Joseph Lowery

USL Championship opener uncertain amid ongoing CBA dispute USL Championship opener uncertain amid ongoing CBA dispute

A five-hour bargaining session on Wednesday between the USL and USLPA - with a mediator present - resulted in some movement on key issues, but the two sides still seem far away from agreeing on a new CBA.

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

😍

Why 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.

As CBA negotiations continue (season kickoff is supposed to be Friday!), it feels like a good time plug this story from @usltactics.com.

In all likelihood, $300 million (or more!) is about to flow into USL HQ. As constructed, every penny will stay at USL HQ.

Questions all over the USL landscape.

How Does Luca Bombino Keep Getting Away With It? A really interesting usage for a really interesting player

Getting a little more niche with it this week. A good read for fans of San Diego, MLS, and weird soccer

substack.com/@scnate3/not...

USL president of competition and administration Brett Luy to ESPN on the state of CBA talks with the USL Players Association.

More than Messi’s friend: Javier Mascherano’s Inter Miami tactics continue to impress Plus: San Diego FC’s buildup, a rising striker, and a Renaissance painting.

For @backheeled.com – five standout moments from MLS this week, including:

🦩 Javier Mascherano's tactical tweak
🇵🇸 Wessam Abou Ali's well-rounded game
🔵 The 'Quakes might be for real
📸 Renaissance painting moment from @morgantencza.bsky.social

Todd Dunivant: 'We do have flexibility to add a DP' The new Sporting Director of New York City FC discusses the ongoing search for a No 9, adding another winger, working with Pascal Jansen, and opening up a Designated Player slot.

Following up on the roundtable with Brad Sims we posted yesterday, here's the full conversation with Sporting Director Todd Dunivant — he confirms that the team are in the market for a No 9, have the roster flexibility to add another DP, and could be looking for another winger

More here ⬇️

Sources confirm that Sebastian Lletget is in advanced talks on a deal to sign with Monterey Bay... and adds that he would be joining the ownership group as part of deal.

His partner, Becky G, is exploring a relationship with the club on both the men’s and women’s side.

YouTube video by Total Soccer Show Is Rodrigo De Paul a problem for Inter Miami?

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

🇺🇸 Sources: Sebastian Lletget has signed with Monterey Bay FC in the USL Championship.

Lletget, 33, spent the last few seasons with FC Dallas and put up nine goal contributions in MLS in 2024. Started 14 games for Dallas last year.

Will add on-ball quality for Monterey.

USL League One 2026 season team previews: In-depth look at all 17 clubs With a new USL League One season starting this weekend, we have unparalleled previews for each and every team.

All 17 USL League One team previews for the 2026 season are live 👀

It’s @usltactics.com's guide to the new season, complete with depth charts, tactics, and questions — all in one place.

𝗨𝗻𝗽𝗮𝗿𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗱 𝗨𝗦𝗟 𝗰𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗴𝗲 ⤵️

It's clear that for Inter Miami to hit their ceiling in '26, Rodrigo De Paul will have to be great 🇦🇷

In the post-Sergio Busquets/Jordi Alba era, no Miami player is shouldering more of the possession load than De Paul.

He's had big mistakes this year. Flashes of genius, too.

If you're a USL fan — or if you're trying to become one! — @backheeled.com's team-by-team previews are a great resource.

Transfers. Expectations. Tactics. Stars. Depth charts. And more...for every team in the Championship.

Read ⤵️
www.backheeled.com/usl-champion...

USL Championship 2026 season team previews: In-depth look at all 25 clubs With a new USL Championship season slated to start on Friday, we have unparalleled previews for each and every team.

I'm in awe of these team-by-team USL Championship season previews from @usltactics.com.

You can't beat @backheeled.com's USL coverage. John is unmatched.

He also called Phoenix Rising's Jean-Eric Moursou "a potential star", so he knows ball.

Read up ⤵️

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.

Minnesota United fans, enjoy Nectarios Triantis while you can. He won't be around for much longer.

Oh, and Real Salt Lake are cooking something up after a jam-packed offseason.

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

Timo Werner wasn't just a pace merchant in his MLS debut 🇩🇪

He also showed real on-ball quality, hitting this pin-point switch off that even caught the camera crew off guard.

Werner's game has built on off-ball work. If he can create on the ball, too, the Quakes will be scary.

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.