Joseph Lowery

MLS Winners and Losers: Timo Werner shines, Phil Neville's odd gameplan & more A pair of Designated Players debuted and a bunch of other fun stuff happened this weekend. Hop in.

𝐌𝐋𝐒 𝐖𝐢𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐋𝐨𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐬

▫️ Timo Werner's impressive debut
▫️ A classic in Orlando
▫️ Phil Neville's questionable tactical choices
▫️ ...and much more!

@joeclowery.bsky.social, @benwright.bsky.social & @aclausen90.bsky.social dive into the standout stories from around MLS ⤵️

Call him Joestradamus, he doesn’t miss.

@joeclowery.bsky.social

and you should do it with pride 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

he very, very much did

my sense is that the data is a bit skewed on him because he spent his last full European season with St. Pauli, who just transitioned

Nectarios Triantis is the best player in MLS that no one outside of Minnesota seems to talk about 🇬🇷

The 22-year-old center-mid bossed the Loons' frigid win over Cincy.

There isn’t an MLS player in their 20s that I’m more certain will end up in the Premier League than Triantis.

Came away extremely impressed with Real Salt Lake's new DP Morgan Guilavogui last night — good vision, distribution, and speed.

The 27-year-old was hugely impactful in the right halfspace in his debut.

There’s no more embarrassing team in MLS than CF Montreal.

Backheeled - Telling American Soccer Stories Here at Backheeled, we take American soccer coverage one step further with stories on the U.S. national teams, domestic leagues, and more.

Get those Backheeled subscriptions fired up, because USL preview week is coming.

The Championship mega-preview drops on Monday, and then League One arrives Tuesday. Between them, you're getting 45,000+ words covering every single team in the USL.

www.backheeled.com#/portal/signup

Over.

The ramifications of the USL model are an important topic on their own, and they’re impossible to extricate from the strike authorization we saw from the USLPA today.

I dig in here.

Do USWNT newbies at SheBelieves Cup have a shot at World Cup next year? The USWNT's roster for the SheBelieves Cup had eight players with six caps or less. Are these youngsters competing for World Cup spots?

I got to deep-dive the USWNT's newest players for @espn.com, and the kids are alright.

Buy all the Gisele Thompson, Jordyn Bugg, & Riley Jackson stock you can. Start hoovering up Jameese Joseph stock.

Lilly Reale should probably be the new starting left back, too.

My latest ⤵️

USLPA authorizes strike with season kickoff looming The USLPA has voted to authorize its bargaining committee to call a strike unless an agreement with the USL can be reached on a new Collective Bargaining Agreement.

BREAKING: The USLPA has authorized its bargaining committee to call a strike unless an agreement w/the USL can be reached on a new CBA for players in the USL-Championship. 90% of eligible members took part in the vote, w/ 90% of votes in favor of authorizing a strike.

www.espn.com/soccer/story...

1. Adri Mehmeti, RBNY
2. David Martinez, LAFC
3. Manu Duah, SD
4. Cavan Sullivan, PHI
5. Peyton Miller, NE
6. Zavier Gozo, RSL
7. Julian Hall, RBNY
8. Ronald Donkor, RBNY
9. Chris Brady, CHI

okay, this was way harder than i thought it would be and i feel horrible about my rankings

How the USL’s expansion-first business model is breeding instability in American soccer Clubs are folding at a breakneck pace, but the USL keeps cashing expansion fee checks.

The USL is expanding at a breakneck pace — and expansion fees stay at privately owned USL HQ.

USL teams are folding at a breakneck pace.

There's an incentive problem here.

An essential piece on the USL + lower-division U.S. soccer from @usltactics.com.

been watching adri mehmeti comps and EXCUSE ME

Zavier Gozo is on the radar of Europe's biggest clubs — this is how he got there The teenager knows the U.S. men’s national team needs more players like him and is primed for a breakout MLS season with Real Salt Lake.

When Mauricio Pochettino said the USMNT doesn't "have a lot of wingers”, Zavier Gozo took note.

The rising 18-year-old attacker has big dreams — ones involving the national team and major European clubs.

This is Gozo’s story.

From @sanjaysujan.bsky.social ⤵️

we can now embed live depth charts into stories over at @backheeled.com, which is pretty slick!

fun use of this new feature from @benwright.bsky.social in his excellent new weekly column

➡️ www.backheeled.com/how-mls-team...

This trend is interesting, think we've seen it in the Premier League too. It'd be cool to see more analysis but my gut says it's a bad idea — the goal threat from counters is usually an order of magnitude less than on the initial set piece

How MLS teams are fighting back against set piece inflation – and more from around the league We’re diving into the stories, stats, and clips that make MLS unique.

MLS teams are fighting against set piece inflation by defending with...fewer players in the box?

@benwright.bsky.social examines the new tactical approach — and much more from around the league in a new weekly column.

Read ⤵️

Antoine Griezmann to Orlando has @joeclowery.bsky.social very excited! 🤗

𝐌𝐋𝐒 𝐔𝐩𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐞 - watch/listen 👇

🍎: tinyurl.com/4xvwccz7
✳️: tinyurl.com/bdxc9vws
📺: tinyurl.com/ywfcpfmp

Ronald Donkor got overshadowed in the Red Bulls discourse over the weekend, but the 21-year-old was absolutely phenomenal on Saturday.

The Ghanian central midfielder bossed the game against Orlando City.

Donkor should be in his first Ghana camp next month.

What a talent 🌟

Andres Cubas's extension makes him a non-DP. Ironically this means he has a higher salary budget charge. The result is less space to add guys like Larborda, Sabbi, etc. BUT they can now add another DP in the summer. #VWFC

Five Stripe Film Room: Long balls, free roles and trying your best Atlanta United's problems against FC Cincinnati became a little clearer on rewatch

I am once again asking for Miguel Almirón to not be on the right wing.

(First rewatch column of the year is free btw)

open.substack.com/pub/fivestri...

YouTube video by Total Soccer Show Is Griezmann really joining Orlando City?!

Watch today's 𝐌𝐋𝐒 𝐔𝐩𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐞 with @taylorrockwell.bsky.social, @joeclowery.bsky.social & @jeffrueter.bsky.social on YouTube 📺

In MLS, an unbalanced schedule means your team’s fate might already be decided Strength of schedule matters in MLS. Just ask the last few Supporters’ Shield winners.

Unlike most leagues, MLS has an unbalanced schedule — some teams simply face tougher slates than others.

So, how much does strength of schedule matter?

Quite a bit, as it turns out.

In MLS, your team's fate might already be decided, writes @aclausen90.bsky.social ⤵️

Griezmann will be 35 next month, but this still looks like a very, very good idea for Orlando City.

He put up 14 non-penalty G+A for Atleti last year and has mostly stayed healthy as he's aged.

He arrives at a roughly similar age to Thomas Muller and Emil Forsberg, who have both thrived in MLS.

I had a CSO of an MLS team push back on the idea that Inter Miami would be better in '26 than '25.

"You can bring $50 million worth of players and they cannot replace those two (Busquets + Alba)... They know what Messi thinks and what time Messi wakes up, let alone how to find him on a pitch."

MLS Winners and Losers: Inter Miami lay an egg, Michael Bradley’s youth movement & more Two MLS Cup favorites met in Los Angeles, the Red Bulls wowed us all, and a marketing meeting went wrong,

MLS's opening weekend featured a heavyweight clash, sure.

But it started with a whisper.

I wrote about MLS's marketing fail and Jack McGlynn thriving in a deeper role for the Houston Dynamo.

That and much, much more in @backheeled.com's Winners and Loser's column ⤵️

oh good, the first team is gone but at least the academy that charged some youth players more than $3,000 in 2025 is still fully operational

www.backheeled.com/sources-usl-...

Sources: Sacramento Republic hires Tim Holt as new president, general manager Formerly of San Antonio FC and Orlando City, Holt replaces Todd Dunivant after his departure for New York City FC.

🤝 Sources: Sacramento Republic has hired Tim Holt as the club’s new president and GM to replace Todd Dunivant, now at NYCFC.

Holt served as San Antonio FC managing director when they won the double in 2022. Former USL president.

More for @backheeled.com ⤵️