Jesse Marsch coaches his first game with Leeds United against Leicester on Saturday at 7:30 am ET (Photo by George Wood/Getty Images)
Another busy weekend of soccer lies ahead with Jesse Marsch’s Leeds United debut against Leicester, the Manchester derby, Napoli-Milan, Charlotte’s attempt to break the MLS attendance record in its first home game and much more, so I’m looking to open the Mailbag. Feel free below to ask any probing, thoughtful and/or amusing questions about any soccer topic, and I’ll answer the best ones as part of the Friday Newsletter. Thank you!
Who’s the next American coach after Marsch to get a chance in Europe with one of the top 4 leagues? As a Union fan I’d love to see Jim Curtin be that guy but don’t want to lose him.
Would love to hear what you (and Landon and Whitty) think about the future of WCQ cycles in Concacaf! At the Mexico game in Cincy it kind of hit me that this is likely the last time the USMNT will truly have to fight for a spot at the WC. Felt like the last big home game against Mexico. Obviously with automatic qualification to the next one and the tournament expanding, qualification should be much easier…right? Even if CONCACAF gets just one more slot the path would become so much easier. Obviously the sport will continue to grow until then and people will still watch, but do you think this easier qualifying path could be boring/harder to cover?
Would love to hear an interview with James Montague (1312: among the Ultras, 31-Nil, The Billionaires Club) about the current situation in Ukraine. He's spoken about Ultra group involvement in Ukrainian military defense in the past and I've appreciated the discussion from the Futbol poscast here for the last few weeks.
Obviously it’s too late for this one. But I’d love to see comments or hear a whole pod or pod segment with Chris regarding opinions on the article in the Athletic by Sam Stejskal and Paul Tenorio. It’s a summary of conversations with MLS CSOs, and well worth a read by anybody interested in our domestic league.
Who was the 3rd best-ranked group winner for the 20-21 UEFA Nations League who did not finish in the top 2 in their Qualifying group? Will that country replace Russia in the playoff? Hungary?
When you and Jesse Marsh were at Princeton, I was working there as the director of the SVC, Student Volunteers Council. Did either of you ever volunteer for one of our programs or come to our Open house and enjoy the ice cream?
Why do American productions have such a difficult time with camera shots? Fast break or change of possession and we’re seeing a close cut shot of one player instead of the entire field. We miss defensive positioning and runs. Ball goes out of play? We’re looking at a wide shot with guys standing around. Do they think we're bored and need constant stimulation? It isn’t even specific to one network or competition either. Have you (or anyone) noticed this?
Do you think Abramovich selling Chelsea will ultimately hurt the club? Also, where do you stand on Roman Abramovich's legacy there and his impact on club football? Do you think the next owner should try to emulate his approach (fire the coach every two years but also have a great front office and always put talent first) or go in a different direction?
Isn't it kinda weird that Dan Le Batard, who really pissed off soccer fans 20 years ago with an anti-soccer rant on his show, now has Chris Wittyngham talking soccer on his show? It's not as exciting as 75,000 spectators in Charlotte, but it really seems like a positive example of how the sport has grown, with detractors not all dying off, but becoming converts.
Why is the debate a World Cup every 2 years or every 4? Every 3 years always made the most sense even before this money grab by FIFA (alternating each summer between Mens WC, Womens WC and Regional tournament)
Grant, love your work and sensibilities. So happy you've found a new platform. I would love for you to convene a meeting of the wonderful futbol journalists to take on the existential questions about the game we love. It's out of control and driven by oligarchs, not just Russian or petrostate, but including Arsenal/ManU/ and too many others. Players play far too much and get hurt. The obscenely wealthy dominate. Local clubs and good traditions are lost and treated as minor leagues to develop players to sell to the bigs. Everywhere but Europe is in decline. Tickets and subscriptions cost too much. How do we restore the game we love?
I'm seeing (in my social-media bubble) some hope that after Ukraine is resolved, people will start paying attention to other international violence. One example is Saudi Arabia's war with Yemen. But Saudi Arabia is prominent in soccer, and has been for years. Do you think there's any chance of FIFA, UEFA or AFC will put pressure on Saudi Arabia, or any other nation that is internationally belligerent?
I recently saw a film clip where Carly LLoyd said that “ she hated playing for the USWNT.” There was not enough material to put that statement into context. For example, does she mean forever? Or is she referring to a more recent, specific window of time? And does she ever reveal the reason why? Was it due to one or two players who cared “ more about their brand than the team?” Or was it the entire culture, including all the coaches ?
Do you have any further insight on Carly Lloyd's comment that she "hated" playing for the USWNT due to poor locker room culture?
Who’s the next American coach after Marsch to get a chance in Europe with one of the top 4 leagues? As a Union fan I’d love to see Jim Curtin be that guy but don’t want to lose him.
What would constitute success for Jesse Marsch at Leeds this season? Where do you see Chelsea in a years time if the club is sold?
Where do you see MLS expansion stopping? MLS already has a large number of teams. With more coming in how is the league going to look in 5 years?
Would love to hear what you (and Landon and Whitty) think about the future of WCQ cycles in Concacaf! At the Mexico game in Cincy it kind of hit me that this is likely the last time the USMNT will truly have to fight for a spot at the WC. Felt like the last big home game against Mexico. Obviously with automatic qualification to the next one and the tournament expanding, qualification should be much easier…right? Even if CONCACAF gets just one more slot the path would become so much easier. Obviously the sport will continue to grow until then and people will still watch, but do you think this easier qualifying path could be boring/harder to cover?
Would love to hear an interview with James Montague (1312: among the Ultras, 31-Nil, The Billionaires Club) about the current situation in Ukraine. He's spoken about Ultra group involvement in Ukrainian military defense in the past and I've appreciated the discussion from the Futbol poscast here for the last few weeks.
Obviously it’s too late for this one. But I’d love to see comments or hear a whole pod or pod segment with Chris regarding opinions on the article in the Athletic by Sam Stejskal and Paul Tenorio. It’s a summary of conversations with MLS CSOs, and well worth a read by anybody interested in our domestic league.
When is Chris Wittingham going to interview you?
Who was the 3rd best-ranked group winner for the 20-21 UEFA Nations League who did not finish in the top 2 in their Qualifying group? Will that country replace Russia in the playoff? Hungary?
When you and Jesse Marsh were at Princeton, I was working there as the director of the SVC, Student Volunteers Council. Did either of you ever volunteer for one of our programs or come to our Open house and enjoy the ice cream?
Hector Herrera coming stateside (Houston Dynamo)?
Will Jesse implement Red Bull philosophy with Leeds? Will he be successful?
Why do American productions have such a difficult time with camera shots? Fast break or change of possession and we’re seeing a close cut shot of one player instead of the entire field. We miss defensive positioning and runs. Ball goes out of play? We’re looking at a wide shot with guys standing around. Do they think we're bored and need constant stimulation? It isn’t even specific to one network or competition either. Have you (or anyone) noticed this?
Do you think Abramovich selling Chelsea will ultimately hurt the club? Also, where do you stand on Roman Abramovich's legacy there and his impact on club football? Do you think the next owner should try to emulate his approach (fire the coach every two years but also have a great front office and always put talent first) or go in a different direction?
Isn't it kinda weird that Dan Le Batard, who really pissed off soccer fans 20 years ago with an anti-soccer rant on his show, now has Chris Wittyngham talking soccer on his show? It's not as exciting as 75,000 spectators in Charlotte, but it really seems like a positive example of how the sport has grown, with detractors not all dying off, but becoming converts.
Same as ML: What was the toxic "culture" Carli Lloyd and Hope Solo mentioned in the interview. They mentioned social and political. What exactly?
Why is the debate a World Cup every 2 years or every 4? Every 3 years always made the most sense even before this money grab by FIFA (alternating each summer between Mens WC, Womens WC and Regional tournament)
What’s the best meal you ate in Barcelona?
Grant, love your work and sensibilities. So happy you've found a new platform. I would love for you to convene a meeting of the wonderful futbol journalists to take on the existential questions about the game we love. It's out of control and driven by oligarchs, not just Russian or petrostate, but including Arsenal/ManU/ and too many others. Players play far too much and get hurt. The obscenely wealthy dominate. Local clubs and good traditions are lost and treated as minor leagues to develop players to sell to the bigs. Everywhere but Europe is in decline. Tickets and subscriptions cost too much. How do we restore the game we love?
I'm seeing (in my social-media bubble) some hope that after Ukraine is resolved, people will start paying attention to other international violence. One example is Saudi Arabia's war with Yemen. But Saudi Arabia is prominent in soccer, and has been for years. Do you think there's any chance of FIFA, UEFA or AFC will put pressure on Saudi Arabia, or any other nation that is internationally belligerent?
How do you think Jesse Marsch will fare at Leeds United? Which American manager might be the next to go manage in Europe?
I recently saw a film clip where Carly LLoyd said that “ she hated playing for the USWNT.” There was not enough material to put that statement into context. For example, does she mean forever? Or is she referring to a more recent, specific window of time? And does she ever reveal the reason why? Was it due to one or two players who cared “ more about their brand than the team?” Or was it the entire culture, including all the coaches ?