Absurdity in Harrison, DC Power Dominant at Home, Project ACL, a Case of Hives, and much more: Thursday Freedom Kicks.
Happy Thursday everyone! I am back in New Jersey visiting family and friends and attending a 40th birthday celebration. When planning this trip, I didn’t think to check DC United’s schedule. One of my oldest friends, who’s a Red Bull fan, pointed out that the first round of the Atlantic Cup was scheduled for while I was home. Man, did we pick a good night to go to the stadium formerly known as Red Bull Arena. Going in, neither one of us was all that sanguine about our teams chances. Despite these concerns the game ended up being a bit absurd. It might have been the wildest DC United match I can recall since the 6-4 game against Real Salt Lake back in 2015. Really, all we could do was laugh and be thankful our side didn’t find a way to lose. To the Red Bull fan behind us who was apoplectic at the end, I hope your night got better. Anyway, on to the headlines.
DC United come back three times to draw Red Bull New York in wild Atlantic Cup goalfest (DP)
Donald breaks down what was not only a great night for Tai Baribo, but a night where the Black and Red equaled their total goals scored thus farin the season in one match.
Gabriel Pirani was not on the bench for the second straight game yesterday, and not injured. Jason takes a look at the situation with DC’s enigmatic midfielder, among other topics.
DC Power FC open floodgates in crucial win against Fort Lauderdale United FC (DP)
It was a good night at Audi Field for DC Power. Their offensive outburst and victory over Fort Lauderdale put them up into the final playoff spot with just three matches left. With two goals in the match, Loza Abera is climbing the Buzzard Points leader list.
The ability of the Spirit to work with different groups in the community continues to impress me. This collaboration could be a great benefit to young players in DC.
The NWSL’s Most Valuable Teams 2026 (Forbes)
Spoiler: The Spirit show up at #5 on this list, valued at slightly less than the expansion fee for a new NWSL team.
First off, we’re all going to collectively agree there is no item 2 on this list. Ok? Good.
Dang it, who looked?
Loudoun United’s Adam Beaudry appears on the list at #3 due to his work in goal for the currently winless team.
Project ACL: NWSL joins WSL in initiative aimed at expanding injury research (The Guardian)
With female players 2 to 6 times more likely to suffer ACL injuries, NWSL is teaming up with England’s Women’s Super League and the global player’s union to conduct a three year comprehensive study of the issue. The study will look at factors beyond biology, including training methods, playing conditions, and gear development. Given how little of the sports sciences have been dedicated to female athletes, a study of this nature is beyond due.
Breaking: Bayern Munich Frauen clinch Bundesliga title (Bavarian Football Works)
FCB Frauen have torn through the Frauen-Bundesliga this year, posting a 21-1-0 record thus far and a goal differential of +76. Their goal differential is almost 2.5 times greater than the next closest team Wolfsburg (+31). Bayern have won the title for seasons in a row and are now equal on seven with the She-Wolves and Frankfurt for most titles.
Barcelona win 7th straight Liga F title to further quadruple quest (ESPN)
Bayern’s Women’s Champions League opponent, Barcelona clinched their seventh straight season and 10th time overall. They are 16 points clear of second place Real Madrid.
Fun story (maybe not entirely for Wynalda) from the 1994 World Cup. I really enjoy little vignettes like these. Also, if you had asked me what happened the night before kickoff of the 1994 World Cup, I would not have guessed the OJ Simpson’s low speed chase in a White Ford Bronco . Its weird how historic events overlap sometimes.
UK Football Policing Unit chief says X is ‘hiding behind’ legal processes and delays (The Guardian)
The UK Football Policing Unit noted there was a massive drop off in successful prosecutions related to hateful content due to delays receiving information from a particular social media platform. This issue will likely not improve anytime soon.
Frank Lampard and Premier League newcomers Coventry City have turned 25 years of turmoil into triumph (FourFourTwo)
Coventry City are the first team to drop from the Premier League down to League Two and then work their way back to the top of the pyramid, which is pretty impressive.
Germany haven’t exactly been the dominant force we’re used to of late. Can they get it together and make a deep run at the World Cup?
I’ll end with this. Last night was madness not just in DC United’s match but across MLS. The absurdity even included a goalie goal at the death to keep Philly from claiming three points. Sometimes this sport is just amazing.
What did I miss?
As I said in the comments of Donald’s
match write up (which, thanks to Donald for managing match reports for games occurring at the same time on the East Coast): This level of offensive output wasn’t as surprising to me as it was to many. And it’s one of the reasons I didn’t find the Philly game draw “dreary.”
This was essentially the same game plan. We had more stability (and frankly, competency) in the midfield with Markovic, and Servania shouldn’t get the proverbial cake from Weiler this offseason. Herrera really struggled to understand his role and how to impact the flow of play as a RM when the ball turned over. At times, I genuinely thought he got in Hefti’s way and messed with his ability to lockdown what he needed to in what proved to be a pivotal zone. I think he’ll pick it up, but this was a sobering lesson for Herrera on the wing.
Bradley has some blazing individual talents that popped off this game, though I wonder how many will have a performance this sharp again (and I don’t think that DCU’s sloppiness was more to blame than their hot hand). NJ were fortunate to not be down a goal early on, were fortunate that circumstances handed them a two goal lead, and were absolutely gifted a point when this performance should have ended in defeat. Bradley, composure is not a weakness, and committing to a concept does not make it a better one.
Philly saw a lot of the same build up potential, and dealt with it really admirably, on their side of things. DC got way more of those chances against a nonsensical NJ philosophy, but Philly did make interventions in early build up so that these goals didn’t happen to them.
Overall, while I don’t think many teams will allow us to compete like this, don’t tell the players, cuz it is good to have confidence and faith in your ability to go the gears when the game state goes south.
I think both goals from NYRB’s DP on the wing were in no small part the result of Herrera charging in and overshooting, allowing the cutback and the open shot for a goal.
Yeah, was my impression live that Hefti’s like: I can’t do anything in this scenario, and it should have been my space to worry about
From Open Cup to this, I don’t know what team to expect now. Hopkins, better at forward. Peglow creating some chances. Baribo finishing. Johnson is an upgrade for sure. Some unlucky calls. Lots of goals. Unfortunate tie. Fun game to watch.
Pirani. We watched him for multiple seasons. At some point, this happens. I think we have wanted to move on from him for a while.
Renee told the players they had poor mentality and then they do this. Hope it sticks.
I hope were’re still looking for a field marshall at CB. We will continue to be eaten alive after a press breaks down until that time. Maybe Markovic could develop into that guy, once his presence isn’t needed in the midfield.
Genuinely think Markovic would be, especially after having experience distributing from central midfield.
I would like a real, dedicated partner for Peltola that moves Markovic back. I actually don’t understand why Kijima hasn’t been given a chance, even as a sub, to be more of a shuttler next to the Finn, but I wish to goodness Weiler would try it.
In general, I think Kijima is too good at the facility of build up and ball retention while also exhibiting good understanding and tenacity out of possession to warrant his bench confinement in almost all circumstances.
It was all the more confusing last night, since this was a game that highlighted all of Servania’s weaknesses… he’s a slow-tempo guy, and the limits to his athleticism and instincts meant he was thoroughly ineffective in a racetrack match. So, at the half, Weiler very well ought to have been thinking “hey, do I have anyone on the roster who would be happy to play 45 minutes of high-intensity tackling, running, and gunning in center midfield?” I don’t know if I’d prefer the scenario where that question didn’t occur to him, or the scenario where it did occur to him but he failed to recognize that Kijima is precisely that guy.
Might just be a personal relationship problem. Might be a bit of lack of imagination on Weiler’s part. Hard to say. Something tells me he didn’t roll back the tape to watch Kijima play deeper before our absolutely abysmal attack made Lesesne push him up as high as possible in desperation- he looked really good in a deeper central role, although that was like two and a half games, if that. Point is, him not getting more reps there and being more established centrally is not down to his play there.
Harry Rednapp, who many don’t think of as an elite example of an English football manager, was in fact the first person that noticed Luca Modric’s tendency to hang near an opposing player in build up, and advance the ball regardless. He was the first to put Modric in central midfield, in a 4-4-2, no less. Physically, it was a gamble, but obviously led to Modric taking off as a Champions League legend.
Kijima is not in that tier, but he’ll remain good value for his salary in MLS, and, with a salary cap, those are the players you build on and find the spending advantages elsewhere.
So, yeah, I want him in there.
Aside to this: If Peltola continues his streak of scoring the long range goals that he figured out how to do this season, I feel like we need to start calling him The Finnisher
That’s so good
Baribo makes MLS’s Team of the Matchday for his hat trick last night
Before we get too far into this fandom era and start to take elements of the function of Baribo for granted, I do want to say:
That ability to get onto a through ball and, without touching it, make the perfect curved run to be able to rifle it around the goalie into the far post, which I think is probably going to be his most consistent, nailed on chance to finish- I do like that. It’s refreshing to see a finisher for DC have that chance pretty much on lock. Not skying it or making a weird angled shot that gets botched in delivery, or being intimidated by the chance of choking. Baribo loves that shot, and it was a cornerstone of his hattrick. Good for him.
Baribo has now also been awarded Player of the Matchday
Last Saturday Miami’s Yannick Bright saw a straight red for something he said in the 87′. Today MLS suspended Bright an extra game for violating the league’s non-discrimination policy.
https://www.mlssoccer.com/news/mls-suspends-inter-miami-midfielder-yannick-bright-additional-match