Christian Pulisic and Chelsea host Tottenham on Sunday (Photo by Simon Stacpoole/Offside/Offside via Getty Images)
It’s another big soccer weekend ahead with a full slate of Premier League games including Chelsea-Spurs and Southampton-Leeds, the start of La Liga and Serie A and 14 MLS and five NWSL games.But first we’ll have our Friday Newsletter. Feel free below to ask your probing, thoughtful and/or amusing questions about any soccer topic, and I’ll answer the best ones tomorrow. Thank you!
Dear Grant -- not exactly a question -- a request.
Back to 2015 -- the USWNT -- that was really the first time I got deeply engaged in following soccer. I really enjoyed the run and when it all was over, I skipped work and my wife and I went to lower Manhattan to experience the team's ticker tape parade..
My favorite player on that team was Meghan Klingenberg. One of those things, I guess -- I just thought she was brilliant -- a tiny tower of strength.
I see that she is still on the pitch playing with Portland. I think it would be interesting if you interviewed her and shared with us her thoughts about the USWNT, the league and the Thorns, and what she thinks about the future for herself when she does put away the game-day cleats.
Why no more podcasts and can I assume no podcasts from Qatar with the DC writer that ate the borscht? You guys made a great team and I looked forward to more coming out.
We are less than 4 months away from the WC and it seems like Qatar officials have so many issues to solve before the tournament. Including the schedule for the first 2 days and whether fans can drink alcohol. Is this going to be a disaster?
Dan Le Betard got BigSoccer riled up during the 2006 World Cup with some anti-soccer comments. Now he employs Fancy Lad Chris Wittyngham. How much is this an indicator of progress for soccer?
How do you think the NWSL compares in terms of quality of play to the European leagues? Do you foresee a day when there will be a match between the European Champions and the American ones?
Anything that you can speak on regarding the OCSC battle for their stadium would be incredibly helpful. Why is Galaxy trying to kick a USL team out of their home stadium when they have plenty of facilities of their own to utilize?
AEG / LA Galaxy II made a first attempt at making a deal with the City of Irvine to take control of Championship Soccer Stadium and evict USL champions Orange County SC and two other professional teams in favor of their MLS Next Pro developmental team. The LA Galaxy issued a statement saying they never intended to evict, however the agenda item that was proposed before the city manager pulled it very late on Monday clearly shows that LA Galaxy would be the ONLY pro team allowed.
Almost 300 community member still showed up Tuesday to the Irvine City Council meeting to voice their concerns and also offer support to Orange County SC.
Please discuss the issue about LA Galaxy trying to poach a stadium and evict established local teams. This issue was discuss on Futbol Americas last night on ESPN+ but could use your journalistic insight.
Here is the agenda item that was scheduled then pulled last minute:
Last three on USMNT roster for Qatar right now, and the last three off?
What does it say about John Brooks’ current form/value that it has taken him this long to find a club on a free transfer, and that club might end up being in Saudi Arabia?
I feel sad about the rough season my hometown Washington Spirit is having after winning the NWSL championship last year. Do you have any insights - general or specific - about how they've gone from red hot to almost bottom of the pack? (I wonder if it's particularly hard for team cohesion to have a whopping seven players disappear from time to time for USWNT camps?)
From the USMNT perspective. Is the team better with Pulisic playing with Chelsea as a super sub or as a regular player with a lesser Premier league team (ex: West Ham)? Ultimately, the goal is to have Christian at his peak going into the WC.
When a player is pregnant, how long can she typically train? And after the birth, is recovering from a pregnancy similar to recovery from, say, a back strain?
If Seattle doesn't make the playoffs, is Schmetzer out? Does whether Lagerway stays affect Schmetzer's future? If Brian is fired, is Preki the obvious choice for interim coach?
What outrageously wild predictions would you have for the first half of the Euro season? Some team coming from nowhere or some player we never heard of? Who’s the next Sheriff? Or just who should we turn an eye toward?
Why is it that women's clubs in Europe are attached to men's clubs as opposed to the "expansion style" in the US? Do you think one model is better for the development of the women's game?
With the self-imposed announcement date passed and nary a peep during the all-star break, is MLS to Vegas off or do we still expect to hear something soon? Also, I'm assuming MLS goes to 32 teams. When will that happen and who are the most likely candidates?
Dear Grant -- not exactly a question -- a request.
Back to 2015 -- the USWNT -- that was really the first time I got deeply engaged in following soccer. I really enjoyed the run and when it all was over, I skipped work and my wife and I went to lower Manhattan to experience the team's ticker tape parade..
My favorite player on that team was Meghan Klingenberg. One of those things, I guess -- I just thought she was brilliant -- a tiny tower of strength.
I see that she is still on the pitch playing with Portland. I think it would be interesting if you interviewed her and shared with us her thoughts about the USWNT, the league and the Thorns, and what she thinks about the future for herself when she does put away the game-day cleats.
Just a thought.
Ridge (in New Joisey)
Why no more podcasts and can I assume no podcasts from Qatar with the DC writer that ate the borscht? You guys made a great team and I looked forward to more coming out.
We are less than 4 months away from the WC and it seems like Qatar officials have so many issues to solve before the tournament. Including the schedule for the first 2 days and whether fans can drink alcohol. Is this going to be a disaster?
Dan Le Betard got BigSoccer riled up during the 2006 World Cup with some anti-soccer comments. Now he employs Fancy Lad Chris Wittyngham. How much is this an indicator of progress for soccer?
How do you think the NWSL compares in terms of quality of play to the European leagues? Do you foresee a day when there will be a match between the European Champions and the American ones?
Anything that you can speak on regarding the OCSC battle for their stadium would be incredibly helpful. Why is Galaxy trying to kick a USL team out of their home stadium when they have plenty of facilities of their own to utilize?
AEG / LA Galaxy II made a first attempt at making a deal with the City of Irvine to take control of Championship Soccer Stadium and evict USL champions Orange County SC and two other professional teams in favor of their MLS Next Pro developmental team. The LA Galaxy issued a statement saying they never intended to evict, however the agenda item that was proposed before the city manager pulled it very late on Monday clearly shows that LA Galaxy would be the ONLY pro team allowed.
Almost 300 community member still showed up Tuesday to the Irvine City Council meeting to voice their concerns and also offer support to Orange County SC.
Please discuss the issue about LA Galaxy trying to poach a stadium and evict established local teams. This issue was discuss on Futbol Americas last night on ESPN+ but could use your journalistic insight.
Here is the agenda item that was scheduled then pulled last minute:
https://legacy.cityofirvine.org/cityhall/citymanager/pio/ictv/default.asp
Last three on USMNT roster for Qatar right now, and the last three off?
What does it say about John Brooks’ current form/value that it has taken him this long to find a club on a free transfer, and that club might end up being in Saudi Arabia?
Is there any chance MLS and La Liga all star game could be played in Mexico in the future?
Do you have any idea what this Leagues Cup will look like next year? Shutting down season for a month? Everyone is in?
Got to give Garth Lagerway great credit for his work at Sounders. European teams are quite rightly studying MLS success stories.
I feel sad about the rough season my hometown Washington Spirit is having after winning the NWSL championship last year. Do you have any insights - general or specific - about how they've gone from red hot to almost bottom of the pack? (I wonder if it's particularly hard for team cohesion to have a whopping seven players disappear from time to time for USWNT camps?)
From the USMNT perspective. Is the team better with Pulisic playing with Chelsea as a super sub or as a regular player with a lesser Premier league team (ex: West Ham)? Ultimately, the goal is to have Christian at his peak going into the WC.
With Angel City FC's signing of Almuth Schult, does that telegraph changes with Didi Haracic? Didi has played really well with a spotty back line.
When a player is pregnant, how long can she typically train? And after the birth, is recovering from a pregnancy similar to recovery from, say, a back strain?
If Seattle doesn't make the playoffs, is Schmetzer out? Does whether Lagerway stays affect Schmetzer's future? If Brian is fired, is Preki the obvious choice for interim coach?
What outrageously wild predictions would you have for the first half of the Euro season? Some team coming from nowhere or some player we never heard of? Who’s the next Sheriff? Or just who should we turn an eye toward?
In anticipation of the World Cup, how many contenders for the U.S. roster will be starting for their club teams?
Why is it that women's clubs in Europe are attached to men's clubs as opposed to the "expansion style" in the US? Do you think one model is better for the development of the women's game?
With the self-imposed announcement date passed and nary a peep during the all-star break, is MLS to Vegas off or do we still expect to hear something soon? Also, I'm assuming MLS goes to 32 teams. When will that happen and who are the most likely candidates?
From your vantage, Are the Sounders in danger of missing out on the playoffs for the first time in their club history?