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Good morning, friends! Thank you to all of the veterans who have served this country on this Veterans’ Day, and let’s get right into the soccer news:
What the 2021 MLS season meant for DC United
Matt Doyle breaks down D.C. United’s 2021 MLS season which, despite missing out on the playoffs, was still a success. He does it through the lens of Hernan Losada’s Maximum Overdrive!! system, the term for which was created by your friendly podcasters over at Filibuster.
Live from Spirit training. This high school field is extremely nice pic.twitter.com/I1iUSHx3OT
— Jason Anderson (@JasonDCsoccer) November 10, 2021
Our own Jason Anderson was at Washington Spirit training yesterday, and unfortunately learned that Tori Huster will be out for the next match.
Charlotte’s minor league soccer mess
The Charlotte USL team has been a mess that has flown under the radar for years now. The Charlotte Eagles, the previous iteration, were explicitly a ministry to spread Christianity through soccer, and that has included anti-LGBT actions both on and off the field. This version, the Charlotte Independence, has been unable to pay its players and staff, and thats just the beginning.
Incredible day for the sport of soccer in the U.S. @ussoccer could not be more proud to extend our long-standing partnership with @Nike. Aligned values and a commitment to grow the game at all levels is core to our future. Here’s to another 25 years!! pic.twitter.com/zuKJHcAaGc
— David A. Wright (@DavidWrightUSSF) November 10, 2021
While USSF didn’t actually sign a 25 year deal with Nike, they did look to sign a long term (possibly 10 year) deal with the company. While Nike has been willing to pay a pretty penny for the USMNT and USWNT jerseys, the designs have also left us wanting more.
NEW STORY IS FREE TO READ. The craziest sports story of 2021 is FC Sheriff. Real Madrid-slaying Champions League underdog. Money-laundering front for arms smugglers. Pride of a Soviet-style country that doesn't exist. I went to Tiraspol to learn more. https://t.co/3Sh0U4Ns4E
— Grant Wahl (@GrantWahl) November 10, 2021
Just read it.
That’s all I have to today. What’s up?