Jason Anderson

Plum, Stewart raise concerns over WNBPA's handling of CBA talks WNBPA executive committee members Kelsey Plum and Breanna Stewart wrote a three-page letter Monday to players' union executive director Terri Jackson expressing "serious concerns about how the PA is h...

Breaking: Kelsey Plum & Breanna Stewart wrote a letter, acquired by ESPN, to WNBPA executive director Terri Jackson that expresses "serious concerns about how the PA is handling the current negotiations" for a new collective bargaining agreement.

More:

www.espn.com/wnba/story/_...

The Spirit never announced anything, but Abiodun was only on the initial Nigeria squad list (and not two subsequent lists the Super Falcons posted to social media).

At the kit event, González said "we're in a good spot" & healthier than this time last year, but no names or specific injuries noted.

MLS DisCo email just dropped, and there's nothing about that late moment between Gabriel Pirani and Jon Gallagher.

Pirani was booked, with Gallagher appearing to accuse him of a punch. The lone replay shown wasn't very telling, but did look like something was up.

Emma Hayes says Trinity Rodman is fine and training today after the injury scare on Sunday, but Lily Reale has a foot injury and has departed camp

#USWNT

On Friday, February 27th, the league put out a statement regarding CBA negotiations. Image of USL Championship's statement It's time for a LEAGUE STATEMENT explainer! Bear with us, there's a lot of explaining to do.

"Negotiating in Good Faith" Let's just start at the top. After 7 months of bargaining, the USL announced D1 / ProRel without warning or concrete structure - this completely derailed negotiations. We are still working through the implications stemming trom this potential launch of Dl. "12 Month Contracts" They've agreed to 12 month contracts. Keep in mind, they also want unilateral mid-season buyouts at a discounted salary rate and to cut player's offseason down by a third. Give a little, take a lot. "Minimum Compensation" As of today, the League's proposal would affect only 16 current contracts in 2026. Their proposal would have a league wide year one cost of ~$37K as it relates to salary and housing• Nine of those contracts are on one team. "Health Insurance" Increasing from no required insurance and over 25% of the league being uninsured to forcing clubs to offer the minimum level of what has always been made available to front office staff members. We've asked for a progression of plan quality after two years, the League has said no. Currently, some of these plans have a $10,000 deductible.

"Professional Standards" Housing: Establishes merely that players must be guaranteed 100 sq ft. of livable space and no more than two guys to one bathroom. Travel: League refused any new flight standards but will cover Global Entry application cost ($140 that is good for 7 years). Hotels: League has agreed to survey players and potentially use feedback if the League chooses to. Key word: potentially. Meals: Establishes that teams must provide post-training meals. Lunchables for all! Medical: Clubs must add a part-time trainer to the 1 full time trainer - with required increase to 2 full time by 2029. Facilities: Establishes that clubs must have an adequate gym or have to make gym memberships available. Yes, this is stuff we have to write down or some clubs will not do it. "Overall Player Care" Currently, the League refuses to move on the 2 month salary severance if a team folds (League One is 3 months) - BUT phew, if you're severely injured, you may be entitled to 2 whole additional months of severance.

There's two primary components to this "Broader Economic Package": USL Premier: Many people don't know that we're currently bargaining for the potential standards for the first few seasons of this new top flight of the USL. When it was announced, they provided zero concrete answers about this division, their plans, how players would be treated, and what the vision was for this level of play. While it's been reported that the League has proposed a $60K minimum salary in 2028 - what they aren't reporting is that there is no inclusion of housing and that they want 6 sub-minimum contracts per team at $33K (this is the same level as what the League has proposed for the 4 sub-minimum contracts in USL Championship in 2028). They also want their unilateral in-season contract buyout right (at less than 100% of the contract) to apply in USL Premier and they want the same limited 2 month severance protection for players if a USL Premier club folds. The future looks eerily similar to the present. Group Image Rights / Licensing: We have requested $625K for our players Group Image Rights, which is discounted from the objective value of these rights. This gives the league and clubs the ability to use our likenesses in both sponsorships and licensed products. one example of a deal that league has done. In comparison, the PWHLPA sold their rights in 2023 for $550K for 156 players in their inaugural season of the league ($3,500 per player). In 2021, we sacrificed, accepting $75K over five years to ensure elimination of $0 contracts in the league. We cannot continue massively discounting our collective value. Happy USLC Opening Week! #StandUpForStandards

The USLPA released another statement earlier today, responding to and breaking down USL Championship's statement released on Friday evening
www.instagram.com/uslplayers/p...

NWSL’s Dash Relaunch Sale Process After Last Year’s Talks Fell Apart The Houston Dash owners tried to sell the NWSL team to RHC Group. Now, after pushback from the league, they're putting the team back on the market.

Houston Dash sale to the son of a disappeared Chinese billionaire not going forward after league review, per Sportico. Looks like they’re still looking for a more amenable buyer www.sportico.com/business/tea...

You have been visited by the demon Bordalás. Your frustrations extend beyond word, beyond expression.

Perfect badge

My position on today's still-falling snow in Silver Spring is that it is not real. It is not snowing. It is 65 degrees and partly cloudy. A pleasant day in spring, which has begun.

episode graphic with promo photo of Eli Tsé in the Spirit’s new banger cherry blossom shirt

🌸NEW POD🌸

We got to chat with new Washington Spirit defender, Elisabeth 'Eli' Tsé! We discussed her journey into soccer, choosing soccer over figure skating, path to the Spirit, and more!

🟢 open.spotify.com/episode/2X0U...
🍎 podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/h... #nwsl #woso

🚨 #GothamFC has agreed to transfer forward Gabi Portilho to San Diego Wave FC. Gotham will receive $175,000 in #NWSL intraleague transfer funds in exchange.

Gotta be honest: if this comes while major efforts to improve NWSL broadcast quality don't happen, it's like putting in a chandelier in a house missing a wall.

D.C. United undone on set pieces, fall 1-0 at Austin FC United had little to offer going forward, and Austin's set piece threats eventually gave the hosts a late winner

Green Line Soccer readers, we've got a photo and my analysis of a drab 1-0 loss. We're talking set pieces, Jackson Hopkins, and more:

#PlayYourKids hits new heights, Quakes get their star & more from Matchday 2

Including a canary in the coalmine giving a big, big warning about the Union's bad start to their Supporters' Shield defense.
tacticsfreezone.ghost.io/playyourkids...

Looking forward to F1 in a few days

Was watching San Diego vs. St. Louis City and in the best sign of things for the state of the MLS and Apple TV deal, the broadcast cut to the Standby screen in some sort of glitch and missed the entirety of Marcus Ingvartsen's goal for SD

the broadcast cut back mid-celebrations

In the Messi vs. the Wall photo, I want to draw your attention to the man in the England hat who is filming and yet also flipping Messi off

Emma Hayes says she doesn't have an update on Trinity Rodman's condition:

"Haven't seen her. Haven't seen her ... I don't generally see the team until they've had their debrief [about] an hour and a half after the game."

#USWNT

I'll leave it to Rodman & Hayes to say for sure, but I will point out that Rodman's previous back injury appeared to be higher up.

Here's hoping we're talking about a contact injury that doesn't connect to her past back troubles.

important to remember that the strongest cultural tie between Miami and Orlando is the film "Miami Connection," which takes place almost exclusively in Orlando.

D.C. United undone on set pieces, fall 1-0 at Austin FC United had little to offer going forward, and Austin's set piece threats eventually gave the hosts a late winner

Green Line Soccer readers, we've got a photo and my analysis of a drab 1-0 loss. We're talking set pieces, Jackson Hopkins, and more:

Austin FC: 1 (1.55 xG)
vs
D.C. United: 0 (0.25 xG)

#ATXvDCU | #AustinFC | #VamosUnited | #MLS | 🤖⚽

That color gradient in the card photo will be replaced by an actual game photo (I asked late on, I'm still working through some rust over here), and will have some Thoughts added in the next couple of hours

D.C. United undone on set pieces, fall 1-0 at Austin FC United had little to offer going forward, and Austin's set piece threats eventually gave the hosts a late winner

Green Line Soccer match report following D.C. United's 1-0 loss to Austin FC is live now:

Brandon Servania took a knock shortly before being subbed off, but Weiler said that United removed him due to fatigue, and to get a bigger target on the field as the game was going to become more about long balls and possible late set pieces.

Weiler admitted that United "were lucky at the beginning" on Austin's early set piece chances, and said that they were "unlucky" on the sequence that became the goal.

"That's our business, that's our sport. Sometimes finer details are responsible for the differences."

René Weiler's overall thoughts: "It wasn't enough for one point... It was a set piece, one of their qualities, that decided this game."

(? from @blazindw.bsky.social)

Poor foul to give away from Pirani, and DCU's first-half set piece troubles turned out to be heavy-handed foreshadowing

brb, need to find my sunglasses to watch mls