Young joins Loudoun United, Impact of FBRef Data Loss, USMNT Roster Thoughts, Alligators and Murder Shows, and more: Thursday Freedom Kicks
Happy Thursday everyone. As Talonesque mentioned, yesterday was a sad day. To say watching a venerated institution like the Washington Post self-immolate is extremely difficult undersells the moment. The loss of The Post’s Sports Section hits hard. Like many from outside the DMV, I was aware of some of great journalists who worked for the paper before I lived in the area. Pardon the Interruption featuring Tony Kornheiser and Michael Wilbon was appointment viewing for me everyday after school. (PTI remains in my opinion the only show worth watching on ESPN outside live sports.) PTI’s sister show Around the Horn was my introduction to Kevin Blackistone, Clinton Yates, and others. When I moved to the area Tom Boswell’s baseball coverage and Dan Steinberg’s quirky DC Sports Bog were must reads. John Feinstein’s Friday morning appearance on The Sports Junkies was the best part of my commute. Then there was the soccer coverage. Where other portions of the media seemed to only care about the sport wen it was time for the World Cup, the Post had folks like Goff and Ella who made it clear the local teams were not an afterthought. It will be missed. Now on to the headlines.
Loudoun United FC Acquire Midfielder Sean Young For An Undisclosed Fee through 2027 (Loudoun United)
Loudoun’s newest acquisition joins the team from the Canadian Premier League where he was Pacific FC’s all time leader in appearances. Young had 10 goals and 7 assists during his time in the CPL.
FBref’s loss of advanced stats is a blow to women’s soccer data accessibility (The XI Sports)
This seems to fit the theme of today with trusted sites just being absolutely gutted. I had seen a little bit of this disparity just trying to lineups and results for some of Spirit and DC Power players who were with their national teams. It was difficult even before Opta cut of the data to FBRef. Now its more of a struggle.
USMNT legend Kasey Keller reveals 16-year cancer journey (USA Today)
Yesterday was World Cancer Day. To mark the day, the USMNT legend revealed his experience with non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Thankfully and most importantly, Keller is in full remission. Cancer sucks.
Mauricio Pochettino’s odd jab at Tim Weah misread the player and the moment (The Guardian)
Weah’s comments on ticket prices were a level of thoughtful that isn’t always seen among athletes. This feels like a “Let them eat cake.” moment from Pochettino.
Weston McKennie’s form makes him seem undroppable. Will Mauricio Pochettino agree? (The Athletic $)
McKennie is in the form of his life. He’s got to be a virtual lock for the World Cup roster, right? On the opposite side, it wouldn’t be the first time a USMNT manager left off someone everyone else thought was a virtual lock off a World Cup roster.
When does it become time to start worrying about Pulisic’s injuries? I’m not there yet, but I’m not too far removed from it.
Soccer superagent Ali Barat is doing things differently. Will it work?
Normally, I would start to worry when the agent becomes the focus of attention. However, my team is currently led by a former agent, so what do I know?
Why Liverpool Deliberately Delayed Jeremy Jacquet’s £60 Million Arrival (SI)
I was curious why Jacquet’s arrival was delayed. Turns out it all comes down to profit and sustainability rules.
Yesterday’s Spirit preseason presser featured an appearance by Kate Wiesner and Hal Hershfelt. Its clear that while the team is in preseason mode, their stories are in mid-season form.
I’d be on board for a Hal and Weezy buddy comedy.
What did I miss?
I’m sorrowful and angry about the Post being gutted. As far as consistent Spirit and DCU coverage, the DP is it.
Hershfelt cracks me up. Interesting that Hayes tried her as a CB. She’s looking for a CB who is good with her feet and can play good thru-balls. That’s why McKeown, er uh Rudd got an extended trial despite not quite looking for prime time yet with the USWNT. I don’t know if Hayes has decided to move on and Hal’s minutes are coming at the expense of Rudd’s or Tara was held out because of a honeymoon, focus on the marriage and not able to condition prior to camp–who knows. We’ll find out soon enough.
Pooch nailed it when he said that he’s not looking for the 11 best players, he’s looking for the ones that fit. McKennie is probably the US player in the best form right now. He’s incredibly versatile. But does Poochetino have a scheme in-mind that mcKennie is a fit for? He’s not really one of the guys you want as a D-mid. He’s not one of our best wingback options. He’s not someone you’d see as a pure A-mid. Is he a striker?
I echo your feelings on the WashPost. It is a regrettable situation, to put it mildly. I’ve been on that read for decades. I even remember the Washington Star….
(I used to be a delivery boy in Arlington, lugging essentially lumber up and down the hills of 22207. Made for great soccer training, especially when running late…..)
Tara at this point I believe is fully the best CB other than Naomi Girma in the pool.
Sams also had a great window, and the 3 back in possession suits both her and Tara extremely well.
I sorta marveled at how Hal looked as the central CB for distribution. She’d need to get blooded against a team that gets far more aggressive counters in than Chile managed, but there’s something there. Still a ton to understand about positioning and the backline perspective, but she might actually get way fewer yellows and reds back there- her main problem is being too nasty in high pressing lunges in the opponents end, she doesn’t even usually do a ton of tactical fouling.
Anyway, especially when she will have two experienced CBs flanking her to cover and stop play, I wouldn’t mind her getting more looks at the position for the US.
I think McKennie will get subbed in as a 10 at times.
Pulisic might be iffy, but I sorta think those two ten spots are probably Pulisic, Tillman, Aaronson, and Luna, but McKennie might have enough versatility to be thrown in there.
But he’s honestly happiest doing whatever and going wherever he wants in a three man midfield, and Poch isn’t doing that anymore. So, he will have to lock in.
I think it’s absurd that we’re not even discussing where he plays in the starting lineup. He’s one of the two most effective US players right now at the highest level.
Find me a spot on the roster shouldn’t be an issue. It should be finding a spot in the starting lineup.
It’s not Poch’s job to find him a spot in the lineup.
It’s a team sport.
Given McKennie’s talent level, if he’s not a dyed in the wool starter and a key part of how Poch sets up the team, then he has no one to blame but himself and his own actions and commitment.
That his place in the lineup is a question isn’t actually the coaching staff’s fault, and it certainly isn’t us in this comment section wondering how this goes.
Poch in this formation has not run him out as one of the double pivots. He trusts Roldan there more. That’s not a comment about Roldan’s superior talent, but his willingness to carry water for the team. McKennie has gotten a few minutes at the ten spot. It’s a crowded depth chart right now.
That’s reality.
I would watch “Hal and Weezy”. Or if they had a podcast. Get them a mic!
I wouldn’t describe what’s happening at The Post as self-immolation, maybe more along the lines of arson to collect insurance money (I’m sure Bezos will double on on savings by reporting the destruction of the paper as a loss for tax purposes).
That’s probably a better description.
On the Poch comments about Weah, he really missed the mark. All he had to say is something along the lines of “a player’s thoughts are their own” or something equally neutral and vague that neither supports nor muzzles them.
Bit of a Streisand Effect by even putting down the pricing criticism publicly, so certainly not a smart thing.
But then, he’s not been particularly tactful with the press in his US tenure, so I guess it’s just baked in at this juncture.
He’ll be back in the PL after the WC, or unemployed if we get stomped out of the group (unlikely, but you never know when you start belittling your players in the press).
My hunch is that Weah won’t have appreciated it, but that the squad will be indifferent or not particularly invested in supporting Tim’s position.
If it was the USWNT, those players would go to the proverbial mattresses for their right of one of their teammates to speak out on these things. Social media would have started lighting up from stars and fanbase alike.
The USMNT is a Gen Z version of
masculinity that… well, let’s just hope they grow.
Report out of Romania that DC was there scouting another left back/left wing. This time, a Brazilian:
https://www.digisport.ro/fotbal/liga-1/scouteri-pe-oblemenco-wuhan-three-towns-si-dc-united-urmaresc-doi-fotbalisti-la-craiova-otelul-4069517
Unless I’m misreading, and I’m looking at the wrong guy. It’s a guy named Joao Lameira. Portuguese.
2 guys mentioned in the article, going to 2 different teams. Portuguese guy is noted as having interest from a Chinese team. Further down they mention the Brazilian guy
So Doyle and Bogert and somebody rather did a over under prediction for points this season. Looks like all three are predicting DC for another Wooden Spoon season, although Bogert and Gass took the over on 28 points. But they also took the over with sporting KC. Unclear which they think will finish last. Doyle took the under for D.C. United at 28 points which really surprised me because he’s the one who wrote that DC was doing some interesting things in the off-season.
If we finish below SKC, who barely have a full game day 18, the team should be terminated. And honestly, ditto for Montreal and St. Louis. I’m not confident in our midfield or chance creation, but there’s no way those teams have more talent than we do, somehow. Bottom half of the table is going to be a mess though. There’s such a gulf between the LAFC/Miami’s and the four team group of misery I’ve got in this post.
What’s happening with the Post is just horrific though it’s happening around the country. Pittsburgh, etc.
The Wash Post brand and it’s resources would make it valuable property, but a startup might be able to fill the gap. The Banner is giving it a shot although they’re not in DC or Virginia yet. They need a lot more cash though. Only run a few stories every day. Even the Post’s increasingly sh*tty metro section was better.