DC Power lose, USMNT updates, Sofia and Lucia Interview, and more: Tuesday Freedom Kicks more
Morning DC footy folk! Lots to get into today including Champions League quarterfinals (both of the European and CONCACAF variety), sports betting (boo) news, and a new baby! Let’s jump right in!
The DC Power needed a win to keep their playoff hopes alive, but wound up losing to the last place team. Donald gives us a recap of the match.
Folarin Balogun nets winner as Monaco overcome Marseille (ESPN)
A this point, I think it’s safe to say that Balogun will be the starting striker for the US. Check out the goal here.
USMNT duo crowned Eredivisie champions with PSV with five games to spare (AS Diario)
Another USMNT striker who had a good weekend was Ricardo Pepi, winning his 3rd straight Dutch league title along with fellow USMNT teammate, Sergiño Dest.
Alas, it can’t be all good news. Agyemang suffered an injury that could potentially rule him out of the summer tournament.
Great interview from the Hey Spirits crew with the Italian contingent at the club! Have you ever wondered how to say “nutmeg” in Italian? Listen to find the answer!
A nice visual of all of the Spirit players going away for international duty for a few years!
MLS commissioner: Fifa ‘smart’ to use dynamic pricing for World Cup tickets (The Guardian)
Don’t get any ideas, Don…
FIFA signs ADI Predictstreet to World Cup sponsorship (SBJ)
Interesting to note from the article is that this product does not yet exist and the World Cup is a little over two months away. My bet (pun intended) is that most people will simply use “traditional” prediction markets such as Kalshi or Polymarket for the World Cup and this is just another way to line FIFA’s pockets.
If you need to make a “meeting” around, oh let’s say around 3 PM that happens to coincide with Bayern Munich vs Real Madrid today, I won’t tell anyone.
USMNT midweek viewing guide: Quarterfinals begin (SSFC)
Lots of Americans playing midweek games today including Nashville vs Club America tonight.
Finally, congrats to Washington Spirit player, Casey Krueger, and her family in welcoming her new daughter to the world!
Great interview with Sofia and Lucia. Great news about Balo–we need to get a couple of the USMNT starters “hot” and in-form.
3 pm. iPad on my desk. Gang jetz Bayern!
I do feel for Agyemang
As a practicality and from a roster perspective, I think we should be prioritizing Balogun and Pepi, seeing if Wright can come back, and keeping Weah as a decent “break glass” option.
The USMNT needs to prevent the scenario at the World Cup where throwing on Agyemang out of necessity is happening. He’s a physical Hail Mary, and if we are desperate enough to hope that that pays off in an important game this summer, we’re toast.
We aren’t toast already?
No
We had a functional system, but it did include some players that were more determined, stolid, and capable of suffering for the team. Berhalter, Roldan, Alex Freeman, Diego Luna. These players really made it harder to get feng shui toward our goal, and allowed whoever the two 10s and the striker (often Balogun) were to get the game state.
Poch has tried to reincorporate some of the more prestigious players, and that’s what we got.
Certain players are not foundational, and if Poch figures out which ones will work and which ones are profligate, we’ll do better.
But yeah, you only throw on Agyemang in a World Cup if it’s a mess and you’re desperate to get closer to an equalizer
Based off more recent performances I’m thinking we don’t make it out of our group.
He decided to experiment with these warmups, and it was bad.
I suspect he’ll go back to the more stable and team centric structure, but we’ll see
MLS Writers staff have dropped us only 4 places to #21 from #17 in this week’s power rankings.
https://www.mlssoccer.com/news/power-rankings-thomas-muller-vancouver-whitecaps-leap-forward
FIFA has opened disciplinary proceedings against the Spanish FA in regards to the friendly against Egypt.
https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7169711/2026/04/07/spain-anti-muslim-chants-investigation/
https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7178191/2026/04/07/la-liga-protests-game-abroad/
Players did not play the first 15 seconds of La Liga games the weekend of October 17-20 in protest of attempting to schedule a game in Miami. La Liga had filed a lawsuit trying to get the protest declared illegal, but Spain’s high court has rejected the lawsuit.
La Liga has said it will appeal the decision.