MLS MVP candidate Sebastián Driussi and Austin FC host LAFC Friday in a battle of the top two teams in the Western Conference (Photo by Shaun Clark/Getty Images)
It’s another big soccer weekend ahead with Brighton-Leeds, Austin-LAFC, Arsenal-Fulham, Portland-Seattle, Bayern Munich-Gladbach, Juventus-Roma, Portland-San Diego W, PSG-Monaco, Fluminense-Palmeiras and another 12 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!
Please explain how Thomas Tuchel was able to be on the sidelines for last week's game against Leeds after receiving a red card the previous week? Was there a pending appeal? Will he eventually have to serve the suspension?
After watching the new VW commercial with Christian Pulisic - is Roy Kent in the top 10% of most recognizable soccer players in the USA? Top 5%? Top 1%?
How to hang on as a DC United fan? We are throwing money at problems with no discernable overarching plan. Rooney will never be a long term fix, and it remains to be seen if the players he draws in Will actually work out. Barely anyone has worked out FOR YEARS. Those that show promise get sold. US National team veteran? Sold. Fired the coach who made the team play like the old days because they couldn’t manage his worst habits. Management failure after failure with no accountability. Are DC United fans the only ones who think the team owners, GM, and sporting director all need to go?
I think it's interesting that the USA soccer personalities highlighted this past week of Adams, Aaronson, Pefok, Marsch, Ferreira are so different from a year ago of Dest, Weston, Pulisic, Reyna!
Add to the fact we are CONCACAF Club and Nations champions!
We really need to take a moment and realize the transformation and blossoming of US soccer since the last WC!
Hi Grant, Looking ahead to 2026, and let's say Jesse Marsch is the USMNT Coach, can he deploy this frenetic style he is using with Leeds? It's like they are running at 1.5 speed. And would we have talent to play such a style?
If Seattle fails to make the MLS playoffs for the first time in club history, can we just chalk it up to injuries and a CCL-win hangover and move on? Or did Schmetzer actually fail to prepare his club for the full season and/or fail tactically somewhere along the way? Remember, this is a club that many experts picked to win the league title before the season.
Hi Grant, what are your thoughts on notable ex-players becoming managers. Does it tend to work better? Would they be better off starting as coaches and learning their coaching trade?
After watching Brenden Aaronson bring his endless motor to the Premier League, would love to know who would win in a beep test contest: Aaronson or (in his prime) Michael Bradley? We know who would lose: the beep test.
Michael Stone asked about Malik Tillman below, but a USMNT-centered question: what is your 1,000-foot view on the striker pool at the moment as we inch closer to the World Cup? Tillman, Josh Sargent and Pefok are just a few of the players in Europe that appear to be in good form. Ricardo Pepi seems to have fallen off a bit, while Jesus Ferreira has been hot as of late. How do you assess the group Gregg Berhalter has to work with at the moment, and is there any player in that striker group that might drop out of a World Cup roster due to poor club form/few minutes or vice versa?
Thanks, Grant! You're an inspiration for journalists like myself and I love all of the work you put into covering our beautiful game.
I see former USMNT member, Mix Diskerd, is now 31 years old and plying his trade for Omonia Nicosia in the Cyprus League. He has played all over the world at pretty respectable professional level with success. Wouldn't he make for an interesting interview (hint:)?
It was really cool to see how well Leeds United pressed against Chelsea. What are your thoughts on pressing aggressively or sitting back and countering more vs. bigger teams?
It's been over eight years since a men's World Cup featured the USMNT. What, if anything, do you think will be different from 2014 and earlier in terms of the broader US media's approach to the USMNT?
Why are American coaches, fans, & journalists so opposed to letting a real 10 play as a 10? These types of players are always benched or labeled luxury players or criticized for not playing enough defense, even though the U.S. has a perpetual problem of creating scoring chances and scoring.
Who all will Chelsea end up dealing for before the deadline and how will each signing affect Pulisic's playing time and role with only a short time until the World Cup?
How do you think the Premier League can shake things up from a coaching perspective? It's been the same few coaches that just move form team to team, sometimes coming back. Seems like that across most leagues but focusing the question on the Premier League!
What do you make of Argentina playing warm-ups in the US against two CONCACAF teams. There had been rumours of them coming in the previous window which never materialized. Is it about revenue generation as well as locations where fans will show up for such friendlies?
Do you have any recommendations for websites that a casual fan can use to track the lower levels of English football? I've paid attention to Derby the last few years but they have fallen to the third level and out of the range of the phone app I use to check scores and standings (it has all the American sports too). Now, with some possible interest in Wrexham, it would be nice to have well-recommended site or app for checking stats and standings in the lower divisions.
Please explain how Thomas Tuchel was able to be on the sidelines for last week's game against Leeds after receiving a red card the previous week? Was there a pending appeal? Will he eventually have to serve the suspension?
After watching the new VW commercial with Christian Pulisic - is Roy Kent in the top 10% of most recognizable soccer players in the USA? Top 5%? Top 1%?
Any thoughts on Malik Tillman and James Sands after their performance for Rangers yesterday? Will they make USMNT for World Cup?
How to hang on as a DC United fan? We are throwing money at problems with no discernable overarching plan. Rooney will never be a long term fix, and it remains to be seen if the players he draws in Will actually work out. Barely anyone has worked out FOR YEARS. Those that show promise get sold. US National team veteran? Sold. Fired the coach who made the team play like the old days because they couldn’t manage his worst habits. Management failure after failure with no accountability. Are DC United fans the only ones who think the team owners, GM, and sporting director all need to go?
I think it's interesting that the USA soccer personalities highlighted this past week of Adams, Aaronson, Pefok, Marsch, Ferreira are so different from a year ago of Dest, Weston, Pulisic, Reyna!
Add to the fact we are CONCACAF Club and Nations champions!
We really need to take a moment and realize the transformation and blossoming of US soccer since the last WC!
Just Amazing!
...and did you watch Welcome to Wrexham? Loved it but way too many commercials!
Thoughts on Arsenal All or Nothing and their impressive start, albeit against mid to lower table teams?
Hi Grant, Looking ahead to 2026, and let's say Jesse Marsch is the USMNT Coach, can he deploy this frenetic style he is using with Leeds? It's like they are running at 1.5 speed. And would we have talent to play such a style?
If Seattle fails to make the MLS playoffs for the first time in club history, can we just chalk it up to injuries and a CCL-win hangover and move on? Or did Schmetzer actually fail to prepare his club for the full season and/or fail tactically somewhere along the way? Remember, this is a club that many experts picked to win the league title before the season.
Hi Grant, what are your thoughts on notable ex-players becoming managers. Does it tend to work better? Would they be better off starting as coaches and learning their coaching trade?
After watching Brenden Aaronson bring his endless motor to the Premier League, would love to know who would win in a beep test contest: Aaronson or (in his prime) Michael Bradley? We know who would lose: the beep test.
https://twitter.com/taylortwellman/status/469523034265899008?s=21&t=entMYbzKa1O0UmP2FTWPBQ
I would love to see you do a "soccer for dummies" type thing some time. Explain transfer windows, transfer fees, how loans work.
Michael Stone asked about Malik Tillman below, but a USMNT-centered question: what is your 1,000-foot view on the striker pool at the moment as we inch closer to the World Cup? Tillman, Josh Sargent and Pefok are just a few of the players in Europe that appear to be in good form. Ricardo Pepi seems to have fallen off a bit, while Jesus Ferreira has been hot as of late. How do you assess the group Gregg Berhalter has to work with at the moment, and is there any player in that striker group that might drop out of a World Cup roster due to poor club form/few minutes or vice versa?
Thanks, Grant! You're an inspiration for journalists like myself and I love all of the work you put into covering our beautiful game.
I see former USMNT member, Mix Diskerd, is now 31 years old and plying his trade for Omonia Nicosia in the Cyprus League. He has played all over the world at pretty respectable professional level with success. Wouldn't he make for an interesting interview (hint:)?
It was really cool to see how well Leeds United pressed against Chelsea. What are your thoughts on pressing aggressively or sitting back and countering more vs. bigger teams?
Could you see any USMNT vets that haven’t been part of the team last couple years called in to get a look in camp? Like a Jozy for example
It's been over eight years since a men's World Cup featured the USMNT. What, if anything, do you think will be different from 2014 and earlier in terms of the broader US media's approach to the USMNT?
Why are American coaches, fans, & journalists so opposed to letting a real 10 play as a 10? These types of players are always benched or labeled luxury players or criticized for not playing enough defense, even though the U.S. has a perpetual problem of creating scoring chances and scoring.
Deep down, weren’t you rooting for Rangers and Chelsea to end up in the same Champions League group?
Which group at the World Cup do you think will be the most exciting?
Who all will Chelsea end up dealing for before the deadline and how will each signing affect Pulisic's playing time and role with only a short time until the World Cup?
How do you think the Premier League can shake things up from a coaching perspective? It's been the same few coaches that just move form team to team, sometimes coming back. Seems like that across most leagues but focusing the question on the Premier League!
The National Women’s Soccer League title game will be aired nationally in prime time for the first time in the 10-year-old league’s history.
The women's game is gaining momentum. Thoughts?
What do you make of Argentina playing warm-ups in the US against two CONCACAF teams. There had been rumours of them coming in the previous window which never materialized. Is it about revenue generation as well as locations where fans will show up for such friendlies?
What the hell is going on with India??
How does the level of MLS play compare with England’s Champion’s League ?
When are we going to hear Grant, Witty, and Landon together again? The best front three since Mane, Salah and Firmino!
In your mind - if the World Cup was to start today who would start in goal for USMNT and why? What’s your current depth chart at GK?
Do you have any recommendations for websites that a casual fan can use to track the lower levels of English football? I've paid attention to Derby the last few years but they have fallen to the third level and out of the range of the phone app I use to check scores and standings (it has all the American sports too). Now, with some possible interest in Wrexham, it would be nice to have well-recommended site or app for checking stats and standings in the lower divisions.