Sunday Cup-o-American soccer: Biden’s soccer takes, MNT injuries, and WNT players in a draft

I completely enjoyed this week, experienced no stress, and can say that I was at complete peace the whole seven days. In addition to the normal slate of news that comes up about US Soccer, there were some stories that didn’t get their due. Hopefully everyone is as relaxed as I am and can sit back and have a lovely Sunday catching up on the latest soccer stories this week.

We have a new president apparently, he’s no stranger to soccer

Too bad Sunil’s not around to say some stuff about non-profits and economics and the market or whatever.

Joe also enjoys a good time at a soccer game.

A potential new home for USWNT stars

The NWSL will welcome its 10th team into the league as Racing Louisville joins the league next season. In preparation, there will be an expansion draft and some big names are being left unprotected by their clubs. Among the players are USWNT stars Megan Rapinoe, Carli Lloyd, Christen Press, Tobin Heath and Becky Sauerbrunn according to Sports Illustrated. However, the publication also notes that there are reasons that Louisville might not want to take the big names and have a chance to pickup some financial benefits if they do not take any.

Well, we know who the best player in the USMNT in MLS is who isn’t on a playoff team

A literal dream squad for many was announced by Gregg Berhalter this week only to see one name pulled back because of Covid quarantine protocols. Josh Sargent won’t be joining his fellow European based teammates and in his place is a surprising figure - Sebastian Lletget. Clearly, Lletget is coming into the squad since the LA Galaxy have been eliminated from the playoffs. He’s not nearly expected to fill the same role as Sargent, but if he gets minutes it will be interesting to see where he lines up on the field after a solid season with the disappointing Galaxy. If you ask me, Aron Johannsson is getting snubbed.

As for Pulisic...

Our friends over at We Ain’t Got No History reported on Pulisic’s hamstring injury and subsequent recovery. Or lack of recovery. It seems that the Chelsea no. 10 tried to train over the week but wasn’t quite ready to be back at practice. This is obviously not great for Pulisic. His talent is undeniable and he seems poised to have a stellar career. Seems is doing a lot of heavy lifting there as he will only be successful if he can stay healthy which has been a challenge for him and is the only real limiting factor in his potential at this point.

A lot makes Weston McKennie great

The Guardian profiled Weston McKennie and gave a glimpse into what put him on the path to playing for Juventus. The American midfielder’s story is well known, but the details on how he made the jumps that he did are perhaps a big more obscure. The article dives into what coaches say about him, his ability at kicking field goals, and, most importantly, his passion for social justice.