Jeff Rueter

Pat McAfee is proudly “apolitical,” saying sports is meant to unify.
And yet he still finds ways to be divisive.

YouTube video by Total Soccer Show Is Inter Miami better off without Luis Suarez?

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Champagne of Beers Soccer We need to talk about the Loons

I broke down and I talked about Minnesota United and how f*cking dumb fun they are and how outside pundits don't get it. open.substack.com/pub/wburdine...

Instant classic in Minnesota? Inter Miami better off without Suarez? | MLS Update

🧤 An instant-classic in Minnesota?

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🇦🇷 Messi leads the line for Inter Miami

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I'd agree! Or it wouldn't have been too soon if meaningful talks about this switch had commenced half a decade sooner. But that's not how MLS (or American soccer, see: USL pro/rel) does things, I guess.

If the question about weather is really "our facilities aren't built to play in those conditions," that could have been avoided in designs and construction (i.e. large enough indoor facility for meaningful training).

Renovations are costly; it's something a few owners don't want to fix so soon.

Feels like something they should've better prepared for, especially when the great training center construction/restoration boom sped up a decade ago.

You’ve probably heard that the MLS Board of Governors is meeting this week to discuss, among other things, a move to the “European” schedule. My understanding is that there’s no way that happens in 2026, but there’s a very real possibility that it could happen in 2027.

Imagine hating playoff soccer.

I'm not a big "goalkeeper has no excuse for conceding at the near post" guy most of the time, but this is a shock for someone of AKB's caliber. Hell of a take from Wheeler to catch her unaware.

You know it's a big game when Ann-Katrin Berger starts crampin'.

I think the scale of change might be overwhelming at first. Might need to give them 40 seconds to prepare for each set piece.

The Premier League is now 5 seconds of open play then 30 seconds of prepping for a set piece.

We can fix this with rule changes:
- Teams only get four set pieces per possession
- If the set pieces are bad, the other team gets the ball
- If they're good, they get four more
- Let's call them "downs"

Still bullish on Nashville’s trajectory heading into 2026. Better core than most teams in the playoff bracket, to say nothing about The Rest.

These final 4 performances are no joke, though. Defensive mobility, midfield functionality the offseason priorities imo. And a contender for Willis’ gloves.

I'm much more of a "team goal" guy than an "individual banger" guy but this shit's stayed with me for 15 years.

Still my favorite thunderbastard in MLS history. Has a level of intentionality to it that few goals have ever matched.

What a player, what a career.

Amen!

Would guess that was why MLS’s officials determined not to have Obed Vargas retake his attempt.

Thats now two times I can think of where an MLS team’s season ends up resting on whether their backup goalkeeper can make a PK: Jon Kempin for Sporting KC v Portland, 2015 (aka the double post game), and Andrew Thomas for Seattle v Minnesota tonight. Both misses, both classic games.

Of course this series can’t even end with a normal shootout lmao

If you thought the fans' groans were loud at Allianz Field, sympathize with the writers whose ledes have gone to shit three times over.

All season, Minnesota has had two obvious strengths: dead balls and lobs behind the opposing backline. All season, Seattle has had two obvious weaknesses: defending set pieces, and recovering on balls behind the backline.

But! Sounders still very much in this. One hell of a matchup.

Hey it's like the 2020 Western Conference Final all over again.

maybe not the best time but I can't fault them for trying

Double checked, any "intentional headbutt" has been an automatic red since just after Zidane.

I get it, man. It was an awful time for a call like that with momentum building. But it was entirely by the book.

That's probably a better idea in the middle of a shirt swap imo. More natural setting.

"for a couple years now."

Yeah. Targeted player will always go to ground just to draw the ref's attention if nothing else.

That's always a red in 2025, per IFAB guidance. Any light headbutt into an oppo sent off for a couple years now.

Yeah. I get not showing red card replays while they're being checked, but it should get one silent screening so everyone knows what's up.

Joseph Rosales was so good last year, but that isn't the first time he's lost his head to his team's detriment. Just a ridiculous headbutt to make off the ball in a situation like this.

Last thing this Minnesota side needed to save its season. Seattle will sigh.