clock menu more-arrow no yes mobile

Filed under:

The Daily Dirt March 26, 2018: Abolish the international break

Or recognize it, either way

MLS: Los Angeles Galaxy at Vancouver Whitecaps Anne-Marie Sorvin-USA TODAY Sports

So MLS did the thing where they let their teams decide if they wanted to play in the international break or not and it really took a toll on my fantasy team. It also took a toll on Vancouver vs. LA Galaxy with LA travelling with just 16 players including three keepers. That game ended 0-0 and somehow Vancouver will still end up finishing 3rd in the West. MLS wants to be a top 5 league, but it also wants to play games through the international break, I really doubt both of those things can happen at the same time.

Anyway, onto the Dirt...

Domestic

NWSL kicked off this weekend with four games. We covered the North Carolina Courage winning 1-0 against the Portland Thorns, but catch up on the rest of the results:

Seattle Reign beat the Washington Spirit 2-1.

The Utah Royals and Orlando Pride drew 1-1.

And the Houston Dash finished 1-1 versus the Chicago Red Stars.

Speaking of Houston, the Dynamo got some recognition for their secondary kits. Give GQ a Pulitzer for the description of the team though:

Cash was grabbed in San Jose as Landon Donovan managed to get a goal against the Earthquakes in Club Leon’s friendly win there on Saturday. Amazingly, Leon can think to sign Donovan, plot to play a friendly against his former club, and generally make a big deal about him being on the team - but this is what their website looks like.

Nashville SC drew nearly 20,000 for their first ever match. The game ended in a 0-0 draw, but it seems like there’s something special being built in Tennessee.

International

I want to be cynical and say there were a pile of meaningless friendlies this weekend, but the US plays on Tuesday so the games that happened will actually help teams to prepare for the World Cup. One eye-popping result was Colombia coming back from 2-0 to beat France 3-2. Yes it’s a friendly, but Jose Peckerman is a really underrated international manager and Colombia could be a surprising team in the World Cup in 2018.

Gibraltar beat Latvia for their second win in four years, look out Iceland!

Thomas Tuchel is reportedly in line to replace Arsene Wenger at Arsenal, well now we know why US Soccer is holding it’s search for a new manager until the summer.

Goals

Megan Rapinoe’s free kick was glorious.

If Atlanta United was playing this weekend, they might actually lose a goal of the week vote - this is sheer beauty both on the pass from Alex Muyl and the finish from Bradley Wright-Phillips.

This is a pretty good piece of two goals in one gif

You should listen to...

UnCivil Podcast If you want a deeper, more complicated look at the Civil War and why what we think we know about it is wrong - it might be for you.