert: He gave Wayne the nuclear arsenal codes which he hides to this day inside his hat.
As the US seems to be headed in an upward trajectory, drama creeps into the Mexican national team camp…
‘It touched us from the start’: Palestine savour historic night in Bilbao (The Guardian)
A very touching piece. I love these stories of games that feature teams not recognized by FIFA and it shows the common struggle for many peoples across the globe and the emotions that come with supporting one’s national team.
LaLiga stars old and new enjoy first NFL game in Madrid (ESPN)
In case you missed it, the Commanders played an NFL match in Madrid against the Dolphins and La Liga stars came out! Too bad they saw a sloppy loss from another team from the capital…
This statistic really blew my mind and just shows how far the womens game has come both domestically and abroad! The Spirit alone will have 10 countries represented in their squad this weekend (not including the US)!
Nearly 4 billion people will not have a team to cheer for at this World Cup. Of the top 10 countries that did not qualify, who would you love to see at a World Cup? Sound off in the comments!
This is just a silly goal I wanted to share with you all 😅
A reminder that today in World Cup qualifying we will find out the last 8 automatic World Cup qualifiers and who will make it to the intercontinental and European playoffs in March to determine the last 6 participants. How do you all think it will shake out today?
That’s it for me folks! Stay warm on this crisp Tuesday in the capital!
Regarding the biggest countries not in the WC, I’d pick Nigeria. Unfortunately, China and Russia would use it for sports washing. Nigeria would bring legitimate talent and skill–they’d be a joy to watch. India would be my second choice–because if they had somehow qualified I think the game would explode in that country (even if it remained distant to cricket).
And yeah, NWSL can’t say they’re the best league in the world if they keep losing their best players overseas. It’s one thing if they lose a few.
The Rooney-Trump story is…disturbing. As if things couldn’t get any more disturbing. Ugh.
I’m still waiting to hear details on DCU’s end of year roster decisions or even just additions to the Front Office. Are they planning on announcing roster cuts on Christmas Eve?
I’m not ideological about China and India, I wish they both had their footballing act together.
Part of that is I remember how impressive the Chinese women’s team were back in the 1999 World Cup final against the US. Against a team of legends and destiny, they were so in tune and tenacious that it looked like they had 6 more players on the pitch than we did. People remember the shootout, they kinda forget that China had the best chance of the game by far off a corner kick that clanged off the upright.
But another is that the investment in soccer required to get you to a World Cup would be beneficial and far reaching in its impact. China seems to have a tendency to identify individual talents at a young age when it comes to individual competitive pursuits, and hones them mercilessly into instruments of the state’s projection of dominance.
Soccer isn’t like that. It takes communities and layer upon layer of support and encouragement of not just individual talent, but a collective spirit funneled into rivalries and competitiveness across the country. It would be a paradigm shift for China to have that be a reality.
I was but a wee lass when China played the US for the 1999 World Cup but I would’ve loved to see it. It is crazy to me how far the Chinese program has fallen in the decades since.
I was about 11 at the time, but it was an astoundingly compelling final
I would love to see Indonesia make it to a World Cup. I feel like they are oft forgotten country. So many people don’t realize that they are the 4th most populated country in the world or that they are the biggest Muslim country in the world. I have a coworker from Indonesia who has introduced me to some great food from there and I would love if something like a World Cup gave a bit of a spotlight to Indonesia and it’s people 🙂
For later, there is a game thread up for the USMNT’s friendly against Uruguay
https://thedistrictpress.com/2025/11/18/usmnt-vs-uruguay-november-2025-friendly-preview-time-and-how-to-watch/
Ryan Martin has officially been let go by Loudoun United (still a dumb decision), and immediately after gets his new job, head coach of the Oakland Roots
Glad he’s landed on his feet. Loudoun… who knows what they’re thinking.
Good reporting from Pablo here on Ernst Tanner, the GM at Philly. The guy sounds pretty awful, and it seems like the league won’t do anything, just like they normally do.
https://www.theguardian.com/football/2025/nov/18/philadelphia-union-ernst-tanner-mls-investigation
D.C. United looks to add roof to Audi Field amid MLS calendar change – Washington Business Journal https://share.google/3BgvwcFgjGzMNxCVt