The Daily Dirt March 14, 2018: Local sports coverage includes two stories a week

Back for another Wednesday - last week it was a day of anxiety as Atlanta was looking to bounce back from a 4-0 loss to Houston while an opponent they’d never beaten was coming to town. Things seem better now - except that Atlanta United is going to try to stay on track against an opponent they’ve never beaten. Luckily all they have to do is grow about two cumulative feet as a team and things should be ok.

I’m not nervous, you’re nervous...

Am I going to explain that headline or subheader? No.

Anyway, onto the Dirt...

Domestic

The Christen Press trade saga with the Houston Dash is coming to light more and more. Houston has a reputation for not exactly devoting the same resources to their NWSL team as they do their MLS team, so not being aware of the rules regarding player tampering or how to get in contact with her seems like it was the kind of thing that the franchise is susceptible to.

In These Football Times has an interesting reflection on why soccer in the US is the way that it is - specifically, with lots of running and physical play rather than technical abilities - and how the culture that has built up around the sport in the US has set it apart from the rest of the world.

Tyler Adams got a goal and absolutely bossed the midfield against a very good Club Tijuana team last night in New Jersey. It makes it all that more upsetting that we won’t get to watch Bruce Arena explain to everyone why he can’t start in the World Cup this year.

Meanwhile in Monterrey, TFC went to Mexico with a 2-1 aggregate in a match that put an MLS side against a talented LigaMX team playing at home. Things seemed to be going for Toronto with the Reds time wasting and flopping around until a full blown goal party commenced. Surprisingly, Toronto scored first and that completely opened things up. The game ended 3-2 for Tigres after it was clear that Concacaf may have re-branded itself, but it is still CONCACAF. Toronto still went ahead on away goals fortunately.

International

Generally I think players’ hairstyles are fun and whatever they want to do with their lettuce is their business. I still feel that way, but if Marouane Fellaini isn’t getting paid for this he’s doing it wrong.

This is turning into a heavy Manchester United edition of TDD, but this seems to say everything that is wrong with Jose Mourinho and also something about modern managers who switch teams every three seasons.

The German FA has parted ways with Women’s National Team manager Steffi Jones after a poor showing at the SheBelieves Cup.

Fan surveys seem to be all the rage these days. I know I’ve done my fair share for Atlanta United and one has been floating around from USSF has been asking their fans about cricket or something. But Tottenham took things to a new level asking fans a sexist question in order to establish their tendencies and beliefs about gender equality. There’s surely a better way to go about doing that so Cartilage Free Captain dumping on them is right on the nose.

So much Champions League - Goals from three countries and two continents

Let’s take it home with the Man U theme - here’s the game with Sevilla in 90 seconds:

Let’s take a look at the future and cower in fear at how the New York Red Bulls are legit good and scary:

You should listen to (and not watch or read)

Look, Ready Player One is not a good book and it is not going to be a good movie. Skip it, please, I’ll save you $12 or whatever it costs to see a movie and post this roasting of the book from I Don’t Even Own A Television instead so you can say you saw it.