One of the Honduran scores came from a player at Rio Grande Valley FC! USL! USA!! USA!!
Also, note that only 16 teams qualify for the Olympic tournament. A hundred other countries will also not qualify. Like England. And Italy.
Europe got 4, Asia got 3, Africa got 3, South America got 2. And New Zealand. And Host.
And, this is a sucky way for qualification, one match, essentially. Olympics need to throw in some interconfederational play-ins.
Much more difficult to be in the top 4 in Europe than the top 2 in Concacaf imo
They did for the last cycle. US lost to Colombia 3-2 on aggregate after securing a 1-1 draw on the 1st leg in Colombia.
Not sure this is the failure some people are making it out to be. Here’s ESPN:
Here is LA Times soccer columnist:
IMO, it’s certainly a failure if you expected USA to make it. And if you think the Olympics Soccer tournament (men’s) is important.
So, lower expectations.
Women get some equalness:
More women (actually a girl) issues:
“The rules that govern league operations are in place to support players and team operators and ensure the NWSL remains the premier women’s soccer league in the world. We will vigorously defend our league against this litigation because it seeks to change a long-standing rule and interferes with the collective bargaining process.”
So, NWSL is trying to ensure it is the premier women’s soccer league in the world by restricting who plays in it? Typical closed system sports league, especially when the players are on board with it. Also, not even sure they are the “premier women’s soccer league in the world,” with billionaires abroad pouring money into Women’s soccer in England and France, luring our USWNT players.
Bump, for CONCACAF Nations League. Four roster spots for MLS players. Not sure if that is a club decision not to release them or something else. Certainly, Morris would be on the team.
Temporary Restraining Order allows 15 year-old to sign with any NWSL team.
Now, let’s see if the teams collude to ignore her, or if one team that has a need for her skills and wants to win more games in sports, in which a major objective is to win games.
US Soccer Federation is ending it’s 20 year relationship with SUM.
It will be interesting to see how USSF and MLS each make out in the leadup to the 2026 world cup. This split also ends one big bone of contention for the pro/rel truthers
Well, “truthers” is not apt. More like “wanters, but know that pussy billionaires don’t want to do the real work of trying to win (or else).”
The real issue here is, who’s the soccer leader in the US: The MLS or The USSF? I.e., which one tells the other to jump and how high?
The other thing maybe cleared up here are the Euro Exhibition Tours. And, perhaps, La Liga playing an official match or two in the U.S. (They should bring two teams, have them play their two official matches back-to-back, so as not to favor one or the other.)
There are a lot of pro/rel wanters. I think it would be in the best long term interest of the sport here myself. However, there are a lot of pro/rel truthers that believe there’s been a vast conspiracy by USSF/SUM/MLS to destroy small clubs. The alleged conflicts of interest between these 3 parties have been central to their belief system. Now that they are parting ways, that conspiracy nonsense should hopefully go away.
The truth is much more simple, which is in line with what you said: billionaires paid big money to buy franchises, and aren’t willing to risk their investment taking a hit in value. Maybe if/when Liga MX and MLS join forces there will be enough teams and money involved that a pro/rel solution makes sense, but I imagine it will still be a closed system.
Liga Mx this year instituted fines for the three worst teams by “coefficient.” The fine money goes to the second tier league.
Nations Cup Semifinal vs Honduras tonight in Denver.
On CBS Sports Network, in case you were looking for it (as I was, on FS1, FS2, ESPN, ESPN2, the Ocho,…)
Latest issue: what to do with Dest?
https://www.mlssoccer.com/news/usmnt-s-sergino-dest-conundrum
I was at my kids soccer game (hooray for a 1 hr drive each way 3 nights in a row) so didn’t see it. Did anyone watch? Reviews don’t sound the best, but we pulled it out in regulation and didn’t need to go to PKs like Mexico.
Looking at the starters, I still haven’t seen anything from Sargent to tell me he is our best up top. Also not a big fan of Yuiell as a starting 6 at this level. He’s an above average MLS player and didn’t really show anything on the U23 team that would lead me to believe he should be our 2nd choice 6 behind Adams.
I thought the midfield was non-existent. We could not get the ball to our attacking players without them coming all the way back for it.
Sargent was okay I guess. He had one good opportunity, and did save a goal clearing the ball off the line.
Speaking of clearing the ball of the line, Steffen made a really bad mistake that should have cost us a goal. Last time I watched him play he made a mistake that lost Man City the FA Cup. I am not certain he has locked down the starting role for us. Horvath looked great vs Switerland.
I watched too. Agree the midfield struggled against an aggressive D.
Sargent’s goal line clearance was pretty great. Got a header off the back of his head right on the goal line when Steffen left the net completely open.
Not getting my hopes up v MEX.
Sargent is not going to be enough as a 9 in international play. If he’s our dude, we’re done.
That was an ugly goal surrendered immediately
And then, there was an ugly rest of the game. Just finished watching (rest of the household doesn’t have the taste in sports as we do).
This game isn’t like baseball. They need to play like a team. So many shitty passes to no one or to MEX, though they made it up with some impressive steals.
Trying to think of a way to determine the relative strength of a National Team based on where their players play, and how much they play on those teams. So, the structure is:
Also, these players should realize that every League match they play (or, don’t play) is a tryout for the National Team, and every national match they play is a tryout for their League Team (or, more importantly, other League teams that might want to buy them). They will get old, and they will be replaced.
Few observations:
Damn, the last hour of that game got Concacaffy in a hurry, didn’t it? Shithousery left and right.
I don’t know if I have ever heard of Mark McKenzie, but I am fine never hearing of him again.
Dest was a complete non-factor. Its almost like we took away his strength.
We CAN NOT play out of the back. Glad to see that when Horvath came in we stopped doing that.
Like Yuiell, Acosta is a above average MLS player. He is not cut for this level. Can’t believe Musah didn’t get any run in 2 games. Would have been nice to cap-tie him.
Sargent and the guy who replaced him did absolutely nothing. I am guessing Dike will be getting a lot of run in the Gold Cup.
The penalty on Pulisic was weak, but his PK was a masterclass of how to take a kick.
I love McKinnie because he has that DNGAF gene.