Hey Spirits Podcast, Loudoun United Takeaways, and more: Tuesday Freedom Kicks
Hello DC Footy Folk! A quick update on my 30+ indoor soccer league; we are currently in first place and won our game 7-1 last night! I grabbed a goal and two assists so feeling quite chuffed!
Let’s move on to the footy news!
Many many positives to discuss after a week where the Spirit outscored their opponents 9-2. A reminder that is also available on YouTube now! Come for the analysis; stay for the Annie shimmy.
Ryan gives us a breakdown of the 2-2 draw over the weekend between Loudoun and Oakland.
Washington Spirit Head Coach Adrián González Named NWSL Coach of the Month (Washington Spirit)
A well deserved nod to Adrian! After the first 3 winless games of the season, many would have changed things up. Adrian stayed the course and has reaped the rewards!
Player of the Week presented by AT&T (NWSL)
Trinity Rodman is up for Player of the Week after a weekend where she scored and assisted 2 goals against Orlando. Cantore is also up for Goal of the Week.
Vox Creative, Roku debut new docuseries on history of American soccer (SSFC)
There’s (rightfully) been a lull leading up to this World Cup. Maybe this three part docuseries can help get American footy fans into the right mindset to embrace this World Cup.
North Korean women’s football club headed to Seoul in rare trip across the border (The Guardian)
I always love the interaction of politics and soccer. This is an interesting story coming from South Korea. An aside from me; I visited the Demilitarized Zone between North and South Korea back in 2018. I remember thinking there would be a lot of hostile feelings there, but the overwhelming feeling present for me was one of sadness. The Korean people long for a day when maybe their country can be reunified (or at least relations can improve). Maybe it starts with something as simple as a soccer match?
A reminder that there is a UEFA Champions League semifinal today! Arsenal will be buoyed by Manchester City’s slip up against Everton yesterday and hopes of a Premier League and Champions League double remain alive! Do you think Arsenal can pull it off?
That’s all from me folks! See you in the comments!
In the Power Rankings department, the MLS site moves DC up 9 spots to #14, essentially noting that while they haven’t scored many goals, they’re also looking good defensively, which is proving to be enough in the East this year.
Conversely, Matt Doyle has DC move up 2 spots to #23, saying they did an excellent job in NYC and are up to 5th in the East, but that he’s “not buying it at all. I think it’s a product of a soft schedule and catching some teams at the right time”
So…very different reads on how DC is actually doing
Megan Swanick over at ESPN only moved DCU up 2 spots to #22.
https://www.espn.com/soccer/story/_/id/48675718/mls-power-rankings-gozo-real-salt-lake-continue-impress
I can’t say I understand Doyle or ESPN having Charlotte so far ahead of DC.
I’ve expressed my antipathy for MLS power rankings, regardless of whoever adjudicates the list.
But I do care about DC closing the reputation gap with the teams that get protagonist status. It affects a number of things, broadcasts, ref protection dynamics, league treatment (though we’re never going to be favorites, it would be nice if, say, our best player weren’t fined and then forgiven so that Suarez wasn’t alone on that press release).
We just need to keep finding ways to play well and buck the idea that any decent performance is an anomaly. That Hopkins getting mugged is down to his ball carrying threat, and not something to overlook. That an MLS CB is not more worthy of protection on an aerial duel than our DP CF.
The owners got us here, but maybe the players can claw some of it back despite them.