European Super League, D.C. United & Washington Spirit notes, and more: Freedom Kicks for 4/20/2021

Good morning! It’s Tuesday, I hope we’re all still coasting on that winning feeling from the weekend*. I’m taking a break from looking at tonkatsu recipes to talk about D.C. United, the Washington Spirit, and I suppose this accursed Super League business.

*Weekends start on Thursday now, just go with me on this, it’s a good idea

Good way to start your day. The occasional profanity is a bonus.

D.C. United Starts the Hernán Losada Era With a Win | Washington City Paper
Got a few Russell Canouse quotes in here from the post-game presser in case you’re still luxuriating in a win. Go ahead, 2020 was rough, you’ve earned it.

Team of the Week presented by Audi: CF Montréal shine as 2021 MLS season begins | MLSsoccer.com
Canouse is on the league’s Team of the Week, while Brendan Hines-Ike is on the bench. Also, if you’re like me, there’s a bonus “Boniek Garcia, center back?” laugh for you...until you go check out the Dynamo game and find that Boniek Garcia straight up did play center back. MLS stays weird.

Chicharito finds his form, Sounders make a statement & more from Week 1 | MLSsoccer.com
Matt Doyle brings up the idea of United being a “demolition derby” team and...yeah, I see it. Hopefully the craft side improves in lockstep with the graft side, but taking a longer view, one thing we all know about MLS is that picking up some points early has great value. United’s run-in is very favorable, but it’d be awfully nice to leverage that into serious good vibes and a higher place in the standings than needing a 2018 run just to get into the playoffs.

Moving over to the Spirit...

This isn’t a surprise, and I’m told Washington will have Kelley O’Hara, Emily Sonnett, and Andi Sullivan ready to go tomorrow night as well. But nonetheless, a pretty significant test defensively, even if Orlando still looks like the Pride of 2019 (i.e. defensively disorganized) at the moment.

‘European Super League,’ the announcement tearing soccer apart, explained | SB Nation
I personally have virtually no interest in the details of the Super League, and it’s not going to occupy my mind all that much whenever it comes to be. But, maybe you’re like me and being asked by non-soccer people to Explain This, and you don’t want to think about it because we have plenty of good soccer in place already. If that’s the case, here’s your link to get those people off your back.

Super League explainer but make it RuPaul’s Drag Race | All for XI
This is good fun, and depending on the cultural touchstones in the person asking you about the Super League, it might actually be a perfect way to give them the understanding they crave.

2020 NCAA Division I women’s soccer championship selections announced | NCAA.com
Spirit draft pick Tara McKeown and USC got the #8 seed, and might be the most difficult team in #1 Florida State’s path when all is said and done. Three DMV teams got invites, one from each portion of the region: Georgetown repping DC, Navy in for Maryland, and Liberty for Virginia.

Maryland men’s soccer earns NCAA Tournament berth | Testudo Times
On the men’s side, the Terps got in by the skin of their teeth, very likely due to one specific win back in March. After starting poorly, though, they’ve got just one loss in seven games. They’ll take on Missouri St. on May 2. American, Georgetown, James Madison, and Virginia Tech all got bids as well.

Both the women’s and men’s tournaments will be held throughout North Carolina, with the first two rounds scattered all over the state before the tournament centers on WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary from the Round of 16 onward.

That’s everything I’ve got. If 4/20 is a big day for you, get a nice cozy place to chill and do your thing. If it’s just Tuesday...actually I think my advice is unchanged.