# Backheeled > Here at Backheeled, we take American soccer coverage one step further with stories on the U.S. national teams, domestic leagues, and more. Public Ghost content for AI and LLM tooling. This file includes a bounded export of public pages first, then recent public posts. Append `.md` to any post or page URL to get the content in Markdown (for example, `/example-post.md`). ## Pages ### What We Do URL: https://www.backheeled.com/about/ Last updated: 2025-02-11T23:09:21.000Z # Coverage Here at Backheeled, we cover American soccer — and we do it by going one step further. We don’t just tell you stories. We’ll tell you stories that *change how you think about the game*. We don’t just recap what happens on the field. We’ll tell you *why it happened*. We aren’t buttoned-up all the time, either. We bring you predictions that won’t always be right, but will *always be fun*. With coverage of the U.S. men’s national team, MLS, USL, and so much more, we tell American soccer stories as they happen. # History Backheeled was founded by [Joseph Lowery](https://www.backheeled.com/author/joseph-lowery/) in 2022 and continues to provide unbiased, independent perspectives on all things American soccer. We want our content to be honest, straightforward, entertaining, and insightful as we shine a brighter light on soccer across the United States. # Community We are a small, investor-free, and 100% independent media company that relies on the American soccer fan base to support our work. While we release some of our content to the public and our free subscribers, our primary support comes entirely from our paying subscribers. We remain very thankful for all of you who continue to support our efforts by subscribing. # Giving For those that subscribe at our “**In for more**” level, a portion of your subscription goes to support [TOPSoccer](https://www.usyouthsoccer.org/topsoccer/?ref=backheeled.com), a sports program for children with physical, intellectual, or emotional disabilities put on by US Youth Soccer clubs across the country. The program’s goal is to help people with diverse abilities have an opportunity to play soccer in a structured, safe, supported, and fun environment. “The longer I’ve done it, the more and more I see a need,” Arizona TOPSoccer Chair Jason Hall told Backheeled in 2023. The need is real, as Hall said. And our *Backheeled* subscribers help meet that need. ## Sign Up Today! ### If you’re looking for quality American soccer coverage, we've got you covered. [Subscription Options](https://www.backheeled.com/about/#/portal/signup) ### Tags URL: https://www.backheeled.com/tags/ Last updated: 2023-01-07T18:10:44.000Z _No content available._ ### Authors URL: https://www.backheeled.com/authors/ Last updated: 2023-01-10T14:05:46.000Z _No content available._ ### The Backheeled Show URL: https://www.backheeled.com/podcast/ Last updated: 2026-02-20T23:51:05.000Z We bring you in-depth, insightul American soccer coverage from people who really do watch the games. Follow The Backheeled Show wherever you listen to podcasts! ### Spotify ### Apple Podcasts ### Get In Touch URL: https://www.backheeled.com/contact/ Last updated: 2024-04-10T22:02:50.000Z We’d love to hear from you about how we can better serve the soccer-loving community. Consider this our electronic mailbag and suggestion box! **Email address**: **Your comment, question, suggestion, or other feedback**: This form is only available to Subscribers. Please take a minute to become a member before submitting your comment, suggestion, or other feedback. [Return Home](https://www.backheeled.com/) Thank you for reaching out. We will review your message and be back in touch with a response as soon as possible. [Return Home](https://www.backheeled.com/) --- For editorial questions and comments, email [admin@backheeled.com](mailto:admin@backheeled.com). ### Thank You URL: https://www.backheeled.com/thank-you/ Last updated: 2023-11-10T18:20:16.000Z _No content available._ ### Latest URL: https://www.backheeled.com/latest/ Last updated: 2024-11-29T20:43:26.000Z _No content available._ ### Editorial Guidelines URL: https://www.backheeled.com/editorial-guidelines/ Last updated: 2024-03-27T16:38:45.000Z Anyone contributing content to Backheeled must adhere to the specified Editorial Guidelines. At Backheeled, we consider editorial integrity to be fundamental for ensuring fairness and accuracy in our work. Failure to follow these guidelines may lead to disciplinary measures. --- ### Newsgathering 1. Always identify yourself specifically as a representative of Backheeled 2. Whenever feasible, make it a practice to take notes or record your conversations to ensure accuracy. This becomes crucial in cases where the subject challenges the authenticity of quotes post-publication. It is advisable to retain your notes for a minimum of two years. 3. Subjects should be made aware that they’re being recorded. Recording yourself saying something along the lines of "I'm recording, is that ok?" to obtain verbal confirmation from the subject. A nod is not audible. Keep in mind that laws differ regarding the recording of conversations without the consent of all parties involved. 4. Exercise caution when entering into agreements with interview subjects regarding the conduct of the interview. Disclose any special circumstances or agreements to the reader. 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This includes providing them with the chance to review pertinent records if applicable. ### Attribution 1. When incorporating information originally published by sources outside to Backheeled, make that clear and link directly to that source when appropriate. 2. When using information sourced from Backheeled, link to the original story. 3. Giving credit to the original source does not permit unconsented use of copyrighted content. 4. Plagiarism: This is taking someone else's protected expression and not even attributing. It is not allowed. ### Corrections 1. If grievous errors or offensive content appear in our stories, we need to fix the situation quickly while also adding an editor's note at the top of the article to acknowledge the changes. 2. If errors that impact the relevancy of a piece appear in our stories we need to fix the situation quickly while also adding a note at the top of the article to acknowledge the changes. 3. If typos or relatively inconsequential errors that do not materially change the meaning of a story appear in a published article we need to fix the situation quickly. ### Personal Conduct Maintain a professional demeanor in the execution of your duties, including and especially in settings like the press box, locker room, or other official team or league facilities. Consumption of alcohol or drug use is strictly prohibited during events you are covering. Furthermore, extend this professional conduct to your use of social media. ### Privacy URL: https://www.backheeled.com/privacy/ Last updated: 2023-11-11T13:21:54.000Z Backheeled.com, the website and online services of the company (“Backheeled,” “we,” “our,” or “us”) understands that privacy is important to our online visitors and users. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, share and protect your personal information that we collect on our website and through our service (the “Service”). 1. WHAT INFORMATION DO WE COLLECT AND FOR WHAT PURPOSE. The categories of information we collect can include: - Information you provide to us directly: We may collect personal information such as a username, first and last name, location, phone number, e-mail address, photo (if provided), and payment information when you register for a Backheeled account correspond with us, or otherwise provide us your information. In time, we may permit you to provide additional personal data in your profile - Information we collect from third parties: We may collect information about you from third party services. For example, we may receive information about you when you interact with our site through various social media, for example, by liking us on Facebook or following us on Twitter. The data we receive is dependent upon your privacy settings with the social network. You should always review, and if necessary, adjust your privacy settings on such third-party websites and services before linking or connecting them to our website. - Sharing Information. With your permission, we may collect email address or contact information of people you provide to us when you want to share our content or invite your friends and contacts to connect with our Service. When we invite your friends to join the Service, we will include your name and photo (if provided) to let them know that you are the person extending the invitation. After sending these invitations, we may also send reminder emails to your invitees on your behalf. We may send invitations or other promotional materials to contacts. How we use this information. We use this information to operate, maintain, and provide to you the features of the Service. We may use this information to communicate with you, such as to send you email messages, and to follow up with you to offer information about our service (our “Service”) and your account. We may also send you emails or messages related to our website or Service (e.g., account verification, payment summaries, change or updates to features of the website). For more information about your communication preferences, see “Your Choices Regarding Your Information” below. For personal data subject to the GDPR, we rely on several legal bases to process the data. These legal bases include where: - The processing is necessary to perform our contractual obligations in our Terms of Service or other contracts with you (such as to provide you the Service as described in our Terms of Service); - You have given your prior consent, which you may withdraw at any time (such as for marketing purposes or other purposes we obtain your consent for from time to time); - The processing is necessary to comply with a legal obligation, a court order or to exercise or defend legal claims; - The processing is necessary for the purposes of our legitimate interests, such as in improving, personalizing, and developing the Services, marketing new features or products that may be of interest, and promoting safety and security as described above. If you have any specific questions about how we collect and use your personal information, please contact us using the contact details provided below. 2\. HOW WE USE COOKIES AND OTHER TRACKING TECHNOLOGY TO COLLECT INFORMATION. We and our third party partners may automatically collect certain types of usage information when you visit our website. For instance, when you visit our websites, we may send one or more cookies — a small text file containing a string of alphanumeric characters — to your computer that uniquely identifies your browser and lets us help you log in faster and enhance your navigation through the site. A cookie may also convey information to us about how you use our website (e.g., the pages you view, the links you click, how frequently you access our website, and other actions you take on our website), and allow us to track your usage of our website over time. We may collect log file information about your browser or mobile device each time you access our website. Log file information may include anonymous information such as your web request, Internet Protocol (“IP”) address, browser type, information about your mobile device, referring / exit pages and URLs, number of clicks and how you interact with links on our website, domain names, landing pages, pages viewed, and other such information. We may employ clear gifs (also known as web beacons) which are used to anonymously track the online usage patterns of our Users. In addition, we may also use clear gifs in HTML-based emails sent to our users to track which emails are opened and which links are clicked by recipients. The information allows for more accurate reporting and improvement of our website. We may collect analytics data or use third-party analytics tools such as Google Analytics to help us measure traffic and usage trends for the Service and to understand more about the demographics of our users. You can learn more about Google’s practices at [http://www.google.com/policies/privacy/partners](http://www.google.com/policies/privacy/partners?ref=thebrowser.com) and view its currently available opt-out options at [https://tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout](https://tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout?ref=thebrowser.com). We may also work with third-party partners to employ technologies, including the application of statistical modeling tools, which permit us to recognize and contact you across multiple devices. Although we do our best to honor the privacy preferences of our users, we are not able to respond to Do Not Track signals from your browser at this time. We may use the data collected through cookies, log file, device identifiers, location data and clear gifs information to: (a) remember information so that you will not have to re-enter it during your visit or the next time you visit the site; (b) provide custom, personalized content, including targeted advertising; (c) provide and monitor the effectiveness of our website; (d) monitor aggregate metrics such as total number of visitors, traffic, usage, and demographic patterns on our website and our Service; (e) diagnose or fix technology problems; and (f) otherwise to plan for and enhance our Service or website. 3\. SHARING OF YOUR INFORMATION We may share your personal information in the instances described below. For further information on your choices regarding your information, see the “Your Choices About Your Information” section below. We may share your personal information with: - Third-party vendors and other service providers that perform services on our behalf, as needed to carry out their work for us, which may include identifying and serving targeted advertisements, billing, payment processing, email services, or providing analytic services. - Our business partners who offer a service to you jointly with us, or who partner with us to provide our services to you. - Other parties in connection with a company transaction, such as a merger, sale of company assets or shares, reorganization, financing, change of control or acquisition of all or a portion of our business by another company or third party or in the event of a bankruptcy or related or similar proceedings. - The public, if you create a public profile we may share your name, photograph and biography on our website and in promotional material. - Third parties as required by law or subpoena or to if we reasonably believe that such action is necessary to (a) comply with the law and the reasonable requests of law enforcement; (b) to protect the security or integrity of our website; and/or (c) to exercise or protect the rights, property, or personal safety of Backheeled, our users, or others. 4\. YOUR CHOICES ABOUT YOUR INFORMATION How to control your communications preferences: You can stop receiving most email communications from us by clicking on the “unsubscribe” link provided in such communications. We make every effort to promptly process all unsubscribe requests. You may not opt out of Service-related communications (e.g., account verification, payment confirmation, changes/updates to our products or features, technical and security notices.) Modifying or deleting your information: If you have any questions about reviewing, modifying or deleting your account information, you can contact us directly at admin@backheeled.com. 5\. YOUR RIGHTS IN RESPECT OF YOUR PERSONAL INFORMATION IF YOU ARE RESIDENT IN THE EU AND SWITZERLAND If you are located in the EU or Switzerland, you have the following rights in respect of your personal data that we hold: - Right of access. The right to obtain access to your personal data. - Right to rectification. The right to obtain rectification of your personal data without undue delay where that personal data is inaccurate or incomplete. - Right to erasure. The right to obtain the erasure of your personal data without undue delay in certain circumstances, such as where the personal data is no longer necessary in relation to the purposes for which it was collected or processed. - Right to restriction. The right to obtain the restriction of the processing undertaken by us on your personal data in certain circumstances, such as where the accuracy of the personal data is contested by you, for a period enabling us to verify the accuracy of that personal data. - Right to portability. The right to portability allows you to move, copy or transfer personal data easily from one organization to another. - Right to object. You have a right to object to processing based on legitimate interests and direct marketing. If you wish to exercise one of these rights, please contact us using the contact details at the end of this Privacy Policy. You also have the right to lodge a complaint to your local data protection authority. Further information about how to contact your local data protection authority is available at [http://ec.europa.eu/justice/data-protection/bodies/authorities/index\_en.htm](http://ec.europa.eu/justice/data-protection/bodies/authorities/index%5Fen.htm?ref=thebrowser.com) 1. PROTECTING YOUR INFORMATION Keeping your information safe: Backheeled cares about the security of your information, and uses commercially reasonable physical, administrative, and technological safeguards to preserve the integrity and security of all information collected through the website. However, no security system is impenetrable and we cannot guarantee the security of our systems 100%. In the event that any information under our control is compromised as a result of a breach of security, Backheeled will take reasonable steps to investigate the situation and where appropriate, notify those individuals whose information may have been compromised and take other steps, in accordance with any applicable laws and regulations. 7\. CHILDREN’S PRIVACY Backheeled does not knowingly collect or solicit any information from anyone under the age of 13 or knowingly allow such persons to register as Users. In the event that we learn that we have collected personal information from a child under age 13, we will delete that information as quickly as possible. If you believe that we might have any information from a child under 13, please contact us at admin@backheeleed.com. 8\. LINKS TO OTHER WEB SITES AND SERVICES Our website may integrate with or contain links to other third party sites and services. We are not responsible for the practices employed by third party websites or services embedded in, linked to, or linked from our website and your interactions with any third-party website or service are subject to that third party’s own rules and policies. 9\. HOW TO CONTACT US If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy, the website or the Service, please complete a [contact](https://www.backheeled.com/contact/) submission or [email](mailto:admin@backheeleed.com). CHANGES TO OUR PRIVACY POLICY Backheeled may modify or update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect the changes in our business and practices, and so you should review this page periodically. The last update to this policy was November 5th 2023. ### Subscriber Survey URL: https://www.backheeled.com/survey/ Last updated: 2024-04-10T22:03:03.000Z We’d love to hear from you about how we can better serve the soccer-loving community. **Email address**: **1\. Which of these are you a fan of? (Check all that apply)** MLS NWSL USL USMNT USWNT Other **2\. Do you have a favorite U.S.-based club team? If so, let us know who.** **3\. What kinds of articles do you like best? (Check your three favorites)** Features Interviews Opinion columns Tactical analysis Data analysis Power Rankings Humor Any coverage of my favorite team Other **4\. What’s your preferred article length?** Short and snappy. I only have a few minutes! Not too short, but not too long. Right down the middle! Bring me all the words! It doesn’t matter to me, I just skip to read about my team. **5\. How often do you visit** [**Backheeled.com**](http://backheeled.com/?ref=backheeled.com)**?** At least once a day Every other day Twice per week Once per week Rarely **6\. What other outlets do you read?** ESPN The Athletic MLSsoccer.com CBS The Guardian The Equalizer GOAL Other **7\. What social media outlets do you use?** X/Twitter Instagram TikTok Threads BlueSky Discord Reddit Other **8\. Would you be interested in a Backheeled email newsletter?** Yes, on a weekly basis Yes, on a daily basis No **9\. How did you first hear about Backheeled?** Social media Internet search Plugs on podcasts/other websites Word of mouth Other **10\. Do you have any suggestions or feedback for us?** This form is only available to Subscribers. Please take a minute to become a member before submitting your comment, suggestion, or other feedback. [Return Home](https://www.backheeled.com/) --- We appreciate you taking time to fill out our survey! We’ll use what we learn to help shape our coverage moving forward. [Return Home](https://www.backheeled.com/) --- Thank you for supporting Backheeled! ### Student Discount URL: https://www.backheeled.com/student/ Last updated: 2024-08-01T12:19:36.000Z It’s back-to-school season! Here at *Backheeled*, we’re providing active students with a special **50% back-to-school discount**. If you’re a student, you can get access to all of our stories and other perks for just **$25 per year**. Once you submit your email address and student status down below, we’ll **email you a special discounted sign-up link**. Study hard! **Email address**: **Student Status** High School Academy Trade/Vocational School College Other This form is only available to Subscribers. Please take a minute to become a member before submitting your comment, suggestion, or other feedback. [Return Home](https://www.backheeled.com/) Thank you for your interest in our Backheeled student discount. We will review your information and get back to you with your special sign-up link as soon as possible! [Return Home](https://www.backheeled.com/) ### USL Attendance Tracker URL: https://www.backheeled.com/usl-attendance/ Last updated: 2026-02-27T23:27:55.000Z ## Average Attendance Below are live tables tracking attendance averages for each USL Championship, USL League One, and USL Super League team during the current season. ## Game Attendance ### USL Transfer Tracker URL: https://www.backheeled.com/usl-transfers/ Last updated: 2026-02-27T23:28:45.000Z Tracking USL Championship and League One roster news. ## Latest Moves ## USL Rosters ### USL Depth Charts URL: https://www.backheeled.com/usl-depth-charts/ Last updated: 2026-02-27T23:28:56.000Z The expected lineup for each USL team. ### MLS Depth Charts URL: https://www.backheeled.com/mls-depth-charts/ Last updated: 2026-02-26T00:45:19.000Z The expected lineup for each MLS team. ### Resources URL: https://www.backheeled.com/resources/ Last updated: 2026-02-27T16:05:16.000Z We're bringing you resources to help keep track of what's going on across the American soccer landscape – from MLS and USL depth charts to transfer and attendance trackers. Behold, your new playground: ## Podcasts We bring you in-depth, insightful American soccer coverage from people who really do watch the games. Follow **The Backheeled Show** wherever you listen to podcasts! ### Spotify ### Apple Podcasts ## Posts ### USMNT fall roundtable: What we want to see as Pochettino’s new cycle begins URL: https://www.backheeled.com/usmnt-fall-window-what-we-want-to-see-pochettinos-new-cycle-mexico/ Last updated: 2026-09-14T13:39:06.000Z The 2026 World Cup is only just in the rearview mirror, but preparation for the 2030 tournament and the competitions preceding it has already begun. Mauricio [Pochettino is back](https://www.backheeled.com/mauricio-pochettino-usmnt-new-contract-world-cup-failure-analysis/) as the U.S. men’s national team’s manager. U.S. Soccer is redesigning its sporting leadership structure, [giving even more say](https://x.com/jtbatson/status/2094930738013491573?ref=backheeled.com) to Pochettino and his staff on the men’s side of the program. A [new generation of young talent](https://www.backheeled.com/meet-neil-pierre-philadelphia-union-teenager-mls-usmnt-rising-star/) is impressing on both sides of the Atlantic. And a brand-new four-match fall window is kicking off later this month, with a quartet of friendly opponents lined up. What really matters for the USMNT in this upcoming camp? And what should you be on the lookout for? Our writers dive in: ## When is the USMNT playing? - Peru, September 26th - Chile, September 29th - Mexico, October 3rd - Canada, October 6th ## Why does this camp matter? **Sanjay Sujanthakumar:** It’s the first time since 2014 where the USMNT manager at the World Cup will carry over into the start of a new World Cup cycle, and that continuity with Pochettino is especially important now. This is also the first time the September and October FIFA dates have been merged into one longer window spanning about two weeks, U.S. Soccer secured decent opponents in these four friendlies, and it’s an opportunity for Pochettino to build on the momentum the U.S. found at the World Cup – before the Belgium game – while beginning a transition period for his player pool. There is a new generation of American prospects ready for their senior international auditions and integration. **Andrew Clausen:** Because this will be our first look at how Pochettino has re-evaluated the player pool post-World Cup. The U.S. coach has shown in his tenure that he’s willing to make sweeping changes, but is that what we’ll see this camp? Or will we see smaller changes as he tries to build on the momentum of the World Cup? Will those changes be focused on getting young players into the group? Will it be focused on specific position groups?These are all questions that I have going into this extended window, one that should have enough game time for Pochettino to experiment and for us to get some real answers. **Joe Lowery:** Getting more than a few training sessions at a time is a rarity in international soccer, so you can bet Pochettino and his staff are thrilled to have a longer-than-normal window to work with and establish their thoughts on a handful of young players. That’s what this window is about, right? It’s the first round of auditions for the big show in 2030\. Unlike the last World Cup cycle, the U.S. has more than a few contenders to upstage the established names. Oh, and topping a couple of genuine Concacaf rivals would go a long way towards keeping some of the folks who tuned into the USMNT for the first time at the World Cup around a while longer. **Ben Wright:** There’s a chance here for the U.S. to bounce back after a really disappointing end to the World Cup. Obviously, the entire country won’t be tuned into these games the way they were dialed in over the summer. But would a convincing win over Mexico make people feel a little better? Maybe. There was real momentum built this summer, and a clear on-field identity and style of play that emerged. After taking the better part of two years to figure out his best personnel and his tactical approach, Pochettino [finally found a system](https://www.backheeled.com/usmnt-tactics-pochettino-world-cup-paraguay-dest-freeman-analysis/) that clicked. I’m hoping we see the continuation of that and not a reset. ## What kind of roster do you want to see? **Sujanthakumar:** There’s a real argument for roughly a dozen players who were not on the World Cup roster to crack the varsity squad. There will be reasons to leave certain regulars out (Christian Pulisic and Weston McKennie are not 100% match fit) and some young players who are still acclimating to their first teams (Zavier Gozo and Mathis Albert). Pochettino has already hinted that players who recently arrived at new clubs in general may not be named to this roster. Overall, I’d like to see a mix of some core players who don’t need the rest, squad guys, and prospects, and it sounds like that’s what we’ll get. **Clausen:** Give me most of the core and some significant alterations after that. We won’t see the same squad that went to the World Cup due to fitness issues among some senior players, as Sanjay mentioned. But I don’t want to see the rest of the World Cup squad, bar those players. There are plenty of areas to improve on the periphery, so let’s see some changes there. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### MLS Winners and Losers: A new star emerges, St. Louis’ slam-dunk cashfer & more URL: https://www.backheeled.com/mls-winners-and-losers-andre-luiz-star-st-louis-city-cashfer/ Last updated: 2026-09-14T03:28:17.000Z *It’s in the title, folks. Every week during the MLS season,* Backheeled *is here to dive into the biggest Winners and Losers from around the league. Let’s get right to it!* ## Winner: Our brand Shoutout to Cavan Sullivan for spreading the good word about *Backheeled*. Went ahead and did the finish and everything on Sunday night to kickstart his brace in the Philadelphia Union’s 5-0 victory over San Diego FC: > CAVAN SULLIVAN BACKHEEL?! 😲 > > The 16-year-old gives [@PhilaUnion](https://x.com/PhilaUnion?ref%5Fsrc=twsrc%5Etfw&ref=backheeled.com) the lead in San Diego just before halftime! [pic.twitter.com/oSvyKnvfRp](https://t.co/oSvyKnvfRp?ref=backheeled.com) > > — Major League Soccer (@MLS) [September 14, 2026](https://x.com/MLS/status/2099319422833803579?ref%5Fsrc=twsrc%5Etfw&ref=backheeled.com) The kid is different, man. The first U.S. men’s national team roster of the new World Cup cycle drops later this week. Sullivan’s name needs to be on it. - *Joe Lowery* ## Winner: Rafael Navarro, unleashed in St. Louis It’s well documented that we here at *Backheeled* [love](https://www.backheeled.com/best-mls-cash-trade-candidates-2026-offseason-transfer-designated-player-u22/) the [cashfer](https://www.backheeled.com/mls-cash-trade-market-five-deals-transfer-offseason-evander-lucho-acosta/) rule, which not only helps keep good players in MLS but adds intrigue and stories to a league desperately crying out for them. Based on early returns, Rafael Navarro’s move to St. Louis City is going to go down as one of the best cashfers in the rule’s brief history. The Brazilian has only appeared in three games for St. Louis, but he’s already netted four goals, with back-to-back braces in his two starts, including in their 4-2 win over Minnesota United on Saturday. Not everyone was a proponent of the move – or at least the price tag, with St. Louis sending $12 million to the Colorado Rapids. That’s potentially more than FC Cincinnati sent the Portland Timbers for Evander (who is, admittedly, a cheat code). Some criticized the fee, doubting Navarro’s ability to produce in the attack to justify the acquisition cost. *He doesn’t score enough goals*. *He doesn’t get into enough good spots to warrant such a hefty fee*. To be fair to that crowd, a lot of Navarro’s underlying numbers in Colorado backed up those concerns. The thing is, those underlying numbers don’t actually tell the whole story. One of the things that makes Navarro special, other than his relentless out-of-possession pressing, is his ability to drop into midfield to link play. It’s surely one of the things that made him the top target for St. Louis, given their system is built on fluidity. And now that he’s starting games for his new team? Navarro could genuinely have a Cucho Hernandez-in-Columbus like impact. Now, I’m not saying he’s as good as Cucho, but Navarro has the profile of a guy who can impact games in the same sort of way. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### USL Championship Power Rankings: New club joins, Phoenix Rising climb & more URL: https://www.backheeled.com/usl-championship-power-rankings-revenue-sharing-boise-phoenix-rising-climb-more/ Last updated: 2026-09-13T14:46:32.000Z Long-term sustainability for the USL Championship and its member clubs has been the defining question for the league throughout its history. This week brought the USL meaningfully closer to that point. In granting League One’s Athletic Club Boise a spot in the second division and [adopting a revenue-sharing model](https://www.uslsoccer.com/news%5Farticle/show/1366484?ref=backheeled.com), the league has set a path toward a stabler future. Atletico Dallas is [raising the standard](https://www.backheeled.com/chicharito-dallas-questions-usl-proposed-first-division-mens-league/) ahead of USL Premier’s scheduled 2028 launch with a big swing in a major market, but Boise’s accomplishments are a more universal blueprint for the future of the league. Boise formed a robust ownership group, nailed down a locally relevant brand, adopted a considerate marketing strategy, built a modern yet price-conscious stadium, and put a winning team on the pitch in a city with a mid-high metro population of 840,000\. *That* is the building block for a healthy ecosystem. Ahead of next year’s jump, Boise will expand their venue from roughly 7,500 seats to 10,500 – a climb that’s commensurate with their sky-high attendance numbers. In addition, the club will invest in new training infrastructure to support their competitive ambitions. Revenue-sharing sums look modest in the short term, but they incentivize clubs to invest in a similar way, earning more and more money as they climb the pyramid. Times are a-changin’ in the USL – we’ll have much more on those shifts here at *Backheeled* in the coming days – and the speed of reform will only quicken between now and USL Premier’s launch in 2028\. Still, we’ve got a playoff race to decide in 2026\. Who impressed across Week 28 in the Championship, and what stood out for every club along the way? Let’s dig in. ## 1\. El Paso Locomotive ***Trending: No change*** *Result: 2-1 win at Louisville* El Paso entered Week 28 on a six-game unbeaten streak, during which they’d posted an average xG margin of +0.92 while leading the West with 4.3 final-third recoveries per 90\. The Locomotive’s hot run had been all about high pressure which doubly served as (1) a tool to put players like Rubio Rubin in space while (2) protecting an up-and-down back line. It’s a testament to El Paso’s growth that they succeeded in Louisville this weekend while mostly playing against the ball. Manager Junior Gonzalez relied on the center back trio of Tony Alfaro, Palermo Ortiz, and Noah Dollenmayer to keep the game in front of them within El Paso’s 5-4-1 block, and they were up to the challenge. Their ongoing chemistry has been especially impressive given that the Locomotive keep changing goalkeepers; Houston loanee Pedro Cruz has made a fair share of starts, but Abraham Romero got the nod this weekend. Romero made five saves in Kentucky, while the starting center backs combined for a staggering 21 clearances. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### USL Cup latest: How Hartford Athletic, Louisville City booked spots in the final URL: https://www.backheeled.com/usl-cup-latest-how-hartford-athletic-louisville-city-reached-final/ Last updated: 2026-09-14T03:17:30.000Z And then there were two. On Tuesday night, we grew ever closer to a new USL Cup champion being crowned as Hartford Athletic and Louisville City FC each advanced to the tournament final. The USL doesn’t have a European-style “super cup,” but a battle between last year’s Players’ Shield and USL Cup winners is as close as we’ll get. What defined each semifinal game? I’m breaking down the major themes that brought Hartford and Louisville one step closer to silverware. ## Hartford dominate a master-versus-apprentice battle ***Hartford (2) - Colorado Springs (1)*** Brendan Burke and his extended coaching tree have defined the Colorado Springs Switchbacks for the better part of a decade – up to and including the club’s 2024 title run. Colorado Springs’ current manager, Alan McCann, first moved to Weidner Field as a match analyst under Burke, succeeding coaches like Stephen Hogan and James Chambers that came from the same lineage. That shared history added delicious intrigue to Tuesday’s USL Cup semifinal between the Switchbacks and Burke-led Hartford Athletic. Over the last two-plus years, Burke’s Hartford teams have valued possession to a far lesser degree than his Colorado Springs sides ever did, but they’ve maintained an identical sense of aggression without the ball. With high-energy soccer in mind, Hartford rested all 11 of their starters over the weekend to stay fresh for the semifinal. Meanwhile, McCann hedged his bets, prioritizing grit and speed in his front line by deploying Bryce Jamison and Sadam Masereka on either side of striker Juan Tejada. McCann’s gamble was that the Switchbacks’ 4-1-2-3 press would frustrate and disrupt their hosts, making up for the lack of Khori Bennett – the club’s leader with 13 league goals this season. If Colorado Springs could press man for man, double up on Hartford’s single pivot, and rely on Steven Echevarria (a veteran No. 6) to clean up, they would’ve been in business. It quickly became apparent that Colorado Springs wouldn’t have it so easy. > Mama, there goes that man 😤 > > Barry Coffey finds [@hfdathletic](https://x.com/hfdathletic?ref%5Fsrc=twsrc%5Etfw&ref=backheeled.com)'s opener in the third minute! ⚡️[#PrinxTiresUSLCup](https://x.com/hashtag/PrinxTiresUSLCup?src=hash&ref%5Fsrc=twsrc%5Etfw&ref=backheeled.com) [pic.twitter.com/qJtWqt5cKl](https://t.co/qJtWqt5cKl?ref=backheeled.com) > > — Prinx Tires USL Cup (@USL\_Cup) [September 8, 2026](https://x.com/USL%5FCup/status/2097462792500437082?ref%5Fsrc=twsrc%5Etfw&ref=backheeled.com) Just three minutes in, Hartford scored by leveraging the gaps in that pressing system. Interplay up the left flank drew the Switchbacks’ defense out, allowing midfielder Barry Coffey and forward Augi Williams to chase after a long ball. While Williams’ ensuing cross was overcooked, wingback Sebastian Anderson was able to make a high recovery. At that point, both Coffey and fellow No. 8 Junior Moreira had crashed the box, allowing for a driven ball and tap-in to make it 1-0. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### MLS’s proposed playoff format is complicated — but it's also an upgrade URL: https://www.backheeled.com/mls-new-proposed-playoff-format-complicated-but-upgrade-regular-season/ Last updated: 2026-09-14T13:39:15.000Z MLS is doing it again. Reshuffling its [playoff system](https://www.theguardian.com/football/2026/aug/20/mls-playoff-format-overhaul?ref=backheeled.com), that is. Last month, The Guardian reported that, as MLS shifts its calendar next year, the league plans to move on from the play-in games and best-of-three first round that’s defined the Apple TV playoff landscape. The Apple TV deal called for more playoff inventory than the 15 postseason games used under the old single-elimination system, and the best-of-three format and play-in rounds provided just that. Unfortunately, the current setup sees the playoffs drag on and punishes teams who perform better with longer wait times after the best-of-three round. Additionally, the best-of-three format hasn’t been as engaging as some initially hoped, with fans growing bored of seeing the same opponent rather than building rivalries. There’s been one more complaint about the current system: that it’s needlessly complex compared to the original single-elimination playoff. Well, the new reported model set to debut next year pushes the complexity further, in a way that is best explained by a chart: ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/22/3c/223ce17d-3253-4d03-873b-ce236408cde2/content/images/2026/09/MLS-Playoff-Structure.png) Got it? Not quite? Alright, here’s another way to think about it: 1. Round 1: Seeds 13-20, winner advances 2. Round 2A: Seeds 9-12, plus winners of Round 1 3. Round 2B: Seeds 1-8 4. Round 3: Winners of Round 2A plus losers of Round 2B 5. Round 4 (Quarterfinals): Winners of Round 3 plus Winners of Round 2B 6. Round 5: Semifinals 7. Round 6: Finals Each round will be re-seeded, too. That means teams won’t know the specifics of their path heading into the playoffs. Although MLS hasn’t stated specific goals in changing the playoff system – this format hasn’t been officially announced by the league yet! – we can reasonably assume what priorities the league is emphasizing with the change. We can also evaluate, mathematically, if the new system achieves its goals. By taking the actual strength differences between teams, measured by an Elo model (in this case, a model I made myself) we can simulate different potential regular season and playoff setups thousands of times and get a sense for what might happen with a couple simple assumptions. First, that the gap between MLS teams at the end of 2025 is going to stay roughly consistent in the future. Second, that the actual table rankings are going to reflect that quality difference. So, what’s the point of this new playoff format? And will it be any good? Let’s dive in. ## MLS’s new playoff priorities ### Priority 1: Home playoff games MLS clearly believes that home playoff games are a driving force for the league. They bring in new fans by creating an intense environment that showcases the best of what MLS has to offer: the gameday experience. That’s where MLS is closest to world class, and the revenue from these home postseason matches is greater than the regular season counterparts. The best-of-three model was specifically designed to get more teams playoff games, and it did: 16 teams currently get at least one home postseason clash. The proposed model is slightly less favorable in that regard: seeds 1-4 and 9-16 are guaranteed to host a playoff game, but there’s a roughly 25% chance (if re-seeding is solely on regular season performance) that seeds 5-8 will not host. Seeds 17, 18, and 19 also have extremely low chances of hosting. Regardless, the new format still offers more teams the chance to host than the original single-elimination system. ### Priority 2: Delaying elimination One thing MLS wants to avoid is having teams eliminated prior to the end of the season. This is a real problem with the single table format that most of the world uses, especially when there’s no danger of relegation or the added bonus of European competitions like UEFA’s Europa League, of which there’s no Concacaf equivalent. Expanding the playoffs to 20 teams helps MLS keep the vast majority of its teams in the competition to win a title just that much longer. That means the regular season stays relevant longer as well; if we were to put all 30 MLS teams into a simple 58-game season (everybody plays everybody, home and away), most teams would no longer have a shot at the title well before the end of the year. The vast majority of games, therefore, would have little-to-no leverage in terms of the final result. Although a 58-game season would be excessive, we can – and I did! – still simulate it to see what might happen. Even with MLS’s level of parity, which is much higher than the typical European league, two-thirds of the league would still be eliminated with about eight games remaining. MLS’s old 16-team playoff system meant that teams stayed alive longer than a theoretical single-table format, but it still doesn’t compare to the 20 teams brought in by the new system. ### Priority 3: Make the regular season matter more Does this sound a bit counter-intuitive? MLS wants to make the regular season matter more by…lowering the bar for playoff entry? Outside of the new format’s complexity, this topic has been at the center of most of the criticism. By adding an additional four teams to the playoffs, how could it make the regular season matter more? _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### USL League One: Portland Hearts of Pine's ambition, One Knoxville's evolution & everything else URL: https://www.backheeled.com/usl-league-one-portland-hearts-of-pine-ambition-one-knoxville-evolution-more/ Last updated: 2026-09-09T13:18:10.000Z Week 27 brought USL League One to the three-quarters mark of the 2026 season, and while you’d expect the competitive race to start becoming clearer so late in the game, the opposite is true. Six clubs are reasonably in contention to win the Players’ Shield; half-a-dozen or more could claim playoff spots beneath them. Even the teams that are looking toward 2027 made important moves this week. What should you be paying attention to across League One? I’m breaking down all the big storylines from the week that was. ## Portland and League One’s sporting director era Portland made *the* big statement of Week 27, and it happened off the pitch. On Monday, Hearts announced Ray Saari – the technical director of the USL Championship’s El Paso Locomotive – as their sporting director with immediate effect. It’s a meaningful change on a few fronts, and it emphasizes just how high Portland’s ambitions climb. Saari, 31, was something of a journeyman during his playing career, and he first joined the El Paso staff in 2023 post-retirement. He was named the Locomotive’s technical director ahead of the 2025 season. Previously, El Paso had unified their technical director and head coaching jobs; Saari’s [charge](https://www.eplocomotivefc.com/news/2024/11/04/el-paso-locomotive-fc-appoint-ray-saari-as-technical-director/?ref=backheeled.com) was to spearhead “player recruitment and retention” and the “integration of \[El Paso’s\] youth academy into the first team.” After finishing last in 2024, the Locomotive earned a home playoff game with the roster Saari built in 2025 and are a contender for the Western Conference’s top seed in 2026. Even before you consider that stellar track record, a League One hiring a Championship executive to a comparable job is a notable swing. Portland has built a one-of-one environment in Maine and quickly earned respect across the USL, and the Saari hire is the clearest indication yet that Hearts intend to throw that heft around. Paired with the club’s stadium announcement earlier this year, it’s evident that Portland wants to compete at a much higher level than League One. It’s equally clear that other League One clubs are trying to keep up. Leading organizations across the division have all begun to move toward a sporting director model. Union Omaha did it last year by hiring ex-Atlanta United executive Jamie Henderson; Forward Madison (Matt Cairns) and the Greenville Triumph (Zach Prince) followed up over the offseason. Now, Portland is following in their footsteps and adding a dedicated front office member that can head up recruitment and scouting – all while cooling the temperature of manager Bobby Murphy’s increasingly hot seat. > KIDD TO THE RESCUE 🫡 > > Matteo Kidd brings [@hearts\_sc](https://x.com/hearts%5Fsc?ref%5Fsrc=twsrc%5Etfw&ref=backheeled.com) back on level terms! 👀 [pic.twitter.com/dBH724IWmn](https://t.co/dBH724IWmn?ref=backheeled.com) > > — USL League One (@USLLeagueOne) [September 3, 2026](https://x.com/USLLeagueOne/status/2095315398950293542?ref%5Fsrc=twsrc%5Etfw&ref=backheeled.com) Hearts were, as has become a theme, too lax in action across Week 27, and they dug themselves into an early hole at midweek in Charlotte. That Portland bounced back was a credit to superstar attacker Ollie Wright. The winger has been kept out of the starting lineup since mid-August because of injury troubles, but he scored in Week 26 as a substitute. His impact was similarly massive against the Independence; Wright’s strong right foot challenged the opposing shape, bought space for left back Eiji Hata, and produced two goals within his first seven minutes on the pitch. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### MLS Winners and Losers: St. Louis City impress, a new star emerges & more URL: https://www.backheeled.com/mls-winners-losers-st-louis-city-impress-new-star-emerges/ Last updated: 2026-09-13T14:45:13.000Z *It’s in the title, folks. Every week during the MLS season, Backheeled is here to dive into the biggest Winners and Losers from around the league. Let’s get right to it!* ## Winner: St. Louis City, MLS Cup contenders? St. Louis City had one of the best summer transfer windows in MLS. Despite losing Marcel Hartel and Edward Lowen, they went out and spent big on Rafa Navarro and Carlo Holse, players who fit Yoann Damet’s approach perfectly and will make them better. That’s all nice in theory, but who cares about transfers if it doesn’t lead to results? Well, I’m happy to report that the early returns are quite good. St. Louis went to BC Place on Saturday, where the Whitecaps had lost just twice and outscored their opponents 27-6 this year, and played them off the field. The visitors were every bit deserving of their 3-1 win. Playing out of Yoann Damet’s Wilfried Nancy-esque 3-4-2-1, they stayed incredibly compact, looking in control when they had possession and forcing Vancouver to be much more direct than they would have liked. You can see as much in the pass map: ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/22/3c/223ce17d-3253-4d03-873b-ce236408cde2/content/images/2026/09/data-src-image-69568ff7-c1dd-4695-856b-035ba0bfa9d6.png) Simon Becher’s opening goal told the story of the night for both sides. The ‘Caps were incredibly loose with their defensive shape, consistently leaving huge spaces between their defensive and midfield lines. St. Louis didn’t fully dominate the ball – 53% possession and 35% field tilt – but they did an exceptional job getting the ball into the middle third, identifying the gaps in Vancouver’s defense, and hitting it directly. Here’s that opener from Becher, who should soak up these minutes while he can get them before Navarro is fully integrated: > Simon Becher is composed in front of goal![@stlCITYsc](https://x.com/stlCITYsc?ref%5Fsrc=twsrc%5Etfw&ref=backheeled.com) are level. [pic.twitter.com/wTNu2sYAxh](https://t.co/wTNu2sYAxh?ref=backheeled.com) > > — Major League Soccer (@MLS) [September 6, 2026](https://x.com/MLS/status/2096435492900261975?ref%5Fsrc=twsrc%5Etfw&ref=backheeled.com) And watch them exploit the space similarly for their third: _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### USL Championship Power Rankings: Hartford Athletic soar, new CBA & more URL: https://www.backheeled.com/usl-championship-power-rankings-hartford-athletic-soar-new-cba-more/ Last updated: 2026-09-08T13:05:19.000Z This week, the USL and the USL Players Association finally put pen to paper on a new collective bargaining agreement (CBA), which will last through the 2030 season at a minimum. The agreement, [as previously reported by *Backheeled*](https://www.backheeled.com/usl-championship-cba-talks-uslpa-licensing-compensation-healthcare-protests/), extends the duration of player contracts to a standardized 12 months, increases minimum base compensation, expands healthcare requirements while decoupling them from the compensation minimum, and re-works group licensing rights on a more equitable basis. In the short term, the new deal will meaningfully raise the standard of living for players across the USL Championship. In the longer term, it also sets the stage for USL Premier and the league’s pro-rel era. Minimum base compensation will start at $67,500 when the new first-tier league starts in 2028, more than a 50% jump from the newly established Championship minimum. In other words, participants in the Premier division will be expected to spend (and support players’ livelihoods) at a level commensurate with their newfound status. Those questions were largely settled as April turned to May, but the formal completion of the new CBA is still a notable milestone. It’s easy to forget that the opening months of 2026 were defined by on-field protests and tangible frustration across the league. Still, we’ve come through on the other side, and Week 27 highlighted the very players that’ll benefit from the new standards. What stood out across the matchweek, and how’d it shake up the Championship’s competitive landscape? Let’s dig in. ## 1\. El Paso Locomotive ***Trending: No change*** *Result: Bye* As much as I’d like to choose a hipster midfielder as my USL Championship Player of the Year, it’s very hard to deny what Rubio Rubin is doing for El Paso. Fresh off a hat trick last weekend, Rubin entered Week 27 leading the league with 17 goal contributions. He’s putting up 0.74 xG+xA on more than five box touches per 90; his ability to dominate the box and efficiently finish chances is the cherry on top of an improving Locomotive system. If you’re grading MVP candidates on their importance to a contending team, Rubin is undeniable. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Who’s the USL’s next breakout star? Ranking the Young Player of the Year contenders URL: https://www.backheeled.com/usl-next-breakout-star-ranking-young-player-of-the-year-contenders/ Last updated: 2026-09-06T20:47:43.000Z Over the last three years, nine of the USL’s 18 nominees for Young Player of the Year have earned a move to MLS or Europe. That group, including players like Elijah Wynder, Mamadou Dieng, Griffin Garnett, and Rocco Rios Novo, illustrates the top-end talent that the USL has regularly produced. Even the players that haven’t earned a move (think Pape Mar Boye, Luis Alvarez, or Ray Serrano) have continued to dominate the league as they’ve approached their prime years. 2026 is shaping up to continue the trend. The favorite for Young Player of the Year in the USL Championship is already headed to Europe; multiple MLS loanees have impressed this season and could earn serious minutes in the first division next year. League One is set to grow its burgeoning reputation as a selling league if its class of up-and-coming stars is any indication. Which young players are most deserving of awards attention as 2026 nears it close? I’m ranking the leading Young Player of the Year contenders across the USL to find out. ## USL Championship ### 1\. Colton Swan, FW, Charleston Battery I see it, the U.S. U-20 staff sees it, and Hibernian’s scouting department sees it: Swan has the goods. The Charleston forward leads the Championship in non-penalty goals per match (0.69), and the Battery have scored an extra 0.59 goals per 90 with Swan on the pitch. The 19-year-old has proven to be highly capable while combining with a strike partner, and he’s already an extremely strong header of the ball. Swan was expected to be a contributor given his experience in MLS Next Pro and in the NCAA, but he’s exceeded all expectations at Patriots Point in earning an end-of-year move to Scotland. Few young players in USL history have so clearly contributed to winning soccer. ### 2\. CJ Olney, AM, Brooklyn FC On loan from the Philadelphia Union, Olney has been a set-your-watch-to-him creative presence for a Brooklyn team that’s otherwise struggled to find opportunities. The 19-year-old is creating 1.8 chances and attempting 3.1 crosses in the run of play per 90 minutes, and he’s got nine total goal contributions. Olney isn’t the most ferocious one-on-one dribbler, but he’s able to separate from defenders and consistently provide service into the box. If the point of an MLS-to-USL loan is to give a young player the chance to prove his ability to hang at a higher level, Olney is an undeniable success story. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Ranking every MLS team’s 2026 summer transfer window from worst to first URL: https://www.backheeled.com/ranking-every-mls-teams-2026-summer-transfer-window-from-worst-to-first/ Last updated: 2026-09-09T13:05:21.000Z MLS doesn’t have enough winners and losers. The league’s constraining roster rules and regulations have been purpose-built to keep a tight gap between the best and worst teams. Toss in the fact that 60% of the league makes the playoffs and you’ve got a real “everybody gets a trophy” situation on your hands. We need more winners in MLS. We need more losers, too. Those things build the kinds of stories that make any product more compelling. To that end: today, I’m making my own winners and losers by ranking MLS teams based on their summer business. With the summer transfer window officially closed, teams have made most of the rest of their big additions for the year. Now, we could still see some players moving from MLS to other countries. We could also see teams pick up a few free agents. Still, we have plenty of information to put together a quality list. The winners? They’re primed and ready for a late-season push. The losers? Maybe not so much. Let’s get to the transfer rankings, working from worst to first. *\*Deal not yet announced as of publication.* ## 30\. New York Red Bulls **Notable incomings:** Mijahir Jimenez, David Ruiz, Devin Padelford **Notable outgoings:** Gustav Berggren, Dennis Gjengaar Did the Red Bulls address a single urgent need in this window? That’s rhetorical – they clearly didn’t. I hope Mijahir Jimenez pops off and scores eight goals down the stretch, but nothing they did in the summer inspires anything other than frustration. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### MLS summer transfer window superlatives: Best signing, worst window, most underrated signing & more URL: https://www.backheeled.com/mls-summer-transfer-window-superlatives-best-signing-worst-window-more/ Last updated: 2026-09-06T19:21:14.000Z Pencils down, everyone! Yeah, even you Inter Miami. MLS’s summer transfer window shut on Wednesday night, so what better moment is there to look back on the window that was? Literally any point later in the season would be better because we would have much more information on which players have hit and which teams have really improved, you say? That can’t be right. I’m sure now is the best time to make confident assertions about anything and everything in MLS’s transfer ecosystem. Onwards, to the superlatives! ## Best signing **Andrew Clausen:** Sure, Antoine Griezmann was signed *just* before the winter window closed. But he didn’t debut for Orlando City until the summer following the end of the La Liga season, so I’m counting him here. The Lions look like an entirely different team with the former French international in the squad, and he’s already notched seven goal contributions in just seven MLS matches. Even at 34, Griezmann remains one of the most effective attacking players on the planet, and he’s shown that since joining Orlando. While he can’t fix Orlando’s defensive woes, they look a much more competent team in possession and going forward, and I expect him to continue having this level of impact. An honorable mention goes to the Colorado Rapids signing Loïc Williams from Granada, another player who signed in March but finished the European season before officially joining up with his MLS team this summer. The Spanish center back looks like the real deal. **Joe Lowery:** I truly think Inter Miami are MLS Cup favorites. Most of that is because of a certain Argentine. But some of that is because of a certain Brazilian. Casemiro, who joined up with Miami after Brazil’s World Cup campaign, showed his [on-ball brilliance](https://www.backheeled.com/mls-winners-losers-griezmann-orlando-city-inter-miami-casemiro-atlanta-united/) from the very first minute he stepped on the field in this league. His arrival – on a non-DP deal, somehow… – has helped Rodrigo De Paul touch the ball less often in deeper areas (that’s a good thing) and has also coincided with Miami becoming a sturdier defensive team (that’s a great thing). Before Casemiro showed up, Inter Miami ranked 22nd in xG allowed per game and 27th in fast break xG allowed per game, as per American Soccer Analysis. Now they’re 13th and 23rd, respectively, in those rankings. It all smacks of Casemiro-inspired progress to me. **Ben Wright:** Brais Méndez looks like an absolute baller for the Columbus Crew. The Spanish No. 10 who arrived from Real Sociedad in La Liga is the type of player you can build a club around for years. He’s clean on the ball, has exceptional vision in the final third, and improves the players around him. It’s been a rough year for the Crew (see the standings for more), but they’ve added some intriguing talent this summer in Mendez and former New York City FC star Santi Rodriguez. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Sources: MLS to return all of its teams to the U.S. Open Cup URL: https://www.backheeled.com/sources-mls-teams-return-to-us-open-cup-new-format-details/ Last updated: 2026-09-04T14:08:03.000Z All 27 U.S.-based MLS teams will participate in next year’s U.S. Open Cup, multiple sources tell *Backheeled*. This shift marks MLS’s first full participation in the Open Cup since 2023\. Notably, the Open Cup, which began in 1914 and is the nation’s longest-running soccer competition and among the oldest cup competitions globally, is run by U.S. Soccer rather than the top-flight domestic league. Under the new format, the U.S. Open Cup final will take place in December, according to multiple sources, with MLS teams entering the tournament in July. After the 2023 edition of the Open Cup, in which the Houston Dynamo bested an Inter Miami team that had been recently bolstered by the arrival of Lionel Messi, MLS announced that its first teams would withdraw from the 2024 U.S. Open Cup. Earlier that year, commissioner Don Garber referred to the Open Cup as “a very poor reflection on what it is that we're trying to do with soccer at the highest level”. A public back-and-forth between MLS and U.S. Soccer ensued. In response to MLS’s withdrawal, the federation said in a statement that “the U.S. Soccer staff recommendation, which was adopted by the Pro League taskforce, is that the request be denied.” Notably, U.S. Soccer’s professional league standards then stated – and still state – that "U.S.-based teams must participate in all representative U.S. Soccer and CONCACAF competitions for which they are eligible." MLS responded, saying that it “took that step \[to remove its first teams\] because it believes that there are several essential goals and concerns that must be addressed in connection with the tournament.” Eventually, the 2024 edition of the U.S. Open Cup was played with just eight MLS teams. Both last year’s and this year’s edition featured 16 MLS teams, rather than the full complement of the 27 U.S.-based clubs, with the league [giving priority](https://www.columbuscrew.com/news/all-30-major-league-soccer-clubs-to-participate-in-north-american-cup-competitions-in-2025?ref=backheeled.com) to Leagues Cup and Concacaf Champions Cup over the Open Cup. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### USL League One: Charlotte Independence's brilliant midfield, Union Omaha's problems & everything else URL: https://www.backheeled.com/usl-league-one-charlotte-independence-midfield-union-omaha-problems-more/ Last updated: 2026-09-03T17:47:48.000Z Five weeks ago, merely two points separated the sixth seed in the USL League One table from the seventh seed; 11 points created a major gulf between seventh and 13th. That’s changed in the wake of Week 26\. Now, the gap between sixth-place Boise and their closest pursuer is three times bigger, while only nine points separate seventh from 13th. League One’s stratification has grown, resulting in a six-team elite with a giant bubble beneath them. A jam-packed matchweek only muddied the waters further, but a handful of clubs stood out – for better or worse. What defined Week 26? I’m digging into all the action to find out. ## Charlotte’s superstar midfield The Charlotte Independence have the deepest midfield in League One, and – with respect to Union Omaha – it ain’t that close. When you cut one head off the Charlotte hydra, another grows back that, somehow, is just as technical and energetic. That self-replenishing quality is why the Independence topped the table after Friday night’s 5-0 win over AV Alta – and why they’re the best watch in the lower leagues. In what’s now the second extended absence for Luis Alvarez, Charlotte continues to look exhilarating with and without the ball. This year, the Independence rank fourth in League One by forcing about six high turnovers per match. The intensity of their defensive approach tilts the pitch, creates semi-transitional opportunities, and lets the midfield announce itself. If you’re looking for the reason that Charlotte cleared the 50-goal mark for the year this weekend, their combination of sharp attacking patterns with high pressure is the reason why. On Friday, Mike Jeffries’ 4-2-3-1 was all about the contributions of Jon Bakero off the right wing, Christopher Jaime at the No. 10 spot, and Jefferson Amaya in the pivot. All three have been regular starters throughout 2026, but they’ve shone especially bright while bearing a greater burden with players like Alvarez and Enzo Martinez unavailable. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/22/3c/223ce17d-3253-4d03-873b-ce236408cde2/content/images/2026/08/data-src-image-9792ce30-dd5f-4eeb-adca-473467c7d1c0.png) Here, Charlotte’s press is in full effect. In the top frame, left winger Viggo Ortiz (dark blue, as an attacking mid) closes down on his man at the left sideline. Meanwhile, Jaime jumps high from the No. 10 spot to deny a sideways ball into a central defender. In this situation against the sideline, you’d typically expect a No. 6 to step up in support. Instead, Bakero flies over from his right wing position to cut off a centering pass. That exceptional effort from across the attacking band was key against Antelope Valley. Alta are extremely averse to long passes and aren’t likely to switch the field; in this instance, their only escape route is directly over the top. You don’t see Amaya here, but he’s protecting against that eventuality. By staying low, the No. 6 steels Charlotte for a second ball while Bakero takes up his assumed job as an upfield marker. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### MLS Winners and Losers: Cavan Sullivan's stock rises, transfer drama & more URL: https://www.backheeled.com/mls-winners-losers-cavan-sullivan-transfer-drama-joveljic-lozano-messi/ Last updated: 2026-09-03T13:06:56.000Z *It’s in the title, folks. Every week during the MLS season,* Backheeled *is here to dive into the biggest Winners and Losers from around the league. Let’s get right to it!* ## Winner: Cashfers I would describe my wife as a casual soccer fan. She knows that Lionel Messi is the greatest player of all time (and after he scored four on Saturday, she now knows that CF Montreal lay claim to the title of MLS’s most embarrassing team…more on that later). She knows a handful of U.S. men’s national team players, European clubs, and MLS teams. But most of what she knows is down to the fact that she lives with me, the world’s biggest soccer nerd. Outside of the World Cup, if I’m not home, soccer is *exceedingly* unlikely to pop up on the TV. On Saturday, though, something odd happened. I’d just turned on the weekend’s MLS opener — the Seattle Sounders vs. the Chicago Fire. 12 minutes in, Dejan Joveljic scored. Nothing odd about any of that. No, the odd bit was that as the broadcast unfolded the story of Joveljic’s move to Seattle for a $6 million cash transfer from Sporting Kansas City, my wife was hooked. After that goal, she started watching with more intent. Then Joveljic scored again to earn a debut brace, though the Fire would equalize at 2-2 thanks to another dangerous striker. > Settling in pretty, pretty well 🙂‍↕️ > > Dejan Joveljić already has two goals to his name after just one game for [@SoundersFC](https://x.com/SoundersFC?ref%5Fsrc=twsrc%5Etfw&ref=backheeled.com) 👀 [pic.twitter.com/JMq1KmTQwF](https://t.co/JMq1KmTQwF?ref=backheeled.com) > > — Major League Soccer (@MLS) [August 29, 2026](https://x.com/MLS/status/2093837354507121087?ref%5Fsrc=twsrc%5Etfw&ref=backheeled.com) It’s amazing what a genuine storyline can do for MLS, isn’t it? Since their inception, cashfers have provided a level of intrigue that MLS rarely captures outside of the postseason and signing superstars. But Joveljic’s debut didn’t come in the playoffs, nor is the Serbian striker a superstar coming from abroad. It came on a run-of-the-mill Saturday in August, the exact sort of day that has seen MLS fail to break out of relative irrelevance since its inception. But stories like Joveljic being deemed upgradeable by one MLS team and essential by another (and becoming the first player to be cashfered twice in league history along the way) draw attention. Not the masses, certainly. But more than before, as evidenced by my living room this weekend. Stories like Kansas City’s desire to smash $25 million on New York City’s Nico Fernandez Mercau provide narrative fodder. The same goes for St. Louis City’s interest in the Colorado Rapids’ Rafael Navarro (who started for the Rapids in their 1-0 win over Real Salt Lake on Saturday, with a looming move and [$1.2 million on the line](https://bsky.app/profile/tutul.bsky.social/post/3mubch2yruk23?ref=backheeled.com)). _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### USL Championship Power Rankings: El Paso Locomotive rise, Louisville City drop & more URL: https://www.backheeled.com/usl-championship-power-rankings-el-paso-locomotive-louisville-city-more/ Last updated: 2026-09-01T16:23:21.000Z Is there such a thing as peaking too early? The USL postseason typically rewards the hot hand, and 2026 has felt like a season uniquely dense with runs of sizzling form. Tampa Bay dominated the opening weeks, briefly faltered, and found their title-contending level. In the West, Orange County looked like they’d join the party, but they’ve tailed off; in their stead, New Mexico, El Paso, and Charleston have all risen to the occasion. We’ll see where things land when the proverbial clock chimes midnight at the end of October. For now, unpredictability continues to reign. Who looked like a contender in Week 26, and what defined the week that was? I’m ranking every team in the Championship to find out. ## 1\. El Paso Locomotive ***Trending: +3*** *Result: 2-1 win v. Pittsburgh, 4-1 win v. Loudoun* In psychology, the idea of the “flow state” describes the sense of absolute immersion in an activity. Your focus is unbroken, time seems like it’s moving differently, and all actions come naturally. The El Paso Locomotive are in the midst of a five-week run of unbroken flow, and they’re showing no signs of snapping out of it. That the Locomotive look imposing even when they’re rotating their lineup is evidence of that form, and it showed on Wednesday night against Pittsburgh. Nico Cardona – a natural center back – didn’t miss a beat, replacing forward-turned-wingback Jimmy Farklarun in the starting set. Noah Dollenmayer, who’s a quality USL contributor that’s struggled to earn starts, was revelatory to Cardona’s inside and scored the match’s winning goal. Tactically, El Paso’s 5-2-3 press was ready-made to shut down the Riverhounds’ elbowing three-at-the-back build shape. Bolstered by a high back line, the Locomotive didn’t allow a single shot for the first 53 minutes of the match. Meanwhile, an offense driven by Gabi Torres and Amando Moreno’s two-man game up the left was as slick as ever. El Paso briefly trailed despite their dominance, and it’s a testament to their confidence that they never wavered on the way to a comeback win. > A hot start from [@eplocomotivefc](https://x.com/eplocomotivefc?ref%5Fsrc=twsrc%5Etfw&ref=backheeled.com)! 🚂 > > Rubio Rubín bags the quick opener! 💪 [pic.twitter.com/gy0tCCT0gg](https://t.co/gy0tCCT0gg?ref=backheeled.com) > > — USL Championship (@USLChampionship) [August 30, 2026](https://x.com/USLChampionship/status/2093871444002226554?ref%5Fsrc=twsrc%5Etfw&ref=backheeled.com) If Wednesday was a testament to El Paso’s fortitude, Saturday’s match against Loudoun was a victory lap. The Locomotive ran up five shots, 0.7 xG, and a 1-0 lead in the first five minutes of play; by halftime, Rubio Rubin had notched a hat trick. Rubin has scored plenty of beautiful goals this season, but his efforts against United were grittier in nature. Both of the first two goals were essentially rebounds. In each case, El Paso worked directly up the left, served in, and created a deflection. In each case, Rubin came good. Paired with the (now-standard) unrelenting press, the Locomotive were utterly assured from start to finish. No team in the USL is making it look so easy. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### The player on each USL Championship team you should buy stock in URL: https://www.backheeled.com/usl-championship-players-buy-stock-rising-stars-talent-scouting-transfers/ Last updated: 2026-08-30T16:47:52.000Z Watching players across the USL break out and find a new level is the joy of any given season, but picking the individuals that’ll keep it up is like playing the stock market. There are “blue chip” stars that have answered questions, cemented their all-league status, and positioned themselves for a future move. Successful rookies and academy prospects might as well be making their initial public offering. Which players have earned that investment in 2026? I’m buying stock in one player from all 25 clubs in the Championship to find out. ## Birmingham Legion **Jassem Koleilat, GK** If you’re a Legion fan, you’re already in love with Koleilat. The 27-year-old was a star in the Canadian Premiership before jumping to the USL, immediately establishing himself as one of the best goalkeepers in the league. Behind a shaky Birmingham defense, Koleilat has posted a 76% save rate while making just under four stops per game. On a roster that feels like it’s between eras and managerial visions, the goalkeeper is a building block. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### The player on each MLS team you should buy stock in URL: https://www.backheeled.com/mls-players-buy-stock-rising-stars-talent-homegrown-scouting-transfers/ Last updated: 2026-09-01T13:09:25.000Z MLS, at its core, is a local product. That’s a problem. There still aren’t enough people in one city that care about what’s happening with a team in another city for the league to drum up interest for a far juicier TV deal when their arrangement with Apple winds down in 2029\. I’m not here to solve that problem — oh, no. But I am here to give you, dear reader, a reason to glance at an MLS team or two outside your city every now and then. Today, we’re examining one underrated player at each of MLS’s 30 teams who is worthy of your attention. Some, of course, are more well-known than others. But if you buy stock now, in all 30 cases, I expect that in a year’s time you’ll be able to look back and say that you got in on the ground floor. Just think of all the boasting you can do in the group chat about that, eh? Onwards. ## Atlanta United **Mauricio Amaro, 21, DM** Amaro is yet to debut for Atlanta, but joined as a U22 Initiative player from Uruguay's top-flight earlier in this summer window. The dude is strong, runs a ton, and is impressive enough to have prompted multiple front office types to message me about his quality when the Five Stripes got the deal done. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Meet Neil Pierre, the Philadelphia Union’s 6-foot-7 teenager who could be the USMNT's next rising star URL: https://www.backheeled.com/meet-neil-pierre-philadelphia-union-teenager-mls-usmnt-rising-star/ Last updated: 2026-09-01T13:09:18.000Z When you’re 6’7”, it’s an obvious question. Even from a stranger. Especially in the United States. “Every time, even just randoms just ask me, like, ‘You play basketball? You definitely play basketball, right?’ All the time,” Neil Pierre, the Philadelphia Union’s 18-year-old rising star center back, told *Backheeled*. And he did indeed hoop. But that ended when he was younger – about 11 – when Neil was inspired by his older brother Nelson’s path and chose to prioritize playing soccer in the Philadelphia Union academy. Pretty soon his brother, now a professional soccer player just like Neil, was being coached by a former Union draft pick from a suburb north of Philadelphia named Ryan Richter. Richter, who transitioned to coaching when he was 28, would later also coach Neil in the academy and the second team. And now, Pierre is the latest homegrown piece to the Union’s puzzle, a pivotal part of the team’s resurgence under Richter, Philadelphia’s interim head coach, following the World Cup break. Pierre could be a pivotal piece for the U.S. men’s national team, its next Hershey, Pennsylvania native who, like Christian Pulisic, is destined for the big stage. ## A smooth rise, then a new challenge With an older sibling passionate about soccer and his dad having played the sport in college, Neil Pierre inherited the game and had his development enhanced by its place in his family’s culture. Neil mostly practiced with his brother and would sometimes tag along with Nelson and his friends, being around their size. He benefited from the extra, more intense practice Nelson could provide, and the motivation. “I was usually the more relaxed, chill one. But then \[Nelson\] would always get on me like all the time. Then my dad was like, “You’re going to let him outwork you?’ knowing that would get me to do way more. And so they pushed me to be where I’m at now,” he said. Both of Neil’s parents were born in Haiti and moved to Westbury, New York when they were in high school. They moved to Hershey when his older sister was born, and the Pierres eventually relocated to Blue Bell to be closer to the Union academy when Nelson joined. Neil followed his brother’s footsteps, leaving his only youth club, Super Nova FC, to begin a fairly smooth ascent through the academy where he was usually the youngest player on his team by at least a year. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### USL League One: Sarasota Paradise's rising star, Corpus Christi’s resilience & everything else URL: https://www.backheeled.com/usl-league-one-sarasota-paradises-rising-star-corpus-christi-resilience-more/ Last updated: 2026-08-27T13:26:15.000Z Who should be League One’s Coach of the Year? As in any awards race, the answer depends on what you value. In Omaha, Vincenzo Candela has put Los Búhos in position to win the Players’ Shield in his first full season at the helm, and he’s done so with an overhauled roster that got raided over the winter. Madison’s Matt Glaeser has overcome similar challenges, taking the Mingos from sub-playoff obscurity to a top-four spot with a completely re-made squad and re-thought style. If you’re a hipster, you could look to Eamon Zayed in Corpus Christi, who’s taken an extremely low-budget roster, made smart in-season changes, and nearly climbed back into the playoffs. We won’t have a complete answer until the end of October, but there’s never been as strong a class of managers in League One. Their ability to adjust and maximize star players was crucial in Week 25\. What stood out amidst a jam-packed matchweek? Let’s dig in. Want access to all of **Backheeled*'s coverage? [Become a paid subscriber today! ](https://www.backheeled.com/#/portal/signup) ## Anderson Rosa, Sarasota’s star USL League One has been a regular source of talented fullbacks, exemplified by players like Conner Antley, Bruno Rendon, Haruki Yamazaki, and Nathan Messer that have gone on to success in the USL Championship and beyond. Now, Sarasota’s Anderson Rosa looks like the heir to that lineage. Across Week 25, Rosa – a rising star at left back for Paradise – illustrated how he’s best used and why he’s got such great potential. The 24-year-old notched a goal and an assist in Wednesday’s 3-2 victory over Chattanooga, a match that highlighted the defender’s one-of-one deployment. Saturday’s draw against Omaha was quieter, yet Rosa remained key. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### MLS Winners and Losers: Seattle Sounders add a star, Bruce Arena's Quakes tumble & more URL: https://www.backheeled.com/mls-winners-losers-seattle-sounders-new-dp-bruce-arena-quakes-more/ Last updated: 2026-08-26T15:20:36.000Z *It’s in the title, folks. Every week during the MLS season, Backheeled is here to dive into the biggest Winners and Losers from around the league. Let’s get right to it!* ## Winner: Seattle Sounders’ silver lining It’s been a *tough* stretch for the Seattle Sounders, losing eight-in-a-row in league play heading into the weekend. But the Sounders finally snapped their streak via a 1-1 draw away to FC Cincinnati on Saturday. If you combine the way earned that point with the pending addition of Dejan Joveljić as a Designated Player via a cash trade from Sporting Kansas City, maybe there's a ray of sunshine in gloomy Seattle. Let’s start with the result. Normally, a 1-1 away draw wouldn’t be anything for the Sounders to get excited about. But given the context of the losing streak, plus their lineup, I’d say it counts: > Average number of MLS appearances for the Seattle Sounders among players in this starting XI: 23.7 > > [\[image or embed\]](https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:oyvx5qyivlj3s6fnbxpnadba/post/3mtpee4a6us26?ref%5Fsrc=embed&ref=backheeled.com) > > — cata ([@catabush.com](https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:oyvx5qyivlj3s6fnbxpnadba?ref%5Fsrc=embed&ref=backheeled.com)) [August 22, 2026 at 3:50 PM](https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:oyvx5qyivlj3s6fnbxpnadba/post/3mtpee4a6us26?ref%5Fsrc=embed&ref=backheeled.com) So, uh, that’s basically like starting a team of 2026 SuperDraft picks. Wild. It’s also unavoidable. Seattle had nine players on the injury report this past weekend, all of whom are either starters or close to it. The only regulars in the lineup were Paul Rothrock, Snyder Brunell, and Andrew Thomas. As a result, it was basically the Tacoma Defiance getting an earned result against a nearly full-strength Cincinnati side. Saturday evening, then, was a merciful bit of positivity for a team that’s been stuck in a death spiral and facing growing fan discontentment. Now we come to the off-field news: the Sounders are [reportedly](https://x.com/FabrizioRomano/status/2091313164327535015?ref=backheeled.com) signing Jovelic as a DP in a $6 million cashfer from SKC, which is a *very* good addition. Is the 27-year-old striker going to fix everything that ails Seattle? No. But is this a good talent play in a position of need? Absolutely. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### USL Championship Power Rankings: A new leader, Detroit City rise & more URL: https://www.backheeled.com/usl-championship-power-rankings-a-new-leader-detroit-city-rise/ Last updated: 2026-08-25T16:10:28.000Z The gap between first place and 11th in the Western Conference is just eight points. That’s the same margin between seventh and 10th in the East. The two conferences have always brought distinct competitive vibes to the table, but there’s a historic gulf between the anything-can-happen West and more conventional East in 2026. Those trends only depend in Week 25\. Chaos and upsets defined the action in one conference, while stratification remained persistent in the other. Along the way, what’d we learn about the playoff race in the USL Championship? I’m ranking and analyzing all 25 clubs to find out. ## 1\. New Mexico United ***Trending: +1*** *Result: 0-0 draw at Loudoun* No Valentin Noel, no problem? With the star No. 10 out injured this weekend, New Mexico was out to show that they’re not reliant on Noel’s singular brilliance to get the job done. Week 25 looked like it’d be a showcase for that capability, but it ended up proving something else about this club’s resiliency. Manager Dennis Sanchez went for a rather attacking-minded lineup without the Frenchman in tow. In his place, forward Justin Rennicks slotted into a second striker-ish role. Meanwhile, the all-speed, all-trickery duo of Niall Reid-Stephen and Joseph Melto prevailed on the wings. As much as possible, United wanted to play in an anvil-shaped 4-2-4 – one where Rennicks and striker Greg Hurst could connect play as the wingers went wild upfield. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/22/3c/223ce17d-3253-4d03-873b-ce236408cde2/content/images/2026/08/data-src-image-19230a00-5b9a-4c63-b92a-f68218948952.png) Switches toward the flanks helped make that gameplan a reality, particularly when Loudoun overextended against the first phase of build. Still, New Mexico had answers when the game settled down. By dropping Rennicks into a No. 8ish position and allowing either Zico Bailey or Ousman Jabang to take up positions level with Loudoun’s front line, United created layers of passing triangles through the center of the park. Whenever Loudoun overextended, they were able to be played through. Center back Niko Hamalainen, one of the under-sung signings of the 2026 season, tended to stir the pot from his left-sided deployment. The defender is completing 60 passes per game this year, and he beat that average in Virginia. Hamalainen set the table for New Mexico’s real strength, an ability to generate a threat from any position on the pitch. That upside was undone by a 31st minute red card for Melto, but United responded as well as possible. A shift into a 4-4-1ish shape kept Loudoun at bay; in the second-half, Sanchez brought central defender Tyler Blackett into the game, moved Hamalainen to left back and Chris Gloster to the wing, and successfully shut the match down. The turn toward pragmatism wouldn’t have been the first choice, but it kept New Mexico’s unbeaten streak alive at 12 matches. ## 2\. Tampa Bay Rowdies ***Trending: -1*** *Result: 1-0 loss v. Detroit* In terms of turning defense into offense, few teams exceed the Tampa Bay Rowdies. This club is excellent at breaking forward and creating overloads after they’ve made a stop – hence why they lead the East in xG and rank second in break chances. Still, there are moments where that full-throated transition game can falter. They’re rare, but they reared their head in Detroit this weekend. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Contender or pretender? Assessing each USL Championship club’s trophy chances URL: https://www.backheeled.com/contender-or-pretender-assessing-each-usl-championship-club-trophy-chances/ Last updated: 2026-08-24T01:11:21.000Z If you read *Backheeled*’s weekly [USL Championship Power Rankings](https://www.backheeled.com/usl-championship-power-rankings-superstar-signings-sacramento-republic-climb-more/), you’re getting the view of a hyper-specific point in time. Are, say, the Las Vegas Lights actually the sixth-best team in the USL? Are there truly 14 clubs with a better shot at a trophy than Louisville City? The answer to both of those questions is probably “no.” With 10 weeks to play in the Championship’s regular season, it’s useful to reframe the competitive landscape. When push comes to shove at the end of October, which clubs have a genuine shot at winning a title? I’m categorizing all 25 teams into the contenders and the pretenders to find out. ## The Contenders *The clubs with a nailed-on shot at a title* The **Tampa Bay Rowdies** are the undisputed favorites to win the Players’ Shield and, potentially, to do the double. With 44 points, Tampa Bay are currently 10 points clear of their closest pursuer; they’re sitting on a +19 goal difference and earning a +0.95 xG margin per match. Dom Casciato’s side started 2026 on a hot streak, and they’ve come through a slight rough patch with new recruits (Conner Antley, Ethan Bartlow) and an even higher ceiling. While the **Sacramento Republic** are currently sitting fifth in the West, they’re tied for the conference’s best goal difference and just added a game-changer in striker Cal Jennings. With Memo Rodriguez and Jack Gurr hitting their stride after early-season absences, the Neill Collins system has become clearer and clearer with each passing week. For a Republic team that’s allowed just 16 goals – the least in the USL – the Jennings signing rounds out a roster that could already hang their hat on an elite defense. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Why European clubs are watching San Diego FC, MLS rising star Manu Duah URL: https://www.backheeled.com/why-european-clubs-transfer-san-diego-fc-mls-rising-star-manu-duah/ Last updated: 2026-08-25T13:06:29.000Z Manu Duah threw his head back in frustration. It was a hot, sticky Texas summer evening, but the weather wasn’t the source of the San Diego FC youngster’s frustration. No, Duah, playing as a defensive midfielder just like he had in college before being drafted into MLS first overall, had just sent a pass directly into the path of Petar Musa. Musa, of course, is one of MLS’s deadliest strikers. Crucially, he doesn’t play for San Diego. Duah was forced to watch as his [errant backpass turned into a goal](https://x.com/FCDallas/status/1939133472297373704?ref=backheeled.com) for FC Dallas. Just a few minutes later, head coach Mikey Varas took the now-21-year-old off the field at halftime. It’s safe to say there are a few ways Duah’s first MLS start could’ve gone better. Still, San Diego’s trust in the Ghanaian remained. A few weeks after his first taste of starting minutes, Duah was back in Varas’ lineup. This time, though, he was playing center back. After getting a taste of the role in an un-televised friendly against Club America earlier in the summer, Duah embraced the role — and started to shine. Ever since, he’s become one of highest-potential young players MLS has seen and has been the subject of in-person scouting from Champions League-level clubs, [according](https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6862883/2025/12/04/wicky-werner-inter-miami-valenzuela/?ref=backheeled.com) to The Athletic. Not everything has been perfect for the defender. His form, along with San Diego’s, dipped earlier this year. But Duah’s promise is clear. Here’s why those major European teams are keeping their eyes on Duah. ## Using the ball to put opponents into lose-lose situations When you put pen to paper on a San Diego FC contract, you know exactly what you’re getting yourself into: lots and lots (and lots) of building out from the back. “You won't see us play long out of a goal kick,” Tyler Heaps, the club’s sporting director, prophetically proclaimed to *Backheeled* ahead of San Diego’s expansion season. No team in recorded MLS history posted more passes in their defensive third than the newcomers did in 2025, as per American Soccer Analysis. And the sophomore side is on pace to break that record in 2026.Whether he’s playing as the right- or left-sided center back in San Diego’s fluid back four possession shape, Duah is tasked with moving the ball deep in his own third while staring down a high press. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### USL League One: Transfer progress, Fort Wayne's next step & everything else URL: https://www.backheeled.com/usl-league-one-transfer-progress-fort-wayne-next-step-more/ Last updated: 2026-08-20T13:32:52.000Z Next weekend, League One will officially hit the two-thirds marker of the 2026 season. For any club hoping to make a late run, it must start now. Week 24 offered up a preview of the action to come – both in terms of the on-field landscape and the role the transfer market might play down the stretch. What should we take away from the week that was? I’m digging into all 17 League One teams to find out. ## Fort Wayne and the League One talent model Soccer is a business, one that requires clubs to make unsentimental decisions. Fort Wayne surely intended to make rookie striker Lilian Ricol a centerpiece for years ahead. Instead, Ricol was sold to San Antonio FC this week for a near-record transfer fee – which, reading between the lines, likely equates to a number in the mid five-digits. The transfer is a signifier of the progress that League One has made – in large part thanks to standard-raising expansion clubs like Fort Wayne. Under sporting director Oliver Gage and manager Mike Avery, Fort Wayne built an expansion roster that mixed League Two holdovers with MLS Next Pro stalwarts, USL vets, and a handful of statistical darlings from the college ranks. The vision behind a pressureful, technically able squad was clear from the start, and it powered Fort Wayne to a 10-game league unbeaten run between May and July. Ironically, winning in League One has become a dangerous thing; the better you are and the better the talent you scout, the likelier it gets that suitors will come calling. Success is a double-edged sword, but if the transfer fees keep flowing, that’s a good problem to have. Ricol is yet another example of the tightening bond between League One and the Championship, yet the fact that a rookie made the jump so quickly is novel in its own right. Typically, players like Luis Alvarez (sold from Charlotte to Tampa Bay, then loaned back) have needed a few seasons of success under their belt. Karsen Henderlong, a Ricol-esque striker, had end-of-bench experience in the Championship that made him a more obvious target once he broke out during his lone season in Naples. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Chicharito is here, but questions abound about USL’s proposed first-division men’s league URL: https://www.backheeled.com/chicharito-dallas-questions-usl-proposed-first-division-mens-league/ Last updated: 2026-08-19T13:37:49.000Z *This story was originally published on August 12, 2026 and has been updated to reflect additional information about USL Premier's future.* In less than 600 days, the USL is [expected to launch](https://www.uslsoccer.com/news%5Farticle/show/1354227?ref=backheeled.com) a new first-tier league: USL Premier. That may seem like a long time, but clubs across the Championship have begun preparing for a step up the pyramid. Details regarding the new division (and a corresponding promotion and relegation system) are scant, but that hasn’t stopped individual clubs from forging ahead. Though Atletico Dallas – a 2027 expansion team in the USL Championship – hasn’t publicly confirmed their application to USL Premier, their [signing of Javier “Chicharito” Hernandez](https://www.backheeled.com/usl-championship-power-rankings-chicharitos-signing-louisville-citys-collapse-more/) is the clearest example yet of first-tier ambition spreading across the league. Hernandez will debut in the Championship, but he signed a two-year deal with a club option for a third season. In other words, he could star in the USL until the 2029 season – the second year of Premier play. Chicharito will be 41 years old by then, but he remains one of the most popular athletes in North America and profile elevates Dallas into a new stratosphere relative to their peers. Between their groundbreaking first signing and the use of the Cotton Bowl as a home venue, Atletico clearly intends to be a flagship club for the USL. Time will tell if other organizations meet that new standard. *The USL did not respond to a request to comment on the status of USL Premier.* *After publication, however, a source confirmed to* Backheeled *that the USL still intends to launch USL Premier in 2028 with between 12 and 14 inaugural clubs. The source also noted that, in the long term, both USL Premier and USL Championship will be structured as 20-team divisions competing under a single-table format. Additionally, the source said that the USL has employed outside experts to assist in the due diligence process for USL Premier applicants, who will be assessed on factors like financial strength and operational readiness.* ## Stadium question marks So far, four clubs have publicly acknowledged a D1 bid. [Louisville City](https://www.loucity.com/news/2026/01/27/united-soccer-leagues-new-division-one-tier-named-usl-premier/?ref=backheeled.com) and the [Pittsburgh Riverhounds](https://www.uslchampionship.com/news%5Farticle/show/1363728?ref=backheeled.com#:~:text=the%C2%A0aim%20to%20be%20part%20of%20USL%20Premier), two of the USL’s longstanding anchors, intend to be part of the Premier division. Though only in their first year of operation, Sporting Jax claim to be “[among the first applicants](https://www.youtube.com/live/XtexB2w69Xo?si=OvlsabiJwitNfKL3&t=564&ref=backheeled.com)” to USL Premier. Finally, a post-North Carolina FC group [based in Raleigh](https://www.northcarolinafc.com/news/2025/11/04/raleigh-group-to-apply-for-united-soccer-league-division-i-franchise/?ref=backheeled.com) and led by Steve Malik has also announced a bid. The tie that binds those groups together? Stadium plans – or, at a bare minimum, loose public statements about a stadium. Louisville is a half-decade into their run at Lynn Family Stadium, which transformed the club into the most financially viable in the USL. Pittsburgh’s [planned expansion](https://www.backheeled.com/usl-markets-positioning-to-be-part-of-new-usl-division-one-mens-league/) of FNB Stadium could be similarly revolutionary. Jacksonville’s shovels haven’t touched the ground yet, but the club [confirmed advancement in the regulatory process](https://www.news4jax.com/news/local/2026/08/03/whats-next-for-the-proposed-sporting-jax-stadium-near-town-center-developers-outline-next-steps/?utm%5Fsource=facebook&utm%5Fmedium=social&utm%5Fcampaign=snd&utm%5Fcontent=wjxt4) this week. The Raleigh group, meanwhile, hasn’t made any public progress, though their bid announcement explicitly mentioned the need for a 15,000-seat facility. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### MLS Winners and Losers: Shield leaders get even scarier, Sporting Kansas City's woe & more URL: https://www.backheeled.com/mls-winners-and-losers-nashville-sc-attack-sporting-kansas-city-transfer-more/ Last updated: 2026-08-23T18:03:06.000Z *It’s in the title, folks. Every week during the MLS season, Backheeled is here to dive into the biggest Winners and Losers from around the league. Let’s get right to it!* ## Winner: Nashville SC’s new-look attack (and their Supporters’ Shield credentials) Arguably the biggest game of the MLS regular season went down on Saturday, when Nashville SC welcomed Inter Miami to Geodis Park in a clash of one versus two in the Supporters’ Shield race. The result? Well, it was pretty emphatic. > It's a party in Nashville 🥳[@NashvilleSC](https://x.com/NashvilleSC?ref%5Fsrc=twsrc%5Etfw&ref=backheeled.com) beats Miami 4-1 to keep the top spot in the Supporters' Shield standings. [pic.twitter.com/Bw9arBRqL7](https://t.co/Bw9arBRqL7?ref=backheeled.com) > > — Major League Soccer (@MLS) [August 16, 2026](https://x.com/MLS/status/2088824013556478373?ref%5Fsrc=twsrc%5Etfw&ref=backheeled.com) Nashville *cruised* to a 4-1 win, absolutely shredding Miami’s backline. The ‘Yotes were every bit as good as their four goals. And, yeah, we need to have a conversation about Elias Saad. Nashville’s attack wasn’t exactly struggling going into the summer transfer window, with 32 goals from 14 games before the World Cup break. They went out and added Saad, who played in the 2026 World Cup for Tunisia and has a fascinating profile dynamic dribbler, going back to his emergence in the German futsal game. On paper, adding a TAM-level attacker to the already deadly trio of Hany Mukhtar, Sam Surridge, and Cristian Espinoza felt almost like overkill. On Saturday, the four attackers got on the field together for the first time and proved to be nightmare fuel for Miami’s backline. Saad, in particular, was stellar. Playing down the left flank and showing a near telepathic connection with Mukhtar and Reed Baker-Whiting, he touched the ball a whopping 11 times in Miami’s penalty area, created five chances, completed seven progressive carries, and bagged two assists. It was bad enough that head coach Guillermo Hoyos hauled right-back Facundo Mura off after a torrid 33 minutes of getting absolutely cooked. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/22/3c/223ce17d-3253-4d03-873b-ce236408cde2/content/images/2026/08/data-src-image-f0fa8a5f-eddd-42b2-ab3a-4b06ffaf3963.jpeg) We’ve talked before about how dominant Nashville’s right side is, and it was absolutely dominant again on Saturday; Andy Nájar scored the opener and Cristian Espinoza nabbed an assist. But adding Saad to the mix has balanced their attack, with equal threat now coming from the left flank. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### USL Championship Power Rankings: Superstar signings, Sacramento Republic climb & more URL: https://www.backheeled.com/usl-championship-power-rankings-superstar-signings-sacramento-republic-climb-more/ Last updated: 2026-08-18T13:07:47.000Z Last season, Cal Jennings and Juan David Torres were two of the best players in the USL – so good, in fact, that they respectively ranked as #4 and #1 in *Backheeled*’s [USL Top 50](https://www.backheeled.com/usl-championship-top-50-best-players-second-division-scouting/) list. Both left the Championship over the offseason in search of new and different opportunities. Now, both are back. How will Jennings improve Sacramento? Can Torres elevate Phoenix back into the playoff places? Those are major plotlines for the final 10 weeks of the season, but the transfer moves themselves are likely the first dominos to fall as next month’s roster freeze approaches. Whether any signings can match Jennings and Torres’ collective star power remains to be seen, but we’re entering the “arms race” portion of the calendar. What defined the actual action on the pitch in Week 24, and what did we learn about the Championship’s playoff race along the way? I’m power ranking all 25 clubs in the league to find out. ## 1\. Tampa Bay Rowdies ***Trending: No change*** *Result: 2-0 win v. Rhode Island* The USL’s first treble is likely off the table with Tampa Bay having crashed out of the USL Cup on Wednesday, but the Rowdies are only getting better. This week, the club added Sporting Kansas City defender Ethan Bartlow on loan, their second MLS arrival in as many weeks. In just under 800 league minutes this year, the center back won 51% of his duels and exceeded his expected completion rate on a 9% touch share; in other words, Bartlow is a clean defensive presence who punches above his weight as a high-volume passer. Licking their wounds after the midweek defeat, the Rowdies put Bartlow and fellow loanee Conner Antley into the lineup against Rhode Island. Reprising the back three that couldn’t get the job done in the cup, Tampa Bay looked far more threatening on Saturday. Bartlow and Antley’s confidence on the ball goaded RIFC forward, and Lewis Hilton’s poise at the No. 6 spot only helped the cause. Time and again, the Rowdies leveraged an overeager midfielder to find wingback Dion Acoff one-on-one in the attacking zone. > The cut 🤌 The strike 😮‍💨 > > Conner Antley fires [@TampaBayRowdies](https://x.com/TampaBayRowdies?ref%5Fsrc=twsrc%5Etfw&ref=backheeled.com) into the lead with a stunning strike 🎯 [pic.twitter.com/zp8MrFORw9](https://t.co/zp8MrFORw9?ref=backheeled.com) > > — USL Championship (@USLChampionship) [August 16, 2026](https://x.com/USLChampionship/status/2088799278227439897?ref%5Fsrc=twsrc%5Etfw&ref=backheeled.com) The aggressiveness that permeated the right side of the pitch through Acoff and Antley led to some defensive vulnerabilities, but the trade-off was worth it. When Tampa Bay took a lead in the 62nd minute, the wingback received and brought menace off the right flank, demanding defensive attention. That presence opened a gap, and Antley tore forward on the underlap to take advantage. For as inspired as the Rowdies have been all year, that manner of attacking flair from a defender simply hasn’t been on the menu. In other words, it’s clear that the new faces are making Tampa Bay better. It would’ve been easy for the Rowdies to rest on their laurels. Instead, they’ve actively tried to keep their distance from the rest of the pack in the USL. Maybe three trophies aren’t on the cards, but that boldness will keep Tampa Bay as the presumptive favorites to go win the Players’ Shield. ## 2\. New Mexico United ***Trending: No change*** *Result: 1-0 win v. Tulsa* As hot as New Mexico has been as of late, they’d posted a -4.0 expected goal difference in the league since the start of June entering Week 24\. Valentin Noel wondergoals are undeniable, but the minute-to-minute reality (as reflected in the underlying data) has gone in another direction. That’s not to say United are fraudulent, but it’s a sign that greater sustainability is needed. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### USL Cup: A coach's challenge & only Championship clubs remain after the quarterfinals URL: https://www.backheeled.com/usl-cup-coach-challenge-championship-clubs-remain-after-quarterfinals/ Last updated: 2026-08-16T16:59:15.000Z After Wednesday night’s USL Cup action, just four clubs are left standing. Hartford, Louisville, San Antonio, and Colorado Springs all managed to advance through the quarterfinals into the tournament’s final four, and they did so in completely distinct ways. What set those clubs apart and kept their trophy hopes alive? I’m digging into the big themes that defined each USL Cup matchup. ## Hartford’s tactical changes prove superior ***Result: Hartford win 4-2 over Charlotte*** Across their USL Championship slate, Hartford Athletic have refused to keep the ball on the ground. This team has gone long on 21% of their pass attempts and put up just 2.9 passes per possession – two categories in which Hartford is a bottom-three team in their league. Brendan Burke’s willingness to subvert that identity in Charlotte is why Hartford are advancing to the USL Cup semifinal. Hartford’s full-bore 3-1-4-2 attacking shape was no different than usual, but it was optimized with a number of star players that rested during Sunday’s trip to Indy. Augi Williams was back at the No. 9 spot. Michael Adedokun lined up behind him as a No. 8\. Crucially, wingbacks Emmanuel Samadia and Sebastian Anderson – who’ve only started four league matches together this year – reprised their partnership for the first time since early July. Burke used all those offensive weapons to keep the ball, spread Charlotte with a side-to-side threat, institute a sharper high press, and punish the home side up the middle. For his part, Independence manager Mike Jeffries went *too* deep into his bag of tricks. Charlotte skewed into a 5-2-3 shape as expected, but they didn’t tilt right wingback Clay Dimick up as an overlapping attacker in possession. Instead, the Independence kept a flatter back four in which veteran Sega Coulibaly – who’s only made three League One appearances all year – stepped from central defense into a No. 6ish spot. The idea wasn’t bad and was designed to steady Charlotte’s short build game, but Coulibaly looked rusty, and the shift from phase to phase was a chore. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### USL League One: Portland Hearts of Pine's stadium project, Richmond Kickers' refresh & everything else URL: https://www.backheeled.com/usl-league-one-portland-hearts-of-pines-stadium-project-richmond-kickers-refresh-everything-else/ Last updated: 2026-08-13T13:16:42.000Z For the last few weeks, I’ve written about League One like it’s a nine-horse race for eight playoff spots. That’s no longer the case. A marathon schedule has a funny way of equalizing things out, and it’s allowed Corpus Christi to get back into the hunt while assumed contenders like Antelope Valley, Fort Wayne, and Chattanooga have dragged. At this point, it would only be surprising if there were no more surprises in store for 2026. Which clubs stood out in Week 23, and what should we take away from the action? Let’s dig in. ## Portland’s long-term vision (and short-term frustration) Portland Hearts of Pine are the paradox of the 2026 season. On one hand, there’s the [stadium project](https://www.heartsofpine.com/news/2026/08/04/portland-hearts-of-pine-announce-stadium-plans/?ref=backheeled.com) that the club announced this week, which will result in a $50 million facility that could seat as many as 11,000 fans. It’s one of the biggest moves a club in League One has ever made, solidifying hearts as a model organization – one with vast potential within the USL’s pro-rel future. Then, there’s the on-field piece. Hearts have been the biggest disappointment of the 2026 season in USL League One, and that letdown only deepened in Week 23. Start with the positive. Hearts led League One with a record attendance average above 5,800 in their expansion campaign last year, and they’re up to a full-capacity mark of 6,200 in 2026\. Portland’s season ticket waitlist is thousands of names long; from the moment they first kicked a ball at Fitzpatrick Stadium, the club had outgrown their venue. From their picture-perfect branding and community-first ethos to their active marketing efforts and slew of local partnerships, Portland has done everything right since kicking off in the USL. You can quibble with their competitive showings this year, but anyone who’s taken in a Hearts game and rubbed shoulders with the Dirigo Union supporters is sure to come away pleased with the experience. There’s nary a club in the USL – or, frankly, anywhere else in the United States – that can match the environment in Maine. In every sense, Portland has been a model expansion effort, and building a stadium of the club’s own is the natural next step. Depending on the makeup of the future USL Premier, a club like Portland (and their peers in Boise) could and should have a genuine claim on a first-division spot. If long-term sustainability is the goal, Hearts have laid out a blueprint for making it happen. Unfortunately, that blueprint is missing the “fielding a halfway decent soccer team in the year 2026” section. This weekend, Hearts welcomed Corpus Christi FC to the northeast and were summarily played off the pitch. Portland lost 2-0, allowing 2.3 xG and generating just one shot on target on the way to said defeat. > Blake Bowen is in the right place at the right time to put [@CorpusCFC](https://x.com/CorpusCFC?ref%5Fsrc=twsrc%5Etfw&ref=backheeled.com) ahead! 🦈 [pic.twitter.com/A0CYsfC7j1](https://t.co/A0CYsfC7j1?ref=backheeled.com) > > — USL League One (@USLLeagueOne) [August 9, 2026](https://x.com/USLLeagueOne/status/2086244486808477825?ref%5Fsrc=twsrc%5Etfw&ref=backheeled.com) The same problems that have become familiar throughout a five-match winless run – lacking presence in the midfield, bad central defensive play, inefficient offense – were all hallmarks of Saturday’s performance. Portland’s game-losing concession in the 19th minute was a clear case in point. There, Hearts didn’t have the proper structure to win a second ball and quickly allowed play to carve through their left channel. Diogo Barbosa didn’t put in a tackle from the No. 6 spot, left back Josh Drack was caught flat-footed, and neither Kemali Green nor Brecc Evans had any sense of positioning in central defense. The result was a simple rebound goal for Corpus Christi. Want access to all of **Backheeled*'s coverage? [Become a paid subscriber today! ](https://www.backheeled.com/#/portal/signup) On the ball, meanwhile, Portland turned 130 final-third passes into just 0.5 expected goals. The midfield patterns that began to look effective last weekend against Greenville were nowhere to be found against a physical, man-centric opponent, and manager Bobby Murphy didn’t have an answer. Now, Portland remains seven points away from Chattanooga in the #8 seed – and that’s despite having played two more games than the Red Wolves. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### The best MLS summer transfer targets hiding in plain sight URL: https://www.backheeled.com/mls-summer-window-transfer-trade-predictions-inter-miami-scouting-analysis/ Last updated: 2026-08-17T04:39:59.000Z You have a hole in your roster, huh? Lucky for you, this is the time of year to plug it. With the summer window well and truly underway and deals happening across MLS at a breakneck pace, I couldn’t resist the chance to identify a handful of underrated targets who should be drawing interest from other teams within the league. Whether due to a superstar joining from abroad and suddenly rendering their services less important to their current team or due to untapped talent needing a change of scenery, I’m playing matchmaker. If I was a chief soccer officer of an MLS team, I’d put in a few calls about these players. ## Yannick Bright, DM, Inter Miami When Casemiro came to town, Bright, one of the best ball-winners in MLS, became a bench player in Inter Miami’s best lineup. If that doesn’t prompt you to pick up the phone and see what the price tag is on the 24-year-old Italian, I don’t know what will. Sure, Bright is a bit of a specialist. He’s an elite defensive presence in midfield but his on-ball play is sloppy on occasion. But he’s *really good* at his one thing. Among the 200 central or defensive midfielders to play over 1,000 minutes in 2024 and/or 2025, Bright’s 2024 and 2025 campaigns both ranked in the top 11 for defensive goals added, as per American Soccer Analysis. A ball-winner like that fixes a lot of problems. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### USL Championship Power Rankings: New Mexico United make their case, Lexington SC rise & more URL: https://www.backheeled.com/usl-championship-power-rankings-new-mexico-united-lexington-sc-contender-more/ Last updated: 2026-08-12T13:18:21.000Z It’s easy to associate free-flowing, high-possession offense with success, but that isn’t always the case. Week 23 across the USL was a case in point. Clubs from Tampa Bay to Detroit to Rhode Island found success by playing against the ball; ascendant New Mexico and Las Vegas sides that usually dominate the ball relied upon the counter. There isn’t one way to win in the Championship, and this weekend’s action rewarded the clubs that could mix it up. Who’s up and who’s down after a jam-packed matchweek? Let’s dig in. ## 1\. Tampa Bay Rowdies ***Trending: +1*** *Result: 3-0 win at Orange County* Tampa Bay entered Week 23 four points clear in the Players’ Shield race while sporting a +17 expected goal difference, 30% better than the next-best club in the USL. To argue that the Rowdies needed help would’ve felt silly. Even so, this team *has* struggled to replace Brian Schaefer’s excellence at right-sided center back and felt undermanned at right back. Enter Conner Antley, who’s a solution at either spot. Antley spent 2021 through 2023 in Tampa Bay before stepping up to a rotation role with DC United. The 31-year-old played more than 1,000 MLS minutes last year but saw his time reduced this season; hence, a return to Florida on loan made sense for all involved. Antley’s blend of size, vision, and precise deep crossing makes him the perfect fit for the Dom Casciato version of this club. > Marco Micaletto bags his third goal in three games to double the [@TampaBayRowdies](https://x.com/TampaBayRowdies?ref%5Fsrc=twsrc%5Etfw&ref=backheeled.com) lead! 🙌 [pic.twitter.com/2c75fM192o](https://t.co/2c75fM192o?ref=backheeled.com) > > — USL Championship (@USLChampionship) [August 9, 2026](https://x.com/USLChampionship/status/2086293759612821516?ref%5Fsrc=twsrc%5Etfw&ref=backheeled.com) With that extra help in tow, Tampa Bay travelled to Orange County to face down the top team in the Western Conference. After last week’s rapturous comeback against Louisville, Max Schneider started in central defense, and the degree to which the Rowdies willingly played against the ball despite using a No. 6 in their back line was noticeable. Casciato’s 4-2-3-1 flashes some high pressure but mostly let OCSC possess. Mid-block aggression and opportunistic trapping against the sidelines were the focus, and the intent was to pull Orange County out of their USL-best block shape by goading the hosts forward and creating semi-transitional chances. Russell Cicerone set the tone for that system. The left winger was ferocious closing down when OCSC tried to slide up the sidelines, with his work rate constantly denying clean entry angles. Likewise, Cicerone was a menace when the ball turned over and Tampa Bay could push forward. The winger didn’t get on the score sheet, but he set the tone, bought space for teammates like Marco Micaletto, and spaced the field to constantly challenge Orange County. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Pochettino's next World Cup starts with a phone call: Why recruiting dual-nationals is crucial URL: https://www.backheeled.com/pochettino-usmnt-new-contract-dual-national-noahkai-banks-next/ Last updated: 2026-08-11T13:07:09.000Z Mauricio Pochettino is the manager of the U.S. men’s national team for another four years. [Well, maybe](https://www.backheeled.com/pochettino-biggest-usmnt-priority-next-generation-2030-world-cup/). There are plenty of reasonable arguments for [nearly any reaction](https://www.backheeled.com/mauricio-pochettino-usmnt-new-contract-world-cup-failure-analysis/) to U.S. Soccer and Pochettino’s continued marriage. In terms of style and the ability to attack a game, the USMNT put forward one of the [program’s most compelling World Cups ever](https://www.backheeled.com/how-malik-tillman-role-usmnt-world-cup-run-pochettino-tactics/) under the Argentine. Detractors will correctly point to the clear emotional letdown of the Belgium loss that followed all those positive performances — in that loss, the team failed to meet the moment on just about every level. Those that feel more listless about the state of the U.S. program can simply see another Round of 16 exit as more of the same and be wary of an international manager’s second World Cup cycle. Glass-half-full types are probably looking at available managers and not seeing much in the way of improvement. More than just performances and results, though, Pochettino’s rehiring will also shape a U.S. player pool that’s [more malleable than it’s been in years](https://www.backheeled.com/usmnt-world-cup-roster-turnover-what-comes-next-pulisic-adams-mckennie/). And he’s going to need to reckon with what’s become a calling card of the USMNT: courting dual-nationals. In his tenure with the U.S. so far, Pochettino hasn’t really had to worry about that part of the international management game. Hired less than two years before a World Cup the team was auto-qualified for, Pochettino first worked to expand the player pool and introduce a bit more competition and urgency within the ranks, and then ultimately brought a very familiar group of players to the World Cup. This isn’t a knock against him: the run-up to a World Cup your team is hosting with a player pool that impressed despite their youth four years prior isn’t the time to go on a recruitment tour. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Pochettino's biggest USMNT priority? Hand the keys to the next generation URL: https://www.backheeled.com/pochettino-biggest-usmnt-priority-next-generation-2030-world-cup/ Last updated: 2026-08-06T13:48:10.000Z The day after a [four-year extension](https://www.backheeled.com/mauricio-pochettino-usmnt-new-contract-world-cup-failure-analysis/) for Mauricio Pochettino became official, U.S. Soccer announced the first four friendlies of the men’s national team’s 2030 World Cup cycle. All [four are on U.S. soil](https://x.com/USMNT/status/2084656031410352619?ref=backheeled.com) during the new, extended FIFA window spanning late September and early October. With Pochettino’s first full World Cup cycle awaiting, here’s a list of top priorities for the manager. ## 1\. Hold an extended audition for young talent It’s no surprise there’s already been much discussion of the USMNT’s need to introduce high-potential to the senior team. Pochettino clearly understands the importance of doing just that. In a [video](https://x.com/USMNT/status/2084322568610206035?ref=backheeled.com) shared by U.S. Soccer, he noted that in addition to the players he’s called up so far, “also we are seeing that start to appear new talented players, 16, 17, 18, 19 year old, young kids that with the possibility and potential to be important players in the next World Cup, and I think what we are seeing is an amazing, amazing potential.” Why is bringing along the next generation so crucial? Most of the core of the USMNT that crumbled in the Round of 16 against Belgium – already injury prone – will be on the wrong side of 30 by the next World Cup. Tyler Adams will be 31\. Christian Pulisic and Weston McKennie will be 32 not long after the tournament, while Antonee Robinson turns 33 that August. Beating a historically superior soccer nation and matching the quarterfinal finish of 2002 remains the USMNT’s threshold for success, and building a team with the quality and cohesion capable of that requires a substantially more forward-thinking selection strategy. There is no excuse to delay [introducing the next generation](https://www.backheeled.com/usmnt-prospects-ready-world-cup-glory-banks-gozo-tsakiris-new-manager/), with World Cup qualifying not beginning until next fall. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### USL League One: Magnificient Forward Madison, Greenville Triumph's trade-off & everything else URL: https://www.backheeled.com/usl-league-one-forward-madison-greenville-triumph-everything-else/ Last updated: 2026-08-09T23:16:08.000Z League One is always changing, but it’s remarkable how little elite strikers have affected the table in 2026\. This has never been a league driven by No. 9s in full, but there’s a distinct lack of a player like Karsen Henderlong, JC Obregon, or Trevor Amann that’s emerged as a powerhouse scorer. Table-topping clubs like Omaha, Madison, and Charlotte are driven by contributions from the midfield or by their larger systems; dark horses like Greenville and Corpus Christi lingering on the edge of the playoff conversation are largely in the same camp. Maybe that’s just the way that soccer has gone, but the trend across League One has felt uniquely influential and remained so in Week 22\. What else stood out across the week of matches? Let’s dig in. ## Greenville’s tactical trade-off I’ve critiqued Dave Dixon in his first season at the helm in Greenville for failing to delineate a tactical vision. I don’t think that’s quite right, at least after what we saw in Week 22\. Dixon clearly wants to speed the game up with high pressure and let a technical midfield group run the show. When it works, it’s extremely fun to watch. When it doesn’t, it looks like a mess. This week’s 3-2 win over Boise and 3-3 draw against Portland landed somewhere between the two extremes. This season, Greenville’s average possession has begun 42.9 yards upfield, the most advanced of any club in League One. They’ve attempted 11.3 pressing sequences per game and produced 0.77 high turnovers for each of those pressing plays; both marks rank second in the league. So long as the Triumph’s 5-2-3 has pinned opponents upfield, it’s been untouchable. Unfortunately, the game isn’t played in the opposing third alone. Greenville, on average, is allowing an expected goal for every 57 final-third passes against – a dreadful mark that’s 30% leakier than the league average. There’s no other way to put it: the Triumph back line has been very bad, and their defensive midfield doesn’t provide a modicum of defense. [John Morrissey (@usltactics.com)1-0 to Boise in Greenville via Jesus Barea’s first goal in Boise colors. Classic example of playing to the whistle here, alertness paying off for the expansion side.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/22/3c/223ce17d-3253-4d03-873b-ce236408cde2/content/images/icon/favicon-32x32-78adcf5c-8f8b-46c2-972d-bfef51b3dde2.png)Bluesky SocialJohn Morrissey![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/22/3c/223ce17d-3253-4d03-873b-ce236408cde2/content/images/thumbnail/thumbnail-9fc41087-80ff-45d8-839b-14009f88cc36.jpg)](https://bsky.app/profile/usltactics.com/post/3mrt2rr4kbs2j?ref=backheeled.com) In conceding twice in the first 15 minutes against Boise, those limitations couldn’t have been more obvious. The first allowance saw Greenville’s “front five” players sliced through, forcing left-sided center back Anthony Patti out of position to cover the gap. Unable to force the ball out of play, linemates Brandon Fricke and Zane Bubb had to try and cover for Patti in rotation; the result was a gaping hole through the right halfspace that Boise cut back into. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Mauricio Pochettino failed. Now it's time for USMNT redemption. URL: https://www.backheeled.com/mauricio-pochettino-usmnt-new-contract-world-cup-failure-analysis/ Last updated: 2026-08-10T12:37:37.000Z Mauricio Pochettino has agreed to remain the U.S. men’s national team’s head coach. Is an extension warranted after *that* performance in the World Cup’s Round of 16? Or, put a different way: *Is it fair to judge 22 months of work by a single 90-minute performance? Is one game reason enough to label an entire head coaching tenure to-date a failure?* In a vacuum devoid of any further details, obviously not. Even once we leave the vacuum and say “yes, we’re talking about Mauricio Pochettino’s time at the U.S. helm and [the Yanks’ humiliating ouster from the 2026 World Cup](https://www.backheeled.com/usmnt-world-cup-exit-belgium-biggest-questions-pochettino-pulisic/),” it feels like the logical, sensible answer *should* be: *no*. It’s one game. It’s soccer. Bad days happen. And in the specific case of the United States’ embarrassment against Belgium, maybe a bad day becomes more likely to happen once the team finds itself dragged under the global microscope for a corruption pseudoscandal involving no less than the considered Leader of the Free World. But even if you point the finger for the U.S. humiliation at Donald Trump attempting the most ham-handed intervention in the history of ham-handed interventions, we can widen the scope and go on. Pochettino also wasn’t responsible for the U.S.’s 24-year absence from the World Cup quarterfinals. He isn’t responsible for Concacaf’s lack of a traditional Euros- or Copa America-caliber competition that would help the World Cup feel more like a critically important soccer tournament and less like the entire reason for American soccer’s existence. He wasn’t responsible for 40 million American television viewers – *forty million expletive-deleted people!* – tuning in for the first U.S.-hosted U.S. Round of 16 game in 32 years. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### USL Championship Power Rankings: Chicharito’s signing, Louisville City's collapse & more URL: https://www.backheeled.com/usl-championship-power-rankings-chicharitos-signing-louisville-citys-collapse-more/ Last updated: 2026-08-04T17:05:58.000Z If Chicharito – announced as Atletico Dallas’ first player for the 2027 season – ends up scoring zero goals in the USL Championship, he still might be the biggest signing in league history. Dallas isn’t operating like a typical expansion team; they’re trying to operate at a first-tier, “USL Premier” level, and the addition of Javier Hernandez is the clearest sign of that ambition we’ve yet seen. This club hired an experienced manager, Peter Luccin, more than a year ahead of their expansion campaign. They’ve poured resources into the Dallas youth scene and secured their place at the Cotton Bowl – a historic venue that lends legitimacy to Atletico’s project. Last month, the club took over the USL Super League’s Dallas Trinity and, in all likelihood, saved the women’s division from financial disaster. Atletico Dallas believes in the future of the USL, and signing Hernandez is the clearest sign yet that they want to be a major player. In a historical sense, Phoenix Rising’s addition of Didier Drogba is the only other signing that clearly exceeds Chicharito in import. The Mexican international superstar will be 39 years old and without any match minutes for a year-and-a-half by the time he suits up, whereas Drogba was fresh off multiple successful seasons in MLS. Indeed, the Drogba signing was the USL’s micro version of David Beckham moving to the LA Galaxy – the kind of move that compels clubs to start taking themselves more seriously. If Dallas’ plans truly take, then Chicharito will be the player that launches the USL on a successful trajectory into the era of pro-rel and first-tier soccer. For now, though, we can only dream about that future. Back on planet earth, Week 22 of the USL Championship season continued to surprise and confound. Who’s up and who’s down? Let’s dig in. ## 1\. Orange County SC ***Trending: No change*** *Result: 2-0 win v. El Paso* Since he joined Orange County in 2023, Ryan Doghman has been one of the most important players at this club. At his best, the left back has provided no-nonsense quality in block and a real ability to stretch the sideline beside an inverted winger. With Doghman back in the lineup for the first time since mid-June, the extent to which OCSC has grown without the star defender has become all the clearer. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### MLS Winners and Losers: Neil Pierre is must-watch, Robert Lewandowski comes good & more URL: https://www.backheeled.com/mls-winners-and-losers-neil-pierre-usmnt-philadelphia-lewandowski-chicago/ Last updated: 2026-08-05T14:23:50.000Z *It’s in the title, folks. Every week during the MLS season, Backheeled is here to dive into the biggest Winners and Losers from around the league. Let’s get right to it!* ## Winner: Neil Pierre’s stock So, uh, what exactly was Bradley Carnell thinking when it came to Neil Pierre? The former Union coach apparently thought so little of the homegrown center back that he allowed Pierre to go out on loan rather than keep him around the first team squad during the first half of the season. Considering the calamitous defending we saw from Philadelphia under Carnell, and the performances the teenager has given since MLS’s return to play post-World Cup, it sure does look like a massive misstep. We’re not here to talk about Carnell, though. We’re here to talk about the Harrisburg, PA native. Standing at an imposing 6’7”, the 18-year-old defender has barely put a foot wrong since entering the game as a sub in Philadelphia’s 3-1 win against Red Bull New York straight out of the summer break. Pierre continued his great run of form in a start in a 1-0 win over the Seattle Sounders and another in a 3-2 win over Atlanta United on Saturday. Along the way? He notched an equalizer deep in extra time to mark his second goal in three games. Suddenly, Olwethu Makhanya's move to Rangers doesn't seem like such a loss. Spotlighting Pierre isn’t a case of overreacting to a defender's goals, though. No, it’s his defending that makes him stand out. Want access to all of **Backheeled*'s coverage? [Become a paid subscriber today! ](https://www.backheeled.com/#/portal/signup) Pierre is an absolute monster when it comes to duels, winning 88.9% across his three MLS appearances according to FotMob, which ranks him among the very best in the league. The same goes for his 83.3% aerial duel win rate. The sample size is small, and the game state against Atlanta was certainly favorable with the Five Stripes down a man from the 26th minute on, but for a player his age to be doing this in MLS is remarkable. He seems to be a great fit for Philadelphia’s highly aggressive style. I mean, look at this defensive action map via Futi: ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/22/3c/223ce17d-3253-4d03-873b-ce236408cde2/content/images/2026/08/data-src-image-da37dd6a-0da7-4e37-945a-563f64546e09.jpeg) The young man is certainly not afraid to be aggressive. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### USL Top 50: Ranking the Championship’s best players URL: https://www.backheeled.com/usl-championship-top-50-best-players-2026-scouting-analysis-stars/ Last updated: 2026-08-03T18:15:32.000Z Who are the 50 best players in the USL Championship? There isn’t a perfect answer. For one, you have to weigh individual talent against actual on-field performances. A player’s team context and role make a difference, and there’s a happy medium to be found between statistics and the eye test. That’s a roundabout way of saying that dozens and dozens of USL players deserve their flowers – even if a handful are a little bit more deserving than others. Between high-scoring forwards, muscular defenders, and tempo-setting center mids, I’ve tried to find the 50 players that are making the biggest mark in 2026. Naturally, there were hard decisions to be made. Of the eight defenders that made the all-USL teams in 2025, only two appear on this list. Injuries and outgoing transfers – Clay Holstad would’ve ranked highly, only to join FC Dallas this week – eliminated some candidates back. More than anything else, the list captures a specific point in time. The players that made the cut came in various shapes and sizes. One new addition to the list is an up-and-coming 19-year-old; another, amidst a career renaissance, is about to turn 35\. Of the Championship’s 25 clubs, 21 are represented, and the list is almost equally divided between players from the Eastern and Western Conferences. With all that said, let’s rank the USL Championship's top 50 players for 2026. ## 50\. Miguel Berry, FW, Charleston Battery & Colton Swan, FW, Charleston Battery Berry and Swan are both new to the Lowcountry in 2026, and it’s impossible to separate their impact from one another. Swan, 19, wouldn’t have scored seven league goals on 0.73 xG+xA per 90 without Berry’s set-up play; Berry, 29, has room to challenge defenses because of Swan’s growing gravity. That ascendant partnership has Charleston in the Players’ Shield race yet again, and it’s the perfect example of how two great players can elevate each other to a higher level. ## 49\. Cam Lindley, CM, Indy Eleven In an Indy side that’s all about pace and power, Cam Lindley brings something different to the table. The rest of the Eleven midfield is full of hard-charging ferocity, whereas Lindley offers composure, efficiency, and intelligence at the No. 6 spot. That the 29-year-old is winning 65% of his ground duels – a 95th percentile mark – speaks to the quality of his decision-making and positioning. On the ball, Lindley combines metronomic passing with a sharp edge closer to goal. He’s created 10 set piece chances this year and posted 0.2 xA per 90 minutes, marks that any holding mid would be jealous of. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### USL League One: Union Omaha's resilience, Charlotte Independence's tweaks & everything else URL: https://www.backheeled.com/usl-league-one-union-omaha-charlotte-independence-analysis-everything-else/ Last updated: 2026-08-03T01:07:29.000Z Who’s the best goalkeeper in League One? Fort Wayne’s Bernd Schipmann currently leads the race for the Golden Glove, having allowed just 0.9 goals per 90\. Still, he’s only making 2.4 saves per 90\. Omaha’s Cole Jensen is nearly doubling that saves number while allowing a flat 1.0 goals a game, but there’s a problem: he isn’t even an uncontested starter and splits time with Rashid Nuhu. Corpus Christi’s James Talbot is a workhorse; he should be in the Goalkeeper of the Year conversation even if an up-and-down defense in front of him hurts the numbers. The moral of the story is that League One is stacked with strong talent in net. It’s no coincidence that seven of the nine clubs currently below the playoff cut line have posted a negative goals prevented mark – in other words, their goalkeepers have allowed more concessions than xG modeling would suggest. Standout goalkeeping was a theme in Week 21 – a jam-packed round that continued to sharpen the playoff picture. What stood out? I’m digging into every League One club that played to help find out. ## Omaha and the art of the comeback Between the end of May and their Week 21 win over Portland Hearts of Pine, Union Omaha posted an expected goal difference of +3.4, third-best in League One. During that same span, Los Búhos’ *actual* goal difference was a full goal underwater, 10th ranked in the league. Bad luck played a part in that trend, but the numbers are also a byproduct of the way manager Vincenzo Candela wants to play. In 2026, Omaha is second-ranked for possession (58%) and first for field tilt (60%). They keep a lot of the ball, and they keep it very close to the opposing goal. In even game states, that profile hasn’t been problematic. Still, Omaha has lacked a different gear when they’ve trailed and, thus, faced down set, low-block defenses. If you’re looking for a cause behind the xG underperformance, look no further. Omaha conceded the opening goal in five of their six most recent League One games entering Week 21\. They did it again in Maine – and that’s why a comeback 2-1 victory was a major stepping stone for this club. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### MLS Winners and Losers: Antoine Griezmann's Orlando impact, Inter Miami get weirder & more URL: https://www.backheeled.com/mls-winners-losers-griezmann-orlando-city-inter-miami-casemiro-atlanta-united/ Last updated: 2026-08-02T18:17:08.000Z *It’s in the title, folks. Every week during the MLS season, Backheeled is here to dive into the biggest Winners and Losers from around the league. Let’s get right to it.* ## Winner: Inter Miami’s chaos level Inter Miami have done it again. By ‘it’, of course, I mean ‘used creative means to work around the spirit of the MLS roster roles to sign yet another star player’. Casemiro, who made his Miami debut in a 1-0 road win over CF Montreal on Saturday, isn’t a Designated Player. MLS also announced that Inter Miami is under investigation for tampering on the back of this signing. Neither of those things should come as a great surprise given Inter Miami’s penchant for smushing as many talented players into their team as possible. Of course, it’s easier for Inter Miami than most to draw players like Casemiro, a five-time Champions League winner who spent years at Real Madrid and Manchester United and anchoring Brazil. But the truth remains that the more teams around MLS who find ways to push the roster rules envelope, the more entertaining the league will be. How that envelope gets pushed will look different in Seattle than it will in Miami, but it can be pushed either way. In his debut, Casemiro immediately looked like the best in-possession defensive midfielder in MLS — and the best one since Sergio Busquets hung up his boots at the end of last season. The 34-year-old led Miami’s midfield and attacking units in progressive passes (five, according to Futi) despite being marked out of buildup by Montreal for most of the match. With one well-weighted ball after another, Casemiro brought an immediate lift to Inter Miami’s possession play. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### USL Championship Power Rankings: A new top team, Colorado Springs Switchbacks shine & more URL: https://www.backheeled.com/usl-championship-power-rankings-a-new-top-team-colorado-springs-switchbacks-shine-more/ Last updated: 2026-07-30T16:32:23.000Z In a league like the USL that’s often decided by the ability to run the show in transition, Week 21 decisively skewed in the other direction. Clubs that could stay steady at the back, control the middle third of the pitch, and pick their moments fared the best. Results across the East and West continued to muddy the playoff bubble picture, but a handful of contenders at the top end of the table showed why they’re in it to win it. When the dust settled, which clubs improved their stock and which tumbled down the table? I’m power ranking all 25 teams in the USL Championship to find out. ## 1\. Orange County SC ***Trending: +2*** *Result: 2-1 win at Monterey* In their first match in 14 days, Orange County continued to prove that they’re the most opportunistic team in the USL Championship. There’s rarely – if ever – been a team in league history that’s so good at playing against the ball, waiting for their opportunity, and then striking forward. The hyper-disciplined defensive posture is the obvious headline for OCSC, yet the efficiency of this attack is every bit as crucial to the West’s top seed. Against Monterey in Week 21, Danny Stone didn’t get away from that formula. Orange County’s press continued to bring intensity at every level, pressing up against the opposing goalkeeper in the first phase and marking relatively tightly through the midfield. Trust was the word at the heart of the system; OCSC willingly accepted that teenage fullback Nicola Ciotta might be targeted on the switch and believed in his ability to make stops. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### MLS has a New York problem. Is a solution on the way? URL: https://www.backheeled.com/mls-new-york-relevance-problem-nycfc-red-bulls-etihad-park-world-cup/ Last updated: 2026-07-28T17:07:27.000Z It’s a buzzing stadium in northern New Jersey. One team and nearly all of their fans are wearing their traditional red, the opponent and their raucous supporters their signature light blue. It’s not the biggest game of the biggest sporting event in human history happening in the United States’ biggest metro area. We’re still two months away from Spain defeating Argentina in the World Cup final at the nearby NFL venue. No, this game unfolds at Sports Illustrated Stadium, formerly known as Red Bull Arena, and is the latest chapter in the Hudson River Derby between Red Bull New York and New York City FC. It was a match – and a rivalry – that flashed the potential of Major League Soccer in its largest sports market a week before it paused for the 2026 World Cup. Like the rest of the league, RBNY and NYCFC aim to capitalize on the tournament’s momentum and surge into the next era of soccer in North America. Unlike the vast majority of MLS, these clubs are pieces in two different multiclub ownership networks rather than the sole focus of an ownership group. City Football Group worries more about Manchester City and Girona than it does New York City FC. Red Bull shines a brighter light on RB Leipzig and RB Salzburg. Though they’re not a hub for Champions League-level talent, both NYCFC and RBNY want to push closer to the mainstream relevance that still eludes MLS, especially in the Big Apple. Look no further than Instagram, the social media app that should mirror MLS’s demographic sweet spot. RBNY and NYCFC have roughly 300K and 775K followers. Their followings combined fall well short of the city’s famed franchises. The Yankees have over 4 million followers, the Giants nearly 3 million, the Mets nearly 2 million, the Rangers 1.3 million, and the Jets 1.2 million. The World Cup would conceivably be a catalyst for RBNY and NYCFC gaining a seat at the mainstream sports table. Sports Illustrated Stadium was the official New Jersey fan hub during the tournament. The Red Bulls say they welcomed a total of 175,000 people for watch parties, while NYCFC president and CEO Brad Sims told *Backheeled* that their “City Corner” fan experience at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center drew over 200,000\. Both clubs also had a presence at World Cup events throughout the area, replete with New York’s can’t-miss soccer culture, in their efforts to bring fans back for their MLS matchdays. Indeed, City Corner was located across the street from NYCFC’s future home, Etihad Park, in the borough of Queens. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Grading each new USL coach in 2026: Who's passing with flying colors? URL: https://www.backheeled.com/grading-each-new-usl-coach-in-2026-championship-league-one/ Last updated: 2026-07-26T15:15:29.000Z Coaching turnover is a fact of life in the USL, but the 2026 campaign has been exceptional. 18 clubs across the Championship and League One either started the year with a new coach or made a midseason change. That’s 42% of the two leagues, in other words. Every time a new coach comes to town, the hope is that they’ll make the right tactical and cultural changes to ensure success. By that standard, the class of ‘26 has run the gamut of results. Which managers have excelled, and who’s struggled to make their mark? I’m grading the USL’s 18 new coaches to find out. ## USL Championship ### Ryan Martin, Oakland Roots: A- Oakland sits 5th in the West at the time of writing, already having earned two-thirds as many points (21) as they did in the entirety of the 2025 regular season. This team has never contended beyond the level of “plucky bubble team” in their entire USL history, and Ryan Martin has exceeded that standard in four months. All the while, Martin has instituted a sophisticated attacking system that’s turned Oakland into one of the USL’s sharper possession sides. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### USL League One: Boise's potential, Cosmos' second wind & everything else URL: https://www.backheeled.com/usl-league-one-athletic-club-boise-potential-new-york-cosmos-more/ Last updated: 2026-07-22T16:19:45.000Z League One is becoming a division of haves and have-nots. Nine teams have put up at least 25 points and 1.55 points per game and represent the leaders in the clubhouse for eight available playoff spots; that leaves eight more teams languishing with no more than 20 points and 1.25 points per game. Mid-late July is too early to declare any team dead, but we’re hitting the make-or-break point. Which teams bolstered their contention credentials in Week 20, and whose hopes took a dive? I’m taking a look at all 17 clubs in the division to help find out. ## Athletic Club Boise’s room for improvement In the kitchen, items like a lemon juicer or a garlic press are called “single-use tools.” They’ve got one purpose, and that’s all they’re good for. In the least disparaging way possible, Nate Miller has designed his Athletic Club Boise side to operate in that mode. Both in terms of their style and their squad rotation, Boise are single-minded – and continue to be successful because of it. Friday’s 2-1 win over Portland was a case in point. Boise held 67% of possession and ended up with a +25 margin on box touches while sticking to their usual 3-4-3\. Along the way, Miller had no interest in switching his system up; he used just one substitution out of a possible five. Even that change was used to get Blake Bodily – a locked-on starter under normal circumstances – onto the pitch for his first extended run-out after an injury at the start of June. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### MLS missed its World Cup moment URL: https://www.backheeled.com/mls-missed-its-world-cup-moment-calendar-change-roster-rules/ Last updated: 2026-07-26T15:57:30.000Z The World Cup is over. MLS is back. Is anything different for the league? This summer’s spectacle was supposed to supercharge MLS — not just according to optimistic fans, but according to those steering the direction of the league and the sport in the United States. “There’s no doubt that this is going to be rocket fuel that’s going to help give us the momentum that we’ve all been looking for,” MLS commissioner Don Garber said after the U.S., Mexico, and Canada officially landed the 2026 World Cup. Of course, the World Cup was “rocket fuel”. More of the American public than ever before tuned into the tournament. Viewership records were set, broken, and set again. But did MLS build the rocket to take advantage of the World Cup’s fuel? Late last year, the league announced its plan to shift to a summer-to-spring calendar that more closely aligns with Europe’s biggest leagues. Despite having eight years to prepare for a post-2026 World Cup reality, MLS failed to have its new schedule ready to launch immediately after the tournament. The biggest World Cup ever could have served as a launchpad into the theoretical 2026-27 MLS season. Instead, MLS will finish this season like normal. Then the league will play an awkward shortened season in the first half of 2027 before finally kicking off the new format in July of next year. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### USL Championship Power Rankings: Record hat-trick, Detroit City impress & more URL: https://www.backheeled.com/usl-championship-power-rankings-record-hat-trick-detroit-city-more/ Last updated: 2026-07-21T13:35:48.000Z Four of the top 10 scorers in the USL Championship play for clubs outside of the playoff positions. Only Charleston’s Colton Swan and Detroit’s Darren Smith ply their trade for top-four sides. There’s plenty of season left for those trends to change, but it’s remarkable how disconnected success and the presence of a talismanic scorer have been in the 2026 season. Having a star attacker isn’t a bad thing, of course; teams like Phoenix (through Ihsan Sacko) and Las Vegas (via Johnny Rodriguez) proved as much this weekend. Still, it takes something more to really push into the Players’ Shield race. Which teams found that extra gear in Week 20, and how did the competitive landscape change? I’m ranking and analyzing all 25 clubs in the Championship to find out. ## 1\. Charleston Battery ***Trending: No change*** *Result: 1-1 draw v. Sacramento* “Adaptability” isn’t the first word you’d associate with the Charleston Battery – largely because they’ve been successful without needing to adapt. Still, Ben Pirmann is so good on the sideline because he knows when and how to pull a string at Patriots Point. That held true in a tough Week 20 outing for the Battery. Saturday’s matchup against the Sacramento Republic was the rare instance where Charleston struggled to set the tempo. Sacramento’s 4-4-2 essentially camped all 10 defenders in the opposing zone and used face-up pressure against Joey Akpunonu and Sean Suber to rush the Battery off of restarts. Even when Charleston’s possessions started higher upfield, you’d often see Douglas Martinez and Nathan Messer sit low at fullback to retain a sense of steadiness. At their best, Charleston found ways to leverage that aggression toward their own ends. If, say, forward Miguel Berry dropped into the right halfspace or winger Maalique Foster hewed inside, it’d force Sacramento tight and open a sweeping pass into Martinez up the sideline. Likewise, a healthy smattering of pure long balls kept the guests honest. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Can Dani Rojas really play? Analyzing every moment of ‘Ted Lasso’ star Cristo Fernández’s pro soccer debut URL: https://www.backheeled.com/analyzing-ted-lasso-star-cristo-fernandez-dani-rojas-pro-soccer-debut/ Last updated: 2026-07-20T14:13:44.000Z With the U.S. men’s national team out of the World Cup, the biggest story in American soccer last weekend came from El Paso. There, Cristo Fernandez – best known as the actor behind Dani Rojas on *Ted Lasso* – made his professional debut as a member of the El Paso Locomotive. Fernandez subbed on in the 78th minute of a 2-1 loss to New Mexico United in a USL Cup group stage game, credited with merely three touches during his limited cameo. Still, the clip of Fernandez entering the game from the official USL account [on X](https://x.com/usl%5Fcup/status/2076137043940221074?s=46&t=Set40QhFT%5FZfrAKBbuYj1g&ref=backheeled.com) drew more than 7,000,000 views; outlets from the BBC to the Daily Mail to ESPN wrote up his appearance. The newfound attention on the Locomotive is unabashedly a good thing. For a third straight season, El Paso is on track to see their attendance decline; adding a global star to the roster can help reverse the trend. It’s easy to imagine merchandise sales booming with Fernandez in tow. Still, another question lingers: is Cristo Fernandez actually a useful soccer player? Fernandez played at a relatively high level as an academy prospect in Mexico, though injury troubles in his teenage years derailed what could’ve been a promising career. Looking to get back into the game at age 35, the forward trialed for the Locomotive in the preseason and was signed to a full contract in May. Visa issues delayed Fernandez’s debut until last weekend, meaning that we finally have the ability to judge his potential. Without further ado, let’s see what the actor-turned-professional player had to offer with a play-to-play breakdown. ## Fernandez enters the game (79’) > Futbol is life! 🙌 > > Cristo Fernández makes his [@eplocomotivefc](https://x.com/eplocomotivefc?ref%5Fsrc=twsrc%5Etfw&ref=backheeled.com) debut in the [#PrinxTiresUSLCup](https://x.com/hashtag/PrinxTiresUSLCup?src=hash&ref%5Fsrc=twsrc%5Etfw&ref=backheeled.com) 🔥 [pic.twitter.com/AYuur2ZA3M](https://t.co/AYuur2ZA3M?ref=backheeled.com) > > — Prinx Tires USL Cup (@USL\_Cup) [July 12, 2026](https://x.com/USL%5FCup/status/2076137043940221074?ref%5Fsrc=twsrc%5Etfw&ref=backheeled.com) Some players keep it understated when they come into the game; others are more performative. Fernandez used some little leaps to warm up, dapped up manager Junior Gonzalez and outgoing forward Rubio Rubin, and hustled his way onto the pitch. I don’t want to throw the word “aura” around all willy-nilly, but the moment felt big. Getting down to brass tacks, Fernandez entered the match as the lone No. 9 in a 4-2-3-1 shape for the Locomotive. Out of possession, he and Alex Mendez – once a star U.S. youth international in his own right – worked together as the pressing forwards in a defensive 4-4-2\. With the match against United tied at 0-0, everything was up in the air as the *Ted Lasso* star began his pro career. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Big clubs are calling about these young MLS stars: Here's why. URL: https://www.backheeled.com/mls-best-young-players-world-cup-transfer-window-european-clubs/ Last updated: 2026-07-20T14:13:36.000Z With the World Cup nearing a close, soccer fans are finally free to return to the soccer that truly matters: Major League Soccer. All jokes aside, there is plenty to look forward to during the second half of the MLS season. One of the biggest storylines before the World Cup break was the emergence of the league's young talent. A testament to the continued growth of American academies and improved youth recruitment, young players have not only broken into first teams – they've become some of the league's best performers. It's also the perfect time, and perhaps the only time, to appreciate many of these players in MLS. Several are already attracting serious interest from European clubs, and their time in North America may be limited. To kick off the second half of the season, I've put together my Best XI (well, Best XI minus a goalkeeper, anyway) of MLS players aged 22 and under. Every player, and every highlight clip featured in this article, was identified using a self-developed [possession value model](https://jakeaburgess.substack.com/p/introducing-possession-value-added?r=1ix703). Rather than relying solely on traditional statistics like goals and assists, the model measures how much each action increases a team's probability of scoring. In other words, these are the 10 young outfield players who have had the greatest positive impact on their team's attacking output this season. ## Left Back: Frankie Westfield (20), Philadelphia Union ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/22/3c/223ce17d-3253-4d03-873b-ce236408cde2/content/images/2026/07/data-src-image-40fcfcce-228a-43e8-873a-06461e1085e1.jpeg) Frankie Westfield has been one of the few bright spots on a struggling Philadelphia side this season and has established himself as one of the league’s premier attacking fullbacks. According to Opta, he attempts the most crosses (5.44 per 90) and completes the most crosses (1.41 per 90) of any player in MLS. Among outside backs, he has also created the fourth-most big chances this season, according to FotMob. Westfield thrives when pushing high and wide before whipping dangerous deliveries into the penalty area. He has just two assists to his name this season, but I have little doubt that total would be much higher had Philadelphia still possessed the aerial presence of Tai Baribo, who departed during the winter transfer window. 0:00 /0:09 1× _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### MLS is back: What’s gone right, wrong for all 30 teams so far this year URL: https://www.backheeled.com/mls-returns-whats-gone-right-wrong-for-all-30-teams-world-cup-break/ Last updated: 2026-07-23T14:29:29.000Z It’s been awhile, huh? After seven weeks away to enjoy the greatest soccer competition on the planet (no, I’m not talking about the U.S. Open Cup), MLS’s World Cup break ends this week, even if the tournament itself hasn’t quite. If you’re anything like me, dear reader, your memory isn’t always the best. Perhaps you’re asking yourself, *what on earth was going on around MLS before the break?* Or, perhaps you’re tuning into MLS for the first time on the back of the biggest World Cup ever. Either way, you’re in luck! I’m here to fill you on what’s gone down across the league this season. Let’s go through all 30 teams to examine what’s gone right and wrong in 2026, starting at the bottom of the Supporters’ Shield standings and working our way to the top. --- [What each MLS team needs in the summer transfer windowMLS’s transfer window is officially open. What should your team get up to?![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/22/3c/223ce17d-3253-4d03-873b-ce236408cde2/content/images/icon/Backheeled-2-Sq-Light-19a7d99e-1103-4444-a836-610641e5fd7a.png)BackheeledJoseph Lowery![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/22/3c/223ce17d-3253-4d03-873b-ce236408cde2/content/images/thumbnail/mlstransfer_71326-71135be8-e73c-4513-938f-ea769bc0c2f9.jpg)](https://www.backheeled.com/what-each-mls-team-needs-in-2026-summer-transfer-window/) --- ## Philadelphia Union **What’s gone right:** Homegrowns Cavan Sullivan and Frankie Westfield have been really good when they’ve been on the field, and Milan Iloski looks to be settling into the Union’s system and becoming a real danger man. **What’s gone wrong:** Quite literally everything else. They were the Supporters’ Shield winners last year, but now they sit dead last and on pace to set a new record low points total in MLS’s 34-game regular season era. To really put an exclamation point on things, reigning MLS Coach of Year Bradley Carnell was fired during the break. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### What each MLS team needs in the summer transfer window URL: https://www.backheeled.com/what-each-mls-team-needs-in-2026-summer-transfer-window/ Last updated: 2026-07-16T13:17:53.000Z We’re back? We’re back. Real, actual MLS games will take place later this week – and there won’t just be battles on the field. No, as of today, MLS’s summer transfer window is officially open. Let the contract negotiation games begin. Just what does your team need in the transfer market? Let’s dive in. --- [MLS is back: What’s gone right, wrong for all 30 teams so far this yearWith MLS returning from its World Cup break later this week, let’s remember where we left off and ponder what comes next.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/22/3c/223ce17d-3253-4d03-873b-ce236408cde2/content/images/icon/Backheeled-2-Sq-Light-ff30dcc0-6b1a-4288-842f-b2aa6eb7e6f3.png)BackheeledAndrew Clausen![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/22/3c/223ce17d-3253-4d03-873b-ce236408cde2/content/images/thumbnail/mls_71326-9ccde6d3-b750-4ee8-903d-a0a20672861b.jpg)](https://www.backheeled.com/mls-returns-whats-gone-right-wrong-for-all-30-teams-world-cup-break/) --- ## Atlanta United **Biggest need: Center back** Stian Gregersen can’t stay healthy. Enea Mihaj hasn’t proven himself to be a useful starter. Juan Berrocal is gone. The Five Stripes should use a chunk of the cap space they’ve generated by jettisoning a few parts already this summer to take another swing at a defensive anchor. ## Austin FC **Biggest need: Midfield** While Austin’s glaring lack of a chance creator has hummed along in the background while two different managers have been hired and fired, I’d wait to land a splashy final third provider until they find a way to open a Designated Player spot. For now? With Dani Pereira traded to CF Montreal, there’s a need deeper in midfield. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### What is the USL Cup accomplishing? Examining the inter-league competition from top to bottom URL: https://www.backheeled.com/examining-usl-cup-attendance-finances-rivarly-league-one-championship-transfers-format/ Last updated: 2026-07-19T16:50:36.000Z Two years into the unified, inter-league era of the USL Cup, it’s worth wondering: what does the cup accomplish? On paper, the tournament is meant to foster local rivalries, encourage attacking-minded soccer, and provide drama within the long USL season. While the action on the pitch has been perfectly exciting, it’s less clear that the USL Cup is actually moving the needle. Admittedly, Saturday’s slate was an advertisement for the potential of the cup. The Charlotte Independence and Charleston Battery needed a late-night penalty shootout with advancement on the line; Miami FC exploded for five goals to claim a wildcard spot in the knockout round. The Louisville-Lexington and Madison-Omaha rivalries both brought fireworks, and the El Paso Locomotive used the competition to give Cristo Fernandez his debut. The USL Cup has undeniably produced moments of excitement, but that isn’t making a mark by the numbers. Take offensive production – ostensibly a focus of the cup since goals scored are the first wildcard tiebreaker. You wouldn’t know it by the numbers. Over the last two seasons, the average USL team puts up 1.41 goals in the cup and 1.37 in the league. Shot attempts (12.1 versus 11.9) and expected goals (1.38 versus 1.32) are similarly static. In a strict sense, there *has* been a small jump, but it’s impossible to credit those rounding-error increases to the USL Cup’s rules. It’s just as likely that routs featuring Championship juggernauts or blowouts at the expense of rested lineups are affecting the data. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### For the first time in years, the USMNT has no clear path. Good. URL: https://www.backheeled.com/usmnt-world-cup-roster-turnover-what-comes-next-pulisic-adams-mckennie/ Last updated: 2026-07-13T13:02:02.000Z So, you’re a fan of the United States men’s national team and they just lost in embarrassing fashion. In the World Cup, no less. That’s a tough pill to swallow! It feels like almost everything the USMNT has done since losing to Trinidad and Tobago in 2017 and failing to qualify for the 2018 World Cup led to this moment, a World Cup on home soil featuring a core of players that have been “the next big thing” in American soccer for their entire playing careers, now all in the prime of their career. And they failed to meet the moment, [almost every one of them in a big and personal way](https://www.backheeled.com/usmnt-world-cup-exit-reality-check-not-enough-talent-player-pool/). Another Round of 16 exit at the World Cup. That hurts. I have not felt good about it at all. However, after my requisite pouting, I realized something: 2030 and beyond is suddenly a huge question mark. Color me intrigued. Most of the key players on this summer’s team will be on the wrong side of 30, where form and athletic ability reliably begin to dip for many players. Christian Pulisic will be 31 at the next World Cup. The same is true of Weston McKennie and Tyler Adams. Antonee Robinson will be 32\. Tim Weah will be 30\. Every single center back on Mauricio Pochettino’s 2026 World Cup roster will be at least 30 come the next big dance. --- [The USMNT’s talent pipeline has holes. Here’s why.The U.S. has made strides in player development, but key positional gaps continue to leave the USMNT short of the world’s elite.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/22/3c/223ce17d-3253-4d03-873b-ce236408cde2/content/images/icon/Backheeled-2-Sq-Light-f6f4a4e9-f4a8-4f4f-ba1e-ce20d07cb0e4.png)BackheeledAndrew Clausen![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/22/3c/223ce17d-3253-4d03-873b-ce236408cde2/content/images/thumbnail/WORLD-CUP-STOCK-R16-1-1-686f8b91-ebf1-49c9-ad66-d14b992e98c2.jpg)](https://www.backheeled.com/usmnt-talent-pipeline-problems-player-development-youth-soccer-coaching/) --- And there isn’t another go-to group of players getting their feet wet with the national team that are obviously taking their place, either. The U.S. might not be in for the type of utter and complete rebuild like they were in 2017, but they’re certainly in need of a reset. That excites me. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### One big question facing each USL Championship team with the playoff race wide open URL: https://www.backheeled.com/one-big-question-facing-each-usl-championship-team-playoff-race-tactics/ Last updated: 2026-07-12T15:50:18.000Z After 19 weeks of USL Championship action, you could reasonably argue that 24 of 25 clubs are still in the thick of the playoff race. The stakes are high, and every team in the league has room to improve if they want to meet the moment. Heading toward the home stretch of 2026, what’s eating at each club? I’ve got one major question that every team needs to answer in the months ahead. ## Birmingham Legion **Can Gevork Diarbian and Ronaldo Damus kickstart this offense?** For a Birmingham team that hasn’t won a league game since May 2nd, there are plenty of problems to address. The fact that the Legion have underperformed their xG by a margin of 5.3 in eight matches since then is chief amongst them. Birmingham has been able to move the ball upfield, putting winger Gevork Diarbian (an electric one-v-one dribbler) and Ronaldo Damus (one of the USL’s most consistent strikers) in good positions with regularity. Finishing those opportunities is a different story. So long as those two – who have combined for a 4% conversion rate in 2026 – keep wasting chances, the Legion will continue to suffer. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### The USMNT's talent pipeline has holes. Here's why. URL: https://www.backheeled.com/usmnt-talent-pipeline-problems-player-development-youth-soccer-coaching/ Last updated: 2026-07-13T13:02:10.000Z The U.S. men’s national team’s latest World Cup exit showed that [the program isn’t where it wants to be](https://www.backheeled.com/usmnt-what-comes-next-after-world-cup-letdown-pochettino-players/). More than that, though, it served as a reminder of the holes that exist in the U.S.’s talent pipeline. Throughout the tournament, the U.S.’s backline was solid. That is, until Belgium tested their ability to turn, run at their own goal, and defend in transition. It did not go well. Tim Ream looked every bit his age and Chris Richards struggled to track runners and make good decisions. Sadly, the dropoff between those two and the next center back up remains substantial, which is why they played every game that mattered. Quality central defenders simply aren’t flowing into the senior team. The same is true deeper down field: Matt Freese spent most of the tournament as a borderline spectator but even aside from his catastrophic error, few would claim he’s at the level of USMNT goalkeepers past. Whether in positions that have been solid historically or in ones that have never been all that reliable, the United States simply isn’t producing certain kinds of men’s players – ones that could help them make bigger World Cup waves. ## The USMNT's missing player profiles What areas of the field are lacking for the U.S.? Well, there are gaps in areas that didn’t used to have them. The easiest example is between the posts. Things aren’t truly dire there, but goalkeeper is no longer a position of strength. It used to be the best position in the USMNT squad and its only borderline-elite position group: at both the 2006 and 2010 World Cup, multiple goalkeepers in the U.S. squad were Premier League starters. Perhaps the goalkeeping spot was always due for a regression, but the rest of the player pool hasn’t elevated enough to make up for the drop. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### "We let them down": What's next for USMNT after World Cup exit? URL: https://www.backheeled.com/usmnt-what-comes-next-after-world-cup-letdown-pochettino-players/ Last updated: 2026-07-09T18:37:39.000Z SEATTLE – The magnitude of this missed opportunity cannot be overstated. The U.S. hosting its second men’s World Cup had been anticipated for decades, and home field advantage was supposed to help its senior men’s national team get over the Round of 16 hump. The momentum was palpable. The setting was perfect, with the USMNT’s clash with Belgium on Monday taking place in Seattle, a soccer city where the team had already displayed an inspired brand of the sport weeks earlier. Convincing performances against Paraguay, Australia, and Bosnia and Herzegovina led many to believe that this version of the USMNT was peaking at the right time. It led many to believe that even when they collided with a top team – like the Red Devils, ranked ninth in the world – they were capable of taking the next step. While they were undoubtedly capable, they were still, clearly, [not good enough](https://www.backheeled.com/usmnt-world-cup-exit-reality-check-not-enough-talent-player-pool/?action=signin&success=true) in an embarrassing 4-1 defeat. --- [The USMNT’s World Cup ended with a reality check — there’s not enough talentAn embarrassing Round of 16 defeat reinforced a hard truth about the United States: there’s still not enough quality in the player pool to expect deep World Cup runs.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/22/3c/223ce17d-3253-4d03-873b-ce236408cde2/content/images/icon/Backheeled-2-Sq-Light-969afc3c-23d3-4d4f-acf3-ecabb9aba0dc.png)BackheeledJoseph Lowery![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/22/3c/223ce17d-3253-4d03-873b-ce236408cde2/content/images/thumbnail/worldcup_7726-a5f4ab5e-f528-4cf6-bf54-ddf7df233cab.jpg)](https://www.backheeled.com/usmnt-world-cup-exit-reality-check-not-enough-talent-player-pool/) --- The obituary for the USMNT’s 2026 World Cup run is complicated. It ended in bitter disappointment that may drown out the on-ball fluidity and dominant defensive showings that represent some form of progress. “If we lose to Bosnia, it’s obviously a big disappointment. And then if we win today, it’s probably a very, very big achievement. So it felt like we almost did what was expected,” Gio Reyna said after the U.S.’s exit. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### The USMNT's World Cup ended with a reality check — there’s not enough talent URL: https://www.backheeled.com/usmnt-world-cup-exit-reality-check-not-enough-talent-player-pool/ Last updated: 2026-07-09T14:09:18.000Z It was the U.S. men’s national team’s worst performance in a competitive game since the infamous defeat to Trinidad and Tobago in 2017 that saw them miss the following year’s World Cup. The performance in question? A 4-1 loss to Belgium in the Round of 16, one that came on home soil in primetime in front of a watching nation. The United States’ latest World Cup run ended in embarrassment, but the result itself is familiar. We know the story: the U.S. emerges from their World Cup group, progresses to the Round of 16, and gets dispatched. It happened in 2014 against Belgium. It happened in 2022 against the Netherlands. And it happened again on Monday. The defeat did plenty to dishearten but it also made plain the USMNT’s reality. The U.S. hasn’t made big enough strides to truly climb the global men’s soccer ranks. On Monday, a slew of the United States’ best players showed that they weren’t above having a bad day at a bad time, something that can rarely be said about the sport’s stars. Consistent execution is the sign of true greatness, and the U.S. doesn't have that. The bench options, for their part, proved insufficient to turn a game around. Simply put, the player pool was tested yet again this summer and it was found lacking. --- [The biggest questions after the USMNT’s World Cup exitHow should the USMNT’s World Cup be remembered? Our writers debate the team’s performance, Pochettino’s impact, and the road to 2030.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/22/3c/223ce17d-3253-4d03-873b-ce236408cde2/content/images/icon/Backheeled-2-Sq-Light-ff7b1e6c-c70e-46d4-b5eb-2fc45ac07a96.png)BackheeledJoseph Lowery![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/22/3c/223ce17d-3253-4d03-873b-ce236408cde2/content/images/thumbnail/WORLD-CUP-STOCK-R16-1-e685fd4a-e966-40c5-8bad-a44691da1847.jpeg)](https://www.backheeled.com/usmnt-world-cup-exit-belgium-biggest-questions-pochettino-pulisic/) --- Coming into the biggest World Cup ever, the USMNT ranked 17th among the 48 entrants at this summer's showdown in total Transfermarkt value. A crowd-sourced monetary value assigned to every player that can then be combined to form a team’s overall squad value, Transfermarkt’s figures are used by some data analysts as a proxy for player and team quality. Before the tournament began, the U.S. sat 17th in the FIFA rankings, too. They were far lower – 38th – in the global Elo ratings. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### USL League One: Fort Wayne FC's hot streak, FC Naples' slide & everything else URL: https://www.backheeled.com/usl-league-one-fort-wayne-fc-naples-slide-everything-else/ Last updated: 2026-07-07T13:00:54.000Z As we round the halfway mark of the 2026 season, USL League One has begun to stratify. Omaha, Charlotte, and Knoxville are all lapping the field with more than 30 points earned. There’s a muddy middle behind them; just eight points separate 4th place from 13th. There’s undoubtedly a set of bottom-feeders rounding out the division, but most still have an outside chance in the playoff hunt. A jam-packed stretch on either side of League One’s mental health break served to deepen the stratification. Who made their case as a contender, and who struggled to keep pace? I’m breaking down every club in the league to find out. ## Fort Wayne, the USL’s hottest team The last time Fort Wayne lost a league game was all the way back on March 28th, three games into their existence in USL League One. Since then, the expansion side has ripped off 11 undefeated matches in a row. Manager Mike Avery’s system continues to look like the best-aligned in the league, and it’s got Fort Wayne into a top-four spot after an absolute dismantling of Spokane this weekend. There was plenty to like from Fort Wayne all over the pitch, but their ability to control the middle third stood out in what became a 3-0 win. Avery’s 4-4-2 shape is unique in how little it actually operates as a 4-4-2; on both sides of the ball, the baseline formation is a jumping-off point toward very specific tactical ends. Through the central midfield, Fort Wayne used Javier Armas and Jeremy Garay to mark the pivot of Spokane’s 5-2-3\. Doing so made advancement a chore, even as the opposing back three maintained a plus-one edge over Fort Wayne’s pressing forwards. Still, the Velocity were never allowed to push that ostensible advantage because of the way Avery set up the back end of his system. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### The biggest questions after the USMNT's World Cup exit URL: https://www.backheeled.com/usmnt-world-cup-exit-belgium-biggest-questions-pochettino-pulisic/ Last updated: 2026-07-08T16:54:31.000Z The run is over. The U.S. men’s national team’s home World Cup campaign came to an end on Monday after a 4-1 defeat to Belgium in one of the worst performances in the program’s recent history. From an early concession to allowing a second goal immediately after equalizing to an error from Matt Freese in goal – or, rather, not in goal – that resulted in Belgium’s third to another injury for Christian Pulisic, it was a disastrous showing in front of the nation in primetime. Over the coming weeks, *Backheeled* will examine what went right – and wrong – for the United States at the tournament and discuss what comes next for the team and its most crucial characters. But for now? Our writers are answering the biggest questions about the USMNT’s exit. ## Did the USMNT meet expectations, exceed them, or fall short? **Joe Lowery:** Met them. We’ve seen this story before, haven’t we? The U.S. beat the teams they should beat at this World Cup – Paraguay, Australia, and Bosnia and Herzegovina – and progressed to the Round of 16, where they were defeated by a quality European team. It’s now happened in three-straight World Cups for the United States: 2014 against Belgium, 2022 against the Netherlands, and now this tournament on home soil to Belgium once again. You’ll be forgiven for experiencing some déjà vu right now, but the apparent reality is clear: the USMNT is still fighting to become a tier-two men’s national team. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### USL Championship Power Rankings: Lexington SC soar, Tampa Bay Rowdies dethroned & more URL: https://www.backheeled.com/usl-championship-power-rankings-lexington-sc-tampa-bay-rowdies/ Last updated: 2026-07-06T01:11:45.000Z Coming out of the USL’s midseason mental health break the Championship celebrated Independence Day with plenty of fireworks. None of the top four teams in the league notched a win in Week 18, and upsets abounded. I’ve been a broken record discussing the level of parity in 2026, but this weekend’s results took it to a new level. Who’s on the rise after a jam-packed packed, and which clubs are losing ground? I’m going from #1 to #25 to find out. ## 1\. Charleston Battery ***Trending: +1*** *Result: 4-1 win v. Loudoun, 2-0 loss at Indy* On either side of the midseason break, Charleston had the chance to show their mettle against two diametrically opposed foes. Against Loudoun, the Battery needed to take advantage of an open game state and control a high-tempo matchup. In Indy, the challenge was to break down a low block. The breadth of tools in the Battery toolkit was undeniably clear, even if the results didn’t match the ideas across Weeks 17 and 18. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### USMNT readies for defining World Cup clash with Belgium: “We are also a great team” URL: https://www.backheeled.com/usmnt-belgium-round-16-defining-world-cup-test-balogun-pepi-pochettino/ Last updated: 2026-07-07T17:08:03.000Z SEATTLE – This is where onlookers expected the U.S. men’s national team to be. This is why Mauricio Pochettino was hired. Monday’s matchup with Belgium in the World Cup’s Round of 16 could be a pivotal game for the future of the sport in the United States, and it’s a matchup we’ve seen before. We’ve seen it on this same stage twelve years ago, and again in March. The U.S. fell 5-2 in that recent friendly, though the team put in a decent performance skewed by second half substitutions. According to captain Tim Ream, Monday will not look the same. “We’re two very different teams now than we were in March, and we’re both trying to move on in the biggest tournament in sports history,” the veteran center back noted on Saturday prior to training at the University of Washington. “So, obviously, there are things you can learn, there are things you can look back on, there are things that you can look at as positives, and things that can be better. But for us it’s not really thinking about the result. We’re in a new environment, this is a completely different game than in March.” The World Cup is here. So is our biggest discount ever. [Get 30% off a Backheeled subscription today! ](https://www.backheeled.com/backheeled-2026-world-cup-discount) The lineups certainly will be different. Tyler Adams, Chris Richards, Sergiño Dest, and Alex Freeman didn’t start in March but are set to on Monday, while Folarin Balogun – who did start up top in that loss to the Red Devils – is suspended. While Balogun is a major loss, those five names, as well as Malik Tillman’s form, totally transform what’s possible for the United States. Matt Turner also started instead of Matt Freese in March, and it’s worth noting that the Belgium lineup should also have at least a few changes. This time around, the circumstances seemingly favor the USMNT. The team is riding unprecedented momentum into their second World Cup match in a stadium renowned for its home-field advantage. The U.S. is a younger team than Belgium, who were taxed by 120 minutes against Senegal in the Round of 32 with stars like Kevin de Bruyne and Romelu Lukaku in the twilight of their careers. Belgium also failed to impress in group stage play, only topping a weak Group G on goal difference. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Pochettino has nailed every big USMNT World Cup decision URL: https://www.backheeled.com/pochettino-has-nailed-every-big-usmnt-world-cup-decision/ Last updated: 2026-07-07T20:56:47.000Z Sitting at a table in Columbus, Ohio, Mauricio Pochettino let expletives fly in the wake of a U.S. men’s national team’s defeat. It was September, 2025\. His team had fallen to South Korea just days before. And less than a year into his tenure as U.S. manager, the Argentine’s frustration was growing. That frustration wasn’t directed towards his players. No, it was directed towards outsiders amidst criticism about his roster selections and his team’s on-field performance. While some dwelled on friendlies, Pochettino was eager to look at the bigger picture, one that showed a team marching towards a World Cup on home soil. “The most important thing is to arrive \[at the World Cup\] in a very good condition and win the first game, the second game, the third game, go to the next round,” Pochettino said. "No one is going to remember this press conference if that happens." The World Cup is here. So is our biggest discount ever. [Get 30% off a Backheeled subscription today! ](https://www.backheeled.com/backheeled-2026-world-cup-discount) Pochettino, it turns out, was right. With the U.S. sitting in the Round of 16 with only Monday’s matchup with Belgium standing between the men’s program and its first quarterfinal appearance in more than two decades, onlookers haven’t cast their minds back to the early difficulties of his tenure. Last summer’s public back-and-forth between Christian Pulisic and his manager hasn’t been dredged up. Neither has Pochettino’s decision to leave Weston McKennie home in the fall. The same goes for a surprisingly deep exploration of the player pool, one sparked by his team’s disappointing attitude and performance early last year. In all, Pochettino used 72 players en route to the World Cup, going well beyond the outer limits of the United States’ primary talent pool for the sake of delivering a message about effort and culture. Pochettino was so committed to prioritizing those two things over chemistry and reps that his go-to starting lineup at this World Cup had never been used prior to the tournament. --- [The USMNT’s World Cup July 4th moment has arrived. Now comes Belgium.For the first time in the modern era, the USMNT will be alive at a World Cup after July 4th. With belief building nationwide, the margin between history and a painful exit remains razor-thin.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/22/3c/223ce17d-3253-4d03-873b-ce236408cde2/content/images/icon/Backheeled-2-Sq-Light-a705d100-88dc-4b16-bf06-77fb70b8030b.png)BackheeledSanjay Sujanthakumar![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/22/3c/223ce17d-3253-4d03-873b-ce236408cde2/content/images/thumbnail/usmntbosnia_7126-6d883edf-be7b-4fe1-8cbf-4fa06aebbe3a.jpg)](https://www.backheeled.com/usmnt-world-cup-fourth-of-july-belgium-bosnia-herzegovina-fans/) --- _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### The USMNT's World Cup July 4th moment has arrived. Now comes Belgium. URL: https://www.backheeled.com/usmnt-world-cup-fourth-of-july-belgium-bosnia-herzegovina-fans/ Last updated: 2026-07-07T17:07:54.000Z SANTA CLARA, Calif. – After December’s World Cup draw in Washington, D.C., Mauricio Pochettino noted the “competitive stress” the tournament could induce, which his U.S. men’s national team would need to be prepared for. And yet, entering a Round of 32 clash with Bosnia and Herzegovina, the United States had hardly broken a sweat. Early leads in the team’s first two games led to wins, which rendered their group stage finale against Turkey a dead rubber where Pochettino rotated nearly his whole lineup. While there was no early goal in Wednesday’s showdown, the U.S. starters were again in complete control in the first half. They dominated possession, probed Bosnia and Herzegovina’s flexible 5-3-2 defensive shell, and recovered the ball well. “I felt control of the game,” Christian Pulisic said. “I thought the guys did such a good job of keeping the ball mostly in their end, and the way we attacked, we’re just persistent. It still had a good feel to it even though we didn’t get an early goal.” The World Cup is here. So is our biggest discount ever. [Get 30% off a Backheeled subscription today! ](https://www.backheeled.com/backheeled-2026-world-cup-discount) A clever flick from Tyler Adams and some fortune ensured Malik Tillman found Folarin Balogun for the breakthrough just before the break. The U.S. even pushed for a second goal in the ensuing minutes, suggesting they’d eventually extend their lead and avoid a relatively stressful second half. > THE [@USMNT](https://x.com/USMNT?ref%5Fsrc=twsrc%5Etfw&ref=backheeled.com) TAKES THE LEAD 🇺🇸 > > NOW BALOGUN CAN REALLY HIT THE [@KingJames](https://x.com/KingJames?ref%5Fsrc=twsrc%5Etfw&ref=backheeled.com) SILENCER! [pic.twitter.com/4t9LzMjUUG](https://t.co/4t9LzMjUUG?ref=backheeled.com) > > — FOX Sports (@FOXSports) [July 2, 2026](https://x.com/FOXSports/status/2072481987483340865?ref%5Fsrc=twsrc%5Etfw&ref=backheeled.com) But when Balogun [was shown a red card](https://x.com/FOXSports/status/2072495187893641312?ref=backheeled.com) that rules him out of Monday’s Round of 16 meeting with Belgium in Seattle – “ridiculous,” in Pulisic’s words, with Pochettino also ripping the decision postgame – the U.S. was staring at thirty minutes to preserve a one-goal lead with 10 men. Surely that stress Pochettino warned about would creep in? It didn’t, according to USMNT captain Tim Ream. Even though it was “probably impressive to a lot of people,” Ream downplayed the U.S. closing out the game down a player. The 38-year-old center back who embodies the team’s composure said it was “not even that impressive.” Ream noted that Bosnia and Herzegovina “had a little bit more of the ball” to finish the game, but the U.S. was “still able to keep hold of the ball, kept an unbelievable shape, and everybody knew their roles.” “It felt really calm and really, really easy and simple for us in that moment because we all were just calm,” Ream said. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### USL attendance is falling. Here’s what successful clubs are doing to reverse that trend URL: https://www.backheeled.com/usl-attendance-tickets-falling-problem-how-clubs-reverse-trend-pro-rel/ Last updated: 2026-07-02T15:58:07.000Z At this point last July, just under 5,400 fans were taking in the average USL Championship match. There have been ups and downs, but the landscape across the league has remained roughly consistent over the last several years. In 2026, things are changing. The average attendance in the Championship is closer to 4,800 this season, an 11% drop on a year-to-date basis. While six hundred people might not seem like a major gap, the decline represents a major challenge for the USL’s future. The World Cup is here. So is our biggest discount ever. [Get 30% off a Backheeled subscription today! ](https://www.backheeled.com/backheeled-2026-world-cup-discount) At the USL level, attendance is everything. [Among](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1994991/000199499125000001/ocsc.pdf?ref=backheeled.com) [clubs](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1630745/000163074525000004/FormCAR.pdf?ref=backheeled.com) with public financial disclosures, ticket sales are responsible for nearly 40% of annual revenue. When you throw in merchandise and concessions sales – both of which are highly dependent on in-venue transactions – that number jumps above 60%. In other words, live attendance is *the* thing that allows clubs to approach solvency. Potential reasons for the decline are plentiful. The entertainment space is only growing more crowded, and middling economic conditions encourage potential USL fans to stay home. As clubs across the USL Championship and USL League One grow more established, they lose the ‘new attraction’ luster that can get curious locals in the door. Now, select clubs have stood apart from the leaguewide trends. Louisville City is a perennial top-three side in the Championship in attendance terms, and their 2026 average is up 2% as compared to this point last season. The Charleston Battery, meanwhile, have grown their crowds year after year after year, increasingly filling out the 5,000 seats at Patriots Point. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Winners & Losers: What stood out in USMNT’s World Cup win over Bosnia and Herzegovina URL: https://www.backheeled.com/usmnt-world-cup-winners-losers-bosnia-herzegovina-balogun-pulisic-tillman/ Last updated: 2026-07-03T13:49:50.000Z It’s in the title, folks. After each USMNT game at the World Cup, *Backheeled* will dive into the biggest Winners and Losers. Let’s get right to our dissection of the United States’ 2-0 win over Bosnia and Herzegovina, shall we? ## Winner: Malik Tillman Take a bow, Malik Tillman. > MALIK TILLMAN FREE KICK GOLAZO AND THE [@USMNT](https://x.com/USMNT?ref%5Fsrc=twsrc%5Etfw&ref=backheeled.com) IS UP 2-0 🇺🇸 > > Advantage doubled even down to 10 men. [pic.twitter.com/HskiCro7xD](https://t.co/HskiCro7xD?ref=backheeled.com) > > — FOX Sports (@FOXSports) [July 2, 2026](https://x.com/FOXSports/status/2072497894062485969?ref%5Fsrc=twsrc%5Etfw&ref=backheeled.com) Perhaps the United States’ [surprise standout of the summer](https://www.backheeled.com/how-malik-tillman-role-usmnt-world-cup-run-pochettino-tactics/) even before he stepped up to the plate to score a crucial free kick to secure his team a 2-0 victory despite being down a man, Tillman is now at the center of one of the most legendary moments in USMNT history. For the first time since 2002, the U.S. won a World Cup knockout game – and the Bayer Leverkusen man’s set piece strike is what sealed the deal. The World Cup is here. So is our biggest discount ever. [Get 30% off a Backheeled subscription today! ](https://www.backheeled.com/backheeled-2026-world-cup-discount) After Folarin Balogun’s red card prompted the U.S. to play with 10 and without their initial goalscorer for the final 30 minutes of Wednesday’s matchup with Bosnia and Herzegovina, Tillman and his teammates did well to protect a 1-0 lead. They absorbed pressure in a 4-4-1 block, they milked time off the clock after fouls and stoppages, and, of course, they still pieced together quality in the final third like the goal up above. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### USL Championship scouts should be watching these nine USL League One stars URL: https://www.backheeled.com/usl-championship-scouts-should-watch-these-nine-usl-league-one-stars/ Last updated: 2026-06-30T12:57:21.000Z The ties between USL League One and the USL Championship have grown stronger over the years, culminating in a 2026 season where League One grads have [defined the story of the season](https://www.backheeled.com/usl-championship-takeaways-youth-development-league-one-signings-analysis/). That proof of concept will only lead to more and more transfer activity between the two divisions, so which League One players are next up? I have nine picks from the third division that smart second-tier clubs should be eying. The World Cup is here. So is our biggest discount ever. [Get 30% off a Backheeled subscription today! ](https://www.backheeled.com/backheeled-2026-world-cup-discount) ## Kempes Tekiela, ST, Union Omaha Across two years in Knoxville, Kempes Tekiela notched 22 goal contributions while evolving from a line-leading No. 9 into a freer forward with a real ability to connect play. Those skills have continued to shine in a high-possession Omaha system in 2026\. Though Tekiela is already 28, he fills a position of need for many Championship clubs. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Why the USMNT’s attacking setup is built for the World Cup knockouts URL: https://www.backheeled.com/why-usmnt-attack-is-built-for-world-cup-knockouts-pochettino-tactics/ Last updated: 2026-07-04T19:43:54.000Z Things are about to get real for the U.S. men’s national team – the knockout rounds have arrived and a matchup with Bosnia and Herzegovina on Wednesday in the Round of 32 awaits. Traditional thinking about the U.S. at World Cups is that the deeper they go, the more overmatched they’ll be. And that’s still largely true. As the field is whittled down to a better crop of teams, the USMNT’s lack of top-end talent will come to the forefront. There's a reason the United States has won just one knockout game in World Cup history – back in 2002\. Making a historic run on home soil was always unlikely for the United States coming into the World Cup and remains so, even for all of the highs of the group stage. The World Cup is here. So is our biggest discount ever. [Get 30% off a Backheeled subscription today! ](https://www.backheeled.com/backheeled-2026-world-cup-discount) However, while the odds of reaching, say, the final four are low, Mauricio Pochettino’s team has shown qualities that could help them against strong opposition. Up against the kinds of teams that have enough talent to be emboldened to leave space behind their own backlines, the U.S. could threaten in the attack. Oddly enough, though Paraguay and Australia aren’t talent-rich teams, both provided a glimpse of what the United States could see in the knockout stages. Against the U.S., they were willing to cede space behind their defense in favor of positioning themselves closer to Matt Freese’s goal. Neither Paraguay nor Australia pressed with any regularity but they didn’t always retreat into a low block, either. Instead, the U.S. had the chance to drill their attacking patterns against mid-blocks. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/22/3c/223ce17d-3253-4d03-873b-ce236408cde2/content/images/2026/06/4.png) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/22/3c/223ce17d-3253-4d03-873b-ce236408cde2/content/images/2026/06/5.png) **Paraguay and Australia were both willing to push towards midfield against the United States. The U.S.’s knockout opponents could do the same thing.* _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### The World Cup path is there. Can the USMNT seize it? URL: https://www.backheeled.com/usmnt-world-cup-knockout-path-turkey-bosnia-pochettino-pulisic/ Last updated: 2026-07-02T18:09:17.000Z INGLEWOOD, Calif. – After December’s World Cup draw and the decisive final UEFA qualifiers in March, the U.S. men’s national team’s group stage finale against Turkey seemed poised to be anything but a dead rubber game. But it was, of course. The United States had already won their group and booked a date with Bosnia and Herzegovina in the Round of 32\. Mauricio Pochettino even made nine lineup changes from last week, wisely prioritizing the avoidance of injuries and card suspensions over whatever would play out on the field. But when things kicked off on Thursday night, it didn’t feel like a meaningless game. It definitely didn’t end like one, either, with a dramatic, last-minute goal sending Turkey home with a consolation win. The stadium was full, with plenty of celebrities attending the second U.S.’s second 2026 World Cup game in Los Angeles. On the field, a rotated team brought the energy and intensity Pochettino demands. Effort alone, however, wouldn’t overwhelm a team with Turkey’s quality. The World Cup is here. So is our biggest discount ever. [Get 30% off a Backheeled subscription today! ](https://www.backheeled.com/backheeled-2026-world-cup-discount) The evening's takeaways, as it turns out, were fairly predictable. The USMNT’s center back depth for this tournament, and the options for the future at a position that tends to demand more maturity than others, remains concerning. Mark McKenzie still isn’t immune from costly defensive mistakes, while Miles Robinson’s inclusion on this roster remains a head-scratcher. Higher up the field, Gio Reyna continues to be a positive presence in possession – bringing peerless vision and technique – and Tim Weah belongs on the right side, regardless of his eye-dominance. Sebastian Berhalter, also, stands out as a tenacious, mixed bag of a midfielder at this level. --- [USMNT’s World Cup group stage awards: MVP, biggest surprise & moreWe’re taking stock of the United States’ run so far and looking ahead to what comes next.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/22/3c/223ce17d-3253-4d03-873b-ce236408cde2/content/images/icon/Backheeled-2-Sq-Light-1f0bdea2-1b59-47ba-ba00-7e1c188fdd16.png)BackheeledJoseph Lowery![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/22/3c/223ce17d-3253-4d03-873b-ce236408cde2/content/images/thumbnail/WORLD-CUP-STOCK-7-ff4e600c-0cfd-4cb5-a6da-f98ccc94e45f.jpeg)](https://www.backheeled.com/usmnt-world-cup-group-stage-awards-mvp-surprise-tactics-pochettino/) --- _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### USMNT’s World Cup group stage awards: MVP, biggest surprise & more URL: https://www.backheeled.com/usmnt-world-cup-group-stage-awards-mvp-surprise-tactics-pochettino/ Last updated: 2026-07-02T04:06:18.000Z INGLEWOOD, Calif. – The U.S. men’s national team can officially turn its attention to the World Cup knockout rounds following a 3-2 loss to Turkey on Thursday. As the team prepares for a new challenge against Bosnia and Herzegovina in the Round of 32, we’re here to take stock of the United States’ performance at the tournament thus far – and look ahead to what comes next. Our panel is handing out awards for the USMNT’s MVP, best moment, best attribute, biggest concern, and so much more. Onwards! The World Cup is here. So is our biggest discount ever. [Get 30% off a Backheeled subscription today! ](https://www.backheeled.com/backheeled-2026-world-cup-discount) ## The USMNT’s MVP so far is… **Andrew Clausen:** Despite my [effusive praise for Weston McKennie](https://www.backheeled.com/usmnt-australia-world-cup-win-pochettino-pulisic-pepi-mckennie-knockouts/) this summer, I’m going with **Malik Tillman**. The Leverkusen midfielder has proven to be the missing piece in the midfield next to Tyler Adams, providing the passing range, calm under pressure, and defensive work rate the U.S. has been lacking for two cycles now. While he’s yet to be truly tested defensively in the group stage, I still think Tillman has been brilliant and that Pochettino deserves credit for moving him deeper into the midfield. [How Malik Tillman’s new role is fueling the USMNT’s World Cup dreamThe German-born midfielder didn’t expect to play for the United States. Now Mauricio Pochettino has made him central to the team’s hopes on home soil.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/22/3c/223ce17d-3253-4d03-873b-ce236408cde2/content/images/icon/Backheeled-2-Sq-Light-1b25032b-a1b8-4fdf-b6c3-1a5c6299dede.png)BackheeledJoseph Lowery![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/22/3c/223ce17d-3253-4d03-873b-ce236408cde2/content/images/thumbnail/tillman_usmnt_worldcup_61626-72a233a8-68a4-4f3b-bede-d15445178e54.jpg)](https://www.backheeled.com/how-malik-tillman-role-usmnt-world-cup-run-pochettino-tactics/) **Ben Wright: Folarin Balogun** is for real, y’all. He’s not only the best goal-scoring No. 9 this program has ever had (I said it), but he’s versatile. He’s a much better holdup forward than his 5’10” frame indicates and he’s more than happy to go to battle against a physical center back. Balogun is also elite at peeling off the back shoulder or drifting out wide to get the ball in space. Having a striker of his quality opens things up for everyone else and gives needed certainty in the final third. With a brace and a forced own goal so far this summer, he’s been impactful. **Joe Lowery:** The two gentlemen above have gone with my top two answers, so I’ll deviate for the sake of variety. But **McKennie** deserves his flowers. His off-ball movement has been elite so far this summer, exploiting every single lane open to him on the right – and even flowing over to the left to do the same thing. But that you could make an argument for McKennie or a half-dozen other players is a very good sign for the USMNT. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Six things we’ve learned about the USL Championship in 2026 URL: https://www.backheeled.com/usl-championship-takeaways-youth-development-league-one-signings-analysis/ Last updated: 2026-06-25T22:18:57.000Z The USL Championship is consistently inconsistent. No two seasons are alike, and that’s what makes the league so darn interesting. 2026 is no different, and as we reach the halfway point of the season, big trends have already begun to emerge that have set the year apart. What’s changed in 2026, and how has it altered the Championship’s competitive landscape? I’m breaking down six big trends that have stood out. ## Youth deployment is changing Across all USL competitions, 22 different U21 players have played at least 500 minutes this season. That’s the highest mark in late June since the 2022 season, when the number was still inflated by the youth-centric presence of MLS affiliate clubs. The World Cup is here. So is our biggest discount ever. [Get 30% off a Backheeled subscription today! ](https://www.backheeled.com/backheeled-2026-world-cup-discount) If things *feel* different in terms of the prospects getting time…well, they are. Among those 22 players, six are on loan from MLS – double the number among high-minute prospects versus last season. Some of the highest-profile players in the group are international signings, which is novel in its own right. U21 standouts like Phoenix’s Jean-Eric Moursou, San Antonio’s Dmitrii Erofeev, and Sacramento’s Aaron Essel were all acquired from Europe. Moreover, the clubs leaning into young talent have grown more diverse. Orange County is still the premier developmental organization in the USL, but they’ve spread their minutes more broadly in 2026 – even if midfielder Efren Solis and defender Tyson Espy have just broken the 500-minute floor at the halfway point of the year. Beyond OCSC, Monterey (Fernando Delgado and Belmar Joseph, Miami (Mathieu Ndongo and Brandon Bent), and Las Vegas (Carson Locker) have all stepped up to the plate, while clubs like Phoenix have become leaders on the academy front. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### The USMNT's next World Cup challenge isn't Turkey. It's proving its depth. URL: https://www.backheeled.com/usmnt-world-cup-challenge-turkey-depth-pulisic-injury-update-rotation/ Last updated: 2026-06-26T04:17:03.000Z IRVINE, Calif. – Prior to the World Cup, the U.S. men’s national team’s group finale against Turkey was expected to be anything but a dead rubber. Instead, the USMNT find themselves in a unique position, having punched their ticket to the knockout rounds of a World Cup with a game to spare, while Turkey have been eliminated. It’s a strange situation. Tyler Adams, Folarin Balogun, Antonee Robinson and Chris Richards – all key players for Mauricio Pochettino – are each one yellow card away from suspension. Additionally, Thursday’s match has no bearing on the U.S.’s path for the rest of the tournament. They’re already locked into the top spot in Group D and know they’ll be playing in Santa Clara on July 1st. There is, then, a virtual guarantee of rotation. The World Cup is here. So is our biggest discount ever. [Get 30% off a Backheeled subscription today! ](https://www.backheeled.com/backheeled-2026-world-cup-discount) Exactly how much rotation Mauricio Pochettino believes in is the question that’s been hovering over U.S. camp this week. Should there be wholesale lineup changes to maximize rest? Would minutes off the bench benefit Christian Pulisic’s sharpness and fitness on the runway to the Round of 32? “Our trainings are pretty intense. I think fitness won’t be an issue,” Richards said. “I don’t think sharpness will be either. Obviously, it’s good to keep into some sort of rhythm, but again, I think these guys deserve \[it\] if they get the chance tomorrow. So, I think we’ll be fine when it comes to the next game.” _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### World Cup's weirdest week yet: Ref cramp, Cooler Warz & everything else URL: https://www.backheeled.com/world-cup-weird-week-ref-cramp-bielsa-fashion-almiron-red-card/ Last updated: 2026-06-29T13:37:36.000Z *During the World Cup,* Backheeled *will examine the tournament’s weird, heartwarming, and unexpected moments. After the second round of group stage fixtures, here’s what stood out.* The mandatory hydration breaks in the World Cup suck eggs, and everyone knows it. As opposed to being a necessary evil only used when necessary to combat legitimate concerns about the heat and humidity parts of the U.S. and Mexico see in the summer, the specter of these breaks even in much cooler climes and in indoor, air-conditioned stadiums have made it clear they’re mostly just a cynical ploy for ad revenue. The World Cup is here. So is our biggest discount ever. [Get 30% off a Backheeled subscription today! ](https://www.backheeled.com/backheeled-2026-world-cup-discount) One match, however, dared to ask a dangerous question: what if we actually need *more* hydration breaks? Seemed like referee Felix Zwayer could’ve used another, in my professional opinion. > Now we’ve seen it all 🙄😶 > > Australia’s World Cup loss to the USA was paused in stoppage time when referee Felix Zwayer suffered cramp. > > Socceroo Aiden O’Neill helping the referee stretch out before he could return back to action. [pic.twitter.com/VsopTM8dG8](https://t.co/VsopTM8dG8?ref=backheeled.com) > > — 10 Sport (@10SportAU) [June 19, 2026](https://x.com/10SportAU/status/2068093863353610742?ref%5Fsrc=twsrc%5Etfw&ref=backheeled.com) _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### USL League One: Richmond Kickers' new era, Spokane Velocity's woes & everything else URL: https://www.backheeled.com/usl-league-one-richmond-kickers-coaching-change-spokane-velocity-more/ Last updated: 2026-06-23T12:00:23.000Z It’s the year of the midfield scorer in USL League One. The three leading contenders for the Golden Boot – Charlotte’s Luis Alvarez, Westchester’s Conor McGlynn, and Fort Wayne’s Taig Healy – all play as No. 8s or No. 10s for their clubs. 10 players across the division have scored at least five times, and only three of them are out-and-out strikers. That trend is a reflection of how League One is evolving in 2026\. Yes, there are still plenty of hyper-vertical teams that live and die by the counter, but plenty of clubs are trying to keep the ball on the ground, work through lines, and let their midfielders contribute at the end of protracted possession sequences. The World Cup is here. So is our biggest discount ever. [Get 30% off a Backheeled subscription today! ](https://www.backheeled.com/backheeled-2026-world-cup-discount) Which clubs were able to get their style across in Week 16, and what should we be taking away from a busy league slate? I’m digging into all the action to help find out. ## Richmond’s new era Rome wasn’t built in a day, nor was Lynn Family Stadium. Brian Ownby started his USL career with the Richmond Kickers, but he became a USL legend by helping to build the Louisville City dynasty at the Championship level. His job as the interim coach in Richmond is to start the ball rolling toward a similar level of sustained success. Saturday’s 2-0 loss to Fort Wayne – the club’s first game in the wake of Darren Sawatzky’s exit for Sporting Cascades – was an ignominious kickoff to the new era, but we already started to see a difference in posture from the Kickers. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### USL Championship Power Rankings: Sporting Jax are historically bad, New Mexico United's win & more URL: https://www.backheeled.com/usl-championship-power-rankings-sporting-jax-bad-new-mexico-united/ Last updated: 2026-06-21T16:05:47.000Z The USL isn’t taking a formal World Cup break, but next weekend will feature a short hiatus from Championship play. While most clubs are a few matches short of the halfway point in their regular season schedule, it’s as good a time as any to reflect on the competitive landscape across the league. The World Cup is here. So is our biggest discount ever. [Get 30% off a Backheeled subscription today! ](https://www.backheeled.com/backheeled-2026-world-cup-discount) Tampa Bay stands alone atop the Championship, but almost everything else is a muddle; merely nine points separate top from bottom in the Western Conference. The hottest team in the league (Monterey) might be ranked last in the West, while the last-place team in the East (Jacksonville) is flirting with [2013 Antigua Barracuda](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2013%5FUSL%5FPro%5Fseason?ref=backheeled.com#League%5Ftable:~:text=22-,13,0,-Source%3A%20USL) territory. What does the USL look like across the scope of all 25 clubs? I’m power ranking every team in the Championship to help find out. ## 1\. Tampa Bay Rowdies ***Trending: No change*** *Result: 2-0 win at Brooklyn* Every Rowdies game is a chance to see a different alignment from Tampa Bay, and that held true in Brooklyn this weekend. Looking to recover after their first loss of 2026, the Rowdies used combinations up and down their right side to mix it up on Saturday. The result? The dominance we’ve become accustomed to from this club. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### It's not "ridiculous": The USMNT's World Cup dream feels more real than ever URL: https://www.backheeled.com/usmnt-world-cup-history-dream-is-real-australia-pochettino-fanbase-seattle/ Last updated: 2026-06-26T19:08:29.000Z SEATTLE – It looked familiar. In a second-straight World Cup win, a 2-0 triumph over Australia, the U.S. men’s national team once again dominated the first half and took an early lead through an own goal. Then they extended their lead right before halftime before slowing down in a somewhat more chaotic second half skewed by a different game state and defensive substitutions intended to preserve the lead. This time, a two-goal cushion meant holding on for three points was more tense than their opener against Paraguay. But the result never seemed in doubt. The World Cup is here. So is our biggest discount ever. [Get 30% off a Backheeled subscription today! ](https://www.backheeled.com/backheeled-2026-world-cup-discount) Surprisingly, Mauricio Pochettino turned to striker Ricardo Pepi to replace the injured Christian Pulisic in his starting lineup, with teammates noting postgame that they learned just the morning of the game that the USMNT’s talisman wouldn’t be available. “CP is a fantastic player, the quality and the leadership he gives us. We didn’t have him today but I think you saw we’re still capable to go out there and get a result and put in a performance,” Folarin Balogun said. And the Monaco hitman is a big reason why his own message rings true. In the 11th minute, Balogun burst down the left side and onto a ball from Antonee Robinson, burning Australia’s right-sided center back Alessandro Circati and forcing the own goal. > 1-0! GOOOOAL FOR USA! 🇺🇸 > > Flo Balogun charges in and the [@USMNT](https://x.com/USMNT?ref%5Fsrc=twsrc%5Etfw&ref=backheeled.com) finds the back of the net on the own goal [pic.twitter.com/GdivDaeNt9](https://t.co/GdivDaeNt9?ref=backheeled.com) > > — FOX Sports (@FOXSports) [June 19, 2026](https://x.com/FOXSports/status/2068049386299424839?ref%5Fsrc=twsrc%5Etfw&ref=backheeled.com) _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Winners & Losers: What stood out in USMNT's World Cup win over Australia URL: https://www.backheeled.com/usmnt-australia-world-cup-win-pochettino-pulisic-pepi-mckennie-knockouts/ Last updated: 2026-07-01T18:24:48.000Z Here’s what we learned as the United States beat Australia 2-0 and booked a spot in the knockouts. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### The World Cup should grow U.S. soccer. Will it grow the USL? URL: https://www.backheeled.com/usl-world-cup-impact-mls-marketing-expansion-questions-attendance-pro-rel/ Last updated: 2026-06-24T06:59:07.000Z The 1994 World Cup may be thedefining moment in modern American soccer. To secure the hosting rights, the U.S. Soccer federation promised to help get a men’s professional soccer league off the ground, and the genesis of Major League Soccer was the result. Three decades later, it’s impossible to quantify just how far the sport has come in this country – something that wouldn’t have been possible without the World Cup. Now, in 2026, the USL is hoping to achieve its own post-World Cup coup. The organization has touted big reforms like [promotion and relegation](https://www.backheeled.com/usl-owners-pro-rel-experience-share-insight-into-new-model/) and the addition of a [new first-tier league](https://www.backheeled.com/usl-markets-positioning-to-be-part-of-new-usl-division-one-mens-league/), echoing the big swings of the 1990s. The difference? Where MLS had an open runway to monopolize the nascent domestic soccer conversation, the USL faces a far more crowded environment. The USL, though, isn’t interested in a World Cup blitz. When reached by *Backheeled* for a statement about the organization’s attempt to capitalize on the World Cup, the USL said this: The World Cup is here. So is our biggest discount ever. [Get 30% off a Backheeled subscription today! ](https://www.backheeled.com/backheeled-2026-world-cup-discount) > The World Cup is creating unprecedented attention around soccer in the United States, and for us the opportunity is to connect that interest to the clubs, communities, and pathways that exist year-round. > Rather than treating the tournament as a standalone marketing moment, we're focused on telling authentic stories that demonstrate the role the USL plays throughout the game -- from players, coaches, referees, and broadcasters who have come through our system to the local clubs that give fans a connection to the sport in their own communities. > The World Cup may introduce people to soccer, but the USL gives fans a local club, a year-round community, and a reason to stay connected after the tournament ends. We believe the biggest opportunity begins in the months that follow the tournament, when millions of people are looking for ways to continue engaging with the sport. That's where the USL's presence in more than 200 communities across the country becomes especially meaningful. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### The USMNT admires Australia's defensive setup – now they have to beat it URL: https://www.backheeled.com/usmnt-australia-defense-tactics-world-cup-pochettino-pulisic-turkey-paraguay/ Last updated: 2026-06-19T23:08:10.000Z *This story has been updated with additional quotes after being initially published on June 17th.* IRVINE, Calif. – After arguably the best World Cup performance in the history of the program against Paraguay, the U.S. men’s national team is preparing for a different test. That test will take place under unexpected circumstances after Australia upset Turkey 2-0 in their opener, gaining momentum ahead of Friday’s battle with the U.S. in Seattle. Despite the narrative fueled by comments from a few American pundits that the U.S. ought to easily beat the Socceroos, Mauricio Pochettino’s team is dismissing the noise and choosing not to underestimate an opponent that should be harder to play against than Paraguay. The World Cup is here. So is our biggest discount ever. [Get 30% off a Backheeled subscription today! ](https://www.backheeled.com/backheeled-2026-world-cup-discount) “The Paraguay game, obviously they played a different formation to Australia, and it was a little bit more open,” Antonee Robinson said. “I felt like they were a bit easier to get in behind, they held a mid block and runs in behind troubled Paraguay a little bit. Australia seemed pretty happy being comfortable in the low block. They’ve obviously got big, strong defenders, so that will be difficult to break down. It’s going to be something we’re working on in the next few days. “And speaking to the boys who played \[against Australia\] \]in October as well, they said the game against Turkey looked completely different than how they played from last camp \[against us\]. It’s going to be a different challenge, and we’ve got clips to go off, and we go from there.” _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### This World Cup is complicated. It's also wonderful. URL: https://www.backheeled.com/world-cup-group-stage-complicated-wonderful-scotland-cape-verde-egypt/ Last updated: 2026-06-20T02:41:24.000Z *During the World Cup,* Backheeled *will examine the tournament’s weird, heartwarming, and unexpected moments. After the first round of group stage fixtures, here’s what stood out.* I wasn’t excited about this World Cup. The reasons were not unique or particularly interesting at this point. Take the crude, repulsive economic and political maneuvering from FIFA. Or the Trump administration’s actions both domestically and internationally. It’s difficult to get amped for a geopolitical sporting event when your country is, to put it lightly, not inspiring patriotism. And then the tournament started. And all the reasons I wasn’t excited before the tournament didn’t go away magically; in fact, the tournament magnified many of them. The joy of the World Cup does not supplant everything else happening in the world. But the joy is still there, bright and brilliant and silly and weird. In many ways, this World Cup has reminded me more about what I love about this game and this competition than far less fraught tournaments before it. The World Cup is here. So is our biggest discount ever. [Get 30% off a Backheeled subscription today! ](https://www.backheeled.com/backheeled-2026-world-cup-discount) The games have been good, with some feel-good stories to boot, yes. But so much of the joy is radiating from the fans, thousands and thousands of them that have poured into North America, come together, and realized none of us are so different. All of the fun and funny stuff exists hand in hand with the bad. We can enjoy the World Cup in the same breath as we decry ticket prices and corporate greed, the denied visas from Somali referee Omar Artan to [Cabo Verde goalkeeper Vozinha’s mother](https://www.cnn.com/2026/06/16/sport/vozinha-state-department-world-cup?ref=backheeled.com), the restrictions placed upon the Iranian team that’s being treated far more like pawns in a wargame than a team in a World Cup. We hold it all together because this game is ours. It does not belong to FIFA, or the United States, or anyone just because they are rich and powerful. The game is ours. Love it. Fight for it. And recognize how fighting for it is often just fighting for each other. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### How Malik Tillman's new role is fueling the USMNT's World Cup dream URL: https://www.backheeled.com/how-malik-tillman-role-usmnt-world-cup-run-pochettino-tactics/ Last updated: 2026-06-23T15:23:24.000Z LOS ANGELES — Malik Tillman wouldn’t have been shocked, really. If you’d asked a younger version of the Nürnberg, Germany-born midfielder if he would suit up in a game between Germany and the United States on the doorstep of a World Cup, he probably would’ve believed you. Perhaps, though, Tillman would’ve assumed that he’d be playing for the country of his birth. His mother’s country. After all, Germany — Fürth to be precise — was where Tillman’s dreams of playing professionally began. “I knew about my American background,” Tillman [told](https://www.backheeled.com/malik-tillman-usmnt-germany-united-states-mauricio-pochettino-gold-cup-world-cup/) *Backheeled* last year. His father was a U.S. serviceman. “But it was like, ‘I’m in Germany, I live with my German mom.’ So it wasn’t really a topic in my life to be honest.” The World Cup is here. So is our biggest discount ever. [Get 30% off a Backheeled subscription today! ](https://www.backheeled.com/backheeled-2026-world-cup-discount) But as his chances of being a regular for Bayern Munich narrowed and the door seemed to close on cracking his birth country’s senior national team, U.S. Soccer kept knocking. Calls and texts from U.S. coaches were commonplace, and a visit from then-U.S. men’s national team head coach Gregg Berhalter to Munich sealed the deal. Tillman would play for the United States. That decision led the 24-year-old to Soldier Field in Chicago for the USMNT’s final World Cup tuneup, where Tillman experienced something new: playing against the country of his birth, the one he thought he’d represent at international level. Still, battling Germany wasn’t the only new experience for Tillman that day. The attacking midfielder was also being tasked by U.S. manager Mauricio Pochettino to play in a new role, one that would prove crucial to one of the most remarkable wins in team history. --- When Pochettino’s World Cup roster was unveiled, there was one common refrain. *Where are the central midfielders?* _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### USL League One: Attendance concerns, Portland Hearts of Pine's problems & everything else URL: https://www.backheeled.com/usl-league-one-stadium-attendance-concerns-portland-hearts-of-pine-analysis/ Last updated: 2026-06-16T15:06:29.000Z While attendance in the USL tends to crest during the summer months, it’s worth noting that [League One’s average](https://www.backheeled.com/usl-attendance/) is down 7% compared to 2025\. Among returning clubs, the drop is even larger. Stalwarts like Spokane and Omaha have seen their per-game attendance slide by 20% or more. Meanwhile, the 2026 expansion class has been a mixed bag. Boise’s average of 7,208 is one of the highest in the entire USL, but other new organizations like Corpus Christi and New York have been laggards. The World Cup is here. So is our biggest discount ever. [Get 30% off a Backheeled subscription today! ](https://www.backheeled.com/backheeled-2026-world-cup-discount) There are lessons across the League One landscape. Greenville’s new stadium has already led to increases. Clubs like Knoxville that’ve invested in their front office staff continue to rise. Shining stars like Portland are knocking their marketing out of the park and growing their crowds because of it. Their best practices should provide an example for the rest of the division. What about the action on the pitch? The extended Week 15 shook up the League One table, muddying an already complicated playoff picture. To sort through it all, I’m taking a look at all 17 teams in the league. Let’s dig in. ## Poor-tland Hearts of Pine If you want to understand what’s gone wrong for Portland in 2026, their absolute lack of offensive consistency is the place to start. Entering Week 15, Hearts ranked last in USL League One with just 0.87 xG per match. Portland remains close to the playoff cut line by virtue of outperforming their expected return by a full 3.5 goals, but rubber has to hit the road sooner rather than later. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### The fluid tactical details that made the USMNT's World Cup opener so devastating URL: https://www.backheeled.com/usmnt-tactics-pochettino-world-cup-paraguay-dest-freeman-analysis/ Last updated: 2026-06-18T06:01:46.000Z LOS ANGELES — There’s a common refrain that echoes through the chambers of international soccer: keep things simple. With so few training sessions between games in each FIFA window that allows players to leave their club teams and join up with their national sides, it’s not easy to drill detailed tactical instructions. Add in the fact that those windows arrive so infrequently — there were only five such windows available for every nation in all of 2025 and just two allotted in 2026 before the World Cup — and you have an unstable base on which to balance true tactical instruction. The World Cup is here. So is our biggest discount ever. [Get 30% off a Backheeled subscription today! ](https://www.backheeled.com/backheeled-2026-world-cup-discount) “When you only have a few days to reunite and to play, you only select players, but you cannot coach players,” U.S. men’s national team manager Mauricio Pochettino said last week. Perhaps, though, you wouldn’t have known the United States was operating under those strict parameters after an opening 4-1 World Cup victory over Paraguay. That quartet of goals was the most ever scored by a U.S. men’s team in a single World Cup game. Some [xG models](https://x.com/BeGriffis/status/2065734118386610560?ref%5Fsrc=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E2065734118386610560%7Ctwgr%5Ea34ec25ad7e791334ffb43393dea077aabb6fa3a%7Ctwcon%5Es1%5F&ref%5Furl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.backheeled.com%2Fpochettino-usmnt-fans-world-cup-paraguay-pulisic-balogun-mckennie%2F&ref=backheeled.com) gave the U.S. a comprehensive 2.46 to 0.57 advantage over their South American foe. And, as per Opta, the USMNT’s 53 touches in the attacking box were inside the top 10 in World Cup matches in the last 60 years, in addition to being a new team record in that span: > 53 - The [#USMNT](https://x.com/hashtag/USMNT?src=hash&ref%5Fsrc=twsrc%5Etfw&ref=backheeled.com)'s 53 touches in the attacking box vs. Paraguay on Friday were tied for the eighth-most in a FIFA World Cup match since 1966 and 17 more than any other match for the U.S. in the competition in that time. > > Overwhelming. [pic.twitter.com/ZwzGKmhe2q](https://t.co/ZwzGKmhe2q?ref=backheeled.com) > > — OptaJack⚽️ (@OptaJack) [June 13, 2026](https://x.com/OptaJack/status/2065837350098210874?ref%5Fsrc=twsrc%5Etfw&ref=backheeled.com) “Only in this type of tournament, like the Gold Cup, and now the World Cup because you have a preparation of two, three, four weeks — that is the only moment that we can coach,” Pochettino added after his team’s record-setting showing. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### USL Championship Power Rankings: Detroit City erupt, Las Vegas Lights rise & more URL: https://www.backheeled.com/usl-championship-power-rankings-detroit-city-erupt-las-vegas-lights-more/ Last updated: 2026-06-14T15:47:05.000Z In the USL Championship’s Eastern Conference, just six points separate the team in second place from the team in ninth. Out West, that margin is merely five points. After Week 15, every single club in the division has lost at least once, and the parity across the board remains remarkable. Which teams did the most to raise their stock, and who failed to rise to the occasion? Let’s dig in to this week’s power rankings. The World Cup is here. So is our biggest discount ever. [Get 30% off a Backheeled subscription today! ](https://www.backheeled.com/backheeled-2026-world-cup-discount) ## 1\. Tampa Bay Rowdies ***Trending: No change*** *Result: 2-2 draw v. Charleston, 1-0 loss v. Hartford* Finally, the Tampa Bay Rowdies have lost a soccer match. On the stat sheet, Dom Casciato’s side was as dominant as ever, ending Week 15 with a 3.8 to 1.9 xG edge across two matches. In practice, however, the strokes of luck simply didn’t go the Rowdies’ way. Charleston played the Rowdies tighter than any team they’d yet played, but Tampa Bay still found answers. The key was to speed the game up, particularly in post-restart situations. Tampa Bay’s back five was less steady than usual, but they still excelled at flooding forward immediately after regaining. At best, you’d see forwards like MD Myers and Louis Perez fight for searching balls into the attacking zone, supported by later-arriving motion all over the pitch. > Charlie Ostrem's game-tying assist for the [@TampaBayRowdies](https://x.com/TampaBayRowdies?ref%5Fsrc=twsrc%5Etfw&ref=backheeled.com) earns him tonight's [@PrinxTiresUSA](https://x.com/PrinxTiresUSA?ref%5Fsrc=twsrc%5Etfw&ref=backheeled.com) Most Valuable Performer honors 👏[#USLonCBS](https://x.com/hashtag/USLonCBS?src=hash&ref%5Fsrc=twsrc%5Etfw&ref=backheeled.com) | [#PrinxTiresUSA](https://x.com/hashtag/PrinxTiresUSA?src=hash&ref%5Fsrc=twsrc%5Etfw&ref=backheeled.com) [pic.twitter.com/J3duUgTJbe](https://t.co/J3duUgTJbe?ref=backheeled.com) > > — USL Championship (@USLChampionship) [June 11, 2026](https://x.com/USLChampionship/status/2064904604161114471?ref%5Fsrc=twsrc%5Etfw&ref=backheeled.com) The directness paid off handsomely as Tampa Bay tried to chase the game. With Charlie Ostrem allowed to push up from left back instead of sitting deep in a resting four, the Rowdies could swing over the top and immediately access the former Union Omaha star on the edge of the box. From there, Ostrem could beat two men, cut inside, and play Mattheus Oliveira through to preserve his side’s perfect record. Casciato wanted to push the issue against Hartford from the jump on Saturday, and he opted to use loanee Isaiah LeFlore and the ever-versatile Sebastian Cruz as his fullbacks to make it happen. Tampa Bay was as prodigious as ever in a match where they held 76% of possession and put up 2.6 xG, but there was a problem: they couldn’t finish. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Pochettino asked, U.S. fans answered, the USMNT delivered URL: https://www.backheeled.com/pochettino-usmnt-fans-world-cup-paraguay-pulisic-balogun-mckennie/ Last updated: 2026-06-17T18:00:35.000Z INGLEWOOD, Calif. – The U.S. men’s national team spent its buildup to the largest World Cup in history in calm, quiet environs. The United States’ preparation began at the new U.S. Soccer National Training Center, located almost 25 miles south of Atlanta on what was once a cow pasture. It continued at the expansive Orange County Great Park, roughly 40 miles south of Los Angeles. But on Friday? Calm turned into an explosion. In their home World Cup opener against Paraguay, the U.S. asserted themselves early, controlled the first half, scored three before the break, and ended up with a historic 4-1 win. The World Cup is here. So is our biggest discount ever. [Get 30% off a Backheeled subscription today! ](https://www.backheeled.com/backheeled-2026-world-cup-discount) The U.S. took the lead with an own goal in the seventh minute. “I was like, ‘Okay, luck is on our side a little bit,’” Weston McKennie said. A deflected cross from Christian Pulisic then fell perfectly into the path of Folarin Balogun, which he buried to double the lead in the 31st minute. There was no fortune needed for the third strike in stoppage time, an exclamation point from Balogun with his left foot. “Incredible first half from the team. It’s exactly the way we wanted to start, and exactly the way we wanted to start the tournament,” captain Tim Ream said. “The overall energy, the aggressiveness, the intensity, the focus on both sides of the ball. Everything was just about perfect.” _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Winners & Losers: What stood out in USMNT’s World Cup win over Paraguay URL: https://www.backheeled.com/usmnt-paraguay-world-cup-winners-losers-pochettino-balogun-pulisic-injury/ Last updated: 2026-07-01T18:25:13.000Z INGLEWOOD, Calif. – It’s in the title, folks. After each USMNT game at the World Cup, *Backheeled* will dive into the biggest Winners and Losers. Let’s get right to our dissection of the United States’ 4-1 opening win over Paraguay, shall we? The World Cup is here. So is our biggest discount ever. [Get 30% off a Backheeled subscription today! ](https://www.backheeled.com/backheeled-2026-world-cup-discount) ## Winner: Mauricio Pochettino’s bet on culture over chemistry Quick, guess how many times Mauricio Pochettino had used the starting lineup he trotted out in a dominant victory over Paraguay. If you guessed *zero*, congratulations! You win a prize. Alright, fine, you got me. There is no prize other than the pride of being right and, potentially, being smarter than your fellow readers. Ever since Pochettino was so dismayed by his team’s attitude and performance against Panama in the Concacaf Nations League semifinals in March of last year, the manager has prioritized culture and effort over chemistry and reps at every turn. If you’re looking for the evidence behind that statement, look no further than Pochettino choosing to leave Pulisic at home for all of last summer rather than have him play the USMNT’s two pre-Gold Cup friendlies before getting his desired rest. In all, Pochettino used a staggering 71 players before naming his World Cup roster – and even with that roster named, he opted to use a mixture of first- and second-choice players for the team’s penultimate friendly against Senegal. Then, in the team’s ultimate friendly against Germany, the U.S. coach unveiled a previously untested midfield duo of Tyler Adams and Malik Tillman. And so, after 20 months of culture rehabilitation and player pool exploration, Pochettino’s team arrived at the World Cup with a previously unseen group of starters. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### The USMNT thinks its attack is ready to explode at the World Cup. Will it? URL: https://www.backheeled.com/usmnt-world-cup-attack-deliver-pulisic-reyna-balogun-pepi-pochettino/ Last updated: 2026-06-13T18:18:31.000Z IRVINE, Calif. – When it comes to the on-field narratives swirling around the U.S. men’s national team ahead of their World Cup opener, there’s been plenty of focus on how they’ll keep the ball out of their own net. Concern about the team’s lack of quality center backs and, crucially, about Chris Richards' role as he works back from an ankle injury have abounded. Then there’s the uncertainty about the starting goalkeeper that’s continued into the team’s first week at their base camp in sunny Orange County. Richards confirmed on Wednesday that he’s available for the U.S.’s inaugural group stage clash with Paraguay on Friday. Matt Freese, for his part, said on Monday that he had not yet been informed about whether he would be the team’s No. 1\. Still, he’ll likely get the nod after starting the USMNT’s World Cup sendoff [match against Germany](https://www.backheeled.com/usmnt-germany-world-cup-pochettino-antonee-robinson-goal-dest-tillman/). With answers coming into focus on the defensive end, then, there’s a different question hovering over the United States ahead of a group stage slate that may see them have to dictate play against all three of Paraguay, Australia, and Turkey. That question is one that’s shadowed this team – and the broader U.S. men’s player pool – for a long time. *Can the players consistently create quality chances and score goals?* The World Cup is here. So is our biggest discount ever. [Get 30% off a Backheeled subscription today! ](https://www.backheeled.com/backheeled-2026-world-cup-discount) At the 2022 World Cup, the U.S. only conceded one goal in the group stage. But they only scored two, ensuring a tense escape to the knockout rounds. This time around, they’re supposed to advance to that phase of the tournament in a much smoother fashion in hopes of a dream deep run. While eight of out of 12 third-place teams will also advance, winning the group is a very reasonable expectation, and that likely entails two wins and a goal differential cushion to avoid a thornier finale facing a strong Turkish side. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### MLS scouts should be watching these six USL players URL: https://www.backheeled.com/usl-mls-transfer-stars-to-watch-prospects-scouting-analysis/ Last updated: 2026-06-11T12:00:24.000Z What makes a USL star attractive to an MLS suitor? The two biggest-name players that made the jump last winter paint a clear picture. Taylor Calheira was a prime-age striker with experience in MLS Next Pro, and he made his way to Sporting Kansas City. Finn Sundstrom had earned legitimate starting minutes as a teenager, worked his way into the U.S. youth national setup, and was signed by the Philadelphia Union. Those are the buckets that might get a look-in: proven stars with existing ties to MLS and can’t-miss youth prospects. Which USL standouts are making their case in the 2026 season? I have six picks (and a bevy of honorable mentions) that should get a shot in MLS. The World Cup is here. So is our biggest discount ever. [Get 30% off a Backheeled subscription today! ](https://www.backheeled.com/backheeled-2026-world-cup-discount) ## Colton Swan, ST, Charleston Battery There’s a case to be made that Colton Swan is *the* breakout player of the USL season, and the potential for the 18-year-old to push onto even bigger things couldn’t be clearer. Swan has already proven himself during stints at Indiana University and with Colorado Rapids 2, and he’s emerged as a regular contributor for the U.S. U-18s to boot. At every level, the No. 9 has succeeded. That might just hold true in MLS should a suitor come calling. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Hater’s Guide to the USMNT at the World Cup: Why they’ll fall short on home soil URL: https://www.backheeled.com/haters-guide-to-usmnt-at-world-cup-pochettino-pulisic-adams-richards-ream/ Last updated: 2026-06-13T05:17:40.000Z While sane U.S. men’s national team fans spend the buildup to the World Cup reminding themselves of the gap that still exists between their team and the best nations in the world, something odd always happens as the tournament nears. *Hope seeps in*. You’ve felt it, haven’t you? That brief moment where you allow yourself to imagine Mauricio Pochettino’s team charging into the World Cup semifinals on home soil? Perhaps the moment was inspired by a [chance-creating showcase against Senegal](https://www.backheeled.com/pochettino-usmnt-senegal-win-world-cup-friendly-roster-berhalter-reyna/) two weekends ago. Or perhaps it was sparked by the [U.S. going toe-to-toe with Germany](https://www.backheeled.com/usmnt-germany-world-cup-pochettino-antonee-robinson-goal-dest-tillman/) on Saturday. Regardless, today I’m here to help you snap back to reality. Consider this preparation for the virtually inevitable sadness that will set in for you and the rest of the USMNT’s fanbase at some point over the next month. Really, I’m guarding your heart so you don’t have to. You’re welcome. If the U.S. falls short of your wildest dreams on home soil, one of these things will probably be the reason why. The World Cup is here. So is our biggest discount ever. [Get 30% off a Backheeled subscription today! ](https://www.backheeled.com/backheeled-2026-world-cup-discount) ## The USMNT simply doesn’t have an elite talent pool Want a sobering dose of reality? Good. Here goes. Only eight teams have ever won the men's World Cup. There’s a select group of national teams who have taken care of business at one or more of history's 22 men's World Cups, and the United States isn't among them. There hasn't been a new entrant into that exclusive club since Spain won it all in 2010\. Put simply, the odds of a new winner are low. Even if there is a new winner, why should it be the U.S.? _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### How to sound smart about the USMNT during the World Cup URL: https://www.backheeled.com/how-to-sound-smart-about-usmnt-during-world-cup-pochettino-roster/ Last updated: 2026-06-17T18:00:50.000Z You’re at the bar. One of the U.S. men’s national team’s World Cup games is playing on the big screen. The person next to you makes a comment about Christian Pulisic as he dribbles down the left wing. *“Pulisic was better when he played as a pure No. 10,” they mutter.* The Almighty Rules of Conversation that were established before the dawn of time dictate that you now have to respond with a USMNT take of your own. But what do you say, other than *“you’re wrong about Pulisic”* (which they are, of course)? I’m here to help. Today, I’m setting the table for you ahead of the United States’ run at the World Cup. This tournament will see the best nations from every continent battle each other – the real battle, though, is the one between your clever observations and the clever observations of those around you. The person with the most smart points at the end of the tournament wins. Those are the rules. I don’t make them. I just enforce them. To give you a head start, here’s one useful remark about every player on the USMNT’s World Cup roster. The World Cup is here. So is our biggest discount ever. [Get 30% off a Backheeled subscription today! ](https://www.backheeled.com/backheeled-2026-world-cup-discount) ## Matt Freese, Goalkeeper **What to say when the camera pans to him:** “That dude did a Harvard research project on penalty kicks, and it paid off.” Freese, a Harvard graduate, is likely to start in net for the United States this summer. The New York City FC goalkeeper’s best asset might be his penalty prowess. After putting together a [research project](https://www.foxsports.com/stories/soccer/usmnts-fightback-against-costa-rica-will-help-gold-cup-semis-beyond?ref=backheeled.com) in college on penalty kicks, Freese has won three of the five shootouts he’s participated in as an MLS or USMNT player. Two of those came with New York City and one came with the United States, where he saved three out of six penalties to help the U.S. to victory over Costa Rica in the Gold Cup. ## Matt Turner, Goalkeeper **What to say when the camera pans to him:** ”After his Premier League stint, Turner is back to being the best shot-stopper in MLS.” So far this year, Turner has saved 8.8 goals more than expected for the New England Revolution, as per American Soccer Analysis. The 31-year-old started for the USMNT at the 2022 World Cup and will be ready to go if called upon this summer. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### After Pochettino's 10 windows, maybe the USMNT is exactly where it needs to be URL: https://www.backheeled.com/what-we-learned-from-pochettino-usmnt-tenure-what-it-means-for-world-cup/ Last updated: 2026-06-11T18:48:45.000Z *When Mauricio Pochettino signed on in Sept. 2024, only 10 international windows — nine regular FIFA dates, plus the 2025 Gold Cup — separated the USMNT from the 2026 World Cup. After each, “Ten Windows” dug into key developments and charted the USMNT’s progress towards the 2026 World Cup. This is (naturally) the final entry in the series.* ## Results this window: USA 3, Senegal 2 (Dest 7, Pulisic 20, Balogun 63; Mane 44, 52) Germany 2, USA 1 (Havertz 5, Sane 57; Robinson 37) ## The story this window: USMNT fans have reason to believe. Until Friday, at least, that’s enough. Mauricio Pochettino has landed the plane. It’s arrived at the gate after some severe turbulence. But days before the start of World Cup 2026, the U.S. men’s national team has arrived where it was always supposed to – [feelin’ good about its chances this summer](https://www.backheeled.com/usmnt-germany-world-cup-pochettino-antonee-robinson-goal-dest-tillman/) against the best teams in the world. Before letting ourselves get *too* excited about the U.S.’s performances against Senegal and Germany, though, it’s worth remembering how bumpy a flight Pochettino’s 20-plus months at the U.S. controls has been. His second game in charge was [a listless *dos a cero* defeat to Mexico](https://www.backheeled.com/ten-windows-pochettino-usmnt-miracle-worker-depth-problem-mexico-panama/). His first competitive matches, in the 2025 Nations League, [were a honeymoon-ending debacle](https://www.backheeled.com/mauricio-pochettino-says-we-have-time-as-usmnt-suffer-back-to-back-losses/). [Switzerland needed less than 40 minutes to humiliate a reserve-team eleven](https://www.backheeled.com/usmnt-pochettino-friendly-disaster-switzerland-turkey-gold-cup-world-cup/) in the single worst USMNT performance in recent memory. Then there was [another ugly defeat to South Korea](https://www.backheeled.com/usmnt-lose-south-korea-pochettino-questions-roster-depth-world-cup/) before the U.S.’s turning-point win over Japan last September [pulled the team out of its nosedive](https://www.backheeled.com/usmnt-japan-south-korea-pochettino-balogun-mckennie-mls-world-cup/). Even with its [momentum restored](https://www.backheeled.com/pochettino-shows-why-usmnt-hired-him-uruguay-paraguay-world-cup/) entering 2026 the U.S. didn’t inspiring in March losses to [Belgium](https://www.backheeled.com/usmnt-vs-belgium-loss-what-we-learned-pochettino-weah-world-cup/) and [Portugal](https://www.backheeled.com/usmnt-loss-portugal-pochettino-tactics-pulisic-frustrated-world-cup/). Fortunately, none of those setbacks nullify the forward strides taken since [Pochettino’s halftime overhaul vs. South Korea](https://www.backheeled.com/pochettino-usmnt-tactics-2026-world-cup-formation-analysis-shape/). Since that moment the USMNT have deservedly defeated Japan, Australia, Paraguay, Uruguay and Senegal – not just World Cup teams, but World Cup teams with real expectations of making the knockouts. (And particularly in the cases of Japan, Uruguay and Senegal, winning games once they get there.) The draw against Ecuador wasn’t far off from being added to that list. Even the defeats against Belgium and Portugal featured [a few genuine bright spots once you looked beyond the scorelines](https://www.backheeled.com/usmnt-positives-losses-portugal-belgium-pochettino-world-cup-plans-pulisic-tactics/) (and second-half performances). _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### USL Cup: Analyzing each Championship, League One club after Matchday 3 URL: https://www.backheeled.com/usl-cup-championship-league-one-power-rankings-matchday-three/ Last updated: 2026-06-08T13:10:47.000Z The USL Cup’s tiebreaker rules are meant to encourage goalscoring, but is that actually bearing out? This season, the average cup match has featured 2.75 goals. That’s less than in the League One regular season, 0.01 goals higher than the Championship average, and a decline from last year’s cup. In other words, teams aren’t meaningfully changing their systems to chase down a potential wildcard berth. Still, this weekend’s full slate of group games was full of excitement and fascinating takeaways. What stood out, and which of the 42 clubs in the competition are in position to advance? I’m ranking the contenders from top to bottom to find out. ## 1\. Tampa Bay Rowdies ***Trending: No change*** *Result: 2-0 win at Jacksonville* Is Tampa Bay now a back three team? The Rowdies broke out that formation against Louisville a week ago, and it would’ve been easy for the change to be a one-off against the USL’s premier three-at-the-back side. That the Rowdies returned to the well in Jacksonville this weekend hints at a bigger shift. Shape aside, Tampa Bay varied their approach week-over-week. Whereas the win in Kentucky was a bit more direct than usual, the Rowdies delighted in working through lines in the USL Cup. Their shape was vaguely a 3-1-4-2, but interchange through the midfield and forward lines was rampant. MD Myers was a constant as a No. 9, but Marco Micaletto, Sebastian Cruz, and Louis Perez were a maelstrom around him. > 45 + 2' | Myers doing what he does best 🙂‍↕️ > > MD doubles the lead! [#JAXvTBR](https://x.com/hashtag/JAXvTBR?src=hash&ref%5Fsrc=twsrc%5Etfw&ref=backheeled.com) | 0-2 [pic.twitter.com/4j1jiik7ei](https://t.co/4j1jiik7ei?ref=backheeled.com) > > — Tampa Bay Rowdies (@TampaBayRowdies) [June 7, 2026](https://x.com/TampaBayRowdies/status/2063411259765150114?ref%5Fsrc=twsrc%5Etfw&ref=backheeled.com) The Rowdies’ first two goals were both semi-transitional, with a midfield recovery quickly leading to a break upfield. Cruz finished the first in the 35th minute, and Myers came good a few beats later. That chance started with a recovery by left wingback Charlie Ostrem, who immediately pushed up the sideline as the midfielders one-touched their way into space. The flurry of motion opened Cruz on the weak right side, where he looked upfield and found the striker for a clean finish off the through. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### The USMNT leaves its final World Cup tune-up with belief: "We can play up against anyone" URL: https://www.backheeled.com/usmnt-germany-world-cup-pochettino-antonee-robinson-goal-dest-tillman/ Last updated: 2026-06-10T16:09:06.000Z CHICAGO – It was the perfect setting for a final send-off friendly before the World Cup. An iconic, sold-out football stadium in the United States’ third-biggest city served as the venue for the U.S. men’s national team’s clash with Germany in a game that coincided with the 82nd anniversary of D-Day. But just as the game began, so did the rain. And then, suddenly, the buzz was truly dampened. An unmarked Kai Havertz gave Germany the lead in the second minute. The Arsenal striker headed the ball past Matt Freese off a pinpoint Joshua Kimmich free kick delivered from the doorstep of the U.S. penalty box. For about ten more minutes Germany was dictating, but the USMNT’s starters – like the rotated lineup in the second half [last week after Senegal had equalized](https://www.backheeled.com/pochettino-usmnt-senegal-win-world-cup-friendly-roster-berhalter-reyna/) – grew into the game. They gained control and equalized through Antonee Robinson’s wonder-strike to make it 1-1 at halftime. > RIP IT AND FLIP IT! A WORLDY FROM JEDI![#USMNT](https://x.com/hashtag/USMNT?src=hash&ref%5Fsrc=twsrc%5Etfw&ref=backheeled.com) x [@VW](https://x.com/VW?ref%5Fsrc=twsrc%5Etfw&ref=backheeled.com) [pic.twitter.com/3rXxlvHSLz](https://t.co/3rXxlvHSLz?ref=backheeled.com) > > — U.S. Soccer Men's National Team (@USMNT) [June 6, 2026](https://x.com/USMNT/status/2063339587486072911?ref%5Fsrc=twsrc%5Etfw&ref=backheeled.com) “The reaction was really positive, and after, we finish the first half. We dominate Germany, and we create chances,” manager Mauricio Pochettino said postgame. “The boys responded really well. To concede early against a team like that is always pretty s—,” Tyler Adams said. “Sometimes when you get punched in the mouth, you gotta stand back up and punch back,” Tim Ream said. “All the guys stepped up, flying around, tackles, the one-v-one duels, just making life really, really difficult \[for Germany\] after conceding so early, so really, really encouraging response for sure.” Pochettino acknowledged he was upset in the moment, but he framed conceding so early as an “amazing challenge” and he came away satisfied that his side proved “we can deal with this type of situation we can find in the future.” _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### What each USL Championship team needs in the transfer market URL: https://www.backheeled.com/what-each-usl-championship-team-needs-summer-transfer-market/ Last updated: 2026-06-07T21:46:19.000Z When FC Tulsa hosted last season’s USL Championship title game, their lineup featured five midseason acquisitions. The New Mexico United team they beat in the Western Conference Final got there because of summer signings like Valentin Noel and Kipp Keller. In consecutive seasons, Rhode Island FC has reached the Eastern Conference Final by adding defenders (i.e., Morris Duggan and Hamady Diop) late in the campaign. Clubs across the league hope to enter each year as fully-formed as possible, but doing good business during the season is of the utmost importance. As we barrel toward the halfway point of the 2026 season, all 25 clubs in the Championship have some area where they can improve. What should be topping each team’s shopping list? Let’s dig in. ## Birmingham Legion **Need: Ball-playing center back** The Legion have tried to shift toward a more possessive system this season, and Ramiz Hamouda made it happen as their left-sided center back. Prior to his move to Werder Bremen, Hamouda ranked in the 89th percentile among USL defenders with 11.4 final-third entries per 90\. With Hamouda gone, 30-year-old AJ Paterson just getting fit, and the specter of a recall hanging over loanee Keegan Hughes, Birmingham would do well to add a pass-first defender. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Back four? Back three? Here's how Pochettino’s USMNT actually sets up URL: https://www.backheeled.com/pochettino-usmnt-tactics-2026-world-cup-formation-analysis-shape/ Last updated: 2026-06-17T18:01:07.000Z There’s a song by Ben Lapidus going around the internet that my kids are obsessed with. In the song, Lapidus asks a very important question: “Is it Pet Smart, or Pet’s Mart? Are you saying that pets are smart? Or are you saying you’re a mart for pets?” My kids have listened to this song obsessively for the last few weeks, and it’s honestly incredible watching a three-year-old mosh [while screaming](https://x.com/benlapidusmusic/status/2029232519351288294?s=20&ref=backheeled.com), “I need answers! Which one is it? It can’t be both!” Take that same energy and apply it to the primary formation the U.S. men’s national team has used under Mauricio Pochettino. Is it a back four? Or a back three? Those questions seem to be puzzling fans and pundits alike. We need answers, then. Which one is it? Well, in this case, it *can* be both. At the heart of this issue is how we talk about formations. Too often when discussing tactics, we make two big mistakes. The first issue is that we conflate “formation” with “tactics”. A team’s shape is important, but there are so many things that determine much more of their tactical identity: how they press, how they build out from the back, how they try to create scoring chances, and more. Shape or formation is important, but it’s not everything. The second issue – and this is at the crux of assessing the USMNT’s setup – is that we tend to think of formations as fixed and unchanging, when in reality they shift between different phases of play. Under Pochettino, the U.S. has used different shapes with the ball and without it, and the shape change has framed the discussion of the team’s tactical setup. So, let’s figure this out, shall we? Here’s the lowdown on Pochettino’s most-used shape. --- [Pochettino bet on competition over continuity for the USMNT — and the payoff seems to be showingWith a steadfast win over Senegal on Sunday, the U.S. approaches the World Cup with “hope for our future”.![](https://static.ghost.org/v5.0.0/images/link-icon.svg)BackheeledSanjay Sujanthakumar![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/22/3c/223ce17d-3253-4d03-873b-ce236408cde2/content/images/thumbnail/WORLD-CUP-FRIENDLY-GRAPHIC-82c844ef11d932413684c18f11baacc67afa25d4e9ef9850932f92d83b48a68c.jpeg)](https://www.backheeled.com/pochettino-usmnt-senegal-win-world-cup-friendly-roster-berhalter-reyna/) --- ## The USMNT’s go-to setup under Pochettino Pochettino found his go-to setup with the USMNT back at the very beginning of his tenure. Looking at his very first match in charge against Panama in October, 2024, the Argentine’s shape in controlled possession moments and in a defensive block is the same as the one he’s using on the World Cup’s doorstep. In possession, the U.S. tend to use a 3-2-5 setup. In defense, they tend to use a 4-4-2\. Against Panama, Antonee Robinson played as a high-flying left back in possession, Tim Ream and Mark McKenzie played at center back, and Joe Scally acted as a more stay-at-home right back, with Yunus Musah high and wide on the right side. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### USL League One: One Knox's improvement, Union Omaha's versatility & everything else URL: https://www.backheeled.com/usl-league-one-one-knoxs-improvement-union-omahas-versatility-everything-else/ Last updated: 2026-06-04T13:24:14.000Z We’re 13 weeks into the League One season, but how much stock should we put into the table? At this point last year, three of the eight playoff positions were occupied by clubs that wouldn’t make the cut come October. The eventual Players’ Shield winner, One Knox, sat in fifth place. Indeed, the last time the eventual first seed topped the table in Week 13 was all the way back in 2022. In other words, nothing is decided in the 2026 season. We’ve seen a handful of clubs start well, but League One is a meat grinder. Who looked prepared to meet that challenge, and what stood out for every club in Week 13? Let’s dig in. ## Union Omaha’s versatility Union Omaha is first in League One, and it’d be easy to assume that they’re copy-pasting the same tactical approach every single week. That’s not the case. Vincenzo Candela is sticking to a back four, dominating possession, and trusting his center backs to backstop a strong counterpress, but there’s room for innovation around those principles. Away to New York midweek, Omaha secured a 2-1 win by tempering their system. If the Cosmos are going to beat you, they’ll do so by breaking into the channels off long balls or press-driven breaks. To stop that from happening, Candela made the astute choice to sit Ryen Jiba and Cam Lawrence deep at the fullback spots. Los Búhos took on more of a 4-2-4 look going both ways, stabilizing their resting base and limiting open spaces up the sidelines. That choice didn’t stop Omaha from being the aggressor. At times, one of the center mids would push into more of a 4-1-5 or 4-1-2-3 to pin New York. When the Cosmos inevitably drove a pass up the channel, Lawrence was particularly good at tracking the danger. By the time they went up in the 60th minute, Omaha had only allowed six shots in the run of play, none worth more than 0.05 xG. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/22/3c/223ce17d-3253-4d03-873b-ce236408cde2/content/images/2026/06/data-src-image-ed97ca2a-d502-4cfb-9c00-d078a7db27ad.png) Compare the heatmaps of Omaha’s starting fullbacks from the Cosmos game and their preceding win against Chattanooga, and the distinction is even clearer. Basic squad rotation played a part – the rookie Lawrence offers less of an offensive punch than veteran Younes Boudadi at right back – but the back line’s depth is clear. Jiba’s main nexus of touches took place in the defensive half, and Lawrence was relatively uninvolved in possession. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Pochettino bet on competition over continuity for the USMNT — and the payoff seems to be showing URL: https://www.backheeled.com/pochettino-usmnt-senegal-win-world-cup-friendly-roster-berhalter-reyna/ Last updated: 2026-06-07T01:25:29.000Z With a steadfast win over Senegal on Sunday, the U.S. approaches the World Cup with "hope for our future". _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### USL Championship Power Rankings: Youth development progress, Indy Eleven impress & more URL: https://www.backheeled.com/usl-championship-power-rankings-youth-development-indy-eleven-more/ Last updated: 2026-06-02T14:59:44.000Z This week, the Birmingham Legion [finalized](https://www.uslchampionship.com/news%5Farticle/show/1361839?ref=backheeled.com) the sale of teenaged defender Ramiz Hamouda to the Bundesliga. Meanwhile, rumors are swirling that Sacramento Republic have signed off on a move to FC Dallas for Da’vian Kimbrough, a midfielder who made national headlines when he earned a pro debut at age 13\. Hamouda was far from great when he first arrived in Alabama, but he always got real opportunities to play. Sacramento isn’t averse to playing prospects – teenagers like Blake Willey and Chibi Ukaegbu have been regulars in recent years – but prioritize winning over all else, hence why Kimbrough has only appeared eight times in total since that 2023 debut. There isn’t one “correct” way to develop young players, and both Birmingham and Sacramento rate among the USL’s most progressive clubs in that area by any standard. Taken together, however, the Hamouda and Kimbrough experiences underline the same point: nothing is more important than playing time. Beyond those long-term questions, Week 13 in the USL Championship continued to muddy the competitive waters across the league. After a slew of major results, where do all 25 clubs fall, and how’d they get there? Let’s dig in. ## 1\. Tampa Bay Rowdies ***Trending: No change*** *Result: 2-0 win at Louisville* Imagine a Civil War battle, with the Union Army marching ceaselessly forward, bayonets ahead. If one soldier falls at the front of the line, another will take his place. I’m not here to say Dominic Casciato is the USL’s Ulysses S. Grant, but the way he’s able to churn through tactical options until the opposition is overwhelmed is positively warlike. Away to LouCity this weekend, the introduction of Laurence Wyke into a surprise back five was the opening salvo in yet another tactically sophisticated victory. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Pochettino signals USMNT World Cup shakeup: Tillman, McKennie will be “a little bit deeper” URL: https://www.backheeled.com/pochettino-signals-usmnt-world-cup-shakeup-tillman-mckennie-midfield-tactics-reyna/ Last updated: 2026-06-02T15:53:43.000Z FAYETTEVILLE, Ga. — The omission of central midfielders Tanner Tessmann and Aidan Morris, especially with Johnny Cardoso already ruled out due to injury, drew criticism when the U.S. men’s national team’s World Cup roster was leaked Saturday. After it was officially unveiled on Tuesday, manager Mauricio Pochettino was asked about what his midfield could look like this summer and gave outsiders [plenty to ponder](https://www.backheeled.com/usmnt-world-cup-roster-midfield-questions-pochettino-tactics-berhalter-roldan/) in response. Speaking to reporters on Thursday at a roundtable at U.S. Soccer’s brand-new National Training Center, Pochettino strongly hinted that he’ll deploy just one true No. 6 alongside someone who’s typically been deployed higher up the pitch. “We think that the capacity of Malik \[Tillman\] or Weston \[McKennie\], the position is going a little bit deeper,” Pochettino said. “I think we have better possibility to, in our build up, to have better control and to play much better and to claim the ball easier and to move the ball quick and to have this capacity to put the ball in the last third in a better condition. I think we need to be strong in our defensive side, but also we need players that in front to our center back have the possibility to play and feel comfortable. I think in the way that we understand football, is about to have the quality player on the squad to play. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### How the Tampa Bay Rowdies rebuilt themselves into the USL’s best club URL: https://www.backheeled.com/how-tampa-bay-rowdies-rebuilt-themselves-into-usl-best-club/ Last updated: 2026-06-01T04:53:19.000Z 12 weeks into the 2025 season, the Tampa Bay Rowdies sat last in the entire USL Championship with five points earned. Fast forward a year, and the story couldn’t be more different. Across all USL competitions, the Rowdies have earned 30 points in their opening dozen matches, good for the best start for any club in the last decade. With a +14.6 xG margin during that same span, Tampa Bay’s underlying numbers are as good as anyone’s since New York Red Bulls II in 2019\. That’s a historic level of improvement, but how did it come together? Rowdies manager Dominic Casciato and captain Lewis Hilton spoke to *Backheeled* to explain how Tampa Bay re-asserted themselves as a contender. --- Between 2019 and 2023, the Rowdies never finished lower than fifth in the Eastern Conference. Twice, they reached the playoff final. In many ways, that 2023 campaign was a changing of the guard. Tampa Bay placed second in the East, but longtime manager Neill Collins decamped for England that June, and the Rowdies crashed out in the first round of the playoffs without him. In the ensuing two seasons, Tampa Bay struggled to meet their usual standard. Manager Robbie Neilson, Collins’ full-time successor, led the club to a sixth-place finish in 2024 and was fired just four matches into 2025\. For Hilton, who was recruited by Collins and remains the club’s longest-tenured player, that period was defined by an inability to evolve. “It was tough when Neill moved on. He had so much control at the club and was making so many decisions about how we play, setting a whole culture off the field,” Hilton recalled. “When he moved on, like you’d see at any club at any level, it took some adjustment.” After the Neilson firing, Tampa Bay took their time in finding a successor. Three months went by before the Rowdies found their man: Dominic Casciato. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### The USMNT’s World Cup roster is here — and the midfield picture is murky URL: https://www.backheeled.com/usmnt-world-cup-roster-midfield-questions-pochettino-tactics-berhalter-roldan/ Last updated: 2026-05-31T22:50:52.000Z NEW YORK – On a humid, sunny day at Pier 17, the U.S. men’s national team revealed a World Cup roster [we knew was coming](https://www.backheeled.com/grading-mauricio-pochettino-usmnt-world-cup-roster-selections-at-every-position/). Mauricio Pochettino, as well as several USMNT players, spoke to the media. Some of their comments helped answer questions stemming from the U.S.’s 26-man squad. Others provided little clarity ahead of a pair of friendlies against Senegal and Germany that will lead right into the team’s group stage opener against Paraguay on June 12th. Here’s what we learned – and didn’t – about the United States’ roster. ## Pochettino’s unexpected midfield options Johnny Cardoso’s ankle surgery ruling him out of the World Cup had already dealt a serious blow to the American midfield options, with the Atletico Madrid man coming off a promising March window. But when the roster was revealed, the omission of Tanner Tessmann, who was expected to be fit for the tournament, triggered concern about who would partner with Tyler Adams. The exclusion of Aidan Morris, seemingly poised to be the steely No. 6 to back up Adams, was also somewhat surprising. The Tessmann decision in particular was proof that Pochettino’s emphasis on players arriving in the best condition to camp this month – meaning form and fitness, which Tessmann lacked – is real. Pochettino had praised Tessmann’s soccer “brain” in March. But when he was asked about Tessmann on Tuesday, it wasn’t surprising Pochettino said he didn’t want to discuss players who weren’t selected. That’s been his refrain in the past. He also deflected a question about trusting Adams in particular, saying “I trust in the whole roster.” He did, though, discuss what the midfield could look like, mentioning several potential candidates for a deeper role. The first two names mentioned by the U.S. manager on Tuesday were the only nominal defensive midfielders in the squad besides Adams: Sebastian Berhalter and Cristian Roldan. Then, Pochettino also mentioned Weston McKennie and Malik Tillman, who have both played as No. 8s for their clubs, though McKennie is far more experienced in that role than Tillman. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### USL League One: AC Boise's limits, Westchester SC's problems & everything else URL: https://www.backheeled.com/usl-league-one-ac-boise-limits-westchester-sc-problems-everything-else/ Last updated: 2026-05-27T12:30:51.000Z For college prospects looking to make their mark at the pro level, USL League One is the place to be. There’s a five-way tie atop the Golden Boot race after Week 12, and three of those scorers – Knoxville’s Denis Krioutchenkov, Fort Wayne’s Lilian Ricol and Taig Healy – were in the NCAA at this time last year. Boise goalkeeper Jonathan Kliewer ranks in the 75th percentile for goals prevented in his rookie campaign. Sarasota’s Sander Roed isn’t technically a rookie, but he’s leading League One in assists while earning the first consistent playing time of his young career. As leagues like MLS and even the USL Championship improve, it’s become harder for some college grads to find opportunities. Increasingly, League One is the place where it happens. This season, college rookies have been responsible for 24% of the minutes played in League One, second behind intra-league signings among all sources of talent. The rookie class of 2026 had their fingerprints all over Week 12, but what stood out for each club? Let’s dig in. ## The limits of AC Boise’s control Entering the weekend, Boise led USL League One allowing merely 1.06 xG per match. When you think about the Nate Miller system, it’s impossible not to start with his possession game. But that’s overly simplistic. Boise’s best moments (like their 2-1 win against Naples) have come by marrying their on-ball upside with rigid defensive structure – a structure that still isn’t set in stone, if Saturday’s 3-1 defeat to Fort Wayne is any indication. Between the two matches, Miller played around with his squad choices. Boise have been defined by the use of Blake Bodily and Nick Moon at the wingback spots in their expansion season, but the Naples victory saw Bodily slide into the front line of the 3-4-3\. Moon, in turn, took over at left wingback as Jonathan Ricketts held down the right. While Boise hasn’t been *in*efficient close to goal, the choice to get Bodily and Moon on the same side of the pitch sharpened their attacking blade without sacrificing resting security. [John Morrissey (@usltactics.com)Boise’s so good about using their outside CBs as ball-movers after switching the point. For an attack that’s so patient, having guys like Moussa Ndiaye on the right…![](https://static.ghost.org/v5.0.0/images/link-icon.svg)Bluesky SocialJohn Morrissey![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/22/3c/223ce17d-3253-4d03-873b-ce236408cde2/content/images/thumbnail/thumbnail-2ea0a8386851cb8cadd4f399c65b1d56b023e47e2032db8922d2278865805709.jpg)](https://bsky.app/profile/usltactics.com/post/3mlrnlvjjds2p?ref=backheeled.com) Here, Boise pushes up their right side after switching the point, leaning into Ricketts and rookie defender Moussa Ndiaye. As Ndiaye flexes upfield from central defense, Boise still maintains a “2+1” base (the remaining two center backs and a low-seated No. 6) behind him. Meanwhile, there’s far more freedom upfield. Ricketts is allowed to slice inside to receive, drawing a slew of Naples defenders. As a result, he can play into Bodily making a cross-field run into the box. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### MLS Winners and Losers: Evander's historic performance, Shield race heats up & more URL: https://www.backheeled.com/mls-winners-and-losers-evander-fc-cincinnati-supporters-shield-race/ Last updated: 2026-05-28T12:23:31.000Z *It’s in the title, folks. Every week during the MLS season, Backheeled is here to dive into the biggest Winners and Losers from around the league. Let’s get right to it.* ## Winner: Evander and new-look FC Cincinnati Pat Noonan has done a lot of tinkering with FC Cincinnati this year — a *whole* lot. After a poor start to the MLS season that saw them win just two of their first nine games while hemorrhaging goals, Noonan was right to tinker. Injuries and red cards created on-field lapses. A lack of ball progression ability across most of the roster created stagnant play. And so, we’ve seen defensive midfielders at center back, central midfielders at wing back, attackers in central midfield, and even more wildcards still. As Noonan has tinkered and, crucially, as the team has inched closer to fitness, they’ve started to pick up results again to the tune of 3W-2D-1L in their last six. One thing that hasn’t changed, though, is a simple fact about FC Cincinnati: Evander is the team’s most important player. Entering the weekend, only five players in MLS registered a greater share of their team’s final third touches than the Brazilian. That list? Lionel Messi, Facundo Torres, Carles Gil, and Guilherme. Evander runs the show in the attack, whether he’s positioned as a No. 10 behind a pair of strikers or in the halfspace like he did in Cincinnati’s 6-2 win over Orlando City. *Goals per game are up in MLS from last year to this year, by the way, by about a quarter of a goal per game. Between Cincinnati's win and Inter Miami's 6-4 win over the Philadelphia Union, two teams hit a half-dozen goals this weekend alone. Miami (and Argentina) would've traded a goal or two in exchange for Lionel Messi not subbing himself off with a potential injury concern in the second half. C'est la vie. The year's been crazy, y'all.* Beyond the feeling that abnormal scorelines have become decidedly normal for Cincy, Evander’s five goal contribution performance was the story of the evening. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### USL Championship Power Rankings: Tampa Bay Rowdies thrive, San Antonio FC rise & more URL: https://www.backheeled.com/usl-championship-power-rankings-tampa-bay-rowdies-san-antonio-fc/ Last updated: 2026-05-26T12:40:41.000Z The best team in the USL plays in the Eastern Conference, but the West is far deeper. If, say, Lexington SC (ranked 11th in the conference) or the Sacramento Republic (tied for the final playoff spot) won it all in November, it wouldn’t be a shock. At the top of the table, clubs like San Antonio FC and Orange County SC continue to roll. Things will continue to change in the final two-thirds of 2026, but it seems certain that the West will be a bloodbath all the way through to the final weekend. Week 12 continued to bolster that storyline, but how did it shake up the landscape across the USL? I’m power ranking all 25 clubs in the Championship to find out. ## 1\. Tampa Bay Rowdies ***Trending: No change*** *Result: 1-0 win at New Mexico, 3-0 win v. Phoenix* Tampa Bay’s star-powered offense is their calling card, but they’ve quietly been a defensive juggernaut in 2026\. Entering Week 12, the Rowdies’ opponents had taken 142 final-third passes to generate each of their expected goals, 16% better than any other team in the Championship. This club does it without overextending, mixing clever pressing schemes with an understanding of how to shut games down. That sensibility defined an away win in New Mexico. There, Tampa Bay started in a 4-2-3-1 and used Mattheus as a tight-marking No. 10 against the opposing single pivot. If the Rowdies could trap in the wide areas and stay tight via Mattheus, it was a recipe to create turnovers – including the fifth minute giveaway that let Tampa Bay go up 1-0\. [John Morrissey (@usltactics.com)So much to recommend with this Rowdies team, but reinventing Sebastian Cruz as a center mid that can cover all the space in the world is so good.![](https://static.ghost.org/v5.0.0/images/link-icon.svg)Bluesky SocialJohn Morrissey![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/22/3c/223ce17d-3253-4d03-873b-ce236408cde2/content/images/thumbnail/thumbnail-086659038344dae94f14d3001f32f9005c096995ce058f329c592c4e2d0bebc0.jpg)](https://bsky.app/profile/usltactics.com/post/3mmdaq37qqs2y?ref=backheeled.com) Notably, the Rowdies used Sebastian Cruz as a defensive mid to cover space behind the front of the press. Cruz has mostly played as a winger this year but has become a recent revelation as a No. 6; in Albuquerque, his understanding of when to support ball-side traps and when to recover to the weak side to deny switches was unbelievably strong. The former League One star also picked spots to drop deep into more of a resting back four in possession as the Rowdies saw out their win. After going on the road at midweek, Tampa Bay kept up that excellence with Phoenix visiting Al Lang Stadium over the weekend. A set piece goal put the Rowdies up within the opening two minutes, and the margin was three by halftime. Along the way, their 4-2-2-2ish shape expanded and contracted like an accordion, absolutely denying Phoenix the ability to work through the midfield. Cruz didn’t feature in the pivot, but Pedro Dolabella and Lewis Hilton combined to recreate his all-encompassing coverage. What more is there to say? Tampa Bay is the best team in the USL, especially with other high-profile clubs faltering in Week 12\. The Rowdies only seem to be getting better, and that’s a scary proposition for everyone else. ## 2\. San Antonio FC ***Trending: +7*** *Result: 2-1 win v. Sacramento* If the USL had a Rookie of the Year award, Lucio Berron would’ve garnered consideration last season. Coming out of Creighton, the midfielder ranked in the 95th percentile for duel wins and the 94th for defensive actions. Saturday’s match against Sacramento marked the 24-year-old’s first league start since the 2025 playoffs after an extended injury absence, and it was a day to remember for SAFC. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Grading Mauricio Pochettino’s USMNT World Cup roster selections at every position URL: https://www.backheeled.com/grading-mauricio-pochettino-usmnt-world-cup-roster-selections-at-every-position/ Last updated: 2026-05-28T19:56:51.000Z We weren’t supposed to know Mauricio Pochettino’s U.S. men’s national team World Cup roster until it was revealed live on a television special on Tuesday. But after a [report](https://www.theguardian.com/football/2026/may/23/usmnt-world-cup-roster-alejandro-zendejas-tanner-tessmann-gio-reyna-diego-luna?ref=backheeled.com) from The Guardian, one that’s since been widely confirmed, unveiled the entire 26-player squad, we can all enjoy unwrapping Pochettino’s present a few days early. Since settling into his post, the Argentine hasn’t been afraid to throw a curveball when it comes to his selections. His World Cup picks were no different. Plenty of expected players made the cut — but there were several surprises, too. So: did Pochettino make the right choices? Let’s break it all down by grading the selections at each position. ## Goalkeeper - Matt Freese, New York City FC - Matt Turner, New England Revolution - Chris Brady, Chicago Fire The United States lacks a true top-level goalkeeper plying their trade for one of the best clubs in the world (or, really, even one of the better clubs in the world). _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Matchmaking stars and MLS clubs: Lewandowski, Salah, Silva & more URL: https://www.backheeled.com/mls-transfer-stars-matchmaker-lewandowski-salah-silva-more/ Last updated: 2026-05-24T23:35:26.000Z No, you’re not crazy. We’re just one weekend away from MLS’s World Cup, with clubs hitting the pause button for almost two months while the country shifts its attention to the biggest tournament in sports. By the time teams hit the field again in mid-July, the transfer window will have opened, moves will have been made, and new players will have moved to new teams. Here at *Backheeled*, we’re taking off our news breaker hat (let’s be honest, it’s a knockoff hat we made ourselves and rarely wear) and putting on our speculation hat. We’re looking at massive names in Europe or elsewhere who could move to MLS, and where they could end up in this hypothetical reality. Suspend your disbelief and come on a ride with us! ## Mohammed Salah ### The team that makes sense: San Diego FC San Diego have been crying out for a Designated Player winger since they exiled Chucky Lozano, and Mohammed Salah, nearing his final game with Liverpool, would clearly make an impact on and off the field. Let’s not kid ourselves here – his production declined this season, but he’s still a good Premier League player and would instantly be one of the most dangerous attackers in MLS in a market that can still use a star name to drum up some buzz. Add in the Egyptian connection with club owner Sir Mohamed Mansour, and it makes a lot of sense. ### The team that could crash the party: LAFC LAFC. Summer window. Open DP spot. Older attacker coming from Europe. It’s happened before. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### U.S. Open Cup superlatives: Most unlikely hero, best field player save & more from the quarterfinals URL: https://www.backheeled.com/us-open-cup-quarterfinals-mls-st-louis-city-columbus-crew-more/ Last updated: 2026-05-23T20:10:55.000Z No matter what you want out of a soccer game, the U.S. Open Cup’s quarterfinals provided it. This round featured gritty tactical matchups, a penalty shootout, impact substitutions, and a good-ol’-fashioned rout. Now, we’re down to four clubs that are still pursuing a trophy. What stood out amidst it all? I’m assigning superlatives to catch up on all things Open Cup. Want to check out all of our American soccer coverage? [Become a paid subscriber today! ](#/portal/signup) _This post is for subscribers only._ ### St. Louis City’s new era shines a light on how MLS teams plot out a style of play URL: https://www.backheeled.com/st-louis-city-rebirth-how-mls-teams-develop-style-tactics-corey-wray-yoann-damet/ Last updated: 2026-05-25T03:19:27.000Z Corey Wray doesn’t have a lot of downtime. But in the brief moments when St. Louis City’s new sporting director isn’t occupied with ushering in the rebirth of an entire club, you might find him at home making pizza. “There’s a website that you type in the amount or weight and it gives me the right hydration,” Wray said, recounting his dough-making method that achieves just the right mixture of flour and water. The Canadian is currently working on perfecting his Neapolitan style and is a proponent of pineapple as a topping — “definitely in controversial fashion and I’m okay with that.” Even when he’s in the kitchen, Wray can’t turn off the part of his brain that’s helped qualify him to lead St. Louis’ front office: the part that’s fixated on installing clear, definable processes. “Without some formal processes, the outcomes can be super unclear to me,” Wray told *Backheeled*. Hired as St. Louis City’s second-ever sporting director in November, Wray has been busy tweaking things internally and maneuvering in the transfer market. The Canadian’s mandate in the Midwest is simple: turn the club into a consistent winner. While Wray is leading a front office for the first time in his career, outside of a short spell at the [chaotic, family-run CF Montreal](https://www.backheeled.com/cf-montreal-want-progress-is-that-possible-mls-weirdest-club-saputo-donadel/), he’s no stranger to winning. He was a key part of front offices for Toronto FC and the Columbus Crew when both clubs were at their best before making that pitstop in Montreal. Now settling into life in charge of St. Louis’ sporting department, Wray joined a club reeling after a pair of fallow years made the team’s West-topping 2023 campaign look more like a blip than a trend. In the midst of last season’s struggles, St. Louis City parted ways with their head coach and sporting director Lutz Pfannenstiel. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### MLS Winners and Losers: Crew's Henrik Rydstrom fired, Zavier Gozo shines & more URL: https://www.backheeled.com/mls-winners-and-losers-columbus-crew-fire-rydstrom-zavier-gozo-maxi-moralez/ Last updated: 2026-05-21T15:02:58.000Z *It’s in the title, folks. Every week during the MLS season, Backheeled is here to dive into the biggest Winners and Losers from around the league. Let’s get right to it.* ## Loser: Henrik Rydstrom The Henrik Rydstrom era ended as quickly as it began, really. 14 games into his MLS head coaching career, the Swede was fired by the Columbus Crew. The news dropped on Sunday afternoon, one day after the Crew played to a disappointing 1-1 draw with the current Wooden Spoon leaders, the Philadelphia Union. That draw brought Columbus points total to 13, good for an average of 0.93 per game (fourth-worst in MLS). “We are confident that we have the talent on our roster to consistently compete for championships, and we believe this change best positions us to accomplish that goal with the number of matches we have left this season,” chief soccer officer Issa Tall said. The Crew’s failings so far this season rest, in part, on Rydstrom. There’s been an overabundance of tactical chopping and changing: the former Malmo manager began the year in a Wilfried Nancy-esque back three before quickly shifting into a back four. Early on this year, Diego Rossi was marooned on the right side of midfield and tasked with defending deep in a 4-4-2 block before being moved back into the forward line. Steven Moreira, Max Arfsten, Sean Zawadski, Mo Farsi, and, well, just about everybody who took a giant leap under Nancy has been handed a different role in 2026. And the result? Both an actual and an expected goal differential that’s noticeably lower than last year. Rydstrom, to his credit, managed to improve Columbus’ leaky defense. But the attack — and the results — cratered in the process. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### USL Cup: Ranking each club’s chances of winning after Matchday 2 URL: https://www.backheeled.com/usl-cup-power-rankings-after-matchday-two-championship-league-one/ Last updated: 2026-05-20T13:29:43.000Z The USL Cup’s group stage is far from decided, but with 14 teams out of 42 having earned at least four points through two rounds of matches, the competitive landscape is starting to come together. Only eight teams across the Championship and League One — the seven group winners and one wildcard team — will advance to the knockouts, however. This weekend’s games skewed in favor of existing favorites, and upsets were relatively rare. Even so, the bubble got even messier thanks to strong showings from League One standouts Athletic Club Boise and Portland Hearts of Pine. Now that we’re halfway done with group play, who’s got the best chance at pushing into the knockout round. I’m breaking down all 42 clubs and ranking their title hopes to find out. ## 1\. Tampa Bay Rowdies ***Trending: No change*** *Result: 4-1 win at Miami* In my most recent [USL Championship power rankings](https://www.backheeled.com/usl-championship-power-rankings-new-mexico-united-louisville-city/), I moaned that Tampa Bay hasn’t been emphatic enough when putting opponents to bed. What a difference a week makes! Not only did the Rowdies go to Miami and earn three points, but they put on a show at Pitbull Stadium. Tampa Bay’s ability to mix it up in build was their strength. At times, that meant getting Dion Acoff and Charlie Ostrem involved in a 2-4-4ish build structure. If, for instance, a No. 8 could one-two past a Miami wingback in tandem with Acoff or Ostrem, it immediately forced a chain reaction of defensive rotations. The Rowdies mixed in that classier build with directness; if Miami hedged up to try and stop those patterns, Tampa Bay would gladly play over the top. [Tampa Bay Rowdies (@tampabayrowdies.bsky.social)12′ | PEREZ FROM DISTANCE TO GET US STARTED🔥![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/22/3c/223ce17d-3253-4d03-873b-ce236408cde2/content/images/icon/apple-touch-icon-16.png)Bluesky SocialTampa Bay Rowdies![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/22/3c/223ce17d-3253-4d03-873b-ce236408cde2/content/images/thumbnail/thumbnail-14.jpg)](https://bsky.app/profile/tampabayrowdies.bsky.social/post/3mlyyqewmbs22?ref=backheeled.com) The variation didn’t stop there. The more the Rowdies probed, the more they realized a shape with either Ostrem or midfielder Max Schneider dropping into a soft back three could break Miami’s back. When Tampa Bay got on the board just 12 minutes in, Ostrem’s deep presence – counterbalanced by a flying run up the right from Acoff – opened space through the middle for Louis Perez to rocket the Rowdies to a 1-0 edge. Tampa Bay rolled from there. A gorgeous side-to-side sequence furnished MD Myers with a headed finish in open play, and two set piece goals sandwiched around that conversion. The Rowdies never let Miami up for air along the way. This team will still need to keep up that 90-minute intensity against more organized foes at higher-leverage moments, but Saturday was a statement all its own. ## 2\. Sacramento Republic ***Trending: No change*** *Result: 1-0 win at Oakland* There’s plenty to recommend this Sacramento team as a contender in the USL Cup, but the sheer athleticism of their midfield might take the cake. Neill Collins used that edge to the utmost against Oakland over the weekend, shifting his press to address one of the Championship’s most versatile attacking teams. That defensive masterclass paired with reliable offensive patterns to yield a comfortable Republic win. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Picking best XIs for the USL Championship, League One URL: https://www.backheeled.com/picking-best-xis-for-usl-championship-league-one-stars/ Last updated: 2026-05-18T02:09:22.000Z Between the USL Championship and USL League One, nearly 650 matches will make up the 2026 season. As the regular season breaks for another weekend of [USL Cup action](https://www.backheeled.com/usl-cup-ranking-each-clubs-chance-of-winning-after-opening-weekend/), we’re 26% of the way through that slate. At the quarter mark in the campaign, which players have made the strongest all-USL cases? I’m picking the best lineup for both the Championship and League One to find out. ## USL Championship ### Rubio Rubin, ST, El Paso Locomotive Rubio Rubin might be the most important player in the league in 2026, even in a season full of strong striker play across the Championship. The No. 9 already has seven goals and two assists for El Paso, and they’ve come in a variety of situations. For one, Rubin is an excellent transition player. He’s currently fifth in the USL with 1.5 xG+xA on the break. The 30-year-old is equally imposing in settled situations, providing an unmatched quality of movement in the box. The Locomotive run on Rubin’s presence. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### How elite USMNT prospect, Red Bull New York midfielder Adri Mehmeti sees the game URL: https://www.backheeled.com/how-adri-mehmeti-rising-star-usmnt-red-bull-new-york-mls-sees-soccer/ Last updated: 2026-05-21T13:21:03.000Z “I'm not going to lie,” Adri Mehmeti says with a sheepish green spreading across his face. “I didn't watch him too much.” The “him” in question? None other than U.S. men’s national team legend Michael Bradley. Mehmeti, who just turned 17, has become a breakout star in MLS, starting every game as Red Bull New York’s defensive midfielder and burning so brightly that Champions League favorites are keeping close watch. Bradley, now Mehmeti’s coach, had his peak before his starting No. 6 was old enough to really sink his teeth into the game. Still, the teenager does “remember him a little bit”. He was 14 when Bradley hung up his boots, old enough to watch and digest the game. Really, though, instead of crunching tape of Bradley, Mehmeti was watching a much closer analog to his own game: Sergio Busquets. “I was always watching Sergio Busquets and I would see how he plays when he takes two touch, three touch, one touch, and implement that into my game,” Mehmeti told *Backheeled* of his admiration for the FC Barcelona and Spanish legend. For Mehmeti, watching film is a constant — “I watch a lot of football.” It’s not uncommon for the teenager to get back to his family’s home in Staten Island after training and see a game already playing on TV. Oftentimes, that’s the doing of his father Vani Mehmeti, who played semi-professional soccer in Europe. If it’s not a game, it’s tape of Busquets or Manchester City’s Rodri or of his own games and training sessions. “I really like to watch training, honestly, as soon as they post it. I’m trying to watch it right away. Games as well. I'm trying to watch them as quick as possible.” The hours spent watching the best defensive midfielders in the world and reviewing his own clips have clearly paid off. In his inaugural season in the U.S. top-flight, Mehmeti is operating with a level of comfort under pressure that invokes Busquets. He’s an elite prospect whose ability on the ball is previously unheard-of in the USMNT player pool. In addition to the U.S., he’s eligible to play for Albania, the country both of his parents immigrated from, at the senior international level. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### USL League One: FC Naples flounder, early retirements & everything else URL: https://www.backheeled.com/usl-league-one-fc-naples-flounder-early-retirements-everything-else/ Last updated: 2026-05-18T01:27:40.000Z Early retirements are a part of life in the USL, for better or worse. Over the offseason, relatively healthy starters from across the Championship and League One – think Oakland’s Camden Riley, Naples’ Chris Heckenberg, and Knoxville’s Callum Johnson – opted to hang up their boots. It’s easy to imagine life as a professional athlete as being glamorous, but there’s a reason fit players under the age of 30 are hanging it up. When FC Naples stalwart Max Glasser announced [his own retirement](https://www.fcnaples.com/news/2026/05/08/fc-naples-defender-max-glasser-announces-retirement-from-professional-soccer/?ref=backheeled.com#:~:text=FC%20Naples%20Defender%20Max%20Glasser%20Announces%20Retirement%20from%20Professional%20Soccer,-FC%20Naples&text=Naples,%20Florida%20%E2%80%93%20May%208,,looks%20toward%20his%20next%20chapter.) on Friday, it only furthered that trend. There’s been a heavy focus on the conditions of USL players in the wake of the Championship’s collective bargaining negotiations, and any issues faced down in the second division are that much starker in the third tier. As per League One’s CBA, a player earning the minimum base compensation number would take home just $23,500 for the year – and that’s before housing and healthcare are carved out. When League One’s CBA expires next winter, expect to see the USLPA fight for reforms that might disincentivize players from quitting the game and seeking a more traditional, steadier form of employment. That’s a fight for the future; in the meantime, the League One matchweek was full of big results and meaningful tactical swings. What stood out amidst it all? Let’s dig in. ## Red-hot Fort Wayne FC James Musa and Ryan Becher were supposed to be Fort Wayne’s backbone, providing USL-proven excellence at the front and back of Mike Avery’s lineup. Instead, injury issues have sidelined both players for more than a month. If you thought that would imperil the expansion side’s playoff hopes, think again; Fort Wayne looks stronger than ever coming out of Week 10 and is riding a four-match league unbeaten streak. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### MLS Winners and Losers: Michael Bradley's crucial tactical shift, FC Dallas impress & more URL: https://www.backheeled.com/mls-winners-and-losers-michael-bradley-tactics-fc-dallas-james/ Last updated: 2026-05-14T12:45:31.000Z *It’s in the title, folks. Every week during the MLS season, Backheeled is here to dive into the biggest Winners and Losers from around the league. Let’s get right to it.* ## Winner: Michael Bradley’s tactical adjustment Through 11 matches, first-year Red Bulls New York manager Michael Bradley had been downright dogmatic about his tactics. It’s been a 4-3-3, with both fullbacks bombing forward at any opportunity and the two center backs looking to push the ball upfield quickly whenever possible. It was fun, exciting, and, judging by their brutal defensive record, often disastrous. Heading into Saturday afternoon’s matchup with the Chicago Fire, only Orlando City and Sporting Kansas City had conceded more goals per game than the Red Bulls. While Bradley’s initial tactical plan was a great viewing experience and had gotten some early results, RBNY hadn’t won in MLS play since April 4th, not least due to their openness. In Chicago, Bradley finally showed he’s willing to adjust, even if just a bit, as the Red Bulls put on their best performance in a month and got a 3-1 win away from home. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### USL Championship Power Rankings: New Mexico United climb, Louisville City fall & more URL: https://www.backheeled.com/usl-championship-power-rankings-new-mexico-united-louisville-city/ Last updated: 2026-05-12T15:30:01.000Z At this point last season, the gap between 1st place and 9th place between the USL Championship’s two conferences was, on average, 10.5 points. This year, that number is down to 7.5\. The league still has its share of juggernauts and also-rans, but there’s a historic level of parity throughout the playoff positions. Week 10 was full of results that continued to tighten the table, but what stood out? I’m ranking all 25 clubs in the USL Championship to assess everything that went down. ## 1\. Tampa Bay Rowdies ***Trending: No change*** *Result: 1-1 draw at Rhode Island* Tampa Bay has been the top team in these rankings for more than a month, and that’s probably not going to change in the foreseeable future. That doesn’t mean the Rowdies are infallible. In recent matches against the Charleston Battery and, now, Rhode Island FC, a lack of a killer instinct has turned probable wins into draws. In the positive column, the Rowdies were as sharp as ever in the early going at Centreville Bank Stadium. With Evan Conway and Louis Perez – two players that’ve played as wingback in their USL careers – paired as No. 9s, Tampa Bay’s 4-2-2-2 was even more fluid than usual. Interchange between forwards and wingers constantly put the RIFC fullbacks under duress; third-man movement from Pedro Dolabella was equally devastating. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### New private equity money signals expansion battles are on the way for USL, MLS Next Pro URL: https://www.backheeled.com/new-private-equity-money-signals-expansion-battles-are-on-the-way-for-usl-mls-next-pro/ Last updated: 2026-05-12T15:27:37.000Z Welcome to the private equity era of lower-league soccer. Over the last eight months, the USL has sold stakes in the league to both BellTower Partners and Weatherford Capital. Now, MLS Next Pro is going further and, in doing so, reshaping the future of the American pyramid. Last week, MLS Next Pro and KKR – the world’s largest private equity firm in terms of assets under management – [announced](https://www.mlssoccer.com/news/kkr-makes-strategic-investment-to-accelerate-growth-of-mls-next-pro?ref=backheeled.com) a joint venture that would allow MLS-affiliated clubs to outsource their business operations. Under the nearly $200 million deal, the new “Hometown Soccer Holdings” (as the joint venture is named) would oversee stadium operations, marketing, ticketing, and other such activities for any organization that opts in. MLS-owned teams would still retain complete control over coaching staffs, player contracts, and other sporting decisions. As part of the announcement, the parties expressed their desire to move affiliates out of their MLS parent’s home market into nearby cities with more financial upside. There’s precedent for that model. When Nashville SC founded their MLS Next Pro side, they opted to locate it in Huntsville, Alabama – a city of 230,000 people. Additionally, North Texas SC, FC Dallas’ affiliate, is in the process of moving out of Arlington and into further-flung Mansfield. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Colorado Rapids budding talent Darren Yapi: "We're trying to change the narrative of how we're perceived" in MLS URL: https://www.backheeled.com/colorado-rapids-darren-yapi-mls-matt-wells-trophies-change-perception/ Last updated: 2026-05-05T18:06:18.000Z Fresh off of signing a [new U22 Initiative contract](https://x.com/joeclowery/status/2051678647724237073?ref=backheeled.com) with the Colorado Rapids, *Backheeled* spoke with Darren Yapi. The Denver native about his breakout year in MLS, new coach Matt Wells, and the promising generation of young players taking the league by storm. *Answers have been lightly edited for length and clarity.* ### You had a breakout season last year with eight goals in roughly 1,400 minutes. You’ve been productive again this year as a regular starter. Is there something you’ve developed in your game that’s led to your breakout? I think I’ve been consistently strengthening all my strengths. I think what I was waiting for was the result of one of my biggest strengths, which is my finishing, to be showcased last year. And it did. I think it was just a matter of time. I obviously struggled with it in the beginning of my career, but I knew I was doing it every day in training so eventually it’s going to show. That time is today. ### How would you describe Matt Wells as a coach? The thing I respect so much is that he just loves the game. He’s so obsessed with just wanting to be the best and getting the best out of us. Because I feel the same. I want to get the best out of myself and I want to play at the highest level I possibly can. So having a guy an intense mentality to be the best is huge. [Meet Matt Wells, the former Tottenham assistant bringing NFL-style play calling to the Colorado Rapids, MLSJust a few months into his first head coaching appointment, Wells is already innovating in hopes of turning around an underperforming club.![](https://static.ghost.org/v5.0.0/images/link-icon.svg)BackheeledJoseph Lowery![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/22/3c/223ce17d-3253-4d03-873b-ce236408cde2/content/images/2026/04/rapids_4825.jpg)](https://www.backheeled.com/meet-matt-wells-former-tottenham-assistant-colorado-rapids-mls-tactics-nfl/) ### You’ve played as both a striker and a winger. What allows you to be comfortable in both of those positions? In this league, there are Designated Player strikers. So it’s more difficult for young strikers to break through. I’ve only seen a few — maybe four or five — getting minutes. It’s more difficult for young strikers to get minutes in this league. But for me, just finding ways to still be able to be used at a high level is a testament to my hard work and the belief that Matt Wells has in me. Last year as well I played out wide and I played inside, so finding ways to still be dangerous and score goals and still use myself strengths that I have in any position is huge. Want to check out all of our American soccer coverage? [Become a paid subscriber today! ](#/portal/signup) _This post is for subscribers only._ ### USL League One: Fort Wayne FC's new stadium, New York Cosmos’ concerns & everything else URL: https://www.backheeled.com/usl-league-one-fort-wayne-fc-new-soccer-specific-stadium-new-york-cosmos/ Last updated: 2026-05-05T13:31:57.000Z In Week 9 of the USL League One campaign, both Fort Wayne FC and Corpus Christi FC finally made their long-awaited home debuts. While Corpus Christi had to delay their stadium plan, Fort Wayne inaugurated Ruoff Mortgage Stadium. The brand new, soccer-specific facility will eventually seat 9,200 fans and looks the part of a modern venue – the kind that League One clubs everywhere should try to emulate. Paired with [Athletic Club Boise’s stadium](https://www.backheeled.com/usl-league-one-athletic-club-boise-new-stadium-expansion-tactics-playoffs/), Fort Wayne is helping push the league forward. Beyond the infrastructure, Week 9 was the first round of the season to feature a full slate of eight matches. What stood out amidst the jam-packed slate? Let’s dig in. ## On the New York Cosmos’ defense With 16 goals allowed from seven matches, no club in League One is leakier than the New York Cosmos. Try as he might, Davide Corti hasn’t found the right mix at the back, and that shortcoming is undercutting an offense tied for the division lead with 12 goals scored. In Week 9, New York travelled to Portland and suffered a 3-1 drubbing that laid bare the defensive conundrum. The Cosmos began the year as a 4-2-3-1 team, but that formational consistency disguised major personnel changes. Corti has only used the same back line in consecutive matches twice. That tendency – forced by red cards and injuries to some extent – has hurt an expansion club that, by definition, is short on chemistry. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### How Nashville SC became an elite MLS club (and one of the best in North America) URL: https://www.backheeled.com/how-nashville-sc-became-elite-mls-concacaf-mike-jacobs-callaghan-mukhtar/ Last updated: 2026-05-11T03:06:21.000Z Nashville SC are in rarified air this season. With a firm grip on top of MLS’s Eastern Conference, they’re also in the semifinals of the Concacaf Champions Cup and within touching distance of a trip to the final. After losing the home leg 1-0 last week to Liga MX giants Tigres, though, the ‘Yotes clearly have work to do, needing a win in Monterrey in one of the most intimidating atmospheres on either side of the border. The easy instinct for Nashville’s general manager and president of soccer operations Mike Jacobs might be to make excuses for his team, one still new to the upper echelons of the game on this continent. He doesn’t. “To play among the elite teams in North America, for us to truly be one of those teams, you have to be at your best in games like that. And we were not on Tuesday." Speaking exclusively with *Backheeled* in a wide-ranging interview last week, Jacobs went deep into the process of transforming the club into a front-foot, attacking team, parlaying last year’s U.S. Open Cup-winning campaign into sustained competition for silverware at the highest levels, and more. ## Nashville SC's "significantly improved" floor Nashville made waves this winter with the signing of winger Cristian Espinoza. One of MLS’s premier attackers for nearly a decade, the Argentine was a stunning inclusion in the league’s free agent pool after a bizarre set of circumstances saw his contract expire in San Jose. Jacobs and Nashville beat the rest of the league to his signature, and he’s been excellent on the pitch so far with four goals and five assists across league and Concacaf play already this season. While a signing like Espinoza certainly raised Nashville’s ceiling, Jacobs says improving the floor was equally important, if not more so. “We've significantly improved the floor of our group,” the club’s front office head said. “For us, understanding how many players we think a team that can compete for silverware needs, and then looking at BJ \[Callaghan\] and what he needs, and we have the kind of depth. From a coaching standpoint, obviously, he wants to have competition for places because he brings the best out of them, but for us to be able to absorb periods like we have now. I mean, we're in the middle of what's the fourth time this season we're going to play five games in 15 days.” _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### USL Championship Power Rankings: A new CBA, Sacramento Republic surge & more URL: https://www.backheeled.com/usl-championship-power-rankings-new-cba-sacramento-republic-more/ Last updated: 2026-05-05T12:58:32.000Z The USL’s most important story in Week 9 didn’t take place on the pitch. Instead, the [announcement](https://www.uslchampionship.com/news%5Farticle/show/1360356?ref=backheeled.com) that the league, its member clubs, and the USLPA had come to a deal for a new collective bargaining agreement took that title. The terms of the new CBA will chart the course for the USL Championship – and the upcoming USL Premier – for the next half-decade. Under the new deal, player contracts will cover the full 12 months of the year, up from a baseline of 10 under the prior CBA. Minimum base compensation is increasing by more than 50%; even the newly carved-out entry-level deals will involve compensation numbers above the previous senior minimum. Health insurance options will be offered by every team in the Championship. The league and clubs will pay more for group licensing rights, which will allow the USLPA to continue to fund its operations. Moreover, Premier’s wage structure has been set well above the level of the Championship, which is a crucial step in assuring that USL Premier meets first-tier standards beyond mere optics. Group licensing payments for Super League and League One clubs are pending, but the major question regarding term – one [described in *Backheeled*’s reporting](https://www.backheeled.com/usl-championship-cba-talks-uslpa-licensing-compensation-healthcare-protests/) last week – has been settled. The deal will last five years, with an option for a sixth should the USL and USLPA come to terms regarding a group healthcare plan. If all goes well, such a plan could lower costs by leveraging a pool of health 20-somethings while also giving the USLPA the platform to seek out increased standards as a collective. How the USL continues to evolve and improve under the strictures of the new CBA is a question for the future. In the short term, we can turn an eye back to the real attraction: action on the pitch. I’m ranking all 25 clubs in the Championship from top to bottom as always, so let’s dig in. ## 1\. Tampa Bay Rowdies ***Trending: No change*** *Result: 1-0 win v. Indy* I’ve written about Tampa Bay in fairly strict “4-2-2-2” terms this year, but that doesn’t capture their increasingly sophisticated offense. Thanks to the arrival of veteran midfielder Mattheus Oliveira and Dom Casciato’s advanced thinking, the Rowdies are growing harder and harder to stop with each passing week. Against Indy on Saturday night, Tampa Bay’s off-ball shape looked familiar. Mattheus played slightly narrow off the right against an unabashedly direct Eleven side, but he and fellow winger Russell Cicerone mostly held down positions you’d expect. That picture grew more complex on the ball, where the two could mix it up. At points, both played as No. 10s; at others, Mattheus dropped in like the connective quarterback in a 2-2-1-5 shape featuring Cicerone, MD Myers, and Karsen Henderlong at the tip of a robust attacking line. [Tampa Bay Rowdies (@tampabayrowdies.bsky.social)53’ | Oliveira buries it for the lead 😮‍💨 #TBRvIND | 1-0![](https://static.ghost.org/v5.0.0/images/link-icon.svg)Bluesky SocialTampa Bay Rowdies![](https://video.bsky.app/watch/did%3Aplc%3Ak3ywuv2v22wz6mjgj73dojd3/bafkreif6on3hq64uitghliidz35ta2rynof3g46hirdpe6odjm2etvncou/thumbnail.jpg)](https://bsky.app/profile/tampabayrowdies.bsky.social/post/3mkvxr6s3ic26?ref=backheeled.com) The quality of that front let Casciato tinker further back. Tampa Bay began the Indy game with Sebastian Cruz playing left back and Dion Acoff on the right; after halftime, Charlie Ostrem entered the game on the left to provide a greater crossing threat, let Cruz shift right, and free Cicerone to make even more aggressive runs into the 18-yard box. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### MLS Winners and Losers: Orlando City ready for Griezmann, Philadelphia Union don't trust Cavan Sullivan & more URL: https://www.backheeled.com/mls-winners-and-losers-orlando-city-ojeda-griezmann-cavan-sullivan-more/ Last updated: 2026-05-10T20:37:03.000Z *It’s in the title, folks. Every week during the MLS season,* Backheeled *dives into the biggest Winners and Losers from around the league. Let’s get right to it.* ## Winner: Martin Ojeda and signs of life in Orlando Well, that was fun. In what will surely go down as one of the games of the 2026 MLS season, the Florida Derby provided us with a riveting 4-3 away win for Orlando City over Inter Miami. It wasn’t just the high scoring nature of the match, but how we got there that made it interesting. Let’s get into it. Things started pretty poorly for the visitors, who went down in the fourth minute and were thoroughly dominated for the next 30 minutes before finding themselves staring down a 3-0 deficit. Things seemed bleak with Lionel Messi doing Messi things and Maxime Crepeau being forced to make seven first-half saves – in all, it felt like Orlando was teetering on the brink of another blowout, something that’s become a little too common for the Lions this season. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### U.S. Open Cup superlatives: Best renewed rivalry, most inspiring substitute & more from the Round of 16 URL: https://www.backheeled.com/us-open-cup-superlatives-renewed-mls-usl-rivalry-round-of-16/ Last updated: 2026-05-04T01:05:11.000Z While the U.S. Open Cup’s Round of 16 lacked the thrilling Cup-sets that defined the Round of 32, there was plenty of chaos. Between major tactical decisions, standout individual performances, and an abundance of high-tempo, end-to-end games, there’s rarely been a week of Cup play that’s delivered so thoroughly. With eight games in the books and the quarterfinals set, what should we remember from the Round of 16? I’m handing out superlatives to find out. Want to check out all of our American soccer coverage? [Become a paid subscriber today! ](#/portal/signup) _This post is for subscribers only._ ### These USMNT prospects are ready to push towards World Cup glory — after 2026 URL: https://www.backheeled.com/usmnt-prospects-ready-world-cup-glory-banks-gozo-tsakiris-new-manager/ Last updated: 2026-05-07T16:11:08.000Z There’s an excitement seeping in, with six weeks until the U.S. men’s national team’s World Cup opener in Los Angeles against Paraguay. The dream of a deep run – perhaps to the quarterfinals or even beyond – will increasingly radiate optimism as we near the first summer World Cup for the USMNT since 2014, optimism that will inevitably grip the public’s consciousness. But eventually, in all likelihood, it will collide with reality and subside. If the U.S. meet expectations, advancing to at least the Round of 16, they should face a team that is superior on paper, like their [March window opponents](https://www.backheeled.com/usmnt-positives-losses-portugal-belgium-pochettino-world-cup-plans-pulisic-tactics/). Maybe they can upset one or two of them. But at some point, they’ll probably be eliminated and left wondering when their starting lineup plus a handful of subs can truly compare to the international elite. In terms of that group of players, not a ton has changed during this cycle. Folarin Balogun has been a very important addition up top, and there’s a real argument that the Monaco striker or Crystal Palace center back Chris Richards, who missed the 2022 World Cup due to injury, is the most valuable player for Mauricio Pochettino. Alex Freeman is poised to be another new World Cup starter as well. The rest of the team’s core mostly remains intact: Christian Pulisic, Tyler Adams, Weston McKennie, Antonee Robinson, Sergiño Dest, Tim Weah, and Tim Ream. Overall, despite injuries and inevitable fluctuations in form, those players have progressed pretty well. Apart from the 38-year-old Ream, they could all easily be in the picture for their third World Cup in 2030\. And they’ll need reinforcements. Let’s look ahead to the USMNT’s future. What might the picture look like after this summer’s tournament? Want to check out all of our American soccer coverage? [Become a paid subscriber today! ](#/portal/signup) _This post is for subscribers only._ ### MLS Winners and Losers: Chicago Fire's enviable flexibility, James Rodriguez puts on a show & more URL: https://www.backheeled.com/mls-winners-losers-chicago-fire-roster-flexibility-dp-james-rodriguez-nycfc/ Last updated: 2026-05-03T23:36:40.000Z *It’s in the title, folks. Every week during the MLS season, Backheeled is here to dive into the biggest Winners and Losers from around the league. Let’s get right to it.* ## Winner: Hugo Cuypers and the flexible Fire The Chicago Fire dispatched Sporting Kansas City by a 5-0 scoreline on Saturday in a pretty straightforward affair, [as is the way in games featuring SKC these days](https://www.backheeled.com/from-model-to-mess-the-decline-of-sporting-kansas-city/). However, the ease with which Chicago collected all three points over the weekend doesn’t change the fact that with his 74th minute strike, star striker Hugo Cuypers wrote himself into Fire history by scoring in a club-record six-straight games. > Philip Zinckernagel ➡️ Hugo Cuypers > > That's 3 unanswered for [@ChicagoFire](https://twitter.com/ChicagoFire?ref%5Fsrc=twsrc%5Etfw&ref=backheeled.com)! [pic.twitter.com/ctGrmMKSQx](https://t.co/ctGrmMKSQx?ref=backheeled.com) > > — Major League Soccer (@MLS) [April 26, 2026](https://twitter.com/MLS/status/2048223957526958497?ref%5Fsrc=twsrc%5Etfw&ref=backheeled.com) Cuypers has now scored in every MLS game he’s played this season and with his second goal of the night in stoppage time, he moved one goal off the pace in the Golden Boot race with eight. Add his red hot form to the fact that the Chicago Fire have apparently [cooled their interest](https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7225838/2026/04/24/mls-salah-neymar-lewandowski-casemiro-bernardo-silva-transfer-signing/?ref=backheeled.com) in Barcelona superstar striker Robert Lewandowski, and things are looking up for Cuypers. To be honest, the Lewandowski link never made a ton of sense to me. I get it from a marketing standpoint: the Polish striker is a big name. But the Fire simply don’t need a center forward. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### USL Cup: Ranking each club’s chances of winning after opening weekend URL: https://www.backheeled.com/usl-cup-ranking-each-clubs-chance-of-winning-after-opening-weekend/ Last updated: 2026-04-30T13:23:43.000Z 42 teams between the USL Championship and USL League One are contesting this season’s USL Cup, an inter-league tournament that begins with a group stage before winnowing the field down to an eight-team knockout. Which clubs are truly in the mix to advance and compete for silverware? That’s what we’re here to find out. After a jam-packed opening weekend to the 2026 tournament, the competitive landscape has begun to come together. To sort through the 20-match slate and see where everyone lands, I’m ranking every entrant, breaking down what went right or wrong on Saturday in the group openers, and separating the true USL Cup contenders to the also-rans. Let’s dig in. ## 1\. Tampa Bay Rowdies *Result: 2-0 win v. Sarasota* To call Tampa Bay’s lineup in their USL Cup opener a “B” team would be unduly harsh, but it’s not *entirely* wrong. Super subs Evan Conway, Karsen Henderlong, and Mattheus Oliveira all got rare starts in the attacking corps; teenaged Alex Rodriguez held down the right back spot. Given how dominant the Rowdies looked against visiting Sarasota, you’d be forgiven for thinking Dom Casciato went all-out. Tampa Bay stuck to their usual 4-2-2-2 offensively, and interchange was rampant. Mattheus was everywhere across the attacking midfield, and Conway mixed sharp box runs with a solid presence in the halfspace. Those patterns gradually drew Paradise’s back three out of alignment, opening space for devastating overlaps from Rodriguez and left-sided Charlie Ostrem. > 31’ | Karsen bags his first in Green & Gold to open the night! #TBRvSRQ | 1-0 > > — [Tampa Bay Rowdies (@tampabayrowdies.bsky.social)](https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:k3ywuv2v22wz6mjgj73dojd3?ref%5Fsrc=embed&ref=backheeled.com) [2026-04-26T00:23:39.212Z](https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:k3ywuv2v22wz6mjgj73dojd3/post/3mkec3bjpb22e?ref%5Fsrc=embed&ref=backheeled.com) Tampa Bay’s go-ahead effort was driven by interplay in that manner, with Lewis Hilton taking an opportunity to bounce his way upfield from the No. 6 spot. Doing so forced a defender to step, thus breaking Sarasota’s shape and creating a sense of numerical parity in the box. When a shot arrived and a rebound resulted, Henderlong – who nabbed a brace against the League One side – was ready to pounce. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### USL CBA talks continue deep into the season: Here’s what’s still on the table URL: https://www.backheeled.com/usl-championship-cba-talks-uslpa-licensing-compensation-healthcare-protests/ Last updated: 2026-04-27T01:11:38.000Z Eight full weeks after the USL Players Association authorized the possibility of a strike, where do collective bargaining negotiations stand between the players and the USL Championship? Sources familiar with the talks tell *Backheeled* that the two sides are making progress – even if meaningful gaps remain after nearly 60 bargaining sessions. Negotiations have continued in good faith. Sources note that discussions have been relatively productive, though meetings in the last week have been less so. The length of the CBA – specifically, the treatment of health insurance and minimum compensation at different deal lengths – is driving the slowdown. ## Progress on licensing agreement for name, image, and likeness The two parties have started to approach a consensus on a group licensing agreement (GLA), which compensates the players for the league and clubs’ use of their names, images, and likenesses. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Jürgen Klopp sees it, too: Red Bull New York’s academy is one of MLS’s best again URL: https://www.backheeled.com/jurgen-klopp-red-bull-new-york-academy-mls-best-mehmeti-hall-usmnt/ Last updated: 2026-04-29T13:05:51.000Z “When you speak to Jürgen,” Red Bull New York head of sport Julian de Guzman mused at a recent panel, “and he comes here to see the talent, and he’s squinting and he’s looking at the players like, ‘Wait a minute, I have been a coach in the top leagues for 30 years and won championships, but I’ve never seen this type of talent before. What are we doing with it?’ And then you realize, ‘Wow, okay, we’re seeing the same thing.’” That Jürgen? Jürgen Klopp, the former Liverpool and Dortmund manager now serving as Red Bull’s head of global soccer, whose read on a young player is certainly worth considering. “So we’re able to collaborate and make sense as to why we will put Adri Mehmeti on the field and have him start a game, because Jürgen’s saying ‘This boy has something.’ And when you have somebody like that work next to you and say the same things, like, ‘Okay, I’m no crazy fool here.’” One day after Red Bull New York won their 2026 home opener in a game marked by the contributions of a trio of teenaged U.S. men’s national prospects, the club welcomed coaches, administrators, and other members of the soccer community to Sports Illustrated Stadium. This event, the club’s annual youth soccer summit, seemed that much more resonant early in a season where RBNY continue to play the kids unlike any team in MLS. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### USL League One: Portland Hearts of Pine press, Richmond Kickers' vision & everything else URL: https://www.backheeled.com/usl-league-one-portland-hearts-of-pine-richmond-kickers-more-analysis/ Last updated: 2026-04-23T21:56:20.000Z Next weekend, seven USL League One clubs will take on Championship foes to inaugurate the 2026 edition of the USL Cup. Last year’s tournament saw just one League One club advance to the knockout round, but it was the proof of concept that allowed 26 players to jump up the pyramid this offseason. We’ll see if the ties between the divisions continue to tighten. In the meantime, Week 7 in League One was full of storylines. Multiple clubs that started slow out of the gates started to get right; at the top of the table, presumed contenders had a difficult weekend. What stood out amidst it all? Let’s dig in. ## Are Portland Hearts of Pine back? Portland hasn’t won a league game since their season opener in early March, and that didn’t change after their 1-1 draw with Naples in Week 7\. Bobby Murphy has tried shape changes, mixed up his personnel, and lost star attacker Masashi Wada to a season-ending injury since then, but he got back to basics on Sunday. The results aren’t here yet, but Hearts – who held Naples to just 0.18 xG and looked electric on the break – are finally rounding into form. Hearts entered the matchweek with an average defensive action height of 37 yards and a passes against per defensive action mark of 16.8, two bottom-of-League One numbers indicative of highly ineffective pressing. That changed over the weekend. Murphy’s classic 4-4-2 press ran back all the tenets that made Portland so exceptional in their expansion campaign, and Naples completed a season-low 72% of their passes. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### MLS Winners and Losers: New trophy threats, Eduard Löwen's return & more URL: https://www.backheeled.com/mls-winners-and-losers-cup-contenders-eduard-lowen-mascherano-rsl/ Last updated: 2026-04-26T20:06:23.000Z *It’s in the title, folks. Every week during the MLS season, Backheeled is here to dive into the biggest Winners and Losers from around the league. Let’s get right to it.* ## Winner: Contenders with credentials Three MLS clubs made statements this weekend that really cemented their status as legit contenders: Real Salt Lake, Nashville SC, and the San Jose Earthquakes. **Real Salt Lake** have been impressive all season, relying on a combination of top-tier offseason recruitment and standout domestic players. But their complete dispatching of San Diego FC on Saturday night was perhaps their most impressive marker in the ground to date. The 4-2 scoreline doesn’t really tell the whole story, where RSL completely dominated the first half, took a 4-1 lead to the break, and were able to mostly coast through the second half. That momentum chart in the center of this graphic from [MLS Analytics](https://bsky.app/profile/mlsstat.bsky.social/post/3mjt5iewofz2u?ref=backheeled.com)? Yeah, it doesn’t get any more dominant than that against a San Diego squad that’s not far removed from dispatching a Liga MX foe in Concacaf play. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/22/3c/223ce17d-3253-4d03-873b-ce236408cde2/content/images/2026/04/data-src-image-992bb181-88e3-4923-9471-ba98b95a994e.png) San Diego FC’s backline was depleted on Saturday, but Salt Lake *still* aren’t at full strength, either. Emeka Eneli hasn’t made his debut this season due to injury and Juan Manuel Sanabria has missed the past few matches due to visa holdups. It hasn’t mattered. RSL haven’t lost since the season opener, and they haven’t dropped points since the last time they played San Diego in San Diego a few weeks ago. This team is talented and they’re deep. We’ve talked a lot about players like Diego Luna, Morgan Guilavogui, Zavier Gozo, and Sanabria in prior weekends, but striker Sergi Solans deserves a special mention. The rookie grabbed two goals and an assist, and honestly it could have been more. The UCLA product is simply excellent at finding the right spots to arrive in the box. He’s just a constant threat. **Nashville SC**, arguably, have had one of the most impressive two week stretches in league history. It began with a 0-0 draw at home against the biggest club on the continent, Club America, in the Concacaf Champions Cup. A 2-1 road win against another top Eastern Conference team in Charlotte FC followed, even with Nashville using a mostly rotated side. Then there was a 1-0 road win at the Azteca against Club America to advance to the CCC semifinals, marking the first win by an MLS club at the legendary stadium. Finally, they capped things off with yet another road win: a 2-0 victory over Atlanta United, again with a partially rotated side. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### USL Championship Power Rankings: Phoenix Rising rise, Switchbacks impress & more URL: https://www.backheeled.com/usl-championship-power-rankings-phoenix-rising-switchbacks-rowdies-analysis/ Last updated: 2026-04-21T13:00:10.000Z Week 7 in the USL Championship was something like a mile marker on the highway. Many clubs are nearing the one-quarter mark of their regular season slate, and next weekend will mark the beginning of USL Cup action in 2026 – a pause within the usual league tempo. It’s still early, but trends like Tampa Bay’s continuing excellence and the immense parity of the Western Conference should be taken seriously. The weekend’s action served to further those narratives, and it also featured a new form of protest at the start of each game. Players from rival clubs [locked arms](https://bsky.app/profile/usltactics.com/post/3mjs5cyfc4k22?ref=backheeled.com) after the kickoff of each half, signaling solidarity amidst ongoing collective bargaining talks. With a full slate in the rearview mirror, how did the competitive landscape across the USL Championship change? Let’s dig into this week’s power rankings. ## 1\. Tampa Bay Rowdies ***Trending: No change*** *Result: 1-1 draw at Charleston* Dom Casciato hasn’t been afraid of the high press in 2026, but it isn’t a must-have. Tampa Bay entered Week 7 with a passes against per defensive action mark of 9.0 – in the better half of the Championship, but only just. It speaks to the Rowdies’ flexibility that they found ways to withstand Charleston on Saturday, tweaking their shape to contain the Battery in a match where hard-charging dominance wasn’t on the menu. Tampa Bay has often defended in a 4-4-2 this season, and they reprised that look in the Lowcountry. However, it quickly became clear that a more layered defensive approach led to more controlled outcomes. Where the 4-4-2 could lead to overeager wing play and excessively burden Max Schneider and Pedro Dolabella to cover space through the pivot, a 4-3-3 alternative was occasionally used to lock down the midfield. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/22/3c/223ce17d-3253-4d03-873b-ce236408cde2/content/images/2026/04/data-src-image-44ea715c-596a-4214-a005-33171eadc365.png) That variation is seen here, with Russell Cicerone pushing from the left wing to close down against a No. 6 on the Charleston side. Meanwhile, striker MD Myers drops a step to shadow the other member of the opposing pivot. If the ball swings wide in either direction, Tampa Bay’s three-man midfield (yellow) will be able to rotate while still keeping two space-occupying midfielders in position. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### From model to mess: The decline of Sporting Kansas City URL: https://www.backheeled.com/from-model-to-mess-the-decline-of-sporting-kansas-city/ Last updated: 2026-04-21T15:59:53.000Z *Drew VanderPloeg is the host of* [*Home and Away*](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/home-and-away-a-sporting-kc-podcast/id1605144385?ref=backheeled.com)*, a podcast covering Sporting Kansas City and we’re thrilled to share his perspective on what’s ailing the club.* *Editor's note: A line about Sporting Kansas City's lack of analytics staff has been updated to note the club's pair of performance analysts.* --- After what was one of (if not the) most embarrassing performances in Wiz/Wizards/Sporting KC club history on Tuesday evening in the US Open Cup – a 3-0 loss at the hands of the USL Championship’s Colorado Springs Switchbacks, it was hard not to start searching for answers. Being a sports fan means you get familiar with dealing with emotional pain. Half the fans go home sad every game and almost all of them do at the end of every season. But this felt different. There was a palpable feeling of despair surrounding this team that was impossible to set aside. Some of it was probably due to the opponent, and some of it due to the feeling that while the MLS season seemed like an already lost cause, perhaps an Open Cup run could satiate the desire for hope that this wouldn’t be another lost year. There were certainly several factors. But the result was the same. Frustration. Sadness. Anger. A need to find some way to process those emotions. Commonly we attempt to manage feelings like this by finding someone or something to blame. Who is responsible for this? Why was it allowed to happen? What structural (or non-structural) components led to this level of failure? How can it be fixed, and how quickly? I’ve seen a lot of takes on this topic over the past week or so, and while I think many of them hit components of the issues at play, they were also incomplete. With that in mind, I thought it could be useful to try to fully unpack what has brought SKC to this point. The hope is that I can provide everyone reading along with some context while also taking you on my own personal journey of catharsis. Disclaimer: I am not a reporter, nor am I attempting to be one. So, while much of what I will say here is informed by either public information or things I have heard from reliable sources, the words and thoughts are my own. ## Let’s travel back in time a bit, shall we? The year is 2018\. Sporting Kansas City is on the heels of winning their fourth trophy of the prior six seasons and is battling new upstart LAFC for the Western Conference title. Head coach and technical director Peter Vermes has completely re-imagined SKC from its high-pressing, frenetic roots to a more possession-oriented positional play machine looking to pass its way around and through opponents. He could see the team was well positioned for a legitimate run at a second MLS Cup title during his tenure and was looking for ways to further solidify that opportunity in the summer transfer window. His main goal was adding quality to the center forward position and Sporting KC had the roster flexibility to sign a Designated Player to that position. Vermes had all but finalized a deal to sign such a player and merely needed financial approval from ownership to spend the discretionary funds necessary to complete the transaction. For whatever reason, he was not authorized to do so. Perspectives vary on how or why that happened. Vermes has told the story several times in public venues but his is obviously just one version of events. Ownership representatives have refuted the claim that Vermes was not given discretionary spending approval when he had specifically asked for it. All of it seems like careful wordsmithing by both sides to avoid taking responsibility for the situation, but the result is the same: the player was not signed. And while Sporting KC eventually clinched the Western Conference regular season title on the last day of the season in a thrilling home win against the aforementioned LAFC, they exited the playoffs in heartbreaking fashion to the Portland Timbers in the Western Conference finals. Would signing said center forward have changed how that tie went? Would SKC have been able to overcome Atlanta United, a team that were absolutely dominating the league that season in the MLS Cup final? There is obviously no way to know, but this was, in my opinion, the beginning of a worrying trend that leads to where this club is today. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### CF Montreal brass want “progression”. Is that even possible for MLS’s weirdest club? URL: https://www.backheeled.com/cf-montreal-want-progress-is-that-possible-mls-weirdest-club-saputo-donadel/ Last updated: 2026-04-20T01:07:29.000Z A front office run by the owner’s sons, extended road trips, and a shoestring budget make Montreal an unenviable outfit. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### U.S. Open Cup superlatives: Most dominant cup-set, best goalkeeper assist & more from the Round of 32 URL: https://www.backheeled.com/us-open-cup-superlatives-cup-sets-goalkeeper-assist-shoutouts-mls-usl/ Last updated: 2026-04-19T23:11:06.000Z Least cup-set-y cup-set, goalkeeper assists By the numbers, the Round of 32 of the US Open Cup didn’t disappoint. There were 54 goals, five red cards and three nail-biting penalty shootouts across 16 games, including three Cup-sets that saw USL clubs advance over MLS competition. Amidst all that action, which moments stood out? I’m handing out superlatives to sort through this week’s edition of the Open Cup. Want access to all of our American soccer coverage? Become a paid Backheeled subscriber today! [Subscribe! ](https://www.backheeled.com/#/portal/signup) ## Least Cup-set-y Cup-set If you’d taken the MLS badges off of Austin FC’s kits and ironed them onto Louisville City’s, that would’ve reflected the competitive dynamic on Tuesday night. The USL side leapt out on top of their guests, took a deserved lead, and never looked back on the way to a 2-1 win and a spot in the Round of 16. Nine of Nico Estevez’s 11 starters appeared against LA Galaxy over the weekend, indicative of the seriousness (or lack thereof, rather) with which Austin approached the match. The biggest change was the introduction of Damian Las in goal. Las spent two years on loan with Louisville, making nearly 70 USL appearances along the way. The first half-hour of the goalkeeper’s return to Kentucky was far from a warm welcome. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### MLS teams are firing the wrong people – early coaching changes don’t work URL: https://www.backheeled.com/mls-teams-are-firing-the-wrong-people-early-coaching-changes-dont-work/ Last updated: 2026-04-17T15:30:57.000Z Oscar Pareja lasted three matches with Orlando City in 2026\. Marco Donadel lasted seven with CF Montreal. This MLS campaign marks the second straight with multiple coaching changes before June. 2025 saw four such changes. Pareja and Donadel are the 11th and 12th coaches to get a set of pre-June marching orders in the past five years, a trend that’s up more than double when compared to the previous five years. Teams don’t fire coaches just for the fun of it – it’s an awfully expensive habit, if nothing else. No, managers are typically replaced to spark more success on the field. So if MLS is seeing an increase in early firings, that must be because those coaching changes are yielding results, right? No, not at all. Only one of the 10 most recent pre-June coaching changes prior to this season actually resulted in an improved table position come the end of the year. That outlier was the 2023 New York Red Bulls, who were last in the Eastern Conference under Gerhard Struber but pushed up to eighth under Troy Lesesne in a move that made them the only team of the 10 to even make the postseason after an early coaching change. In a league where 60% of teams make the playoffs, almost none of these teams with a quick trigger finger managed to rebound under a new manager. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### USL League One: Spokane Velocity's versatility, league-wide tactical shifts & everything else URL: https://www.backheeled.com/usl-league-one-spokane-velocity-tactical-shifts-av-alta-more/ Last updated: 2026-04-16T13:34:05.000Z In the week to come, six League One clubs will face off against MLS competition in the Open Cup. Those sorts of games are always a big deal for USL organizations, and they made Week 6 something of a squad-rotation balancing act. Deep teams like Spokane and Omaha illustrated their ability to win in different ways; other clubs weren’t so lucky. Who came out of Week 6 looking most impressive, and what else caught my eye across the division? Let’s dig in. ## The chameleonic Spokane Velocity There’s nothing I like more than disagreeing with myself, and Spokane is forcing me into that position. [Coming out of Week 5](https://www.backheeled.com/usl-league-one-athletic-club-boise-new-stadium-expansion-tactics-playoffs/), I said that Velocity’s “off-ball structure…\[has\] become their calling card.” In Week 6, they beat AV Alta by a 3-1 margin while keeping 58% of the ball and doubled down against Richmond with another 3-1 win on an identical possession share. I wasn’t *wrong*, but I wasn’t wholly right, either. Spokane is terrific sitting in a mid-block 4-4-2, but they’re every bit as good in possession. Against Alta, manager Leigh Veidman’s rotated squad still put Spokane’s attacking principles on show. The Velocity pressed with Shavon John-Brown – usually the starting right winger – at the No. 9 spot and natural midfielder Nil Vinyals operating as a second striker. In possession, that changed. The shape was more like a 2-2-4-2, with Vinyals dropping next to 18-year-old Rocky Wells as dual No. 10s. Up top, John-Brown stayed steady while right winger Marky Hernandez tended to hedge high as a No. 9 and lead the flank open for an overlapping fullback. > Something to be said for a very rotated Spokane team beating Alta at their own game; their possessive structure was \*so\* good, and 18-year-old Rocky Wells (seen receiving as a line-breaker here) was really key. > > — [John Morrissey (@usltactics.com)](https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:kjucyv5563tk4anwe6rfkt4i?ref%5Fsrc=embed&ref=backheeled.com) [2026-04-08T14:20:48.064Z](https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:kjucyv5563tk4anwe6rfkt4i/post/3miyihn7ah22e?ref%5Fsrc=embed&ref=backheeled.com) Here, Wells and Hernandez’s in-possession shifting from the wings into the central spaces is on display. Wells – mostly used as a center mid in his 2025 cameos – is able to receive in the channel, flanked by an overlapping run by left back Moses Mensah. On the weak side, Vinyals fills the right halfspace, while Hernandez and John-Brown push forward and force the defense narrow. The symmetrical 2-2-4-2 challenges Alta’s structure and allows for entrance into the box. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### MLS Winners and Losers: CF Montreal fire another coach, LAFC’s youth pipeline & more URL: https://www.backheeled.com/mls-winners-and-losers-cf-montreal-fire-coach-jude-terry-red-cards/ Last updated: 2026-04-16T16:50:17.000Z *It’s in the title, folks. Every week during the MLS season, Backheeled is here to dive into the biggest Winners and Losers from around the league. Let’s get right to it.* ## Loser: CF Montreal Another one bites the dust. CF Montreal decided to part ways with Marco Donadel after just seven games this season, following the club’s 2-1 loss to Philadelphia Union on Saturday. Now, to be fair, that’s two whole games more than they gave Laurent Courtois before axing him last season. Hooray for restraint? While it’s true that Montreal have started the season with just one win and six loses, to judge Donadel’s seven game non-interim tenure purely on that record ignores some important context. First is the fact that Montreal opened the season, as they usually do due to weather, with six straight away games. In a league where home field advantage matters, that’s a tough way to start a schedule. Next is the fact that this roster just isn’t very good. There were maybe three players in Saturday’s lineup that would start for any playoff level team in this league. There might be another four players who could be counted as contributors for moderately good MLS teams. This roster is bad, straight up. If it’s not the worst in MLS, it’s close to it. So, then, my question for the decision-makers in Montreal is quite simple: *what exactly were you expecting?* I’m not going to sit here and tell you Donadel is a good coach. To be honest, I don’t know if he is. After coaching on an interim basis last year and getting one home game this year, how could I? What I can say, however, is it would be incredibly difficult to find any coach in MLS that could turn *this* roster into a playoff team. The last time CF Montreal won a playoff match they had one of the best coaches in MLS history – Wilfried Nancy – and a roster that was significantly better than this one (though it was still unimpressive). So, then, what was the point of firing Donadel? Don’t ask me. That’s just what club owner Joey Saputo and his sons Luca and Simeone, who run the sporting side of the club, do. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### USL Championship Power Rankings: Questions swirl around Charleston Battery, Lexington SC URL: https://www.backheeled.com/usl-championship-power-rankings-questions-swirl-charleston-battery-lexington/ Last updated: 2026-04-14T13:02:04.000Z Lenin once said that there are decades where nothing happens and weeks where decades happen. Week 6 in the USL Championship wasn’t quite so decisive, but it might’ve produced the most emphatic outcomes we’ve seen in 2026. Goals abounded, and multiple upset results helped re-shape the USL’s competitive landscape. All the while, player protests for the still unresolved CBA talks continued unabated at the outset of each half during every game of the matchweek. Amidst it all, what headlines emerged? I’m power ranking all 25 clubs in the Championship to help find out. ## 1\. Tampa Bay Rowdies ***Trending: No change*** *Result: 2-2 draw v. Oakland* Tampa Bay is uniquely good at putting their opponents under sustained pressure. Even in matches where the field tilt is closer to a 50/50 split, the Rowdies (who rank in the USL’s top five for final-third passes and recoveries alike) have been able to generate long spells of control where it counts. That remained true in Week 6, even as the Oakland Roots asked real questions of Dom Casciato’s system. Russell Cicerone is at the heart of Tampa Bay’s ability to own the final third. The star forward has been a menace off the left wing all season long – not only as a scorer, but also as a presser good for 0.8 final-third recoveries per 90\. On Saturday, Cicerone dually disrupted Oakland’s tempo and provided killer instinct in the attacking zone. > 3’ | Right off the jump 😎 Marco Micaletto opens the scoring! #TBRvOAK | 1-0 > > — [Tampa Bay Rowdies (@tampabayrowdies.bsky.social)](https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:k3ywuv2v22wz6mjgj73dojd3?ref%5Fsrc=embed&ref=backheeled.com) [2026-04-11T23:58:08.266Z](https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:k3ywuv2v22wz6mjgj73dojd3/post/3mjb24r2gsk2e?ref%5Fsrc=embed&ref=backheeled.com) Tampa Bay’s opening goal came quickly, and it centered around their ferocious 4-4-2 press. With the Roots pinned and unable to clear, midfielder Lewis Hilton intercepted, worked the ball forward, and eventually teed up Cicerone for a shot. There, he produced a rebound that Marco Micaletto would finish; on the stroke of halftime, Cicerone would get his own goal by crashing the far post off a cross. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### The 11 USL young players shining in early in the 2026 season URL: https://www.backheeled.com/usl-young-players-shining-stars-talents-2026-season-championship-league-one/ Last updated: 2026-04-13T01:16:48.000Z Through five weeks of action in the USL Championship and USL League One, players under the age of 20 have combined to make 67 starts and play over 6,000 minutes. Those numbers are up by 88% and 70%, respectively, compared to this point in 2025\. Expansion has created more opportunities for young players to break through, but it doesn’t explain the increase in its entirety. This season’s batch of prospects has been especially impactful and properly *earned* their time. Who among the USL’s U20s have shined the brightest in the early season? A healthy blend of academy products, reclamation projects, and splashy imports have all stood out. I’ve got 11 picks of young players that have stepped into major roles in 2026. ## Colton Swan, FW, Charleston Battery A Michigan native, Swan made his pro debut in 2024 as a member of the Colorado Rapids’ MLS Next Pro affiliate before spending a year at Indiana University. The young forward shone as a Hoosier but was enticed to Charleston by a multi-year contract offer over the winter. Still just 18, Swan has the look of a significant contributor for the Battery. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Meet Matt Wells, the former Tottenham assistant bringing NFL-style play calling to the Colorado Rapids, MLS URL: https://www.backheeled.com/meet-matt-wells-former-tottenham-assistant-colorado-rapids-mls-tactics-nfl/ Last updated: 2026-04-14T14:12:03.000Z Matt Wells, in his own words, was tired of feeling “powerless”. As an assistant coach with Tottenham, Fulham, and Club Brugge, Wells would sit on the sidelines and notice worrying trends bubbling in games that looked destined to result in a concession. He wanted to take matters into his own hands. But in a sport with only one true break played in front of thousands of spectators, finding ways to pass instructions along to players is no easy task. Even the loudest voice can’t consistently be heard above a myriad of others. “I had many moments like that as an assistant where you don’t intervene and you end up conceding,” Wells told *Backheeled*. “Then afterwards, I, for want of a better phrase, I f—ing knew we were going to concede. I knew it. So what can I come up with? When I’m a head coach, what can I do? I don’t want to experience those moments where I had all the knowledge, but there was just a communication issue. I couldn’t get that across onto the pitch in time.” Wells’ solution upon heading to the Colorado Rapids in MLS to take his first head coaching job? NFL-style play calling, at least on goal kicks. The 37-year-old has developed a set of signals on “certain goal kicks that if I then call them from the sideline, that overrides anything”. When the Rapids are about to restart play from their own box, their goalkeeper is tasked with quickly glancing over at Wells before action resumes. “If I’m just watching the game, crack on as normal. But if I’m giving a specific signal from the sideline, that trumps everything and we commit to that signal,” Wells explained. “How I’ve explained it to the guys is, ‘Lads, no offense, but my super-strength is the feeling of the game. I can feel it better than you guys. I know the solution better than you guys.’” _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### USL League One: Athletic Club Boise's new stadium raises the bar & everything else URL: https://www.backheeled.com/usl-league-one-athletic-club-boise-new-stadium-expansion-tactics-playoffs/ Last updated: 2026-04-12T23:04:07.000Z How predictive is the table when you’re in the first week of April? Last season, five of USL League One’s playoff clubs were already in a top-eight position at this point in the season. Six out of eight qualifiers were in position in the 2024 campaign. There are plenty of matches to go and plenty of drama yet to play out, but the early trends in League One are meaningful. Week 5 added fuel to the fire, with only one match ending in a draw. Amidst all the decisive results, which players and teams stood out? Let’s dig in. ## Athletic Club Boise, raising the standard The biggest headline of the weekend wasn’t an on-field development. Instead, Athletic Club Boise’s home debut in their own soccer-specific stadium in front of more than 7,000 fans stole the show in Week 5. A USL League One expansion effort in Boise was first announced in the fall of 2024, and the nascent club used the pursuant year-and-a-half to create deep inroads in their city. Boise adopted a brand informed by the local Basque immigrant culture, consistently hosted community events (including the [crest reveal](https://www.uslsoccer.com/news%5Farticle/show/1341897?ref=backheeled.com) itself) to raise awareness, and allowed an independent supporter culture to arise in parallel. On Saturday night, more than [150 members](https://amp.idahostatesman.com/sports/article315268053.html?ref=backheeled.com) of the River Guard supporters group marched to the stadium and made their voices heard. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### USL Championship Power Rankings: Tampa Bay Rowdies on top, LouCity's points streak ends URL: https://www.backheeled.com/usl-championship-power-rankings-tampa-bay-rowdies-on-top-loucity-lose/ Last updated: 2026-04-09T21:00:06.000Z Squad depth and tactical versatility are the tie that binds the USL’s top contenders in 2026\. Across Week 5, clubs like Tampa Bay, Charleston, and Sacramento that maintained their core identity while introducing fresh faces and fresh ideas fared the best. Finding that balance between matchup-specific changes and an overarching philosophy isn’t always easy, but it’s a differentiator in the Championship. Player demonstrations at the center circle persisted over the weekend, continuing along with the USL’s as-of-yet unresolved collective bargaining negotiations. Meanwhile, the action on the pitch continued unabated. With Week 5 in the rearview mirror, which teams made the most noise in the power rankings? Let’s dig in. ## 1\. Tampa Bay Rowdies ***Trending: +1*** *Result: 1-0 win at Jacksonville* Tampa Bay is remarkably versatile across the pitch, and that allows them to adapt against whatever comes their way. The Rowdies knew they’d be facing off against an aggressive, vertical Jacksonville team this weekend, but they didn’t necessarily expect their hosts to change formations and commit to doctrinal directness. It’s a testament to Dom Casciato and his players that they met that challenge in stride. Casciato hasn’t been afraid to tinker with his lineup while maintaining a 4-4-2 shape, and that held true in Week 5\. Sebastian Cruz, who started on the right wing last week, shifted to left back. In his place, forward Marco Micaletto moved to the flank. The changes let the Rowdies attack in a four-forward look where any member of that quartet could drop in with their back to goal. > Cicerone with the drop, MD Myers connects play, and there's movement all around them. You can feel Tampa Bay knocking. > > — [John Morrissey (@usltactics.com)](https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:kjucyv5563tk4anwe6rfkt4i?ref%5Fsrc=embed&ref=backheeled.com) [2026-04-05T00:17:50.315Z](https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:kjucyv5563tk4anwe6rfkt4i/post/3miphxk4gkk2s?ref%5Fsrc=embed&ref=backheeled.com) Here, you see Russell Cicerone doing that job off the left wing. Behind him, MD Myers (ostensibly the primary No. 9) is ready to receive, whilst Micaletto and Pedro Dolabella stay alert for an opportunity to slice into the box. These kinds of sequences were Tampa Bay’s lifeblood, though they innately came with a slim margin for error. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### MLS Winners and Losers: LAFC’s Son shines, Julian Hall has the goods & more URL: https://www.backheeled.com/mls-winners-and-losers-son-lafc-inter-miami-stadium-young-stars/ Last updated: 2026-04-08T13:09:13.000Z *It’s in the title, folks. Every week during the MLS season, Backheeled is here to dive into the biggest Winners and Losers from around the league. Let’s get right to it.* ## Winner: LAFC, fans of attacking soccer, and whichever team gets to play Orlando City each week If you win 6-0, you’ll probably end up with a “Winner” tag next to you. I don’t make the rules. I just enforce them. Regardless, you’re welcome, LAFC. Does it take anything away from LAFC that Orlando City are bad? Like, historically bad? Like, 23 goals allowed in their first six matches bad? I say no. Even with a midweek Concacaf Champions Cup quarterfinal clash with Cruz Azul looming, LAFC thrilled on Saturday night. Son Heung-min was elite as a No. 10/second forward underneath and to the left of Nathan Ordaz, who did most of the dirty work and hold-up play to open up all kinds of space for Son. In just the second time this regular season that head coach Marc Dos Santos has used that setup with Son underneath and an extra attacker on the field, the South Korean legend dropped a casual four first-half assists in what quickly turned into a demolition derby. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### U.S. Open Cup superlatives: A former top USMNT prospect delivers & the Carolina Reaper URL: https://www.backheeled.com/us-open-cup-superlatives-top-usmnt-prospect-delivers-usl-mls/ Last updated: 2026-04-05T18:27:04.000Z The second round of this year’s US Open Cup only featured two Cup-sets, but it was still full of local rivalries and exhilarating moments worth admiring. Three games went to a penalty shootout; three more were decided by a goal after the 90th minute. In a jam-packed round, what stood out the most ahead of the round of 32 and the introduction of MLS clubs? I’m assigning superlatives to help find out. ## Goal of the Round Alex Mendez was once a top-tier prospect for the US men’s national team, and while he didn’t quite live up to that sky-high potential, he’s found his niche in 2026\. Now a member of the El Paso Locomotive, the 25-year-old has arguably been the best midfielder in the USL Championship and showed why in the Open Cup. > Seriously, though. Absolutely ridiculous goal from 30 yards, outside of the boot, ping it. Locomotive cruising now up 3-0 after Rubio Rubin adds another. #USOC2026 > > — [Nicholas Murray (@njemurray.bsky.social)](https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:ak5t3ogj3564ctmygzgoocof?ref%5Fsrc=embed&ref=backheeled.com) [2026-04-02T03:06:41.851Z](https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:ak5t3ogj3564ctmygzgoocof/post/3mii7ypw4ok24?ref%5Fsrc=embed&ref=backheeled.com) El Paso wiped the floor with their Derby del Camino Real rivals on Wednesday night, crushing New Mexico United by a 4-0 scoreline. Mendez scored the best goal of the bunch to give his side a 2-0 edge in the 63rd minute. Lining up a left-sided free kick on his left foot, Mendez managed to put an unreal amount of spin on his powerful shot, beating the opposing goalie and sending his side into the next round with ease. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Ten Windows, No. 2: Let’s look on the USMNT’s bright side – or try to URL: https://www.backheeled.com/usmnt-positives-losses-portugal-belgium-pochettino-world-cup-plans-pulisic-tactics/ Last updated: 2026-04-07T13:03:38.000Z *When Mauricio Pochettino signed on in Sept. 2024, only 10 international windows — nine regular FIFA dates, plus the 2025 Gold Cup — separated the USMNT from the 2026 World Cup. After each window, “Ten Windows” digs into key developments and charts the USMNT’s progress towards the 2026 World Cup.* ## Results this window: Belgium 5, USA 2 (Debast 45, Onana 53, De Ketelaere 59 \[pen\], Lukebakio 68, 82; McKennie 39, Agyemang 87) Portugal 2, USA 0 (Trincao 36, Joao Felix 59) ## The story this window: ### The negatives are obvious. But we’re supposed to be feeling positive this close to the World Cup, right? Right? Let’s at least try. Today marks the start of April, 2026\. It’s been eight years since FIFA awarded the USA (along with Canada and Mexico) hosting rights for this summer’s World Cup. It’s been roughly three-and-a-half years since the U.S. men’s national team successfully returned to the World Cup stage in Qatar. [It’s been 19 months since the U.S. hired Mauricio Pochettino](https://www.backheeled.com/hire-mauricio-pochettino-coach-manager-usmnt-us-soccer-berhalter/), the most accomplished, most internationally-respected head coach in program history. Which is to say two things about the start of April, 2026\. First, that this summer’s World Cup is now just two months and change away. Second, that despite the buildup to this World Cup for the USMNT having been long – and frequently hiccupy – the expectation has always been that by April 2026, with just those two months remaining, that buildup would have reached a crescendo of optimism and excitement. Well, USMNT fans, here’s your crescendo of optimism: [a 5-2 thumping at the hands of Belgium](https://www.backheeled.com/usmnt-vs-belgium-loss-what-we-learned-pochettino-weah-world-cup/) despite the return of program stalwarts Christian Pulisic and Jedi Robinson. Here’s your crescendo of excitement: a meek 2-0 submission to Portugal in which [the U.S. mustered only 0.68 xG](https://bsky.app/profile/bobmorocco.bsky.social/post/3mifjbb7a4s2t?ref=backheeled.com) on home soil. *Get on your feet USA fans, it’s time to make some noise! I caaaaan’t heeeeeeear you! No, really, I can’t… I can’t hear you.* What’s particularly disappointing about this window letting so much air out of the balloon is that the last time we saw the USMNT, that balloon had arguably been as inflated as we’d seen it since Couva. [The U.S. pummeling Uruguay 5-1 in November](https://www.backheeled.com/pochettino-shows-why-usmnt-hired-him-uruguay-paraguay-world-cup/) capped a run of four wins and a draw from five games against World Cup teams that – if it didn’t mark the U.S. as a contender for a deep run just yet – at least seemed to signal that Pochettino’s project had moved decisively in the right direction. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Seven takeaways from the USMNT's loss to Portugal: Poch's failed tactical tweak, Pulisic frustrated URL: https://www.backheeled.com/usmnt-loss-portugal-pochettino-tactics-pulisic-frustrated-world-cup/ Last updated: 2026-04-05T18:02:50.000Z ATLANTA – It's never too late to experiment. At least, not if you're Mauricio Pochettino. The U.S. manager rolled out an unexpected tactical twist for his team's final game before the World Cup roster is released in May. That final game, of course, ended in a 2-0 loss to Portugal at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Tuesday evening. From that tactical change-up to a goalkeeping battle, here's a collection of seven thoughts on what unfolded against the Portuguese: ## A striker-less lineup The major surprise when the starting eleven was revealed was the lack of a traditional No. 9, with Christian Pulisic deployed as the striker instead. Postgame, Pochettino noted Pulisic’s usage up top for AC Milan, though at club level he plays alongside another true attacker. As opposed to rotating in Ricardo Pepi or Patrick Agyemang – who, of course, created the second U.S. goal together on Saturday against Belgium – the USMNT manager leaned all the way into prioritizing freedom for Pulisic along with Weston McKennie. While there was space for Pulisic to exploit when he could turn and run at the Portuguese back line, the predictable aspect of this trade off was the lack of hold up play that could buy the U.S. time to progress the ball. Early in the first half, a pass from Alex Freeman towards the center circle that would normally have been an easy feed for a traditional center forward was one that Pulisic couldn’t control. Despite the positive, energetic start, that play foreshadowed how the U.S. would miss a physical presence up top. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### USL League One: Charlotte Independence emerge as a surprise contender & everything else URL: https://www.backheeled.com/usl-league-one-charlotte-independence-emerge-contender-everything-else/ Last updated: 2026-04-01T16:06:13.000Z Expansion teams have fared well in League One’s recent history. Spokane made the playoffs and reached the title game in their debut campaign; Naples and Portland both won postseason games last year. It’s too early to think differently in 2026, but none of the league’s five expansion sides are in the top eight as things stand. Cumulatively, they’ve got three wins in 15 matches. New ideas from League One’s old guard were the headline in Week 4, and that’s part of the reason for the expansion class’ early struggles. This division is only growing more sophisticated every year, and that’s making it harder for brand-new clubs to hit the ground running. Which teams looked the sharpest as March came to an end, and which expansion teams finally broke through in the win column? Let’s dig in. ## Charlotte, surprise contender? Mike Jeffries’ Charlotte Independence don’t get the love that Union Omaha enjoy, but those are the only two programs in League One to qualify for the playoffs every year since 2022\. Some of that disparity is explicable; Omaha is a perennial title threat, whereas Charlotte has been a grittier bubble team ever since they reached the championship game in 2023\. After Friday night’s 4-0 win against Spokane, it’s time to give the Independence their due. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### USL Championship Power Rankings: Perfect teams remain, protests continue URL: https://www.backheeled.com/usl-championship-power-rankings-perfect-teams-remain-protests-continue/ Last updated: 2026-04-02T13:15:50.000Z The beauty of the USL Championship is the league’s capacity for the unexpected. Yes, preseason favorites like Louisville and Tampa Bay are undefeated, but no one expected Orange County and San Antonio to be top the West or Miami to hold a top-four position entering the month of April. We’ll see which surprise contenders are for real as 2026 carries on, but Week 4 was full of results and moments that subverted expectations. Amidst the game action, the USL players’ protests carried on for a fourth week. At the beginning of both halves, the rival teams [formed a circle at the halfway line](https://bsky.app/profile/usltactics.com/post/3mi5dkhtf6s2s?ref=backheeled.com) in a show of unity, pausing play for a full minute. As of this weekend, every club in the Championship has now hosted a home match, meaning that fans in 25 markets have been made aware of the ongoing labor situation. For now, there’s still no strike, and the Week 4 slate continued to shake up the power rankings. Who’s up, who’s down, and how’d it happen? Let’s dig in. ## 1\. Louisville City ***Trending: No change*** *Result: 1-0 win at Brooklyn* Since joining Louisville City, Sam Gleadle has operated as a forward, but that hasn’t always been his position. In previous stops with clubs like San Antonio FC and Monterey Bay, the Englishman filled both fullback spots and looked completely natural as a defender. Danny Cruz clearly had his preference when it came to Gleadle’s deployment, but Simon Bird is thinking differently. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Seven takeaways from the USMNT's loss to Belgium: Surprise starter, tactical flaws & more URL: https://www.backheeled.com/usmnt-vs-belgium-loss-what-we-learned-pochettino-weah-world-cup/ Last updated: 2026-03-31T22:52:57.000Z ATLANTA – The first match of an enormous year for the program didn’t go according to plan for Mauricio Pochettino’s squad. The U.S. men’s national team fell 5-2 to Belgium on Saturday afternoon in a game that featured a mess of a jersey mashup, some key mistakes, and some faint positivity. Here’s a collection of seven thoughts on what unfolded at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. ## The uniforms The varsity squad facing a top-tier European opponent, a crowd of 66,867 backing the U.S. in a football stadium (more on that later), the World Cup starting to feel close – this weekend in Atlanta had all the right ingredients. That is, besides a basic one we often take for granted: the uniforms. It was immediately obvious that the new, tremendous red-and-white striped U.S. kit was way too similar to Belgium’s light jerseys. In the stadium, it was initially difficult to tell the two teams apart, the television viewing experience was no better, and it was a problem for the players. Christian Pulisic described it as “strange” and said “everyone was a bit shocked” when they took off their anthem jackets. > The USMNT vs. Belgium game is gonna be tough to watch with both teams wearing white 😭 [pic.twitter.com/65qyRNtBGl](https://t.co/65qyRNtBGl?ref=backheeled.com) > > — USMNT Only (@usmntonly) [March 28, 2026](https://twitter.com/usmntonly/status/2037978191281992108?ref%5Fsrc=twsrc%5Etfw&ref=backheeled.com) “A lot of times you get the ball, you look up, you can’t really lock in on something. You only can base it off the color of the shirt. So when it’s very similar, it’s difficult,” Pulisic said. ## A decent performance, but an unforgiving result “Overall, it’s a tough result for us, but I don’t feel like it was a 5-2 game necessarily,” Pulisic said postgame. He felt that for 60 minutes the U.S. was in the match against Belgium, and according to Mauricio Pochettino “the first half was really good” but the game ultimately still became a reality check. Pochettino also believes that “sometimes to feel the pain is good” after the positive string of results in the fall. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Ranking every MLS team’s 2026 winter transfer window from worst to first after deadline day URL: https://www.backheeled.com/ranking-every-mls-teams-2026-winter-transfer-window-from-worst-to-first/ Last updated: 2026-04-01T04:29:07.000Z You hear that? The sound of a door closing? Yep, that’s the MLS winter window abruptly slamming shut yesterday. We’re all feeling things today. Some of us are thrilled at the moves our team made. Some of us are angry at the moves our team made, or angry at the moves they *didn’t* make. Some of us are sad that the window is over. And, let’s be honest, most of us had kind of forgotten that it was even still open. Whatever you’re feeling today, welcome. Let’s dive into what all chief soccer officers love and rank their transfer business from the comfort of our couches. ## 30\. Philadelphia Union **Notable arrivals:* Ezekiel Alladoh, Japhet Sery Larsen, Geiner Martínez, Finn Sundstrom, Agustín Anello, Philippe Ndinga* **Notable departures:* Kai Wagner, Tai Baribo, Jakob Glesnes, Mikael Uhre* You simply can’t get rid of half of your best players, try to replace them on a budget, and be a serious contender for MLS Cup. I get that this team just won the Supporters’ Shield last year. I also get that they opt to spend a lot of what could go to transfers on their academy instead. But how are you supposed to lose Kai Wagner, Tai Baribo, and Jakob Glesnes in the same window and make a serious argument that you’re trying to win now? Fans deserve to be upset. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Why Folarin Balogun is the clear starter for Pochettino’s USMNT ahead of the World Cup URL: https://www.backheeled.com/why-folarin-balogun-is-usmnt-starting-striker-pochettino-world-cup/ Last updated: 2026-03-29T22:19:23.000Z Following a sensational stretch for AS Monaco where he’s scored seven goals in his last seven matches, Folarin Balogun heads off for U.S. men’s national team duty eager to keep things rolling. Having been nominated for the Ligue 1 Player of the Month award for February, the man who notably netted against Paris Saint-Germain three times has been firing on all cylinders. While it hasn't been all plain sailing for Balogun since joining Monaco from Arsenal for $43 million in 2023, with injuries and inconsistency popping up at times, hopes are high that he's now truly kicked into gear. Fully fit and in the best form of his career, it’s clear to see why USMNT boss Mauricio Pochettino views him as the man to lead the line ahead of this summer’s World Cup. But what exactly does Balogun bring to the table? With just days until the team’s final two games before Pochettino names his World Cup squad, let’s get to know the United States’ starting striker a bit better. ## Clever off-ball movement With a balanced mixture of physical and technical ability and experience playing in the Champions League, it’s easy to see why Balogun has claimed the USMNT’s starting No. 9 role. He’ll be comfortable facing off against the sorts of elite defenders that could be staring down the United States in just a few months. But Balogun has more than just athleticism and on-ball ability – he’s also a threat with clever off-ball movement. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### 10 USL coaches MLS teams should have on their radar URL: https://www.backheeled.com/10-usl-coaches-mls-teams-should-have-on-their-radar/ Last updated: 2026-03-29T02:08:48.000Z What makes a USL manager an attractive candidate for an MLS job? With Louisville City’s Danny Cruz, the longest-tenured and most decorated coach in the second-division USL Championship, making the jump to an assistant job with Minnesota United last week, it’s a question with renewed prominence. Perhaps above all else, existing MLS ties matter. It’s extremely rare for a lower-league coach to jump into a head job in the first division, and the exceptions – think Eric Quill in Dallas or, much further back, James O’Connor in Orlando – were previously part of the organization that hired them. Even when a coach takes an assistant job, bringing an MLS network to the table is still a massive help. Cruz played in MLS and even featured for Minnesota United at the end of his playing career. Blair Gavin played in MLS, served under Caleb Porter in Columbus, spent a year managing FC Tulsa in the USL, and then re-joined Porter’s staff in New England. Winning also matters. Cruz earned more than two points per game in Louisville, hoisting the Players’ Shield in each of his final two seasons. When Juan Guerra earned an assistant role in Houston, it came in the wake of a trophy-winning season in Phoenix. Brendan Burke broke a four-year playoff drought and turned Colorado Springs into a perennial contender before his own move to the Dynamo. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Charlotte FC’s goal: Try to become the Seattle Sounders of MLS's Eastern Conference URL: https://www.backheeled.com/charlotte-fc-become-seattle-sounders-mls-eastern-conference-dp-next-pro/ Last updated: 2026-03-27T14:20:12.000Z *If you could choose any club in MLS to model yours after, which would you choose and why?* For you and I, dear reader, that question is a fun hypothetical. But for people in charge of running MLS teams, especially the league’s newest franchises, it’s a real debate. With three teams having joined MLS in the last five years, MLS is still very much evolving. There’s plenty of note-copying going around, which should come as no surprise in a league that’s just three decades old. Ask Charlotte FC’s chief soccer officer Zoran Krneta what club he wants his own to imitate and you get a clear answer. “I’d like Charlotte FC to become a Seattle Sounders,” Krneta told *Backheeled*. Acutely aware of the limitations faced by teams in non-glamor markets, Krneta is drawn to an identity that doesn’t involve top-tier spending. “I really, sincerely think that most of the big stars, superstars, don’t want to come to Charlotte, Kansas City, St. Louis, Columbus, and Cincinnati. So we need to have a plan B. We have to be different.” “Even Miami couldn't buy everything,” Krneta said. “They won the title, but over the three years (since Lionel Messi signed in 2023).” He noted that the Sounders “are not the biggest spenders.” Seattle ranked 20th in MLS in total guaranteed salary spending last season while ranking dead-last in MLS for transfer fee expenditure since the start of this decade, according to Transfermarkt. “Once they spend, they spend wisely,” he said of Seattle. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### USL League One: FC Naples show off impressive growth & everything else URL: https://www.backheeled.com/usl-league-one-fc-naples-grow-av-alta-tactics-us-open-cup/ Last updated: 2026-03-26T13:30:47.000Z Week 3 in USL League One was light on league action but heavy on midweek Cup-sets. Seven teams managed to advance into the next round of the U.S. Open Cup, but a notable five fell to lower-league competition. Heavyweights like Portland, Greenville, and Madison lost the xG battle in their matchups. The results are interesting in their own right, and they add yet another wrinkle to League One’s already-wonky schedule. Clubs like Fort Wayne and Corpus Christi are light on matches until mid-spring because of ongoing stadium construction – which, [in Corpus Christi’s case](https://x.com/corpuscfc/status/2034631156054781965?s=46&t=Set40QhFT%5FZfrAKBbuYj1g&ref=backheeled.com), won’t even be completed for the 2026 season. Across the board, Tormenta’s late-breaking hiatus added unexpected breathing room into the calendar. Now, Open Cup logjams are being unevenly divided across League One. As a result, Week 3 featured a smaller load of games but was still full of headlines. What stood out amidst it all? Let’s dig in. Want access to everything **Backheeled* has to offer? [Become a paid subscriber today! ](https://www.backheeled.com/#/portal/signup) ## Marc Torrellas and FC Naples’ growth Marc Torrellas is the glue that holds FC Naples together. When this team wants to be direct, he’s the axle around which the system spins. When, as has often been the case in 2026, the focus is on possessive control, Torrellas becomes Naples’ leader through the midfield. Those multifarious talents were on show in a 2-1 win against Richmond in Week 3. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### MLS Winners and Losers: Nashville SC’s tactics dazzle, Inter Miami's drama & more URL: https://www.backheeled.com/mls-winners-and-losers-nashville-sc-tactics-bruce-arena-nycfc-drama/ Last updated: 2026-03-26T16:51:54.000Z *It’s in the title, folks. Every week during the MLS season, Backheeled is here to dive into the biggest Winners and Losers from around the league. Let’s get right to it.* ## Winner: Addition by subtraction in San Jose When Chicho Arango, Josef Martinez, and Cristian Espinoza all left San Jose over the offseason, I’ll admit, I had questions. In those three, the Quakes lost 44 goal contributions. Put another way, no MLS team lost a trio with that much attacking firepower over the offseason. Really, the only other club that came close is the Philadelphia Union, who saw 42 goal contributions leave in their Tai Baribo, Mikael Uhre, Kai Wagner trio. We, uh, know how that’s going for the Union. But in San Jose, we haven’t seen regression after parting ways (intentionally in the case of Arango and Martinez and unintentionally in the case of Espinoza) with those three attacking stars. Instead, we’ve seen improvement. With four wins in this season’s first five games following a 1-0 road victory over the Vancouver Whitecaps on Saturday, the Earthquakes are flying. Their xG differential has ballooned from +0.29 per game last year to a staggering +1.10 per game this year, as per American Soccer Analysis. Of course, there’s a small sample size caveat. There’s also a strength of schedule caveat, with wins coming over Sporting Kansas City, Atlanta United, the Philadelphia Union, and a partially rotated ‘Caps team. Still, how many teams have turned up in Vancouver and limited any version of the Whitecaps? On Saturday, the ‘Caps tallied their fourth-lowest single-game xG tally in a regular season game since Jesper Sorensen showed up. The biggest piece of San Jose’s improvement comes on the defensive end. With the *attack first, ask questions about defending later* duo of Arango and Martinez leading the line for big stretches of last year, I [noted](https://www.backheeled.com/san-jose-earthquakes-2026-mls-season-preview-transfers-tactics-stars-predictions/) ahead of the season that the Earthquakes’ defense has “literally nowhere to go but up”. Earlier in the year, Bruce Arena came out and said darn near the same thing: “Well that’s been a big difference this year from last year \[when\] we didn’t get a collective effort all the time and I think we’re better at that this year and hopefully we can continue as the season goes on.” With committed defending from Preston Judd and Niko Tsakiris at the top of a 4-4-2 shape, the Quakes are observably better without the ball this year. It’s not just a change in personnel, though, that’s seen San Jose improve defensively – it’s also that Arena has set his line of confrontation a little deeper. Despite sticking with a high-pressing system for much of his first year in San Jose, the veteran manager struggled to drill that system to the point where even when the goal-first front two had their assignments right in the press, the structure still buckled in midfield. Presented without comment from the Quakes’ 2025 trip to Vancouver: > [pic.twitter.com/HK2pmhXwxm](https://t.co/HK2pmhXwxm?ref=backheeled.com) > > — \_ (@21LBRB) [March 22, 2026](https://twitter.com/21LBRB/status/2035740584741412875?ref%5Fsrc=twsrc%5Etfw&ref=backheeled.com) This year, San Jose are showing off more compact, cohesive defending this year than last. See for yourself in this side-by-side: ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/22/3c/223ce17d-3253-4d03-873b-ce236408cde2/content/images/2026/03/San_Jose_Earthquakes_defensive_structure_2025.png) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/22/3c/223ce17d-3253-4d03-873b-ce236408cde2/content/images/2026/03/San_Jose_Earthquakes_defensive_structure_2026.png) _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### USL Championship Power Rankings: Louisville City's post-Danny Cruz era, player protests continue URL: https://www.backheeled.com/usl-championship-power-rankings-louisville-city-danny-cruz-cba-protests/ Last updated: 2026-03-25T13:44:28.000Z The talent pipeline between the USL and MLS has gradually strengthened on the pitch, but the dynamic on the sideline is different. Taylor Calheira curried one great season in Tulsa into a transfer and a rotation spot; managers like Mark Briggs and, now, Danny Cruz who built consistent trophy contenders need to take an assistant manager job to truly get their foot in the door. The difference? Calheira tore it up within the MLS pipeline as a Next Pro star before his one-and-done USL stint. For better or worse, MLS clubs value experience within their ecosystem above almost anything else. I might think that Cruz is one of the best managers in the American game based on his run in Louisville, but he’ll need to prove his merit as an assistant in Minnesota United before he gets the chance to prove it. Beyond the personnel moves, Week 3 continued to separate the wheat from the chaff in the USL Championship. Meanwhile, player demonstrations continued amidst ongoing collective bargaining talks; teams doubled their minute of stillness, protesting for the first full minutes of both halves this weekend. What stood out? Let’s dig in. ## 1\. Louisville City ***Trending: No change*** *Result: 4-2 win v. Rhode Island* “Some day when I'm not here, I'm confident the culture will continue. This is what this club has been built on.” That’s what [Danny Cruz told me](https://www.backheeled.com/secrets-of-sustained-success-usl-championship-louisville-city-sacramento-republic/) last October when asked about Louisville City’s sustained success, and now his theory is being put to the test. This week, only games into the 2026 season, Cruz ended his nearly five-year run as LouCity’s manager to take an assistant role with Minnesota United in MLS. The choice is a natural one for Cruz. He played for Minnesota in their NASL days, and it’s eminently clear that the assistant route is the surest (and maybe *only*) way for a USL coach to make a leap up the pyramid. In Kentucky, Cruz leaves behind a track record of 100-plus wins, back-to-back Players’ Shield, and a clear tactical identity that interim manager Simon Bird surely hopes to build upon. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### U.S. Open Cup superlatives: Cup-sets, a family outing, brawls & more URL: https://www.backheeled.com/us-open-cup-superlatives-cupsets-el-farolito-vermont-green-usl/ Last updated: 2026-03-24T20:14:25.000Z The US Open Cup is back, and the first round was as exhilarating as ever. Cup-sets abounded, with Vermont Green, Asheville City, the Virginia Dream, the Flint City Bucks, and Tennessee Tempo all advancing over professional foes. Two clubs cleared the eight-goal mark in blowout wins. A 14-year-old scored! To celebrate the fun, I’m handing out superlatives for the first round. From the best goals and assists to the wackiest moments in between them, let’s dig in. ## Best Cup-set (and Best Atmosphere) Vermont Green are one of *the* stories in American soccer, and they proved it once again on Tuesday night. The club won a USL League Two national title last summer and kept that momentum alive in their Open Cup opener. In front of a packed house at Virtue Field, Vermont downed Portland Hearts of Pine by a 1-0 margin – and it wasn’t even that close. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Designated Players changing hands in MLS isn’t new, but it is bigger and better now URL: https://www.backheeled.com/designated-players-mls-transfer-free-agency-new-roster-rules-changes/ Last updated: 2026-03-23T01:16:42.000Z It’s July 30th, 2010\. Inception is soaring at the box office, Spain are the new World Cup champions, and MLS is about half its current size with 16 teams. Much more consequently, some say, is that this was also the day Freddie Ljungberg was traded from the Seattle Sounders to the Chicago Fire for a 2011 second round SuperDraft pick. It marked the first time that a Designated Player moved within MLS. Since then, 27 more DPs have moved from one MLS club to another, with four of them having the distinction of being traded twice. That brings us to a total of 32 interleague DP moves in MLS history. It’s not a new phenomenon, but it is a growing one. In the first 13 seasons of the DP rule, after its inception in 2007 and before the 2020 CBA, 19 DPs moved within the league. In the five seasons since, 14 DPs have done so, with eight coming in the past two seasons. Two primary changes explain this sudden increase. The first is the expansion of free agency, which dropped the age eligibility requirement from 28 to 24 and, crucially, the years of service requirement from eight to five, and now four. The second change, and certainly the larger of the two, was the introduction of transfers within the league. Of course, MLS, being ever-eager for new lingo, calls those transfers *cash trades*. We’ll meet in the middle and call them *cashfers*. Previously, all non-free agency movement of players had to happen in exchange for MLS assets – things like SuperDraft picks, allocation money, international slots, or a good ol’ fashioned player trade. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Julian Hall is posting star-level numbers for Red Bull New York, and he’s only 17 URL: https://www.backheeled.com/julian-hall-rising-star-red-bull-new-york-zavier-gozo-usmnt-mls/ Last updated: 2026-03-22T14:26:31.000Z Welcome back to *Backheeled*’s weekly journey around the world of MLS, where we look at players, teams, stats, videos, and the downright bizarre. Onward! ## We’re not talking about this team enough: Vancouver Whitecaps Yes, the ‘Caps got clapped in Concacaf Champions Cup action last week by the Seattle Sounders. I don’t think they were as bad as the 3-0 scoreline made it seem – rather, they were undone by some sloppy defending and suboptimal finishing. Regardless, they’re *probably* heading for a CCC exit. And while they’d obviously love to repeat their 2026 run to the final, I don’t think shifting their full focus to the league schedule would be the worst thing. Why? Well, because they’ve been *dominant*. Four games. Four wins. 14 goals scored. One allowed. A 6-0 pasting of Minnesota United this weekend. I mean, check out this chart. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/22/3c/223ce17d-3253-4d03-873b-ce236408cde2/content/images/2026/03/data-src-image-49ad084d-fe2d-48d4-980d-07e1084b9379.png) Vancouver were better in every single phase of the game. Three goals from open play. One set piece goal. Two penalty kicks. 13 shots inside the box to their opponent’s seven. This was a beatdown of the Loons. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### USL League One: Portland Hearts of Pine adapt & everything else URL: https://www.backheeled.com/usl-league-one-portland-hearts-of-pine-expansion-clubs-debut/ Last updated: 2026-03-20T14:23:36.000Z Never accuse USL League One of being dull. Week 2’s seven-game slate featured four goals in the 85th minute or later, all of which had a meaningful impact on results. Along the way, nine clubs made their 2026 debut – including two expansion teams playing their first-ever USL match. What stood out amidst it all? Let’s dig in. ## Making up for Messer In *Moneyball*, when Billy Beane’s Oakland A’s need to replace star slugger Jason Giambi, their strategy is to “replace him in the aggregate.” Portland finds themselves in a similar position entering 2026 after selling left back Nathan Messer to the USL Championship’s Charleston Battery late in the preseason. Now, Hearts are trying to find a way to recreate Messer’s excellence – at the left back spot and beyond. Portland traveled to Hinchcliffe Stadium and downed the New York Cosmos by a 3-1 margin, deploying a lineup with eight returning starters. Still, it was the new faces – namely Zion Scarlett at left back and Matteo Kidd in the 4-2-3-1’s pivot – that proved especially influential. Scarlett, 21, had a previous stint in League One as a member of the Greenville Triumph, where he mainly operated as a pace-first forward. Kidd, 28, spent his last two seasons with St. Louis City 2 in MLS Next Pro; in 2024, he was managed by Bobby Murphy before his move to Maine. Kidd mainly played on the left wing last year in Next Pro, but Murphy usually preferred him as a No. 8/No. 10 type. That deployment recurred on Saturday, and Kidd often set the table for slick combination play between narrow winger Ollie Wright and an overlapping Scarlett. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/22/3c/223ce17d-3253-4d03-873b-ce236408cde2/content/images/2026/03/POR.png) You get two flavors of that pattern here, with Kidd pushing ahead alongside Scarlett (red) and the attacking midfield (white). In the first case, New York’s 4-4-2 sinks deep, and there isn’t pressure on Kidd. Because the opposing right mid has slid inside against Wright, Scarlett can receive with momentum up the sideline amidst a 3-2-4-1ish attacking formation. In the second case, the environment is more crowded, but the idea is the same. This time, Kidd dribbles to take a defender out, and he’ll quickly touch-pass the ball into Wright’s feet. From there, Wright can turn and take on a man one-on-one or connect with Scarlett. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### MLS Winners and Losers: Petar Musa's excellence, NYCFC's credentials & more URL: https://www.backheeled.com/mls-winners-and-losers-petar-musa-nycfc-atlanta-united-pareja-crew/ Last updated: 2026-03-18T13:32:12.000Z *It’s in the title, folks. Every week during the MLS season, Backheeled is here to dive into the biggest Winners and Losers from around the league. Let’s get right to it.* ## Winner: Atlanta United’s broken streaks Hamburg SV used to have a clock. *Please don’t leave, I’m going somewhere with this*. Anyways, as I was saying, Hamburg SV used to have a clock in their stadium that counted exactly how long the club had been in the Bundesliga without getting relegated. They’ve since been relegated and ditched the clock. Atlanta United didn’t get relegated last year, they won’t this year, and they probably never will, so, hey, they’ve got that going for them. But en route to nearly claiming the Wooden Spoon last season, the Five Stripes sure did manage to start some lengthy streaks of their own. Most notable among them? Emmanuel Latte Lath’s scoreless streak and Atlanta’s own home winless streak. Heading into Saturday afternoon’s clash with the Philadelphia Union, both of those streaks were well over 200 days — Latte Lath’s MLS goal drought stretched 238 days and Atlanta’s winless run at the Benz went back to an even further 290 days. But after a 3-1 victory over the Union, you could say Atlanta United pulled a sort of reverse-Hamburg because both of those streaks are now broken. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### USL Championship Power Rankings: El Paso Locomotive, other Western teams surge URL: https://www.backheeled.com/usl-championship-power-rankings-el-paso-locomotive-cba-protest-analysis-tactics/ Last updated: 2026-03-17T13:30:32.000Z One of the joys of the USL Championship season is sorting through early-season surprises. Oakland emerging as a must-watch team under manager Ryan Martin was foreseeable; Birmingham doing the same under Jay Heaps, less so. El Paso’s Rubio Rubin cementing himself as a Golden Boot favorite isn’t a shock, but breakouts like Louisville’s Jansen Wilson and Colorado Springs’ Isaiah Foster are far more unexpected. After Week 2, which featured another set of minute-long, standing player protests, it’s becoming easier to separate what’s real from what’s not. What did we learn from an 11-game slate, and how did it affect the power rankings? Let’s dig in. ## 1\. Louisville City ***Trending: No change*** *Result: 4-1 win v. Miami* Louisville made some splashy acquisitions over the winter, but their biggest improvement might’ve come internally. Jansen Wilson is taking the leap, and he’s becoming increasingly central to Danny Cruz’s system in 2026. Last weekend, Wilson started on the left wing within LouCity’s typical 3-4-3, but he tended to step up like a striker to help press short in a titled 4-4-2\. Against a Miami team that aspirationally wanted to play out from the back, we saw something similar; this time around, Wilson camped to the *right* of Chris Donovan. Ray Serrano, making his first start of the season, reprised a wider-ranging left-sided role. Against four-at-the-back teams, the shifted shape provides parity compared to the opposing center backs. In Wilson’s case, that deployment lets the 24-year-old stay central – and, thus, maximally influential – in post-turnover situations. The Elizabethtown native’s ability to tuck inside on his stronger foot was critical in the opener, and he remained a narrow, goal-first threat from the right in Week 2. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### USL’s uncertain CBA negotiations continue: Player protests, public posturing & more URL: https://www.backheeled.com/usl-uncertain-cba-negotiations-player-protests-public-posturing/ Last updated: 2026-03-15T15:10:41.000Z Entering the second week of the USL Championship season, the CBA negotiations between the league and USLPA remain unresolved. The talks themselves are uncertain, and they’re increasingly colored by both sides’ public posturing and the potential impacts that could arise from a still-lingering strike. The parties met again this week, in the wake of public demonstrations by the players during the Championship’s 10-match opening weekend. Each game began with 60 seconds of stillness after kickoff, with players stoically representing their unity – and their very literal ability to stop play – across team lines. League-run broadcasts began to cut away from the demonstrations as the weekend continued, but the protests raised awareness of an ongoing labor situation for in-stadium supporters across the country. > With a CBA deal still pending, Lexington and Louisville begin the season with a minute-long moment of stillness. > > — [John Morrissey (@usltactics.com)](https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:kjucyv5563tk4anwe6rfkt4i?ref%5Fsrc=embed&ref=backheeled.com) [2026-03-07T00:41:12.978Z](https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:kjucyv5563tk4anwe6rfkt4i/post/3mgglqngknc2g?ref%5Fsrc=embed&ref=backheeled.com) A strike was first [authorized](https://x.com/uslplayers/status/2027414445824118808?s=46&t=Set40QhFT%5FZfrAKBbuYj1g&ref=backheeled.com) on February 28th, when roughly 90% of participating players voted to reject the USL’s then-latest offer and empower their union’s leadership to call for a work stoppage. In the wake of that vote, the league took the unprecedented step of [laying out its perspective](https://www.uslchampionship.com/cba?ref=backheeled.com) on the talks, asserting that “public discussion has not reflected how far negotiations have progressed.” After a meeting last Wednesday, the USL’s statement was updated to self-describe “meaningful concessions” on a number of issues. The new proposal offered minimum base compensation of $40,000 per year and dropped a demand for expanded in-season buyouts. Per ESPN, the USLPA made concessions of their own, lowering their minimum base compensation number to $42,000 – still thousands of dollars above the USL’s offer. The league’s updated proposal added lengthened salary guarantees for players facing team contractions, a topic that’s gained renewed importance in the wake of [South Georgia Tormenta’s hiatus](https://www.backheeled.com/sources-usl-league-one-club-south-georgia-tormenta-shuts-down-instability/). Tormenta dropped from USL League One’s 2026 field mere days before the season, leaving more than a dozen players with only three months of pay on exceedingly short notice. Reports indicate that the USLPA is still seeking longer-term guarantees related to healthcare and housing in the case of contraction. Despite that relative progress, gulfs remain. The USL has pushed for the creation of entry-level contract spots for U23 players first entering the professional game – spots for which the minimum compensation would total just $28,500 a year, below the current CBA’s minimum pay when measured on a per-month basis. The players oppose such reforms. On healthcare, the league and its clubs have committed to offer plans equivalent to those enjoyed by front-office staff members. In an echo of agreed-upon annual boosts to minimum base compensation, the USLPA is [seeking](https://x.com/USLPlayers/status/2028527919501357313?s=20&ref=backheeled.com) “progression in plan quality after two years” – a request to which “the league has said no.” Compensation for players’ group licensing rights remains at an impasse. The USL’s release criticized the USLPA’s continued comparisons to the PWHL’s $600,000 group licensing deal; for its part, the union [noted](https://x.com/USLPlayers/status/2028527926740693383?s=20&ref=backheeled.com) a half-million dollar gap between the parties’ offers in response to the league statement. That the USL turned toward public-facing bargaining on the eve of opening weekend was a change in its own right. Since as far back as the Championship’s playoff final in November, the USLPA has made a [concerted effort](https://x.com/uslplayers/status/1992316048205586576?s=46&t=Set40QhFT%5FZfrAKBbuYj1g&ref=backheeled.com) to curry the favor of supporters and make their case in the court of public opinion. With a strike potentially nigh, USL HQ sought to save face by painting itself as the more reasonable party. Just a day after those damage-controlling statements, however, [The Guardian](https://www.theguardian.com/football/2026/mar/05/usl-cba-email-negotiations?ref=backheeled.com) revealed that the USL had sent a mass email to the players with instructions on how to resign from the union and cross a potential picket line. The USLPA [labelled](https://x.com/USLPlayers/status/2029685609346785753?s=20&ref=backheeled.com) that message as “an effort to scare players out of exercising their rights” and accused the league of union busting. The on-field demonstrations followed, garnering hundreds of thousands of online views on top of their in-venue impact. ## How would a strike impact things? The possibility of a strike continues to loom amidst [reports](https://bsky.app/profile/kkfla737.bsky.social/post/3mgugyjcrek24?ref=backheeled.com) that the parties have dismissed a federal mediator from their negotiations. Should a work stoppage occur, each party at the table – players, clubs, and league alike – would face major questions. For players with minimal savings, especially those at the bottom end of the salary spectrum, a long-lasting strike presents a real risk. Still, Connor Tobin, executive director of the USLPA, noted in an interview with [PHNX](https://gophnx.com/uslpa-opening-weekend-strike/?ref=backheeled.com) last week that the players could tap into CWA or AFL-CIO emergency funds during the course of a work stoppage. The CWA offers striking members $400 per week beginning on the 15th day of a strike – a key source of potential relief, given that the young USLPA lacks the strike reserve funds of more established unions. For clubs whose revenues are highly dependent on in-stadium attendance, the pathway to relief is less clear. In the 2024 season, roughly [50%](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1994991/000199499125000001/ocsc.pdf?ref=backheeled.com) of Orange County SC’s total income came from ticket revenue and concessions sales only; Detroit City FC was at [42%](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1630745/000163074525000004/FormCAR.pdf?ref=backheeled.com) in their 2023 season. Neither of those averages account for match-dependent sponsorship deals or in-person merchandise sales. A strike would eliminate those all-important revenue streams for clubs that are, near-unanimously, losing millions of dollars a year. The USL itself faces long- and short-term risks from a stoppage. The 2026 season was intended to be a major growth moment for the Championship, capitalizing on the summer’s World Cup and the announcement of a future promotion-relegation model to draw new supporters to the league. Delays, rescheduling, and a loss of momentum bred by a strike would hinder the USL’s ability to execute on those aims. Moreover, the long-term appeal of the USL and its [expansion-driven model](https://www.backheeled.com/usl-business-model-instability-us-soccer-expansion-fees-revenue-sharing/), which relies on a sales pitch of stability and financial upside for prospective owners, is potentially undercut by extended labor unrest. In that sense, the league’s turn toward public posturing reads as a message to future investors – and, perhaps, active club owners – rather than to the mass of fans. From any angle, this is an unprecedented moment in American soccer, one with far-reaching implications for the USL’s model and the livelihoods of the league’s players. The pathway to resolution is cloudy. Major questions remain even after a deal is struck, with pro-rel and the creation of USL Premier on the doorstep. For now, the only sure thing is that the USL Championship season remains in limbo. ### MLS’s prized parity is fading – and that might be a good thing URL: https://www.backheeled.com/mls-parity-is-fading-club-valuation-revenue-gap-apple-tv-deal-new-direction/ Last updated: 2026-03-19T13:02:01.000Z The annual list of most valuable MLS clubs [created by Forbes](https://www.forbes.com/sites/justinbirnbaum/2026/02/13/the-most-valuable-mls-teams-2026/?ref=backheeled.com) dropped last week, and the headlines felt familiar. Lionel Messi and the Mas brothers have made Inter Miami MLS’s most valuable franchise at $1.35 billion. There are two new MLS clubs in the $1 billion valuation tier: Atlanta United and New York City FC. The average MLS club has increased in value from $690 million to $730 million over the course of a year. But underneath the shining headlines of growth, the valuations point to something many MLS fans may already be feeling – a weakening of parity that’s been the staple of the league, underpinned by a growing divide between the haves and the have-nots. Let’s explore this weakening parity, what it says about the challenges facing MLS, and where the league should look to for growth. ## The revenue gap between the top and bottom MLS club is now wider than any other U.S. sports league MLS’s top team in revenue is, unsurprisingly, Inter Miami, which Forbes estimated at $200 million in 2025\. Their growth in revenue was boosted by the club’s FIFA Club World Cup earnings and its preseason tours. MLS’s lowest earner was the Vancouver Whitecaps, Inter Miami’s opponents in last season’s MLS Cup, who were estimated to have only $46 million in revenue. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### As the World Cup nears, chemistry is a need for Pochettino’s USMNT URL: https://www.backheeled.com/usmnt-needs-chemistry-pochettino-midfield-playing-time-world-cup-roster/ Last updated: 2026-03-16T01:17:09.000Z The penultimate U.S. men’s national team roster of the 2026 World Cup cycle will be revealed next week ahead of friendlies in Atlanta against Belgium and Portugal. Mauricio Pochettino said he’s treating this camp as the beginning of the summer’s tournament, and in addition to deciding who will round out the 26-player squad for this summer, there are still a few key questions about what the USMNT lineup will look like. The competition at center back continues to be worth monitoring. Could a younger option leapfrog Tim Ream as the preferred partner for Chris Richards when the U.S. is defending in a back four? Or could the U.S. add another center back to the lineup and not only build out, but also defend in a back three? Either way, though, arguably the most important objective for this camp will be determining who the two holding midfielders should be in front of that back line, and establishing continuity with that double pivot – one of whom we can expect to have more defensive responsibility – and the narrow wingers. Because that continuity has been lacking. ## Searching for attacking midfield chemistry There are plenty of permutations Pochettino might be comfortable with. Discussing the team’s relative lack of wingers, he acknowledged in November that “we have a lot of midfielders, a lot of players who play in interior areas”. In possession, then, the width has been provided by Antonee Robinson or Max Arfsten on the left side, and Sergiño Dest, Tim Weah or Alex Freeman on the right. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### FC Cincinnati is facing tough questions, and Evander's return might not answer them all URL: https://www.backheeled.com/fc-cincinnati-problems-evander-return-pat-noonan-mls-world-cup/ Last updated: 2026-03-15T15:10:33.000Z Welcome back to *Backheeled*’s weekly journey around the world of MLS, where we look at players, teams, stats, videos, and the downright bizarre. Onward! ## We’re not talking about this team enough: Real Salt Lake I didn’t have Pablo Mastroeni going full 2024 Wilfried Nancy on my bingo card, but here we are: > So impressed with the structure Pablo Mastroeni has set up in Salt Lake. They have such clear ideas and are very efficient in possession. Not at all what I expected from them. The off-ball run from Hezarkhani to open space for Gozo here is so smart. > > — [Ben Wright (@benwright.bsky.social)](https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:oyqfwttrjhxakvjcgy5dx6hg?ref%5Fsrc=embed&ref=backheeled.com) [2026-03-08T17:56:21.149Z](https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:oyqfwttrjhxakvjcgy5dx6hg/post/3mgkw2jubf22w?ref%5Fsrc=embed&ref=backheeled.com) I love so much about this goal from RSL’s 3-2 win over Atlanta United on Saturday. It’s such an organized and structured sequence out of their 3-4-2-1 shape, with clear ideas with the ball. That type of clarity – knowing where each teammate is and where the ball is supposed to go – doesn’t happen by accident. It’s the result of really good coaching and putting players in positions that play to their strengths. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### USL League One: Athletic Club Boise’s impressive debut & everything else URL: https://www.backheeled.com/usl-league-one-athletic-club-boise-debut-opening-weekend/ Last updated: 2026-03-12T16:07:18.000Z Every week this season, I’ll be diving into USL League One to break down the biggest stories of the round and touch on the headlines for every team that was in action. Week 1 might’ve featured just four matches, but we got the debut of three new expansion teams, a lesson in attacking patterns from a member of last year’s freshman class, and the arrival of a rookie star for the defending champs. What am I taking away from opening weekend? For the first time in 2026, let’s dig in. ## Athletic Club Boise’s debut When Athletic Club Boise inked Blake Bodily to a three-year deal as their first-ever signing, it was an unmistakable statement of intent. Bodily brought Idaho ties, Championship quality, and a built-in understanding of Nate Miller’s predilections. In practice on Saturday night, Bodily – and fellow wingback Nick Moon, another player that’s probably above this level – set the tone for Boise’s wonderfully composed USL debut. Boise ran an expected 3-4-3 shape away to the Sarasota Paradise in a 1-0 victory, resembling a more pressureful version of Miller’s San Diego Loyal. By the time the 90 minutes were up, Boise had made seven recoveries in the final third; last year, an average of 4.4 ended up leading League One. In build, short passing was the order of the day. Rookie goalkeeper Joseph Andema posted a shockingly high 86% expected completion rate, while the defense in front of him advanced play by just 12.6 yards per pass in the defensive third. In League One terms, that’s *low* low; Richmond, for instance, finished Week 1 with an average of 35.9 yards by the same measure. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### MLS Winners and Losers: San Diego FC’s depth, Real Salt Lake’s youth movement & more URL: https://www.backheeled.com/mls-winners-and-losers-san-diego-fc-depth-real-salt-lake-youth-movement/ Last updated: 2026-03-12T13:35:38.000Z *It’s in the title, folks. Every week during the MLS season, Backheeled is here to dive into the biggest Winners and Losers from around the league. Let’s get right to it.* ## Loser: Orlando City’s sense of direction In the 18th minute of Orlando City’s visit to New York City FC, goalkeeper Maxime Crepeau seemed to lose his bearings and wandered out of his box, bringing the ball into his hands before realizing what he’d done. Quickly, the Canadian dropped the ball and hoped no one noticed. Everyone noticed. He was sent off with a red card. This moment not only led to the phase play that resulted in NYCFC’s first goal, but it feels like a fitting analogy for Orlando’s entire season so far. It has me asking, “what exactly were they doing?” and realizing that I don’t have an answer – and they don’t either. Orlando City have played maybe 75 minutes of decent soccer this season. They looked solid in the second half of their loss to the young Red Bulls, but they were down 2-0 at that point and they never really looked like they’d bring it back after being thoroughly dominated in the first half. They were lucky it was only a two-goal deficit. The Lions had a 2-0 halftime lead against Inter Miami but they never really looked like the better team, to the point where our own Joe Lowery even predicted Miami was going to come back. Orlando eventually lost 4-2. > Call him Joestradamus, he doesn’t miss. [pic.twitter.com/R5iWYp6dT7](https://t.co/R5iWYp6dT7?ref=backheeled.com) > > — Ben Wright (@benwright) [March 2, 2026](https://twitter.com/benwright/status/2028291290819932218?ref%5Fsrc=twsrc%5Etfw&ref=backheeled.com) _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### USL Championship Power Rankings: Player protest takes center stage URL: https://www.backheeled.com/usl-championship-power-rankings-cba-player-protest-opening-weekend/ Last updated: 2026-03-11T13:11:24.000Z The USL Championship season is here, but the action on the pitch wasn’t the headline of opening weekend. Instead, concerted protests by players across the league took center stage. As soon as the referee blew the opening whistle to begin each match in Week 1, the players stood still for a full minute with hands behind their backs, sending a clear message about the state of ongoing CBA negotiations between the USLPA and the USL itself. > With a CBA deal still pending, Lexington and Louisville begin the season with a minute-long moment of stillness. > > — [John Morrissey (@usltactics.com)](https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:kjucyv5563tk4anwe6rfkt4i?ref%5Fsrc=embed&ref=backheeled.com) [2026-03-07T00:41:12.978Z](https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:kjucyv5563tk4anwe6rfkt4i/post/3mgglqngknc2g?ref%5Fsrc=embed&ref=backheeled.com) The players’ protests were meant to raise awareness of the labor talks among casual fans that might not have been tuned into the ins and outs. More than 60,000 fans across the country learned that lesson over the weekend. Time will tell what the demonstrations actually mean at the negotiating table; there’s still a real chance that the USLPA goes on strike ahead of next weekend. Beyond the bargaining, Week 1 was filled with plenty of on-field intrigue and featured a few statement results. Who stood out, and how did it affect 2026’s inaugural power rankings? Let’s dig in. ## 1\. Louisville City *Result: 2-1 win at Lexington* To declare 2026 the year of experimentation for Louisville would be premature, but it’s not out of the question after Week 1\. There were always going to be changes after a record-setting run to the Players’ Shield was deflated by a first-round playoff exit last November, of course. The extent to which Danny Cruz shook things up – only four starters from that loss to Detroit City remained in the lineup on Friday – was a mild surprise. Injury issues influenced that squad selection, but there were genuine nits to pick. Louisville looked noticeably rusty in the counterpress, giving Lexington too much time and space to play over the top. Zach Duncan and Taylor Davila lacked defensive chemistry, including in the run-up to LSC’s opening goal when neither claimed a loose ball outside of the box. Goalkeeper Ryan Troutman, making just his second league start since joining Louisville in 2024, should’ve done better against that long-range shot. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/22/3c/223ce17d-3253-4d03-873b-ce236408cde2/content/images/2026/03/1-LOU.png) _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### More than Messi’s friend: Javier Mascherano’s Inter Miami tactics continue to impress URL: https://www.backheeled.com/more-than-messi-friend-javier-mascherano-inter-miami-tactics-impress-mls/ Last updated: 2026-03-09T01:11:45.000Z Welcome back to *Backheeled*’s weekly journey around the world of MLS, where we look at players, teams, stats, videos, and the downright bizarre. Onward! ## We’re not talking about this team enough: San Diego FC Ok, so we’ve all been talking about San Diego FC for the last year. They blew everyone’s expectations out of the water in their expansion season, went to the Western Conference final, and play some of the most attractive soccer on the planet. *But have I mentioned that they play some of the most gorgeous soccer on the planet?* I mean, come on. > Art. [pic.twitter.com/DF7CYOrXXg](https://t.co/DF7CYOrXXg?ref=backheeled.com) > > — San Diego FC (@sandiegofc) [March 2, 2026](https://twitter.com/sandiegofc/status/2028303516155191532?ref%5Fsrc=twsrc%5Etfw&ref=backheeled.com) _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### USL League One 2026 season team previews: In-depth look at all 17 clubs URL: https://www.backheeled.com/usl-league-one-2026-season-team-previews-stars-predictions-tactics-more/ Last updated: 2026-03-10T13:03:21.000Z The 2026 USL League One season is here, so what should you expect from each club? I’m digging into the major additions, tactical tendencies, and season-long outlook for all 17 clubs for *Backheeled*’s mega season preview. To skip straight to your team, you can use the table of contents (desktop) or the clickable team names down below (mobile). Onwards. [*AV Alta*](https://www.backheeled.com/usl-league-one-2026-season-team-previews-stars-predictions-tactics-more/#av-alta) *|* [*Athletic Club Boise*](https://www.backheeled.com/usl-league-one-2026-season-team-previews-stars-predictions-tactics-more/#athletic-club-boise) *|* [*Charlotte Independence*](https://www.backheeled.com/usl-league-one-2026-season-team-previews-stars-predictions-tactics-more/#charlotte-independence) *|* [*Chattanooga Red Wolves*](https://www.backheeled.com/usl-league-one-2026-season-team-previews-stars-predictions-tactics-more/#chattanooga-red-wolves-sc) *|* [*Corpus Christi*](https://www.backheeled.com/usl-league-one-2026-season-team-previews-stars-predictions-tactics-more/#corpus-christi-fc) *|* [*Fort Wayne*](https://www.backheeled.com/usl-league-one-2026-season-team-previews-stars-predictions-tactics-more/#fort-wayne-fc) *|* [*Forward Madison*](https://www.backheeled.com/usl-league-one-2026-season-team-previews-stars-predictions-tactics-more/#forward-madison-fc) *|* [*Greenville Triumph*](https://www.backheeled.com/usl-league-one-2026-season-team-previews-stars-predictions-tactics-more/#greenville-triumph-sc) *|* [*One Knoxville*](https://www.backheeled.com/usl-league-one-2026-season-team-previews-stars-predictions-tactics-more/#one-knox-knoxville-sc) *|* [*New York Cosmos*](https://www.backheeled.com/usl-league-one-2026-season-team-previews-stars-predictions-tactics-more/#new-york-cosmos) *|* [*FC Naples*](https://www.backheeled.com/usl-league-one-2026-season-team-previews-stars-predictions-tactics-more/#fc-naples) *|* [*Portland Hearts of Pine*](https://www.backheeled.com/usl-league-one-2026-season-team-previews-stars-predictions-tactics-more/#portland-hearts-of-pine) *|* [*Richmond Kickers*](https://www.backheeled.com/usl-league-one-2026-season-team-previews-stars-predictions-tactics-more/#richmond-kickers) *|* [*Sarasota Paradise*](https://www.backheeled.com/usl-league-one-2026-season-team-previews-stars-predictions-tactics-more/#sarasota-paradise) *|* [*Spokane Velocity*](https://www.backheeled.com/usl-league-one-2026-season-team-previews-stars-predictions-tactics-more/#spokane-velocity-fc) *|* [*Union Omaha*](https://www.backheeled.com/usl-league-one-2026-season-team-previews-stars-predictions-tactics-more/#union-omaha) *|* [*Westchester SC*](https://www.backheeled.com/usl-league-one-2026-season-team-previews-stars-predictions-tactics-more/#westchester-sc) --- Team: Alta **Where we left off** *2025 season: 36 points, 9th place* As late as August, Antelope Valley sat in a top-four position in the League One table. By then, however, the hyper-possessive system that Brian Kleiban so successfully implemented had begun to stall out. Alta finished the year with one win in their last 16 league games, netting out with a dismal -18 expected goal difference. Kleiban’s system was terrific at tilting the pitch and facilitating long stretches of possession in the attacking zone, and this program has consistently tried to spotlight up-and-coming California talent. Still, no team generated lower-quality chances (see an xG per shot of 0.09) or bled more against the break in 2025\. The genuinely impressive attacking patterns led a number of Alta’s star players to earn Championship promotions this winter, but that’ll only heighten the challenge in 2026. Time will tell whether Kleiban doubles down or moderates his approach – and whether that’s enough to get into the playoffs. **What changed in the offseason** **Notable arrivals:** - **Collin Anderson, FW:** Anderson brings experience with the Jamaican national team to Antelope Valley’s front line, though he’s only scored eight goals in his last three seasons across Macedonia, Iraq, and Oman. He’s still got the bones of a crafty right-footed finisher at age 26, one who can help sharpen Alta in the final third. - **Godwin Antwi, W:** Comfortable on either wing, Antwi put up 0.28 xG per 90 in his final season with the University of San Diego and ranked in the 90th percentile for progressive carries. Not necessarily much of a creator, Antwi will give Alta added sharpness in the wide spaces to pay off the intricate work through the midfield. - **Nick Relerford, RB:** A standout at Cal State Fullerton, Relerford ranked in the 80th percentile for progressive carries in his senior year but was equally comfortable as a set-up passer in build. The fullback’s mix of one-on-one dynamism with safe technique feels like a natural fit in the Kleiban system. **Notable departures:** - **Eduardo Blancas, AM:** Blancas was Alta’s lifeblood last season, combining effectiveness around the box (see 11 goals) with extreme poise in tight spaces through the midfield. With 11.6 final-third passes per 90, Blancas did extremely well to unlock opposing defenses all across 2025\. Monterey Bay FC was the star creator’s landing spot. - **Sebastian Cruz, RB/RW:** Cruz was a Next Pro standout who kept up the level as a winger and fullback in League One. With six total assists and 3.7 defensive actions per 90, he brought a real sense of two-way verve to Alta’s right. Cruz ended up in Tampa Bay over the winter. - **Alexis Cerritos, FW:** A League One journeyman, Cerritos was in and out of the Alta lineup throughout 2025 but finished the season on a heater and ended up as the club’s second-leading scorer. At best, Cerritos has a mobile, roving aspect to his game that provides a real challenge to opposing marking around the box. He’ll star for Corpus Christi in 2026. Depth Chart Team: **ALTA** **How they’ll look in 2026** AV Alta is at a fork in the road. Do they double down on last season’s system, or do they try to moderate? This club led League One with a whopping 60% possession average last season, yet their rate of 20 box touches per match was below average. There’s more *je ne sais quoi* up front entering 2026, but it’s not clear if it'll make Antelope Valley look any different. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### USL Championship 2026 season team previews: In-depth look at all 25 clubs URL: https://www.backheeled.com/usl-championship-2026-season-team-previews-in-depth-look-at-all-25-clubs/ Last updated: 2026-03-03T15:44:51.000Z The 2026 USL Championship season is almost here, so what should you expect from each club? I’m digging into the major additions, tactical tendencies, and season-long outlook for all 25 clubs in the league for *Backheeled*’s mega season preview. An important note: as of publication, there is still no announced collective bargaining agreement between the USL and the USL Players Association. It’s [been a tense offseason](https://www.backheeled.com/usl-cba-tensions-increase-healthcare-hotels-salary-licensing-more/), and the lack of CBA consensus could postpone the start of the campaign. Still, teams have continued to sign players and play scheduled preseason clashes – so we’re gearing up for the new season, too. To skip straight to your team, you can use the table of contents (desktop) or the clickable team names down below (mobile). Onwards. [*Birmingham*](https://www.backheeled.com/usl-championship-2026-season-team-previews-in-depth-look-at-all-25-clubs/#birmingham-legion-fc) *|* [*Brooklyn*](https://www.backheeled.com/usl-championship-2026-season-team-previews-in-depth-look-at-all-25-clubs/#brooklyn-fc) *|* [*Charleston*](https://www.backheeled.com/usl-championship-2026-season-team-previews-in-depth-look-at-all-25-clubs/#charleston-battery) *|* [*Colorado Springs*](https://www.backheeled.com/usl-championship-2026-season-team-previews-in-depth-look-at-all-25-clubs/#colorado-springs-switchbacks-fc) *|* [*Detroit*](https://www.backheeled.com/usl-championship-2026-season-team-previews-in-depth-look-at-all-25-clubs/#detroit-fc) *|* [*El Paso*](https://www.backheeled.com/usl-championship-2026-season-team-previews-in-depth-look-at-all-25-clubs/#el-paso-locomotive-fc) *|* [*Hartford*](https://www.backheeled.com/usl-championship-2026-season-team-previews-in-depth-look-at-all-25-clubs/#hartford-athletic) *|* [*Indy*](https://www.backheeled.com/usl-championship-2026-season-team-previews-in-depth-look-at-all-25-clubs/#indy-eleven) *|* [*Jacksonville*](https://www.backheeled.com/usl-championship-2026-season-team-previews-in-depth-look-at-all-25-clubs/#sporting-jax) *|* [*Las Vegas*](https://www.backheeled.com/usl-championship-2026-season-team-previews-in-depth-look-at-all-25-clubs/#las-vegas-lights-fc) *|* [*Lexington*](https://www.backheeled.com/usl-championship-2026-season-team-previews-in-depth-look-at-all-25-clubs/#lexington-sc) *|* [*Loudoun*](https://www.backheeled.com/usl-championship-2026-season-team-previews-in-depth-look-at-all-25-clubs/#loudoun-united-fc) *|* [*Louisville*](https://www.backheeled.com/usl-championship-2026-season-team-previews-in-depth-look-at-all-25-clubs/#louisville-city-fc) *|* [*Miami*](https://www.backheeled.com/usl-championship-2026-season-team-previews-in-depth-look-at-all-25-clubs/#miami-fc) *|* [*Monterey Bay*](https://www.backheeled.com/usl-championship-2026-season-team-previews-in-depth-look-at-all-25-clubs/#monterey-bay-fc) *|* [*New Mexico*](https://www.backheeled.com/usl-championship-2026-season-team-previews-in-depth-look-at-all-25-clubs/#new-mexico-united) *|* [*Oakland*](https://www.backheeled.com/usl-championship-2026-season-team-previews-in-depth-look-at-all-25-clubs/#oakland-roots-fc) *|* [*Orange County*](https://www.backheeled.com/usl-championship-2026-season-team-previews-in-depth-look-at-all-25-clubs/#orange-county-sc) *|* [*Phoenix*](https://www.backheeled.com/usl-championship-2026-season-team-previews-in-depth-look-at-all-25-clubs/#phoenix-rising-fc) *|* [*Pittsburgh*](https://www.backheeled.com/usl-championship-2026-season-team-previews-in-depth-look-at-all-25-clubs/#pittsburgh-riverhounds-sc) *|* [*Rhode Island*](https://www.backheeled.com/usl-championship-2026-season-team-previews-in-depth-look-at-all-25-clubs/#rhode-island-fc) *|* [*Sacramento*](https://www.backheeled.com/usl-championship-2026-season-team-previews-in-depth-look-at-all-25-clubs/#sacramento-republic-fc) *|* [*San Antonio*](https://www.backheeled.com/usl-championship-2026-season-team-previews-in-depth-look-at-all-25-clubs/#san-antonio-fc) *|* [*Tampa Bay*](https://www.backheeled.com/usl-championship-2026-season-team-previews-in-depth-look-at-all-25-clubs/#tampa-bay-rowdies) *|* [*Tulsa*](https://www.backheeled.com/usl-championship-2026-season-team-previews-in-depth-look-at-all-25-clubs/#fc-tulsa) --- Team: BHM **Where we left off last year** *2025 season: 27 points, 12th in Eastern Conference* In every sense, 2025 was a reset season for Birmingham. Tommy Soehn, the only manager the Legion had ever known, was let go in the spring. Mark Briggs took over after a stellar half-decade run in Sacramento, but he couldn’t elevate a motley assortment of spare parts into a contender. That’s not to say Birmingham rested on their laurels. Briggs moved the team toward a back-three system, though he never found the center backs that could make it sing. Inbound transfers abounded throughout the summer, ranging from good (e.g., Sam Shashoua, Amir Daley) to disastrous (namely Edwin Laszo) and everywhere in between. The net result was a -9.6 expected goal difference and a last-place finish – though the willingness to make changes bodes well for the new year. Still, it’ll have to happen under new leadership after Briggs made a shock move to MLS in mid-January. **What changed in the offseason** **Notable arrivals:** - **Seth Antwi, CM:** Antwi has been an elite No. 6 in MLS Next Pro for the better part of two years, winning more than 100 duels and completing roughly 90% of his passes in each of those seasons with St. Louis City 2\. Birmingham struggled to nail down the holding midfield in 2025, but Antwi is the caliber of player who fills that hole and then some. - **Bryce Washington, CB:** With more than 9,000 minutes played in the Championship over the last five years, Washington brings veteran steadiness with the athleticism of a 27-year-old still in the midst of his prime. Typically used as a right-sided piece in North Carolina’s back three, Washington adds needed agility to an older Legion center back corps. - **Jassem Koleilat, GK:** The reigning Golden Glove winner in the Canadian Premiership, Koleilat is a strong get in a Birmingham net that was defined by inconsistency in 2025\. At 6’2”, Koleilat is a good manager of his box and sharp shot-stopper. He isn’t the most modern option at his position, but Koleilat guarantees solidity. - **Sam Shashoua, AM:** Yes, I’m cheating by including a player that finished last year on loan at Protective Stadium, but Shashoua’s return was no guarantee. A standout in a blended No. 8-to-halfspace deployment, the former Minnesota United man put up merely one assist but ranked in the 99th percentile with 17.4 final-third completions per 90. - **Amir Daley, RB:** I’m cheating again, but the logic remains the same: Daley was very good on loan from FC Cincinnati and gave the Legion exactly what they often lacked at right wingback. Daley put up four assists in less than 1,000 minutes while winning 59% of his duels and brings real dynamism up the sideline. **Notable departures:** - **Enzo Martinez, AM:** Unexpected and incisive at his best but languorous at his worst, Martinez often took the temperature of the Legion over his four years in Birmingham. His exit at age 35 is wholly explicable but still feels like a major demarcation of the club’s changing tides. - **Ramiz Hamouda, CB/LB:** Hamouda isn’t *technically* out yet, but he’ll head off to Werder Bremen shortly after he turns 18 this May. While Hamouda always looked a bit raw in his USL minutes, he provided real athleticism and versatility across the back of the Legion lineup throughout his two-ish years in the Championship. - **Fernando Delgado, GK:** Delgado was acquired on a permanent transfer last offseason but couldn’t step up into a full-time starting spot. Still very raw as a box-commanding goalkeeper, Delgado brings very strong technical skills and would fit in a system where he’s allowed to engage with the ball at his feet. - **Matt Van Oekel, GK:** Van Oekel retired this winter after spending seven years in Birmingham, making more than 170 appearances across that time span. Even as he transitioned into a player-coaching role, the veteran still posted a decent 63% save percentage in 2025 and was the best member of the Legion’s goalkeeping platoon. Depth Chart Team: **BHM** _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### MLS Winners and Losers: Timo Werner shines, Phil Neville's odd gameplan & more URL: https://www.backheeled.com/mls-winners-and-losers-timo-werner-debut-lionel-messi-autograph-more/ Last updated: 2026-03-08T21:45:00.000Z *It’s in the title, folks. Every week during the MLS season, Backheeled is here to dive into the biggest Winners and Losers from around the league. Let’s get right to it.* ## Winner: Designated Player debutants It’s been a busy week for Timo Werner. The Earthquakes’ newest Designated Player was sitting in a Berlin embassy on Tuesday, flew across an ocean on Wednesday, had his first two training sessions in San Jose on Thursday and Friday, and made his MLS debut for the final 30 minutes of a 2-0 home win over Atlanta United on Saturday. Look, I’m exhausted just thinking about that schedule. Werner lived it — and helped seal the deal for San Jose against the Five Stripes with a textbook assist. This is the former RB Leipzig forward’s game in a nutshell: race in behind, create a few inches of separation, and either hit a shot towards goal or, in this case, play the final ball: > Timo Werner INSTANT IMPACT! > > The German dishes out an assist on his MLS debut. 😱 [pic.twitter.com/DF7QjIUZau](https://t.co/DF7QjIUZau?ref=backheeled.com) > > — Major League Soccer (@MLS) [March 1, 2026](https://twitter.com/MLS/status/2027932129594593620?ref%5Fsrc=twsrc%5Etfw&ref=backheeled.com) “He took off,” Bruce Arena said of Werner on the play above. Yeah, I’d say so. Initially playing as the striker in Arena’s 4-2-3-1 before swapping to the left wing to close out the game, Werner’s athleticism didn’t look hampered by his upcoming 30th birthday or his sheer lack of game-time over the last three years of a soured European journey. It’s that lack of match action with less than 2,000 minutes played since the end of the 2022-23 season that made the German something of a mystery box offseason signing by San Jose. But the early returns are positive, to say the least. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Why the USL’s expansion-first business model is breeding instability in American soccer URL: https://www.backheeled.com/usl-business-model-instability-us-soccer-expansion-fees-revenue-sharing/ Last updated: 2026-03-10T13:03:49.000Z Since the end of the 2023 season, eight USL clubs have either folded or gone on hiatus. Numerous expansion efforts have been delayed; one organization debuted in USL League One and dropped out of the division within the span of a single year. It’s undeniable that the USL has raised its profile and seen growth at the top, but the league’s model doesn’t come with a safety net. As the USL established itself as thesecond division in the United States, stability was at the core of its pitch. Rival leagues were highly decentralized; the USL, organized as a privately owned company with franchised clubs, offered a unified vision. Owned and operated by the Papadakis family and investor Robert Hoskins, the league solidified thanks to the arrival of MLS affiliate teams, added dozens of independent organizations atop that firm base, and eventually outgrew the developmental sides entirely. Along the way, the USL started a third-tier competition in the form of League One. In many ways, the USLsucceeded in stabilizing the lower leagues. However, it established a business model that’s increasingly difficult to justify in the process. With grand promises of a new first-division “USL Premier” competition anchoring a promotion-and-relegation system, the league’s ceaseless pursuit of growth via expansion may be *de*stabilizing*.* It doesn’t matter if your club is around for a year or a decade, expansion fee checks cash either way for the USL. --- As of the 2024 season, it cost $25 million for a prospective club to join the Championship. Presumably, the entrance fee for USL Premier will be even higher. Now, in a sharp contrast to MLS, where expansion fee revenue is divided up among the league’s existing clubs, the USL’s expansion fee revenue isn’t shared among existing clubs – it doesn’t leave headquarters. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Zavier Gozo is on the radar of Europe's biggest clubs — this is how he got there URL: https://www.backheeled.com/zavier-gozo-usmnt-prospect-pochettino-mls-real-salt-lake-european-transfer/ Last updated: 2026-03-09T01:11:57.000Z “Don’t be mad.” That’s what Zavier Gozo remembers Marko Mitrovic telling him last fall. Mitrovic, now the manager of the New England Revolution but then coaching Gozo and the rest of the United States team at the U-20 World Cup last fall, had just given the teenager a bad piece of news. Though he’d started the U.S.’s opening game of the tournament in Chile as the second-youngest player on the roster, he was moving to the bench for the next game: a marquee clash with France. “I started the first game – we played New Caledonia – and then I found out I wasn’t starting for the next game, and I was obviously a little bit bummed. And my coach in training, Marko \[Mitrovic\], could see that, and I remember I was mad. He just told me, ‘Don’t be mad, you’re going to come in and affect the game.’” And Gozo did just that. In the 84th minute of that group stage showdown against France, Gozo’s header gave the U.S. the lead. A few minutes later, the Real Salt Lake attacker keyed the second goal, threading a perfectly weighted through ball for an assist to teammate Brooklyn Raines. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### How MLS teams are fighting back against set piece inflation URL: https://www.backheeled.com/how-mls-teams-are-fighting-back-against-set-piece-inflation-analysis/ Last updated: 2026-03-04T13:47:23.000Z Here at *Backheeled*, we’re launching a new column this season. Every week, we're taking a journey around the world of MLS, where we look at players, teams, stats, videos, and the downright bizarre. Let's go on this magical journey together. Onward! ## We’re not talking about this team enough: Seattle Sounders We talk about how deep the Sounders are all the time, but seeing it in action is something else. With Pedro De La Vega already [out until mid-spring](https://www.sounderatheart.com/2025/10/pedro-de-la-vega-likely-out-six-months-with-broken-kneecap/?ref=backheeled.com), things got worse quickly for Seattle in their season opener on Sunday evening against the Colorado Rapids. Jordan Morris hobbled off just a few minutes into the first half, a sad sight for a player who has had the worst luck with injuries. Head coach Brian Schmetzer [later called](https://www.sounderatheart.com/2026/02/what-we-know-about-injuries-to-jordan-morris-hassani-dotson/?ref=backheeled.com) Morris’ injury a quad issue. Later in the half, new central midfield signing Hassani Dotson went off with a potential concussion, though Schmetzer said postgame that Dotson was feeling “good” but that “safety is the number one priority.” Without missing a beat, Schmetzer went to the deep bench. He subbed in Paul Rothrock, a top-end complementary piece who had the chance to leave the club in free agency this winter but stayed because his “heart has always been here”, in Morris’ place and Snyder Brunell, one of the more exciting young midfielders in MLS, in Dotson’s. Rothrock balled out, scoring a goal and notching an assist to give the Sounders a comprehensive 2-0 win over the Rapids. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### In MLS, an unbalanced schedule means your team’s fate might already be decided URL: https://www.backheeled.com/mls-unbalanced-schedule-problems-strength-of-schedule-analysis-new-format/ Last updated: 2026-02-26T17:10:29.000Z MLS has an unbalanced schedule. That’s not uncommon in American sports, but it is uncommon in global soccer. While most soccer leagues consist of every team playing every other team home and away, MLS teams will not even play eight or nine teams in any given season, while playing six or seven teams just once as the league’s schedule is currently constructed. This imbalance means that certain teams will have an easier season than others. Now, due to the unpredictability and parity of MLS, it’s difficult to say ahead of time which teams will benefit or struggle due to their schedule. If you look back, though, you’ll see it absolutely plays a role in the success – and failure – of various teams. With 2026 being the final season of this schedule format before 2027’s truncated sprint season and 2027-28’s new regular season format that will see every team play every other team at least once, we’re taking a look back to see how big of a role schedules played. Using the most straightforward definition of strength of schedule (SOS), average points of opponents, let’s take a trip back through the last three MLS seasons and see how big a role SOS played on results. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Sources: Sacramento Republic hires Tim Holt as new president, general manager URL: https://www.backheeled.com/sources-sacramento-republic-hires-tim-holt-as-new-president-general-manager/ Last updated: 2026-02-26T17:10:24.000Z Sacramento Republic has hired experienced USL executive Tim Holt as the club’s new president and general manager, sources tell *Backheeled*. Appointed to fill the vacancy left behind by Todd Dunivant upon his departure for New York City FC’s sporting director position in MLS, Holt will join Sacramento during the first week of March and arrives with hopes of helping the club maintain their status as a perennial trophy contender in the USL Championship. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### MLS Winners and Losers: Inter Miami lay an egg, Michael Bradley’s youth movement & more URL: https://www.backheeled.com/mls-winners-and-losers-inter-miami-loss-lafc-michael-bradley-red-bulls/ Last updated: 2026-02-25T16:37:21.000Z *It’s in the title, folks. Every week during the MLS season, Backheeled is here to dive into the biggest Winners and Losers from around the league. Let’s get right to it.* ## Loser: MLS’s hype-building ability You’ve just been teleported inside a meeting at MLS headquarters, where someone is leading a marketing meeting about how to kickstart the 2026 season. Can’t you just smell the sweet, sweet mid-six-figure salaries? First on the meeting’s agenda: pick the two teams that will open the 2026 MLS season. Simple enough. They choose St. Louis City, who finished 13th in the West last year and added zero star players this winter, and Charlotte FC, who scored all of one goal in their 2025 playoff series exit. Odd choices? Sure. But with St. Louis’ sporting regime setting out to Columbus Crewify the club and Pep Biel’s return to fitness for Charlotte FC, there’s enough juice to justify the pick, according to the marketing executives. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Sources: USL League One club South Georgia Tormenta shuts down two weeks before new season URL: https://www.backheeled.com/sources-usl-league-one-club-south-georgia-tormenta-shuts-down-instability/ Last updated: 2026-02-24T14:07:05.000Z With just 14 days until the start of the new USL League One season, South Georgia Tormenta has suspended operations and will not participate in 2026 play, sources tell *Backheeled*. Beyond The 90 first reported that the club will not field a team for the upcoming season. While their third-division peers have been training throughout preseason, Tormenta never began team-wide preseason due to financial difficulties. After a strong end to 2025 under manager Mark McKeever, Tormenta saw six of their players move to USL Championship this winter, but they began to supplement those losses with a set of league veterans. Nonetheless, those additions ceased on January 29th. As of now, Tormenta only has 16 rostered senior players, with reinforcements put off due to workers’ compensation insurance payment issues. In a private message obtained by *Backheeled*, club owner Darin Van Tassell assured Tormenta staff that his organization had secured loans to cover the unpaid premiums. Van Tassell concluded the message with: “Stay focused and stay positive.” Higher-budget USL Championship clubs cite workers’ compensation insurance expenses [in the six-digit range](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1994991/000199499125000001/ocsc.pdf?ref=backheeled.com) – and though the exact scope of Tormenta’s delayed payments are unclear, sources cited salary delays as a regular occurrence for Tormenta players. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### 2026 MLS predictions: Awards, full standings, MLS Cup & more URL: https://www.backheeled.com/2026-mls-predictions-awards-standings-mls-cup-more/ Last updated: 2026-02-23T04:37:44.000Z If you hadn’t figured it out by the fact that we dropped in-depth previews for all 30 MLS teams earlier this week, the 2026 season begins on Saturday. [Go check out those previews](https://www.backheeled.com/mls-2026-season-team-previews-stars-predictions-tactics-more/) — there’s truly no better resource on the Internet to get you ready for the new year. Today, though, we wanted to zoom out to look at the absolute biggest questions for the year to come. Our MLS experts are here to share their predictions for the 2026 campaign, from standings to trophies to awards to bold predictions. *Backheeled’s* Joe Lowery, Ben Wright, Andrew Clausen, and Brian McKay are joined by a special guest: Matt Doyle, who’s recently launched his own independent site called Tactics Free Zone. If you’ve read this far, you [should subscribe to Doyle](https://tacticsfreezone.ghost.io/?ref=backheeled.com) – his work covering soccer in the U.S. has inspired much of the direction we’ve taken here at *Backheeled*. Now, to the predictions. Which ones will age like fine wine? And which will age like milk? Let’s find out. --- [MLS 2026 season team previews: In-depth look at all 30 clubsWith a new MLS season starting this weekend, we have unparalleled previews for each and every team.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/22/3c/223ce17d-3253-4d03-873b-ce236408cde2/content/images/icon/Backheeled-2-Sq-Light-698.png)BackheeledBackheeled Staff![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/22/3c/223ce17d-3253-4d03-873b-ce236408cde2/content/images/thumbnail/2026-MLS-SEASON-PREVIEW-2.jpeg)](https://www.backheeled.com/mls-2026-season-team-previews-stars-predictions-tactics-more/) --- ## The team you’re most excited to watch is… **Joe Lowery:** There are more obviously elite MLS teams than I can ever remember heading into a new MLS season, which means there are more reasons to tune in than I can ever remember heading into a new MLS season. Still, no storyline intrigues me more than this one: will **Inter Miami** be historically great or just great? *Boo me if you must, but deep down you know that you’ll either be watching or hate-watching, too.* They've lost two legends, but stacked the defense and the attack. Could they be better than ever? **Matt Doyle:** Right now, believe it or not, it’s the **San Jose Earthquakes**. They had great underlyings last year and should have been better, they have a ton of young domestic players on an upward curve (including a homegrown No. 10 in Niko Tsakiris), and made one huge Designated Player signing in Timo Werner with another on the way. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### MLS breakout player candidates for 2026: Young stars to late bloomers URL: https://www.backheeled.com/mls-breakout-player-candidates-for-2026-prospects-analysis-rosters/ Last updated: 2026-02-21T19:14:27.000Z With the new MLS season kicking off in less than two weeks, here are some spoilers. Someone is going to win a whole lot of games (probably Inter Miami). Someone is going to lose a whole lot of games (probably DC United). Some big transfers will disappoint. And some players that only the real die-hards have even heard of will become stars. The goal of this article is to project which players might go from nobodies to somebodies in 2026\. [Last season’s edition](https://www.backheeled.com/five-mls-breakout-players-to-watch-in-2025-academy-late-bloomers/) did pretty well, if I may say so: Alex Freeman was the best fullback in the league and earned a big move to La Liga, while Paul Rothrock and Tate Johnson had excellent seasons for outstanding teams. This season, these are the hype trains to get on while there’s still room. --- [MLS 2026 season team previews: In-depth look at all 30 clubsWith a new MLS season starting this weekend, we have unparalleled previews for each and every team.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/22/3c/223ce17d-3253-4d03-873b-ce236408cde2/content/images/icon/Backheeled-2-Sq-Light-697.png)BackheeledBackheeled Staff![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/22/3c/223ce17d-3253-4d03-873b-ce236408cde2/content/images/thumbnail/2026-MLS-SEASON-PREVIEW-1.jpeg)](https://www.backheeled.com/mls-2026-season-team-previews-stars-predictions-tactics-more/) --- _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### How some USL clubs are filling a youth development hole in the U.S. soccer landscape URL: https://www.backheeled.com/how-usl-clubs-are-fixing-youth-development-us-soccer-mls-academy-transfers/ Last updated: 2026-02-19T13:21:30.000Z For talented young players with aspirations to play at the game’s highest levels, opportunity is everything. To get to, say, the UEFA Champions League, which is largely considered the top club competition in the world, first you need to get noticed. For the American prospect to get noticed, playing in MLS, the top level of men’s soccer in the United States, certainly helps. To play in MLS, you typically have to climb the ladder through an MLS academy, break into MLS Next Pro, and *then* get your chance in the first tier – it’s an arduous process for your average 16-year-old. Increasingly, the USL provides an alternative. Every year, more high-level prospects sign in the second division USL Championship and earn first-team minutes. When Orange County SC announced the [transfer of 17-year-old fullback Pedro Guimaraes](https://www.uslchampionship.com/news%5Farticle/show/1354814?ref=backheeled.com) to the Bundesliga’s Eintracht Frankfurt in early February, it was the latest example of the USL’s arrival as a player for burgeoning stars. How do the USL’s most successful clubs approach the youth market? Orange County general manager Peter Nugent and Charleston Battery president Lee Cohen talked to *Backheeled* to explain. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### MLS 2026 season team previews: In-depth look at all 30 clubs URL: https://www.backheeled.com/mls-2026-season-team-previews-stars-predictions-tactics-more/ Last updated: 2026-02-26T00:24:16.000Z You can binge all 30 MLS previews right up until Saturday's first kick. Or, you can simply read about your favorite team and hate-read about your biggest rival. Whatever floats your boat. Paid subscribers get access to all the team previews, where we assess why this year will (and won’t) be a success for your team, major offseason moves, tactics, young stars, and so much more. There will also be discussion of fiction books. And clerical errors. And maybe some nepotism? We wear many hats here at *Backheeled.* If you're not a paid subscriber and you'd like to change that fact, click here: [Become a paid Backheeled subscriber!](https://www.backheeled.com/about/#/portal/signup) ## Atlanta United [Atlanta United 2026 MLS season previewWe’re taking you through Atlanta’s offseason action, hopes, fears, tactics & much more.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/22/3c/223ce17d-3253-4d03-873b-ce236408cde2/content/images/icon/Backheeled-2-Sq-Light-663.png)BackheeledJoseph Lowery![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/22/3c/223ce17d-3253-4d03-873b-ce236408cde2/content/images/thumbnail/atlanta-united.jpg)](https://www.backheeled.com/atlanta-united-2026-mls-season-preview-transfers-tactics-stars-predictions/) ## Austin FC [Austin FC 2026 MLS season previewWe’re taking you through Austin’s offseason action, hopes, fears, tactics & much more.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/22/3c/223ce17d-3253-4d03-873b-ce236408cde2/content/images/icon/Backheeled-2-Sq-Light-664.png)BackheeledJoseph Lowery![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/22/3c/223ce17d-3253-4d03-873b-ce236408cde2/content/images/thumbnail/austin-fc.jpg)](https://www.backheeled.com/austin-fc-2026-mls-season-preview-transfers-tactics-stars-predictions/) ## Charlotte FC [Charlotte FC 2026 MLS season previewWe’re taking you through Charlotte’s offseason action, hopes, fears, tactics & much more.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/22/3c/223ce17d-3253-4d03-873b-ce236408cde2/content/images/icon/Backheeled-2-Sq-Light-665.png)BackheeledJoseph Lowery![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/22/3c/223ce17d-3253-4d03-873b-ce236408cde2/content/images/thumbnail/charlotte-fc.jpg)](https://www.backheeled.com/charlotte-fc-2026-mls-season-preview-transfers-tactics-stars-predictions/) ## Chicago Fire [Chicago Fire 2026 MLS season previewWe’re taking you through Chicago’s offseason action, hopes, fears, tactics & much more.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/22/3c/223ce17d-3253-4d03-873b-ce236408cde2/content/images/icon/Backheeled-2-Sq-Light-666.png)BackheeledJoseph Lowery![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/22/3c/223ce17d-3253-4d03-873b-ce236408cde2/content/images/thumbnail/chicago-fire.jpg)](https://www.backheeled.com/chicago-fire-2026-mls-season-preview-transfers-tactics-stars-predictions/) ## FC Cincinnati [FC Cincinnati 2026 MLS season previewWe’re taking you through Cincinnati’s offseason action, hopes, fears, tactics & much more.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/22/3c/223ce17d-3253-4d03-873b-ce236408cde2/content/images/icon/Backheeled-2-Sq-Light-667.png)BackheeledJoseph Lowery![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/22/3c/223ce17d-3253-4d03-873b-ce236408cde2/content/images/thumbnail/fc-cincinnati.jpg)](https://www.backheeled.com/fc-cincinnati-2026-mls-season-preview-transfers-tactics-stars-predictions/) ## Colorado Rapids [Colorado Rapids 2026 MLS season previewWe’re taking you through Colorado’s offseason action, hopes, fears, tactics & much more.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/22/3c/223ce17d-3253-4d03-873b-ce236408cde2/content/images/icon/Backheeled-2-Sq-Light-668.png)BackheeledJoseph Lowery![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/22/3c/223ce17d-3253-4d03-873b-ce236408cde2/content/images/thumbnail/colorado-rapids.jpg)](https://www.backheeled.com/colorado-rapids-2026-mls-season-preview-transfers-tactics-stars-predictions/) ## Columbus Crew [Columbus Crew 2026 MLS season previewWe’re taking you through Columbus’ offseason action, hopes, fears, tactics & much more.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/22/3c/223ce17d-3253-4d03-873b-ce236408cde2/content/images/icon/Backheeled-2-Sq-Light-669.png)BackheeledJoseph Lowery![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/22/3c/223ce17d-3253-4d03-873b-ce236408cde2/content/images/thumbnail/columbus-crew.jpg)](https://www.backheeled.com/columbus-crew-2026-mls-season-preview-transfers-tactics-stars-predictions/) ## D.C. United [DC United 2026 MLS season previewWe’re taking you through DC’s offseason action, hopes, fears, tactics & much more.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/22/3c/223ce17d-3253-4d03-873b-ce236408cde2/content/images/icon/Backheeled-2-Sq-Light-670.png)BackheeledJoseph Lowery![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/22/3c/223ce17d-3253-4d03-873b-ce236408cde2/content/images/thumbnail/dc-united.jpg)](https://www.backheeled.com/dc-united-2026-mls-season-preview-transfers-tactics-stars-predictions/) ## FC Dallas [FC Dallas 2026 MLS season previewWe’re taking you through Dallas’ offseason action, hopes, fears, tactics & much more.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/22/3c/223ce17d-3253-4d03-873b-ce236408cde2/content/images/icon/Backheeled-2-Sq-Light-671.png)BackheeledJoseph Lowery![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/22/3c/223ce17d-3253-4d03-873b-ce236408cde2/content/images/thumbnail/fc-dallas.jpg)](https://www.backheeled.com/fc-dallas-2026-mls-season-preview-transfers-tactics-stars-predictions/) ## Houston Dynamo [Houston Dynamo 2026 MLS season previewWe’re taking you through Houston’s offseason action, hopes, fears, tactics & much more.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/22/3c/223ce17d-3253-4d03-873b-ce236408cde2/content/images/icon/Backheeled-2-Sq-Light-672.png)BackheeledJoseph Lowery![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/22/3c/223ce17d-3253-4d03-873b-ce236408cde2/content/images/thumbnail/houston-dyanmo.jpg)](https://www.backheeled.com/houston-dynamo-2026-mls-season-preview-transfers-tactics-stars-predictions/) ## Sporting Kansas City [Sporting Kansas City 2026 MLS season previewWe’re taking you through Kansas City’s offseason action, hopes, fears, tactics & much more.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/22/3c/223ce17d-3253-4d03-873b-ce236408cde2/content/images/icon/Backheeled-2-Sq-Light-673.png)BackheeledJoseph Lowery![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/22/3c/223ce17d-3253-4d03-873b-ce236408cde2/content/images/thumbnail/skc.jpg)](https://www.backheeled.com/sporting-kansas-city-2026-mls-season-preview-transfers-tactics-stars-predictions/) ## LA Galaxy [LA Galaxy 2026 MLS season previewWe’re taking you through the Galaxy’s offseason action, hopes, fears, tactics & much more.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/22/3c/223ce17d-3253-4d03-873b-ce236408cde2/content/images/icon/Backheeled-2-Sq-Light-675.png)BackheeledJoseph Lowery![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/22/3c/223ce17d-3253-4d03-873b-ce236408cde2/content/images/thumbnail/la-galaxy.jpg)](https://www.backheeled.com/la-galaxy-2026-mls-season-preview-transfers-tactics-stars-predictions/) ## LAFC [LAFC 2026 MLS season previewWe’re taking you through LAFC’s offseason action, hopes, fears, tactics & much more.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/22/3c/223ce17d-3253-4d03-873b-ce236408cde2/content/images/icon/Backheeled-2-Sq-Light-674.png)BackheeledJoseph Lowery![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/22/3c/223ce17d-3253-4d03-873b-ce236408cde2/content/images/thumbnail/lafc-1.jpg)](https://www.backheeled.com/lafc-2026-mls-season-preview-transfers-tactics-stars-predictions/) ## Inter Miami [Inter Miami 2026 MLS season previewWe’re taking you through Miami’s offseason action, hopes, fears, tactics & much more.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/22/3c/223ce17d-3253-4d03-873b-ce236408cde2/content/images/icon/Backheeled-2-Sq-Light-676.png)BackheeledJoseph Lowery![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/22/3c/223ce17d-3253-4d03-873b-ce236408cde2/content/images/thumbnail/inter-miami.png)](https://www.backheeled.com/inter-miami-2026-mls-season-preview-transfers-tactics-stars-predictions/) ## Minnesota United [Minnesota United 2026 MLS season previewWe’re taking you through Minnesota’s offseason action, hopes, fears, tactics & much more.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/22/3c/223ce17d-3253-4d03-873b-ce236408cde2/content/images/icon/Backheeled-2-Sq-Light-677.png)BackheeledJoseph Lowery![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/22/3c/223ce17d-3253-4d03-873b-ce236408cde2/content/images/thumbnail/minnesota-united.jpg)](https://www.backheeled.com/minnesota-united-2026-mls-season-preview-transfers-tactics-stars-predictions/) ## CF Montreal [CF Montreal 2026 MLS season previewWe’re taking you through Montreal’s offseason action, hopes, fears, tactics & much more.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/22/3c/223ce17d-3253-4d03-873b-ce236408cde2/content/images/icon/Backheeled-2-Sq-Light-678.png)BackheeledJoseph Lowery![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/22/3c/223ce17d-3253-4d03-873b-ce236408cde2/content/images/thumbnail/cf-montreal.jpg)](https://www.backheeled.com/cf-montreal-2026-mls-season-preview-transfers-tactics-stars-predictions/) ## Nashville SC [Nashville SC 2026 MLS season previewWe’re taking you through Nashville’s offseason action, hopes, fears, tactics & much more.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/22/3c/223ce17d-3253-4d03-873b-ce236408cde2/content/images/icon/Backheeled-2-Sq-Light-679.png)BackheeledJoseph Lowery![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/22/3c/223ce17d-3253-4d03-873b-ce236408cde2/content/images/thumbnail/nashville-sc.jpg)](https://www.backheeled.com/nashville-sc-2026-mls-season-preview-transfers-tactics-stars-predictions/) ## New England Revolution [New England Revolution 2026 MLS season previewWe’re taking you through New England’s offseason action, hopes, fears, tactics & much more.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/22/3c/223ce17d-3253-4d03-873b-ce236408cde2/content/images/icon/Backheeled-2-Sq-Light-680.png)BackheeledJoseph Lowery![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/22/3c/223ce17d-3253-4d03-873b-ce236408cde2/content/images/thumbnail/new-england-revolution.jpg)](https://www.backheeled.com/new-england-revolution-2026-mls-season-preview-transfers-tactics-stars-predictions/) ## New York City FC [New York City FC 2026 MLS season previewWe’re taking you through NYCFC’s offseason action, hopes, fears, tactics & much more.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/22/3c/223ce17d-3253-4d03-873b-ce236408cde2/content/images/icon/Backheeled-2-Sq-Light-681.png)BackheeledJoseph Lowery![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/22/3c/223ce17d-3253-4d03-873b-ce236408cde2/content/images/thumbnail/nycfc-1.jpg)](https://www.backheeled.com/new-york-city-fc-2026-mls-season-preview-transfers-tactics-stars-predictions/) ## New York Red Bulls [New York Red Bulls 2026 MLS season previewWe’re taking you through the Red Bulls’ offseason action, hopes, fears, tactics & much more.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/22/3c/223ce17d-3253-4d03-873b-ce236408cde2/content/images/icon/Backheeled-2-Sq-Light-682.png)BackheeledJoseph Lowery![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/22/3c/223ce17d-3253-4d03-873b-ce236408cde2/content/images/thumbnail/new-york-red-bulls.jpg)](https://www.backheeled.com/new-york-red-bulls-2026-mls-season-preview-transfers-tactics-stars-predictions/) ## Orlando City [Orlando City 2026 MLS season previewWe’re taking you through Orlando’s offseason action, hopes, fears, tactics & much more.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/22/3c/223ce17d-3253-4d03-873b-ce236408cde2/content/images/icon/Backheeled-2-Sq-Light-683.png)BackheeledJoseph Lowery![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/22/3c/223ce17d-3253-4d03-873b-ce236408cde2/content/images/thumbnail/orlando-city.jpg)](https://www.backheeled.com/orlando-city-2026-mls-season-preview-transfers-tactics-stars-predictions/) ## Philadelphia Union [Philadelphia Union 2026 MLS season previewWe’re taking you through Philadelphia’s offseason action, hopes, fears, tactics & much more.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/22/3c/223ce17d-3253-4d03-873b-ce236408cde2/content/images/icon/Backheeled-2-Sq-Light-684.png)BackheeledJoseph Lowery![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/22/3c/223ce17d-3253-4d03-873b-ce236408cde2/content/images/thumbnail/philadelphia-unionm.jpg)](https://www.backheeled.com/philadelphia-union-2026-mls-season-preview-transfers-tactics-stars-predictions/) ## Portland Timbers [Portland Timbers 2026 MLS season previewWe’re taking you through Portland’s offseason action, hopes, fears, tactics & much more.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/22/3c/223ce17d-3253-4d03-873b-ce236408cde2/content/images/icon/Backheeled-2-Sq-Light-685.png)BackheeledJoseph Lowery![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/22/3c/223ce17d-3253-4d03-873b-ce236408cde2/content/images/thumbnail/portland-timbers.jpg)](https://www.backheeled.com/portland-timbers-2026-mls-season-preview-transfers-tactics-stars-predictions/) ## Real Salt Lake [Real Salt Lake 2026 MLS season previewWe’re taking you through Salt Lake’s offseason action, hopes, fears, tactics & much more.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/22/3c/223ce17d-3253-4d03-873b-ce236408cde2/content/images/icon/Backheeled-2-Sq-Light-686.png)BackheeledJoseph Lowery![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/22/3c/223ce17d-3253-4d03-873b-ce236408cde2/content/images/thumbnail/real-salt-lake.jpg)](https://www.backheeled.com/real-salt-lake-2026-mls-season-preview-transfers-tactics-stars-predictions/) ## San Diego FC [San Diego FC 2026 MLS season previewWe’re taking you through San Diego’s offseason action, hopes, fears, tactics & much more.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/22/3c/223ce17d-3253-4d03-873b-ce236408cde2/content/images/icon/Backheeled-2-Sq-Light-687.png)BackheeledJoseph Lowery![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/22/3c/223ce17d-3253-4d03-873b-ce236408cde2/content/images/thumbnail/san-diego-fc.jpg)](https://www.backheeled.com/san-diego-fc-2026-mls-season-preview-transfers-tactics-stars-predictions/) ## San Jose Earthquakes [San Jose Earthquakes 2026 MLS season previewWe’re taking you through San Jose’s offseason action, hopes, fears, tactics & much more.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/22/3c/223ce17d-3253-4d03-873b-ce236408cde2/content/images/icon/Backheeled-2-Sq-Light-688.png)BackheeledJoseph Lowery![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/22/3c/223ce17d-3253-4d03-873b-ce236408cde2/content/images/thumbnail/san-jose-earthquakes.jpg)](https://www.backheeled.com/san-jose-earthquakes-2026-mls-season-preview-transfers-tactics-stars-predictions/) ## Seattle Sounders [Seattle Sounders 2026 MLS season previewWe’re taking you through Seattle’s offseason action, hopes, fears, tactics & much more.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/22/3c/223ce17d-3253-4d03-873b-ce236408cde2/content/images/icon/Backheeled-2-Sq-Light-689.png)BackheeledJoseph Lowery![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/22/3c/223ce17d-3253-4d03-873b-ce236408cde2/content/images/thumbnail/seattle-sounders.jpg)](https://www.backheeled.com/seattle-sounders-2026-mls-season-preview-transfers-tactics-stars-predictions/) ## St. Louis City [St. Louis City 2026 MLS season previewWe’re taking you through St. Louis’ offseason action, hopes, fears, tactics & much more.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/22/3c/223ce17d-3253-4d03-873b-ce236408cde2/content/images/icon/Backheeled-2-Sq-Light-690.png)BackheeledJoseph Lowery![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/22/3c/223ce17d-3253-4d03-873b-ce236408cde2/content/images/thumbnail/st.-louis-city.jpg)](https://www.backheeled.com/st-louis-city-2026-mls-season-preview-transfers-tactics-stars-predictions/) ## Toronto FC [Toronto FC 2026 MLS season previewWe’re taking you through Toronto’s offseason action, hopes, fears, tactics & much more.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/22/3c/223ce17d-3253-4d03-873b-ce236408cde2/content/images/icon/Backheeled-2-Sq-Light-691.png)BackheeledJoseph Lowery![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/22/3c/223ce17d-3253-4d03-873b-ce236408cde2/content/images/thumbnail/toronto-fc.jpg)](https://www.backheeled.com/toronto-fc-2026-mls-season-preview-transfers-tactics-stars-predictions/) ## Vancouver Whitecaps [Vancouver Whitecaps 2026 MLS season previewWe’re taking you through Vancouver’s offseason action, hopes, fears, tactics & much more.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/22/3c/223ce17d-3253-4d03-873b-ce236408cde2/content/images/icon/Backheeled-2-Sq-Light-692.png)BackheeledJoseph Lowery![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/22/3c/223ce17d-3253-4d03-873b-ce236408cde2/content/images/thumbnail/vancouver-whitecaps.jpg)](https://www.backheeled.com/vancouver-whitecaps-2026-mls-season-preview-transfers-tactics-stars-predictions/) ### Atlanta United 2026 MLS season preview URL: https://www.backheeled.com/atlanta-united-2026-mls-season-preview-transfers-tactics-stars-predictions/ Last updated: 2026-02-17T17:05:09.000Z ## Where we left off last year *2025 season: 28 points, 14th in the Eastern Conference, 29th in MLS* Well, uh, that sure didn't work now did it. Atlanta United entered 2025 with big expectations, having loaded up on attackers in the form of record-breaking signing Emmanuel Latte Lath and Miguel Almiron. Ronny Deila was hired to reprise his role as an MLS Cup-winning manager, while Chris Henderson was brought in to call the shots in the front office. Instead of beating teams in high-scoring affairs thanks to their collection of final third threats, the attack was muted. None of the Designated Players thrived. The team looked listless in every phase. Deila was axed the day after the season ended. And now they go again. ## What changed in the offseason ### Notable arrivals: - **Tata Martino, manager:** He’s back, folks. The man who helped lead Atlanta United to MLS Cup last decade has returned to Georgia after, most recently, coaching Inter Miami during their record-setting 2024 regular season. Few have enjoyed more success in MLS than Martino — and few are more beloved in the city of Atlanta than Martino. Can he help return the Five Stripes to their old ways? - **Tomas Jacob, DM/RB:** Joining as a U22 Initiative player for a reported $5 million fee, Jacob is a 21-year-old who played 1,000 minutes for Necaxa in Liga MX after signing from Newell’s Old Boys. It’s no surprise to see Atlanta United back shopping from Martino’s old stomping grounds. Jacob has been the team’s starting No. 6 in preseason. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Austin FC 2026 MLS season preview URL: https://www.backheeled.com/austin-fc-2026-mls-season-preview-transfers-tactics-stars-predictions/ Last updated: 2026-02-17T17:05:17.000Z ## Where we left off last year *2025 season: 47 points, 6th in the Western Conference, 15th in MLS* Despite splashing major sums to sign Brandon Vazquez and Myrto Uzuni as Designated Players, 2025 was largely a disappointment for Austin FC. They fell in the U.S. Open Cup final at their own venue, were bounced from the first round of the postseason, and their big-money stars never clicked. Uzuni and Vazquez turned out to be redundant in the attack when used together, which wasn't as often as anyone in Austin hoped due to Vazquez's ACL injury midway through the year. Perhaps there's a lesson in Austin FC's 2025 tale: just because you drop a couple of bags of cash at the top of your roster doesn't mean you're in for a good year. ## What changed in the offseason ### Notable arrivals: - **Facundo Torres, W:** Austin FC’s ownership certainly hasn’t been shy about spending big sums of money. Last winter, it was Brandon Vazquez and Myrto Uzuni who joined for eight-figure transfer fees. This time around, it was Torres who arrived from Palmeiras for a reported $9.5 million fee. The former Orlando City standout will bring goals to Austin — he scored 14 in each of his last two seasons with the Lions. He’ll also be a clear upgrade on Osman Bukari on the right side of Nico Estevez’s attack. How, exactly, he fits alongside Austin’s existing DPs and elevates his teammates is closer to an open question. - **Joseph Rosales, LB:** Acquired from Minnesota United in a $1.5 million cash trade, Rosales is poised to give Nico Estevez’s team some real juice on the left side of the attack. The Honduran brings some question marks with him to Texas — he served a three-game suspension last year for violating a non-discrimination policy — and was sent off in a crucial playoff meeting with the Seattle Sounders last year. Still, few outside backs are more creative than the 25-year-old, a quality desperately needed in Austin. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Charlotte FC 2026 MLS season preview URL: https://www.backheeled.com/charlotte-fc-2026-mls-season-preview-transfers-tactics-stars-predictions/ Last updated: 2026-02-16T21:32:47.000Z ## Where we left off last year *2025 season: 59 points, 4th in the Eastern Conference, 7th in MLS* As you can see by the numbers above, Charlotte’s 2025 season was far more good than bad. They’ve quietly become one of MLS’s most consistent regular season outfits. Still, the year ended in frustration with a first round playoff exit at the hands of New York City FC. For the second year in a row, they scored just one goal across a three-game opening postseason series and were bounced out of contention along the way. There's a lesson in that. With big-name Designated Player Wilfried Zaha unable to spearhead the attack after (or before) star No. 10 Pep Biel went down injured in August, Charlotte FC fell flat when it mattered most. ## What changed in the offseason ### Notable arrivals: - **Luca de la Torre, CM:** For a Charlotte FC team that’s finished inside the bottom 10 in MLS in touches in the final third and touches in the box in both of Dean Smith’s seasons in charge on the sidelines, adding a progressive midfielder like de la Torre makes plenty of sense. The 27-year-old was a useful piece for a better team than Charlotte last year in San Diego and can add value as a No. 8. - **Henry Kessler, CB:** With Adilson Malanda’s departure, Charlotte had need of a center back. Enter: Kessler. Most recently of St. Louis City, the 27-year-old is a strong third central defender behind Tim Ream and Andrew Privett. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Chicago Fire 2026 MLS season preview URL: https://www.backheeled.com/chicago-fire-2026-mls-season-preview-transfers-tactics-stars-predictions/ Last updated: 2026-02-16T14:03:45.000Z ## Where we left off last year *2025 season: 53 points, 8th in the Eastern Conference, 13th in MLS* Last season featured the Chicago Fire taking a *massive* step forward, one so large that I wrote this about them following their playoff exit at the hands of the Philadelphia Union: > *Complete with resources paralleled by only a select few league rivals, the club is on the right track again that could see them enter MLS’s exclusive tier of consistently competitive teams.* In Gregg Berhalter’s first year as head coach and chief soccer officer, only the Union’s points per game total improved more than the Fire’s from 2024 to 2025\. Most of the club’s signings hit in a heavily revamped roster. The team showed a clear, unified style. And they announced a new soccer-specific stadium coming to Chicago. The Chicago Fire we’d become used to seeing — the disorganized, poorly assembled Fire that hadn’t made the playoffs for seven-straight seasons — is gone, replaced by one on a trophy path. [Chicago Fire’s painful playoff exit shouldn’t overshadow a year of real progressUnder Gregg Berhalter, the Fire may become a model MLS club once again.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/22/3c/223ce17d-3253-4d03-873b-ce236408cde2/content/images/icon/Backheeled-2-Sq-Light-658.png)BackheeledJoseph Lowery![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/22/3c/223ce17d-3253-4d03-873b-ce236408cde2/content/images/thumbnail/chicagofire_11525-1.jpg)](https://www.backheeled.com/chicago-fire-playoff-exit-shouldnt-overshadow-progress-gregg-berhalter-mls/) ## What changed in the offseason ### Notable arrivals: - **Anton Saletros, CM:** With a couple of central midfielders exiting this winter, the Fire signed Saletros from the Swedish top-flight. The 29-year-old left-footed center-mid will bring the sort of technical on-ball play that you’d expect Chicago to prioritize under Gregg Berhalter. He should be an upgrade in midfield. - **Robin Lod, CM/W:** Signed as a free agent, Lod was one of the best pickups of the entire MLS offseason. The former Minnesota United man was the model of consistency (and versatility) at his last club. Though Father Time is catching up to him at age 32, Lod has played at least 2,300 minutes in each of the last two years and could well start 30 games for the Fire. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### FC Cincinnati 2026 MLS season preview URL: https://www.backheeled.com/fc-cincinnati-2026-mls-season-preview-transfers-tactics-stars-predictions/ Last updated: 2026-02-16T14:03:37.000Z ## Where we left off last year *2025 season: 65 points, 2nd in the Eastern Conference, 2nd in MLS* Things were weird for FC Cincinnati last year. On the one hand, they won 20 games, finished second in the Supporters' Shield race, and won a playoff series against their biggest rivals. On the other hand, they won 16 of those games by just one goal and rarely looked cohesive en route to posting the sixth-largest xG differential over-performance in American Soccer Analysis dataset, which goes back to 2013. Injuries struck at center back and at the base of midfield and the talent around Evander, who was excellent, never quite clicked. Still, there's little doubt that Cincinnati’s 2025 squad featured plenty of building blocks for the year to come. ## What changed in the offseason ### Notable arrivals: - **Bryan Ramirez, WB/W:** There may not be a better match in MLS than “FC Cincinnati” and “converting South American wingers to wingbacks”. More on that later. For now, the 25-year-old who arrived from LDU Quito in Ecuador looks like a good bet to play a major chunk of the minutes left behind by Lukas Engel at left wingback. - **Kristian Fletcher, FW/WB:** The former DC United attacker who bounced around England is back in MLS — and is still just 20\. Fletcher has U.S. youth national team pedigree and can absolutely make a mark in Cincinnati. Adding the youngster was a savvy bit of business from Cincy’s front office. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Colorado Rapids 2026 MLS season preview URL: https://www.backheeled.com/colorado-rapids-2026-mls-season-preview-transfers-tactics-stars-predictions/ Last updated: 2026-02-16T14:03:30.000Z ## Where we left off last year *2025 season: 41 points, 11th in the Western Conference, 21st in MLS* Last season was a big, fat bummer for the Rapids. They regressed from 2024, failed to dominate territory like they had a year prior, shipped their best player in Djordje Mihailovic off to another team in the league, and missed the playoffs in a wildly weak West. Now, Colorado did make some significant summer additions, adding Paxten Aaronson as a Designated Player No. 10 and signing Rob Holding in hopes of rediscovering some of the central defensive dominance that left with Moise Bombito. Oh, and Kevin Cabral was waived, clearing a path to an open DP spot or a chunk of extra allocation money. 2025 wasn't all bad, then. But it was mostly bad. ## What changed in the offseason ### Notable arrivals: - **Matt Wells, manager:** It worked for Minnesota United with Eric Ramsay, why couldn’t it work for the Rapids? While Colorado’s thinking behind hiring an assistant coach at a big-name Premier League club went deeper than that, Wells is following a Ramsay-esque path to MLS. The 37-year-old, who is the second-youngest coach in the league, arrives in the U.S. after serving as an assistant at Tottenham. - **Dante Sealy, W:** There’s more General Allocation Money floating around MLS than ever before. But even accounting for GAMflation (that’s right, we’re in the weeds, people, what are you going to do about it), Colorado spending $1.9 million in GAM plus add-ons to acquire Sealy from CF Montreal surprised me. The 22-year-old left-footer had a promising year in Canada in 2025\. Can the Rapids get even more out of him this year? _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Columbus Crew 2026 MLS season preview URL: https://www.backheeled.com/columbus-crew-2026-mls-season-preview-transfers-tactics-stars-predictions/ Last updated: 2026-02-16T14:03:23.000Z ## Where we left off last year *2025 season: 54 points, 7th in the Eastern Conference, 12th in MLS* While the Crew finished in a respectable place in the Supporters’ Shield standings, 2025 was still a disappointing year. With European interest swirling around Wilfried Nancy, Columbus had one more bite at the apple with their league-leading coach. But the team never quite came together. Injuries nagged in the defense. An in-season trade for Daniel Gazdag never proved worthwhile, with the Hungarian struggling in Ohio. Striker Wessam Abou Ali signed as a Designated Player in the summer and looked promising, but fell injured and missed the postseason, where Columbus bounced out of the first round against bitter rivals FC Cincinnati. ## What changed in the offseason ### Notable arrivals: - **Henrik Rydstrom, manager:** Filling Wilfried Nancy’s shoes is no easy feat, but at least Rydstrom’s tactical approach won’t represent a *massive* departure from the Frenchman’s style. The former Malmo manager values possession, like his predecessor, using extreme overloads on one half of the field to break lines and create chances. Rydstrom’s [tactics are fascinating](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UqIzAmSadd0&ref=backheeled.com) and [his personality is, too](https://www.the-independent.com/sport/football/malmo-henrik-rydstrom-manager-tactics-diniz-b2466109.html?ref=backheeled.com). It’s possible that the Columbus Crew have gone from one MLS cult personality to another. - **Jamal Thiare, ST:** With Jacen Russell-Rowe off to Ligue 1, the Crew looked within MLS to find his replacement. Though Thiare, who was acquired for a minimum of $200,000 in GAM, is older and less positionally flexible than Russell-Rowe, he produced as a spot-starter in Atlanta last season. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### DC United 2026 MLS season preview URL: https://www.backheeled.com/dc-united-2026-mls-season-preview-transfers-tactics-stars-predictions/ Last updated: 2026-02-16T14:03:15.000Z ## Where we left off last year *2025 season: 26 points, 15th in the Eastern Conference, 30th in MLS* Wooden Spoon? Check. Midseason coach firing? Check. Midseason chief soccer officer firing? Check. DC United’s 2025 campaign checked just about every box you could ask a despondent MLS team to check. They were a punching bag on the field. Then they hired Erkut Sogut as the team’s new chief soccer officer in September and…well, Sogut has authored a trio of fiction books that [unmask the secrets of the football underworld](https://www.amazon.com/Shattered-Pitches-Unmissable-international-Underworld/dp/106867301X/ref=books%5Famazonstores%5Fdesktop%5Fmfs%5Faufs%5Fap%5Fsc%5Fdsk%5F3?%5Fencoding=UTF8&pd%5Frd%5Fw=qjpXv&content-id=amzn1.sym.6d92b4c0-97d6-4063-b66e-20890dfbd616&pf%5Frd%5Fp=6d92b4c0-97d6-4063-b66e-20890dfbd616&pf%5Frd%5Fr=140-7297895-6971763&pd%5Frd%5Fwg=U3R6P&pd%5Frd%5Fr=879a9bfc-935b-4792-80fb-3e0dd96f5e31&ref=backheeled.com). They also hired Rene Weiler as their new coach. He hasn’t written any books. With their new sporting leadership in place before the end of last season, DC United could get right to work on a busy offseason. ## What changed in the offseason ### Notable arrivals: - **Louis Munteanu, ST:** Now DC United’s club-record signing, Munteanu joined for a $7 million transfer fee from the top flight of his native Romania. Prized by Sogut for his “movement off the ball” and “tireless work rate,” he doesn’t figure to bring much value on the ball. Will the 23-year-old bring the form that saw him capture the Golden Boot in Romania in the 2024-25 season with him to DC? Color me skeptical, if only because it seems like head coach Rene Weiler [fell in love with him](https://www.gsp.ro/fotbal/liga-1/louis-munteanu-rene-weiler-transfer-dc-united-cfr-cluj-871447.html?ref=backheeled.com) in the same way he [fell in love with Caden Clark](https://x.com/tombogert/status/1958155618801668601?ref=backheeled.com) (and then got DC United to trade 700,000 real, American dollars for his services). Munteanu will certainly have some help up top thanks to… - **Tai Baribo, ST:** Acquired from the Philadelphia Union in a cashfer that could reach $4.6 million, Baribo brings reliable scoring to the nation’s capital. Across his 3,400 minutes in Philly, the 28-year-old managed 25 goals to go along with dogged pressing. Baribo’s arrival along with another striker in Munteanu signals a two-forward front is coming in DC (and likely some BoomBall right along with it). _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### FC Dallas 2026 MLS season preview URL: https://www.backheeled.com/fc-dallas-2026-mls-season-preview-transfers-tactics-stars-predictions/ Last updated: 2026-02-16T14:03:08.000Z ## Where we left off last year *2025 season: 44 points, 7th in the Western Conference, 16th in MLS* You see, there was FC Dallas *with* Lucho Acosta and FC Dallas *without* Lucho Acosta. Before they shipped their multi-million dollar cashfer off to Brazil following a bit of a behind-the-scenes mess mixed with on-field disappointment, Dallas averaged 1.04 points across 24 games. After they moved Acosta for a loss to Fluminense? Dallas averaged 1.90 points across 10 games and snuck into the playoffs. Of course, simply making the postseason in a league that allows 60% of its teams to make the cut isn’t an accomplishment. But FC Dallas will sure be hoping that manager Eric Quill’s tactical changes that helped fuel that late push will do so from the jump in 2026. ## What changed in the offseason ### Notable arrivals: - **Joaquín Valiente, AM:** Dallas opted against signing a Designated Player No. 10 this winter, despite their open DP spot, and chose to add Valiente instead. The 24-year-old Uruguayan posted nine non-penalty goal contributions for Barcelona (the one in Ecuador, not the one in Spain) last year and should make this team better. - **Herman Johansson, RWB:** Signed from the Swedish first division, Johansson should be an upgrade on the right wing for Dallas. His elite athletic ability and twist of final third product make him an ideal fit for an FC Dallas squad that’s wanted to get more dynamic ever since moving on from Acosta. Expect the 28-year-old to play major minutes. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Houston Dynamo 2026 MLS season preview URL: https://www.backheeled.com/houston-dynamo-2026-mls-season-preview-transfers-tactics-stars-predictions/ Last updated: 2026-02-16T14:05:38.000Z ## Where we left off last year *2025 season: 37 points, 12th in the Western Conference, 22nd in MLS* In a word, the Dynamo’s 2025 season was *bleak*. It started that way, too, when star center back Micael’s move to Palmeiras was announced on the day of Houston’s opener. Unarmed with a replacement for their best defender, the Dynamo struggled to keep the ball out of the back of their own net — of course, injuries to the first two goalkeepers on Ben Olsen’s depth chart and the emergency signing of perennial struggler Jonathan Bond sure didn’t help, either. Leaky in their own half and time in the opposition’s, Houston never truly looked a threat to compete in the mediocre West. That fact has led to one of the busiest offseasons in MLS… ## What changed in the offseason ### Notable arrivals: - **Mateusz Bogusz, FW:** After a failed stint at Cruz Azul, Bogusz is back in MLS but as a Designated Player this time around. The former LAFC breakout star will certainly help raise the Houston Dynamo’s floor with his well-rounded game. But can he be the centerpiece the Dynamo may well need him to be to help them truly compete for a trophy this year? Color me skeptical. - **Guilherme, W:** Signed from Santos as a DP, the 30-year-old is past his prime age and has never put up more than 12 goal contributions in any season in a first division league across time in Brazil and Saudi Arabia. Color me skeptical, part two. - **Hector Herrera, CM**: He’s back! As it turns out, our last memory of Herrera in Houston won’t have to be of him spitting at a referee in the 2024 MLS postseason. Herrera will be 36 in April and barely saw the field at Toluca, but it’s hard to begrudge the Dynamo for taking a swing. Even jogging towards his late 30s, Herrera’s ball progression will be elite in MLS when he’s on the field. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Sporting Kansas City 2026 MLS season preview URL: https://www.backheeled.com/sporting-kansas-city-2026-mls-season-preview-transfers-tactics-stars-predictions/ Last updated: 2026-02-16T14:02:53.000Z ## Where we left off last year *2025 season: 28 points, 15th in the Western Conference, 27th in MLS* Two words define Sporting Kansas City’s 2025 campaign better than most: *struggle* and *change*. On the field, Kansas City floundered, finishing near the bottom of the league. The attack was undermanned. The defense was undertalented. In short, the roster was filled with misses. The result? Change. Club legend Peter Vermes was fired after serving as SKC’s chief soccer officer in addition to coaching 609 matches for SKC across all competitions, a figure that totaled more than half of the club’s games across their 30-year existence. Though Vermes is a legend of the game in the U.S., it was time for a shift. With a regularly negative xG differential to close out his tenure, tactical cohesion lagged and talent acquisition lagged even harder. With a slew of expiring contracts now off the books, it’s time to see just how Sporting Kansas City looks in the real post-Vermes era. ## What changed in the offseason ### Notable arrivals: - **David Lee, chief soccer officer:** Hired away from New York City FC, where he held an equivalent position, Lee was appointed to lead Kansas City’s front office back at the end of September. Lee, who helped build consistently strong NYCFC teams, stepped into the roster-building portion of Vermes’ job and was given quite a bit of flexibility. Only 12 players remained in the squad following the club’s end-of-season roster decisions, a DP spot was open (and will likely stay that way until 2027), and a coach was yet to be hired. Speaking of a coach… - **Raphael Wicky, manager:** Some MLS fans will remember Wicky from his time in charge of the Chicago Fire, who struggled with the Swiss coach on the sidelines. Purge that time from your memory. Wicky was strapped to a sinking Georg Heitz-captained ship with one of the worst rosters in recent MLS history. Of course, Wicky, who stopped back in his native country between MLS jobs, will need better players to really thrive in Kansas City. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### LAFC 2026 MLS season preview URL: https://www.backheeled.com/lafc-2026-mls-season-preview-transfers-tactics-stars-predictions/ Last updated: 2026-02-16T14:02:40.000Z ## Where we left off last year *2025 season: 60 points, 3rd in the Western Conference, 6th in MLS* There were a handful of tentpole moments last season for LAFC. There was manager Steve Cherundolo announcing his planned decision to leave the club and return to Germany. There was a victorious one-game playoff against Club America that sent them to the Club World Cup. There was a wild Western Conference semifinal playoff clash against the Vancouver Whitecaps, which featured [one of the greatest goals](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kYhiY1v9Dkk&ref=backheeled.com) in MLS postseason history. And then, of course, there was the signing of the man who scored that goal in Vancouver: Son Heung-min. Signed for a league-record transfer fee of around $26 million, Son supercharged LAFC to finish the season, though they fell two games short of MLS Cup. Now? Son and co. are back for more. ## What changed in the offseason ### Notable arrivals: - **Marc Dos Santos, manager:** The former Vancouver Whitecaps manager was named Steve Cherundolo’s successor over the winter. Dos Santos is one of three managers hired over the offseason to go from assistant to head coach within the same organization, which sure seems like it may start being more of a trend around the league. While the Canadian isn’t a flashy hire for a club that’s no stranger to getting those sorts of deals done, he represents continuity for one of MLS’s most successful clubs. You could sure do a lot worse. - **Stephen Eustaquio, CM:** In one of the most eye-catching moves of the MLS offseason at large, LAFC signed Eustaquio on loan from Porto through the end of June with an option to buy. Reportedly, that option to buy sits at a cool $7 million, meaning the Canadian international would be a Designated Player should LAFC decide to pick up said option. While that seems extremely unlikely, Eustaquio is a major talent in central midfield and should improve LAFC’s starting lineup for as long as he’s around. With more than 5,000 minutes at Porto under his belt, the 29-year-old will add top-tier ball progression and impactful defensive work. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### LA Galaxy 2026 MLS season preview URL: https://www.backheeled.com/la-galaxy-2026-mls-season-preview-transfers-tactics-stars-predictions/ Last updated: 2026-02-16T14:02:32.000Z ## Where we left off last year *2025 season: 30 points, 14th in the Western Conference, 26th in MLS* In 2024, the LA Galaxy underlined their place in the MLS record books with their league-best sixth MLS Cup win. In 2025, the Galaxy wrote a new entry into that same record book when they became the proud owners of the worst start to any season in league history. Winless in their first *16 games* to begin last year, Riqui Puig’s injury-induced absence crushed the Galaxy from the very start. Their MLS Cup defense turned into a whimper almost immediately — the entire attack had to change without Puig’s high-touch influence, Emiro Garces struggled to defend deeper downfield, and goalkeeping was a major issue. Thanks to their Leagues Cup run, the Galaxy earned a place in the Concacaf Champions Cup. But now without Puig for 2026 due to a second ACL surgery, there’s still a cloud hanging over this team. ## What changed in the offseason ### Notable arrivals: - **Jakob Glesnes, CB:** With center back a recurring issue over the past two seasons, LA made no bones about snagging a pair of high-level MLS defenders this winter. Glesnes, acquired in a trade that could reach $2.2 million GAM, was the first one of those to join the Galaxy. Glesnes, a former MLS Defender of the Year, thrived in a defense-first role with the Philadelphia Union. While he’ll have to hit more passes on the ground in Carson, there’s little doubt that the 31-year-old raises the Galaxy’s floor upon arrival. - **Justin Haak, CB/DM:** Along with trading for Glesnes, the Galaxy signed Haak in free agency to further bolster their spine. The former New York City FC man mostly played as a left-sided center back last season, but has eaten plenty of minutes at the base of midfield over his career. The 24-year-old is a savvy pickup. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Inter Miami 2026 MLS season preview URL: https://www.backheeled.com/inter-miami-2026-mls-season-preview-transfers-tactics-stars-predictions/ Last updated: 2026-02-16T14:02:25.000Z ## Where we left off last year *2025 season: 65 points, 3rd in the Eastern Conference, 3rd in MLS* With Lionel Messi lifting MLS Cup, mostly. Along the way to doing just that, Inter Miami played more games in a single season than any team in any other season in MLS’s entire existence. Across all competitions, Miami played a whopping 58 games. While they stumbled out of the Concacaf Champions Cup at the second-to-last hurdle and they fell to the Seattle Sounders in the Leagues Cup final, Miami emerged from the group stage at the Club World Cup, becoming the first MLS team to beat a UEFA team in a meaningful competition. That Miami managed to balance deep tournament runs during the season with perhaps the [most dominant playoff run in league history](https://www.backheeled.com/inter-miami-mls-cup-playoffs-messi-defense-javier-mascherano-tactics-analysis/) was truly impressive — and they’ll be trying to do the same thing in 2026. ## What changed in the offseason ### Notable arrivals: - **German Berterame, ST:** Raise your hand if you thought this was the direction Inter Miami was going to go with their third Designated Player spot. No one? That’s what I thought. Between the whole “playing Lionel Messi as a No. 9 helped us win MLS Cup” thing and the fact that Berterame isn’t the absolute biggest name around, I didn’t have this $15 million signing on my bingo card. Of course, that’s not to say the 27-year-old is a bad pickup. The Mexican national teamer was a reliable scorer for Monterrey (something, say, Austin’s Brandon Vazquez was not), gives Miami additional personnel flexibility from one game to the next, and knows Concacaf well. For an Inter Miami team that have spouted their aspirations to win the Concacaf Champions Cup, adding a guy who’s won a few games in Mexico is a reasonable play. - **Dayne St. Clair, GK:** Yeah, so, Inter Miami might be creating a superteam. St. Clair, who took less money from Miami in free agency than was on offer at his old club in Minnesota, joins to fill perhaps Miami’s biggest hole from last year: consistent goalkeeping. Sure, Rocco Rios Novo turned it on once he wrestled the starting job away from Oscar Ustari. But St. Clair has been a consistently impactful shot-stopper since becoming a starter in MLS back in 2022\. He’s the reigning Goalkeeper of the Year for a reason — and his arrival in Miami should terrify the rest of the league. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Minnesota United 2026 MLS season preview URL: https://www.backheeled.com/minnesota-united-2026-mls-season-preview-transfers-tactics-stars-predictions/ Last updated: 2026-02-16T14:02:17.000Z ## Where we left off last year *2025 season: 58 points, 4th in the Western Conference, 8th in MLS* Last year was a year of *almosts* for Minnesota United — and it was a year of forming an identity. The Loons reached the semifinals of the U.S. Open Cup, but fell at home to Austin FC in September. Their MLS Cup hopes were dashed just two games away from the trophy, courtesy of a narrow defeat to San Diego FC in the Western Conference semis. Those are the *almosts*. Despite their incomplete trophy pushes, 2025 seemed to establish something about Minnesota United: they’d been reborn, this time as a data-driven, budget-beating club. With a heavy emphasis on scouting undervalued talent, set pieces, and clever defending, it seems as though Minnesota emerged as MLS’s Brentford last year (though one with an actual ability to compete thanks to MLS’s much smaller spending gaps compared to those in the Premier League). Chief soccer officer Khaled El-Ahmad even name-checked Brentford [in a conversation with *Backheeled*](https://www.backheeled.com/inside-minnesota-united-mls-rebirth-tactics-data-analytics-spending-eric-ramsay/) last fall. Ultimately, though, Minnesota’s season fell apart when they transferred Tani Oluwaseyi in the summer to Villarreal for a fee approaching eight figures. Can they retool for 2026? And will their identity really stand the test of, say, one offseason featuring an incoming Colombian star? ## What changed in the offseason ### Notable arrivals: - **Cameron Knowles, manager:** Knowles kept Eric Ramsay’s seat warm as Minnesota’s interim head coach before the British manager arrived in 2024, and now the two are trading places yet again. The 43-year-old is one of three managers hired over the offseason to go from assistant to head coach within the same organization. Well liked by players, Knowles provides useful continuity (though there will be tactical evolution, too) and his appointment underscores the fact that Minnesota United are a front office-driven club. - **James Rodriguez, AM:** Find me a more surprising move of the MLS offseason. I dare you. No luck? That’s what I thought. Minnesota United, one of the league’s true low-spenders who posted the fourth-lowest first team salary spend last year while playing anti-soccer, signed James Rodriguez. Former Real Madrid and Bayern Munich star and current Colombian national team talisman James Rodriguez. The silky smooth on-ball technician James Rodriguez. Will the dude play games? I’m not sure! He’s bounced around to four clubs in the last four years without leaving a star-level impact. It’s that fact that led him to Minnesota on a short-term, non Designated Player deal. James may have the highest variance in potential outcomes of any player in MLS this season. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### CF Montreal 2026 MLS season preview URL: https://www.backheeled.com/cf-montreal-2026-mls-season-preview-transfers-tactics-stars-predictions/ Last updated: 2026-02-16T14:02:10.000Z ## Where we left off last year *2025 season: 28 points, 13th in the Eastern Conference, 28th in MLS* Another year, another bottom-half-of-the-conference finish from Montreal. We've seen that story play out in eight of the last nine seasons, the one exception taking place during Wilfried Nancy's tenure. More than just bad, of course, 2025 was chaotic for CF Montreal. Head coach Laurent Courtois was axed just five games into the year. Chief soccer officer Corey Wray was shown the door partway through the season, leaving owner Joey Saputo’s sons in charge of the roster build. Oh, and what bad, chaotic season could be complete without a [summer letter to fans](https://www.reuters.com/sports/soccer/cf-montreal-announce-rebuild-letter-fans--flm-2025-07-23/?ref=backheeled.com)? Things were bleak. Will they be any less so in 2026? ## What changed in the offseason ### Notable arrivals: - **Marco Donadel, manager:** Promoted from interim manager to manager over the offseason, Donadel spent all but the first month of last season leading Montreal on the sidelines after Courtois was dismissed. The 42-year-old ended his playing career as a member of the Montreal Impact and rejoined the club ahead of last season as an assistant. - **Brayan Vera, CB:** Acquired from Real Salt Lake in exchange for at least $1.2 in GAM, Vera should see starting minutes in the middle of the backline this season. The 27-year-old doesn’t truly excel at any one skill, but he should raise the floor for a team that allowed the fifth-most non-penalty xG in MLS last season, as per FBref. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Nashville SC 2026 MLS season preview URL: https://www.backheeled.com/nashville-sc-2026-mls-season-preview-transfers-tactics-stars-predictions/ Last updated: 2026-02-16T14:02:03.000Z ## Where we left off last year *2025 season: 54 points, 6th in the Eastern Conference, 11th in MLS* Last year ended, of course, with Inter Miami in the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs. *It's always Nashville SC vs. Inter Miami. They joined the league together. It feels like they play every week. I expect both clubs will be launched into the sun together at some point in the 28th century.* Bowing out in the postseason to the eventual champs is nothing for Nashville to hang their heads about, especially not when you consider how big of a slam dunk the rest of their 2025 was. They won the U.S. Open Cup, beating Austin FC on the road. They played a completely different — and more effective — style in BJ Callaghan's first full year at the helm, one that unlocked their Designated Players enough to do real damage. And they made themselves an attractive enough destination to attract some of the league's best talent. Last year was an unequivocal success. ## What changed in the offseason ### Notable arrivals: - **Cristian Espinoza, RW:** Speaking of attracting some of the league’s best talent, Espinoza signed as a DP in Nashville over the winter. The former San Jose Earthquake, who only was available as a free agent because the Quakes forgot to pick up his option, was, perhaps, the best player in this year’s class. The Argentine averaged 14 goal contributions across his seven seasons on a bad San Jose team. Just what could he do as the right-sided midfielder in a clever Nashville team? The club’s top brass are eagerly awaiting an answer to that question. - **Maxwell Woledzi, CB:** Nashville’s third signing from the Norwegian top-flight after Eddie Tagseth and Patrick Yazbek, Woledzi joins to help fill Walker Zimmerman’s shoes in the middle of the backline. He should be in line for major minutes in defense. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### New England Revolution 2026 MLS season preview URL: https://www.backheeled.com/new-england-revolution-2026-mls-season-preview-transfers-tactics-stars-predictions/ Last updated: 2026-02-16T14:01:57.000Z ## Where we left off last year *2025 season: 36 points, 11th in the Eastern Conference, 23rd in MLS* The Revs struggled big-time last year, missing the playoffs for the second consecutive season. Most of their attacking signings underwhelmed and the defensive reinforcements weren’t enough to keep things afloat at the other end. The on-field failings resulted in change: head coach Caleb Porter was fired in September. Really, Porter’s exit was the only possible outcome in New England, given what the now-former manager had to say ahead of last year: “We had good players here...they just didn't happen to be the right players...now we have the right players. Now this is my team. These are, these are my players. I've picked them, and I'm confident in the blueprint that I have.” Now Porter is gone. Will better results follow? ## What changed in the offseason ### Notable arrivals: - **Marko Mitrovic, manager:** The last U.S. U-20 coach to take charge of an MLS team did pretty darn well, so why not try the same trick with Mitrovic? Of course, the Revs are not San Diego FC. They don’t have the same sporting infrastructure nor the same style of play mandates. But they do have a top-tier academy and can tap into the benefits that come from hiring a coach with connections to some of the country’s top young players. In fact, they already have. *More on Mitrovic:* [Inside “mathematician” Marko Mitrovic’s journey from Serbia to coaching the U.S. men’s Olympic teamHere’s how a boy from Belgrade became the U.S. men’s coach for the Paris Olympics.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/22/3c/223ce17d-3253-4d03-873b-ce236408cde2/content/images/icon/Backheeled-2-Sq-Light-659.png)BackheeledSanjay Sujanthakumar![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/22/3c/223ce17d-3253-4d03-873b-ce236408cde2/content/images/thumbnail/mitrovic_olympics_72224.jpg)](https://www.backheeled.com/inside-marko-mitrovic-journey-serbia-us-mens-olympics-team-france/) - **Brooklyn Raines, CM:** Acquired from the Houston Dynamo in a cashfer worth at least $1.6 million and given a U22 Initiative deal in New England, Raines played under Mitrovic with the U.S. U-20s. He also played 1,700 minutes for the Dynamo in last year’s regular season. The 20-year-old isn’t flashy, but he has the bones of a useful ball-moving midfielder with a bit of bite. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### New York City FC 2026 MLS season preview URL: https://www.backheeled.com/new-york-city-fc-2026-mls-season-preview-transfers-tactics-stars-predictions/ Last updated: 2026-02-16T14:01:49.000Z ## Where we left off last year *2025 season: 56 points, 5th in the Eastern Conference, 9th in MLS* Really, NYCFC's loss in the Eastern Conference final to Inter Miami served as a microcosm of their 2025 season. On one hand, they were just one win away from MLS Cup. They finished solidly in the playoff places out East, had a positive xG differential, and played effective soccer under first-year manager Pascal Jansen. On the other hand, they were clearly the second-best team on the field in that conference final meeting with Miami and almost never looked like a true trophy threat even before Alonso Martinez went down with an ACL injury in November that will see him miss most (if not all) of 2026\. Will New York City FC ever be a true MLS juggernaut under management from City Football Group? That question lingers. ## What changed in the offseason ### Notable arrivals: - **Todd Dunivant, chief soccer officer:** Though he was hired away from the Sacramento Republic's front office in the USL Championship where he helped build a perennial trophy contender, Dunivant has MLS experience, too. He played in the league and served on the board of the MLS Players Association. As for how he'll do inside MLS and the CFG machine? Only time will tell. - **Kai Trewin, CB/DM:** Signed from sister club Melbourne City, Trewin looks like New York City’s Justin Haak replacement. After Haak left in free agency, NYCFC needed another potential starter who could play as a center back or as a defensive midfielder – and it looks like they found that in Trewin. The 24-year-old is an Australian national teamer. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### New York Red Bulls 2026 MLS season preview URL: https://www.backheeled.com/new-york-red-bulls-2026-mls-season-preview-transfers-tactics-stars-predictions/ Last updated: 2026-02-16T14:01:42.000Z ## Where we left off last year *2025 season: 43 points, 10th in the Eastern Conference, 18th in MLS* Where did we leave off? Well, with a broken streak, mostly. After making the playoffs for 15-straight seasons, the New York Red Bulls missed out in 2025\. Of course, sneaking into the postseason as a low seed and losing at the first hurdle like they’d done in four of the previous six seasons wasn’t something to be proud of, either. No, change was needed for the Red Bulls. Without a playoff appearance or a shiny new Designated Player — though they sure tried and tried for Timo Werner — to act as a peace offering, that change arrived. Let’s dig in. ## What changed in the offseason ### Notable arrivals: - **Julian de Guzman, chief soccer officer:** While not a true arrival, de Guzman was promoted from within to lead the front office following Jochen Schneider’s departure. Eager to zig where his predecessors have zagged, the Canadian hasn’t shied away from the idea of shifting RBNY’s tactical style — expect them to keep more of the ball this year, in a continuation of a trend from the last couple of years. - **Michael Bradley, manager:** Another promotion, Bradley moved into the Red Bulls’ managerial post from his head coaching position with the club’s second team in MLS Next Pro after Sandro Schwarz was fired. Bradley, one of the best U.S. men’s national team players ever, served as an assistant with his father Bob at Stabaek in Norway before joining the Red Bulls’ organization last year. Now in his first head job at the first team level, Bradley is something of a mystery box. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Orlando City 2026 MLS season preview URL: https://www.backheeled.com/orlando-city-2026-mls-season-preview-transfers-tactics-stars-predictions/ Last updated: 2026-02-16T14:01:34.000Z ## Where we left off last year *2025 season: 53 points, 9th in the Eastern Conference, 14th in MLS* Where we left off with Orlando City was with an embarrassing defeat at the hands of the Chicago Fire in the East’s wildcard game. Never truly able to gain a foothold in the game, Orlando fell 3-1 on the road in Chicago and saw their 2025 campaign end with a whimper. Still, it wasn’t a *bad* season, all things considered. If not for a hyper-competitive Eastern Conference, the Lions would’ve cruised to an automatic playoff spot with their 53 points and they posted the seventh-best xG differential in the league, as per FBref. But to enter the league’s absolute best group of teams, Orlando needed more. That’s where a busy offseason comes into play. ## What changed in the offseason ### Notable arrivals: - **Maxime Crepeau, GK:** While Orlando initially hoped to sign former New York Red Bulls goalkeeper Carlos Coronel to replace Pedro Gallese, the front office had to pivot to Crepeau after being left at the altar by their preferred target. Crepeau, most recently of the Portland Timbers, is a less reliable shot-stopper when compared to both Coronel and Gallese, but has been successful in MLS before. - **Braian Ojeda, CM:** Acquired from Real Salt Lake in exchange for at least $1.3 million in GAM, Ojeda will contend for starting minutes in Orlando City’s midfield. You don’t spend that much allocation money on a player if you don’t see a major role for them in your team. Ojeda is a well-rounded No. 8 who won’t win or lose you games. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Philadelphia Union 2026 MLS season preview URL: https://www.backheeled.com/philadelphia-union-2026-mls-season-preview-transfers-tactics-stars-predictions/ Last updated: 2026-02-16T14:01:27.000Z ## Where we left off last year *2025 season: 66 points, 1st in the Eastern Conference, 1st in MLS* On the field, 2025 was a smashing success for the Philadelphia Union. I do mean "smashing", by the way. They smashed their way through teams left and right on the back of their return to a high-pressing, extremely vertical style and claimed the Supporters' Shield along the way. It wasn't Jim Curtin who masterminded the Union's success after all. Bradley Carnell did just fine in his place. The team fell to New York City FC in the Eastern Conference semifinals, but none could argue the campaign was anything less than a major hit. Off the field, 2025 left the Philadelphia Union in a far less pleasant place. Chief soccer officer Ernst Tanner was placed on administrative leave while MLS reopened an investigation into allegations of inappropriate workplace behavior. You can read more about those allegations [in The Guardian](https://www.theguardian.com/football/2025/nov/18/ernst-tanner-major-league-soccer?ref=backheeled.com). With a future hazier than it’s been in years, it seems there’s a culture to rebuild in Philly. ## What changed in the offseason ### Notable arrivals: - **Ezekiel Alladoh, ST:** Signed from the Swedish first division for a club-record transfer fee in the[ ballpark](https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6787319/2025/11/07/philadelphia-union-club-record-signing-ezekiel-alladoh/?ref=backheeled.com) of $4.5 million, Alladoh is a 20-year-old striker who will see immediate minutes for Bradley Carnell. With speed, strength, and smart vertical movement, Alladoh should be a good fit for the Union’s system. - **Agustin Anello, ST:** A young forward who’s recently broken out in Uruguay? Sign the Philadelphia Union up for that. It worked in the case of Bruno Damiani last year and the same could be true of Anello, a 23-year-old U.S.-born attacker who impressed at the same Uruguayan club as Damiani. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Portland Timbers 2026 MLS season preview URL: https://www.backheeled.com/portland-timbers-2026-mls-season-preview-transfers-tactics-stars-predictions/ Last updated: 2026-02-16T14:01:19.000Z ## Where we left off last year *2025 season: 44 points, 8th in the Western Conference, 17th in MLS* Specifically, we left off with the Timbers being played off the park en route to being eliminated by San Diego FC in the first round of the postseason. Generally, we left off with another disappointing year in Portland. The club finished eighth in the West, right in what I’m now dubbing *The Portland Timbers’ Zone*: they’ve finished between eighth and 10th in their conference four years running. Kristoffer Velde provided a spark after he arrived as a Designated Player in the summer transfer window, but the talent bleed from losing Evander to FC Cincinnati, Jonathan Rodriguez to injury and Santi Moreno to a transfer tirade proved to be too much. How much more mediocrity will be tolerated in Portland? ## What changed in the offseason ### Notable arrivals: - **Cole Bassett, CM:** With David Ayala’s move to Inter Miami (and with a general need to upgrade in central midfield, anyway), the Timbers sent at least $2.65 million to the Colorado Rapids in exchange for Bassett. Having averaged just over five non-penalty goalsper season over the last three years, Bassett will bring valuable box-arriving from midfield and doesn’t have any major holes in his game.The 24-year-old will be a key player for Portland. - **Alex Bonetig, CB:** If at first you succeed, try, try again? That’s how it goes, right? The Timbers smashed their Finn Surman signing out of the park when he joined from the A-League in 2024, so Portland went back to the Australian well in signing Bonetig. The 23-year-old has 4,000 minutes under his belt and could end up competing for starting minutes with the Timbers. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Real Salt Lake 2026 MLS season preview URL: https://www.backheeled.com/real-salt-lake-2026-mls-season-preview-transfers-tactics-stars-predictions/ Last updated: 2026-02-16T18:28:26.000Z ## Where we left off last year *2025 season: 41 points, 9th in the Western Conference, 19th in MLS* RSL spent most of last year crashing back down to earth. After a terrific 2024 season that saw them enter the Supporters’ Shield race on the back of effective possession-based soccer, Salt Lake struggled last year without the two attackers that really fueled their reinvention under Pablo Mastroeni: Andres Gomez (transferred to Ligue 1 in the summer of ’24) and Chicho Arango (traded to the San Jose Earthquakes last offseason). An ownership change last year meant that replacements came slowly — most of the major additions came in the summer, via DeAndre Yedlin and Victor Olatunji. But without a stable of uber-dangerous attackers, RSL’s tactical approach stagnated and they fell to the Portland Timbers in the West’s wildcard game. ## What changed in the offseason ### Notable arrivals: - **Morgan Guilavogui, FW:** RSL’s newest Designated Player, Guilavogui arrived from Lens in Ligue 1 for a reported $5 million fee. The 27-year-old has an impressive profile, having scored six goals and added two assists for St. Pauli in the Bundesliga last season and notched 35 goal contributions across his final two seasons with Paris FC in Ligue 2\. Best as a second striker or in the halfspaces, Guilavogui can do a bit of everything in the attack and will bring strong defensive effort. - **Juan Manuel Sanabria, LWB:** I think it’s entirely possible that Sanabria goes down as one of the best signings of the entire MLS offseason. The brother of the LA Galaxy’s Lucas Sanabria, the 25-year-old should be a major upgrade at left wingback over Alex Katranis. Sanabria, who broke into the Uruguayan national team late last year, put up numbers for Atletico San Luis in Liga MX and will bring two-way verve to Salt Lake. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### San Diego FC 2026 MLS season preview URL: https://www.backheeled.com/san-diego-fc-2026-mls-season-preview-transfers-tactics-stars-predictions/ Last updated: 2026-02-16T14:00:59.000Z ## Where we left off last year *2025 season: 63 points, 1st in the Western Conference, 4th in MLS* If you want to argue about the greatest MLS expansion team ever, you can only make a case for two teams: the 1998 Chicago Fire, who won MLS Cup and the U.S. Open Cup right off the bat, and 2025 San Diego FC. Last year’s San Diego squad set the expansion record for both points and points per game, becoming the most dominant first-year outfit in MLS regular season history. They made a deep postseason run, too, before falling to the Vancouver Whitecaps in the Western Conference final. The year wasn’t without drama, of course. We’ll get to that in the next section. But with a clear tactical vision set out by the Right To Dream network and the club’s own sporting staff and top-tier execution of that vision from a group of better-than-expected players, 2025 was nothing short of an incredible success for San Diego FC. [How San Diego FC is dominating MLS — and making a case as the best expansion team in historyWith a crystal-clear vision, the new kids on the block are pushing for trophies.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/22/3c/223ce17d-3253-4d03-873b-ce236408cde2/content/images/icon/Backheeled-2-Sq-Light-660.png)BackheeledJoseph Lowery![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/22/3c/223ce17d-3253-4d03-873b-ce236408cde2/content/images/thumbnail/IJ4UK5WAM5DHXL3EW6XOOZWCIQ-9.jpg)](https://www.backheeled.com/how-san-diego-fc-mls-expansion-team-record-setting-tactics-analysis/) ## What changed in the offseason ### Notable arrivals: - **Lewis Morgan, FW:** If Morgan stays healthy (which is a big, gigantic ‘if’ given that he’s missed almost the entirety of two of the last three seasons), he’ll be a smash-hit in San Diego. The 29-year-old’s ability to attack one-v-one and run in behind is a perfect fit for a team that created pseudo-transition looks with their deep buildup better than any team in MLS last year. If he doesn’t stay healthy, then at least San Diego didn’t have to spend all that much to get him from the Red Bulls, who are still eating part of the forward’s budget charge. There’s nothing not to like about this move. - **Wilson Eisner, RB:** A data-standout from MLS Next Pro, the 23-year-old looked right at home in San Diego’s starting lineup in the club’s two-legged victory over Pumas in Concacaf Champions Cup play to start the year. He joined San Diego FC off waivers. This club simply adds talent through every possible means. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### San Jose Earthquakes 2026 MLS season preview URL: https://www.backheeled.com/san-jose-earthquakes-2026-mls-season-preview-transfers-tactics-stars-predictions/ Last updated: 2026-02-16T14:00:52.000Z ## Where we left off last year *2025 season: 41 points, 10th in the Western Conference, 20th in MLS* Progress? Progress. With Bruce Arena at the reins and a revamped tactical setup that saw an increased emphasis on throwing numbers forward, the San Jose Earthquakes took a much-needed step forward last season after a historically poor 2024 campaign. With the then-newly acquired Chicho Arango and Josef Martinez in the attack alongside Cristian Espinoza, the Quakes scored more goals than all but six teams in MLS and looked like a potential playoff outfit in the West before ultimately missing out. Of course, you don't throw a team a party for almost making the postseason. But for the Quakes, who have made the playoffs just three times since 2013? Maybe you do. ## What changed in the offseason ### Notable arrivals: - **Timo Werner, FW:** When Bruce Arena was hired as the Quakes’ head coach and chief soccer officer, he [cited](https://www.espn.com/soccer/story/%5F/id/42234233/bruce-arena-eyes-new-challenge-hiring-san-jose-coach?ref=backheeled.com) ownership’s willingness to “improve the roster” by spending more on player salaries. Werner’s arrival from RB Leipzig sure looks like a living, breathing example of San Jose taking a step forward in that area. The 29-year-old forward, who can play on the wing or through the middle, never quite made the cut at Chelsea but regularly put up strong numbers for Leipzig in the Bundesliga. If Werner stays healthy, which is no guarantee, he’ll hit at least 15 goals on the back of his excellent off-ball movement. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Seattle Sounders 2026 MLS season preview URL: https://www.backheeled.com/seattle-sounders-2026-mls-season-preview-transfers-tactics-stars-predictions/ Last updated: 2026-02-16T14:00:31.000Z ## Where we left off last year *2025 season: 55 points, 5th in the Western Conference, 10th in MLS* It’s a cruel world where you can exit the postseason without technically losing a game, but that’s exactly what happened to the Sounders last year in their first round penalty shootout-driven exit at the hands of Minnesota United. While 2025 ended sooner than anyone in Seattle hoped, it’s hard to argue against last year being a success for the Sounders. They beat Inter Miami in the Leagues Cup final and put in three respectable showings in the Club World Cup against Botafogo, Atletico Madrid, and PSG, all while missing key players due to injury for much of the season. The Sounders were good and deep in 2025, and they're back for more in 2026. ## What changed in the offseason ### Notable arrivals: - **Hassani Dotson, CM:** Back in his home state of Washington after spending his entire MLS career with Minnesota United, Dotson is an extremely savvy free agency pickup given Obed Vargas’ departure. The 28-year-old is an above-average No. 8 who is in the prime of his career and can do a bit of everything on both sides of the ball. Injuries are the only red flag here: Dotson missed most of last year with a knee injury and missed most of 2022 with a different knee injury. Still, he’ll slot right into the starting lineup. - **Nikola Petkovic, CM:** Signed on loan from Charlotte FC, Petkovic will occupy a U22 Initiative spot for Seattle. The Sounders are taking a flyer on the 22-year-old (that’s the name of the U22 Initiative game). But that he has 600 MLS minutes and another 1,100 in MLS Next Pro, a league Seattle pay closer attention to than just about any other of their peers, isn’t nothing. There’s talent here. If anyone is going to [mine it, it’s the Sounders](https://www.backheeled.com/how-seattle-sounders-mls-turned-smart-spending-into-all-time-great-roster/). _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### St. Louis City 2026 MLS season preview URL: https://www.backheeled.com/st-louis-city-2026-mls-season-preview-transfers-tactics-stars-predictions/ Last updated: 2026-02-16T14:00:23.000Z ## Where we left off last year *2025 season: 32 points, 13th in the Western Conference, 24th in MLS* Olof Mellberg? Fired. Lutz Pfannenstiel? Fired? Playoffs? Missed. In just about every sense, last season was a wasted year for St. Louis City. They struggled to gain ground in even a poor Western Conference, making clear along the way that their impressive debut season back in 2023 was a blip rather than the start of a trend. To the club’s credit, a revamp of St. Louis’ sporting department followed that realization. After just 15 games, their head coach was axed. In August, City cut ties with their sporting director. Now it’s truly a new era for St. Louis City. So, what will that new era look like? ## What changed in the offseason ### Notable arrivals: - **Corey Wray, chief soccer officer:** A highly regarded, experienced MLS decision-maker, Wray was hired in November to lead St. Louis’ front office. Wray, who’s time in charge of CF Montreal’s sporting department was cut short for CF Montreal reasons, is best known for being a key part of Toronto FC and the Columbus Crew when both of those clubs were at their best. He’s a strong addition. - **Yoann Damet, manager:** The youngest person to coach an MLS game (at age 29!) when he took over as an interim for FC Cincinnati in 2019, Damet arrives from Ohio’s other MLS club. He served as an assistant to Wilfried Nancy in Columbus and was widely viewed as one of the top candidates to make the assistant-to-head coach jump this winter before doing just that. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Toronto FC 2026 MLS season preview URL: https://www.backheeled.com/toronto-fc-2026-mls-season-preview-transfers-tactics-stars-predictions/ Last updated: 2026-02-16T14:00:16.000Z ## Where we left off last year *2025 season: 32 points, 12th in the Eastern Conference, 25th in MLS* It was always going to be an ugly year for Toronto FC, wasn’t it? With a slew of underperforming players on bad contracts set to expire at the end of the season, Toronto took their medicine in 2025\. They missed the playoffs by a mile but stayed on the straight and narrow path towards sweet, sweet cap space. Some earlier-than-expected welcome news came when Lorenzo Insigne and Federico Bernardeschi were ditched in the summer, followed shortly by a big-money cashfer that brought Djordje Mihailovic to town. With the fewest returning minutes of any team in MLS (just 49%, according to Eliot Mckinley), this year’s version of Toronto FC will look very, very different from the one that began last season. ## What changed in the offseason ### Notable arrivals: - **Walker Zimmerman, W:** Two things can be true when it comes to Zimmerman landing in Toronto. First: he’s unlikely to play more than 2,000 minutes this year (or in any future year). Due to injuries, the 32-year-old hasn’t hit that mark since 2022\. For that reason, Nashville were probably right to avoid re-signing him. Second: he’s going to be a *major* upgrade in the back for Robin Fraser’s team. With Sigurd Rosted and Kevin Long, both below-average starters, eating up most of the minutes at center back last year, Zimmerman’s well-rounded skillset makes him an obvious improvement. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Vancouver Whitecaps 2026 MLS season preview URL: https://www.backheeled.com/vancouver-whitecaps-2026-mls-season-preview-transfers-tactics-stars-predictions/ Last updated: 2026-02-16T14:00:06.000Z ## Where we left off last year *2025 season: 63 points, 2nd in the Western Conference, 5th in MLS* If you’d told the Whitecaps at this time last year that they would be one Andres Cubas turnover away from beating Lionel Messi to the 2025 MLS Cup, I’m not sure they would’ve believed you. And yet, that’s exactly how Vancouver finished last year: brutally close to winning it all. Even with the disappointment that came by way of Inter Miami last December, last year was a wildly, resoundingly successful season for the Whitecaps on the field. It was the best ever. They made it to the final of MLS Cup and the Concacaf Champions Cup, dominated in the regular season, and lifted the Canadian Championship. Oh, and Jesper Sorensen turned out to be a brilliant head coaching hire who was robbed of the Coach of the Year award, and Thomas Muller signed in the summer. For a team facing ownership and stadium uncertainties, 2025 was pretty darn great for the ‘Caps. Those uncertainties [haven’t grown any less uncertain](https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/whitecaps-soccer-b-c-place-lease-mls-revenue-9.7076555?ref=backheeled.com) over this offseason. But at least on the field, 2026 might be even better. ## What changed in the offseason ### Notable arrivals: - **Cheikh Sabaly, W:** A 26-year-old Senegal international who put up 14 non-penalty goals in Ligue 2 last year, Sabaly could be a home-run signing for the Whitecaps. He arrives from Ligue 1 side Metz and should help replace some of what Vancouver lost in Ali Ahmed and Jayden Nelson. - **Bruno Caicedo, W:** Signed from Barcelona (not the one in Spain, the one in Ecuador), Caicedo joins the ‘Caps as a U22 Initiative player. Given Vancouver’s impressive hit-rate on signings coming from less-heralded South American leagues, the 21-year-old could be a player to watch this year and beyond. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Where MLS teams are shopping for players — and which leagues are paying off URL: https://www.backheeled.com/heres-where-mls-teams-are-looking-for-players-transfers-analysis-rosters/ Last updated: 2026-02-26T00:23:15.000Z MLS is buying more international players than ever, and that investment has clearly raised the league’s overall quality – but not every signing translates from one league to the next. Some players adapt immediately, others struggle to make an impact, and in a league with strict roster and budget rules, misses can set clubs back for years. I’ve noticed the recent trend of English Championship teams buying players from MLS, with the data showing that the physicality of players translates well between leagues. That made me wonder: *what leagues are MLS teams buying from the most, and which signings have translated the best?* To answer that, I analyzed all permanent transfers over the last three years, from MLS’s 2022 primary transfer window through the 2025 primary transfer window, to identify recruitment patterns and used Goals Added (G+) from American Soccer Analysis to measure on-field performance. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Each USL Championship team’s best breakout star candidate in 2026 URL: https://www.backheeled.com/each-usl-championship-teams-best-breakout-star-candidate-in-2026/ Last updated: 2026-02-16T14:08:58.000Z Every USL season is defined by the unexpected players who find a way to level up. Hartford won a trophy in 2025, in part, because journeyman striker Kyle Edwards became a prolific super sub; Louisville set a points per game record with the help of rookie defender Josh Jones, who became an indispensable presence at the back. The same thing will be true in 2026, but which players are ready to take the leap? I’ve got one candidate from each of the 25 teams in the USL Championship. --- [How USL clubs scout players: Agents, hours of film & moreFrom a one-person unit to more robust sporting departments, scouting resources vary across the USL — but every club faces the same challenge: finding the right players.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/22/3c/223ce17d-3253-4d03-873b-ce236408cde2/content/images/icon/Backheeled-2-Sq-Light-657.png)BackheeledJohn Morrissey![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/22/3c/223ce17d-3253-4d03-873b-ce236408cde2/content/images/thumbnail/PB_03709-1.jpg)](https://www.backheeled.com/how-usl-clubs-scout-players-agents-hours-of-film-more/) --- _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Does travel actually matter in MLS? Well, maybe not as much as we think URL: https://www.backheeled.com/does-travel-actually-matter-in-mls-best-away-teams-more/ Last updated: 2026-02-16T14:09:07.000Z Travel is a hot discussion topic in MLS circles, and why shouldn’t it be? There’s sure a lot of it. The Columbus Crew, who had the lowest travel distance of any MLS team over the past three seasons, averaged over 650 miles one-way per away day. For comparison, that’s nearly twice as long as the longest road trip in the entire Premier League. Travel also varies wildly between teams. The Vancouver Whitecaps averaged over 1,500 miles per road trip (the most in the league – and, again, one-way as all distances in this piece will be) over that same period where the Crew averaged 650. Now, with wildly disparate travel distances across the league, it would be easy to think that travel distance would impact results. But that doesn’t seem to be the case. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### USL League One Power Rankings (and tiers): Favorites, question marks & more URL: https://www.backheeled.com/usl-league-one-power-rankings-and-tiers-favorites-question-marks-more/ Last updated: 2026-02-11T14:45:36.000Z USL League One is an incredibly hard league to predict. Star-studded, expensive rosters are no guarantee of success, and the tendency for the USL Championship to poach the division’s best players has made consistent winning that much harder. Entering 2026, the introduction of five expansion clubs has made the landscape even more difficult to gauge. For the first time ever, *Backheeled* will be covering the ins and outs of League One throughout the new year, but where do teams stand with a month until kickoff? I’m ranking all 18 clubs to help find out. ## The “Players’ Shield Favorites” Tier ### 1\. Athletic Club Boise Predicting that an expansion team will run the table falls firmly into “famous last words” territory, but Boise’s progress ahead of the 2026 season has been nothing short of remarkable. In every sense, they’ve mitigated the typical pitfalls that plague first-year clubs. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Projecting the USMNT's roster ahead of Pochettino's extra "four World Cup games" URL: https://www.backheeled.com/projecting-usmnt-roster-pochettino-world-cup-march-friendlies-analysis/ Last updated: 2026-02-12T13:30:07.000Z According to Maurcio Pochettino, there are no more friendlies. He told the media on Thursday that for the U.S. men’s national team, the World Cup begins in March. Next month’s friendlies against Belgium and Portugal, plus the two tune-ups after the World Cup roster is announced – when the U.S. will face newly crowned African champions Senegal and Germany – should be legitimate tests for a squad that Pochettino now surely has a clear idea of. “It’s not only that we have ahead \[of us\] four friendly games. We have four World Cup games that it’s important for the players to take with the idea that we need to perform, that we need to start to show our quality and of course, perform in the way that after make sure that we are going to compete at our best in the World Cup,” Pochettino said. Who, then, is the U.S. coach planning to call into the team for this earlier-than-expected World Cup kickoff? Today, we’re projecting the final two rosters for this World Cup cycle while blending in some analysis of Pochettino’s comments last week. The rosters revealed in March and May likely won’t be identical due to form and fitness (at the moment, it’s unclear if Tyler Adams and Ricardo Pepi would be ready to travel to Atlanta late next month). But they should be similar in terms of the balance between European and MLS-based players, with Pochettino reiterating that the freshness of the latter will be a positive in the next camp, which is a month after the MLS regular season kicks off. “I think it’s good, because they are going to be in a very good level of energy. Maybe with lack of games, but you compensate \[for\] that with energy because they came from a period that they rest, recovery, and now they are charging the batteries to be full to start to compete in the end or middle of February. And that is very good, because I think March, they are going to be with all the power and it’s going to be good for them to show the quality,” he said. Pochettino suggested in November that he’d bring only the 26 players on the World Cup roster to Atlanta in late May. With that number as our benchmark, let’s dive in. ## Goalkeepers (3): Matt Freese, Matt Turner, Chris Brady _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### How USL clubs scout players: Agents, hours of film & more URL: https://www.backheeled.com/how-usl-clubs-scout-players-agents-hours-of-film-more/ Last updated: 2026-02-05T15:06:36.000Z Already this offseason, the USL Championship and League One’s 43 teams have combined to sign more than 330 players. Each and every one of them was subject to a scouting process by their new club. From the outside looking in, scouting is invisible. Performance and tactics are obvious on the pitch, but how players are initially identified isn’t so clear. In conversation with *Backheeled*, Fort Wayne FC sporting director Oliver Gage and Richmond Kickers manager and chief soccer officer Darren Sawatzky pulled back the curtain on scouting in the USL. --- Sawatzky is entering his seventh season at the Richmond helm, and he’s a self-described “one-stop shop” when it comes to player identification. The Kickers are run on a tight budget, even compared to their peers in League One. Thus, their manager wears multiple hats. “I was at a combine two weeks ago with the people from Spokane and Boise, and they literally had five different people doing what I do all the time,” Sawatzky said. “I have a COO here who will sometimes look over contracts with me just to make sure that I didn't miss something – it's always good to have a couple of set eyeballs. But for the most part, the lion's share of that stuff lands in my lap. We don't have the resources for a scouting department.” _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Riqui Puig is impossible to replace — but here's how the LA Galaxy are trying anyway URL: https://www.backheeled.com/riqui-puig-is-impossible-to-replace-but-heres-how-the-la-galaxy-are-trying-anyway/ Last updated: 2026-02-09T13:48:52.000Z If you’re like me, the news that Riqui Puig will miss all of the 2027 season floored you. Let’s rewind to 2024\. The 25-year-old midfielder was in the midst of an incredible 13 goal, nine assist season, leading the LA Galaxy to a second-place finish in the Western Conference. He hit another level in the postseason, notching four goals and three assists in four matches, including a match-winning assist in the dying minutes of the Western Conference final to propel the Galaxy to MLS Cup. > DEJAN JOVELJIC SCORES AND THE [@LAGalaxy](https://twitter.com/LAGalaxy?ref%5Fsrc=twsrc%5Etfw&ref=backheeled.com) ARE MINUTES AWAY FROM VICTORY! 👊 > > Audi [#MLSCupPlayoffs](https://twitter.com/hashtag/MLSCupPlayoffs?src=hash&ref%5Fsrc=twsrc%5Etfw&ref=backheeled.com) [pic.twitter.com/1V0b6uFbdt](https://t.co/1V0b6uFbdt?ref=backheeled.com) > > — Major League Soccer (@MLS) [December 1, 2024](https://twitter.com/MLS/status/1863084870831907211?ref%5Fsrc=twsrc%5Etfw&ref=backheeled.com) And then the cameras picked up Puig sobbing, head covered in a towel, being consoled by head coach Greg Vanney. And then the [unbelievable news](https://x.com/tombogert/status/1863376383675666726?s=20&ref=backheeled.com) that he’d not only torn his ACL, but played the final 30 minutes of a conference final on one leg. The Galaxy fittingly won MLS Cup. Puig hit the rehab hard, initially optimistic that he could play at some point in 2025, but eventually pushed back to 2026\. MLS is a more entertaining league when Puig is on the pitch, and having him light up the league on the opposite coast to Lionel Messi in a World Cup year was ideal. And then the even more unbelievable news broke: Puig [tore his ACL](https://x.com/LAGalaxy/status/2007558515930620353?s=20&ref=backheeled.com). Again. ## Riqui Puig is impossible to replace He’ll miss all of the 2026 season, set to return ahead of the 2027 spring sprint season. Two years out with an injury is absolutely devastating for any player, especially one as influential as Puig. It’s also devastating for the Galaxy, who – more than any team in MLS – built their on-field identity atop of one player. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Tension increases in USL CBA talks: Healthcare, hotels & more questions URL: https://www.backheeled.com/usl-cba-tensions-increase-healthcare-hotels-salary-licensing-more/ Last updated: 2026-02-03T14:58:12.000Z Across the USL Championship, players are reporting for training camps, preparing for a 2026 season that’s barely a month away. From a distance, it looks like business as usual. Those idyllic optics obscure the fact that the Championship could be in the midst of a work stoppage come March 6th. The last collective bargaining agreement between the USL Championship and the USL Players Association expired on December 31st, and re-negotiation talks have lasted more than a year. The two sides are operating under a continuation of the prior deal for now, but significant disagreements remain – even down to the extent of the progress being made in the negotiations. Connor Tobin, the Executive Director of the USLPA, spoke to *Backheeled* andcharacterized the CBA talks as being “frustratingly unproductive.” Another source close to the negotiations, who requested anonymity, argued that the conversations “continue to be positive.” The parties met last Thursday, and they’ll convene twice more before January comes to an end. Whether those conversations are bearing fruit on a host of key topics is up for debate. ## Health insurance questions Health insurance is one piece that remains unresolved. In the last CBA, formalized in late 2021, clubs were not required to offer team-sponsored health insurance. [25% of players](https://x.com/USLPlayers/status/2006164007149764893/photo/3?ref=backheeled.com) had no team option in the 2025 season. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### USL Championship Power Rankings: Who’s on top as 2026 preseason camps begin? URL: https://www.backheeled.com/usl-championship-power-rankings-whos-on-top-as-2026-preseason-camps-begin/ Last updated: 2026-02-02T13:40:54.000Z In just over 40 days, the 2026 USL season is slated to kick off. Last week, training camps began in earnest across the Championship. It’s been a full offseason already; there’ve been no less than 150 player signings and opening weekend in March will feature the debuts of eight new coaches. Plenty more news is on the way, but the competitive outlook for 2026 is coming into view. Where do the Championship’s 25 clubs land? I’m ranking them to help find out. ## 1\. Lexington SC Last winter, I [wrote this same column](https://www.backheeled.com/usl-championship-power-rankings-preseason-transfers-new-signings/) and bought into the hype of a Rhode Island FC side that “won the offseason” with the right mix of carryover talent and smart additions. That conclusion, of course, was very incorrect! Still, Lexington’s supercharged version of that formula recommends them as the top team in the Championship. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Join Backheeled’s new MLS fantasy league! URL: https://www.backheeled.com/join-backheeleds-new-mls-fantasy-league/ Last updated: 2026-01-26T14:30:10.000Z With the 2026 MLS season just around the corner, *Backheeled* is teaming up with a brand-new fantasy soccer partner: Fantasy UTD. I’ve helped test Fantasy UTD — and it’s hooked me in a way that no other fantasy soccer product has, thanks to its bidding system. To sign the players you want, you have to bid head-to-head against the other managers in your league. And even when the transfer window closes? You can still buy and sell players with other teams in the league, adding a marketplace feel to roster building. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### The MLS clubs turning kids into contributors URL: https://www.backheeled.com/mls-clubs-turning-kids-into-contributors-academy-homegrown-analysis/ Last updated: 2026-01-27T17:08:06.000Z Youth development in MLS has come a long way. From a disparate collection of teams throwing the occasional young player on the field to most teams having a true pipeline where youth players can develop and graduate to the professional ranks, we’ve seen the Homegrown Rule make an impact in real time. For example, two-thirds of MLS clubs have given at least 2,000 minutes per season to homegrown players over the past five years. 10 of those teams have averaged over 5,000 homegrown minutes per season in that five year span, while the Chicago Fire eclipsed 7,000 and Real Salt Lake with over 8,000 on average. Now, playing the kids is one thing. But getting real impact from them is another. So, then, who actually gets the most on-field production from their academy products? I dug into American Soccer Analysis’ goals added (g+) metric to find out, taking the g+ above average of the homegrown players for each individual season and averaging them over the last five years. A few details worth mentioning before we get started: _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### USL expansion update: Which markets are set to join the Championship and League One? URL: https://www.backheeled.com/usl-expansion-update-which-markets-will-join-championship-league-one/ Last updated: 2026-01-21T23:50:11.000Z With each passing year, the bond between the USL’s men’s professional leagues grows tighter. In 2025, the USL Championship and USL League One faced off against one another in an interleague cup competition. This offseason, a record number of players have jumped from one division to another. Soon, if the USL has their way, the two leagues will be linked by promotion and relegation and capped by a division one league. In other words, a team that’s joining League One today could be in the first division five years from now. As we enter 2026, it’s as good a time as any to get acquainted with the seven expansion clubs joining the USL for the season ahead – and the organizations hoping to follow in their footsteps. ## The USL Championship’s Class of 2026 **Sporting Club Jacksonville**, colloquially known as Sporting Jax, is one of two clubs entering the USLChampionship. First announced in 2022, their ownership group includes Florida football great Tim Tebow and former Jacksonville Jaguars star Fred Taylor. Jacksonville will play at the University of North Florida’s Hodges Stadium, and attendance expectations should be high; their Super League team sold more than 6,000 season tickets and is drawing an average [crowd near 7,500](https://www.usltactics.com/usl-attendance-tracker/?ref=backheeled.com). _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### ​​Inter Miami’s offseason has piled on the stars — and the pressure URL: https://www.backheeled.com/inter-miami-star-powered-offseason-raising-expectations-trophies-mls/ Last updated: 2026-01-20T16:13:16.000Z Inter Miami clearly haven’t taken much time to admire the shiny new MLS Cup trophy sitting in their cabinet. Turning straight to 2026 instead of reminiscing on their best season to date, this Miami team isn’t just reloading; they’re taking major swings to get even better. With a constant flow of “how did they pull that off” signings, Inter Miami are having one of the most impressive offseasons in MLS history. Let’s quickly recap the moves they’ve already made: ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/22/3c/223ce17d-3253-4d03-873b-ce236408cde2/content/images/2026/01/data-src-image-80f30477-0d44-4feb-a73f-3aaf93c30dae.png) Yup, Miami did all that and still have an open Designated Player spot, or at least they will if they can move out from under one of their U22 Initiative players. Yes, we’re looking at you, Tomas Aviles. It feels glib to call this winter a glow up – after all, Inter Miami put together the most dominant playoff run in MLS history and set the single-season points record just a couple years ago – but they just might be significantly better to start 2026 than they were to finish 2025. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### MLS’s Designated Player rule is broken. Here’s why, and how to fix it URL: https://www.backheeled.com/mls-designated-player-rule-is-broken-messi-beckham-roster-rules-changes/ Last updated: 2026-01-22T16:10:54.000Z If MLS wants to improve its on-field quality, the league needs to overhaul its salary cap – and that means it must reckon with how to end the Designated Player rule. The DP rule, which allows MLS teams to sign players with no limit on their incoming transfer fees or salaries, has been an engine for growth for the league since David Beckham joined the LA Galaxy in 2007\. He became the first player to bring major attention to the league by signing one such DP contract. The rule, however, has expanded past what made it useful and has become a drag on MLS’s improvement rather than a driver. When my spouse lived in Ghana, the trotro bus to the shops had a paint brush for a gear shifter. At some point, the shifter had broken and in a piece of clever invention, someone McGyvered a new one with the handle of the brush. But in grand trotro tradition, this was not a temporary solution, this was the permanent fix. The DP rule, like that poor overworked paintbrush, is a tool proficient at what it was made to do but has been thrust into a load bearing role in a totally different system. The rule was made to raise the profile of the league by signing recognizable stars. But as MLS has matured and many clubs have become more interested in winning titles than winning a news cycle, it was reimagined and redeployed as the main tool for adding in-prime players with less name recognition but more years left on their legs. Signings like Nico Lodeiro and Diego Valeri transformed the league and how the DP rule was used. But the muddying of DP rule’s *marketing* function and *talent acquisition* function has made the whole thing a less than ideal vessel to do either. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### 10 USL predictions for 2026: Pro-rel delays, MVP favorite & more URL: https://www.backheeled.com/10-usl-predictions-2026-pro-rel-delay-expansion-mvp-championship-league-one/ Last updated: 2026-01-14T14:02:56.000Z 2026 is here, so what should we expect across the USL? We know that seven new clubs will debut across the Championship and League One, and this offseason has already been defined by a considerable upturn in spending. Still, plenty of surprises are surely on the way. With those surprises in mind, now’s a good time to remind you that it’s prediction week here at *Backheeled*, where we’re taking a crack at predicting the American soccer landscape’s biggest moments in 2026\. We’ve already pulled out our crystal ball for the [U.S. men’s national team](https://www.backheeled.com/10-usmnt-predictions-2026-world-cup-roster-pochettino-pulisic-transfer/) and [MLS](https://www.backheeled.com/10-mls-predictions-for-2026-inter-miami-dynasty-wooden-spoon-breakout-stars/). Today, I’m turning my attention to the year to come for the USL with 10 predictions, ranging from off-field trends to tactical shifts to players due for a breakout. Let’s dig in. ## Promotion and relegation is pushed to 2028 We’re 15 months out from the alleged start date of the USL’s promotion and relegation system, and absolutely nothing has been formally agreed upon. I’m no expert, but that looks like a recipe for a delay! Think about the logistical questions that need to be agreed upon between an independent league office and a number of clubs that might be pushing 50 by 2028: _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### 10 USMNT predictions for 2026: Pochettino’s future, a phenom’s debut & more URL: https://www.backheeled.com/10-usmnt-predictions-2026-world-cup-roster-pochettino-pulisic-transfer/ Last updated: 2026-01-15T20:39:43.000Z It’s finally here, folks: the year every U.S. men’s national team fan has been waiting for. Welcome back to *Backheeled*’s prediction week, where we’re taking a crack at predicting the American soccer landscape’s biggest moments in 2026\. Earlier this week, my colleague Joe Lowery called himself a “glutton for punishment” for efforting through a [batch of MLS predictions](https://www.backheeled.com/10-mls-predictions-for-2026-inter-miami-dynasty-wooden-spoon-breakout-stars/), despite the league’s inherent unpredictability. Later in the week, John Morrissey will share his predictions for the USL’s year ahead. But for now? We’re diving head first into the USMNT, making 10 predictions for 2026 along the way. The first five will be tied to this summer’s World Cup, while the final five focus on what follows the biggest sporting event in history. Onwards. ## The USMNT will reach the semifinals of the 2026 World Cup We’re starting off bold. On paper, the U.S. isn’t a top four team in the world. In fact, it might not be close. But if it finishes first in its navigable group featuring Paraguay, Australia, and a to-be-determined European team that will probably be Turkey after their March playoff, there’s a manageable path to at least the quarterfinals. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### 10 MLS predictions for 2026: Inter Miami’s dynasty, Wooden Spoon & more URL: https://www.backheeled.com/10-mls-predictions-for-2026-inter-miami-dynasty-wooden-spoon-breakout-stars/ Last updated: 2026-01-12T13:12:27.000Z Is predicting MLS pretty much impossible? You bet. Am I going to do it anyway? You bet, part two. Am I a glutton for punishment? You bet, part three. Every new year here at *Backheeled*, we take a crack at predicting the American soccer landscape. Today, I’m going to decode MLS. Later in the week, we’ll have John Morrissey sharing his predictions for the USL in 2026 and Sanjay Sujanthakumar doing the same for the U.S. men’s national team. Buckle up, folks, it’s prediction week. Onwards, to my 10 big MLS predictions for this new year. ## At least one MLS coach gets a notable European job Me hyping up an MLS coach taking a major job overseas might be a death sentence at this point, given what I [wrote about](https://www.backheeled.com/wilfried-nancy-best-coach-in-mls-history-columbus-crew-celtic/) Wilfried Nancy and [how things are going](https://x.com/ScotlandSky/status/2007103744870097226?ref=backheeled.com) for the guy at Celtic. But that’s not going to slow me down here. I firmly believe that the quality of coaching in MLS is better now than it’s been at any point during any of the league’s previous three decades. Most every team has a defined style of play. There are loads of young coaches with intriguing ideas. And more leagues around the world are paying attention to what’s happening in MLS than ever before. Add all of that together and you get stories like Minnesota United manager Eric Ramsay being considered for the Strasbourg job in Ligue 1, according to a [report](https://www.theguardian.com/football/2026/jan/01/enzo-maresca-leaves-chelsea-breakdown-relations?ref=backheeled.com) from The Guardian. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### The best moves of the USL offseason (so far): Lexington SC’s historic spending & more URL: https://www.backheeled.com/best-usl-championship-offseason-moves-transfers-free-agents-2026/ Last updated: 2026-01-06T17:20:27.000Z The USL offseason technically ends in March when the new season begins, but training camps start a month earlier. That means we’re nearly halfway through the peak transfer period of the offseason. There’s plenty of business yet to come, but we’ve already seen a number of hugely consequential additions. Which signings stand out above the rest so far? I’ve got nine picks that’ll be crucial in the 2026 season. ## Mikey Maldonado, CM, San Antonio FC You could choose any of San Antonio’s first three signings for this list – I *love* the additions of Akeem Ward and Cristian Parano – but getting Mikey Maldonado from North Carolina FC takes the cake. Maldonado is one of the USL’s best progressive passers and set-piece takers, a steady No. 6 or No. 8 fit for a team that sorely lacked such a player last year. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Best MLS cashfer candidates for the 2026 offseason: DPs & young stars URL: https://www.backheeled.com/best-mls-cash-trade-candidates-2026-offseason-transfer-designated-player-u22/ Last updated: 2026-01-05T14:15:28.000Z Welcome to the MLS offseason and the magical world of the cash trade, or as we here at *Backheeled* are pushing into the mainstream nomenclature, the “cashfer”. Last winter, MLS [announced a wrinkle](https://www.backheeled.com/mls-cash-trade-market-five-deals-transfer-offseason-evander-lucho-acosta/) in their roster building rules, allowing clubs to buy and sell players from inside the league for real, actual dollars, not just the allocation money that previously changed hands. General Allocation Money still gets exchanged for players all the time, but cashfers have opened up an entirely new category of player trades, with previous untouchables like Evander, Lucho Acosta, Djordje Mihailovic, and others now available to move teams within MLS instead of being lost foreign clubs. Keeping all that in mind, let’s look at six players who would make sense to target for cash trades. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Thank you for 2025, subscribers! We can't wait for what's next. URL: https://www.backheeled.com/thank-you-for-2025-subscribers-we-cant-wait-for-whats-next/ Last updated: 2026-01-08T13:25:28.000Z Hey, you. Yeah, you. Thank you for being a paid *Backheeled* subscriber. Without you, the site wouldn’t exist and neither would the insightful coverage we try to produce at every turn. Thanks to you — and, of course, thanks to our fantastic team of writers — we covered a whole bunch of ground in 2025\. Even Tyler Adams would be impressed. And, perhaps, a bit out of breath. We previewed every single MLS and USL Championship team heading into the season, something no other outlet on the planet did in any level of detail. We wrote about each of those teams every week during the season. We dove into the major developments driving the two leagues, introducing you to emerging characters and breaking down the structural changes many hope will alter American soccer forever. We covered the U.S. men’s national team on the ground, too, examining the big changes surrounding Mauricio Pochettino’s team. We wrote a lot. We covered a lot. And we produced a whole slew of stories that I’m truly proud of. Here's are a few of *Backheeled*’s best stories of 2025, with more favorites down at the bottom of this post: [Messi hasn’t brought sweeping change to MLS – but the league has entered a new era of growthSome have accused MLS of wasting Messi’s time in Miami. But after taking a step back, it’s hard to ignore the league’s recent progress.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/22/3c/223ce17d-3253-4d03-873b-ce236408cde2/content/images/icon/Backheeled-2-Sq-Light-631.png)BackheeledBrian McKay![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/22/3c/223ce17d-3253-4d03-873b-ce236408cde2/content/images/thumbnail/mlsmessi_22525-3.jpg)](https://www.backheeled.com/messi-mls-roster-rules-growth-new-era-transfers-tv/) [The making of Diego Luna, as seen through the eyes of his coachesHere are the on-field qualities and off-field personality traits that have made Luna a rising star.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/22/3c/223ce17d-3253-4d03-873b-ce236408cde2/content/images/icon/Backheeled-2-Sq-Light-629.png)BackheeledJoseph Lowery![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/22/3c/223ce17d-3253-4d03-873b-ce236408cde2/content/images/thumbnail/6-3-25_DIEGO-LUNA-1-6.jpeg)](https://www.backheeled.com/the-making-of-diego-luna-told-by-his-coaches-usmnt-mls-world-cup/) [USL’s central ownership structure creates challenges for clubs – here’s how they’re trying to make money anywayEven as the USL adds investment and looks to evolve on the field, a privately held LLC soaks up the earnings.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/22/3c/223ce17d-3253-4d03-873b-ce236408cde2/content/images/icon/Backheeled-2-Sq-Light-627.png)BackheeledJohn Morrissey![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/22/3c/223ce17d-3253-4d03-873b-ce236408cde2/content/images/thumbnail/usl_12.10.25.jpg)](https://www.backheeled.com/usl-ownership-structure-challenges-nurock-holdings-papadakis-club-finances/) If you’re a fan of insightful American soccer coverage done by folks that are truly passionate about the game but you’re *not* a paid *Backheeled* subscriber, I’d ask that you consider becoming one today. I know there are thousands of you subscribed for free who haven’t taken the plunge to become a paid subscriber. The simple truth is that we can afford to grow the scope and quality of our coverage — two things I’d very much like to keep doing! — as the size of our paid subscriber base grows. Of course, money is tight for many right now. And for others, we may not cover soccer in the U.S. quite how you’d prefer it to be covered. While we do some things better than other outlets, I’ll be the first to admit that other outlets do a brilliant job at things we’re not as well equipped to do in our current form. But if you like what we’re building here at *Backheeled* and can spare a few bucks a month, we’d love to have you. If you haven’t heard, 2026 is supposed to be a big year for soccer in the United States. It’ll be a big year for *Backheeled*, too. In the meantime, thanks for spending time with us this year. ## Become a paid Backheeled subscriber today! [ Subscribe! ](https://www.backheeled.com/#/portal/signup) *More great stories from 2025:* [Has MLS’s U22 Initiative been a success? Examining the league’s $300 million endeavorMLS teams have spent big money on U22 Initiative players over the last few years. Is that spending paying off?![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/22/3c/223ce17d-3253-4d03-873b-ce236408cde2/content/images/icon/Backheeled-2-Sq-Light-633.png)BackheeledBen Wright![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/22/3c/223ce17d-3253-4d03-873b-ce236408cde2/content/images/thumbnail/1-24-25_MLS-U22s-1-2.jpeg)](https://www.backheeled.com/mls-u22-initiative-success-transfers-youth-development-rules-scouting-spending/) [How San Diego FC is dominating MLS — and making a case as the best expansion team in historyWith a crystal-clear vision, the new kids on the block are pushing for trophies.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/22/3c/223ce17d-3253-4d03-873b-ce236408cde2/content/images/icon/Backheeled-2-Sq-Light-630.png)BackheeledJoseph Lowery![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/22/3c/223ce17d-3253-4d03-873b-ce236408cde2/content/images/thumbnail/IJ4UK5WAM5DHXL3EW6XOOZWCIQ-8.jpg)](https://www.backheeled.com/how-san-diego-fc-mls-expansion-team-record-setting-tactics-analysis/) [How Alex Freeman – son of a star NFL receiver – is blazing his own path for Orlando City, U.S.Always drawn to soccer over football, the 20-year-old is shining in MLS as he moves towards a U.S. men’s national team call-up.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/22/3c/223ce17d-3253-4d03-873b-ce236408cde2/content/images/icon/Backheeled-2-Sq-Light-628.png)BackheeledBrian Sciaretta![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/22/3c/223ce17d-3253-4d03-873b-ce236408cde2/content/images/thumbnail/f2gdljqfc1y6dd3nf0pd-6.jpg)](https://www.backheeled.com/how-alex-freeman-mls-son-nfl-star-blazing-own-path-orlando-city-usmnt/) [What it costs to run a USL team: Expansion fees, player wages & moreFrom expansion fees to player salaries, we’re diving into the financial state of the USL.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/22/3c/223ce17d-3253-4d03-873b-ce236408cde2/content/images/icon/Backheeled-2-Sq-Light-626.png)BackheeledColton Coreschi![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/22/3c/223ce17d-3253-4d03-873b-ce236408cde2/content/images/thumbnail/uslcost_41625-4.jpg)](https://www.backheeled.com/what-usl-team-costs-championship-league-one-super-league-expansion-fees-wages/) [North Carolina FC’s hiatus exposes the cracks beneath the USL’s expressed ambitionWhile USL arms itself for a push towards creating a top men’s league and adding promotion and relegation, it’s clear more work is needed.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/22/3c/223ce17d-3253-4d03-873b-ce236408cde2/content/images/icon/Backheeled-2-Sq-Light-624.png)BackheeledJohn Morrissey![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/22/3c/223ce17d-3253-4d03-873b-ce236408cde2/content/images/thumbnail/usl_11425-2.jpg)](https://www.backheeled.com/north-carolina-fc-hiatus-exposes-cracks-beneath-usl-pro-rel-division-one/) [USL owners with pro-rel experience peel back the curtain on the league’s new modelA pair of USL Championship owners have first-hand experience with promotion and relegation from their stakes in English clubs. Here’s what they think about the USL’s new model.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/22/3c/223ce17d-3253-4d03-873b-ce236408cde2/content/images/icon/Backheeled-2-Sq-Light-625.png)BackheeledJohn Morrissey![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/22/3c/223ce17d-3253-4d03-873b-ce236408cde2/content/images/thumbnail/nagle_usl-4.jpg)](https://www.backheeled.com/usl-owners-pro-rel-experience-share-insight-into-new-model/) [Mauricio Pochettino’s USMNT has a pressing problemA worrying theme has developed for the United States: they can’t seem to press.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/22/3c/223ce17d-3253-4d03-873b-ce236408cde2/content/images/icon/Backheeled-2-Sq-Light-622.png)BackheeledJoseph Lowery![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/22/3c/223ce17d-3253-4d03-873b-ce236408cde2/content/images/thumbnail/pochettino_9825-3.jpg)](https://www.backheeled.com/mauricio-pochettino-usmnt-pressing-problem-tactics-analysis-world-cup/) [The biggest win of Pochettino’s tenure? The USMNT has depth nowThe U.S. appears to be deeper than ever heading into a World Cup year. Could that depth lead to a lengthy tournament run?![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/22/3c/223ce17d-3253-4d03-873b-ce236408cde2/content/images/icon/Backheeled-2-Sq-Light-623.png)BackheeledJerry Hinnen![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/22/3c/223ce17d-3253-4d03-873b-ce236408cde2/content/images/thumbnail/pochusmntdepth_121625.jpg)](https://www.backheeled.com/pochettino-usmnt-tenure-best-ever-depth-2026-world-cup-roster-analysis/) ### Revisiting my 10 USL predictions for 2025: Just how wrong was I? URL: https://www.backheeled.com/revisiting-my-10-usl-predictions-for-2025-mvp-cup-playoffs-expansion/ Last updated: 2026-01-01T16:22:55.000Z At the start of 2025, I made 10 predictions about the season ahead in the USL. As we turn the calendar toward 2026, it’s the perfect time for some accountability. How did those predictions fare? Let’s find out. ## Multiple USL League One teams win their Jagermeister Cup groups ### Result: Halfway there The Greenville Triumph were the only League One team to win their group, edging out the Tampa Bay Rowdies and Charleston Battery to advance. In the knockout stage, Greenville beat Indy Eleven on the road before a narrow loss to Hartford Athletic in the semifinal. In a season where the Triumph missed the League One playoffs and ultimately elected to fire their entire technical staff, the Jagermeister Cup was a bright spot. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Why there’s still value in the MLS SuperDraft – and the players to know in this year’s class URL: https://www.backheeled.com/why-theres-still-value-in-mls-superdraft-players-to-know-rosters-analysis/ Last updated: 2025-12-31T15:18:53.000Z As MLS teams continue to ramp up investment in player acquisition and in-house development, a pathway to acquiring free talent remains part of the equation: the MLS SuperDraft. The league has [adapted and evolved significantly](https://www.backheeled.com/messi-mls-roster-rules-growth-new-era-transfers-tv/) since its launch 30 years ago. While the draft has as well, this year’s edition – scheduled for Thursday, December 18th – serves as a reminder that for the teams that do their homework, it remains relevant to roster construction. In the past few years, teams around the league have made multi-million dollar fees on freely acquired talent. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Revisiting my 10 MLS predictions for 2025: Just how wrong was I? URL: https://www.backheeled.com/revisiting-my-10-mls-predictions-for-2025-transfers-tactics-expansion/ Last updated: 2025-12-18T15:38:06.000Z One might think that watching an absurd amount of MLS would make me better than the average person at predicting what goes on in and around the league. One would be wrong. I’m just as foolish as the next guy — and I know this because only the most unwise individual even tries to predict MLS, a league purpose-built for parity with thin margins separating the best from the worst. Back in preseason, I made 10 predictions for this year’s MLS season. [January 3rd, 2025](https://www.backheeled.com/10-mls-predictions-for-2025-transfers-expansion-club-world-cup-breakout-star/). That’s when the predictions went live here at *Backheeled*. That’s the day when I exposed my foolishness to the world. How did I do in my attempt to predict the unpredictable? Let’s revisit all 10 of my MLS predictions to find out. ## The prediction: One MLS player will move for at least $20 million ### The result: Close but no cigar. I predicted that either Cucho Hernandez or Gabriel Pec would hit the $20 million mark on an outgoing move, and Cucho came close-ish with his $16 million (plus add-ons) move from the Columbus Crew to Real Betis last winter. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### The biggest win of Pochettino’s tenure? The USMNT has depth now URL: https://www.backheeled.com/pochettino-usmnt-tenure-best-ever-depth-2026-world-cup-roster-analysis/ Last updated: 2025-12-31T03:27:12.000Z Coming from a different coach, after a different result, Mauricio Pochettino’s comments following his team’s 5-1 [hamblasting of Uruguay last month](https://www.backheeled.com/usmnt-win-uruguay-world-cup-test-pochettino-dest-berhalter-set-pieces/) could have been dismissed as empty bluster. “I hate that ‘no regular players’ \[question\],” [he said](https://www.reuters.com/sports/soccer/terse-pochettino-blasts-disrespectful-question-about-regulars-after-us-thrash-2025-11-19/?ref=backheeled.com) at his post-game press conference. “What does that mean? It's the USA playing. It's the national team. "Stop with that mindset...I hate to talk in this way. It's so disrespectful. It's so disrespectful because I think we need to give credit to all the guys that today were involved." Sorry, Mauricio: it’s not unfair to point when Timothy Tillman starts in attacking midfield and Christian Pulisic is unavailable. It’s fair to note that Tillman received his third cap against Uruguay when Pulisic’s next will be his 83rd. It’s fair to note the U.S. men’s national team isn’t fielding its regular players when it’s [not fielding its regular players](https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:kg5ozlpmpfqffqdqpddvpcrn/post/3m5wttqinjc2c?ref%5Fsrc=embed&ref%5Furl=https%253A%252F%252Fwww.backheeled.com%252Fpochettino-shows-why-usmnt-hired-him-uruguay-paraguay-world-cup%252F&ref=backheeled.com). But in fairness to Pochettino, while his program does in fact have regular players and less-regular players, he’s correct to point out that the story of his program’s current upswing in form *isn’t about those regular players.* The story is how the rising tide of depth developed under Pochettino over the course of 2025 has lifted boats across the whole of the USMNT roster. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Each MLS team’s biggest offseason question heading into 2026 URL: https://www.backheeled.com/each-mls-teams-biggest-offseason-question-heading-into-2026/ Last updated: 2025-12-17T15:37:53.000Z I don’t know who you are or which MLS team you root for, but I do know one thing: there’s at least one massive, potentially season-altering question facing that MLS team this offseason as they prepare for 2026. Here it is. ## Atlanta United *How much roster flexibility can they create?* The Five Stripes were awfully bad last year to have this little roster flexibility this offseason. With all three Designated Player spots filled and a less-than-abundant amount of cap space, there isn’t much that chief soccer officer Chris Henderson can do this winter. He can add a couple of U22 Initiative players, but those tend to be more miss than hit at least when they come from outside the league. They need a new right back, too, now that Brooks Lennon is gone. But there isn’t much more room than that. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### USL’s central ownership structure creates challenges for clubs – here’s how they’re trying to make money anyway URL: https://www.backheeled.com/usl-ownership-structure-challenges-nurock-holdings-papadakis-club-finances/ Last updated: 2025-12-17T17:04:11.000Z Even as the USL adds investment and looks to evolve on the field, a privately held LLC soaks up the earnings. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### The 10 biggest questions of the MLS offseason: Free agency, new stars & more URL: https://www.backheeled.com/biggest-mls-offseason-questions-free-agents-world-cup-coaches-transfers-more/ Last updated: 2025-12-11T13:34:44.000Z Welcome to the MLS offseason. It’s a magical two months for every fan where their imaginations are as of yet unfettered by the crushing weight of reality, where possibilities are almost as endless as the hordes of Messi reply bots on Twitter, and for a moment… just a fleeting moment… every team could be a champion. There are just 74 days until the 2026 MLS season kicks off, and we’ve got questions. 10 questions, to be precise. Here are the biggest questions we’re asking this offseason. ## What will the World Cup do for MLS? This is the million-dollar question for MLS and soccer in North America, and no one really has an answer for this. It will do *something* for soccer here, but what exactly? We’ve been trying to figure that out since 2018 when the joint bid between the United States, Mexico and Canada won, and we’re not much closer to figuring out the answer. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Inter Miami’s MLS Cup triumph made one thing clear: Nothing shy of perfection can stop them URL: https://www.backheeled.com/inter-miami-mls-cup-win-messi-vancouver-whitecaps-analysis/ Last updated: 2025-12-16T16:02:59.000Z When Vancouver Whitecaps midfielder Andres Cubas lost the ball in midfield in the 71st minute of Saturday’s MLS Cup, he probably expected to see one of Inter Miami’s battle-hardened midfielders like Rodrigo De Paul or Sergio Busquets running away with it. It wasn’t. It was Lionel Messi. Messi, the greatest to ever play the game but never renowned for his defensive work, dropped into midfield to make one of the most crucial tackles of the season, winning the ball and slipping De Paul in on goal to set up the game-winner. Not long after, Inter Miami clinched a 3-1 win to claim their first MLS Cup. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### MLS Cup: Analyzing what to expect from Inter Miami, Vancouver Whitecaps URL: https://www.backheeled.com/mls-cup-analysis-what-to-expect-from-inter-miami-vancouver-whitecaps/ Last updated: 2025-12-04T13:30:53.000Z The 2025 MLS season has been far from dull; the league saw not one but two global superstars in Thomas Muller and Son Heung-min join the ranks, both of whom hit the ground running. The coach of a struggling recent expansion side was fired, hired by a much better team in the offseason, and went on to win the Supporters’ Shield and the Coach of the Year award. We got to see a brand-new expansion team break records unlike any other before. Yes, this was an entertaining season. But beyond that, it was a season for the nerds. San Diego FC, in their aforementioned quest for expansion side glory, committed themselves to incredibly effective tactical principles. Over in Saint Paul, Eric Ramsay’s Loons captured our attention with some of [the most insane soccer](https://www.backheeled.com/how-some-mls-teams-are-using-long-throw-ins-to-play-smarter-soccer/) the league has ever seen. Carnell brought Red Bull soccer to Philadelphia and cranked the dial up to 10 (I was so impressed, I wrote a whole [article exploring the secret behind their defensive excellence](https://www.backheeled.com/mls-best-defensive-teams-tactics-analytics-philadelphia-union-minnesota-united-more/)). Then, right after I sang its praises, that same Union defense got pounded 7-0 in Vancouver. Nothing went according to plan this season, and yet, somehow, neutrals may have been blessed with the best possible MLS Cup matchup. This is poised to be a final just as memorable as the season that preceded it. Regardless of how you feel about the Herons, this has been an objectively incredible season from Inter Miami. The team scored a whopping 81 goals in the regular season, and the playoffs have felt all too easy so far. Vancouver, on the other hand, are making history of their own: their Western Conference finish is tied for best in club history, the Whitecaps are in the final for the first time, and their +28 goal differential is a club record. Only one team, however, will go home with the trophy. Who will it be? The answer may be hidden in the numbers. First, though, it’s important to know how these two teams reached the final. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### How Rob Vincent tweaked the Pittsburgh Riverhounds on the fly — and won a USL Championship title URL: https://www.backheeled.com/how-rob-vincent-tweaked-the-pittsburgh-riverhounds-on-the-fly-and-won-usl-championship/ Last updated: 2025-12-04T13:32:34.000Z It was 9:24 PM on a Friday night when the news broke: Pittsburgh Riverhounds manager Bob Lilley had been placed on administrative leave. Eight seasons into his reign in Pittsburgh, Lilley had set the club’s identity for years, and the sudden news back on October 10th could’ve derailed Pittsburgh’s season. Instead, assistant manager Rob Vincent – who played more than 70 matches in Pittsburgh and is still one of the 10 leading scorers in club history – took over as the acting coach and took the ‘Hounds to a title. In the wake of the championship, Vincent spoke with *Backheeled* to break down how his group pulled it off. Pittsburgh was set to play the next day after Vincent took over, hosting Indy Eleven with a chance to clinch a playoff spot. By then, the tactics and lineup for the weekend had already been set, but the Riverhounds still got the job done with a 2-1 victory. That match was the jumping-off point for the small but influential tweaks that Pittsburgh would integrate throughout the rest of 2025. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### The case for Wilfried Nancy as the best coach in MLS history URL: https://www.backheeled.com/wilfried-nancy-best-coach-in-mls-history-columbus-crew-celtic/ Last updated: 2025-12-10T13:31:56.000Z When Giorgio Chiellini talks, you listen. And when Giorgio Chiellini calls someone a “maestro”, well, they probably are. “They have a fantastic teacher, or maestro if you prefer to call it,” the legendary Italian center back said of the Columbus Crew before MLS Cup in 2023\. Before signing with LAFC in 2022, Chiellini spent more than a decade at Juventus dominating the world’s best teams. He knows better than most what makes those teams tick. “That is coach \[Wilfried\] Nancy.” The French manager arrived in Montreal in 2005 “[with my backpack](https://www.mlssoccer.com/news/how-wilfried-nancy-s-cf-montreal-became-a-serious-mls-cup-playoffs-contender?ref=backheeled.com)". Now he’s leaving North America, where he rose up the ranks to replace Thierry Henry at CF Montréal and won MLS Cup with the Crew, to take over as Celtic manager. Leading one of the United Kingdom’s largest clubs with a downright rabid following while they’re currently sitting in an unthinkable second place in the Scottish Premiership won’t be easy. Winning league titles is considered the bare minimum at Celtic. Still, during his time in North America, Nancy has shown a unique ability to spin straw into gold. And along the way? He became the best coach in MLS history. --- To state the obvious, comparing coaches across eras is no easy task. MLS has changed dramatically since its launch in 1996\. There are more teams, more games, more competitions. There’s more money, better facilities, and larger staffs, too. It’s worth acknowledging, then, that there are a group of legendary MLS coaches who seem worthy of a spot on the league’s Mount Rushmore. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### MLS Cup: 7 key questions that will decide Inter Miami vs. Vancouver Whitecaps URL: https://www.backheeled.com/mls-cup-7-key-questions-that-will-decide-inter-miami-vs-vancouver-whitecaps/ Last updated: 2025-12-07T01:37:21.000Z Two star-led teams. Two teams with first-year head coaches. Two teams with clear styles. Two teams trying to win their first MLS Cup. Saturday’s MLS Cup between Inter Miami and the Vancouver Whitecaps isn’t short on intrigue. Today, we’re diving into the seven biggest questions that will decide this year’s final – and we’re not skimping on the detail. Onwards. ## Will Messi win the game for Inter Miami? I can (and will) write a very detailed preview for this game in the coming sections. But it’s entirely possible that nothing below this section will matter one bit because of a certain Argentine No. 10 named Lionel Messi. If you’ve watched Messi conduct Inter Miami at all in 2025, I’m certain you’ll suspect that you’re watching part of the greatest individual season in MLS history. I mean, the things this guy does on the ball are and have always been otherworldly… …but Messi has somehow still been even better this season than you think. While balancing the busiest schedule any MLS team has ever had across all competitions (they’ll have played a record 58 games by the blow of the full-time whistle on Saturday), Messi has posted the most productive season in MLS history. His 56 combined goals and assists across the regular season and playoffs puts him first in single-season goal contributions by a country mile. Carlos Vela’s 2019 season is the next closest, with the former LAFC star notching 47 goal contributions while taking an extra game to get there. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### The six biggest questions of the USL offseason: Expansion success, strike & more URL: https://www.backheeled.com/biggest-questions-usl-offseason-pro-rel-expansion-division-one-cba-strike-more/ Last updated: 2025-12-09T13:32:25.000Z Every USL offseason is consequential, but this upcoming winter is uniquely important to the league. On and off the pitch, a set of looming storylines will impact the competitive face of the 2026 season – and maybe even the future of the USL itself. Which topics should you be paying attention to over the next few months? I’ve got six big questions that will define the offseason. ## Will we get more details on pro-rel and D1? The USL announced the decision to found a new [first-division league](https://www.backheeled.com/usl-division-one-mens-league-potential-markets-pro-rel-issues-mls/) and to adopt a [promotion and relegation system](https://www.backheeled.com/usl-introduce-promotion-relegation-big-questions-us-soccer-mls-tv-pro-rel/) in the spring, but concrete details about those reforms have been scant. 2028 is the proposed [start date](https://www.skysports.com/football/news/11095/13463782/the-usl-us-soccer-league-bringing-promotion-relegation-stateside-to-capitalise-on-world-cup-fever?ref=backheeled.com) for the new D1 tier, and ex-Premier League executive [Tony Scholes](https://www.uslsoccer.com/news%5Farticle/show/1349165?ref=backheeled.com) will head up that league starting next summer. Meanwhile, USL leadership has mentioned the idea of [promotion payments](https://www.cbssports.com/soccer/news/promotion-and-relegation-is-coming-to-usl-what-the-change-means-for-the-potential-growth-of-american-soccer/?ref=backheeled.com) for rising clubs to improve their infrastructure. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Inter Miami’s real playoff breakthrough isn’t Messi — it’s the defense URL: https://www.backheeled.com/inter-miami-mls-cup-playoffs-messi-defense-javier-mascherano-tactics-analysis/ Last updated: 2025-12-03T20:44:26.000Z With a slew of free-flowing parts, every soccer game paints its own unique picture. Well, most every game, anyway. Ever since Lionel Messi put pen to paper down in Florida, Inter Miami’s games have tended to look awfully similar from one weekend to the next. When Messi and friends stepped on the field for the first time two years ago, Miami instantly became a lethal attacking team *and* a mistake-riddled defensive one. Last year, Inter Miami’s first full season with their upgraded roster, they were a bottom-half defensive team based on non-penalty xG even as they led the league in goals scored. In this year’s regular season, Inter Miami once again led MLS in goals…while slipping even further down the defensive rankings. No automatic playoff team allowed more non-penalty xG than Miami, according to FBref. The oldest team in the league, one headlined by at least one immobile superstar in every line and budget-friendly options glueing them together, Inter Miami’s defensive frailties have been obvious. Until now, that is. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### The Pittsburgh Riverhounds set themselves up for long-term success — then that success came early URL: https://www.backheeled.com/pittsburgh-riverhounds-usl-championship-final-trophy-fc-tulsa/ Last updated: 2025-11-25T18:43:01.000Z TULSA, Okla. — The Pittsburgh Riverhounds had always been the bridesmaid. This club made the postseason every year from 2018 to 2024 but never managed to win more than a single match. As late as this October, the Riverhounds looked like they could fade from contention. Instead, Pittsburgh rallied and has now claimed their first USL Championship title. When legendary manager Bob Lilley was placed on administrative leave less than two months ago, this club was fresh off a loss against a bad Miami team and could’ve rolled over. Instead, acting manager Rob Vincent upheld Lilley’s longstanding principles (i.e., physical defending within a 5-4-1 block) while adding a new level of freedom in possession. In the end, these Riverhounds proved to be the USL’s most resilient team. Entering the title game, Pittsburgh hadn’t conceded in 512 minutes, posting a +4.4 xG margin and 62% field tilt across the Vincent era. The adoption of a 3-1-5-1 attacking shape proved to be inspired, bolstering an always-elite defense with sharper offensive patterns. Now, Pittsburgh are your 2025 title-winners after going into ONEOK Field and handing FC Tulsa their first home loss since May. This championship is a testament to Pittsburgh as a top-to-bottom organization, from owner Tuffy Shallenberger to sporting director Dan Visser to Vincent. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### MLS releases 2026 schedule, will break for most of World Cup URL: https://www.backheeled.com/mls-2026-schedule-world-cup-break-inter-miami-stadium-playoffs/ Last updated: 2025-11-20T20:07:19.000Z On Thursday, MLS announced its complete 2026 regular season schedule, with opening day landing on February 21st. For MLS’s final full season before a summer-to-spring calendar is instituted in 2027, the league will take a World Cup break from May 25th to July 16th, pausing for all but the final three days of the 2026 World Cup. Five MLS stadiums will host World Cup games during the league’s break. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### The USL Championship season is ending – it’s CBA standoff doesn’t seem to be URL: https://www.backheeled.com/usl-championship-season-is-ending-cba-standoff-uslpa-pro-rel-division-one/ Last updated: 2025-12-02T14:00:07.000Z The USL Championship’s [title game on Saturday](https://www.backheeled.com/how-fc-tulsa-pittsburgh-riverhounds-booked-spot-usl-championship-final/) will be the last on-field battle of the 2025 season. Off the pitch, however, the USL Players Association and the league itself are locked in for a new contest: ongoing negotiations over a new collective bargaining agreement. When the USL and USLPA ratified their first CBA in 2021, it was lauded as a major moment in American lower league soccer. Players won minimum compensation guidelines; clubs and their owners were given a sense of financial clarity. Then-USL president Jake Edwards celebrated the occasion as a step toward being “[globally recognized as a player-centric league](https://www.uslchampionship.com/news%5Farticle/show/1190856?ref=backheeled.com).” Now, the league and its players are at an impasse with the CBA set to expire on December 31st. How did we get to this point, and how is the USL model impacting the negotiations? *Note: The USL did not respond to a request for comment.* ## ‘We actually have to invest in the product’ The league and its players have come a long way in a short period. Before the first CBA, [zero-dollar contracts](https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/495692/2018/08/29/growth-of-the-usl-puts-low-pay-lack-of-insurance-for-players-under-greater-scrutiny/?ref=backheeled.com) were common. Taking on a second job was a necessity for many, and lower-league players often left the game for [more lucrative occupations](https://sbisoccer.com/2015/04/spotlight-schilawski-maintains?ref=backheeled.com). 2021’s agreement set important baselines across the USL Championship. “Previously, there was zero standardization. The experience at club ‘A’ could be night and day different than club ‘B’ – from pay to professional experience to how you're taken care of medically,” Connor Tobin, executive director of the USLPA, told *Backheeled*. “With the first CBA, the balance was getting 36 businesses facing the same direction, much less \[improving\] the standard.” _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Ten Windows, No. 3: So that’s why the USMNT hired Mauricio Pochettino, huh? URL: https://www.backheeled.com/pochettino-shows-why-usmnt-hired-him-uruguay-paraguay-world-cup/ Last updated: 2025-11-26T18:48:07.000Z *When Mauricio Pochettino signed on in Sept. 2024, only 10 international windows — nine regular FIFA dates, plus the 2025 Gold Cup — separated the USMNT from the 2026 World Cup. After each window, “Ten Windows” digs into key developments and charts the USMNT’s progress towards FIFA World Cup 26.* ## Results this window: USA 2, Paraguay 1 (Reyna 4’, Balogun 71’; Arce 10’) USA 5, Uruguay 1 (Berhalter 17’, Freeman 20’ 31’, Luna 42’, Tessman 68’; de Arrascaeta 45+1’) ## The story this window: ### That was fun! That was exciting! Thanks, Mauricio! When U.S. Soccer hired Mauricio Pochettino in the fall of 2024, the Argentinean’s mandate for calendar year 2025 wasn’t complicated: *build momentum for 2026\.* Defending the USMNT’s Nations League crown, reclaiming the Gold Cup, maybe nabbing an eyebrow-raising friendly victory or two…all desirable means to an end. But still, those things were all a means towards the end of: *get American soccer fans hyped for the biggest tournament in the history of the U.S. men’s national team.* It took Pochettino and his charges until the final international window of 2025 to make that happen, with [more](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0rX0Hlqy7u0&ref=backheeled.com) than [one](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Zwjyi8bdE4&ref=backheeled.com) performance along the way that might be charitably described as a “hiccup” and more accurately described as a “Hindenburg-grade disaster” earlier this year. But there they were in Tampa on Tuesday night, obliterating a near-full-strength Uruguay 5-1 behind a Christian Pulisic hat-trick and goals from Tim Weah and Weston McKennie. *Wait* – scratch that. Pulisic didn’t play against La Celeste. Neither did McKennie. Neither did Weah or Chris Richards or Tyler Adams or Antonee Robinson or Malik Tillman. After nine changes from the more experienced side that beat Paraguay on Saturday, players that *did* play against Uruguay included Auston Trusty, John Tolkin, Timothy Tillman, Mark McKenzie, Sebastian Berhalter and Alex Freeman. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### "Everybody is pushing to make Mauricio’s decisions difficult": USMNT shine in true World Cup test vs. Uruguay URL: https://www.backheeled.com/usmnt-win-uruguay-world-cup-test-pochettino-dest-berhalter-set-pieces/ Last updated: 2025-11-20T13:42:26.000Z TAMPA, Fla. – The U.S. men’s national team closed out its 2025 schedule in style. On a beautiful Tuesday night at Raymond James Stadium, the United States topped Uruguay by an impressive 5-1 scoreline. Let’s dig into one of the most resounding results in the program’s history. ## Momentum maintained in stunning fashion *What just happened?* That’s the question I’m still asking myself hours after the final whistle blew. When Mauricio Pochettino’s lineup dropped earlier on Tuesday with nine changes to the starting lineup from Saturday’s Paraguay victory, it was easy to call to mind the nightmarish Switzerland performance in June. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### To call or not to call: USMNT roster selections continue to pose challenges for Pochettino URL: https://www.backheeled.com/pochettino-usmnt-roster-selections-pose-challenges-world-cup/ Last updated: 2025-11-19T04:40:28.000Z The final U.S. men’s national team roster of 2025 is again missing several members of what is supposed to be Mauricio Pochettino’s core for the World Cup. Antonee Robinson remains sidelined, with Pochettino acknowledging he’s worried about the Fulham fullback’s knee issues, while Tyler Adams was ruled out with a possible concussion. Some absences, including Christian Pulisic, Tim Weah and Malik Tillman, were also expected due to recent injuries (after the roster was announced, Pulisic and Tillman returned to the pitch for their clubs over the weekend while Weah was on the bench). Discussing Pulisic specifically following the roster announcement, Pochettino explained that it was “common sense” to leave him with his club and allow for a full recovery. But others, like Chris Richards – who went the distance in three straight games for Crystal Palace last week – and most of all, Weston McKennie – who impressed last month after he was omitted for September’s camp – were tougher to digest. “Chris, Weston, or Yunus \[Musah\], we already know them. For different reasons, we decide not to call \[them up\],” Pochettino said, later mentioning that McKennie has a new club manager to impress. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### How FC Tulsa, Pittsburgh Riverhounds booked a spot in the USL Championship Final URL: https://www.backheeled.com/how-fc-tulsa-pittsburgh-riverhounds-booked-spot-usl-championship-final/ Last updated: 2025-11-19T18:01:18.000Z Two record-setting crowds, two intense conference final matchups, and, now, two teams locked in for the 2025 USL Championship title game. The Pittsburgh Riverhounds and FC Tulsa were on nobody’s radar in the preseason, but they’ve grown into November titans on the back of defense-first integrity and season-long offense evolution. How did the Eastern and Western Conference Finals play out, and what tactical choices made it happen for Pittsburgh and Tulsa? Let’s dig in. ## Eastern Conference Final ### Pittsburgh Riverhounds (1) - Rhode Island FC (0) At this point, it’s hard to imagine anyone scoring on the Pittsburgh Riverhounds. This team has played 330 flawless defensive minutes in the 2025 playoffs, and it’s why they’re headed to the first championship game in club history. In front of 6,745 fans at Highmark Stadium, Pittsburgh’s ability to blend their trademark solidity with real offensive progression made all the difference against Rhode Island FC. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### USMNT vs. Paraguay: Gio Reyna’s impact, cohesion & more URL: https://www.backheeled.com/usmnt-vs-paraguay-gio-reynas-impact-cohesion-more/ Last updated: 2025-11-17T13:03:58.000Z CHESTER, Pa. – The U.S. defeated Paraguay 2-1 on Saturday night, collecting a victory in their first game of the November window. Now with just three games to play before the U.S. men's national team's World Cup roster is released next year, here are three thoughts from Subaru Park: ## Another positive performance Missing most of its core for this camp, the U.S. maintained its momentum – unbeaten in its last four games – with a pretty good performance against Paraguay. The tempo with the ball was solid, the energy with and without it was too, and aside from one defensive breakdown that gifted Paraguay its equalizer, the visitors rarely threatened Matt Freese between the sticks. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### The biggest questions about MLS’s now-approved calendar change: Transfers, roster rules & TV viewership URL: https://www.backheeled.com/mls-calendar-change-biggest-questions-apple-tv-roster-rules-transfers/ Last updated: 2025-11-22T20:42:16.000Z After years of discussion from owners and numerous fan surveys conducted by the league, MLS is set to change to a fall-to-spring calendar in 2027, aligning with Europe’s biggest leagues. This shift away from the current February-to-December schedule marks one of the most significant structural changes in MLS history. A change of this scale will require significant legwork from the league, its clubs, and the MLS Players Association. Player contracts, commercial agreements, stadium agreements, and more all need to be reworked ahead of the change. If the league had been quicker to the punch on this change, MLS could have moved to its now-desired schedule right after next summer’s World Cup. The biggest soccer tournament in history — that’s being held primarily on U.S. soil, no less — could have served as a launchpad into the theoretical 2026-27 MLS season. Regardless, MLS is pushing ahead on this calendar shift. While there are still many details to be determined following a vote at Thursday’s board of governors meeting in Florida where owners also voted in favor of a change to the league’s competition format, it’s worth diving into what we know — and what we don’t — about MLS’s calendar decision. ## What will MLS’s new calendar and competition format look like? Let’s start with the basics. When will you actually be able to watch MLS games in 2027? _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### How New Mexico United has become the USL’s top coaching factory URL: https://www.backheeled.com/how-new-mexico-united-has-become-the-usls-top-coaching-factory/ Last updated: 2025-11-16T15:36:40.000Z Since the start of 2020, MLS clubs have combined to hire more than 60 managers. Of those coaches, only three previously held the head job at an independent USL Championship club. One, Steve Cherundolo, came from a Las Vegas Lights organization that was loosely affiliated with LAFC to begin with. The other two came from New Mexico United. In a pyramid with very little interconnection, United stands out. How has New Mexico continued to strike gold, balancing their status as a launching pad with on-field success and stellar coaching hires? In 2022, Troy Lesesne made the jump from New Mexico to an assistant role for MLS’s New York Red Bulls. Lesesne stepped in as their head coach in 2023, then moved to DC United in 2024 with Zach Prince – his replacement back in Albuquerque – as a lead assistant. The club’s next head coach, Eric Quill, took New Mexico to a #1 seed that year before taking over FC Dallas ahead of 2025. With New Mexico fresh off another top-three finish and set to contest this Saturday’s Western Conference final, it’s possible to imagine Dennis Sanchez getting an MLS coaching role down the line. If he does, it’ll bolster New Mexico’s position as the premier breeding ground for up-and-coming coaches in American soccer. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### 10 MLS Thoughts: San Diego FC dazzle, Walker Zimmerman’s future & more URL: https://www.backheeled.com/lowerys-mls-10-san-diego-fc-playoffs-walker-zimmerman-future-more/ Last updated: 2025-11-13T21:19:57.000Z The first round of this year’s MLS postseason is in the books, and this column’s schtick is self-explanatory. Onwards! ## 1\. Tyler Heaps called his shot You won’t find many folks around MLS who will give you a smarter, more insightful quote than Tyler Heaps — not least because you won’t find many smarter, more insightful people than Heaps. San Diego FC’s front office chief had this to say about the Timbers’ incredibly aggressive defensive approach in Portland’s nervy victory over the expansion club in Game 2 of their opening round playoff series: “What Phil \[Neville\] did on the weekend was, in my opinion, suicidal,” Heaps told [MLSsoccer.com](http://mlssoccer.com/?ref=backheeled.com). “Yes, it worked, but going 1-v-1 all over the field, there's moments in that game where they’re 1-v-2 at the back, and I feel like we're always one pass away from a breakaway, but we just weren't sharp enough on the day, and that's on us.” Neville, even with tweaked personnel, went back to the well when it came to man-to-man, 1-v-1 pressing in Sunday’s Game 3 between Portland and San Diego. And as it turns out? Heaps was right. When given a second bite of the apple, the hosts ripped Neville’s aggressive, man-oriented approach to shreds in a 4-0 win. See for yourself: ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/22/3c/223ce17d-3253-4d03-873b-ce236408cde2/content/images/2025/11/data-src-image-aa6aeebc-f163-4e7c-a100-e37af81253d8.png) _This post is for subscribers only._ ### USL Power Rankings: Which Championship team can win it all? URL: https://www.backheeled.com/usl-power-rankings-which-championship-team-can-win-it-all/ Last updated: 2025-11-16T15:37:00.000Z If you’re looking for late drama, the USL Championship playoffs have you covered. Two of this weekend’s four games were essentially decided on the last kick. Another went to a penalty shootout, and the “least” dramatic match took 81 minutes to find a cathartic winner. The defensive trends we saw in the first round didn’t go away, but the clubs that combined solidity with pragmatic in-game changes were able to advance. With the playoff field down to four teams, which of the remaining contenders are in the best position to win it all? I’m ranking the conference finalists, explaining how they got the job done, and eulogizing the teams we lost. Let’s dig in. ## 1\. New Mexico United *Result: 2-1 win v. Orange County* No team in the USL entered the conference semis in better form than New Mexico United. They put in the first round’s best performance last weekend, slicing through San Antonio to extend what became an eight-match unbeaten streak. The closest run-in during that stretch? A 3-3 home draw against Orange County, Saturday’s combatant for the right to advance to the Western Conference Final. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Chicago Fire’s painful playoff exit shouldn’t overshadow a year of real progress URL: https://www.backheeled.com/chicago-fire-playoff-exit-shouldnt-overshadow-progress-gregg-berhalter-mls/ Last updated: 2025-11-10T22:38:49.000Z MLS’s two most improved teams did battle in the first round of this year’s postseason. In one corner stood the Philadelphia Union, whose return to Ernst Tanner’s hyper-aggressive tactical approach helped them claim the Supporters’ Shield and the title of the most improved outfit in the league. No team bettered their points per game total by more than the Union, who earned 0.85 more points per game this year than last. In the other corner stood the Chicago Fire, whose 2025 season ended in disappointment when they were swept by Philadelphia. Just about everything that could’ve gone wrong in a 3-0 defeat on Saturday did go wrong. Without injured starting goalkeeper Chris Brady, Chicago conceded a pair of goals when backup Jeffrey Gal misplayed two different passes. Central midfielder Rominigue Kouamé was hooked inside 30 minutes after a disastrous performance filled with his own set of poorly weighted passes. Brian Gutierrez’s penalty miss was a devastating blow all its own. A discriminatory chant from parts of the Chicago crowd turned a loss into something even more bitter. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### North Carolina FC’s hiatus exposes the cracks beneath the USL’s expressed ambition URL: https://www.backheeled.com/north-carolina-fc-hiatus-exposes-cracks-beneath-usl-pro-rel-division-one/ Last updated: 2025-11-16T00:37:09.000Z Days before their playoff appearance in the Eastern Conference semifinals, the USL announced that [North Carolina FC will not field a USL Championship team in 2026](https://www.uslchampionship.com/news%5Farticle/show/1349288?ref=backheeled.com). The USL also announced North Carolina FC’s hopes of returning at the first-division level in 2028. The club’s decision is major news, and it says plenty about the paradox at the heart of the USL’s ambitions. Now in their 19th season of operation, North Carolina FC was founded as the “Carolina Railhawks” but rebranded after local businessman Steven Malik acquired the club in 2015\. Malik would purchase the rights to an NWSL franchise – the North Carolina Courage – in 2017, and he took his men’s side to the USL the year after. After a stint in third-tier USL League One, NCFC returned to the second division ahead of the 2024 campaign. While North Carolina succeeded on the pitch that year, rumors began to spread about the future of the team. Malik publicly sought [additional investment](https://archive.ph/u7KSZ?ref=backheeled.com) to keep up in the NWSL; a $100 million [arrangement to sell the Courage fell through](https://www.axios.com/local/raleigh/2024/12/04/deal-purchase-majority-stake-nc-courage-falls-apart?ref=backheeled.com) at the eleventh hour. The explosive growth of women’s soccer made the Courage his top priority after the sale collapsed, creating the possibility that NCFC might end up on the chopping block. Now, that worst-case scenario has become a reality, and the ramifications are far-reaching. The club won’t play in 2026 and doesn’t appear interested in playing again before the USL’s proposed Division One men’s league launches. 12 players on the North Carolina roster had publicly announced options to return for 2026\. Coach John Bradford had been with the organization in some capacity since 2006\. All of their futures in professional soccer are up in the air, and a community of devoted staff and supporters has been blindsided. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### USMNT MVP rankings: Who are Pochettino’s most important players ahead of the World Cup? URL: https://www.backheeled.com/usmnt-mvp-rankings-world-cup-pochettino-pulisic-balogun-mckennie-dest-more/ Last updated: 2025-11-09T15:35:10.000Z Just two international breaks remain – one this month and one in March – before the U.S. men’s national team’s 26-player roster for the 2026 World Cup is unveiled. There will be no January camp, and the number of friendlies possible in the weeks ahead of the USMNT’s June 12th World Cup opener seems relatively limited due to notable European leagues concluding in late May. The next two camps, then, will continue to provide clarity on Mauricio Pochettino’s plans for his squad in the summer. October was a substantial step. Even Pochettino, the unpredictable pilot of the program who’s insisted on instilling a sense of competition amongst his player pool, determined to extinguish complacency and reset the culture of his team, sees the World Cup on the horizon. The Argentine understands it’s time to land the plane after a journey the rest of us found surprisingly turbulent. During this descent, the internet will be awash in roster and lineup predictions. But they already all come with an unavoidable asterisk: they’re based on the availability of the entire pool, which this week’s roster announcement will surely remind us to be an extremely unrealistic premise. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### USL Power Rankings: Where each playoff team stands after a wild opening weekend URL: https://www.backheeled.com/usl-championship-playoffs-2025-power-rankings-upsets-analysis/ Last updated: 2025-11-04T17:00:02.000Z The USL Championship playoffs promise big moments and unexpected results, and 2025’s first round delivered in a major way. The two teams that entered the postseason with a trophy (Players’ Shield-winning Louisville City and Jagermeister Cup champion Hartford Athletic) both crashed out. Defensive tactics reigned, red cards abounded, but the standout performance of the weekend came from the West’s best possession team. With the dust settled, which of the eight remaining clubs have the best chance of taking home the hardware? What should the eliminated clubs take away with a long offseason approaching? Let’s dig in. ## 1\. New Mexico United *Result: 2-0 win v. San Antonio* New Mexico can go fast, and New Mexico can go slow. When Dennis Sanchez’s Las Vegas Lights stalled out in last year’s playoffs, their one-speed attack was the primary culprit for a slog of postseason. By contrast, his 2025 New Mexico side is far more variable, and that paid off against San Antonio this Saturday. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Hell Is Real: Wilfried Nancy, Pat Noonan's "love" for the rivalry and the tactics within it URL: https://www.backheeled.com/columbus-crew-fc-cincinnati-wilfried-nancy-pat-noonan-tactics-mls-playoffs/ Last updated: 2025-11-05T14:01:47.000Z Wilfried Nancy flashed a wry smile and threw his arm around Pat Noonan’s shoulder as they exchanged greetings at the full-time whistle, even though FC Cincinnati’s tense 1-0 win at TQL Stadium had just pushed his Columbus Crew to the brink of playoffs elimination at the hands of their in-state rivals. As hot as Hell Is Real’s fires burn – and notwithstanding some creative editing in Onside, the MLS/Apple TV+ docuseries that earlier this year implied differences between them which Noonan [later said don’t exist](https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6192085/2025/03/11/pat-noonan-fc-cincinnati-mls-coach/?ref=backheeled.com) – there’s ample mutual respect between these two coaches. That’s despite, or perhaps because of, their marked stylistic divergence: Nancy’s intricate, ball-hogging buildups vs. Noonan’s more physical, pragmatic approach. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### USL Championship 2025 playoff tiers: Favorites, dark horses, and better-luck-next-times URL: https://www.backheeled.com/usl-championship-2025-playoff-tiers-favorites-dark-horses-upsets-more/ Last updated: 2025-11-04T13:05:19.000Z After seven months of grueling regular season action, the 2025 USL Championship Playoffs have arrived. 16 teams made the cut, but only a handful have a legitimate shot of lifting a trophy at the end of November. That’s not to say it’ll be predictable: two number one seeds have met in the final only twice since the USL split into geographic conferences in 2015. Who’s ready to make a run as a lower seed? Which teams have the right mix of defensive organization and attacking quality to advance in November? I’ve sorted the playoff field from the favorites to also-rans to find out. ## The “I will be surprised if one of these two clubs doesn’t win it all” tier In the prior versions of this column, I’ve classified the top-of-the-line contenders as “favorites.” Frankly, that doesn’t convey **Louisville** and **Charleston**’s dominance throughout the 2025 season. They’re the only two clubs that finished with a +30 goal difference and the only to exceed a +16 xG margin. Likewise, the East’s heavyweights have the playoff experience and title-game track records to come through when it counts. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Inside Minnesota United’s rebirth: Playing “like Stoke City on a rainy Tuesday” & buying into data URL: https://www.backheeled.com/inside-minnesota-united-mls-rebirth-tactics-data-analytics-spending-eric-ramsay/ Last updated: 2025-11-04T13:05:27.000Z Few things about Minnesota United’s new era have been — oh, what’s the word? — normal. After moving on from head coach and front office chief Adrian Heath just before the end of the 2023 season, the Loons hired Khaled El-Ahmad to lead their sporting department. *That’s normal enough*, you say. El-Ahmad then hired the youngest permanent head coach in MLS history in Eric Ramsay…after the following season had already begun. *Ah, there we go.* Ramsay, a former assistant at Manchester United, didn’t get to enjoy the luxuries of a preseason with his new team. Instead, he flew straight into the fire. No matter: that new leadership helped Minnesota to the second-best points-per-game total in club history, excluding 2020, and saw them win a playoff series. This year, the club enjoyed the best season in its history with a fourth-place finish out West. Along the way, Minnesota United began playing an extreme style of soccer the likes of which MLS has never seen, one built on set piece excellence and defensive compactness. As El-Ahmad tells *Backheeled*, he thinks of it as “Stoke City on a rainy Tuesday...with flashes of Liverpool.” Minnesota’s MLS opponents may think of it more simply as nightmarish. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Introducing the MLS 2025 end-of-season fan survey URL: https://www.backheeled.com/introducing-the-mls-2025-end-of-season-fan-survey/ Last updated: 2025-10-30T15:01:24.000Z Hey y'all, Ben Wright here. For the past few years, SixOneFive Soccer *–* where you can find me writing and heading up coverage of Nashville SC if you're looking for more than my national coverage that you find here at *Backheeled* – has run a postseason fan survey to hear from our readers on a variety of topics. We get to learn what you think about broad MLS topics like the league's calendar, television product, and the types of media covering the league. This year, we've teamed up with 22 independent outlets – *Backheeled* included! – to create team-specific surveys and collaborate on one overarching survey covering MLS at large. We're excited to hear from more of you, and to try and get a comprehensive look of how fans view the league: good, bad, and in between. You'll see options in the survey to pick your team. Upon selecting your team, many of you will be directed to a team-specific survey curated by a local outlet, before heading to the broader MLS survey that everyone will participate in. The survey will be open through November 17th with results to follow. The survey is embedded below. You can also access it with [this link](https://forms.gle/e51uUGwfJmV3wMiS9?ref=sixonefivesoccer.com). Thanks for participating! We can't wait to hear from you. Loading… ### How the Seattle Sounders turned smart spending into an all-time great MLS roster URL: https://www.backheeled.com/how-seattle-sounders-mls-turned-smart-spending-into-all-time-great-roster/ Last updated: 2025-10-30T18:49:19.000Z If you haven’t noticed, the soccer calendar is becoming increasingly crowded. It’s impossible to go more than a year without a new proposal popping up to expand tournaments like the World Cup and the Club World Cup. Effort to squeeze value out of every possible inch of scheduling real estate isn’t unique to FIFA, of course. It’s commonplace in MLS, too. Between the introduction of a best-of-three playoff series and an expanded Leagues Cup, MLS teams are playing more games than ever (up significantly from an average of 36.3 per team in 2021 to 42.2 last season). With more games on the calendar, the best teams in MLS are responding with increasingly deep rosters. There may not be a club with a more effectively built squad — or a more cleverly built one — than the Seattle Sounders, who are guaranteed to play at least 49 games this year, a top-10 all-time number for an MLS team. Now about to begin their push for a third MLS Cup, here’s how the Sounders looked inward to create a squad with a level of depth most other MLS clubs could only dream of. --- When it comes to the Seattle Sounders’ roster, Adrian Hanauer is a straight-shooter. The team’s 59-year-old owner doesn’t try to hide the fact that the Sounders don’t spend on their first team like Inter Miami or a handful of MLS’s other high-rollers. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### ​​USL Power Rankings: A new points record, the Golden Boot & everything else from Week 34 URL: https://www.backheeled.com/usl-championship-power-rankings-louisville-city-points-record-golden-boot-playoffs/ Last updated: 2025-10-27T15:09:10.000Z After a whole lot of consternation heading into the final weekend, the USL Championship landscape stayed remarkably consistent. The same 16 teams that held playoff positions entering Saturday night kept them. Only one club slated to host a playoff game dropped out of a top-four spot. That’s not to say Week 34 was a letdown by any stretch. All 12 weekend matches had stakes, ranging from potential seeding to the Golden Boot race to the way-too-early 2026 strategizing. After the dust settled, what did it all mean for the last USL power rankings of the regular season? Let’s dig in. ## 1\. Louisville City ***Trending: No change*** *Result: 1-0 win v. Hartford* Louisville could’ve lost this weekend and still finished with the most points per game of any USL team in the last decade. They locked up the Players’ Shield weeks ago. In every sense, LouCity had nothing to play for, but they still brought their “A” game with a punchy Hartford team in town this weekend. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Building a USL young player Best XI: Championship, League One standouts to know URL: https://www.backheeled.com/building-usl-young-player-best-xi-championship-league-one-standouts-to-know/ Last updated: 2025-10-24T18:32:35.000Z We’re weeks away from the USL unveiling its all-league teams, mostly including veteran players with a track record of success. Still, the 2025 season has put the spotlight on younger stars across the Championship and League One that deserve their moment in the sun. Which standouts would make a U-21 version of an all-USL team? Due to that age limit, only players born in or after 2004 are eligible. I’m also excluding loanees (sorry to Santiago Suarez and Jack Panayotou) and players that left the USL midsession (a la Mamadou Dieng). Without further ado, let’s get to it. ## Striker: Adewale Obalola, Hartford Athletic With five goal contributions in roughly 1,200 minutes across all competitions, Adewale Obalola doesn’t profile like your typical striker. Really, it’s his movement without the ball that stands out. The 20-year-old typically starts as Hartford’s primary No. 9, where he uses his premium speed to drag defenses out of shape in possession and harry opponents in the press. Often, you’ll see Obalola hew right to accommodate Michee Ngalina up the opposite wing. As a result, he’s attempting roughly two crosses per match and ranks as a top-third dribbler among Championship forwards. His role as a defense-heavy attacker stands out, too; Obalola puts in vastly more tackles per match (1.89) than shots (0.79). Because of his youth, Obalola is often subbed out in second halves, but he’s the sort of player that tires a defense out whenever he’s on the pitch. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Hater’s Guide to the 2025 MLS playoffs: Why each Eastern Conference team won’t win MLS Cup URL: https://www.backheeled.com/haters-guide-to-the-2025-mls-playoffs-why-each-eastern-conference-team-wont-win-mls-cup/ Last updated: 2025-10-29T13:11:52.000Z Somebody’s gotta do it, right? Somebody has to shake you free from the entirely too optimistic feeling that accompanies the little gap between MLS Decision Day and the start of the playoffs — and it looks like this year, *Backheeled* is stepping up to the plate. Look, we don’t really hate your team. Here at *Backheeled*, we love your team. And we love you. And we want you and your team to be happy and win things and be better than everyone else and live forever and ever and ever. But consider this preparation for the inevitable sadness that will set in for sympathetic viewers of the eight (or nine!) Eastern Conference playoff teams that won’t be lifting MLS Cup on December 6th. Sure, one team from the East could win the darn thing, but we're just playing the odds here, people. We're guarding your heart so you don’t have to. You’re welcome. *Check out the Hater’s Guide to the Western Conference right here:* [Hater’s Guide to the 2025 MLS playoffs: Why each Western Conference team won’t win MLS CupYour favorite team? They’ll crush your hopes. At least we’re letting you down easy…![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/22/3c/223ce17d-3253-4d03-873b-ce236408cde2/content/images/icon/Backheeled-2-Sq-Light-574.png)BackheeledJoseph Lowery![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/22/3c/223ce17d-3253-4d03-873b-ce236408cde2/content/images/thumbnail/MLSplayoffs_102025.jpg)](https://www.backheeled.com/haters-guide-to-2025-mls-playoffs-why-each-western-conference-team-wont-win-mls-cup/) ## **Philadelphia Union, 1st in the East** ### *Why they won’t win: Because Quinn Sullivan is a huge loss* _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Hater’s Guide to the 2025 MLS playoffs: Why each Western Conference team won’t win MLS Cup URL: https://www.backheeled.com/haters-guide-to-2025-mls-playoffs-why-each-western-conference-team-wont-win-mls-cup/ Last updated: 2025-10-28T15:49:30.000Z Somebody’s gotta do it, right? Somebody has to shake you free from the entirely too optimistic feeling that accompanies the little gap between MLS Decision Day and the start of the playoffs — and it looks like this year, *Backheeled* is stepping up to the plate. Look, we don’t really hate your team. Here at *Backheeled*, we love your team. And we love you. And we want you and your team to be happy and win things and be better than everyone else and live forever and ever and ever. But consider this preparation for the inevitable sadness that will set in for sympathetic viewers of the eight (or nine!) Eastern Conference playoff teams that won’t be lifting MLS Cup on December 6th. Sure, one team from the East could win the darn thing, but we're just playing the odds here, people. We're guarding your heart so you don’t have to. You’re welcome. *Check out the Hater’s Guide to the Eastern Conference right here:* [Hater’s Guide to the 2025 MLS playoffs: Why each Eastern Conference team won’t win MLS CupYour favorite team? They’ll crush your hopes. At least we’re letting you down easy…![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/22/3c/223ce17d-3253-4d03-873b-ce236408cde2/content/images/icon/Backheeled-2-Sq-Light-575.png)BackheeledBen Wright![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/22/3c/223ce17d-3253-4d03-873b-ce236408cde2/content/images/thumbnail/mlsplayofss_1021.jpg)](https://www.backheeled.com/haters-guide-to-the-2025-mls-playoffs-why-each-eastern-conference-team-wont-win-mls-cup/) ## San Diego FC, 1st in the West ### *Why they won’t win: Because they’re not a good as the 2024 LA Galaxy or the 2023 Columbus Crew* You don’t have to look hard to find a stylistic through-line between the last two MLS Cup winners and San Diego FC. All three teams were (or are!) extremely ball-dominant outfits. Even more than their older stylistic cousins, San Diego rely on buildup play, short passes, and clever off-ball movement to get to goal and deny chances for the opposition. Their 644 passes per game are the most in the league’s data era (American Soccer Analysis’ data goes back to 2013) — last year’s MLS Cup winner ranks second in that span and 2023’s winner comes inside the top 20. The link between quality and passes makes sense: good teams have good players, good players want to keep the ball, so good teams keep the ball. Based on style alone, then, San Diego look like a trophy-lifting outfit. But they fall short of each of their predecessors in different ways. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### ​​USL Power Rankings: Wide open playoff races & everything else from Week 33 URL: https://www.backheeled.com/usl-championship-power-rankings-playoff-race-golden-boot-more/ Last updated: 2025-10-26T15:13:30.000Z 33 weeks down, one to go. The penultimate weekend of the USL season was full of major matchups, and the result is a logjam in each conference. Three clubs are left fighting for the eighth seed in the East. Meanwhile, half of the West’s bids are still unclaimed, with the five contenders separated by three total points. How’d we get there, what went down in Week 33 to make it happen, and how did that impact the USL power rankings? Let’s dig in. ## 1\. Louisville City ***Trending: No change*** *Result: 0-0 draw at Orange County* Louisville is willing to cede possession, but that’s not the same thing as “absorbing pressure.” In the first case, you merely don’t have the ball. In the second, you’re under fire close to your own goal. LouCity are a special team because they manipulate a match while defending, and they continued to do so in Orange County this weekend. Danny Cruz didn’t tweak his 5-2-3 shape on paper, but he opted to counter OCSC’s speedy right wing with personnel changes. Typical starting left wingback Amadou Dia slipped into the back three, while Jake Morris took over on the sideline. They provided a backstop, and the front end of the shape tried to make sure long switches weren’t on the menu to begin with. Both Adrien Perez and Ray Serrano put in attentive performances across the front three, honing in on deep drops from Stephen Kelly while never giving the opposing center backs – who tried 12 long passes on more than 100 attempts – room to breathe. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### These are the under-the-radar USL stars from across the Championship, League One URL: https://www.backheeled.com/usl-star-players-championship-league-one-scouting-charleston-battery-more/ Last updated: 2025-10-23T13:37:34.000Z The USL isn’t a star-driven league. There are a few big-name players that have come up in the Championship (think Cal Jennings, 2025’s likely Golden Boot winner), but most higher-profile stars already came to the USL with a reputation from either MLS (a la Sebastian Blanco) or the fringes of the USMNT (see: Rubio Rubin and Juan Agudelo). Even if you watch the Championship and League One from week to week, there are plenty of under-the-radar contributors that deserve their flowers. Who’s reached that level in 2025? I’ve got nine names to know. ## Francisco Bonfiglio, FW, Miami FC Two years into Miami’s bottom-feeder era, their standout players don’t always receive proper attention. Francisco Bonfiglio is one of the best pure strikers in the USL, yet he hasn’t been given his moment in the sun because he plays for a last-place team. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Ten Windows, No. 4: The USMNT’s crisis point has passed. Now we wait. URL: https://www.backheeled.com/usmnt-crisis-passed-pochettino-australia-ecuador-pulisic-mckennie-luna-weah-roldan/ Last updated: 2025-10-23T13:37:09.000Z *When Mauricio Pochettino signed on in Sept. 2024, only 10 international windows — nine regular FIFA dates, plus the 2025 Gold Cup — separated the USMNT from the 2026 World Cup. After each window, “Ten Windows” digs into key developments and charts the USMNT’s progress towards 2026.* ## Results this window: USA 1, Ecuador 1 (Balogun 71’; Valencia 24’) USA 2, Australia 1 (Wright 33’, 51’; Bos 19’) ## The story this window: ### The USMNT’s ship has been turned around. Now what will it look like when Pochettino sails it into port? Life comes at you fast, they say. But if anything comes at you faster, it might be a vibes shift within the U.S. men’s national team. Consider the Americans’ run at the 2009 Confederations Cup. Most USMNT fans will remember that the U.S. knocked off a Spain team at the height of its purported invincibility in the semifinals, and had Brazil on the ropes in the final. Far fewer will remember the U.S. entered the tournament on the back of a less-than-inspiring start to the 2009 Hexagonal, got drubbed 3-1 by Italy in their group stage opener, and then collapsed to a hideous 3-0 defeat against Brazil that could have been several goals worse. So ugly was the U.S. performance vs. *La Selecao* that [observers of the time](https://the-cauldron.com/at-swansea-city-bob-bradley-finally-gets-his-big-chance-9402d8cc46bf?ref=backheeled.com) thought Bob Bradley should have paid for it with his job. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### The USMNT’s win over Australia told us a lot — here’s what URL: https://www.backheeled.com/usmnt-win-australia-pochettino-haji-wright-cristian-roldan-world-cup/ Last updated: 2025-10-20T13:09:11.000Z COMMERCE CITY, Colo – Thanks to Cristian Roldan and Haji Wright, who linked up for both goals, the U.S. men’s national team earned a 2-1 win over Australia on Tuesday night. The victory wrapped up a positive October window for the United States, leaving two more camps before Mauricio Pochettino convenes his team for the 2026 World Cup. With an eye towards that tournament, here are three big-picture thoughts after a hard-fought win at altitude. ## The central midfield picture …is starting to come into focus. First, there’s the Weston McKennie situation. Against Ecuador, Pochettino opted against deploying Weston McKennie as a holding midfielder and instead used him as a No. 10\. Ahead of the Australia victory, the Argentine’s comments about McKennie referenced the importance of giving him freedom while maintaining the team's overall balance. Then against Australia, McKennie again operated as one of the U.S.’s dual No. 10s in possession. That all but confirms Pochettino would rather leverage the Juventus midfielder’s versatility as an attacking weapon rather than a deep orchestrator. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### ​​USL Power Rankings: Louisville City win the Shield & everything else from Week 32 URL: https://www.backheeled.com/usl-power-rankings-louisville-city-win-the-shield-everything-else-from-week-32/ Last updated: 2025-10-15T18:48:49.000Z With just two weeks remaining in the USL season, the postseason picture is halfway set. Nine clubs have clinched a playoff berth, including six teams out of an eventual eight in the Eastern Conference. Meanwhile, three bottom-feeders have been mathematically eliminated. That still leaves 12 clubs for which there’s all to play for, and Week 32 helped to clarify their standing. After a jam-packed matchweek, which clubs impressed, which fell flat, and how did that affect the USL’s power rankings? Let’s dig in. ## 1\. Louisville City ***Trending: No change*** *Result: 1-0 win v. Miami* At his peak, Brian Ownby put up 34 goal contributions between 2021 and 2023\. Few other wingers in the USL could match Ownby’s elite spark. While a major ACL injury sidelined him thereafter, the 35-year-old is finally back to being a difference-maker for Louisville City in his ninth season in purple. This was a weekend where Louisville needed that extra punch, though the eye test and numbers didn’t necessarily match up. Louisville only posted a meager 1.0 xG, but it was a matter of final balls gone wanting rather than a lack of dominance. Jansen Wilson and Adrien Perez swarmed with energy across the front line, yet their team went just four-for-17 on cross attempts in open play. Phillip Goodrum probed to great effect but earned only one box touch. > Is that Brian Ownby's music? It is Brian Ownby's music. His first goal in the #USL-C since Oct. 29, 2023 to wrap up the Players' Shield for @loucity.com. > > — [Nicholas Murray (@njemurray.bsky.social)](https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:ak5t3ogj3564ctmygzgoocof?ref%5Fsrc=embed&ref=backheeled.com) [2025-10-12T01:28:17.365Z](https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:ak5t3ogj3564ctmygzgoocof/post/3m2xkcfotss2y?ref%5Fsrc=embed&ref=backheeled.com) _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### USMNT show progress under Pochettino in Ecuador draw: McKennie's role, Balogun's goal & more URL: https://www.backheeled.com/usmnt-progress-ecuador-draw-pochettino-world-cup-mckennie-balogun/ Last updated: 2025-10-15T07:23:38.000Z AUSTIN, Texas — The U.S. men’s national team took one positive step towards the 2026 World Cup on Friday night. After a 1-1 draw with Ecuador and a performance that suggested real progress is being made under Mauricio Pochettino, here are three big-picture thoughts. ## The “fake wingback” Last month, a switch to a 3-4-3 seemed to provide stability for the USMNT in a 2-0 win over Japan. With that in mind, there was an expectation Pochettino and his staff would use it again, perhaps even to kickstart this October window given the amount of center backs on this roster who are comfortable in that setup. Additionally, Pochettino has noted Weah being deployed as a fullback or wingback with his club and Max Arfsten – the starter with Antonee Robinson’s lack of fitness – is more comfortable as a wingback. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### The secrets of sustained success in the USL: How the best clubs stay on top URL: https://www.backheeled.com/secrets-of-sustained-success-usl-championship-louisville-city-sacramento-republic/ Last updated: 2025-10-16T14:42:26.000Z Winning in the USL is hard. Winning year after year after year? Nearly impossible. Every club in the Championship dreams of competing at the top of the table every single season, but few have done it. Since the modern USL began in 2011, only one club has ever repeated as playoff champion. Lower the bar, and the same idea holds; since 2021, every club has finished below their conference’s top four at least once. Still, organizations like Louisville City and the Sacramento Republic stand out. Louisville has reached the Eastern Conference Final in every season in club history, and they’ve earned a stellar 2.1 points per game since 2020\. Sacramento, meanwhile, ranks second in the West with 1.6 points per game during that same timeframe – a stretch where they also reached an Open Cup and Jagermeister Cup final. What can we learn from those clubs about competing in the USL? Danny Cruz, Louisville’s head coach, and Todd Dunivant, Sacramento’s president and general manager, spoke to *Backheeled* to explain. ## Continuity is key: “Building something rather than tearing up the playbook” For Cruz, a team-wide ethos is the heart of the matter. “The buzzword that gets thrown around a lot is ‘culture.’ When you break that down into the minutia, it's really the people. For me, that’s the key to this club continuing to have the success that it does,” he said. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### MLS In-Depth Power Rankings: Minnesota United's tactics, two legends retire & more URL: https://www.backheeled.com/mls-in-depth-power-rankings-minnesota-united-tactics-alba-nagbe-retire/ Last updated: 2025-10-12T20:55:18.000Z *Power Rankings never cease to spark outrage. But here at* Backheeled*? We’re not here to cause anger. No, we’re here to dissect the latest performances, trends, tactics, and news for each of MLS’s 30 clubs. Every week during the MLS season, Ben Wright will guide you through the Eastern Conference teams and Joe Lowery will do the same for the West.* *Okay, fine. We’re also here to spark some outrage, because we’re ranking all 30 teams, too. Power Rankings are based on each club’s average position across Ben and Joe’s individual rankings. Onwards.* ## 1\. Philadelphia Union *Trending: No change* Following a 1-0 win over NYCFC, the Philadelphia Union are your 2025 Supporters’ Shield champions! If you want to read about how Ernst Tanner bet on himself, his player recruitment staff, and his game model, and how leaning into it brought them back to the top of the table, here you go: [MLS Winners and Losers: Ernst Tanner’s Philadelphia Union win the Shield, FC Dallas thrive & moreThe Philadelphia Union lifted the Supporters’ Shield, Petar Musa and Eric Quill are red-hot, and a few Western Conference teams are panicking.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/22/3c/223ce17d-3253-4d03-873b-ce236408cde2/content/images/icon/Backheeled-2-Sq-Light-565.png)BackheeledJoseph Lowery![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/22/3c/223ce17d-3253-4d03-873b-ce236408cde2/content/images/thumbnail/2025-MLS-WINNERS-AND-LOSERS-WK30.jpeg)](https://www.backheeled.com/mls-winners-and-losers-philadelphia-union-supporters-shield-fc-dallas-more/) Today, though, I want to point out just how incredible it is that one of MLS’s lower-spending clubs based on first-team salary has won two Shields in the last five years. I know so many of us around the league talk about spending all the time, and I still believe that spending on good players is really important for individual team success as well as for the growth of the league. But the Union are a clear example of doubling down on what you do well, and focusing on that instead of a big payroll. Let’s just go through a big chunk of their best XI. Quinn Sullivan and Frankie Westfield are homegrowns. Andre Blake was a SuperDraft pick. Tai Baribo, Danley Jean Jacques, Jakob Glesnes and Jovan Lukic were acquired for roughly $4.3 million *combined*, according to Transfermarkt. Olwethu Makhanya, a lock for my Best XI ballot, is a U22 Initiative player. Milan Iloski was a cast-off from San Diego who they pounced on for under $1 million. Good scouting, a comprehensive game model, and a system that prioritizes player development won the Supporters’ Shield. Everyone in MLS should take note, even those with bigger budgets. The Union continue to be one of the model clubs in this league, and they’re pushing the envelope in a different direction from the big spenders. - *Ben Wright* _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### MLS Winners and Losers: Ernst Tanner’s Philadelphia Union win the Shield, FC Dallas thrive & more URL: https://www.backheeled.com/mls-winners-and-losers-philadelphia-union-supporters-shield-fc-dallas-more/ Last updated: 2025-10-08T15:00:36.000Z *It’s in the title, folks. Every week during the MLS season, Backheeled will dive into the biggest Winners and Losers from around the league. This week, we’re diving into the Philadelphia Union’s Supporters’ Shield victory, the Colorado Rapids’ struggles, very different stories in Texas, and more.* ## Winner: Ernst Tanner and the Philadelphia Union If you sit down and chat with Philadelphia Union sporting director Ernst Tanner, you’ll notice a couple of things very, very quickly: the German’s dry sense of humor and his confidence. It didn’t take long in my conversation with Tanner back in the spring for him to jokingly call West Coasters “too soft” or for him to take a victory lap on one of the most notable offseason switch-ups MLS had seen in years. “We made the change and it turned out to be the right thing,” Tanner told *Backheeled* just six weeks into this season. That change, of course, was firing long-time head coach Jim Curtin and replacing him with Bradley Carnell. The Philadelphia-native had spent more than a decade at his post after working his way up through the club’s coaching ranks and built up plenty of respect from folks around the league. But 2024 was a down year for Union, with the club missing the playoffs for the first time since Tanner arrived in 2018. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### ​​USL Power Rankings: Hartford Athletic win the Jagermeister Cup & more from Week 31 URL: https://www.backheeled.com/usl-championship-power-rankings-hartford-athletic-win-the-jagermeister-cup-more/ Last updated: 2025-10-11T06:26:13.000Z Cup finals are a special thing, allowing a team to cement their place in history. Hartford Athletic did just that on Saturday night, traveling to California and downing the Sacramento Republic in the first expanded edition of the Jagermeister Cup. In front of nearly 12,000 supporters, a historically snakebit Hartford club made it clear that they’re a contender. Now, it’s time to fully lock in for the USL Championship’s home stretch. 22 clubs played league games this week, and the table continued to grow ever dicier. Who’s up and who’s down after a jam-packed Week 31? Let’s dig in. ## 1\. Louisville City ***Trending: No change*** *Result: 2-0 win v. Indy* The Louisville-Indianapolis Proximity Association Football contest – the rivalry between LouCity and Indy Eleven – is as one-sided as a feud can be. Louisville hadn’t lost to their Midwest rivals since 2022 entering this weekend, and Danny Cruz’s team made sure that wouldn’t change on Saturday. The relationship between Kyle Adams and Josh Jones in the left and central roles of Louisville's back line was definitional. Indy used one of their forwards in an explicitly cherry-picking role aimed at Adams, so the New Zealand international had his hands full. While Adams did extremely well – see 10 duel wins on 12 attempts – Jones still needed to provide support behind him. That came in two ways: central coverage against potential crosses and rotational marking if a runner were to streak behind Adams’ back. > I respect the simplicity of Indy's "maybe we can cherry-pick Bruno Rendon" offense > > — [John Morrissey (@usltactics.com)](https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:kjucyv5563tk4anwe6rfkt4i?ref%5Fsrc=embed&ref=backheeled.com) [2025-10-04T23:55:00.949Z](https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:kjucyv5563tk4anwe6rfkt4i/post/3m2frt6cazk2c?ref%5Fsrc=embed&ref=backheeled.com) Now, when your recourse in a match is “target the guys who might be all-USL defenders,” you probably aren’t in good shape. Louisville is so organized and flaw-free that they represent a tactical impossibility for many opponents. Indy needed to pick *something* to target, and they unsuccessfully deemed the Adams-Jones axis to be their route toward goal. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### What we’ll remember from the 2025 U.S. Open Cup: Nashville SC's win, CBS broadcasts & more URL: https://www.backheeled.com/us-open-cup-final-2025-nashville-sc-austin-fc-mls-usl-cbs-more/ Last updated: 2025-10-06T03:19:29.000Z The 2025 U.S. Open Cup is in the books, and Nashville SC deservedly lifted the trophy after a tremendous 2-1 victory over Austin FC in Wednesday night’s final at Q2 Stadium. Still, this year’s edition of the tournament has been full of magic moments from beginning to end. From amateur Cup-sets to cross-town rivalries, the Open Cup continued to remind us why this is the perfect showcase for the American game. What will we remember when we look back on 2025? ## Nashville SC’s triumph Nashville SC are your Open Cup champions, and they got there by adapting on the fly. BJ Callaghan got his initial tactics right, but Austin FC didn’t roll over. Instead, it took considerate in-game adjustments and a standout goalkeeping performance from cup goalkeeper Brian Schwake to do the job. Want access to all of our American soccer coverage? Become a paid Backheeled subscriber today! [Subscribe! ](https://www.backheeled.com/#/portal/signup) _This post is for subscribers only._ ### MLS In-Depth Power Rankings: SKC's new era, Columbus Crew's concerns & more URL: https://www.backheeled.com/mls-in-depth-power-rankings-sporting-kansas-city-columbus-crew-more/ Last updated: 2025-10-05T23:35:23.000Z *Power Rankings never cease to spark outrage. But here at* Backheeled*? We’re not here to cause anger. No, we’re here to dissect the latest performances, trends, tactics, and news for each of MLS’s 30 clubs. Every week during the MLS season, Ben Wright will guide you through the Eastern Conference teams and Joe Lowery will do the same for the West.* *Okay, fine. We’re also here to spark some outrage, because we’re ranking all 30 teams, too. Power Rankings are based on each club’s average position across Ben and Joe’s individual rankings. Onwards.* ## 1\. Philadelphia Union *Trending: +1* One of my nerdier soccer group chats has an ongoing competition to try and find the wildest FBref radar charts. I’d like to submit Milan Iloski for consideration. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/22/3c/223ce17d-3253-4d03-873b-ce236408cde2/content/images/2025/10/data-src-image-4ecea04a-ac7b-4cf1-9fb4-87e490998208.png) Can you guys believe San Diego let him go? The 26-year-old was addicted to scoring on the West Coast, breaking every per 96 model with a ridiculous 10 goals in 585 minutes. Since making the move to Philly, he’s developed an addiction to assisting – five assists (and two goals) in 514 minutes. I’d argue he’s proving to be a much more well-rounded player after the move, playing largely as a narrow winger under Bradley Carnell. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Paxten Aaronson’s MLS return: What the USMNT World Cup hopeful learned in Europe, brings to Colorado URL: https://www.backheeled.com/paxten-aaronson-mls-return-usmnt-world-cup-hopeful-europe-colorado-rapids/ Last updated: 2025-10-09T13:33:45.000Z When Paxten Aaronson reflects on his young career, a consistent theme emerges: family. More specifically? His older brother, Brenden. “I lucked out, in a sense, having the older brother that's kind of been on a different journey, but the same in different aspects,” Aaronson told *Backheeled* after a Colorado Rapids training session. “Growing up and signing a homegrown deal for the \[Philadelphia\] Union, I looked at his pathway, I said, ‘Why can't that be me?’” The Aaronson brothers’ journeys have mirrored each other in many ways. Brenden signed a homegrown deal with the Union at age 17 in 2018\. Paxten signed his homegrown deal at 16\. Brenden moved to Europe at 20, signing with Red Bull Salzburg before eventually landing at Leeds United, where he remains today. Paxten went across the pond to join Eintracht Frankfurt at 19\. Both have played for the U.S. men’s national team – and for both of them, leaning on each other throughout it all has been crucial. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### ​​USL Power Rankings: Playoff race stays murky, Pittsburgh Riverhounds rise & more from Week 30 URL: https://www.backheeled.com/usl-championship-power-rankings-playoff-race-stays-murky-pittsburgh-riverhounds-more/ Last updated: 2025-10-02T03:19:28.000Z At this time last season, 14 of the USL’s 16 eventual playoff teams had settled into top-eight positions. It feels like we’ve got far more havoc in store this time around. Week 30 was frustrating in a sense, with most teams on the bubble drawing and failing to stake their claim on a postseason spot. That said, there was still plenty to learn from the top of the Championship table to the bottom. Which clubs made the bold changes that paid off, who’s in trouble, and how did that impact the power rankings? Let’s dig in. ## 1\. Louisville City ***Trending: No change*** *Result: 1-0 win at Detroit* When you watch Louisville City, it often seems like they’ve thrown their entire team into the attacking zone. That’s not necessarily *un*true, but Danny Cruz has instilled a sense of balance that’s equally unmistakable. Knowing when and how to temper the upfield aggression with a foolproof structure has made LouCity the Players’ Shield favorites, and it stood out in Detroit this weekend. I highlighted Aiden McFadden as an attacking-third target in this column last week, but Amadou Dia is equally important at the opposite wingback spot. Dia is asked to fill a complementary role on the left, sitting low and almost giving Louisville a back-four baseline in restart situations. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/22/3c/223ce17d-3253-4d03-873b-ce236408cde2/content/images/2025/09/1---LOU.png) Here, you wouldn’t be wrong to call the shape a 4-2-3-1\. The back five is highlighted in purple, but McFadden is so high and Dia so low that their roles would be easily misidentified in a vacuum. The same idea prevailed in set piece situations, particularly on long throws. There, one center back (Josh Jones) would take the throw-in while the others (Kyle Adams, Sean Totsch) would present themselves in the box. It thus became Dia’s job to serve as an anchor near halfway in case of a quick transition. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### MLS Winners and Losers: Philadelphia Union's Shield surge, LAFC's record & more URL: https://www.backheeled.com/mls-winners-and-losers-philadelphia-union-shield-lafc-son-bouanga-more/ Last updated: 2025-10-01T13:41:10.000Z *It’s in the title, folks. Every week during the MLS season, Backheeled will dive into the biggest Winners and Losers from around the league. This week, we’re praising the Philadelphia Union, worrying about the Vancouver Whitecaps, mourning with the New York Red Bulls' marketing department, and more.* ## Winner: Philadelphia Union It seems the Philadelphia Union have never heard the old expression of ‘don’t kick a man while he’s down’. DC United are decidedly down these days — they’ve just gutted their front office and scouting department following the hire of agent, author, and now chief soccer officer Erkut Sogut, who’s working remotely — and it was DC United that the Union smacked 6-0 on Saturday night. That result, mixed with Inter Miami dropping points in Toronto, put Philly back in control of their Supporters’ Shield destiny. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### USL Championship award frontrunners: MVP, Young Player, Coach of the Year & more URL: https://www.backheeled.com/usl-championship-award-picks-mvp-young-player-coach-of-the-year-more/ Last updated: 2025-09-29T04:00:09.000Z The USL Championship’s regular season has five weeks left to play, and the major awards races across the division are beginning to calcify. Which players and coaches from across the league are in the driver’s seat, and what’s setting them apart? Let’s dig in. ## Most Valuable Player The Golden Ball should go to the player that’s made the greatest contribution to winning soccer, and **Taylor Davila** is that player. Davila has willingly sat deeper in the Louisville midfield this year as his teammates go to work, and that’s impacted his goal output. Judging on that criterion would miss the point. The 25-year-old Davila already has eight assists this season – better than in 2024 – while upping his per-game tackle numbers by 21% and making 6.4 recoveries a match. Whether LouCity needs possessive surety, a rest defense anchor, or a killer passer in the final third, Davila is up to the task. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### MLS In-Depth Power Rankings: Inter Miami’s Shield hopes, San Diego FC's rotating cast & more URL: https://www.backheeled.com/mls-in-depth-power-rankings-inter-miami-supporters-shield-san-diego-fc-playoffs-more/ Last updated: 2025-09-29T01:43:36.000Z *Power Rankings never cease to spark outrage. But here at* Backheeled*? We’re not here to cause anger. No, we’re here to dissect the latest performances, trends, tactics, and news for each of MLS’s 30 clubs. Every week during the MLS season, Ben Wright will guide you through the Eastern Conference teams and Joe Lowery will do the same for the West.* *Okay, fine. We’re also here to spark some outrage, because we’re ranking all 30 teams, too. Power Rankings are based on each club’s average position across Ben and Joe’s individual rankings. Onwards.* ## 1\. Vancouver Whitecaps *Trending: No change* Missing at least five starters for their trip down to Kansas City, including Tristan Blackmon who suffered an MCL sprain last week and won’t be back until the playoffs at the earliest, the Whitecaps still cruised past SKC in a 2-0 win. With Thomas Muller sidelined due to an adductor injury, 22-year-old Peruvian attacking midfielder Kenji Cabrera started in his place on Saturday — and looked *nice*. Sure, it’s easy to look nice against SKC. But the summer signing’s aesthetics are off the charts. He’s small, shifty, can dance out of tight spots, puts the right weight on his passes, rolls them along the floor quickly, and showed off some lovely vision over the weekend from his left halfspace role. Toss in the low socks and the hair and I’m officially applying to be the conductor of the Kenji Cabrera Hype Train: > ✅ First start for Vancouver > ✅ First goal for Vancouver > > Kenji Cabrera doubles the [@WhitecapsFC](https://twitter.com/WhitecapsFC?ref%5Fsrc=twsrc%5Etfw&ref=backheeled.com) lead! [pic.twitter.com/QGlALphC7b](https://t.co/QGlALphC7b?ref=backheeled.com) > > — Major League Soccer (@MLS) [September 21, 2025](https://twitter.com/MLS/status/1969574288857366972?ref%5Fsrc=twsrc%5Etfw&ref=backheeled.com) The guy is a full-on starter for the Peruvian national team and has a bright future. - *Joe Lowery* _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Inside the mind of Jesper Sorensen, whose blueprint has made the Vancouver Whitecaps a trophy threat URL: https://www.backheeled.com/jesper-sorensen-mls-vancouver-whitecaps-supporters-shield-tactics-thomas-muller-more/ Last updated: 2026-05-19T21:04:09.000Z I’m willing to bet that you, dear reader, have at least one thing in common with Jesper Sorensen: you’re both infatuated with MLS. Now, the first-year Vancouver Whitecaps manager isn’t afraid to admit that he “didn’t know much about” the league prior to being named Vanni Sartini’s replacement back in January. But since then? He’s become fascinated by MLS. “In MLS, football is very much alive,” the 52-year-old told *Backheeled*. “The parity in the league is very, very good. It doesn’t matter if you play a top team or a lower team in the standings. Every team is competitive…For me \[MLS\] is the most interesting league in the world,” he added later. Sorensen is hooked on MLS and quick to draw a sharp contrast between his current surroundings and those of his native country. “I’m from Denmark, where if you go back the last 10 years, probably three teams or something have won the championship…if you go to Germany, now we have Thomas \[Muller\]. He’s played 17 years. I think he won 14 championships.” _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### MLS Winners and Losers: NYCFC find joy, Gregg Berhalter's tactical tweak & more URL: https://www.backheeled.com/mls-winners-and-losers-nycfc-gregg-berhalter-anders-dreyer-more/ Last updated: 2025-09-24T13:37:23.000Z *It’s in the title, folks. Every week during the MLS season, Backheeled will dive into the biggest Winners and Losers from around the league. This week, we’re examining New York City’s success, worrying about the Columbus Crew, pouring one out for Anders Dreyer, and more.* ## Winner: New York City FC There’s no joy quite like the kind that comes from turning a rival’s hope into heartbreak. New York City FC experienced that joy on Saturday in their 2-0 win over Charlotte FC, a victory that stopped their Eastern Conference competitors one game short of a 10-game win streak that would’ve been the longest in league history. Instead, the hosts picked up all three points and now find themselves sitting fourth in the East based on points per game (1.77) with just four games left in their regular season schedule. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### ​​USL Power Rankings: Tight Golden Boot race, Sac Republic rise & more from Week 29 URL: https://www.backheeled.com/usl-championship-power-rankings-golden-boot-sac-republic-more/ Last updated: 2025-09-25T16:02:46.000Z After a 2024 season where Nick Markanich stormed to 28 goals to claim the Golden Boot, this season’s race for the scoring title is downright *weird*. Cal Jennings, Markanich’s replacement in Charleston, is the likeliest player to claim the crown as he sits on 16 goals. Behind him, other key contenders include: - Francisco Bonfiglio (13), who stars for the worst team in the league in Miami. - Kyle Edwards (11), who mostly played as a super sub in Hartford prior to the Mamadou Dieng sale. - Phillip Goodrum (13), who returned from injury to the Louisville squad to score this weekend. If anyone’s stealing this thing, it’s Goodrum. Take nothing away from Jennings! He’s one of the most gifted strikers in USL history, and he’ll deserve the Golden Boot if he wins it. Still, the muddy state of the race is a neat microcosm of a parity-driven 2025\. Charleston and Louisville have their guys, and everything else is various levels of confusing. Which teams are up and down in the power rankings after Week 29, and what tactical decisions made it all happen? Let’s dig in. ## 1\. Louisville City ***Trending: No change*** *Result: 3-1 win v. Las Vegas* What other team in the USL has a target wingback? Aiden McFadden is a unicorn, capable of holding down the left or right side without blinking. He’s winning 3.1 headers a game in the process, providing a wholly unique vertical threat up the sideline for one of the league’s most direct teams – all without missing a beat as a defender. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### The MLS teams charting their own path to defensive excellence URL: https://www.backheeled.com/mls-best-defensive-teams-tactics-analytics-philadelphia-union-minnesota-united-more/ Last updated: 2025-09-23T13:19:57.000Z In soccer, tactical trends are notoriously fleeting; nowhere else is that more pronounced than MLS, a league famous for its unpredictability. “Metas” rise, fall, get recycled a decade later, misused, and thrown around like buzzwords – while it would be nice to imagine an evergreen tactic that transcends personnel and manager, no such strategy exists. In MLS especially, there is no one right way to succeed. This should be considered a gift: instead of a single leader followed by a legion of copycats, MLS viewers are graced with 30 (mostly) distinctive teams, all of which believe in *their* way to varying degrees of success. The fun, now, is determining which of these strategies actually pass the sniff test and which deserve to be shelved. Much has been made of teams’ offensive strategies in 2025 – San Diego’s possession-heavy scheme, Minnesota’s propensity for long throw-ins, and the Seattle Sounders’ post-Club World Cup goal spree. But what about the other side of the ball? Which defensive units have been excelling this season, and why? To answer that question, get ready to dig through some stats and discover the strategies that have seen success across MLS this year. --- First, let’s start by identifying some of the best defenses in the league. This chart will help us get there: ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/22/3c/223ce17d-3253-4d03-873b-ce236408cde2/content/images/2025/09/data-src-image-4c7947e3-484d-455b-a441-68fb5a66d76a.png) Two teams clearly stand out: LAFC and the Philadelphia Union. Both teams concede extremely low levels of expected goals (xG), and while Philadelphia have conceded fewer goals overall, a good amount of that can be attributed to luck. Regardless, these two teams have set the standard for defending in MLS this season, with squads like Vancouver, Nashville, Seattle, and Orlando trailing behind. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### How Nashville SC, Austin FC booked their spots in the U.S. Open Cup final URL: https://www.backheeled.com/how-nashville-sc-austin-fc-booked-their-spots-in-us-open-cup-final/ Last updated: 2025-09-22T03:23:56.000Z The 2025 edition of the U.S. Open Cup is down to two teams: Nashville SC and Austin FC. Their semifinals wins this week were hard-fought affairs, defined by comeback efforts and chess-match tactics. How did Nashville get past Philadelphia, and what set Austin apart from Minnesota? Let’s dig into the major themes that defined each semifinal. Want access to all of our American soccer coverage? Become a paid Backheeled subscriber today! [Subscribe! ](https://www.backheeled.com/#/portal/signup) ## Nashville SC’s opportunistic possession game – and undeniable star power *Nashville SC (3) - Philadelphia Union (1)* What’s the best way to turn around a five-losses-in-six skid? Beating the Supporters’ Shield leader is a heck of an answer. On Tuesday night, Nashville SC had the Philadelphia Union on a string. By manipulating their press with patient build-out and making the most of any and all final-third entries, this Nashville team is headed to a U.S. Open Cup final. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### MLS In-Depth Power Rankings: Caleb Porter fired, playoff contenders out West & more URL: https://www.backheeled.com/mls-in-depth-power-rankings-caleb-porter-fired-new-england-revolution-playoffs-more/ Last updated: 2025-09-21T23:27:36.000Z *Power Rankings never cease to spark outrage. But here at* Backheeled*? We’re not here to cause anger. No, we’re here to dissect the latest performances, trends, tactics, and news for each of MLS’s 30 clubs. Every week during the MLS season, Ben Wright will guide you through the Eastern Conference teams and Joe Lowery will do the same for the West.* *Okay, fine. We’re also here to spark some outrage, because we’re ranking all 30 teams, too. Power Rankings are based on each club’s average position across Ben and Joe’s individual rankings. Onwards.* ## 1\. Vancouver Whitecaps *Trending: +1* I went [deep on the Whitecaps in Winners and Losers on Sunday](https://www.backheeled.com/mls-winners-and-losers-lafc-son-bouanga-charlotte-fc-win-streak-record-more/) after they clinched a playoff spot by scoring a touchdown and an extra point in a 7-0 demolition of the Philadelphia Union. It was a full-on beat down up in Canada on Saturday, to the point where Bradley Carnell made a trio of substitutions *before halftime*. That comprehensive victory didn’t just push the ‘Caps into playoff-lock territory. It also pushed them back into legitimate Supporters’ Shield contention, with their 1.86 points per game pace just barely behind Philadelphia’s 1.90 and San Diego’s 1.87\. That the Whitecaps have sustained such a strong regular season pace this season even with a run to the Concacaf Champions Cup final making their path more difficult than most is extremely impressive. Of the last four MLS teams to make the CCC final — Vancouver included — only last year’s Columbus Crew team ended the year with a better points per game figure (1.94) than the Whitecaps’ current tally. The ‘Caps need to be taken very, very seriously. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Projecting Mauricio Pochettion's USMNT next roster: Who will make the cut in October? URL: https://www.backheeled.com/projecting-mauricio-pochettion-usmnt-october-roster-who-will-make-the-cut/ Last updated: 2025-09-18T18:23:53.000Z When the U.S. men’s national team’s roster for the September friendlies was announced, Mauricio Pochettino made something clear: it would be the last window for him to evaluate new players. During the camp, he acknowledged there would come a point prior to the World Cup where he’d have to prioritize picking a higher percentage of players who he and his staff believed would ultimately be in their squad next summer. Still, after the camp concluded with a 2-0 victory over Japan, Pochettino noted that it would be tougher to call up MLS players for the October and November friendlies due to the league’s playoff race and postseason itself. While the signs point to a European-heavy roster in October, it may not necessarily be the one Pochettino believes is his best possible group. Pochettino [has made plenty of comments](https://www.backheeled.com/pulisic-pochettino-september-roster-takeaways-analysis-japan-south-korea/) amplifying his openness to selecting MLS players (beyond the goalkeepers, who are mostly domestic candidates), and some of them – such as Alex Freeman, Max Arfsten, Diego Luna, and Jack McGlynn – are firmly in the mix for the World Cup. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### MLS Winners and Losers: LAFC's "no-brainer", Charlotte FC's hot streak & more URL: https://www.backheeled.com/mls-winners-and-losers-lafc-son-bouanga-charlotte-fc-win-streak-record-more/ Last updated: 2025-09-17T13:52:32.000Z *It’s in the title, folks. Every week during the MLS season, Backheeled will dive into the biggest Winners and Losers from around the league. This week, we’re recovering from the sheer number of goals that were scored, examining Charlotte FC’s historic win streak, praising LAFC’s “no-brainer”, and more.* ## Loser: A goalkeeper near you This past weekend’s MLS action went down in the record books as an all-time high-scoring set of matches. We enjoyed *57 goals* across 15 games, good for *3.8 goals per game*. There’s popping a few fireworks in the cul-de-sac on New Year’s Eve…and then there’s the breathtaking professional firework show that we were treated to on Saturday night, the sort of display that’s only ever been equalized once back in August of 2022: > Matchday 33 featured a total of 57 goals across the 15 games, tying for the most goals in a single day in [@MLS](https://twitter.com/MLS?ref%5Fsrc=twsrc%5Etfw&ref=backheeled.com) history, which previously occurred on August 6, 2022\. [pic.twitter.com/t1YgKUOm0d](https://t.co/t1YgKUOm0d?ref=backheeled.com) > > — MLS Communications (@MLS\_PR) [September 14, 2025](https://twitter.com/MLS%5FPR/status/1967086082245488849?ref%5Fsrc=twsrc%5Etfw&ref=backheeled.com) If Saturday was a firework show, goalkeepers across the league were skittish pups waiting for the loud noises to stop. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### ​​USL Power Rankings: Squads take final form, goals galore & more from Week 28 URL: https://www.backheeled.com/usl-championship-power-rankings-roster-freeze-new-signings-more/ Last updated: 2025-09-18T13:18:59.000Z The USL’s roster freeze went into place last Monday night, which means we’re officially locked in for the home stretch of the 2025 season. This week had something for everybody, on and off the pitch. A former U.S. youth national team wonder-kid and recent top MLS SuperDraft pick came to the Championship before the conclusion of the transfer window, five different players saw red, and shootouts abounded as the playoff races in both conferences grew even more confusing. With the dust settling on Week 28, which clubs are on the rise and which failed to impress? Let’s dig in. ## 1\. Louisville City ***Trending: No change*** *Result: 2-0 win at Pittsburgh* What’s old is new again in Louisville. Back in November 2023, Brian Ownby and Cameron Lancaster started what seemed to be their last-ever match together in purple. Lancaster would leave for Lexington that winter, and Ownby would suffer a major knee injury before 2024 ever got going. Now, Lancaster is back on loan, Ownby is fit, and the pair anchored LouCity’s 3-4-3 in Pittsburgh where getting back to basics was the order of the day. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### No untouchables for Pochettino: How a new locker room hierarchy is changing the USMNT URL: https://www.backheeled.com/mauricio-pochettino-usmnt-leadership-approach-roster-selections-world-cup/ Last updated: 2025-09-16T16:23:52.000Z There was a widespread assumption when Mauricio Pochettino took the reins of the U.S. men’s national team. The relatively short runway to the 2026 World Cup combined with the Argentine’s career at the highest level of European soccer gave rise to the belief that he would prioritize building on the European-based core from the Gregg Berhalter era. He’d squeeze more out of it. He’d add the seemingly straightforward choices for depth, too, via other players plying their trade in Europe and pushing into the second tier of talent in the pool. And that looked like the plan through October and November, his first two FIFA windows in charge. And then March happened. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### USL Jagermeister Cup latest: How Sacramento Republic, Hartford Athletic booked spots in the final URL: https://www.backheeled.com/usl-jagermeister-cup-sacramento-republic-hartford-athletic-reach-final/ Last updated: 2025-09-14T21:13:59.000Z Way back in April, the second-ever edition of the Jagermeister Cup began with six groups and 38 clubs ready to take a shot at glory. Now, we’re down to a final two. The Sacramento Republic and Hartford Athletic are set to face off for a trophy in October, but how did they make it through the semifinals? Let’s dig into the major themes that sent Sacramento and Hartford to a title game. --- [How USL cities are positioning themselves to be part of the new first division men’s leagueFrom a detailed application to a massive stadium expansion, here’s how one club is adapting to the league’s major reforms.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/22/3c/223ce17d-3253-4d03-873b-ce236408cde2/content/images/icon/Backheeled-2-Sq-Light-532.png)BackheeledJohn Morrissey![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/22/3c/223ce17d-3253-4d03-873b-ce236408cde2/content/images/thumbnail/usldivision1_9425-1.jpg)](https://www.backheeled.com/usl-markets-positioning-to-be-part-of-new-usl-division-one-mens-league/) --- ## Sacramento Republic: Man-marking and Jared Mazzola When Rhode Island marched to an Eastern Conference title last fall, they relied on a direct-from-the-back style and fiery press to tilt the pitch and create opportunities. 2025, by contrast, has seen Khano Smith get away from that aggression. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Ten Windows, No. 5: We’ve all got whiplash, but the USMNT is in a better place URL: https://www.backheeled.com/usmnt-japan-south-korea-pochettino-balogun-mckennie-mls-world-cup/ Last updated: 2026-02-17T17:06:20.000Z *When Mauricio Pochettino signed on last year, only 10 international windows — nine regular FIFA dates, plus the 2025 Gold Cup — separated the USMNT from the 2026 World Cup. After each window, “Ten Windows” digs into key developments and charts the USMNT’s progress towards 2026.* ## Results this window: South Korea 2, USA 0 (Son 18’, Lee 43’) USA 2, Japan 0 (Zendejas 30’, Balogun 64’) ## The story this window: ### These USMNT friendlies gave us all whiplash. But they’ve left the team in a better place. Fair to say devoted fans of the U.S. men’s national team have been through a lot over the years. (This is me, reaching into an enormous felt bag and pulling out at random one of a thousand strips of paper; this one reads “Geoff Cameron starts in the defensive midfield against Belgium in a World Cup knockout match.”) But they may have never been through a four-day span quite like this past international window. Against South Korea on Saturday, Mauricio Pochettino fielded the Americans’ strongest on-paper lineup since [the Nations League debacle in March](https://www.backheeled.com/mauricio-pochettino-says-we-have-time-as-usmnt-suffer-back-to-back-losses/). Peculiar as it might sound, it’s true. Between the return of Christian Pulisic, Tim Weah, Sergino Dest, and Josh Sargent to the U.S. fold and starting 11, their integration with Gold Cup breakout stars Diego Luna and (eventually) Chris Richards, and the presence of thousands and thousands of atmosphere-inducing Korean supporters, Saturday’s exhibition felt *more* important than most of the actual games the U.S. played in pursuit of a trophy over the summer. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Balogun, Pulisic, and a back three: USMNT finds its footing against Japan URL: https://www.backheeled.com/balogun-pulisic-back-three-usmnt-japan-win-pochettino-world-cup/ Last updated: 2025-09-11T18:13:19.000Z COLUMBUS, Ohio — The U.S. men’s national team defeated Japan 2-0 on Tuesday night to close out their September window. Here are three thoughts featuring plenty of front-the-ground color after a much-needed win for Mauricio Pochettino and his team: ## Fans can exhale (for now) After disappointment on Saturday against South Korea, Tuesday’s friendly against a Japanese side teeming with quality loomed as a potential disaster for Pochettino as pessimism continued to pile onto the program from the outside. When the lineups were revealed, though, it quickly became obvious that the U.S. dodged Japan’s firepower. Most of that firepower was left on the bench, with all 11 starters from their 0-0 draw with Mexico replaced for the clash with the United States. Even though a matchup against an entirely rotated Japanese squad wasn’t the test many anticipated, it was certainly a better showing from the USMNT than their last time out. After the 2-0 victory, there were positive individual performances worth highlighting. In Folarin Balogun’s first start for the U.S. since last summer’s Copa America, the striker displayed plenty of the proactive movement and physicality that featured off the bench against South Korea. “He gives sort of an out, a lot of the times whether it’s coming into pockets and laying the ball off. Or it’s little runs in behind that he just relieves the team when we’re under pressure,” Christian Pulisic said postgame. “Also when I turn, I feel like I look and he’s making short runs across the back line.” _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Mauricio Pochettino’s USMNT has a pressing problem URL: https://www.backheeled.com/mauricio-pochettino-usmnt-pressing-problem-tactics-analysis-world-cup/ Last updated: 2025-09-10T18:55:57.000Z Unfazed by the literal spotlight and the fact that he was [seated next to his boss and his boss’s boss](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bVrFN4r-ztU&ref=backheeled.com), Mauricio Pochettino opened up about his plans for a new and improved version of the U.S. men’s national team during his introductory press conference. One of those plans? Make the USMNT a disruptive, heat-seeking defensive outfit. “When we don't have the ball, we need to run,” the Argentine said at a table in New York days after being appointed as the U.S.’s new head coach. “We need to be aggressive.” Today, there are plenty of issues facing the USMNT less than a year out from the next World Cup. Pochettino’s [recent squad selections have earned the most ire](https://www.backheeled.com/usmnt-lose-south-korea-pochettino-questions-roster-depth-world-cup/), with Christian Pulisic being left at home for a pair of June friendlies and Weston McKennie not getting the call for the ongoing September window. Regardless of who’s been on the field for Pochettino’s USMNT, the team has consistently lacked in one crucial phase of play: the press. --- Whether due to an opponent not wanting to risk playing in tight spaces against the United States (see: huge chunks of the Gold Cup and the clash with Canada in March) or Pochettino’s team opting to focus on a different phase (see: the road friendly in Mexico last October), the USMNT hasn’t truly pressed in all 17 games under Pochettino. But in games against teams eager to hit short passes through pressure (like most of the teams that make a deep run at the World Cup will), the U.S. press has lagged. Like, *really* lagged. Don’t take my word for it. Take the tape’s word for it. There’s spools and spools of it. The first real defensive worrying sign came in March against Panama with a spot in Pochettino’s first international final up for grabs. Setting up in a 4-4-2 pressing shape, the USMNT had all sorts of issues containing Panama’s buildup in the Concacaf Nations League semis. With Tyler Adams and Tanner Tessmann stepping out of central midfield to pressure the opposing double pivot, Panama simply dropped an attacker behind the U.S.’s midfield line and into a swath of green grass — over and over and over again. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### ​​USL Power Rankings: Another playoff clinch, West stays wide open & more from Week 27 URL: https://www.backheeled.com/usl-championship-power-rankings-another-playoff-clinch-west-stays-wide-open-week-27/ Last updated: 2025-09-11T05:46:34.000Z After Week 27, there are only seven more Saturdays of action left in the USL regular season. The playoff race has never felt less resolved. No team is more than six points off the pace; 17 clubs have a single-digit goal difference, evidence of how tight results have been across the league. With Charleston clinching a playoff spot this week and Louisville sewing up home-field advantage, the duopoly at the top of the table has never been starker. Everything beneath those two clubs is up for grabs. Who rose above that fray this week, and how’d it affect their standing in the power rankings? Let’s dig in. ## 1\. Louisville City ***Trending: No change*** *Result: 1-0 win at Rhode Island* None of Evan Davila, Niall McCabe, or Adrien Perez had even played 800 minutes entering Week 27\. Nonetheless, all three started in a surprisingly rotated Louisville lineup, which took on a 5-3-2 shape away to Rhode Island. Danny Cruz knew better than to underestimate the club that knocked LouCity out of the 2024 postseason, bolstering his central midfield to prevent a re-run. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Reminder, not revelation: USMNT selections, depth remain major questions after South Korea loss URL: https://www.backheeled.com/usmnt-lose-south-korea-pochettino-questions-roster-depth-world-cup/ Last updated: 2025-09-10T05:53:13.000Z HARRISON, N.J. — In its first game in the New York area since 2018, and the first friendly in a fall slate full of World Cup opponents from outside Concacaf, the U.S. men’s national team fell to South Korea 2-0 on Saturday evening. Here are three thoughts from the action at Sports Illustrated Stadium: ## What we already knew, confirmed yet again The USMNT is simply not good enough nor deep enough to expect results against World Cup caliber opponents when the squad is missing some of its key players and best backups. This wasn’t a secret before Saturday. In fact, it was quite the opposite. When Mauricio Pochettino unveiled his latest squad without a healthy Weston McKennie and other quality midfielders, [his selections were a source of confusion](https://www.backheeled.com/pulisic-pochettino-september-roster-takeaways-analysis-japan-south-korea/) for a fan base starving for momentum and skeptical about the Argentine’s plans with the World Cup on the horizon. Ahead of the South Korea match, Pochettino acknowledged there would be a point where he and his staff would prioritize picking a higher percentage of players who they could count on next summer. He also mentioned the importance of their mentality and buying into his project. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### How USL cities are positioning themselves to be part of the new first division men’s league URL: https://www.backheeled.com/usl-markets-positioning-to-be-part-of-new-usl-division-one-mens-league/ Last updated: 2025-09-07T22:22:21.000Z For the better part of 2025, clubs across the USL have been trying to answer a simple question: what does it mean to be a first-division organization? In one sense, it’s an easy question to answer. U.S. Soccer’s [Pro League Standards](https://cdn.sanity.io/files/oyf3dba6/production/39c508f13ff3ae8413bbd740af8ebcf85de41c87.pdf?ref=backheeled.com) (PLS) lay out criteria for stadium size, ownership wealth, youth infrastructure, and more to determine eligibility. Clear those hurdles, and you’re in – you’re eligible to be part of the USL’s planned Division 1 men’s league. Still, the process is more involved than checking boxes on an application. As it stands, [next to no USL clubs own a stadium that’s Division 1 compliant](https://www.backheeled.com/usl-division-one-mens-league-potential-markets-pro-rel-issues-mls/), and that’s before you consider any of the other requirements. Ambitious organizations are now eyeing major infrastructure projects to keep up, but there’s a tension behind that rush to meet the PLS. A compliant stadium is great, but how are you going to fill it with fans, sell the ad space, and put a winning team on its pitch? _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### MLS In-Depth Power Rankings: Colorado Rapids' hunt for balance, struggling teams surge & more URL: https://www.backheeled.com/mls-in-depth-power-rankings-colorado-rapids-inter-miami-scuffle-more/ Last updated: 2025-09-08T16:14:08.000Z *Power Rankings never cease to spark outrage. But here at* Backheeled*? We’re not here to cause anger. No, we’re here to dissect the latest performances, trends, tactics, and news for each of MLS’s 30 clubs. Every week during the MLS season, Ben Wright will guide you through the Eastern Conference teams and Joe Lowery will do the same for the West.* *Okay, fine. We’re also here to spark some outrage, because we’re ranking all 30 teams, too. Power Rankings are based on each club’s average position across Ben and Joe’s individual rankings. Onwards.* ## 1\. Philadelphia Union *Trending: No change* The Philadelphia Union look like they’re going to win the East, with a five-point lead heading into the final five matches. They’re in the driver’s seat for the Supporters’ Shield, too. They’ve done this, at least in part, by clobbering bad teams: in games against teams currently outside of the playoff spots, they’ve won 11, drawn two, and outscored their opponents by 20 goals. Saturday’s 1-0 win over Cincinnati was a timely reminder that they can beat good teams, too. They’ve been swept by Nashville and are winless against Miami and Columbus. They haven’t exactly been the most convincing against the teams they’re likely to play in the playoffs. Besides Cincinnati, that is. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### MLS Winners and Losers: Seattle Sounders show off elite depth, Riqui Puig smiles & more URL: https://www.backheeled.com/mls-winners-and-losers-seattle-sounders-inter-miami-leagues-cup-more/ Last updated: 2025-09-03T13:25:40.000Z *It’s in the title, folks. Every week during the MLS season, Backheeled will dive into the biggest Winners and Losers from around the league. This week, we’re sinking our teeth into the Sounders’ latest triumph, FC Cincinnati’s misstep, Riqui Puig’s present, and more.* ## Winner: Seattle Sounders and their player pipeline Brian Schmetzer couldn’t help but crack a smile. The longtime Seattle Sounders coach had just been asked about managing his players’ emotions ahead of a meeting with Lionel Messi and Inter Miami in Sunday’s Leagues Cup final. “Messi is arguably the best player the world has ever seen,” Schmetzer said. “But we have Paul Rothrock. We have Jackson Ragen and we have Snyder Brunell and we have Andrew Thomas and we have Pedro \[de la Vega\]. We’ve got good players, too.” Sure, Schmetzer’s tongue was at least halfway in his cheek with that *they’ve got Messi, we’ve got Rothrock* crack*.* But then again, it wasn’t more than halfway in his cheek — because more than anything else, the Sounders’ 2025 season has been defined by their incredible depth. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### ​​USL Power Rankings: Hartford Athletic surge, LouCity clinch & more from Week 26 URL: https://www.backheeled.com/usl-championship-power-rankings-hartford-athletic-surge-loucity-clinch-more/ Last updated: 2025-09-04T13:12:02.000Z If the USL season feels like a marathon, Week 26 was the point where the finish line came into view. With a rivalry win against Indy Eleven, Louisville City became the first club to clinch their place in the 2025 postseason. Still, it’s only the beginning of the end; 15 more teams are yet to stake a claim, and an action-packed Saturday that featured nearly 40 goals only muddied the competitive waters. We know Louisville is on top, but who else made a statement this weekend, and what choices shifted the table? Let’s dig in. ## 1\. Louisville City ***Trending: No change*** *Result: 3-1 win at Indy* You can count the number of USL clubs with a productive academy on one hand, and Louisville City is unique within that elite in how they manage their young talent. Players like the Wynder brothers have broken through to the first team, but Louisville have been willing to loan their prospects to other clubs in the right situation. Owen Damm, Issac Cano, and Sebastian Sanchez have all come through the pipeline and contributed for USL rivals. Now, Carlos Moguel is following that same path after joining New Mexico on loan. What’s the upside for Louisville? If Moguel develops as expected, he can easily come back to Lynn Family Stadium and contribute in 2026\. If Moguel, who’s on a multi-year contract, is deemed excess to requirements, then he’s been in the shop window and accrued extra value. It’s a win-win that goes to show just how advanced the Louisville program is. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### What’s gone right for each USL Championship team in 2025: Youth development, nailing transfers & more URL: https://www.backheeled.com/one-positive-each-usl-championship-team-2025-transfers-youth-development-more/ Last updated: 2025-08-31T20:54:23.000Z With nine weeks left to play in the USL season, it’s the time of the year where playoff chances start to fade. Still, even for the clubs that won’t make it past October, there’s at least something to celebrate during the 2025 season. What’s one big thing that’s gone right for each team across the Championship? Let’s dig in. ## Birmingham Legion **What’s gone right: Ramiz Hamouda’s development** While the Legion might not be happy with their on-field results, Ramiz Hamouda’s emergence as a regular starter at age 17 is a boon for the club. Hamouda has played everywhere from wingback to the middle of a center back trio, winning 1.7 tackles and 5.1 duels per match in the process. Already a stalwart in the U.S. youth national team setup, Hamouda is likely to earn Birmingham a rich transfer fee in the near future. For now, he’s genuinely contributing to the Legion’s playoff hopes. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### MLS In-Depth Power Rankings: Seattle Sounders climb, FC Cincinnati's problem & more URL: https://www.backheeled.com/mls-in-depth-power-rankings-sounders-fc-cincinnati-new-york-red-bulls-tactics-analysis/ Last updated: 2025-09-01T04:56:53.000Z *Power Rankings never cease to spark outrage. But here at* Backheeled*? We’re not here to cause anger. No, we’re here to dissect the latest performances, trends, tactics, and news for each of MLS’s 30 clubs. Every week during the MLS season, Ben Wright will guide you through the Eastern Conference teams and Joe Lowery will do the same for the West.* *Okay, fine. We’re also here to spark some outrage, because we’re ranking all 30 teams, too. Power Rankings are based on each club’s average position across Ben and Joe’s individual rankings. Onwards.* ## 1\. Philadelphia Union *Trending: +1* Haha, Joseph Lowery. You thought you were so fancy getting to write about Milan Iloski every week all year, didn’t you? Thought you could keep him to yourself, huh? Well thanks to the wisdom of Ernst Tanner and the ever-increasing complexities of MLS roster construction, it’s my turn now! _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Christian Pulisic is back. The rest of Pochettino's USMNT? Still TBD. URL: https://www.backheeled.com/pulisic-pochettino-september-roster-takeaways-analysis-japan-south-korea/ Last updated: 2025-09-07T04:30:19.000Z The U.S. men’s national team’s roster for a pair of friendlies next month was released on Tuesday. Ahead of a matchup with South Korea on September 6th in Harrison, New Jersey and a clash with Japan three days later in Columbus, Ohio, Mauricio Pochettino spoke with the media about his 22-man roster. A 23rd player will be announced in the coming days, as per the U.S. manager. Here are three key thoughts on the United States’ first roster of the fall. [Mauricio Pochettino’s USMNT September roster: Christian Pulisic returns, Noahkai Banks gets the callThe U.S. roster for a pair of September friendlies against South Korea and Japan was released on Tuesday. Here’s who made the cut.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/22/3c/223ce17d-3253-4d03-873b-ce236408cde2/content/images/icon/Backheeled-2-Sq-Light-514.png)BackheeledJoseph Lowery![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/22/3c/223ce17d-3253-4d03-873b-ce236408cde2/content/images/thumbnail/usmnt_82526.jpg)](https://www.backheeled.com/mauricio-pochettino-usmnt-september-roster-christian-pulisic-returns-sergino-dest-noahkai-banks/) ## One last window for new faces While some MLS-based holdovers from this past summer’s Gold Cup squad were expected to feature in September, the sheer volume of them was a surprise. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Mauricio Pochettino’s USMNT September roster: Christian Pulisic returns, Noahkai Banks gets the call URL: https://www.backheeled.com/mauricio-pochettino-usmnt-september-roster-christian-pulisic-returns-sergino-dest-noahkai-banks/ Last updated: 2025-08-27T13:40:23.000Z The roster for the U.S. men’s national team’s friendlies next month was released on Tuesday. Manager Mauricio Pochettino’s squad for a face-off with South Korea on September 6th at Sports Illustrated Stadium and a meeting with Japan on September 9th at Lower.com Field features Christian Pulisic returning to the fold after a back-and-forth with the U.S. manager over the summer. Sergiño Dest, healthy and playing for PSV in the Netherlands, is in the squad and could make his debut for Pochettino next month. Also of note: highly rated 18-year-old Augsburg center back Noahkai Banks earned his first call-up to the USMNT and Josh Sargent has, once again, been called up after not making the cut for the Gold Cup. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### MLS Winners and Losers: New stars debut, New York Red Bulls in trouble & more URL: https://www.backheeled.com/mls-winners-and-losers-summer-transfers-debut-new-york-red-bulls-minnesota-united/ Last updated: 2025-08-26T23:39:41.000Z *It’s in the title, folks. Every week during the MLS season, Backheeled will dive into the biggest Winners and Losers from around the league. This week, we’re casting some side-eye towards the New York Red Bulls, crediting a team that’s pushing for MLS Cup, yelling right along with St. Louis City fans, and more.* ## Loser: New York Red Bulls No club has benefited more from MLS’s shift to sending nine teams from each conference to the postseason than the New York Red Bulls. Back in 2023, the first year of that playoff format, the Red Bulls finished ninth in the East. This year, they sit ninth in the East yet again with six games left on their regular season schedule. Thanks to MLS allowing 60% of its teams to enter the postseason, the New York Red Bulls can lay claim to a very specific — and almost entirely meaningless — boast: their streak of 15-straight playoff appearances is the longest active one in North American men’s professional sports. That streak may well be extended to 16 come the end of the season. But you know what streak also looks like a sure thing to be extended? The New York Red Bulls’ MLS Cup drought, which goes back, well, forever. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### ​​USL Power Rankings: LouCity keep top spot, major transfers & more from Week 25 URL: https://www.backheeled.com/usl-championship-power-rankings-louisville-city-top-spot-major-transfers-more-from-week-25/ Last updated: 2025-08-26T17:45:10.000Z You might argue that the USL Championship table didn’t flip on its head in Week 25, but the combination of on-field results and off-field transfer movement made this a monumental matchweek. Clubs like Lexington added genuine MLS talent (Latif Blessing, in after a year in Houston) in the market and flew up the table; Hartford sold their talisman (Mamadou Dieng, off to Minnesota) but still continued to rise. Elsewhere, clubs like New Mexico and Monterey tried to end their dry spells with key additions from MLS Next Pro. Now that the dust has settled, which new players do you need to know, and what other decisions defined a jam-packed weekend across the USL? Let’s dig in. ## 1\. Louisville City ***Trending: No change*** *Result: 0-0 draw v. New Mexico* In their statement-making rout against Charleston a few weeks back, Louisville let Kevon Lambert and Taylor Davila take on a high-low dynamic in central midfield that shut down the high-possession Battery. You would’ve expected that same strategy to play against a similarly possessive New Mexico team running a similar shape, but that wasn’t necessarily the case. In the opening quarter-hour, LouCity struggled to execute on their familiar midfield approach against New Mexico’s extreme commitment to build within their own 18-yard box. The guests tended to interchange their 4-2-3-1 quite freely, namely by tucking their left winger inside and dropping their No. 10 as a possessive outlet. That movement often left Davila isolated, allowing for quick line breaks that put Danny Cruz’s back three on the back foot. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/22/3c/223ce17d-3253-4d03-873b-ce236408cde2/content/images/2025/08/Lousville.png) Louisville didn’t give up their pressing identity. Instead, they allowed defender Kyle Adams to push ahead like a partner for Davila in the traditional holding midfield zone. You’re seeing the construction above. Adams, the left-sided center back, has become an added No. 6, while wingback Jake Morris has tucked low to essentially re-create the 3-2-5’s base. Adams can maximize his physicality up the middle, while Morris provides the recovery speed to patch any holes that might arise. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Ranking every MLS team’s 2025 summer transfer window from worst to first URL: https://www.backheeled.com/ranking-every-mls-teams-2025-summer-transfer-window-from-worst-to-first/ Last updated: 2025-08-28T15:25:02.000Z MLS doesn’t have enough winners and losers — and that’s by design. The league’s constraining roster rules and regulations have been purpose-built to keep a tight gap between the best and worst teams. Toss in the fact that 60% of the league makes the playoffs and you’ve got a real “everybody gets a trophy” situation on your hands. We need more winners in MLS. We need more losers, too. Those things build the kinds of stories that make any product more compelling. To that end: today, I’m making my own winners and losers by ranking MLS teams based on their summer business. With the secondary transfer window officially closed, teams have made most of the rest of their big additions for the year. Now, we could still see some players moving from MLS to other countries with many other transfer windows around the world not closing until the end of August or very start of September. We could also see teams pick up a few free agents. Still, we have plenty of information to put together a quality list. The winners? They’re primed and ready for a late-season push. The losers? Maybe not so much. Let’s get to the transfer rankings, working from worst to first. *\*Deal not yet announced as of publication.* ## 30\. DC United **Notable incomings:** Caden Clark **Notable outgoings:** N/A Rene Weiler coached one match for DC, saw Caden Clark playing for the other team, and just *had* to sign him. Clark is a decent enough complementary piece, but it feels like DC heavily overpaid for him at $700,000 in cold, hard cash. Even if he hits, this roster is in awful shape. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Jagermeister Cup knockouts: USL League One’s Greenville Triumph triumph and the other big quarterfinal themes URL: https://www.backheeled.com/jagermeister-cup-quarterfinals-usl-greenville-triumph-triumph-rhode-island-sacramento-hartford/ Last updated: 2025-08-25T03:27:31.000Z There’s nothing better than knockout soccer, and the Jagermeister Cup’s quarterfinal round brought the goods. Between late drama, a slew of impact subs, and multiple penalty shootouts, Wednesday night showed why the USL wanted to add an in-season tournament in the first place. Rhode Island, Greenville, Sacramento, and Hartford are advancing to the semis after all that action – but how’d they get there? Let’s take a look at the big theme that defined all four winning results. ## Rhode Island find their tempo *Rhode Island FC (1) - Birmingham Legion (0)* Matches against Birmingham always mean more for Khano Smith, who spent the better part of five years on the Legion staff. We saw these teams battle to a draw barely a month ago, but transfer moves (i.e., Matthew Corcoran to Rhode Island, Danny Trejo out of Birmingham) made this a fundamentally different game. Right away, it was clear that Corcoran gave RIFC the edge in the midfield. Birmingham went with an all-defense pivot composed of Edwin Laszo and Sam McIlhatton, but neither player had the lateral speed to stop Rhode Island from carving through their lines, hence why the Nashville SC loanee – and one-time Legion prospect – completed a game-high 15 passes into the final third. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### MLS In-Depth Power Rankings: San Diego FC on top, Orlando City's streak & more URL: https://www.backheeled.com/mls-in-depth-power-rankings-san-diego-fc-expansion-orlando-city-more/ Last updated: 2025-08-24T23:38:06.000Z In a twist on a classic, we’re not just ranking all 30 MLS teams. We’re analyzing them, too. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### MLS Winners and Losers: Thomas Muller’s promising Whitecaps debut, Evander’s return & more URL: https://www.backheeled.com/mls-winners-and-losers-thomas-muller-vancouver-whitecaps-debut-evander-messi/ Last updated: 2025-08-20T13:49:41.000Z *It’s in the title, folks. Every week during the MLS season, Backheeled will dive into the biggest Winners and Losers from around the league. This week, we’re sinking our teeth into Thomas Muller’s debut for the Vancouver Whitecaps, Evander’s return to Providence Park, Atlanta United’s blooper reel, and more.* ## Winner: Evander I’m truly grateful that people don’t pay their hard-earned money to show up and boo me at my place of work. Evander, though, didn’t have that same luxury upon his return to Providence Park on Saturday night. Making his first appearance back in Portland since [beefing his way out of town](https://www.backheeled.com/portland-timbers-2025-mls-season-preview-transfers-tactics-stars-predictions/) and becoming the subject of the most expensive cash trade deal in that mechanism’s young history, the now-FC Cincinnati playmaker didn’t even have to touch the ball to draw the ire of the Timbers’ crowd. Chants of “f— Evander” rained down from the stands before the opening whistle blew, and the No. 10 was surely reminded of the fact that he left a chunk of the Portland fanbase feeling betrayed by the manner of his exit when he was booed on *every single touch*. The boos intensified when he moved the ball upfield or picked out an incisive pass. They turned into cheers when his touch went awry. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### ​​USL Power Rankings: Loudoun United's reset, West stays wide open & more from Week 24 URL: https://www.backheeled.com/usl-championship-power-rankings-loudoun-united-western-conference-more/ Last updated: 2025-08-21T13:23:02.000Z We’ve reached the 10-week warning for the 2025 season, and races across the USL are only getting more fascinating at a player and club level. A Phillip Goodrum brace propelled the Louisville striker to the top of the Golden Boot hunt this weekend, and two helpers from Taylor Davila brought him into a three-way tie for the assist crown. LouCity’s in-state rivals in Lexington leapfrogged into the Western playoff field, while numerous Eastern bubble teams blew their shot to do the same. What else stood out in Week 24, and how’s it driving the USL Championship Power Rankings? Let’s dig in. ## 1\. Louisville City ***Trending: No change*** *Result: 4-2 win at Miami* Louisville’s strength lies in the controlled chaos they foster, but there’s one phase of the game where they’re wonderfully formulaic: long throws. Rookie defender Josh Jones stands alongside North Carolina’s Mikey Maldonado as one of the USL’s two long-throw maestros, and LouCity maximizes that ability with a very specific design that they hammer again and again. > I'm obsessed > > — [John Morrissey (@usltactics.com)](https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:kjucyv5563tk4anwe6rfkt4i?ref%5Fsrc=embed&ref=backheeled.com) [2025-08-17T00:23:58.117Z](https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:kjucyv5563tk4anwe6rfkt4i/post/3lwkmltfn6c25?ref%5Fsrc=embed&ref=backheeled.com) The setup is simple. You start with Jones on either sideline, then push a runner toward the pocket between the endline and the edge of the six-yard box. That player isn’t intended to be a shooter. Instead, they’re meant to flick a header off of Jones’ service, setting up a teammate closer to the penalty spot – a prime region from which to shoot. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Inside the Las Vegas Lights’ turbulent season – and the USL lessons learned URL: https://www.backheeled.com/inside-las-vegas-lights-turbulent-season-usl-championship-takeaways/ Last updated: 2025-08-22T15:35:28.000Z Since this past November, five different managers have manned the Las Vegas Lights’ sideline. That’s counting caretakers and interims, but it symbolizes the whiplash that’s plagued the Lights since head coach Dennis Sanchez departed over the offseason. 2024, the club’s first season under Jose Bautista’s ownership, [was an unabashed success](https://www.backheeled.com/inside-las-vegas-lights-turnaround-jose-bautista-usl-championship/). By contrast, 2025 started dismally, leading to the midseason firing of Antonio Nocerino and his replacement by former Charleston Battery assistant Devin Rensing. The Lights currently sit last in the West. Las Vegas has learned meaningful lessons about competing in the USL Championship in the meantime, and sporting director Gianleonardo Neglia sat down with *Backheeled* to discuss that process. ## Placing an “emphasis on experience” Rensing is the clearest example of a shifting philosophy in Las Vegas. He cuts a completely different profile than Nocerino – one defined by deep knowledge of the USL ecosystem and a positive tactical philosophy. Those characteristics drove the coaching search. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### MLS In-Depth Power Rankings: Charlotte FC's new look, Brian Schmetzer's Seattle solution & more URL: https://www.backheeled.com/mls-in-depth-power-rankings-charlotte-fc-wilfried-zaha-schmetzer-seattle-sounders/ Last updated: 2025-08-17T14:23:03.000Z *Power Rankings never cease to spark outrage. But here at* Backheeled*? We’re not here to cause anger. No, we’re here to dissect the latest performances, trends, tactics, and news for each of MLS’s 30 clubs. Every week during the MLS season, Ben Wright will guide you through the Eastern Conference teams and Joe Lowery will do the same for the West.* *Okay, fine. We’re also here to spark some outrage, because we’re ranking all 30 teams, too. Power Rankings are based on each club’s average position across Ben and Joe’s individual rankings. Onwards.* ## 1\. Philadelphia Union *Trending: No change* The Philadelphia Union scored one of the best goals of the week in their disappointing 1-1 home draw with Toronto FC on Saturday, a really fun front-to-back passing sequence that ended with Tai Baribo hitting Indiana Vassilev in stride for a one-v-one finish. Just three minutes into the game, it looked like the Union were set for another win at home against a poor Toronto side. > It's Indiana Vassilev, and Philadelphia is off and running four minutes in! 😱 > > 📺 [#MLSSeasonPass](https://twitter.com/hashtag/MLSSeasonPass?src=hash&ref%5Fsrc=twsrc%5Etfw&ref=backheeled.com): [https://t.co/umhtH282Gg](https://t.co/umhtH282Gg?ref=backheeled.com) [pic.twitter.com/MRSsHYoXkX](https://t.co/MRSsHYoXkX?ref=backheeled.com) > > — Major League Soccer (@MLS) [August 9, 2025](https://twitter.com/MLS/status/1954329017437302985?ref%5Fsrc=twsrc%5Etfw&ref=backheeled.com) Over the next 90 minutes, the Union got out in transition and created a few decent half chances (including a slapstick goal from Baribo that was overturned by VAR), but their finishing was consistently disappointing. The longer they went without adding a second goal, the more Toronto grew into the match, eventually equalizing in stoppage time to steal a point. The whole thing was a missed opportunity to give themselves some breathing room in the Supporters’ Shield race. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### The USMNT players with the most to gain in Europe ahead of the 2026 World Cup URL: https://www.backheeled.com/usmnt-players-most-to-gain-europe-2026-world-cup-pochettino-reyna-musah-sargent/ Last updated: 2025-08-18T03:27:41.000Z The last European club season leading up to the 2026 World Cup is underway, and there are several U.S. men’s national team players based across the Atlantic with much at stake. That idea was reinforced earlier this summer, when a heavily rotated roster for the Gold Cup – one that included 15 MLS players – reached the final. Although the loss and performance against Mexico in Houston highlighted the undeniable drop-off in quality from a first-choice squad, Mauricio Pochettino appreciated the cultural progress made in the longest camp of his tenure. And he planted the seeds for increased competition in his pool over the next ten months that was certainly not expected when he took the reins. Indeed, Pochettino’s faith in Diego Luna, Patrick Agyemang, Max Arfsten and Alex Freeman has only been vindicated by recent European interest in those players (and, in Agyemang’s case, an actual transfer to Derby County). His belief in Malik Tillman became clear, and then Tillman became the second most expensive transfer in USMNT history behind Christian Pulisic, joining German giants Bayer Leverkusen. Being based in Europe or even being in top form there evidently won’t guarantee a call-up anymore. The leash may be longer for the likes of Tillman or Atletico Madrid’s Johnny Cardoso, but others with the talent to have an impact next summer need to elbow their way into the picture. Let’s take a look at five players who can raise their stock the most this year, considering their situations as well as Pochettino’s needs. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### MLS Winners and Losers: Son Heung-min’s LAFC, Toronto FC’s new era & more URL: https://www.backheeled.com/mls-winners-and-losers-son-heung-min-lafc-toronto-fc-djordje-lucho-more/ Last updated: 2025-08-13T13:32:17.000Z *It’s in the title, folks. Every week during the MLS season, Backheeled will dive into the biggest Winners and Losers from around the league. This week, we’re examining Son Heung-min’s debut for LAFC, a new beginning for an Eastern Conference cellar-dweller, FC Dallas’ Lucho Acosta-less existence, and more.* ## Winner: LAFC On Wednesday, LAFC announced the acquisition of South Korean and Tottenham star Son Heung-min. On Saturday, he earned the game-tying penalty for his new team. That, folks, is what you expect when you pay an MLS-record transfer fee of $26.5 million to sign one of the best Premier League players of the last decade. With LAFC trailing by a goal on the road against the Fire, Son sprinted behind Chicago’s center backs on a 77th minute counter attack. Carlos Teran brought him down and, after a VAR review necessitated by the fact that the center referee simply couldn’t keep up with the game’s — and Son’s — breakneck pace, the visitors were awarded a penalty kick. What’s the old expression about speed killing? Ah, here it is: speed kills. > The Sonny effect. 🏃‍♂️ > > Son Heung-min subs in and earns the LAFC penalty equalizer in his MLS debut. [pic.twitter.com/34bHUxqHry](https://t.co/34bHUxqHry?ref=backheeled.com) > > — Major League Soccer (@MLS) [August 10, 2025](https://twitter.com/MLS/status/1954375446407057746?ref%5Fsrc=twsrc%5Etfw&ref=backheeled.com) At 33, there were questions about how much of the pace that made Son such a terror for Spurs would be left in his legs. His debut did something to answer those questions. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### ​​USL Power Rankings: LouCity's statement win, FC Tulsa rise & more from Week 23 URL: https://www.backheeled.com/usl-championship-power-rankings-louisville-city-statement-fc-tulsa-more-week-23/ Last updated: 2025-08-14T13:13:49.000Z There’s plenty of season yet to come in the USL Championship, but Week 23 went a long way in shaping the respective conference races. In the East, Louisville City notched the most resounding result of 2025 against the rival Charleston Battery. Out West, FC Tulsa continued to be the kings of the comeback. To declare that Louisville and Tulsa are on a title-game collision course would be overeager in a USL that’s defined by playoff havoc, but it’s rare for two clubs to so thoroughly run the table at this stage in the season. How did the conference favorites get it done, and what other performances stood out across the Championship? I’m ranking all 24 clubs to find out, so let’s dig in. ## 1\. Louisville City ***Trending: +1*** *Result: 4-1 win v. Charleston* Arturo Ordonez is one of the best players in the USL, an all-leaguer in both Pittsburgh and Louisville. Still, it had been since June 20th since the former USL Defender of the Year started a league match. Between injuries and the ascendancy of rookie Josh Jones, you started to wonder if Ordonez, improbably, was surplus to supply. Instead, the star center back reminded the league why he’s so elite against Charleston. Ordonez’s performance was inseparable from Danny Cruz’s gameplan and his own relationship with Taylor Davila. Cruz knew that the Battery make their money driving through Juan David Torres and a dropping MD Myers, so he asked his two central stalwarts to deny passes into their feet by operating like a pincer between the lines of the 5-4-1\. It worked like a charm; Ordonez’s marking clogged lanes, and he put in three takeaways with a 75% duel win rate. A line ahead, Davila proved to be the king of crucial interceptions around the halfway line. Charleston couldn’t activate the No. 10 in their 4-2-2-2 look until it was far too late. > @loucity.com gets the opening goal after just 122 seconds on Phillip Goodrum's 10th of the #USL-C season. It's the earliest goal #LouCity has scored in the league this campaign. Massive start for the hosts. #LOUvCHS > > — [Nicholas Murray (@njemurray.bsky.social)](https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:ak5t3ogj3564ctmygzgoocof?ref%5Fsrc=embed&ref=backheeled.com) [2025-08-10T00:14:09.407Z](https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:ak5t3ogj3564ctmygzgoocof/post/3lvyyru7lfc2l?ref%5Fsrc=embed&ref=backheeled.com) Ordonez also made his presence felt on the ball. Louisville knew they could isolate the opposing fullbacks with high-low interchanges among their wide players, and they trusted their star center back to hit long passes that could take advantage of that movement. Just three minutes in, Ordonez lofted a ball toward an advancing Aiden McFadden to do just that, allowing the wingback to flick a header on to Phillip Goodrum for the go-ahead goal. That sequence went exactly to plan, and you could say the same about every facet of this match. LouCity’s 5-4-1 press never let the Battery get a foothold. It was 4-0 by halftime, a colossal statement if there ever was one. It’s hard to point to one single player as the turnkey for the result, but Ordonez stands out. To re-enter the lineup and do what he did is endlessly impressive, yet another success for a club that’s now the undisputed title favorite in the USL. ## 2\. FC Tulsa ***Trending: +1*** *Result: 3-2 win at Monterey, 5-2 win at New Mexico* Every game matters in the USL, particularly in a conference as tight as the West in 2025\. Still, some games matter just a bit more. FC Tulsa clearly brought the spark away to Monterey this Wednesday, but they knew that Saturday’s tilt against New Mexico United was their real chance to make a statement in Week 23. Luke Spencer returned to his usual 3-4-3 at Cardinale Stadium, immediately reaping the benefits of having an extra presser against a two-man Monterey center back corps. Within 12 minutes, Taylor Calheira had forced an errant pass that Alex Dalou would hammer home to take a lead. No team is as good at turning defensive grit into chances. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/22/3c/223ce17d-3253-4d03-873b-ce236408cde2/content/images/2025/08/Screenshot-2025-08-10-at-11.04.44---AM.png) _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Four out-of-left-field city picks for MLS expansion URL: https://www.backheeled.com/four-cities-potential-mls-expansion-picks-don-garber-usl/ Last updated: 2025-08-12T15:01:21.000Z Just prior to the league’s All-Star Game in Austin, MLS commissioner Don Garber was asked whether the league might expand beyond 30 teams. His measured response of “I don’t know the answer to that…we’ll have to see” raises a key question. Has MLS reached the limits of expansion? Expansion in MLS faces a clear challenge: most major markets already have a professional team. The average metropolitan population of existing MLS cities hovers at 4.3 million, with the smallest market coming in near 1.2 million. To go a step further, the USL’s increased presence has seemingly left MLS with no other choice but to continually flirt with and pull teams from that organization. However, instead of focusing on the same cities that are regularly in the expansion rumblings, like Indianapolis or Phoenix, I decided to search for cities that neither league is involved with at the professional level. To do so, I came up with a simple process. The cities I looked at needed to have a metropolitan population of at least 1.2 million and be more than 25 miles from a current USL Championship or MLS team. The latter criteria ruled out two markets – San Francisco (due to the city’s proximity to the USL’s Oakland Roots) and Brooklyn (New York City FC and the New York Red Bulls) – and the former left me with just four cities. Want to check out all of our American soccer coverage? [Become a paid subscriber today! ](#/portal/signup) With those parameters in mind, here are the best uncontested markets that MLS should (if it isn’t already) have squarely on its radar, along with a deeper look at the soccer culture and potential in each. --- [How San Diego FC is dominating MLS — and making a case as the best expansion team in historyWith a crystal-clear vision, the new kids on the block are pushing for trophies.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/22/3c/223ce17d-3253-4d03-873b-ce236408cde2/content/images/icon/Backheeled-2-Sq-Light-496.png)BackheeledJoseph Lowery![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/22/3c/223ce17d-3253-4d03-873b-ce236408cde2/content/images/thumbnail/IJ4UK5WAM5DHXL3EW6XOOZWCIQ.jpg)](https://www.backheeled.com/how-san-diego-fc-mls-expansion-team-record-setting-tactics-analysis/) --- _This post is for subscribers only._ ### The USL's youth movement has begun (and 11 prospects to watch) URL: https://www.backheeled.com/usl-youth-development-academy-championship-league-one-prospects/ Last updated: 2025-08-10T19:46:46.000Z The USL prides itself on a burgeoning ability to develop young players for the transfer market, but few of those prospects have been homegrown. Diego Luna [broke out with the El Paso Locomotive](https://www.backheeled.com/the-making-of-diego-luna-told-by-his-coaches-usmnt-mls-world-cup/), but he spent years with the San Jose Earthquakes and the Barca Residency Academy beforehand. Bryce Jamison began his journey with Atlanta United, also spent time with the Barca program, [and *then* became a star at Orange County](https://www.backheeled.com/bryce-jamison-transfer-interest-mls-europe-usl-championship-orange-county/). Pedro Guimaraes (Orange County via LAFC) and Ramiz Hamouda (Birmingham via Sporting Kansas City) are on the same path. There’s nothing innately wrong with that model, of course. Any chance for a young player to earn senior minutes is valuable within the American developmental pipeline. Even so, the relationship between MLS academy products and potential USL suitors is changing. MLS Next Pro’s growth incentivizes prospects to remain within the broader MLS ecosystem. Independent Next Pro organizations [like the Carolina Core](https://www.mlsnextpro.com/carolinacorefc/news/carolina-core-fc-transfers-defender-jeremiah-white-iv-to-legia-warszawa?ref=backheeled.com) have begun to move prospects overseas. At the top of the pyramid, many MLS clubs are willing to play their youngsters; U-20 players from 14 different teams are on track to earn 1,000 minutes this season. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### How San Diego FC is dominating MLS — and making a case as the best expansion team in history URL: https://www.backheeled.com/how-san-diego-fc-mls-expansion-team-record-setting-tactics-analysis/ Last updated: 2025-08-11T04:18:55.000Z Let's cut to the chase: San Diego FC may go down as the greatest expansion team in MLS history. Though there have been several impressive expansion campaigns in the last decade, the newest of the new kids on the block are on track to surpass all of their predecessors’ regular season accolades: they’re on pace to blow past LAFC’s expansion record of 57 points set in 2017 *and* best the Chicago Fire’s expansion points per game record of 1.75 set way back in 1998\. At their current 1.84 points per game pace, San Diego FC will end 2025 with a new record of 62 points. They’re currently on top of the West and have a chance to win the Supporters’ Shield, too, which would be a first for an expansion team. Never before have we seen an expansion team find so much success, so quickly. Only once before has an expansion team sustained that success through to an MLS Cup victory — that was the Fire in 1998, back in an era of MLS when every team was in its infancy. San Diego FC are making a case to be the best first-year team MLS has ever seen. And up against teams with a 30-year head start, they’re pushing for trophies. Here’s how. --- [MLS commissioner Don Garber: Switching to European calendar “makes sense”, league reviewing “entire roster strategy”At Q2 Stadium in Austin on Wednesday, Garber provided updates on a schedule change and the league’s roster rules.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/22/3c/223ce17d-3253-4d03-873b-ce236408cde2/content/images/icon/Backheeled-2-Sq-Light-492.png)BackheeledJoseph Lowery![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/22/3c/223ce17d-3253-4d03-873b-ce236408cde2/content/images/thumbnail/mlsallstar_72325-1.jpg)](https://www.backheeled.com/mls-commissioner-don-garber-european-calendar-switch-roster-rules-reform/) --- Even while hiding from the Southern California sun beneath the shade of a merciful tree, Tyler Heaps made one thing clear in a conversation with *Backheeled*: his team wasn’t going to shy away from the spotlight. “I think we’re an expansion team that probably has the most in-depth style of play coming into the league,” San Diego FC’s sporting director said earlier this year before that team had even kicked a ball in MLS. Just what is that style of play? Heaps, the youngest front office chief in MLS at age 34, was happy to draw parallels between his project and the one Wilfried Nancy is heading up in Columbus. Nancy’s hyper-controlled, possession-based style led the Crew to an MLS Cup trophy just two years ago, not to mention a run to the Concacaf Champions Cup final and a Leagues Cup victory. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### ​​USL Power Rankings: Trophy contenders stay strong, goals galore & more from Week 22 URL: https://www.backheeled.com/usl-championship-power-rankings-contenders-stay-strong-goals-more-week-22/ Last updated: 2025-08-07T14:01:20.000Z [*Design: Peyton Gallaher*](https://twitter.com/PeytonTGallaher?ref=backheeled.com) At this point in 2024, all but three of the eventual playoff teams in the USL Championship had cemented their status as a top-eight seed. Nothing is certain, especially in a 2025 season defined by its parity, but we’re getting to the point where standings-watching is meaningful. This weekend was full of big results for clubs below the cut line, and the race is only going to get closer as October approaches. Which teams made a statement, who fell flat, and how does it change the competitive landscape in the USL? Let’s dig in. ## 1\. Charleston Battery ***Trending: No change*** *Result: Bye* It’s easy to get caught up in Charleston’s abundance of outfield talent, but Luis Zamudio has quietly posted elite numbers in net. In his first year in the Lowcountry, Zamudio has posted a positively clinquant 4.9 goals prevented. That’s the second-best mark in the USL. The 27-year-old also ranks in the 72nd percentile for sweeping actions, knowing when to step off his line when opponents try to play through on the break. Whatever Ben Pirmann needs, Zamudio is providing it. ## 2\. Louisville City ***Trending: No change*** *Result: 4-1 win v. North Carolina* Louisville has played 45% more crosses in open play than your average USL club this year, a number that belies conventional assumptions about efficient attacking. You’re better off driving into the box on the ground, right? By Danny Cruz’s thinking, maximizing numbers within and service into the box is the name of the game, and that philosophy paid off within the opening five minutes against North Carolina on Saturday. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### How FC Tulsa’s new leadership has helped create long-awaited success: “You have to be versatile” URL: https://www.backheeled.com/how-fc-tulsa-new-leadership-created-success-luke-spencer-tactics/ Last updated: 2025-08-03T16:13:34.000Z The last time FC Tulsa made the playoffs was 2021, when they were a member of the USL Championship’s Eastern Conference. Back then, the league had 31 teams spanning from Tacoma to Atlanta. The USL looks fundamentally different these days, but there’s been one constant: Tulsa hasn’t been very good. The club won just 31 of 102 league matches in the intervening three years, never finishing higher than eighth place. Four coaches and multiple front office executives came and went. Not for a lack of trying, FC Tulsa couldn’t get it together. That’s changing in 2025\. Under head coach Luke Spencer and sporting director Caleb Sewell, this club is currently leading the Western Conference. Tulsa has an outside chance at a Players’ Shield bid and feels ready for a playoff run. How did FC Tulsa turn it around? In conversation with *Backheeled*, Spencer and defender Arthur Rogers discussed the changes that’ve turned Tulsa into a contender. “Luke has done a really good job of getting 22 guys all to buy into the same thing. Whether you like the brand of football, you don't like the brand of football, it doesn't matter. You look across to the guy next to you and you know that they're doing that,” asserted Rogers. “I think in the USL in general, there's no one way to win. It's more about the teams that are very collective, they usually do better.” _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### MLS In-Depth Power Rankings: Vancouver Whitecaps' Thomas Muller deal, Inter Miami's chaos & more URL: https://www.backheeled.com/mls-in-depth-power-rankings-vancouver-whitecaps-thomas-muller-deal-inter-miami-chaos-more/ Last updated: 2025-08-08T15:10:39.000Z *Power Rankings never cease to spark outrage. But here at* Backheeled*? We’re not here to cause anger. No, we’re here to dissect the latest performances, trends, tactics, and news for each of MLS’s 30 clubs. Every week during the MLS season, Ben Wright will guide you through the Eastern Conference teams and Joe Lowery will do the same for the West.* *Okay, fine. We’re also here to spark some outrage, because we’re ranking all 30 teams, too. Power Rankings are based on each club’s average position across Ben and Joe’s individual rankings. Onwards.* ## 1\. Philadelphia Union *Trending: +1* Mikael Uhre, cult hero? As much as 2025’s first 50-point team can need anything, the Union have needed some scoring behind Tai Baribo. Heading into Saturday’s match against Colorado, only Bruno Damiani (4) had scored more than two goals this season. Enter Mikael Uhre, who came off the bench and bagged a brace in a 3-1 win over Colorado, scoring in the 89th and 95th minutes to finally beat Zack Steffen, who was *awesome* throughout the match. > MIKAEL UHRE! > > Uhre scores his second goal of the night to secure the win for [@PhilaUnion](https://twitter.com/PhilaUnion?ref%5Fsrc=twsrc%5Etfw&ref=backheeled.com)! [pic.twitter.com/xIdfKLQhx3](https://t.co/xIdfKLQhx3?ref=backheeled.com) > > — Major League Soccer (@MLS) [July 27, 2025](https://twitter.com/MLS/status/1949282257442595137?ref%5Fsrc=twsrc%5Etfw&ref=backheeled.com) This is such a classic Union goal, and harkens back to where Uhre is at his best - running in behind. As soon as the Union win back possession, Uhre takes off. It’s fantastic awareness from Alejandro Bedoya to recognize the space and play the ball forward almost before Uhre even takes off. The Union don’t have the most elite pieces in the league. They don’t spend a ton of money on their roster. But they have a clear identity, an identity they doubled down on this winter, and they’re back on top of the Supporters’ Shield race. Their underlying numbers are \*chef’s kiss\* *elite*, and they’re going to be a bear to play against in the playoffs. Watch out for the Union! - *Ben Wright* ## 2\. San Diego FC *Trending: +3* It’s obviously absurd that San Diego FC and Nashville SC were forced to play each other on Friday, just two days after both teams had players feature in the MLS All-Star Game. It’s also obviously absurd that there were five other games scheduled that day. It shouldn’t take Lionel Messi turning his nose up at the All-Star Game for MLS to evaluate its schedule and fixture congestion, but, hey, when you have a chance to smoosh Leagues Cup into your calendar, you just have to do it. Anyway, San Diego’s 1-0 win over a very, very good Nashville team was a statement one. Playing with two rookie center backs and two teenage fullbacks, it’s blindingly clear that the club is as eager to identify and give opportunities to young talents as any club in MLS. Toss in Pedro Soma, a U.S. U-20 international central midfielder who’s spent a chunk of his youth career in the FC Barcelona setup, and David Vazquez, loaned in with a permanent option from the Union, to the list of talented youngsters flocking to San Diego. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### USL Jagermeister Cup: League One’s representative, elite atmosphere & more Winners and Losers URL: https://www.backheeled.com/usl-jagermeister-cup-quarterfinals-setleague-one-winners-and-losers/ Last updated: 2025-07-31T14:24:43.000Z And then there were eight. With all four rounds of the Jagermeister Cup group stage complete, we’ve sorted 38 contestants into six group winners and two wildcard qualifiers that’ll keep competing for a shot at glory. Even if many teams knew their fate coming into the weekend, the action didn’t disappoint. Saturday featured seven added-time goals(!) that had a major impact on the group standings. Who came up big, which games stood out, and which clubs are due for soul-searching after crashing out of the competition? Let’s dig into the winners and losers of the Jagermeister Cup weekend. > The Quarterfinal matchups are set! 🗞️ [pic.twitter.com/3n6EuQMBag](https://t.co/3n6EuQMBag?ref=backheeled.com) > > — USL Jägermeister Cup (@USL\_Cup) [July 27, 2025](https://twitter.com/USL%5FCup/status/1949342737339150456?ref%5Fsrc=twsrc%5Etfw&ref=backheeled.com) ## Winner: Greenville and, by extension, USL League One *Result: Greenville (2) - Naples (1)* No League One club entered Saturday with a better chance at advancement than the Greenville Triumph. Back in April, Greenville made a statement with a clean sheet against Charleston in group play. Since then, they’ve remixed their midfield and run hot-and-cold, but all it took this weekend was a win against FC Naples and a slip-up from the Tampa Bay Rowdies to get through as League One’s only representative. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### MLS commissioner Don Garber: Switching to European calendar “makes sense”, league reviewing “entire roster strategy” URL: https://www.backheeled.com/mls-commissioner-don-garber-european-calendar-switch-roster-rules-reform/ Last updated: 2025-08-07T14:01:30.000Z AUSTIN, Texas — “We believe that that alignment is something that makes sense.” Speaking to a group of journalists ahead of the 2025 MLS All-Star Game, MLS commissioner Don Garber plainly stated the league’s interest in switching to a fall-to-spring calendar that would mirror the top European leagues. From that calendar discussion to a broader "review of our entire roster strategy”, here’s what *Backheeled* learned from the commissioner’s comments on Wednesday evening. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### How every USL Championship teams approach substitutions: Analysis URL: https://www.backheeled.com/how-every-usl-championship-teams-approach-substitutions-and-why-that-matters/ Last updated: 2025-07-27T14:52:16.000Z How impactful are substitutes in the USL Championship, and how should smart teams use them? You’d get 10 different answers if you asked 10 different coaches. At the same time, it’s undeniable that changes off the bench can be a differentiator, even if perspectives might differ. Whether you’re swapping a quick and rangy No. 9 for a hold-up player, bringing on an extra center back, or simply looking for fresh energy, effectively using substitutions is key to any gameplan. Today we’re diving into the muddy world of substitutions, examining the teams that use them most effectively and the player archetypes most common to the Championship. --- Clubs have gradually begun to use more substitutions as the years have gone on. Back in 2013, for instance, USL teams used just 76.1% of their available changes. The league briefly limited teams to three subs from 2017 through 2019, shifting back to five thereafter. So far in the 2025 season, Championship clubs have used 85.4% of available changes, an all-time high for a five-sub season. ![](https://lh7-rt.googleusercontent.com/docsz/AD_4nXcadBp6v9MQYJCRfxQy7AzT3QddHpyGac-UqO5GE7H-X4tHybwN5FTYlVlr1JHk8zu7UNl3EXSD9EvvmfzvShFviDp7vSycbyfFpEtS3TXB4Se1a1mwi4MnxV-eeU5bfVzDud35?key=E_FtNRphrD6-LKufsSKqZw) _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### MLS In-Depth Power Rankings: Denis Bouanga's speed, Inter Miami's goal fest & more URL: https://www.backheeled.com/mls-in-depth-power-rankings-denis-bouanga-speed-inter-miami-goals-more/ Last updated: 2025-07-24T17:14:51.000Z *Power Rankings never cease to spark outrage. But here at* Backheeled*? We’re not here to cause anger. No, we’re here to dissect the latest performances, trends, tactics, and news for each of MLS’s 30 clubs. Every week during the MLS season, Ben Wright will guide you through the Eastern Conference teams and Joe Lowery will do the same for the West.* *Okay, fine. We’re also here to spark some outrage, because we’re ranking all 30 teams, too. Power Rankings are based on each club’s average position across Ben and Joe’s individual rankings. Onwards.* ## 1\. Inter Miami *Trending: No change* Last week, Miami went to Cincinnati and lost 3-0 in a match that wasn’t quite as one-sided as the final score suggested. Of course, Miami being Miami, they made up for it on Saturday, coming from a goal behind in New Jersey to paste the Red Bulls 5-1\. They’re arriving late to the Supporters’ Shield race, but boy are they ever in it. > Latest MLS table projections, based on home/away points per game averaged over the remaining schedule. The Supporters' Shield race is going to be 𝑡𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡! 1\. Cincinnati (68) 2\. Philadelphia (67) 3\. Miami (66) 4\. Nashville (66) 5\. Vancouver (63) 6\. San Diego (61) 7\. Columbus (61) > > — [Ben Wright (@benwright.bsky.social)](https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:oyqfwttrjhxakvjcgy5dx6hg?ref%5Fsrc=embed&ref=backheeled.com) [2025-07-21T14:49:48.395Z](https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:oyqfwttrjhxakvjcgy5dx6hg/post/3luiaf7mkgf2w?ref%5Fsrc=embed&ref=backheeled.com) I want to talk about Lionel Messi for a second. I know, original, right? Color me shocked that the best player of all time makes some of the best plays of all time. And it’s probably a wild thing to say about this guy, but I *still* think he’s underrated as a passer. Maybe it’s a bad take, but when I think of prime Messi, I think of Maradona-like runs from midfield, dribbling past five defenders at full speed while the ball never moves more than a foot from his boots, and then curling a perfectly-placed shot into the corner. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### I went to the 2025 MLS All-Star Skills Challenge and rated everything I saw URL: https://www.backheeled.com/i-went-to-the-2025-mls-all-star-skills-challenge-and-rated-everything-i-saw/ Last updated: 2025-07-24T01:25:03.000Z AUSTIN, Texas — There are few pieces I look forward to writing every year more than this one. Here at *Backheeled*, we’ve now rated the MLS All-Star skills challenge four years running. Is that something to be proud of? Almost certainly not. But is it an objective fact? You betcha. When you watch enough professional soccer, the skills that definitely are hard start to look easy. It’s the Darlington Nagbe effect. Nagbe never breaks a sweat in midfield and also somehow never loses the ball, making the whole ‘being a professional athlete’ thing look very attainable. That’s why I love the skills challenge, contested between a group of MLS All-Stars and Liga MX All-Stars on the eve of the the game itself — it’s chock full of soccer players making very hard things look very easy. What’s not to like? I went to the skills challenge at the lovely Q2 Stadium on Tuesday night ready to be impressed by how these players do some of the hardest things in the sport with such ease. I wasn’t disappointed. While I sat and watched the skills challenge, I put together some super in-depth, highly detailed, and extremely serious ratings for each event. ## Goalie Wars **Rating: 11 “Brad Stuver was right”s out of 10** You won’t believe this, but following MLS All-Star ‘training’ on Tuesday morning, Austin FC goalkeeper Brad Stuver was more excited to talk about Goalie Wars than he was about how Brandon Vazquez’s season-ending injury changes the team’s fortunes for 2025\. Shocking stuff, I know. Stuver, just like every goalkeeper and human being on the planet, loves Goalie Wars. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### The five most interesting questions of MLS’s summer transfer window: Star signings, rebuilds & cash trades URL: https://www.backheeled.com/mls-summer-transfer-window-questions-stars-rebuilds-trophy-push-more/ Last updated: 2025-07-30T14:48:33.000Z The summer transfer window is, at its core, an opportunity for MLS teams to change their fate. With teams in most of the world’s biggest leagues wheeling and dealing ahead of a new season, club executives are listing players and hunting for upgrades. Sure, MLS’s summer transfer window sits at an awkward time in its own soccer calendar. Unlike major European teams, MLS teams aren’t gearing up for a campaign this time of year — they’re entering the playoff push. Without much runway to integrate signings, then, MLS front office members have to walk a fine line between finding players who can bed in right away and ones who can contribute next season. That awkward balance is one of the things that could lead MLS to [reshape its calendar](https://www.espn.com/soccer/story/%5F/id/45494953/inter-miami-owner-jorge-mas-mls-calendar-fall-spring?ref=backheeled.com) to more closely mirror that of the biggest European leagues, where talent and financial resources are at their peak. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### MLS Winners and Losers: El Tráfico delivers, Messi dazzles, a coach on the hot seat & more URL: https://www.backheeled.com/mls-winners-and-losers-el-trafico-messi-caleb-porter-jack-mcglynn-more/ Last updated: 2025-07-23T05:12:28.000Z *It’s in the title, folks. Every week during the MLS season, Backheeled will dive into the biggest Winners and Losers from around the league. This week, we’re taking stock of a failing project in New England, admiring the latest edition of El Tráfico, pouring one out for MLS defenders, and more.* ## Loser: Caleb Porter “We had good players here...they just didn't happen to be the right players, once we got in here,” Caleb Porter said back in January as the dust settled on New England’s flurry of offseason roster moves. “They're still good players, but now we have the right players. Now this is my team. These are my players. I've picked them, and I'm confident in the blueprint that I have.” While Porter’s title is simply “head coach” for the Revolution, that quote above removed any doubt about whether he was involved in the league's largest roster rebuild this winter, working alongside sporting director Curt Onalfo. At Porter’s behest, the Revs brought back just 37.2% of their minutes from last season, which went down as the lowest figure among the 28 other eligible teams this year *and* the lowest MLS has seen since at least 2019\. Across last year’s summer window and the most recent offseason, no one overhauled like New England — and, as a result, so few have struck out swinging like New England. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### ​​USL Power Rankings: FC Tulsa's fight, North Carolina FC rise & more from Week 20 URL: https://www.backheeled.com/usl-championship-power-rankings-fc-tulsa-north-carolina-more/ Last updated: 2025-07-23T13:31:06.000Z Part of what makes the USL Championship such a fun, baffling league is the sense of parity. That’s true on a team level, given the third- and 24th-placed clubs in the league are separated by merely 11 points. But dig into the players that make the difference in a given week, and you’ll find something similar. Of all the players to score this weekend, just two appeared on [*Backheeled*’s USL Top 50 list](https://www.backheeled.com/usl-championship-top-50-best-players-second-division-scouting/). Both, Rafa Mentzingen and Jack Blake, faced off in the same match on Friday night. In other words, almost every result in Week 20 was defined by the supporting casts and the decisions that managers from across the Championship made to maximize those players. Who stood out amidst it all, and what does that mean in terms of the power rankings? Let’s dig in. --- [USL Top 50: Ranking the Championship’s best playersFrom rising stars to seasoned veterans, we’re ranking the best players in the USL Championship.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/22/3c/223ce17d-3253-4d03-873b-ce236408cde2/content/images/icon/Backheeled-2-Sq-Light-477.png)BackheeledJohn Morrissey![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/22/3c/223ce17d-3253-4d03-873b-ce236408cde2/content/images/thumbnail/USL-TOP-50-1.jpeg)](https://www.backheeled.com/usl-championship-top-50-best-players-second-division-scouting/) --- ## 1\. Charleston Battery ***Trending: No change*** *Result: 3-0 win v. Miami* Few teams are as malleable as Charleston. Ben Pirmann has a clear system, but his players are smart enough to adapt once they find their footing in a match. That was true this weekend against Miami, a team that shut down the Battery barely a month ago. This time around, Ben Pirmann gave Rubio Rubin a start as his second striker and allowed the Guatemalan international’s gravity to draw out Miami. The visitors decided to invert their fullbacks, and those players could get mixed up if asked to mark a Charleston player making an interior run. If Rubin, then, could time his movement well enough and pin the center backs, the Juan David Torres types could do lethal damage in zone 14. > THREE for the home team![@aartur98](https://twitter.com/aartur98?ref%5Fsrc=twsrc%5Etfw&ref=backheeled.com) caps off a beautiful team move for the [@Chas\_Battery](https://twitter.com/Chas%5FBattery?ref%5Fsrc=twsrc%5Etfw&ref=backheeled.com) 😎 [pic.twitter.com/7VtlqA1MCw](https://t.co/7VtlqA1MCw?ref=backheeled.com) > > — USL Championship (@USLChampionship) [July 20, 2025](https://twitter.com/USLChampionship/status/1946735666500366608?ref%5Fsrc=twsrc%5Etfw&ref=backheeled.com) Likewise, the Battery proved opportunistic on the break. Miami tended to shift into a possessive back three by tucking their right back into the midfield, meaning that their flank was open in transition. Arturo Rodriguez smartly recognized the chance to do damage there, knowing just when to press the issue or to slow down and allow an overlapping Nate DosSantos to get involved. Every bit of the offense felt fine-tuned. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### USL Top 50: Ranking the Championship’s best players URL: https://www.backheeled.com/usl-championship-top-50-best-players-second-division-scouting/ Last updated: 2025-07-20T21:13:00.000Z In a league where nearly 800 players appear in a given season, what separates the best from the rest? Some stars shine because of a perfect fit in a specific tactical system. Others give their team a sense of identity at an elemental level, carving out moments of individual brilliance. There’s just as much value in rigid adherence to a style as in individual expression. As the USL Championship continues to improve with each passing season, it only gets harder to narrow this list down, but the second-tier’s true standouts – no matter their flavor – bring an unmistakable *je ne sais quoi*. Raw skill matters, but it can’t be the only measuring stick. National team caps and accolades in other leagues are nice in isolation, but the goal is to name the 50 players that are making a week-to-week mark in the USL. Spreading the love is also a goal. Louisville City, for example, might have 12 players that deserve a nod in theory, but at some point it’s Danny Cruz’s management that’s doing the heavy lifting. Every team in this league has difference-makers that deserve attention, even if their club isn’t lighting up the table. With all that said, let’s rank the USL Championship's top 50 players for 2025. ## 50\. Gabi Torres, FB, El Paso Locomotive You could argue that Gabi Torres doesn’t have a true position, but that makes his profile all the more unique. Splitting time between left back and the No. 8 spot in El Paso, Torres has become one of the USL’s premier transition players. He leads the league with 27 interceptions, and he’s fourth among fullbacks in terms of dribble attempts. Whether the Locomotive need an energetic stopper in the midfield or a progressive wide presence, they can dependably turn to Torres. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### MLS In-Depth Power Rankings: LA Galaxy ditch the basement, a tight Supporters' Shield race & more URL: https://www.backheeled.com/mls-in-depth-power-rankings-la-galaxy-tight-supporters-shield-race-more/ Last updated: 2025-07-20T20:06:59.000Z *Power Rankings never cease to spark outrage. But here at* Backheeled*? We’re not here to cause anger. No, we’re here to dissect the latest performances, trends, tactics, and news for each of MLS’s 30 clubs. Every week during the MLS season, Ben Wright will guide you through the Eastern Conference teams and Joe Lowery will do the same for the West.* *Okay, fine. We’re also here to spark some outrage, because we’re ranking all 30 teams, too. Power Rankings are based on each club’s average position across Ben and Joe’s individual rankings. Onwards.* ## 1\. Inter Miami *Trending: +6* Y’all, I really thought Miami would drop off after their Club World Cup campaign. You know, older roster, tough schedule, Suarez’s knees, all that. Instead, they’re playing the best soccer we’ve seen from them in the Messi era and just took down fellow Supporters’ Shield contender Nashville SC at home in a 2-1 victory. They have five wins in a row in league play. Lionel Messi has five braces in a row in league play. Seems like they’re about to sign Rodrigo De Paul (somehow). I really didn’t think Miami would get better than they were last year, but they seem to be on their way. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### MLS Winners and Losers: MVP race heats up, Columbus Crew’s rivalry win & more URL: https://www.backheeled.com/mls-winners-and-losers-mvp-race-columbus-crews-rivalry-more/ Last updated: 2025-07-16T13:06:44.000Z *It’s in the title, folks. Every week during the MLS season, Backheeled will dive into the biggest Winners and Losers from around the league. This week, we’re constructing a fictional MVP race, pondering if Austin FC angered the soccer gods, appreciating a game with real stakes, and more.* --- Before we dive into the piece: everyone here at *Backheeled* would like to send our best wishes to Garth Lagerwey. The Atlanta United president and CEO is taking a leave of absence to undergo cancer treatment. So, so many things are more important than soccer. Get well soon, Garth. We’re all behind you. ## Winner: The (fictional) MVP race The real MVP race goes down as a loser, obviously. Why? Well, because it’s no race at all. If Lionel Messi’s name is on the ballet for anything in MLS, he wins it. He won last year’s MVP award and he’ll win this year’s, too. No, the real MVP race fun starts to spark when you imagine a fictional world where Messi is a 24-year-old attacker who arrived in Miami straight from his native top flight and is now his second full MLS season. Even if we ignore the name and look simply at the resume, the No. 10 is making an excellent case for himself to be awarded MVP come the season’s end. He’s scored two goals in each of his last five(!) MLS games, including a brace in a 2-1 win over Nashville SC on Saturday. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### ​​USL Power Rankings: Charleston Battery keep top spot, Birmingham Legion’s evolution & more from Week 19 URL: https://www.backheeled.com/usl-championship-power-rankings-charleston-battery-keep-spot-birmingham-legion-evolution-more/ Last updated: 2025-07-17T13:56:34.000Z The New York Cosmos are back – and they’re dropping the “New York” from their crest. It’s a club that once filled Giants Stadium with nearly 78,000 fans – 50 years ago, when they were *the* story in American soccer and weren’t based out of Paterson, New Jersey. Pele, Franz Beckenbauer, and even Haji Wright have worn Cosmos colors. But how influential is the past for a brand most recently associated with a frivolous Rocco Commisso lawsuit against U.S. Soccer? The Cosmos are a club of contradictions and oversold promises, often blamed as the Icarus that steered multiple leagues too close to the sun. Fair or not, that reputation is *real* – and that’s [why a stated commitment to community](https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6480713/2025/07/10/new-york-cosmos-usl-new-jersey-expansion-giuseppe-rossi/?ref=backheeled.com) on the part of the League One revival is so crucial. New Jersey native Giuseppe Rossi is involved in the effort. Erik Stover, the architect of Red Bulls Arena and a key figure for the NASL 2.0-era Cosmos at their best-run, is taking charge of the project. Commisso’s say has been deeply diminished. That’s all good news, and it ought to build trust in the club. Clearly, there’s work to be done. The USL didn’t write up the branding announcement, nor did League One promote the news on social media. That’s not full “red flag” territory, but it’s indicative of caution on all sides. If nothing else, the name “Cosmos” is sure to draw media attention, but don’t let it distract from the action on the field elsewhere in the USL this week. The Championship was in prime form across Week 19, chock full of decisive results that shook up the table. Who came off strongest, and how’d they impress? Let’s dig in. ## 1\. Charleston Battery ***Trending: No change*** *Result: 2-1 win at New Mexico* Only one team in the USL holds a greater share of possession than Charleston, and that club – New Mexico United – was on the docket for the Battery this weekend. Charleston had their fair share of opportunities in Albuquerque, but it was Ben Pirmann’s pragmatism that stood out on the road and made victory possible. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### DC United fire Troy Lesesne, reportedly appoint Rene Weiler as new head coach URL: https://www.backheeled.com/dc-united-fire-troy-lesesne-appoint-rene-weiler-new-head-coach/ Last updated: 2025-07-16T13:06:49.000Z Sitting 12th in the Eastern Conference, 2025 has been a year of disappointment for DC United. Now 2025 will also go down as a year of change: DC fired Troy Lesesne after a 5-2 loss to Nashville SC in the U.S. Open Cup quarterfinals on Wednesday night, as first [reported by Steve Goff](https://x.com/SoccerInsider/status/1943167475606073763?ref=backheeled.com), and have, [according to Tom Bogert](https://www.givemesport.com/sources-dc-united-to-name-rene-weiler-manager/?ref=backheeled.com), agreed to terms with Swiss coach René Weiler to become their new manager. “We want to thank Troy for his dedication over the last two seasons,” Ally Mackay, DC United's general manager and chief soccer officer, said in a statement. “After internal discussions, we have decided to part ways with Troy and go in a different direction as a club...This is a pivotal moment for D.C. United, and we are committed to making the right decision for the future of our team." With a tenure lasting just 18 months, Lesesne was hired as DC United’s manager in the offseason ahead of the 2024 campaign. That offseason served as a sort of reset for DC, who also hired Mackay out of Nashville SC’s front office to head up their own. Between Mackay, who replaced longtime underperforming executive Dave Kasper, and Lesesne, DC United had secured two young leaders with fresh ideas. Still, DC’s struggles continued — they missed the playoffs in each of the four seasons before Lesesne arrived, missed them in his first season, and are on track to do the same in 2025. With just one Designated Player in Christian Benteke suiting up for DC United this year and underwhelming players across the roster, the club sits 25th in the Supporters’ Shield race. Between the regular season struggles and the U.S. Open Cup defeat, mounting failure prompted change at the head coach position. Weiler, 51, arrives with a unique coaching resumé and will now coach on his fourth continent. The former defender has coached in his native Switzerland and has also spent time in Egypt with Al Ahly and Japan with the Kashima Antlers. He becomes DC United’s fourth permanent manager since Ben Olsen was fired in 2020, following Hernan Losada, Wayne Rooney, and Lesesne. DC's academy director Kevin Flanagan will serve as the club's interim head coach until Weiler takes over. [Each MLS team’s biggest transfer need ahead of the summer windowFrom kickstarting rebuilds to finding the cherry on top of the proverbial roster sundae, here’s your transfer window primer.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/22/3c/223ce17d-3253-4d03-873b-ce236408cde2/content/images/icon/Backheeled-2-Sq-Light-470.png)BackheeledJoseph Lowery![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/22/3c/223ce17d-3253-4d03-873b-ce236408cde2/content/images/thumbnail/mls_transfers_7925.jpg)](https://www.backheeled.com/each-mls-teams-biggest-transfer-need-ahead-of-the-summer-window/) _This post is for subscribers only._ ### U.S. Open Cup quarterfinals: What led to DC United reportedly firing Troy Lesesne & how the matches were won URL: https://www.backheeled.com/us-open-cup-quarterfinals-dc-united-fire-troy-lesesne-more-tactics/ Last updated: 2025-07-14T01:09:21.000Z For the first time in a decade, the U.S. Open Cup quarterfinals were contested without a lower-league team in the mix. Even without Cup-sets on the cards, the MLS clubs involved put on a show – when Mother Nature allowed it (sorry New York Red Bulls and Philadelphia Union, whose matchup was postponed to August 13th). How did Minnesota United, Austin FC, and Nashville SC book their trips to the semifinals? Let’s dig in. ## Minnesota United (3) - Chicago Fire (1) It’s been a feast-or-famine stretch in the Windy City. Since the start of May, the Chicago Fire have won seven matches and scored 3.7(!) goals per game in those wins. They’ve also lost three of their last four in the regular season. Unfortunately for Gregg Berhalter, the Fire’s defeat at the hands of Minnesota United in the U.S. Open Cup fell firmly into the latter bucket. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Each MLS team’s biggest transfer need ahead of the summer window URL: https://www.backheeled.com/each-mls-teams-biggest-transfer-need-ahead-of-the-summer-window/ Last updated: 2026-02-17T17:06:11.000Z Wednesday is usually [MLS In-Depth Power Rankings day](https://www.backheeled.com/mls-in-depth-power-rankings-toronto-fc-insigne-supporters-shield/) around here. But with Ben out (he takes off every day between the start of July and the opening of MLS’s secondary transfer window out of respect for the sanctity of Transfer SZN™), we’re changing things up today. Instead of ranking all 30 teams in the league, we’re sinking our teeth into each team’s biggest transfer need ahead of the summer window opening on July 24th. Now, summer transfers are of questionable impact during the season of their arrival because of how late the window comes in the MLS regular season. The Houston Dynamo, for example, have just seven games on their schedule after the window closes on August 21st. Still, whether it’s for this year or the years to come, here’s what your team needs to get done. ## Atlanta United **Need: Start turning over the squad** The Five Stripes sure seem to have whiffed on two of their Designated Players and don’t have the supporting cast — in goal, across most of the backline, and in central midfield — to make up for that fact. It’s time to begin turning over the squad and kick off what could be an unpleasant rebuilding process. Finding a buyer for Brooks Lennon and his cross-first-ask-questions-later interpretation of the right back role would be a good place to start. ## Austin FC **Need: Attacking midfielder** Now in their fifth season of existence, Austin’s roster has been crying out for a chance-creating attacking midfielder since they joined the league. Sebastian Driussi was never that player, and when River Plate bailed Rodolfo Borrell out of the Argentine’s bad contract over the winter, the front office passed on the chance to add a creative type in favor of signing two pure forwards in Brandon Vazquez and Myrto Uzuni. This team is in the bottom 12 in MLS in non-penalty xG per 90, average shot quality, and passes into the box. It’s clear where their biggest issue lies. ## Charlotte FC **Need: Striker** _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### USMNT 2026 World Cup roster prediction: Where Pochettino’s pool stands after the Gold Cup URL: https://www.backheeled.com/usmnt-2026-world-cup-roster-prediction-where-pochettinos-pool-stands-after-the-gold-cup/ Last updated: 2025-07-14T00:56:06.000Z Mauricio Pochettino’s first and only tournament in charge of the U.S. men’s national team prior to the World Cup is in the books. A junior varsity version of the U.S. met expectations this summer, reaching the Gold Cup final and falling to Mexico on Sunday. Entering this summer, Pochettino sought to [recalibrate the USMNT’s culture](https://sports.yahoo.com/soccer/article/gold-cup-2025-why-mauricio-pochettinos-vision-for-the-usmnt-starts-with-culture-not-results-164240646.html?ref=backheeled.com). According to the Argentine and the few veterans that were in this camp, that mission was accomplished. In addition to fostering cohesion, Pochettino valued his first tournament experience as an international manager. When I asked him about it last week, he said, “It’s a good experience to be able to have, and to feel what it means. We’re constantly traveling… we’ve learned a lot of things, we’ve also learned a lot of things from the players, the group, the staff. It’s an experience that’s going to help us a lot to prepare for the World Cup.” Though its impact on the U.S.’s 2026 World Cup showing may prove subtle, this summer served its purpose at a minimum. The Gold Cup provided important experience filled with real responsibility for several players who could be in his plans next summer. With those plans in mind, let’s examine the 26-man squad that I believe Pochettino will unveil next May: ## Goalkeepers (3): Matt Turner, Matt Freese, Zack Steffen *Omissions: Patrick Schulte, Chris Brady, Diego Kochen* _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Tampa Bay Rowdies hire Dom Casciato as manager: What the third-tier's top coach brings to the USL Championship URL: https://www.backheeled.com/tampa-bay-rowdies-hire-dom-casciato-manager-usl-union-omaha/ Last updated: 2025-07-08T16:47:09.000Z Dom Casciato is the most decorated manager in the history of USL League One. Now, in a deal announced on Tuesday, [he’s the manager for the Tampa Bay Rowdies](https://www.rowdiessoccer.com/news/2025/07/08/rowdies-name-dominic-casciatio-as-head-coach/?ref=backheeled.com). It’s a bold, groundbreaking hire – Casciato has become the first head coach to be hired by a USL Championship team directly from League One. The move serves as a statement of intent from the Rowdies and a testament to the tightening links between League One and the Championship. A former assistant in El Paso known for his attacking nous, Casciato took the Union Omaha job ahead of the 2023 season and earned consecutive Players’ Shields. In 2024, Omaha did the double by claiming the USL League One playoff title. During his time in Nebraska, *Los Búhos* collected a +37 goal difference on a +33.5 expected margin. No club outside of Eamon Zayed’s Northern Colorado came close to matching that level. Even while maintaining those stellar underlying numbers in 2025, Omaha has faltered in the table. At the time of Casciato’s exit, the club sits 12th in the League One table with just 11 points earned. Still, Casciato has long been seen as a candidate for USL Championship managerial jobs. When the 34-year-old re-signed in Omaha last winter, his extension was [very clearly framed as a one-year deal](https://www.unionomaha.com/news/2025/01/14/union-omaha-announces-dominic-casciatos-return-for-2025-season/?ref=backheeled.com) for a reason – his jump up the pyramid was a “when” rather than an “if,” and Tampa Bay clearly agreed. Rowdies Vice Chairman Brian Auld said the following regarding his new manager: “Dom has established an impeccable reputation in the USL and U.S. Soccer, and his recent successes with Omaha demonstrate he is a focused leader with an innovative mind who is capable of building a winning culture. His emphasis on supporting his players and helping them reach their full potential is exactly the kind of leadership we value, and we’re confident he will make a lasting impact on the club.” [Tampa Bay moved on from then-manager Robbie Neilson on April 11th](https://www.backheeled.com/tampa-bay-rowdies-fire-manager-robbie-neilson-usl-championship/) and gave interim coach Steve Coleman an extended run to try and right the ship. Though the Rowdies’ form has picked up in recent weeks, they’ve earned just 0.8 points per game in league action since Coleman took over. With his interim complete, Coleman will continue to serve as an assistant under Casciato. ## *John’s view* The Rowdies couldn’t have hired a better manager. It’s that simple. Not only does Dom Casciato bring a wealth of success and intra-USL knowledge to the table, but he offers up a tactical vision that’s in alignment with Tampa Bay’s roster construction. To address the elephant in the room, you shouldn’t worry about Omaha’s nosedive to start 2025\. They’ve underperformed their expected goals by a margin of 13.7 – already the third-biggest gulf in the history of League One. Casciato has been uniquely unfortunate, a victim of his own success. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Ten Windows, No. 6: Were the USMNT’s Gold Cup positives positive enough? URL: https://www.backheeled.com/usmnt-gold-cup-positives-negatives-chris-richards-pochettino-goalkeeper/ Last updated: 2025-07-10T13:19:15.000Z *When Mauricio Pochettino signed on last fall, only 10 international windows — nine regular FIFA dates, plus the 2025 Gold Cup — separated the USMNT from the 2026 World Cup. After each window, “Ten Windows” digs into key developments and charts the USMNT’s progress towards 2026.* ## Results this window: USA 5, Trinidad and Tobago 0 (Tillman 16, 41, Agyemang 44, Aaronson 82, Wright 84) USA 1, Saudi Arabia 0 (Richards 63) USA 2, Haiti 1 (Tillman 10, Agyemang 75; Don Deedson 19) USA 2, Costa Rica 2, USA advances on PKs (Luna 43, Arfsten 47; Calvo 12 \[PK\], Martinez 71) USA 2, Guatemala 1 (Luna 4, 15; Escobar 80) Mexico 2, USA 1 (Jimenez 27, Alvarez 77; Richards 4) ## The story this window: ### This USA squad did good things at the Gold Cup. But not good enough to feel great. No, the U.S. men’s national team [did not win the 2025 Gold Cup](https://www.backheeled.com/what-we-learned-usmnt-gold-cup-final-loss-mexico-pochettino-world-cup/). But did they *succeed* at the 2025 Gold Cup? It’s hard to look at all the boxes Mauricio Pochettino’s men checked during the tournament and conclude they did not. *Expected World Cup contributors upping their game enough to feel confident in them next summer? Check!* There’s arguably [no bigger development from this tournament](https://x.com/RyanRosenblatt/status/1942035472278044739?ref=backheeled.com) than Chris Richards looking like the next Eddie Pope at the heart of the U.S. defense. (More on that below.) But in the wake of [his big-money move to Bayer Leverkusen](https://www.goal.com/en-us/news/bayer-leverkusen-40m-transfer-usmnt-malik-tillman-bayern-munich-buy-back-clause-psv-eredivisie/blte27c558748a9a21c?ref=backheeled.com), that likely roster inclusion Malik Tillman enjoyed several of his best performances in a U.S. shirt is also highly encouraging. Then there’s Tim “[Werther’s Originals](https://i.kym-cdn.com/entries/icons/original/000/006/801/title.jpg?ref=backheeled.com)” Ream, who at this stage we should probably accept as the most likely partner for Richards next summer. No, the optics of starting a septuagenarian aren’t great, but Ream continued looking so much like the rock-steady Ream of the past five years that it’s clear the U.S. have bigger problems to solve. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### What we learned about the USMNT in Gold Cup final loss to Mexico – and this summer as a whole URL: https://www.backheeled.com/what-we-learned-usmnt-gold-cup-final-loss-mexico-pochettino-world-cup/ Last updated: 2025-07-07T20:44:26.000Z The U.S. men’s national team fell 2-1 to Mexico in the Gold Cup final on Sunday evening. Sanjay Sujanthakumar and Joe Lowery combine to share their rapid-fire thoughts on the USMNT’s defeat at NRG Stadium in Houston. Let's run through what we learned about the United States from their latest meeting with El Tri – and from the Gold Cup as a whole – by answering five key questions. ## What’s your one-sentence reaction to that game? **Lowery:** The USMNT’s group of World Cup hopefuls started strong, but couldn’t hang with full-strength Mexico. ## Can you give me a little more than that? **Lowery:** The USMNT took an abrupt early lead on a set piece in the fourth minute, with Sebastian Berhalter and Chris Richards linking up for their second dead-ball goal of the Gold Cup. Though there was some initial confusion about whether Richards’ impressively executed header had crossed the line, the U.S. was awarded the game’s opening goal. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### MLS Winners and Losers: Cavan Sullivan’s first start, Vancouver Whitecaps fall back to earth & more URL: https://www.backheeled.com/mls-winners-and-losers-cavan-sullivan-start-vancouver-whitecaps-milan-iloski/ Last updated: 2025-07-09T13:34:34.000Z *It’s in the title, folks. Every week during the MLS season,* Backheeled *will dive into the biggest Winners and Losers from around the league. This week, a hot dog legend reappeared when the world needed him most, Cavan Sullivan made his first start, a hot-streak continued, and more.* --- On a serious note before we start: our best wishes to Stefan Frei, who left Sunday's 1-1 draw between the Seattle Sounders and the Columbus Crew in an ambulance after taking a knee to the head late in the match. "Stefan is being evaluated for a head and neck injury," Brian Schmetzer said postgame. "He got hit pretty hard. We're in the early stages of that evaluation. As soon as we get a definitive, a real, good clarity on the extent of the injury, we'll give you more. I don't want to speculate. He is going to the hospital, but he is fine. He was alert when he was loaded onto the ambulance…I'm very happy for our medical staff because they did a good job to be careful. We can't underestimate that type of stuff."[](https://x.com/SoundersFC/status/1942014624272167312/photo/1?ref=backheeled.com) > A scary moment to end the Crew game with Seattle goalie Stefan Frei going down. > > Seattle coach Brian Schmetzer says "just stop the game", Wilfried Nancy agrees and tells the ref to end the game. > > This is so much bigger than 3 points, the MLS community is praying for Frei: [pic.twitter.com/NDVnoW7tqC](https://t.co/NDVnoW7tqC?ref=backheeled.com) > > — Adam King (@AdamKing10TV) [July 7, 2025](https://twitter.com/AdamKing10TV/status/1942016874687967350?ref%5Fsrc=twsrc%5Etfw&ref=backheeled.com) Get well soon, Stefan. --- ## Winner: Logan “Hot Dog” Farrington Last year, Logan Farrington became an MLS cult hero and earned himself a brand-new nickname when he started tossing $1 hot dogs into the Toyota Stadium stands after an FC Dallas win. > It wouldn’t be 1$ Glizzy Night without Logan “Big Dawg” “Hot Dog” Farrington. [pic.twitter.com/zsyrr3bztx](https://t.co/zsyrr3bztx?ref=backheeled.com) > > — FC Dallas (@FCDallas) [July 18, 2024](https://twitter.com/FCDallas/status/1813779244608368695?ref%5Fsrc=twsrc%5Etfw&ref=backheeled.com) This year, he lived up to his “Hot Dog” moniker by scoring Dallas’ lone goal in their Fourth of July matchup with Minnesota United. On the day where hot dogs take center stage on the grill, the 23-year-old striker took center stage in front of the home crowd. You can take the $1 hot dogs out of the Farrington’s hands, but you can’t take the hot dogs out of his *soul*: _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### ​​USL Power Rankings: Lexington SC leap, Rhode Island FC fall & more from Week 18 URL: https://www.backheeled.com/usl-championship-power-rankings-lexington-sc-rhode-island-fc/ Last updated: 2025-07-08T20:38:08.000Z Independence Day is like a long USL holiday, and we got five consecutive days of matches that shook up the table and the power rankings. As the dust settles after a jam-packed week, which clubs made the biggest mark, and what decisions made it happen? Let’s dig in. ## 1\. Charleston Battery ***Trending: No change*** *Result: 0-0 draw at Birmingham, 1-0 win v. North Carolina* It might shock you to hear it, but Charleston is better at moving the ball forward when they’ve got Aaron Molloy in the lineup. Wednesday’s draw at Birmingham, a game where the former MVP finalist came off the bench, provided a sharp contrast to Sunday’s matchup, where Molloy started against North Carolina. The difference in creation was undeniable. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### USL Championship midseason award frontrunners: MVP, Young Player, Coach of the Year & more URL: https://www.backheeled.com/usl-championship-midseason-award-favorites-mvp-young-player-coach-of-the-year/ Last updated: 2025-07-06T23:15:24.000Z We’re 17 weeks into the USL season, making it the exact midway point of the 2025 campaign. With half the year in the rearview mirror, now is the perfect moment to highlight the Championship’s top performers and handicap the big five award races. Which players have made the biggest marks? Can a midfielder be the defensive player of the year? Let’s dig in and find out. ## Most Valuable Player I often struggle to interpret the title of “most valuable player.” Is it supposed to be the most effective individual in a vacuum or the player that’s most crucial to their team’s system? **Abdellatif Aboukoura** makes it easy in 2025, because he’s both things at once. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### "That is Concacaf": What we learned from the USMNT's nervy Gold Cup semifinal win URL: https://www.backheeled.com/usmnt-gold-cup-win-guatemala-diego-luna-pochettino-what-we-learned/ Last updated: 2025-07-07T01:35:36.000Z ST. LOUIS – Thanks to Diego Luna's brace, the U.S. men’s national team hung on for an intense 2-1 victory over Guatemala in their Gold Cup semifinal clash on Wednesday night. Now heading to a tournament-record 13th Gold Cup final, the United States will battle Mexico on Sunday. Let’s dig into the match that was for the United States. ## An ideal growing experience When Canada was unexpectedly eliminated by Guatemala in the quarterfinals, the USMNT’s path to the final suddenly seemed that much clearer. But with masses of Guatemalan fans lined up and ready to stream into Energizer Park hours before kickoff, it became clear that this would be a different, perhaps steeper, type of challenge. That challenge was palpable when the U.S. players came out of the tunnel to warm up and were greeted by boos in contrast with the roaring welcome for their opponent. “That is Concacaf. You’re playing in the heart of America and you have 95% Guatemalan fans. I actually, in the huddle, told the guys, ‘Just take a breath, listen to what we’re doing. Look at what we’re doing, embrace what we’re doing, and enjoy it,’” St. Louis native Tim Ream said. Ream, who started at center back, underlined that in the next World Cup qualifying cycle, this taste of Concacaf would be beneficial for the youthful squad. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### MLS In-Depth Power Rankings: Toronto's Insigne exit, top five stay strong & more URL: https://www.backheeled.com/mls-in-depth-power-rankings-toronto-fc-insigne-supporters-shield/ Last updated: 2025-07-07T01:17:56.000Z *Power Rankings never cease to spark outrage. But here at* Backheeled*? We’re not here to cause anger. No, we’re here to dissect the latest performances, trends, tactics, and news for each of MLS’s 30 clubs. Every week during the MLS season, Ben Wright will guide you through the Eastern Conference teams and Joe Lowery will do the same for the West.* *Okay, fine. We’re also here to spark some outrage, because we’re ranking all 30 teams, too. Power Rankings are based on each club’s average position across Ben and Joe’s individual rankings. Onwards.* ## 1\. Vancouver Whitecaps *Trending: No change* If you were hoping to see another team on top of these rankings because the ‘Caps have dropped three of their last five games in all competitions, you’ll have to keep hoping. That first loss came in the Concacaf Champions Cup final. The other two came with the team missing a slew of starters to international duty. Like it or not, we’re just not getting to see what the real Vancouver Whitecaps look like these days — and we won’t for as long as the USMNT’s run at the Gold Cup continues. Still, the Whitecaps were worthy winners in a 1-0 victory on the road at LAFC on Sunday night. They did just enough with the ball in the first 20 minutes to carve through their host’s defensive shape and find the go-ahead goal, surviving their injury and international absences and Andres Cubas’ early exit after suffering an ankle injury. > This is just gorgeous soccer. Using those square balls to drag LAFC just a little bit out of shape and find space between the lines... textbook stuff. [pic.twitter.com/y97KImw5lV](https://t.co/y97KImw5lV?ref=backheeled.com) > > — Matthew Doyle (@MattDoyle76) [June 30, 2025](https://twitter.com/MattDoyle76/status/1939505328133165319?ref%5Fsrc=twsrc%5Etfw&ref=backheeled.com) No team in MLS has done a better job of dealing with adversity than Vancouver. Plus, they’re [inking Pedro Vite to a new deal](https://www.transfermarkt.us/pedro-vite-and-vancouver-whitecaps-agree-new-long-term-deal-most-complete-midfielder-in-mls-/view/news/453518?ref=backheeled.com). Life is good for the ‘Caps. - *Joe Lowery* _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Matt Freese's Harvard penalty "research project" pays off in USMNT's Gold Cup win over Costa Rica URL: https://www.backheeled.com/usmnt-survive-costa-rica-book-spot-in-gold-cup-semis-pochettino-tillman/ Last updated: 2025-07-03T01:31:50.000Z MINNEAPOLIS – Following a back and forth 2-2 draw over 90 minutes, the United States men’s national team prevailed in a penalty shootout against Costa Rica to advance to the Concacaf Gold Cup semifinals. Let’s dig into the match that was for Mauricio Pochettino’s team. ## Playing it safe or taking a risk? While Pochettino hinted at a midfield realignment during a press conference on Saturday, it was nevertheless a surprise to see both Luca de la Torre and Sebastian Berhalter starting with Tyler Adams in the middle. Adams was deeper in buildup, with de la Torre to his left and Berhalter to his right. While de la Torre had been solid so far this summer, Pochettino didn’t want to leave out Berhalter’s bite and set piece prowess. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### MLS Winners and Losers: LAFC’s new potential, a legend moves on & more URL: https://www.backheeled.com/mls-winners-and-losers-lafc-giroud-nico-lodeiro-transfer-charlotte-fc/ Last updated: 2026-01-07T18:58:33.000Z *It’s in the title, folks. Every week during the MLS season, Backheeled will dive into the biggest Winners and Losers from around the league. This week, LAFC raised their ceiling, a Seattle Sounders’ legend headed into the sunset, Sandro Schwarz had a meltdown, and more.* ## Winner: LAFC A 1-0 loss to the Vancouver Whitecaps on Sunday night isn't what earned LAFC a spot on this week's 'winners' list. Instead, they qualify thanks to a recent off-field move – the team is going to be without Olivier Giroud for, well, forever following his final appearance for LAFC against the 'Caps. > Olivier Giroud exits his final LAFC match [pic.twitter.com/nDcmOKWzRm](https://t.co/nDcmOKWzRm?ref=backheeled.com) > > — Justin Ruderman (@JustinRuderman\_) [June 30, 2025](https://twitter.com/JustinRuderman%5F/status/1939520194873119099?ref%5Fsrc=twsrc%5Etfw&ref=backheeled.com) After a massively disappointing year for France’s former line-leader in Los Angeles, the player and club announced a parting of ways on Friday. Giroud is heading back to his home country to play in Ligue 1, according to reports. His exit opens a Designated Player spot for LAFC, where he won’t be missed given his dismal scoring record. In 21 MLS regular season appearances, he managed just three goals and had been relegated to an every-other game starter by Steve Cherundolo earlier this season. The 38-year-old appeared to completely run out of steam upon arriving in the United States following three-straight double-digit scoring seasons for AC Milan. Plus, he wasn’t a match for Cherundolo’s system that rarely involves the No. 9 in possession play. Coming into the weekend, Giroud only took 2.8 out of every 100 touches for LAFC — that put him slightly ahead of Jeremy Ebobisse’s 2.3 touches per 100, but still 43rd out of 71 strikers with at least 300 minutes to their names this year as per American Soccer Analysis’ data. Even if LAFC don’t add a DP in Giroud’s place, the team won’t be any worse off. Still, expect them to fill his high-value roster spot. Between Giroud’s vacancy and a DP spot that could be opened by declining Javairo Dilrosun’s purchase option from Club America, John Thorrington and co. have multiple DP spots to play with. Additions in the summer transfer window tend to factor in more for the following season than the current one, due to MLS’s current schedule. But getting Giroud out of town has raised LAFC’s ceiling in both the short term and the medium. Take your eyes off them this summer at your own peril. ## Winner: Nico Lodeiro Speaking of players departing midseason, Nico Lodeiro played what will almost certainly be his final MLS match on Saturday evening when he subbed off the bench late in a 1-0 win for the Houston Dynamo over St. Louis City. The Seattle Sounders legend is returning to Uruguay’s Nacional, his boyhood club. Though he finished his MLS career with unremarkable stretches in Orlando and Houston, Lodeiro will go down as one of the league’s all-time greats. After signing for the Sounders from Boca Juniors in 2016, he served as *the* consistent attacking force for Seattle during their run as a dominant force in MLS in the late 2010s and the early part of this decade. Between his two MLS Cups and a historic Concacaf Champions League title, the 36-year-old will have no shortage of fond memories from his time in Seattle to look back on. So few players in MLS’s existence have combined Lodeiro’s off-ball engine with his on-ball playmaking — and it’s that blend that made him an absolute nightmare to track over a 90-minute game. Pumas found that out the hard way in the second leg of 2022’s CCL final: > Nico Lodeiro (and his midfield teammates) move so well in the buildup to Seattle's first goal. Lodeiro, Rusnak, and Vargas all shift to the left side to overload Meritao. > > Lodeiro gets free and 10 seconds later, the Sounders have the free kick that leads to Ruidiaz's first goal. [pic.twitter.com/9rooJfWsu3](https://t.co/9rooJfWsu3?ref=backheeled.com) > > — Joseph Lowery (@joeclowery) [May 5, 2022](https://twitter.com/joeclowery/status/1522072800797679618?ref%5Fsrc=twsrc%5Etfw&ref=backheeled.com) While Lodeiro is turning pages to get to the final chapter of his career, most MLS teams will still scour the transfer market every other year in search of a No. 10 who plays just like him. I’ll put it this way: Garth Lagerwey, the man [who called Lodeiro the Sounders’ “top target”](https://www.soundersfc.com/news/seattle-sounders-sign-uruguayan-international-nicolas-lodeiro-multi-year-designa?ref=backheeled.com) when he signed in Seattle, sure would like to find a player just like him in Atlanta. Happy sailing, Nico. ## Loser: Charlotte FC Dean Smith’s Charlotte team was an elite defensive outfit in 2024, allowing fewer goals than every team in the league outside of the Seattle Sounders. But this year? Things look very different for Sir Minty’s boys: they've allowed *more* goals than all but six other teams in the league, rising from 1.09 allowed per 90 last year to 1.70 per 90 this year. Just on Saturday night, they allowed three to the Chicago Fire in a loss to a fellow fringe playoff foe. So, what gives? How did a team that [returned 87.9% of their minutes](https://bsky.app/profile/eliotmckinley.com/post/3lhyottwudc2m?ref=backheeled.com) — more than all but four others in MLS — suddenly forget how to defend? Well, they didn’t. While Smith has shifted his game model to include noticeably more possession (up from a league-low 44.2% possession to 48.8% this year), Charlotte FC are allowing fewer passes into their box per 90\. They’re not allowing more xG from fastbreaks. And on the whole, they’re allowing a nearly identical non-penalty xG figure (1.33 this year, 1.29 last year). No, Charlotte aren’t worse at defending than they were last year. They weren’t above a comical error then and [they’re not now, either](https://x.com/ChicagoFire/status/1939131297101946997?ref=backheeled.com). Instead, they simply stopped stopping shots at a superhuman rate. Kristijan Kahlina was the league’s standout goalkeeper in 2024, saving a staggering 10.5 goals above expected, as per FBref, en route to winning Goalkeeper of the Year honors. But this season, the Croatian’s numbers have flipped. He’s now allowed 2.9 goals *more than* expected. It doesn’t look like Kahlina’s recovered from Charlotte FC’s season-ending playoff loss to Orlando City last year. “After the last penalty, I can say I was really sad,” Kahlina told *Backheeled* last year. “In this moment, you recognize, ‘Okay, one more year is behind me. One more year it will never go again. It will never be the same year like this one.’ It was really sad. Immediately, all my energy went out from me. You feel it in your muscles and everything.” Charlotte’s struggles that have seen them fall to 10th in the East shouldn’t all rest on Kahlina’s shoulders. It’s unfair to ask him to be best-in-class season after season. But if Charlotte’s loss to Chicago — or the four other games in which they’ve allowed at least three goals this season — made anything clear, it’s that Charlotte FC really do need him to be just that to compete in the East. That’s no enviable position in my book. ## Winner: Evander and set piece lovers everywhere “He’s a special player.” That’s what Pat Noonan said of Evander following the attacking midfielder’s two-goal outing in a 2-1 win on the road in Orlando. It’s high praise from the refreshingly honest (and critical) Noonan, but still might be an understatement when it comes to the Brazilian. Just take a look at this free kick goal from Evander that kicked off the scoring on Saturday night: > Brilliant. Magical. Evander. 😱 > > 📺 [#MLSSeasonPass](https://twitter.com/hashtag/MLSSeasonPass?src=hash&ref%5Fsrc=twsrc%5Etfw&ref=backheeled.com) or Apple TV+: [https://t.co/duurn6OLEv](https://t.co/duurn6OLEv?ref=backheeled.com) [pic.twitter.com/sJEDqXfHzu](https://t.co/sJEDqXfHzu?ref=backheeled.com) > > — Major League Soccer (@MLS) [June 29, 2025](https://twitter.com/MLS/status/1939119834442141860?ref%5Fsrc=twsrc%5Etfw&ref=backheeled.com) To see Pedro Gallese cheating towards the far side of the goal is one thing. To punish the goalkeeper for that position is another. Evander did both. Noonan did have a bit more to say about postgame his No. 10\. I’ll toss out the full quote, [via Carter Chapley](https://x.com/CarterChapley/status/1939154511697936393?ref=backheeled.com): "He's a special player. You saw it on the free kick. He's just doing things that others can't do…He's getting on the ball in good ways and helping to control the rhythm.” Evander goes supernova on set pieces more than any player in the league. Since signing for the Portland Timbers in 2023, his six free kick goals are tops in MLS. It’s not just volume for Evander. It’s efficiency. His 0.08 free kick goals per 96 minutes leads all MLS players with at least 1,100 minutes since 2023\. Even Lionel Messi with his 0.06 free kick goals per 96 can’t touch Evander, according to American Soccer Analysis. It sure is a good thing for FC Cincinnati that Evander can create something out of nothing on dead balls (and in open play moments, too). Boasting a negative xG differential and a full-on sluggish team outing against Orlando City, Saturday’s game was a reminder of just how crucial the No. 10 is to Cincinnati staying afloat.Without Evander, they wouldn’t be second in the East. No, they’d be fighting for a playoff spot. But for as long as Evander’s banging in set piece goals, all is good in Cincy. ## Loser: Sandro Schwarz You might think that New York Red Bulls’ manager Sandro Schwarz picked up a red card over the weekend for his egregious choice to wear a white t-shirt with a wide neckline. But it was, in fact, his egregious choice to sprint on the field to confront referee Ricardo Montero immediately after the final whistle of a chaotic 2-2 draw with Minnesota United that saw him earn red. > New York Red Bulls spring on the counter looking for a last second winner ... but the referee blows the final whistle. > > RBNY head coach Sandro Schwarz runs onto the field to argue the decision... and is immediately sent off. > > Chaotic end to RBNY's 2-2 draw with Minnesota. [pic.twitter.com/kKgSDU7Quk](https://t.co/kKgSDU7Quk?ref=backheeled.com) > > — Tom Bogert (@tombogert) [June 29, 2025](https://twitter.com/tombogert/status/1939137543137636517?ref%5Fsrc=twsrc%5Etfw&ref=backheeled.com) Miffed that his team’s counter attack deep in second half stoppage time wasn’t allowed to play out, Schwarz wasted no time pulling out the Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting-level afterburners. “I wanted to tell \[the referee\] it was a great performance. Such a great performance," [the German said sarcastically after the match](https://x.com/tombogert/status/1939147464810078526?ref=backheeled.com), before adding: “You’re not allowed to criticize the referee, so what can I say?” He then [went on to criticize Montero at length](https://www.frontrowsoccer.com/2025/06/28/schwarz-fumes-red-bulls-coach-criticizes-referee-after-draw/?ref=backheeled.com). Schwarz’s frustration is understandable, though Montero was justified in his judgement call to end the match. But the coach’s reaction? Well, we wonder why there’s a referee shortage. ### USL Jagermeister Cup: Khano Smith on the roof, academy progress & more Winners and Losers URL: https://www.backheeled.com/usl-jagermeister-cup-khano-smith-on-the-roof-academy-progress-more-winners-and-losers/ Last updated: 2025-07-03T17:05:00.000Z We’re three-quarters of the way into the Jagermeister Cup’s group stage, and there’s everything to play for. No team has clinched their spot in the knockout round. Many of the group leaders – Las Vegas, Indy, Rhode Island, and Greenville – are surprise clubs struggling in their respective leagues. That’s the beauty of the cup; it’s a second chance and an opportunity to build momentum. Which clubs made the biggest statements this weekend, and who’s blowing their shot at glory? I’m digging into the winners and losers of the Jagermeister Cup weekend to find out. ## Loser: Portland’s quest for regional dominance In their first-ever New England rivalry match against Hartford back in April, Portland Hearts of Pine stuck to their identity and pulled off a U.S. Open Cup-set against their Championship rivals. Still, Portland would go down in the next round against Rhode Island. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### How expansion clubs are approaching the new-look USL ahead of pro-rel, division one URL: https://www.backheeled.com/how-expansion-clubs-approach-new-look-usl-pro-rel-division-one/ Last updated: 2025-06-30T01:41:08.000Z Over the last dozen years, the USL Championship has added new clubs in all but one season. Expansion has been a constant, allowing the league to stabilize itself and attract advertisers and media partners. With few exceptions, the relationship between the USL and its expansion teams was simple: you pay a fee, you join the league, and that’s that. Now, change is coming. The USL has voted to establish a [first-division men’s tier](https://www.backheeled.com/usl-division-one-mens-league-potential-markets-pro-rel-issues-mls/) and introduce [promotion and relegation](https://www.backheeled.com/usl-introduce-promotion-relegation-big-questions-us-soccer-mls-tv-pro-rel/), meaning that the future is far more malleable – especially for organizations about to enter the fray. Atletico Dallas, set for a 2027 launch, is in the midst of that transition. What constitutes success for the club’s project, and how are their plans changing? In conversation with *Backheeled*, Matt Valentine – Dallas’ chairman and founder – addressed how his expansion organization is leading the way in a fluid landscape. ## “It’s requiring us to have a bigger stadium” Expansion clubs aren’t mere bystanders as the USL continues to pursue bold reforms. The men’s leagues currently boast of 38 professional clubs, but [42 organizations received votes](https://www.uslchampionship.com/news%5Farticle/show/1334886?ref=backheeled.com) on pro-rel. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### What the highest paid player on each MLS club says about the team URL: https://www.backheeled.com/takeaways-highest-paid-player-each-mls-club-transfer-salary-roster/ Last updated: 2025-06-30T03:48:03.000Z Few days on the MLS calendar are sweeter than salary release day. It’s the day when players, agents, team executives, and fans all press pause to pore over spreadsheets and mutter, “wait, that guy is making *how much*?” On Wednesday, the MLS Players Association [released the 2025 salary guide](https://mlsplayers.org/resources/salary-guide?ref=backheeled.com). Go peruse the guide until your heart’s content. Nothing is sexier than digging into the league’s highest-earning players, so in an effort to learn something from this year’s salary figures we’re examining just what each team’s top earner tells us about each club. Onwards. ## Atlanta United **Top earner:** Miguel Almiron **Guaranteed compensation:** $7,871,000 **What it says about Atlanta:** That they were too excited to get the band back together. Between Almiron and Alexey Miranchuk, the Five Stripes can lay claim to two of the 13 highest earners in MLS — and in both cases, the investment hasn’t paid off. Helping a club legend return gave Atlanta United a narrative boost over the offseason, but Father Time has remained undefeated. Almiron has just three goals this year. Given his game is built on speed and aggressive transition attacks, Atlanta would’ve been better served looking elsewhere for a Designated Player. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Does winning duels lead to winning MLS games? Finding a defensive stat that really matters URL: https://www.backheeled.com/winning-duels-mls-finding-defensive-stat-that-matters-analysis-tactics/ Last updated: 2025-06-30T00:01:14.000Z Across the sport, whether in a U-8 league or in the top professional leagues, players are told to “win your duels!”, “win the 50-50 balls!”, and “win the second balls!” But does actually doing so lead to better game outcomes? And what is a duel, anyway? Well, I asked a few former MLS and youth coaches that very question, and they all had different perspectives. The terms “aerial duels”, “loose balls”, “one-v-ones”, and “tackles” were used. None of them said anything about fouling, dribbling past defenders, or that keepers need to claim balls on the ground faster, and yet the data provider Opta tells me those are duels, too. ## So…what the heck is a duel? According to Opta, a duel is a “50-50 contest between two players of opposing sides in the match. For every Duel Won there is a corresponding Duel Lost depending on the outcome of the contest.” Honestly, that sounds great and all, until you get into the details of what they think these are. Here are the types of duels and the [public Opta definitions](https://www.statsperform.com/opta-event-definitions/?ref=backheeled.com) of them: - **Successful Take-on/Dribble – Challenge Lost:** The player who has been beaten is given a Challenge lost if they do not win the ball. - **Smother – Unsuccessful Take-on:** A goalkeeper who comes out and claims the ball at the feet of a forward gets a smother, similar to a tackle, however, the keeper must hold onto the ball to award a smother. - **Aerial Challenge Won – Aerial Challenge Lost:** This is where two players challenge in the air against each other. The player that wins the ball is deemed to have won the duel. When more than two players are involved the player closest to the duel winner is given an Aerial Duel lost. - **Tackle – Unsuccessful Take-on/Dispossessed:** A tackle is awarded if a player wins the ball from another player who is in possession. If he is attempting to beat the tackler, the other player will get an unsuccessful Take-on. If he is in possession but not attempting to “beat” his man, then he will get a dispossessed. - **Foul won – Foul Conceded:** The player winning the foul is deemed to have won the duel and the player committing the foul having lost the duel. Most of these don’t fit the “50-50 contest” definition. Maybe fouls balance out and aerial situations tend to be one-v-ones, but there seems to be a natural advantage, usually for the attacker, for a lot of these other situations. Of these scenarios, only the aerial challenge would be one with a neutral possession state. In aggregate, winning more of these things than the other team doesn’t seem to affect game outcomes. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/22/3c/223ce17d-3253-4d03-873b-ce236408cde2/content/images/2025/06/Screenshot-2025-06-23-at-6.53.36---AM.png) **Since 2021 in MLS, duel win % has a paltry 0.03 correlation to goal difference at an individual game level.* Nonetheless, our mission here is to identify what teams are good at these things and what value duels are providing them. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### The USMNT is where it’s supposed to be after Gold Cup win over Haiti URL: https://www.backheeled.com/usmnt-pochettino-gold-cup-pochettino-win-haiti-analysis-more/ Last updated: 2025-06-30T14:15:35.000Z ARLINGTON, Texas – The U.S. men’s national team defeated Haiti 2-1 on Sunday to close out their Gold Cup group stage slate. Goals from Malik Tillman and Patrick Agyemang ensured the U.S. took the maximum nine points in the group stage ahead of the quarterfinals. Let’s dig into the USMNT’s latest win, with plenty of color from the team's key figures. ## The changes Mauricio Pochettino didn’t confirm that he’d rotate during his press conference on Saturday, but four new faces in the lineup wasn’t a surprise. The U.S. had kept the same starting 11 for its first two group games, but after a frustrating first half against Saudi Arabia on a hot Thursday night in Austin, Pochettino made sensible changes. Tyler Adams made his first start of the summer, taking Sebastian Berhalter’s spot in midfield, and John Tolkin finally got his audition at left back. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### ​​USL Power Rankings: Eastern giants fall, New Mexico United rise & more from Week 16 URL: https://www.backheeled.com/usl-championship-power-rankings-new-mexico-united-eastern-conference-more/ Last updated: 2025-06-25T21:33:04.000Z Last week, I [used this space to argue](https://www.backheeled.com/usl-championship-power-rankings-loucity-undefeated-aboukoura-loudoun-star-more/) that Louisville, Charleston, and Loudoun formed an untouchable top three above the rest of the USL Championship. All three clubs proceeded to lose their next game. Maybe there’s a *Backheeled* curse brewing, but the likelier explanation is that any team in this league can beat another so long as they play with confidence. Each of the “big three” lost when they came up against an opponent that dared to press up and attack with numbers. That’s no coincidence. In a league as tight as the USL in 2025, you’re going to reap the reward for pushing onto the front foot and taking risks. That theme manifested itself all across the Championship in Week 16. Who took the biggest leap forward, and who’s failing to break out of their shell? Let’s dig in. ## 1\. Charleston Battery ***Trending: +1*** *Result: 1-0 loss at Miami, 4-1 win v. Phoenix* Soccer is a game of manipulation. If you can bend an opposing defense out of shape, you’re far likelier to score. If you can avoid bending in your own right, that’s even better. Blame a dense schedule if you want, but this week showed the upper limit of the Battery’s dominance. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### USMNT squeak past Saudi Arabia to book Gold Cup knockout round spot: What we learned URL: https://www.backheeled.com/usmnt-beat-saudi-arabia-book-gold-cup-knockout-round-spot-analysis/ Last updated: 2025-06-22T17:16:12.000Z AUSTIN, Texas – The U.S. men’s national team defeated Saudi Arabia 1-0 on Thursday night in Austin, with a sliding finish from Chris Richards via a Sebastian Berhalter free kick in the 63rd minute securing three points and a spot in the Gold Cup quarterfinals phase. Here are three thoughts from Q2 Stadium. ## The verticality problem Leading into their second game of the group stage, Mauricio Pochettino had hinted at continuity with the U.S. lineup – and sure enough, he unveiled the same one that dismantled Trinidad and Tobago by five goals on Sunday. But the clash with Saudi Arabia in Austin was a different challenge thanks to the presence of a better, far more defensively disciplined opponent daring the USMNT to beat them with the ball. The United States struggled to do just that in what was a very uneventful first half. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### The USL’s 10 biggest breakout stars of 2025 URL: https://www.backheeled.com/the-usl-10-biggest-breakout-players-of-2025-championship-league-one/ Last updated: 2025-06-22T17:16:17.000Z If you predicted Cal Jennings would lead the Golden Boot race or Taylor Davila would tally the USL’s second-most assists as midseason approached, you weren’t going out on the limb. Star players across the league are doing their thing in 2025, but it’s the surprise standouts that are shaking up the standings. Which players have emerged as difference-makers this season, and what makes them special? I’ve got eight picks (and some bonus selections from League One) that have exceeded all expectations to start the campaign. ## Alex Dalou, FW, FC Tulsa After moving up from NISA’s Albion San Diego last year, Alex Dalou struggled to settle and earn starting minutes with FC Tulsa in 2024\. Roughly halfway into 2025, though, he’s already created as many chances (14) and won 57% more tackles (11) than he did in 22 appearances last year. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### MLS In-Depth Power Rankings: Nashville SC's evolution, NYCFC's attack & more URL: https://www.backheeled.com/mls-in-depth-power-rankings-nashville-sc-evolution-nycfc-attack-more/ Last updated: 2025-06-23T01:38:18.000Z *Power Rankings never cease to spark outrage. But here at* Backheeled*? We’re not here to cause anger. No, we’re here to dissect the latest performances, trends, tactics, and news for each of MLS’s 30 clubs. Every week during the MLS season, Ben Wright will guide you through the Eastern Conference teams and Joe Lowery will do the same for the West.* *Okay, fine. We’re also here to spark some outrage, because we’re ranking all 30 teams, too. Power Rankings are based on each club’s average position across Ben and Joe’s individual rankings. Onwards.* ## 1\. Vancouver Whitecaps *Trending: No change* No team in MLS should be more frustrated with the fact that the league plays through international breaks and tournaments than the Whitecaps, whose only two regular season losses this year have come in those windows. There was that loss to the Chicago Fire in March, when the ‘Caps were missing four starters to international duty — and there was Saturday’s 2-1 loss to the Columbus Crew, where the ‘Caps were missing…four starters to international duty. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### “It’s now or never”: How Malik Tillman’s winding USMNT road took him from Bavaria to America URL: https://www.backheeled.com/malik-tillman-usmnt-germany-united-states-mauricio-pochettino-gold-cup-world-cup/ Last updated: 2025-06-24T13:59:53.000Z Growing up in the picturesque heart of Bavaria, Malik Tillman never imagined he would one day play for the United States men’s national team. The son of a German mother and an American father he never knew, Tillman was born in Nürnberg, not far from the U.S. Army base at Ansbach. His story is a familiar one shared by many children of German-American background in the postwar era marked by the U.S. military presence in Europe. But as he began his football journey at local club Greuther Fürth and eventually made the jump to powerhouse Bayern Munich, Tillman was always German. “Growing up in Fürth with my brother, playing football every day, the dreams of being a footballer started there,” Tillman told *Backheeled*. “I knew about my American background, but it was like, I’m in Germany, I live with my German mom. So it wasn’t really a topic in my life to be honest.” Eventually, though, a winding path placed Tillman at the forefront of the USMNT’s final summer ahead of the 2026 World Cup. ## Road to the USMNT At 14, Tillman’s thought process began to change when he was invited to represent the United States at the youth level for a camp in Croatia. He was part of a talented roster that featured Gio Reyna and played against a teenage Joško Gvardiol in an invitational tournament. But while Tillman impressed in his first foray in U.S. colors, it didn’t stick right away. The German youth national teams came calling and, at first, seemed much more appealing as they avoided long trips across the ocean to attend camps. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### MLS Winners and Losers: San Diego FC march towards a record, Club World Cup & more URL: https://www.backheeled.com/mls-winners-and-losers-san-diego-fc-record-club-world-cup-more/ Last updated: 2025-06-18T13:26:46.000Z *It’s in the title, folks. Every week during the MLS season, Backheeled will dive into the biggest Winners and Losers from around the league. This week, we got a whole bunch of games with asterisks, Inter Miami avoided embarrassment, Anders Dreyer dropped jaws, and more.* ## Loser: MLS and its regular season Nothing says “we care about our product” like playing a set of regular season games while 40 players from across the league are out on national team duty! And that’s not even including the six games that were played smack dab in the middle of the June international window. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Takeaways from the USMNT's Gold Cup win over Trinidad and Tobago URL: https://www.backheeled.com/usmnt-gold-cup-win-trinidad-and-tobago-win-pochettino-tillman-luna-mcglynn/ Last updated: 2025-06-16T16:12:18.000Z The U.S. men’s national team cruised to a 5-0 win over Trinidad and Tobago in their 2025 Concacaf Gold Cup opener, courtesy of a Malik Tillman brace as well as goals from Patrick Agyemang, Brenden Aaronson, and Haji Wright. Let’s dig into a match the U.S. completely dominated. ## "Just what the doctor ordered" That was Christian Pulisic’s [Instagram caption](https://www.instagram.com/p/DKu3yhTphYB/?hl=en&img%5Findex=1&ref=backheeled.com) earlier this week, which also featured a sun emoji – and it was true of the American performance on Sunday afternoon in sunny San Jose, California. Dialogue surrounding the national team in recent weeks has centered on who is *not* representing the United States this summer, particularly the face of the program. The commentary about Pulisic has ratcheted up in the last few days after a podcast appearance with CBS where the U.S. star revealed he wanted to join the USMNT for the pre-Gold Cup friendlies. According to Pulisic, Mauricio Pochettino and his staff chose not to call him up at all. "I fully respect that. I didn't understand it, but it is what it is," Pulisic said. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### USL Power Rankings: LouCity undefeated, Aboukoura's star status & more from Week 15 URL: https://www.backheeled.com/usl-championship-power-rankings-loucity-undefeated-aboukoura-loudoun-star-more/ Last updated: 2025-06-19T13:32:48.000Z Two players in the USL have already surpassed the double-digit goals scored mark: Loudoun’s Abdellatif Aboukoura and Charleston’s Cal Jennings. They’re the two players in the Championship that feel likeliest to stay atop the scoring leaderboard come fall – though you wouldn’t be surprised to see Louisville’s Phillip Goodrum join them after a hat trick this weekend. For 21 clubs in the league, consistency has been devilishly hard to maintain in 2025\. For Louisville, Charleston, and Loudoun, the exact opposite has been true. The fact that you’d bet your money on their star scorers to keep producing is a byproduct of top-down tactical brilliance as much as individual performances, and it’s the thing that’s setting these clubs apart. The landscape only got muddier this week, with just two draws in 13 matches shaking up the tables in the East and West. Who came out looking better amidst the upheaval, and how’d they make it happen? Let’s dig in. ## 1\. Louisville City ***Trending: +1*** *Result: 2-1 win v. Rhode Island, 4-2 win v. Birmingham* Ray Serrano is putting up fewer shots per game in 2025 than in 2024, but he’s putting a far greater share of those shots on target. His pressing takeaways are down a tick, but they’re buoyed by vastly improved duel win rates and recovery numbers. In other words, Serrano has become even more efficient after starting from an all-USL base. The 23-year-old is far beyond prospect status at this point, but he’s still getting better while taking on more importance within Danny Cruz’s system. Part of that phenomenon relies on Serrano’s ever-sharpening read on the game, particularly in his weak-side movement in the attacking phase. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### The USMNT can address its biggest problem at the Gold Cup: creativity URL: https://www.backheeled.com/usmnt-can-address-its-biggest-problem-at-the-gold-cup-creativity-pochettino-luna-tillman-mcglynn/ Last updated: 2025-06-16T05:19:35.000Z SAN JOSE, Calif. – A superior Switzerland [destroyed a heavily rotated, JV version of the U.S. men’s national team](https://www.backheeled.com/usmnt-pochettino-friendly-disaster-switzerland-turkey-gold-cup-world-cup/) on Tuesday night in Nashville, extinguishing optimism after an encouraging performance against Turkey three days earlier. While the first half against the Swiss was so bad that it has prompted a bigger picture conversation about the direction of the program under Pochettino a year away from the World Cup, there is still a Gold Cup in front of the United States. Of course, next summer’s U.S. squad will undoubtedly be very different. But the next few weeks could still prove important for the mission to make a deep World Cup run on home soil. Why? Well, it allows Pochettino to evaluate players who can move the needle in terms of chance creation. The chronic lack of creativity in the final third under former boss Gregg Berhalter continued to be on display when Pochettino’s “A” team lost to Panama and Canada in March. But there’s talent on the Gold Cup squad that can help in that area, especially if Gio Reyna cannot get regular club minutes in the next 12 months. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### How an explosion of lower division clubs has changed American player development URL: https://www.backheeled.com/how-lower-divisions-changed-american-player-development-mls-next-pro-usl/ Last updated: 2025-06-17T13:34:46.000Z Flash back to 2015, and the American lower leagues were composed of just 35 fully professional clubs split across the NASL and USL Pro. The USL, years away from rebranding under the “Championship” banner, played host to seven MLS-affiliated teams that year. In 2025, the landscape couldn’t be more different. The USL Championship has 24 independent clubs all its own, bolstered by 14 organizations in third-tier USL League One. All of the MLS affiliates have decamped to MLS Next Pro. The count of professional clubs underneath MLS is up to 67. Those tectonic shifts have fundamentally changed how player development works within the American game. In discussion with *Backheeled*, Asher Mendelsohn, technical director of the Houston Dynamo, and Tony Beltran, assistant general manager of Real Salt Lake, broke down how their clubs are striving to make the most of the evolving lower divisions. ## MLS Next Pro, the “bridge” In its own right, the creation of MLS Next Pro has been a major boon for the talent pipeline. This season, more than 700 players have appeared in the MLS regular season. 40% of them have prior experience in Next Pro. Among that subset, the average player has accumulated more than 1,200 minutes in the third division. “It's been a huge development because it allows us to bridge our academy program with our first team, which wasn't always the case,” Mendelsohn said. “When I was in Columbus, back in the 2014 to 2018 period, there was no bridge. We were having very talented young players – whether that's an Aidan Morris, Sebastian Berhalter, Owen Wolff, Tyler Wolff – matriculating through, and we really didn't have a great solution for them.” _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Ten Windows, No. 7: After the USMNT’s friendly disasters, the Gold Cup matters even more URL: https://www.backheeled.com/usmnt-pochettino-friendly-disaster-switzerland-turkey-gold-cup-world-cup/ Last updated: 2025-06-13T16:09:31.000Z *When Mauricio Pochettino signed on last fall, only 10 international windows — nine regular FIFA dates, plus the 2025 Gold Cup — separated the USMNT from the 2026 World Cup. After each window, “Ten Windows” digs into key developments and charts the USMNT’s progress towards 2026.* ## Results this window: Turkiye 2, USA 1 (Güler 24’, Akterkoglü 27’; McGlynn 1’) Switzerland 4, USA 0 (Ndoye 13’, Aebisher 23’, Embolo 33’, Manzambi 36’) ## The story this window: ### Where have you gone, USMNT Joe DiMaggios? Our soccer nation turns its downcast eyes to you. Watching [Switzerland dog-walk the USMNT on Tuesday night](https://www.backheeled.com/usmnt-blown-out-by-switzerland-in-final-gold-cup-tuneup/) in less time than it takes to walk your actual dog, the player I found myself thinking about was Frankie Hejduk. For any Yank-supporting whippersnappers who weren’t around for his career in the late-90s and early ‘00s, Hejduk might have been the original USMNT cult favorite – [a literal California surfer dude](https://www.stack.com/a/surf-training-with-frankie-hejduk/?ref=backheeled.com) with the long blonde hair ([and aversion to early-morning alarms](https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/sports/soccer/longterm/worldcup98/articles/us13.htm?ref=backheeled.com)) to match. But on the field Hejduk was anything but laid-back, putting his [legendary stamina](https://www.mensjournal.com/sports/fittest-major-league-soccer-players-all-time?ref=backheeled.com#gid=ci02b8d1d7c0072605&pid=graham-zusi-sporting-kansas-city) to use at right back with punishing endline-to-endline dashes and frequent full-speed challenges. Hejduk never became a wizard with the ball at his feet, but he did become a USMNT fixture – including starting four games at *left* back during the magical 2002 World Cup run – because no one played harder or faster. I thought of Hejduk, watching [19-year-old Johan Manzambi glide past Max Arfsten](https://twitter.com/brfootball/status/1932598004701073565?ref%5Fsrc=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1932598004701073565%7Ctwgr%5E2cc4e125c4d2cd41e2059ac662b3c8a66412dcb0%7Ctwcon%5Es1%5F&ref%5Furl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.backheeled.com%2Fusmnt-blown-out-by-switzerland-in-final-gold-cup-tuneup%2F&ref=backheeled.com) to effortlessly set up the Swiss second. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### USMNT outclassed by Switzerland in final Gold Cup tuneup: Did we learn anything? URL: https://www.backheeled.com/usmnt-blown-out-by-switzerland-in-final-gold-cup-tuneup/ Last updated: 2025-06-11T05:25:21.000Z The U.S. men’s national team was trounced 4-0 by Switzerland in a friendly clash on Tuesday night in Nashville. Let’s dig into a couple of thoughts on a match that really wasn’t all that complicated to understand. ## U.S. outclassed by a superior opponent Although the first goal was somewhat unlucky due to a deflection off Johnny Cardoso turning a predictable pass into a lethal through ball, there was a softness to the ensuing three more in the first half. There was Max Arfsten getting beat too easily, Matt Turner parrying a gift, and John Manzambi cutting in easily with a clear look at goal courtesy of Breel Embolo making a run to pull Walker Zimmerman out of the picture. Those moments suggested the U.S. simply didn’t show up. > Switzerland are making it look easy 😎 > > Watch the game on TNT, truTV, and Max 📺 [pic.twitter.com/6kmzyi8FPz](https://t.co/6kmzyi8FPz?ref=backheeled.com) > > — B/R Football (@brfootball) [June 11, 2025](https://twitter.com/brfootball/status/1932598004701073565?ref%5Fsrc=twsrc%5Etfw&ref=backheeled.com) _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Las Vegas Lights fire Antonio Nocerino: What's gone wrong for the USL Championship club URL: https://www.backheeled.com/las-vegas-lights-fire-antonio-nocerino-what-went-wrong-usl-championship/ Last updated: 2025-06-10T17:17:11.000Z Antonio Nocerino was named head coach of the Las Vegas Lights on January 9th. Five months later, almost exactly to the day, [he no longer holds that role](https://www.lasvegaslightsfc.com/news/2025/06/10/head-coach-antonio-nocerino-and-las-vegas-lights-fc-agree-to-part-ways/?ref=backheeled.com). Though the Lights are just one point away from the final playoff position in the Western Conference and rest on six points in their Jagermeister Cup group, their performances haven’t been up to par. Las Vegas have scored just one goal in their last 600 minutes across all competitions, conceding 15 times during that same stretch. Over the course of the entire USL Championship season, no team has a worse expected goal difference than the Lights’ minus-7.9 mark. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### MLS at the Club World Cup: How Seattle, Miami & LAFC project in a stacked tournament URL: https://www.backheeled.com/mls-club-world-cup-can-seattle-sounders-inter-miami-lafc-don-garber/ Last updated: 2025-06-15T16:06:53.000Z Standing in front of a crowd of media members and MLS executives in a suite at Dignity Health Sports Park in December, Don Garber didn’t mince words. “I saw something in the news today about Transfermarkt values of each \[Club World Cup\] club, and clearly MLS teams are at the lower quadrant of Transfermarkt value,” the MLS commissioner said, citing the popular soccer transfers website. He'd just been asked if MLS’s representatives in FIFA’s expanded club tournament are ready compete against European and South American opposition. Always looking forward as his job title dictates, Garber added: “That’s something over time that I hope to be able to see continue to grow as our teams are investing more in players and hopefully generating more revenue to justify that expense.” But the message from the commissioner to MLS’s participating teams and their fans was clear – as far as the inaugural 32-team Club World Cup is concerned, keep your expectations low. It’s easy to see Garber’s perspective. It will be unlikely for the Seattle Sounders, Inter Miami, or LAFC to make a deep run in a tournament that features reigning European champions Paris Saint-Germain, along with Bayern Munich, Manchester City, and other giants. But just *how unlikely would it be, really?* Let’s answer that question ahead of Saturday’s group stage opener — and examine how MLS’s entrants compare to the rest of the field — using three different club ranking systems as our guides. ## Transfermarkt’s squad values We’re starting with the metric Garber cited this past winter: Transfermarkt values. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### ​​USL Power Rankings: East stays strong, Miami rise & more from Week 14 URL: https://www.backheeled.com/usl-championship-power-rankings-trophy-contender-east-miami-fc-more/ Last updated: 2025-06-12T13:22:44.000Z There’s a constant debate as to whether the USL Championship’s Eastern or Western Conference is the stronger division. No Eastern club has won the title since 2018, but just one of the last four Players’ Shield winners (i.e., the club that picked up the most regular-season points) has come from the West. This year, the competitive landscape in each conference is remarkably different. No club in the West has a better goal difference than a meager plus-6, and six different teams are within a game of first place. The East, meanwhile, has four clubs that are lapping the competition, including the three best teams in the USL by goal difference. One conference is up for grabs from top to bottom, while the other has calcified into distinct tiers. How did Week 14 affect those races, and which big decisions stood out? Let’s dig in. ## 1\. Charleston Battery ***Trending: No change*** *Result: 1-1 draw at Loudoun* Houssou Landry has long been seen as a massive talent in USL ranks, dating back to his youthful days with Loudoun United. That reputation has only grown in the intervening seasons. Facing his old club this weekend, the 24-year-old showed why he’s become so critical in the Lowcountry. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Jack McGlynn, USMNT's new crop show promise in loss to Turkiye URL: https://www.backheeled.com/jack-mcglynn-usmnt-new-crop-show-promise-in-loss-to-turkiye/ Last updated: 2025-06-11T02:18:26.000Z With the United States men’s national team [missing a slew of key players](https://www.backheeled.com/mauricio-pochettino-usmnt-roster-june-friendlies-no-pulisic-reyna-mckennie-weah-musah/) due to injury, rest, personal reasons, and more, Saturday’s 2-1 friendly loss to Turkiye in East Hartford provided a look into which players could help the full squad at next summer’s World Cup. Sanjay Sujanthakumar (on-site with the U.S. in Connecticut) and Joe Lowery (on-his-couch in Phoenix) combine to share their thoughts on the USMNT’s first game of the summer by answering a set of key questions. ## What’s your one-sentence reaction to that game? **Lowery:** Mauricio Pochettino’s experimental lineup played some effective, if imperfect, attacking soccer against a team with more talent. ## Can you give me a little more than that? **Lowery:** Pochettino is firmly in *let’s see which of these new guys can ball* territory. There were eight MLS players in the United States’ starting lineup for a game against a European opponent outside of December/January camps for the first time since 2003\. That’s the year Diego Luna was born, folks. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### The making of Diego Luna, as seen through the eyes of his coaches URL: https://www.backheeled.com/the-making-of-diego-luna-told-by-his-coaches-usmnt-mls-world-cup/ Last updated: 2025-06-11T16:34:30.000Z You can’t miss Diego Luna when he’s on the field. He’s the one on the ball, pulling the strings for his team in the attack. Whether that team is the U.S. men’s national team, or Real Salt Lake, the El Paso Locomotive, or the Barca Residency Academy makes no difference — you can’t miss Luna. Following his competitive USMNT debut in March under Mauricio Pochettino, a batch of impressive moments for RSL in MLS, and another national team call this summer, the 21-year-old’s stock continues to rise. His smooth play on the ball is obvious. But what other things make Luna such a promising attacking midfielder? What on-field qualities and off-field personality traits have shaped his career? *Backheeled* spoke with a group of coaches who have overseen Luna along his journey from the youth ranks to the national team, getting the insider’s view on the hottest young player in American soccer. You can’t miss Luna. But here’s what we miss, even when we see him. --- It’s difficult to find a more thoughtful voice in the American soccer landscape than Pablo Mastroeni. Once a fiery U.S. men’s national team midfielder who, by his own admission “lost his head” from time to time, the 48-year-old now serves as the manager of Real Salt Lake. Happy to [discuss the human condition](https://www.backheeled.com/how-surrender-and-tactical-overhaul-made-real-salt-lake-trophy-threat-mls/) and the intricacies of his team’s buildup play in the same breath, Mastroeni has overseen the most recent phase of Luna’s development that began when he signed for RSL in 2022. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### How Loudoun United went from feeder club to USL trophy threat: “We’ve earned respect” URL: https://www.backheeled.com/how-loudoun-united-went-from-feeder-club-to-usl-championship-trophy-threat/ Last updated: 2025-06-10T13:01:02.000Z Loudoun United has never made the postseason. They’ve never finished above 11th place in the Eastern Conference. Between 2019 and 2023, the club posted a goal difference of negative-134. Originally run as a developmental affiliate for DC United in MLS, Loudoun is in their third season of independent operation and has taken an unlikely leap. Now, the club sits three points off the pace for the USL Championship’s Players’ Shield and leads their group in the Jagermeister Cup. There are plenty of matches left to play in 2025, but Loudoun has the look of a genuine contender. How are they doing it? In discussion with *Backheeled*, head coach Ryan Martin and veteran midfielder Tommy McCabe broke down how their club is pulling it off. ## Continuity amidst adversity Much of the credit lies with Martin, who took over as head coach two months into Loudoun United’s existence and has remained ever since. The 42-year-old has instilled a positive style of play at every turn, and his trust in a squad that ended second-to-last in the East last season has paid dividends this year. Roster continuity was crucial. Though they ended up in 11th place, Loudoun finished with a positive goal difference and similarly strong underlying numbers. The big decision made by Martin and Oliver Gage, then the club’s director of football, was to trust the process, so Loudoun returned players responsible for 89% of minutes played in 2024. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### MLS In-Depth Power Rankings: Chicago Fire's new stadium, San Diego FC's depth & more URL: https://www.backheeled.com/mls-in-depth-power-rankings-chicago-fire-stadium-san-diego-fc-more/ Last updated: 2025-06-07T21:39:01.000Z *Power Rankings never cease to spark outrage. But here at* Backheeled*? We’re not here to cause anger. No, we’re here to dissect the latest performances, trends, tactics, and news for each of MLS’s 30 clubs. Every week during the MLS season, Ben Wright will guide you through the Eastern Conference teams and Joe Lowery will do the same for the West.* *Okay, fine. We’re also here to spark some outrage, because we’re ranking all 30 teams, too. Power Rankings are based on each club’s average position across Ben and Joe’s individual rankings. Onwards.* ## 1\. Vancouver Whitecaps *Trending: No change* *Sunday night’s catastrophe shouldn’t totally overshadow what the ‘Caps have accomplished so far in 2025\. Still without the injured Ryan Gauld, they’ve played a ton of excellent ball under Sorensen this season. They were worthy CCC finalists, have a legitimate chance to win the Shield, and look like an MLS Cup threat, too.* That’s one of the closing lines from my section on Vancouver in Sunday night’s [Winners and Losers column](https://www.backheeled.com/mls-winners-and-losers-vancouver-whitecaps-concacaf-lafc-club-world-cup-more/). After a 5-0 defeat to Cruz Azul in the Concacaf Champions Cup final, you’ll be shocked to learn that they were a ‘Loser’ in that piece. I picked that line to include here because I still believe Vancouver is the strongest team in MLS. But boy-oh-boy were they humbled on Sunday. You can read more about that humbling here: [MLS Winners and Losers: Concacaf flop, LAFC’s big-money win, FC Cincinnati’s problems & moreThe Vancouver Whitecaps flopped on the biggest stage, LAFC’s bank account ballooned, and FC Cincinnati have problems.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/22/3c/223ce17d-3253-4d03-873b-ce236408cde2/content/images/icon/Backheeled-2-Sq-Light-416.png)BackheeledJoseph Lowery![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/22/3c/223ce17d-3253-4d03-873b-ce236408cde2/content/images/thumbnail/2025-MLS-WINNERS-AND-LOSERS-WK15-1.jpeg)](https://www.backheeled.com/mls-winners-and-losers-vancouver-whitecaps-concacaf-lafc-club-world-cup-more/) They’ll need a mental reset before heading back into MLS play on Sunday. What they’ll get, though, is a spate of key players leaving for international duty. Things are about to get really, really tough for the Whitecaps. Let’s see what they’re made of. - *Joe Lowery* _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Oakland Roots fire manager Gavin Glinton: Why and what comes next for the USL Championship club URL: https://www.backheeled.com/oakland-roots-fire-manager-gavin-glinton-why-what-comes-next-usl-championship/ Last updated: 2025-06-02T17:08:09.000Z As they sit in 11th place in the Western Conference and smart from their third loss of the season against third-division competition, [the Oakland Roots have relieved Gavin Glinton of his coaching duties](https://www.oaklandrootssc.com/news/2025/06/02/club-statement-oakland-roots-sc-make-coaching-change/?ref=backheeled.com). Glinton joined the club’s staff in 2022 as an assistant to Noah Delgado, helping to solidify the situation after Juan Guerra left for Phoenix Rising. When Delgado was dismissed last May, Glinton took over the head coaching position and led the Roots to a summer revival and a playoff appearance. Want access to all of our American soccer coverage? Become a paid Backheeled subscriber today! [Subscribe! ](https://www.backheeled.com/#/portal/signup) Still, the Roots managed to concede five goals in four separate matches down the stretch and were bounced in the first round of the postseason. Entering 2025, expectations were high, but Glinton couldn’t build momentum in the new year. Lindsay Barenz, the club’s president, explained the decision in a statement: “The start to the season on the field has not matched the momentum we’ve built off the field. Our expectations for on-field performance are much higher than where we currently stand. We strongly believe in the group of players we’ve assembled and we’re confident in their ability to compete in the USL Championship. We remain committed to working tirelessly to deliver a sporting product that our fans and community can be proud of.” Oakland also relieved assistant coach Jesse Cormier, who brought decades of NCAA experience to the table (including at Bradley, Glinton’s alma mater), from his job on the staff. No interim manager was named, but the organization said it “will announce its new head coach soon.” ## *John’s view* Barenz’s statement makes it clear: Oakland expected more in 2025\. With the club taking over the Coliseum and attempting to stake their claim on hearts and minds across the East Bay, the goal was to pair all-out marketing with on-field results. Gavin Glinton didn’t hold up his side of the bargain. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### MLS, illustrated URL: https://www.backheeled.com/mls-illustrated-seattle-sounders-club-world-cup-cash-grab-la-galaxy-win/ Last updated: 2025-06-02T03:04:31.000Z _This post is for subscribers only._ ### MLS Winners and Losers: Concacaf flop, LAFC's big-money win, FC Cincinnati's problems & more URL: https://www.backheeled.com/mls-winners-and-losers-vancouver-whitecaps-concacaf-lafc-club-world-cup-more/ Last updated: 2025-06-04T13:28:32.000Z *It’s in the title, folks. Every week during the MLS season,* Backheeled *will dive into the biggest Winners and Losers from around the league. This week, the Vancouver Whitecaps embarrassed themselves, LAFC’s bank account ballooned, Inter Miami started running, and more.* ## Loser: The Vancouver Whitecaps Ah, the warm comfort of the free space on the MLS in Concacaf Champions Cup bingo card — the one marked *disappointment.* There’s no more familiar place for MLS teams to be when it comes to the CCC. Outside of the Seattle Sounders, who won the whole thing back in 2022, the modern iteration of the CCC has been dominated by Liga MX teams. That fact didn’t change on Sunday night, when the Vancouver Whitecaps were blitzed by Cruz Azul in a 5-0 loss. The gap between the two teams was canyon-esque. The ‘Caps were never in it, but they sure were humiliated. Despite Vancouver’s impressive tournament run that took them past Saprissa, Monterrey, Pumas, and Inter Miami all while playing at a Supporters’ Shield pace in the league, they felt flat on their face at the final hurdle. Like, *wildly flat*. Controlling the ball is a pillar of Jesper Sorensen’s tactical philosophy, one that’s served the Whitecaps extremely well just about every time out in 2025\. They’re fourth in MLS in possession and in xG differential per 90 minutes, according to FBref. It’s their commitment to keeping the ball high up the field that’s helped Vancouver to MLS’s best defensive record based on both xG and goals allowed. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### USL Jagermeister Cup: Phoenix Rising’s attack, League One cupsets & more Winners and Losers URL: https://www.backheeled.com/usl-jagermeister-cup-phoenix-rising-league-one-championship-cupsets-winners-and-losers/ Last updated: 2025-06-05T13:21:56.000Z Two rounds down, two to go. The Jagermeister Cup’s group stage is halfway through, and the second set of matches was full of upset wins, bold strategic decisions, and standout moments that made all the difference. Which clubs left the biggest mark, and what trends emerged across a jam-packed slate of nearly 20 matches? I’m breaking down the winners and losers of the round to find out. ## Winner: Phoenix Rising You can call this version of Phoenix a lot of things, but “boring” isn’t one of them. After a 3-3 match against New Mexico United that Rising pulled out via penalty kicks, it’s clear that this club is always going to bring the intensity. Increasingly, it’s a matter of balancing that fire with some manner of restraint, and Phoenix did just enough of that to get two points on Saturday. Pa-Modou Kah set up his 4-2-3-1 to mark tightly through the central midfield, forcing New Mexico to work around the edges. Hope Avayevu was particularly influential at the No. 10 spot, where he found himself assigned to Gedion Zelalem on the opposite side. If Phoenix could deny bounce passes into Zelalem and force United to push outside, that was a far better outcome than allowing access up the middle. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### One big question for each USL Championship team: Ill-fitting stars, tactical flaws & more URL: https://www.backheeled.com/one-big-question-for-each-usl-championship-team-ill-stars-tactical-flaws-more/ Last updated: 2025-06-02T03:04:17.000Z 120 games down, 240 to go. The USL season reached the one-third mark after Week 12, with a majority of clubs having played double-digit league games. It’s officially the moment where early trends can’t be dismissed as mere flukes and where the table starts to become more and more meaningful. With that in mind, it’s a useful time to reflect on the concerns of all 24 clubs in the Championship. What’s the biggest question facing every team as summer looms? I’m here to break it down. ## Birmingham Legion **Where does Danny Trejo fit?** Between 2022 and 2023, Danny Trejo put up 31 goals and 12 assists to establish himself as one of the USL’s premier stars and earn a move to Europe. Back in the Championship with Birmingham now, he’s got just one goal contribution as June approaches. Trejo excelled in a freer role where he could explore the left halfspace in prior stops, but the Mark Briggs system is asking him to do something different. That’s not to say Trejo has been *bad*, but there’s meat left on the bone and it’s unclear how or if the Legion can use it. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### How (some) MLS teams are using long throw-ins to play smarter soccer URL: https://www.backheeled.com/how-some-mls-teams-are-using-long-throw-ins-to-play-smarter-soccer/ Last updated: 2025-06-05T13:43:56.000Z Michael Boxall knew his first attempt was short. After having trotted upfield from his usual central defensive role to the left sideline, Minnesota United’s most veteran player took a throw-in. Not just any throw-in aimed at getting the ball back in play as quickly as possible, mind you. Boxall’s throw-in was hurled into the box in hopes of finding one of his teammates close to the opposing goal, more like a corner kick than a simple short pass. On his first try, there wasn’t enough power behind the throw, allowing CF Montreal’s Bryce Duke to head the ball away with ease. But what’s the old expression? *If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again*? No, not that one. *If at first your long throw-in comes up short, throw it ever further?* Yeah, that’s the one. Boxall readied himself for another hurl, stepped forward, and let the ball fly. Three touches and five seconds later, Minnesota had the ball in the back of the net for the first time in the 2025 MLS season. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### MLS In-Depth Power Rankings: Atlanta United's shift, Orlando City's contender status & more URL: https://www.backheeled.com/mls-in-depth-power-rankings-atlanta-united-win-orlando-city-contender-more/ Last updated: 2025-06-01T16:33:43.000Z *Power Rankings never cease to spark outrage. But here at* Backheeled*? We’re not here to cause anger. No, we’re here to dissect the latest performances, trends, tactics, and news for each of MLS’s 30 clubs. Every week during the MLS season, Ben Wright will guide you through the Eastern Conference teams and Joe Lowery will do the same for the West.* *Okay, fine. We’re also here to spark some outrage, because we’re ranking all 30 teams, too. Power Rankings are based on each club’s average position across Ben and Joe’s individual rankings. Onwards.* ## 1\. Vancouver Whitecaps *Trending: No change* From their delightfully fluid attacking play to their sturdy rest defense, there’s plenty to appreciate about the Vancouver Whitecaps. Perhaps *the* defining trait of this year’s Vancouver team, though, is how they’ve dealt with fixture congestion. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### St. Louis City fire head coach Olof Mellberg 15 games into his MLS tenure URL: https://www.backheeled.com/st-louis-city-fire-head-coach-olof-mellberg-15-games-into-his-mls-tenure/ Last updated: 2025-05-28T00:49:04.000Z St. Louis City have fired manager Olof Melberg, the club announced on Tuesday evening. Under the Swedish manager, who was hired in November, St. Louis sit 14th in the Western Conference after 15 matches with just two wins this year. “The decision to part ways with Olof goes beyond just results,” St. Louis City sporting director Lutz Pfannenstiel said in a statement. “We’ve analyzed the team’s performance across a number of factors, including the need to execute against a style of play that led to the team’s initial success and has been part of our DNA for four years. As a club, we have certain standards we need to meet and believe a coaching change was necessary to improve our overall performance and return to a winning culture. Our fans deserve a better performing team, and we intend to give them one.” _This post is for subscribers only._ ### These are the under-the-radar MLS players you should be watching URL: https://www.backheeled.com/under-the-radar-mls-players-you-should-be-watching-2025/ Last updated: 2025-05-28T16:01:37.000Z After fifteen games, the 2025 MLS season is in full swing, and the data is ripe for analyzing players. Sure, I could tell you about the shining superstars or floundering failures, but what about those who have sneakily made their way towards the top of the stat sheets? Follow along, and I’ll tell you who these players are, how they’ve been impacting their squads, and why you should keep your eye on them moving forward. *All stats from American Soccer Analysis unless otherwise noted.* ## J.C. Ngando, CM, Vancouver Whitecaps You would be forgiven if you didn’t know who J.C. Ngando was going into the 2025 MLS season. The 25-year-old former SoCon Player of the Year, Generation Adidas SuperDraft Pick, and Las Vegas Lights loanee has never been the center of attention in Vancouver. *Yes, all of that is real. No, I don’t believe a sentence containing all three of those titles has ever been written.* Still, despite occupying a supplemental roster slot after securing a contract extension in December, Ngando has already made his mark in a team filled with talent. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### MLS, illustrated URL: https://www.backheeled.com/mls-illustrated-la-galaxy-lose-again-walker-zimmerman-returns-more/ Last updated: 2025-05-26T03:31:31.000Z _This post is for subscribers only._ ### MLS Winners and Losers: Quinn Sullivan’s great week, San Diego FC’s unsung hero & more URL: https://www.backheeled.com/mls-winners-and-losers-quinn-sullivan-usmnt-san-diego-fc-hero-more/ Last updated: 2025-05-28T14:15:07.000Z *It’s in the title, folks. Every week during the MLS season, Backheeled will dive into the biggest Winners and Losers from around the league. This week, Quinn Sullivan was riding high, Wilfried Nancy tried (and failed) to unlock Daniel Gazdag, San Diego FC’s unsung hero shined bright, and more.* ## Winner: Quinn Sullivan It’s hard to imagine that Quinn Sullivan will have many better weeks in his professional career than the one he’s in the midst of right now. Let’s run through the timeline, shall we? On Wednesday, the 21-year-old had the chance to start alongside his younger brother Cavan for the first time at senior level for the Philadelphia Union’s U.S. Open Cup win over the Pittsburgh Riverhounds. The two even combined in the buildup to Philly’s second goal of the evening, helping to seal a spot in the Open Cup’s quarterfinal round. > 🇺🇸 Quinn Sullivan & Cavan Sullivan wall pass… Quinn Sullivan through ball to Indiana Vassilev for a goal. > > Philadelphia Union currently up 3-1 in the second half[pic.twitter.com/KRquIlFXwx](https://t.co/KRquIlFXwx?ref=backheeled.com) > > — Tom Bogert (@tombogert) [May 22, 2025](https://twitter.com/tombogert/status/1925358856055496763?ref%5Fsrc=twsrc%5Etfw&ref=backheeled.com) The good times didn’t stop there. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### ​​USL Power Rankings: New Mexico United dominate, Tampa Bay Rowdies’ slide & more from Week 12 URL: https://www.backheeled.com/usl-championship-power-rankings-new-mexico-united-tampa-bay-rowdies-week-12/ Last updated: 2025-05-29T13:29:18.000Z As the USL heads into yet another Jagermeister Cup break, the lion’s share of the Championship has reached the 10-match mark. Remarkably, no teams across the division have a goal difference worse than minus-nine, and only two – Charleston and Louisville – have hit double digits on the positive end. I’ve preached the idea of parity all season long, and the numbers bear that theme out. Still, the Eastern and Western Conference races are both beginning to calcify. Week 12 was a showcase for teams atop both tables, but it also featured certain bubble teams breaking out in a bid to truly compete. Who made the biggest impact this week, and how did it affect the power rankings? Let’s dig in. ## 1\. Charleston Battery ***Trending: No change*** *Result: 3-1 win at Detroit* Clever managers often switch their wingers from side to side during a match, usually at the 30-minute mark or so in a given half. Ben Pirmann is as clever as they come, but his use of Arturo Rodriguez and Juan David Torres isn’t that rote. Last weekend in a rout against San Antonio, Torres (typically an inverted right winger) shifted to the left within 10 minutes of the opening whistle. This weekend in Detroit, a similar pattern developed, but the Battery made their money by allowing both wingers to stack on one side to overload their hosts. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Resting Pulisic was the right call: Thoughts on the USMNT's summer roster URL: https://www.backheeled.com/resting-pulisic-was-right-thoughts-on-usmnt-pochettino-roster/ Last updated: 2025-05-26T01:44:13.000Z The latest U.S. men’s national team roster was revealed on Thursday morning ahead of the team’s matches this summer, and it looked a lot different than previous ones. While several changes were forced, head coach Mauricio Pochettino made it clear he wanted to evaluate different players and stir more competition for spots on the 2026 World Cup roster. “Sometimes we give too much importance knowing to be together, and sometimes the group, maybe sometimes doesn’t work in this way, or build in this way. I think the every single circumstance, I think we need to consider it, because still one year to be in the World Cup is true, that is possible that to me, is an opportunity to have all the players that maybe you have in your head thinking in one year,” Pochettino said on Thursday. “But I think in the same time, it’s so exciting to see different players, young players, players that maybe are going to make the debut in the national team. People that maybe can challenge different names that everyone considers that maybe is going to arrive to the World Cup. I think it’s important to create this challenge.” Here’s what’s different about the 27 players Pochettino has called up for upcoming friendlies against Turkey on June 7 and Switzerland on June 10 ahead of the 2025 Concacaf Gold Cup – and what to make of the squad. [Mauricio Pochettino’s USMNT roster ahead of Gold Cup: No Pulisic, Reyna, McKennie, Weah, RobinsonThe U.S.’s summer squad was released on Thursday.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/22/3c/223ce17d-3253-4d03-873b-ce236408cde2/content/images/icon/Backheeled-2-Sq-Light-391.png)BackheeledJoseph Lowery![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/22/3c/223ce17d-3253-4d03-873b-ce236408cde2/content/images/thumbnail/usmntroster_52225.jpg)](https://www.backheeled.com/mauricio-pochettino-usmnt-roster-june-friendlies-no-pulisic-reyna-mckennie-weah-musah/) ## Who’s missing Let’s start by addressing who is *not* on this roster, which has understandably driven the initial discourse around the team. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Mauricio Pochettino’s USMNT roster ahead of Gold Cup: No Pulisic, Reyna, McKennie, Weah, Robinson URL: https://www.backheeled.com/mauricio-pochettino-usmnt-roster-june-friendlies-no-pulisic-reyna-mckennie-weah-musah/ Last updated: 2025-05-22T17:13:02.000Z The roster for the U.S. men’s national team’s training camp ahead of the Gold Cup was released on Thursday – and it's missing a host of regular starters. Before this summer’s Gold Cup, the USMNT will face Turkey on June 7th and Switzerland on June 10th. The 27-player roster selected by manager Mauricio Pochettino is for those games, with permitted changes to reduce the squad to 26 players before the Gold Cup. Those changes must be submitted to Concacaf by June 4th and the U.S. will begin their Gold Cup slate on June 15th against Trinidad and Tobago. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### U.S. Open Cup superlatives: Doomed upset attempt, brightest prospects & more from the Round of 16 URL: https://www.backheeled.com/us-open-cup-round-of-16-usl-mls-riverhounds-upset-prospects-more/ Last updated: 2025-05-23T00:10:50.000Z And then there were none. No lower-league clubs are remaining as the U.S. Open Cup pushes into the quarterfinals, but the path to get there was still full of exciting moments. Youth prospects lit up under the Open spotlight, clever substitutions turned matches on their head, and skillful finishes abounded. Which moments stood out amidst it all in the Round of 16? We’re assigning superlatives to find out. Want access to all of our American soccer coverage? Become a paid Backheeled subscriber today! [Subscribe! ](https://www.backheeled.com/#/portal/signup) ## Doomed Cup-set of the Round Congratulations to your Pittsburgh Riverhounds, the winner in this category by default! The only lower-league team left standing in the Round of 16, Pittsburgh had the honor of travelling to Philadelphia for their first-ever intra-state rivalry game against the Union. Cup-set was the goal, but Bob Lilley’s best lineup couldn’t get it done. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### MLS In-Depth Power Rankings: Seattle's Jesus Ferreira problem, Pat Noonan's honesty & more URL: https://www.backheeled.com/mls-in-depth-power-rankings-jesus-ferreira-seattle-sounders-pat-noonan-analysis-tactics/ Last updated: 2025-05-26T01:34:46.000Z *Power Rankings never cease to spark outrage. But here at* Backheeled*? We’re not here to cause anger. No, we’re here to dissect the latest performances, trends, tactics, and news for each of MLS’s 30 clubs. Every week during the MLS season, Ben Wright will guide you through the Eastern Conference teams and Joe Lowery will do the same for the West.* *Okay, fine. We’re also here to spark some outrage, because we’re ranking all 30 teams, too. Power Rankings are based on each club’s average position across Ben and Joe’s individual rankings. Onwards.* ## 1\. Vancouver Whitecaps *Trending: No change* The Vancouver Whitecaps are slowing down — not so much that they’ve fallen in these rankings, but enough to take note of. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Obed Vargas’ remarkable rise from frozen fields in Alaska to the Seattle Sounders and El Tri URL: https://www.backheeled.com/obed-vargas-rise-alaska-seattle-sounders-mls-mexico-usmnt-el-tri/ Last updated: 2025-05-27T13:16:01.000Z When Obed Vargas realized his soccer career was over, he had to run away from the pain. He’d only wanted one job as a child: being a player. He started at a team in his pueblo, then made his way into the Atlético Morelia academy and played semi-pro. But at age 19, it was over. “I wanted to get away, as far as possible from Mexico because I couldn’t achieve my dream of playing professional soccer,” he told *Backheeled*. He did a decent job going far, trading the colonial stone buildings and the rolling hills of Michoacán for Alaska’s Aleutian Islands. There, he joined up with an aunt living in the far-flung state and worked processing salmon and halibut. After three years of seasonal work, he decided Anchorage would be home. He started kicking the ball again, too. When each of his four children were born, he made his wife Marisol a promise. “I’m not going to pressure them. If they like soccer, they like it,” he told her. But it was only natural that they too would have their ball at their feet. “Seeing me play, watching soccer with me on TV, taking them to the park with the ball when they were really little, I think that influenced them to keep playing as they grew and were starting to find that love of soccer.” That’s how a Mexican-American soccer family grew in ice-cold Alaska, with the two Vargas daughters playing college soccer and both sons entering the Seattle Sounders academy. All four are good players. Vargas says the kickarounds in the yard during the three or four months the Alaska weather allowed them were “kill or be killed, of course with everyone having respect for each other.” But when Obed’s older son – and namesake – was six or seven years old, “I started to see that he was different, that he had skills and abilities that were different than other kids playing soccer.” _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Lionel Messi criticizes MLS refereeing ahead of potential Inter Miami contract renewal URL: https://www.backheeled.com/lionel-messi-criticizes-mls-refereeing-inter-miami-new-contract/ Last updated: 2025-05-20T18:27:11.000Z Following Inter Miami’s fifth loss in their last seven matches across all competitions, Lionel Messi took part in a rare postgame interview on Sunday evening. Speaking to MLS Season Pass reporter Michele Giannone, Messi criticized MLS refereeing and the head referee for Miami’s 3-0 loss to Orlando City, Guido Gonzales Jr. “We had a great first half, we were attacking, creating scoring chances," Messi told Apple TV after the game. "Then there was a strange play where one of their players gave the \[Orlando City\] goalkeeper a pass and the referee said, he told me, he didn’t know the rule and didn’t see it that way.” “From there came their long pass and the goal,” Messi said. “Sometimes there are errors in critical moments. It happened in the last game, too. Those aren’t excuses, but there are always issues with referees and I think MLS has to look at some of the officiating.” _This post is for subscribers only._ ### MLS, illustrated URL: https://www.backheeled.com/mls-illustrated-inter-miami-ustari-messi-ref-jack-mcglynn-more/ Last updated: 2025-05-19T03:20:34.000Z _This post is for subscribers only._ ### MLS Winners and Losers: Inter Miami’s latest embarrassment, a youth movement & more URL: https://www.backheeled.com/mls-winners-and-losers-inter-miami-embarrassing-loss-nashville-sc-zaha-more/ Last updated: 2025-05-21T13:48:51.000Z *It’s in the title, folks. Every week during the MLS season,* Backheeled *will dive into the biggest Winners and Losers from around the league. This week, rivalry week arrived with a whimper, a young center back found the spotlight in Nashville, Wilfried Zaha showed his frustration, and more..* ## Loser: Rivalry week With 60% of the league making the playoffs and no competitive consequences for being bad, MLS has precious few levers to pull to help make its regular season matter to the average fan. What are the stakes? Why should a fan on the East Coast stay up late for a Western Conference clash? As MLS continues to fail to make a national imprint, those questions should really matter to the league’s decision-makers. At least one of the answers is simple: storylines. MLS isn’t alone in its quest to find ways to make its largest inventory of games matter. The NBA, MLB, and NHL all struggle with the same problem. But what MLS lacks compared to those other leagues is a corner on the superstar market. The NBA does stars better than any other American sports league, pushing recognizable names front and center to capture broader audiences outside (and inside) their 30 team-based markets. Unlike the NBA, MLS doesn’t have the best soccer players in the world on offer, which means the league has to find other ways to showcase compelling stories throughout the year. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### ​​USL Power Rankings: Rhode Island and Sacramento rise, the wild West & more from Week 11 URL: https://www.backheeled.com/usl-championship-power-rankings-wild-west-rhode-island-fc-surge-more/ Last updated: 2025-05-22T13:43:54.000Z Not to jinx it, but we’re on the verge of mid-year transaction season in the USL. This week alone, Birmingham added heft in the central midfield and Charleston cleared out two roster spots by sending players to League One. It’s natural to see teams hit the market as spring creeps toward summer; the playoff race is starting to calcify, and club-by-club needs are becoming more obvious. We’ll see what’s in store in the months to come in a transfer sense, but Week 11 was defined by plenty of action on the pitch. All 24 USL Championship clubs hit the field, but who did the most to improve their fortunes? Let’s dig in. ## 1\. Charleston Battery ***Trending: No change*** *Result: 4-0 win v. San Antonio* When Houssou Landry debuted at fullback earlier this spring, it felt like a tourniquet to stop the bleeding from defensive injuries. Fast forward to mid-May, and Houssou has scored excellent overlapping goals, turned in consistent defensive pertinence, and impressed to the degree that Charleston sold Josh Drack – one of only two true left backs on the roster – on Friday. The Ivorian held down the right side this weekend, facing down a San Antonio team with plenty of midfield chutzpah. With the guests essentially matching the Battery’s defensive 4-4-2 but allowing star Jorge Hernandez to cut between the lines and Jake LaCava (an ex-Battery player) to hug the sideline, Houssou barely broke a sweat. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### How Alex Freeman – son of a star NFL receiver – is blazing his own path for Orlando City, USMNT URL: https://www.backheeled.com/how-alex-freeman-mls-son-nfl-star-blazing-own-path-orlando-city-usmnt/ Last updated: 2026-01-27T13:54:38.000Z Like father, like son. Separated by 30 years, the Freeman family is now seeing its second generation of sporting excellence across two separate sports. In 1995, Antonio Freeman broke out in the NFL after he was selected by the Green Bay Packers in the NFL draft and played a major role in making the Packers the envy of the league. Fast forward to 2025 and Antonio’s son Alex Freeman has become one of the top young American players in MLS. After winning the starting right back job for Orlando City, Alex has taken full advantage of his opportunity. The 20-year-old has played every game for Orlando this season, starting each one following the club’s opening day loss to the Philadelphia Union. Freeman, a regular U.S. youth international and former MLS Next Pro standout, has scored three goals and added one assist along the way, [earning rave reviews](https://www.backheeled.com/mls-winners-and-losers-minnesota-united-usmnt-la-galaxy/) as an up-and-coming star. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### USL tactics have never been more sophisticated. Here’s why. URL: https://www.backheeled.com/usl-tactics-have-never-been-more-sophisticated-heres-why/ Last updated: 2025-05-19T03:15:54.000Z It’s a given within USL circles that the league has grown better and more technical with each passing season. Superior player recruitment and enhanced tactical sophistication have only made the Championship stronger on the field. That progress hasn’t slowed down in 2025, but it’s taken on a new look. Increasingly, the USL is divided between two camps: teams that play long and teams that play short, with very little in between. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/22/3c/223ce17d-3253-4d03-873b-ce236408cde2/content/images/2025/05/Screenshot-2025-05-14-at-8.27.37-AM.png) **Passing stats via American Soccer Analysis* If you define a “direct” team as one that prefers long balls and hits an average pass that travels 8.5 yards or more, 29% of the Championship in 2025 is direct. On the flip side, a record-setting 33% of the division is “short” if you set the bar at 6.5 yards per pass or less. American Soccer Analysis’ data goes all the way back to 2017, and there’s never been a smaller share of mid-range teams across nine seasons of data. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### MLS In-Depth Power Rankings: Evander at his best, New York Red Bulls' touchdown & more URL: https://www.backheeled.com/mls-in-depth-power-rankings-evander-new-york-red-bulls-analysis-tactics/ Last updated: 2025-05-19T01:34:28.000Z *Power Rankings never cease to spark outrage. But here at* Backheeled*? We’re not here to cause anger. No, we’re here to dissect the latest performances, trends, tactics, and news for each of MLS’s 30 clubs. Every week during the MLS season, Ben Wright will guide you through the Eastern Conference teams and Joe Lowery will do the same for the West.* *Okay, fine. We’re also here to spark some outrage, because we’re ranking all 30 teams, too. Power Rankings are based on each club’s average position across Ben and Joe’s individual rankings. Onwards.* Want access to all of our American soccer coverage? Become a paid Backheeled subscriber today! [Subscribe! ](https://www.backheeled.com/#/portal/signup) ## 1\. Vancouver Whitecaps *Trending: No change* If you don’t think there was some pent up anger from the Vancouver Whitecaps directed towards LAFC after they’d been bounced from the playoffs by that squad two years in a row, you’re kidding yourself. Sunday’s clash between the ‘Caps and LAFC, then, presented Vancouver with a real opportunity to exorcise a demon. They failed to do that, drawing 2-2 in the final game of the weekend. Still, despite a performance that featured too many defensive mistakes to be one of their better displays of the year, Vancouver picked up an entirely respectable result against a surging Western Conference rival. After falling behind by two goals thanks to a sloppy set piece concession and a bad penalty giveaway, Vancouver slowly whittled away at LAFC. Even with Pedro Vite going off with a minor injury at halftime, they dominated the ball with the sort of patient possession and hyper-aggressive counter pressure that define Jesper Sorensen’s tactical approach — and it all paid off on Brian White’s equalizer. > Guess who???? > > Brian White with the equalizer for [@WhitecapsFC](https://twitter.com/WhitecapsFC?ref%5Fsrc=twsrc%5Etfw&ref=backheeled.com)! 👀 [pic.twitter.com/iAROnvrU4I](https://t.co/iAROnvrU4I?ref=backheeled.com) > > — Major League Soccer (@MLS) [May 12, 2025](https://twitter.com/MLS/status/1921728175626666473?ref%5Fsrc=twsrc%5Etfw&ref=backheeled.com) This Whitecaps team is beatable. Every team in MLS is. But they sure don’t make it easy. - *Joe Lowery* _This post is for subscribers only._ ### From being “criticized” to a USMNT return and MLS excellence: Inside Zack Steffen’s turnaround URL: https://www.backheeled.com/zack-steffen-turnaround-usmnt-mls-colorado-rapids-pochettino-armas/ Last updated: 2025-05-15T13:17:19.000Z “There's going to be peaks and valleys. You just gotta get back up and look at what you can do different next time and grow.” Zack Steffen has had a whirlwind 18 months. The goalkeeper struggled with the Colorado Rapids last season, his first year back in MLS after a long stretch with Manchester City in England. The Rapids crashed out of the playoffs to eventual champions LA Galaxy, losing by a combined 9-1 scoreline in their two matches. Fast forward to 2025, and things look very different. Steffen has been one of the best goalkeepers in the league, putting up historically excellent numbers. He’s also back in the U.S. men’s national team picture, making a resurgence under new head coach Mauricio Pochettino. Steffen opened up about the last year in an exclusive interview with *Backheeled*. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### MLS, illustrated URL: https://www.backheeled.com/mls-illustrated-inter-miami-loss-lafc-new-york-red-bulls-more/ Last updated: 2025-05-12T02:23:21.000Z _This post is for subscribers only._ ### MLS Winners and Losers: Minnesota United's huge win, USMNT standouts & more URL: https://www.backheeled.com/mls-winners-and-losers-minnesota-united-usmnt-la-galaxy/ Last updated: 2025-05-14T13:26:53.000Z *It’s in the title, folks. Every week during the MLS season,* Backheeled *will dive into the biggest Winners and Losers from around the league. This week, Minnesota United enjoyed a statement win, expensive attackers didn't show up, things got worse for some bad teams, and more.* ## Winner: Minnesota United Even if they’re not on top of the Supporters’ Shield standings, Inter Miami are *the* team to beat if you want to make a statement. So what if Javier Mascherano’s fullbacks would rather do literally anything else than defend like a normal human soccer player? Lionel Messi is staring you down at the other end of the field and he’s out for blood. On Saturday afternoon, Minnesota United matched up with an angry Miami team, one still smarting from their Concacaf Champions Cup exit less than two weeks ago. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### ​​USL Power Rankings: Tight margins, young attackers thrive & more from Week 10 URL: https://www.backheeled.com/usl-power-rankings-young-attackers-thrive-more-week-10/ Last updated: 2025-05-15T13:08:21.000Z With six draws in 11 games, Week 10 in the USL Championship was defined by yet more parity. It’s the signature theme of 2025\. The majority of the league is packed in a bunch, and that makes it especially impressive when a team like Charleston or Loudoun blows their opponent off the pitch. No team in the Championship has a goal difference worse than a modest minus-seven; lopsided routs are increasingly hard to come by. Amidst all the close games this weekend, more than a few teams stood out – for the better and for the worse. Who’s up and who’s down, and how’d they get there? Let’s dig in. ## 1\. Charleston Battery ***Trending: No change*** *Result: 3-1 win at Tampa Bay* *Aaron Molloy tackle. Juan Torres tucks central to receive. Through ball to Arturo Rodriguez. Penalty.* Charleston is like clockwork, utterly systematic in the way they break teams down. The pay-off for that consistency came roughly five minutes into a trip to Tampa Bay this weekend, but it’s emblematic of how Ben Pirmann has instilled patterns within his Battery lineup. No team in the USL does more to put their best players in the best possible positions. Molloy embodies that principle. While Torres is the breakout star of 2025, Molloy is the beating heart of this team. As Charleston grow bolder in their 3-4-3ish build setup, it’s the Irish midfielder’s ability to set the table and then step into elevated overloads that makes everyone else better. > 2⃣ for MD Myers and 3⃣ for the [@Chas\_Battery](https://twitter.com/Chas%5FBattery?ref%5Fsrc=twsrc%5Etfw&ref=backheeled.com) 😎 [pic.twitter.com/pJQ6Njfa4P](https://t.co/pJQ6Njfa4P?ref=backheeled.com) > > — USL Championship (@USLChampionship) [May 11, 2025](https://twitter.com/USLChampionship/status/1921356734423003181?ref%5Fsrc=twsrc%5Etfw&ref=backheeled.com) After a heartbreaking loss away to DC United in the Open Cup, it would’ve been easy for Charleston to look tired and potentially tweak the formula. Instead, they scored three times in the first half and pinged pass after pass between the lines. Molloy, who took well over 100 touches, led the charge but knew his first job was to create angles. He only completed half-a-dozen passes into the final third, but his gravity demanded attention that let other teammates serve as initiating threats. MD Myers’ second goal, which started with a Chris Allan dribble up the middle freed because of attention on Molloy, was a case in point. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### U.S. Open Cup superlatives: Best cup-set, renewed rivalry, homecoming & more from the Round of 32 URL: https://www.backheeled.com/us-open-cup-superlatives-mls-usl-round-of-32-upset-rivalry/ Last updated: 2025-05-12T02:14:47.000Z If you’re looking for intrigue and upsets, the U.S. Open Cup’s Round of 32 wasn’t your cup of tea. 16 MLS clubs entered the tournament this week, and 15 of them advanced. It was a veritable bloodbath for the remaining lower-league teams, though many still managed to put up a good fight. Even if the results went chalky, there were plenty of moments, players, and storylines to admire. Let’s dig into another set of U.S. Open Cup superlatives to recap it all. Want access to all of our American soccer coverage? Become a paid Backheeled subscriber today! [Subscribe! ](https://www.backheeled.com/#/portal/signup) ## Best Budding Rivalry When Khano Smith moved to New England from Bermuda’s Dandy Town Hornets – one of the best-named teams in world soccer, I’d imagine? – way back in 2005, he couldn’t have imagined that he’d be coaching against the Revolution 20 years later. That dream became a reality on Wednesday. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### What makes Cavan Sullivan special: Analyzing the Philadelphia Union’s rising star URL: https://www.backheeled.com/what-makes-cavan-sullivan-special-analyzing-philadelphia-union-rising-star-mls-usmnt/ Last updated: 2025-05-13T13:04:00.000Z Cavan Sullivan might be the biggest name in MLS to play less than 100 minutes. How many other players can say they were being [followed by a documentary crew](https://www.youtube.com/shorts/IkQ2UdJIRO8?ref=backheeled.com) before they even made their first team debut? Between the media circus, the [largest first contract for a homegrown player in MLS history](https://www.philadelphiaunion.com/news/philadelphia-union-sign-academy-product-cavan-sullivan-record-homegrown-signing?ref=backheeled.com), and the planned move to Manchester City on his 18th birthday, there isn’t much precedent for the level of attention that Sullivan has received before he’s even turned 16. On the field, though, it’s been a little slower going. After making his MLS debut for the Philadelphia Union last summer, Sullivan has made five other brief substitute appearances – two last year and three this year. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### MLS In-Depth Power Rankings: Seattle Sounders rise, Real Salt Lake's promising talent & more URL: https://www.backheeled.com/mls-in-depth-power-rankings-seattle-sounders-rise-real-salt-lake-young-talent-more/ Last updated: 2025-05-11T22:01:46.000Z *Power Rankings never cease to spark outrage. But here at* Backheeled*? We’re not here to cause anger. No, we’re here to dissect the latest performances, trends, tactics, and news for each of MLS’s 30 clubs. Every week during the MLS season, Ben Wright will guide you through the Eastern Conference teams and Joe Lowery will do the same for the West.* *Okay, fine. We’re also here to spark some outrage, because we’re ranking all 30 teams, too. Power Rankings are based on each club’s average position across Ben and Joe’s individual rankings. Onwards.* ## 1\. Vancouver Whitecaps *Trending: No change* From this point forward, the Vancouver Whitecaps must be referred to as the ‘We Resoundingly Beat Inter Miami Over Two Legs And Are Now Concacaf Champions Cup Finalists Vancouver Whitecaps’. I don’t make the rules, I just enforce them. Alright, fine, you called my bluff. Ain’t no way I’m typing all that again. But the Whitecaps’ magical season just keeps getting more magical. They beat and outplayed Inter Miami in Florida on Wednesday to book a date with Cruz Azul in the CCC Final on June 1st, then traveled back to Vancouver, changed five starters, and still ran right over Real Salt Lake in a 2-1 home victory. Jesper Sorensen’s team is leading the Supporters’ Shield race while playing at an absurd *80-point pace*. Everyone is producing. Everyone is playing well. Well, except Ryan Gauld *who isn’t playing at all because he’s injured.* In Gauld’s stead on the left wing on Saturday was Jayden Nelson, who scored a goal and continues to be a problem for opposing defenders. As judged by the social media comp-makers, Nelson put in a comp-worthy performance this past weekend: > Jayden Nelson vs Real Salt Lake > > 6 G/A in 7 games now. > > Baller😮‍💨[#CanMNT](https://twitter.com/hashtag/CanMNT?src=hash&ref%5Fsrc=twsrc%5Etfw&ref=backheeled.com) [#VWFC](https://twitter.com/hashtag/VWFC?src=hash&ref%5Fsrc=twsrc%5Etfw&ref=backheeled.com) > > [pic.twitter.com/wo4pOyUcjL](https://t.co/wo4pOyUcjL?ref=backheeled.com) > > — Juni🇨🇦🇸🇦 (@WasWizinho) [May 4, 2025](https://twitter.com/WasWizinho/status/1918875205201453457?ref%5Fsrc=twsrc%5Etfw&ref=backheeled.com) Vancouver? Hot knife. The rest of North America? Butter. - *Joe Lowery* _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### “I'm definitely open to it”: Christian McFarlane isn’t closing the door on the USMNT after Man City move URL: https://www.backheeled.com/christian-mcfarlane-isnt-closing-door-on-usmnt-after-man-city-move-nycfc-mls/ Last updated: 2025-05-08T13:25:33.000Z “The first training, seeing all the players, I was definitely a little nervous. After that, all the nerves went down. It’s just a regular training session,” Christian McFarlane recalled. Three weeks after his move to Manchester City, the 18-year-old left back who burst onto the scene with New York City FC last year was summoned to first team training to fill in for an injured player. An early taste of legendary manager Pep Guardiola’s environment was a timely reminder that blazing this trail – becoming the first ever NYCFC homegrown product to graduate to the crown jewel of the City Football Group family – was worth braving the bitter, damp British winter. “I would say the first few weeks, the cold definitely was getting to me,” McFarlane told *Backheeled*. Initially staying at the CitySuites aparthotel, Christian and his mom, Claudine, soon found an apartment ten minutes away from the team’s facility. “I was just getting used to everyday coldness, rain, mud, but after that, I just got used to this. So it’s been pretty good from there.” McFarlane is eligible to represent the United States at the international level. Lately, though, he’s been far from home, settling into the country he still represents at the youth national team level. The country where his life began. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### MLS, illustrated URL: https://www.backheeled.com/mls-illustrated-la-galaxy-lose-no-shots-carles-gil-dc-united-more/ Last updated: 2025-05-12T02:15:02.000Z _This post is for subscribers only._ ### MLS Winners and Losers: Bruce Arena’s balance, San Diego FC’s superstar & more URL: https://www.backheeled.com/mls-winners-and-losers-bruce-arena-san-jose-san-diego-fc-superstar-more/ Last updated: 2025-05-07T13:11:44.000Z *It’s in the title, folks. Every week during the MLS season,* Backheeled *will dive into the biggest Winners and Losers from around the league. This week, Bruce Arena’s San Jose Earthquakes made a telling change, San Diego FC exploded, goalkeepers had problems, and more.* ## Winner: Bruce Arena and the San Jose Earthquakes’ balance San Jose’s defense was bad last season. Like, *bad* bad. They allowed 78 total goals, good for more than any other team in MLS history, and 2.29 goals per game, good for the second-most in MLS history only behind the 2001 Tampa Bay Mutiny. Thanks to a gappy spine, bad defenders, and truly horrific goalkeeping, the Quakes leaked chances. When Bruce Arena was hired over the offseason, it seemed like a sure thing that the defense would improve. Arena, with all of his coaching and front office experience, would find the right defensive personnel and instill the right principles into his team to help them rebound on the defensive end. Except, uh, through the first 10 games of the season, San Jose’s defense was actually *worse* than it was in 2024 based on xG allowed. According to American Soccer Analysis, they’d gone from allowing 1.72 xG per game last year to 1.9 xG per game this year. That’s not quite the trendline Earthquakes fans were hoping to see during the first third of the new season. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### ​​USL Power Rankings: Las Vegas Lights surge, Rhode Island FC's new home & more from Week 8 URL: https://www.backheeled.com/usl-power-rankings-las-vegas-lights-surge-rhode-island-fc-new-home-more-week-8/ Last updated: 2025-05-08T13:05:44.000Z It’s too early to obsess over the table, but the USL Championship’s Eastern and Western Conferences cut an interesting contrast already. Four clubs out East are sitting on at least 15 points and feel like comfortable favorites to eventually nab home-field advantage come October. Meanwhile, the West is a rock fight in which seven different teams are within two wins of first place. This weekend’s action had the effect of making everything look tighter. Two of the East’s top four sides dropped points, while the West continued to be defined by its parity. With that in mind, which clubs and players stood out amidst it all? Let’s dig in. ## 1\. Charleston Battery ***Trending: No change*** *Result: 4-2 win v. Hartford* Leland Archer and Graham Smith are in the all-USL conversation in central defense every single year. There's hardly a better pairing in the Championship. With both out this weekend, Ben Pirmann had to get creative, meaning that midfielder Aaron Mollpy – a perennial MVP candidate because of his multi-level creation – had to pick up the pieces. You understood why Molloy isn’t a defender by trade just minutes in, when the Irishman got beat at the far post off a corner kick after misreading a bounce. It was the sort of play a natural center back would’ve contested with far more confidence, and it put Charleston in an early hole. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Vancouver Whitecaps' Concacaf Champions Cup run continues to the final, Inter Miami flop URL: https://www.backheeled.com/vancouver-whitecaps-concacaf-champions-cup-final-inter-miami-flop-mls/ Last updated: 2025-05-01T18:01:33.000Z After taking down Inter Miami in the semifinals, the Vancouver Whitecaps are through to the CCC final. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### How new soccer-specific stadiums like Rhode Island FC’s are shaping the USL’s future URL: https://www.backheeled.com/how-new-soccer-specific-stadiums-rhode-island-fc-shape-usl-future/ Last updated: 2025-05-06T13:20:58.000Z When Rhode Island FC kicks off at brand-new, 10,500-seat Centreville Bank Stadium for the first time this weekend, they’ll join Louisville City, the Colorado Springs Switchbacks, Lexington SC, and the Pittsburgh Riverhounds among an elite subset of the USL. Beyond success on the pitch, these clubs are united by one thing: owning and operating a soccer-specific stadium. Constructing a new venue purpose-built for USL soccer has massive upside for clubs. The benefits are financial, but also impact everything from pitch quality to scheduling to local legitimacy. Rhode Island’s facility at Tidewater Landing is unique in that it’s part of a larger “[mixed-use development](https://pawtucketri.gov/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Exhibit-E-Development-Plan-Master-Plan.pdf?ref=backheeled.com)” that embodies the USL’s vision for its teams. Clubs across the league are attempting to secure their financial futures by controlling their in-stadium revenue streams and buttressing them with related real estate projects or other events like concerts. RIFC is now at the vanguard of that movement. > A stadium for all Rhode Island. Home of Rhode Island FC. > > Introducing Centreville Bank Stadium 🏟️ [pic.twitter.com/gNW3QvzGWx](https://t.co/gNW3QvzGWx?ref=backheeled.com) > > — Rhode Island FC (@RhodeIslandFC) [April 8, 2025](https://twitter.com/RhodeIslandFC/status/1909664189330637271?ref%5Fsrc=twsrc%5Etfw&ref=backheeled.com) _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### This League! Our latest takeaways from the USL Championship URL: https://www.backheeled.com/this-league-usl-championship-jagermeister-cup-tactics-stats-more/ Last updated: 2025-05-01T13:56:13.000Z Welcome back to *This League!*, our show covering the USL Championship’s biggest stories, characters, and on-field action. Every week, *Backheeled's* John Morrissey, Peyton Gallaher, and Ryan Sýkora run the Championship's gauntlet to provide fresh observations from around the league. From the very first weekend of the expanded Jagermeister Cup to a data deep-dive, we covered a ton of ground. *Want to listen to the show instead? We've got you covered:* ### MLS In-Depth Power Rankings: Vancouver Whitecaps still top, Atlanta United tumble & more URL: https://www.backheeled.com/mls-in-depth-power-rankings-vancouver-whitecaps-on-top-atlanta-united-more/ Last updated: 2025-05-05T01:54:24.000Z *Power Rankings never cease to spark outrage. But here at* Backheeled*? We’re not here to cause anger. No, we’re here to dissect the latest performances, trends, tactics, and news for each of MLS’s 30 clubs. Every week during the MLS season, Ben Wright will guide you through the Eastern Conference teams and Joe Lowery will do the same for the West.* *Okay, fine. We’re also here to spark some outrage, because we’re ranking all 30 teams, too. Power Rankings are based on each club’s average position across Ben and Joe’s individual rankings. Onwards.* ## 1\. Vancouver Whitecaps *Trending: No change* It’s just like I’ve always said. There are three constants in life: death, taxes, and the Vancouver Whitecaps doing absurdly impressive stuff. Just days after playing noticeably better ball than Inter Miami and winning 2-0 at home in the first leg of the Concacaf Champions Cup semis, Vancouver travelled to Minnesota United and won 3-1 with a heavily rotated team. They just don’t stop, people. Following his game-opening goal, I wrote about Sebastian Berhalter going supernova — and about how the rest of the league missed the boat on trading for him prior to this point — earlier this week. But it’s not just Berhalter who’s made *The Leap* this season. It’s Pedro Vite, too. The 23-year-old Ecuadorian midfielder is making a living off of this right-to-left diagonal runs in the final third, where he bounces the ball off a teammate and continues his run until he has the chance to do something magical. Here’s one of those runs that led to an assist against Miami in CCC: > Brian White heads it in for the opening goal! 💥 [pic.twitter.com/RMFdeYRkXQ](https://t.co/RMFdeYRkXQ?ref=backheeled.com) > > — Concacaf Champions Cup (@TheChampions) [April 25, 2025](https://twitter.com/TheChampions/status/1915602513308353013?ref%5Fsrc=twsrc%5Etfw&ref=backheeled.com) And here’s one that led to his first goal against Minnesota: > 'Caps are COOKING. 👨‍🍳 > > Pedro Vite finishes a beautiful team move to double the [@WhitecapsFC](https://twitter.com/WhitecapsFC?ref%5Fsrc=twsrc%5Etfw&ref=backheeled.com) advantage. [pic.twitter.com/nOShhSm0Dq](https://t.co/nOShhSm0Dq?ref=backheeled.com) > > — Major League Soccer (@MLS) [April 27, 2025](https://twitter.com/MLS/status/1916593737590861939?ref%5Fsrc=twsrc%5Etfw&ref=backheeled.com) Good luck finding a midfield trio more effective than Vite, Berhalter, and Andres Cubas. - *Joe Lowery* _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### MLS, illustrated URL: https://www.backheeled.com/mls-illustrated-fc-dallas-inter-miami-atlanta-united-seattle-sounders/ Last updated: 2025-04-28T03:11:48.000Z *For more on the latest set of games from the 2025 MLS season, check out our Winners and Losers column:* [MLS Winners and Losers: Nashville SC’s touchdown, Kevin Denkey’s bike & moreNashville put together the most dominant display of the season, Jordan Morris is hurt again, and Kevin Denkey hopped on his bike.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/22/3c/223ce17d-3253-4d03-873b-ce236408cde2/content/images/icon/Backheeled-2-Sq-Light-343.png)BackheeledJoseph Lowery![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/22/3c/223ce17d-3253-4d03-873b-ce236408cde2/content/images/thumbnail/2025-MLS-POWER-RANKINGS-WK13.jpeg)](https://www.backheeled.com/mls-winners-and-losers-nashville-sc-kevin-denkey-wilfried-zaha/) ### MLS Winners and Losers: Nashville SC’s touchdown, Kevin Denkey’s bike & more URL: https://www.backheeled.com/mls-winners-and-losers-nashville-sc-kevin-denkey-wilfried-zaha/ Last updated: 2025-04-30T13:19:31.000Z *It’s in the title, folks. Every week during the MLS season,* Backheeled *will dive into the biggest Winners and Losers from around the league. This week, Nashville SC utterly dominated, FC Cincinnati did their thing, the Houston Dynamo’s new star looked for his footing, and more.* ## Winner: Nashville SC How do you respond to getting battered? You do some battering of your own, of course. That was the case for Nashville SC, who went from losing 3-0 to the Seattle Sounders last weekend to *decimating* the Chicago Fire — I assure you, reader, those italics are warranted after a 7-2 victory. Only the 1998 Los Angeles Galaxy have scored more goals in a single game than Nashville did in their bounce-back win on Saturday. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### USL Jagermeister Cup: Winners and Losers from the tournament’s first weekend URL: https://www.backheeled.com/usl-jagermeister-cup-winners-and-losers-from-the-tournaments-first-weekend/ Last updated: 2025-04-30T23:47:50.000Z *We’re breaking format, y’all! Each time that the USL pauses the regular-season schedule and shifts into Jagermeister Cup mode,* Backheeled *will dive into the biggest Winners and Losers from all the action.* *What is the Jagermeister Cup, you ask? It’s an in-season tournament that includes every team from both the USL Championship and League One. Every team plays four group stage matches, eight teams advance to the quarterfinals, and it’s a single elimination tournament from there. These cup games don’t count towards the regular season standings, but there is some cash on the line.* *In our first taste of the group stage this week, League One’s best teams proved their mettle, pairs of brothers stood out across the Cup, and so much more.* [Inside the new-look Jagermeister Cup: Not a pro-rel “test balloon” but could help elevate the USLWe spoke with key USL executives to learn more about the inter-league competition coming to the lower divisions in 2025.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/22/3c/223ce17d-3253-4d03-873b-ce236408cde2/content/images/icon/Backheeled-2-Sq-Light-342.png)BackheeledJohn Morrissey![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/22/3c/223ce17d-3253-4d03-873b-ce236408cde2/content/images/thumbnail/jagermeistercup_122724-4.jpg)](https://www.backheeled.com/inside-usl-new-jagermeister-cup-pro-rel-us-open-championship-league-one/) ## Winner: FC Naples After an unbeaten start to life in USL League One, Matt Poland and FC Naples finally took their lumps by losing back-to-back matches against Tampa Bay in the U.S. Open Cup and Knoxville in the league. Even with those losses, they still aren’t ripping up the blueprint. Faced with a brutal visit from the second-division Charleston Battery on Saturday in the Jagermeister Cup, the expansion side stuck to their principles and pulled off a statement win because of it. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### MLS transfer window superlatives: Best signing, worst window, most dramatic move & more URL: https://www.backheeled.com/mls-transfer-window-best-signing-worst-window-saga-stars/ Last updated: 2025-05-05T02:09:39.000Z Pencils down, everyone. Yeah, even you Inter Miami. MLS’s primary transfer window shut on Wednesday night, so what better moment is there to look back on the window that was? *Literally any point later in the season would be better because we would have much more information on which players have hit and which teams have really improved,* you say? That can’t be right. I’m sure now is the best time to make confident assertions about anything and everything in MLS’s transfer ecosystem. Onwards, to the superlatives! ## Best signing: Anders Dreyer to San Diego FC Signed from Anderlecht in a continuation of MLS clubs looking to mid-twenties talent from Belgium, Anders Dreyer has been wildly good for the new kids on the block. Chucky Lozano hasn’t been the brightest star for an impressively strong San Diego FC team. No, that distinction belongs to Dreyer, whose near $5 million reported price tag is looking increasingly like a bargain every time he steps on the field. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### USL owners with pro-rel experience peel back the curtain on the league’s new model URL: https://www.backheeled.com/usl-owners-pro-rel-experience-share-insight-into-new-model/ Last updated: 2025-04-30T13:19:25.000Z USL owners come from many walks of life and varying levels of experience in professional sports. A select few own soccer clubs in Europe, and that subset is uniquely qualified to discuss the story on everyone’s mind: the introduction of promotion and relegation to the USL ecosystem. The news was announced in March and was met with an enthusiastic reception. There are [questions to answer](https://www.backheeled.com/usl-introduce-promotion-relegation-big-questions-us-soccer-mls-tv-pro-rel/) in terms of league structure, timelines, and economics, but the promotion vote moved the needle like no other headline in the history of the American lower leagues. What might the next phase in the USL’s growth look like, and what lessons can be taken from the English pyramid in particular? In discussions with *Backheeled*, Brett Johnson (the co-founder of Rhode Island FC and an investor and director at the Premier League’s Ipswich Town) and Kevin Nagle (the managing partner of the Sacramento Republic and full shareholder in Huddersfield Town) expressed their hopes for the pro-rel future. Both owners, as their English club ties indicate, have first-hand experience with pro-rel. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### This League! Our latest takeaways from the USL Championship URL: https://www.backheeled.com/this-league-usl-championship-takeaways-detroit-city-charleston-battery/ Last updated: 2025-04-23T17:44:04.000Z Welcome back to *This League!*, our new show covering the USL Championship’s biggest stories, characters, and on-field action. Every week, the *Backheeled* crew runs the Championship's gauntlet to provide fresh observations from around the league. From the sudden absence of pushover teams to the Charleston Battery's new look to Detroit City's goal threat, we covered a ton of ground. *Want to listen to the show instead? We've got you covered:* ### MLS In-Depth Power Rankings: Inter Miami stay undefeated, the East gets messy & more URL: https://www.backheeled.com/mls-in-depth-power-rankings-inter-miami-stay-undefeated-dc-united-rsl-more/ Last updated: 2025-04-28T01:01:00.000Z *Power Rankings never cease to spark outrage. But here at* Backheeled*? We’re not here to cause anger. No, we’re here to dissect the latest performances, trends, tactics, and news for each of MLS’s 30 clubs. Every week during the MLS season, Ben Wright will guide you through the Eastern Conference teams and Joe Lowery will do the same for the West.* *Okay, fine. We’re also here to spark some outrage, because we’re ranking all 30 teams, too. Power Rankings are based on each club’s average position across Ben and Joe’s individual rankings. Onwards.* ## 1\. Vancouver Whitecaps *Trending: No change* Inter Miami might be the only truly undefeated team left in MLS, but the Vancouver Whitecaps are still unbeaten in games where their roster wasn’t absolutely decimated by the league’s insistence on playing through international breaks. Outside of that short-handed loss to Chicago last month, the ‘Caps have maintained their quality results. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### MLS, illustrated URL: https://www.backheeled.com/mls-illustrated-giroud-first-goal-lafc-brad-guzan-houston-dynamo/ Last updated: 2025-05-05T02:16:24.000Z *For more on the latest set of games from the 2025 MLS season, check out our Winners and Losers column:* [MLS Winners and Losers: Seattle Sounders make a statement, LA Galaxy reach a new low & moreThe Seattle Sounders have arrived, DC United are booting it again, and the Cleveland Crew fell for the first time in 2025.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/22/3c/223ce17d-3253-4d03-873b-ce236408cde2/content/images/icon/Backheeled-2-Sq-Light-325.png)BackheeledJoseph Lowery![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/22/3c/223ce17d-3253-4d03-873b-ce236408cde2/content/images/thumbnail/2025-MLS-POWER-RANKINGS-WK11.jpeg)](https://www.backheeled.com/mls-winners-and-losers-seattle-sounders-la-galaxy-crew-miami/) ### MLS Winners and Losers: Seattle Sounders make a statement, LA Galaxy reach a new low & more URL: https://www.backheeled.com/mls-winners-and-losers-seattle-sounders-la-galaxy-crew-miami/ Last updated: 2025-04-23T13:20:58.000Z *It’s in the title, folks. Every week during the MLS season,* Backheeled *will dive into the biggest Winners and Losers from around the league. This week, the Crew played an “away-home” game, a pair of struggling Eastern Conference teams gave themselves a chance to breathe, and the LA Galaxy found themselves inextricably tied to the league’s least enviable club.* ## Loser: Columbus Crew Wilfried Nancy called it an “away-home” game. When the Columbus Crew hosted Inter Miami on Saturday afternoon, they weren’t suiting up in their own locker room at Lower.com Field. They weren’t even suiting up in their own *city*. With ownership keen to capitalize on the Lionel Messi ticket bump, the Crew’s home game was held in Cleveland at the Brown’s Huntington Bank Field. More than 60,000 fans took in a matchup between the final two undefeated teams in the league — and in that way, Saturday was a success for the Crew, if not for Columbus. When the final whistle blew, though, only one undefeated team remained: Inter Miami. With home field advantage [historically carrying more weight](https://www.americansocceranalysis.com/home/2021/11/30/how-away-teams-win-in-mls-and-how-to-be-like-them?ref=backheeled.com) in MLS than in Europe’s biggest leagues, the Crew didn’t have the luxury of a familiar atmosphere. Two hours north on I-71, they lost 1-0 in their first regular season defeat of the year. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### ​​USL Power Rankings: No bad teams, Charleston Battery on top & more from Week 7 URL: https://www.backheeled.com/usl-championship-power-rankings-charleston-battery-no-bad-teams-more/ Last updated: 2025-04-24T14:03:05.000Z For half a decade, Phoenix Rising and the Tampa Bay Rowdies were arguably the jewels in the USL Championship’s crown. Both clubs dominated their respective conferences, culminating in multiple title game berths for each. Phoenix and Tampa Bay were the model of consistency. Fast forward to April 2025, and – spoiler alert – I’ve slotted that pair as two of the bottom three teams in the USL power rankings. That’s less a reflection of Rising’s or the Rowdies’ failures than a testament to the level of the Championship. Both of these clubs are well-poised to rebound and make their way into the playoffs, but it’s going to be a difficult task for one simple reason: there are no legitimately bad teams in the league this year. After Week 7, where does your club sit in that high-parity environment, and what tactical decisions made the difference? Let’s dig in. ## 1\. Charleston Battery ***Trending: +1*** *Result: 3-1 win at Indy* Just when you thought the Charleston attack was dangerous enough, they’ve decided to level up. The fun began midweek when MD Myers found his shooting boots and bagged a hat trick against Tormenta in the Open Cup. Then, [Tom Bogert broke the news that the Battery were adding Rubio Rubin](https://bsky.app/profile/tombogert.bsky.social/post/3ln2d5cggos25?ref=backheeled.com) – a player with seven goals in five career USL appearances on top of ample MLS and European bona fides – to their offensive group. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### LAFC manager Steve Cherundolo will step down after 2025 season URL: https://www.backheeled.com/lafc-manager-steve-cherundolo-will-step-down-after-2025-season-mls/ Last updated: 2025-04-22T16:08:49.000Z In a surprising turn of events, LAFC manager Steve Cherundolo will step down from his post after the 2025 MLS season, the club announced on Friday. “It is an honor to be the head coach of LAFC,” Cherundolo said in a press release. “After much reflection and discussion with my family, we made the decision that at the end of this year we will return to Germany. I love Los Angeles and LAFC, but this move is in the best interest of my family, even as it will ultimately take us away from a team, city, organization and fan base that I am proud to represent.” After being hired in January of 2022 as Bob Bradley’s replacement and just the second head coach in LAFC history, Cherundolo became the only coach in league history to win both the Supporters’ Shield and MLS Cup in his first season as an MLS manager. Following a successful 2022 season, LAFC reached the final of the Concacaf Champions League and participated in MLS Cup in 2023\. They finished 2024 as the top seed in the Western Conference and won the U.S. Open Cup. Along the way, Cherundolo became the seventh-fastest MLS coach to reach 50 regular-season wins. "I am looking forward to continuing our work with the players, coaches and staff to make the 2025 season a success as we keep fighting to win trophies.” _This post is for subscribers only._ ### U.S. Open Cup superlatives: Best mascot, El Farolito’s run, new rivalry & more third round moments URL: https://www.backheeled.com/us-open-cup-superlatives-usl-best-mascot-el-farolitos-run-rivalry-more/ Last updated: 2025-04-20T19:50:52.000Z The third round of the U.S. Open Cup was remarkable because of its parity. Only one out of 16 matches ended with a margin greater than two goals. Four third-division teams pulled off Cup-sets, and another nearly did so before falling on penalty kicks. Along the way, we got hat tricks, derby matches, and the debut of a show-stealing moose. What else defined the round? I’m dishing out superlatives to find out. ## Biggest Coverage Upgrade As convenient as it might be to fire up a YouTube stream to watch Flatirons FC or Laguna United try for a Cup-set, the future of the U.S. Open Cup is [tied to its visibility and profitability](https://www.backheeled.com/mls-in-depth-power-rankings-columbus-crew-new-star-colorado-rapids-press-more/). By that measuring stick, the tournament’s 2025 debut on the CBS ecosystem was a boon. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### MLS In-Depth Power Rankings: Columbus Crew's new star, Colorado Rapids' deadly press & more URL: https://www.backheeled.com/mls-in-depth-power-rankings-columbus-crew-new-star-colorado-rapids-press-more/ Last updated: 2025-04-17T13:21:13.000Z *Power Rankings never cease to spark outrage. But here at* Backheeled*? We’re not here to cause anger. No, we’re here to dissect the latest performances, trends, tactics, and news for each of MLS’s 30 clubs. Every week during the MLS season, Ben Wright will guide you through the Eastern Conference teams and Joe Lowery will do the same for the West.* *Okay, fine. We’re also here to spark some outrage, because we’re ranking all 30 teams, too. Power Rankings are based on each club’s average position across Ben and Joe’s individual rankings. Onwards.* ## 1\. Vancouver Whitecaps *Trending: +2* We got some flack for leaving them out of the top spot last week, but after a 5-1 win over Austin FC on Saturday, there’s little doubt in my mind: the Vancouver Whitecaps are the best team in MLS. It’s rare to see a team smash another as thoroughly as the ‘Caps smashed Austin this past weekend. It’s *especially* rare to see that sort of thing in MLS, a league designed to maintain close margins and parity. But through the first eight weekends of the 2025 season, the Whitecaps have sprinted their way to the top of the league, playing some wildly effective ball along the way. Through eight games, Jesper Sorensen’s team has a +1.17 xG differential. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### What it costs to run a USL team: Expansion fees, player wages & more URL: https://www.backheeled.com/what-usl-team-costs-championship-league-one-super-league-expansion-fees-wages/ Last updated: 2025-04-24T13:04:42.000Z You don’t need me to tell you this, but sports are big business in the United States. But where baseball, football, basketball, and hockey are mature, media revenue-driven leagues, the professional soccer landscape is far more varied in where its revenue comes from. Really, it’s still learning how to turn an extremely expensive endeavor into a profitable one. When the business of men’s professional soccer comes up, it’s often Major League Soccer that receives the bulk of the focus. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### This League! Our latest takeaways from the USL Championship URL: https://www.backheeled.com/this-league-takeaways-usl-championship-tampa-bay-rowdies-new-mexico-united/ Last updated: 2025-04-16T13:21:29.000Z Welcome back to *This League!*, our new show covering the USL Championship’s biggest stories, characters, and on-field action. Every week, *Backheeled's* John Morrissey, Peyton Gallaher, and Ryan Sýkora run the Championship's gauntlet to provide fresh observations from around the league. From the Tampa Bay Rowdies and Birmingham Legion firing their managers to a familiar face shining for New Mexico United, our trio covered a ton of ground. *Want to listen to the show instead? We've got you covered:* ### Ranking all 30 MLS academies – and picking each team's top prospect URL: https://www.backheeled.com/ranking-all-30-mls-youth-academies-each-team-top-prospect/ Last updated: 2025-04-20T18:44:41.000Z Youth development in Major League Soccer remains very much a work in progress. While significant strides have been made, the overall talent pool of U.S.-eligible players is worth acknowledging right off the bat. Across the age groups, COVID's impact left its mark on the overall quality of the 2006 and 2007 age groups. Things pick up in terms of quality across the board for players born in 2008\. At this point, it looks like there could be several special talents born in 2009 and 2010, even if time will be the true test of that opinion. In that backdrop, MLS has made plenty of moves over the past few years to bolster development. Along with running its own youth league (MLS Next), it also has [feeder league MLS Next Pro](https://www.backheeled.com/mls-next-pro-expansion-plans-new-division-relocation-charles-altcheck/) in place to provide the bridge to the first team. The level of that league leaves a lot to be desired, even if players are starting to come through and contribute via that pathway. While the youth development landscape continues to search for its footing, we’re wondering: how does each MLS academy stack up? *Enter: Backheeled’s MLS Academy Rankings.* For this [latest ranking](https://www.backheeled.com/ranking-every-mls-academy-top-prospect/) of MLS Academies, the entire picture has been taken into account: history of prospect development, current talent pool, how successful organizations are at moving players to the professional level, and last but not least, national team development. Along with that, we’ve highlighted the top domestic prospect for each team (signed or unsigned) that is U20 eligible – born in 2005 or earlier. Let’s get to it. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### MLS, illustrated URL: https://www.backheeled.com/mls-illustrated-brad-stuver-mouse-la-galaxy-javier-mascherano-gregg-berhalter/ Last updated: 2025-04-14T13:14:11.000Z *For more on the latest set of games from the 2025 MLS season, check out our Winners and Losers column:* [MLS Winners and Losers: Sorensen’s Vancouver Whitecaps soar, Atlanta United search for answers & moreThe ’Caps just might be the best team in MLS, a wild trade changed the East, and Ronny Deila is searching for answers.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/22/3c/223ce17d-3253-4d03-873b-ce236408cde2/content/images/icon/Backheeled-2-Sq-Light-308.png)BackheeledJoseph Lowery![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/22/3c/223ce17d-3253-4d03-873b-ce236408cde2/content/images/thumbnail/2025-MLS-POWER-RANKINGS-WK9.jpeg)](https://www.backheeled.com/mls-winners-losers-sorensen-vancouver-whitecaps-atlanta-united-gazdag-more/) _This post is for subscribers only._ ### MLS Winners and Losers: Sorensen’s Vancouver Whitecaps soar, Atlanta United search for answers & more URL: https://www.backheeled.com/mls-winners-losers-sorensen-vancouver-whitecaps-atlanta-united-gazdag-more/ Last updated: 2025-04-16T13:03:18.000Z *It’s in the title, folks. Every week during the MLS season,* Backheeled *will dive into the biggest Winners and Losers from around the league. This week, Brad Stuver caught a mouse, Jesper Sorensen furthered his Coach of the Year case, a couple of stars returned, and more.* ## Winner: Brad Stuver, Mouse Catcher Behold, a goalkeeper who can stop more than just shots on target: > Austin FC goalkeeper Brad Stuver just CAUGHT A MOUSE ON THE FIELD in Vancouver > > I love this league. [pic.twitter.com/oh85oVvvmq](https://t.co/oh85oVvvmq?ref=backheeled.com) > > — Tom Bogert (@tombogert) [April 12, 2025](https://twitter.com/tombogert/status/1911206654521360531?ref%5Fsrc=twsrc%5Etfw&ref=backheeled.com) Did Brad Stuver’s mouse hunt, aided by the eagle-eyed and quick-pointing Brendan Hines-Ike, have the dramatic flair of the Philadelphia Union staffers [banding together to catch Racquinho the raccoon](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xg6sA-Z%5Fyo4&ref=backheeled.com) last season? No. But is there something to be said for the efficiency of Stuver’s operation here? You bet. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### USL Power Rankings: Detroit City’s wild comeback, Loudoun United keep climbing & more from Week 6 URL: https://www.backheeled.com/usl-power-rankings-detroit-city-fc-comeback-loudoun-united-keep-climbing-week-6/ Last updated: 2025-04-20T18:44:34.000Z If you’re looking for havoc from your soccer league of choice, the USL Championship is there for you. This weekend alone, the worst team in the East beat the top team in the West on the road. Detroit knocked in three goals after the 85th minute to shock Phoenix. A game got cancelled because the earth beneath the pitch was literally frozen solid! After a wild Week 6, who’s up and who’s down across the league, and what tactical choices made the difference? Let’s dig in. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Tampa Bay Rowdies fire manager Robbie Neilson after four matches in 2025 URL: https://www.backheeled.com/tampa-bay-rowdies-fire-manager-robbie-neilson-usl-championship/ Last updated: 2025-04-11T14:29:36.000Z The first domino fell on Wednesday when the Birmingham Legion parted ways with Tommy Soehn, and now it’s open season; the Tampa Bay Rowdies are moving on from manager Robbie Neilson. Neilson spent the better part of a decade managing in the Scottish Premier League and Championship before taking over in Tampa Bay ahead of the 2024 season. At Al Lang Stadium, he represented the first full-time successor to Neill Collins, who left the club midway through 2023. Tampa Bay entered last season as the [presumptive favorite in the East](https://www.uslchampionship.com/news%5Farticle/show/1302577?ref=backheeled.com), having added star players like Jordan Farr, Nick Moon, Manuel Arteaga, and Daniel Crisostomo across every position group. Instead of dominating, the Rowdies limped to a sixth-place finish while winning just two of their final eight matches in the league. Late-season displacement caused by Hurricane Milton took a toll, but Neilson’s side never lived up to their club’s lofty standards. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### MLS won't change to fall-to-spring calendar for 2026 URL: https://www.backheeled.com/mls-decides-against-change-to-european-style-calendar-for-2026/ Last updated: 2025-04-15T13:05:37.000Z MLS decided against shifting to a fall-to-spring calendar ahead of the 2026 World Cup, as determined at a Board of Governors meeting in Chicago on Thursday. “Major League Soccer’s Board of Governors today authorized a second phase of exploration into a potential move to the international soccer calendar, along with a continued evaluation of the league’s regular season and playoff formats,” the league said in a statement. “Any potential changes would not take effect until the 2027 season at the earliest.” Want access to all of our American soccer coverage? Become a paid Backheeled subscriber today! [Subscribe! ](https://www.backheeled.com/#/portal/signup) While MLS has been discussing a schedule shift internally and surveying fans over at least the last year, there wasn’t enough momentum to push a change over the line. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### USL Championship overreactions for each team: Loudoun United trophy bound, signing of the year & more URL: https://www.backheeled.com/usl-championship-overreactions-for-each-team-loudoun-united-trophy-bound-signing-of-the-year-more/ Last updated: 2025-04-14T01:12:08.000Z When you’re five weeks into a season, it’s the perfect time to overreact. There’s enough data to make genuine conclusions about teams from across the USL Championship, but the sample size is small enough for any hot take to feel risky. As we near mid-April and with the start of the Jagermeister Cup looming, I’ve got one overreaction for all 24 clubs in the Championship. From key lineup holes to lost seasons and everything in between, let’s dig in. Want access to all of our American soccer coverage? Become a paid Backheeled subscriber today! [Subscribe! ](https://www.backheeled.com/#/portal/signup) ## Birmingham Legion *The Legion midfield is broken.* Danny Trejo and Tyler Pasher have combined to play about 80 minutes in 2025\. Phanuel Kavita and AJ Paterson have missed matches at the back. Birmingham haven’t been good so far, but they’ve got excuses up front and in their back four. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### This League! Takeaways from the USL Championship's latest action URL: https://www.backheeled.com/this-league-takeaways-usl-championship-phoenix-rising-san-antonio-fc-sacramento-republic/ Last updated: 2025-04-09T22:40:18.000Z Welcome back to *This League!*, our new show covering the USL Championship’s biggest stories, characters, and on-field action. Every week, *Backheeled's* John Morrissey, Peyton Gallaher, and Ryan Sýkora run the Championship's gauntlet to provide fresh observations from around the league. From Phoenix Rising's big win on CBS to Sacramento Republic and Louisville City battling it out, our trio covered a ton of ground. *Want to listen to the show instead? We've got you covered:* ### Birmingham Legion fire Tommy Soehn, only manager in club history URL: https://www.backheeled.com/birmingham-legion-fire-tommy-soehn-only-manager-in-club-history-usl-championship/ Last updated: 2025-04-09T16:31:51.000Z After more than six years in charge, Soehn was let go on Wednesday morning. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### MLS In-Depth Power Rankings: Sporting KC's new era, Insigne shows up & more URL: https://www.backheeled.com/mls-in-depth-power-rankings-insigne-toronto-fc-san-diego-fc-climb-more/ Last updated: 2025-04-16T13:15:51.000Z *Power Rankings never cease to spark outrage. But here at* Backheeled*? We’re not here to cause anger. No, we’re here to dissect the latest performances, trends, tactics, and news for each of MLS’s 30 clubs. Every week during the MLS season, Ben Wright will guide you through the Eastern Conference teams and Joe Lowery will do the same for the West.* *Okay, fine. We’re also here to spark some outrage, because we’re ranking all 30 teams, too. Power Rankings are based on each club’s average position across Ben and Joe’s individual rankings. Onwards.* ## 1\. Inter Miami *Trending: No change* We’ve seen it repeatedly since Lionel Messi arrived: Inter Miami get the best shot from whoever they’re playing, regardless of form. That held true in their 1-1 draw with Toronto FC on Sunday – and makes the fact that Messi keeps scoring even more impressive. He’s up to three goals and two assists in just 360 minutes this year. He’s not quite matching his two-goal-contributions-per-96-minutes pace from last year, but at 1.33 he’s not *that* far off. I don’t think we’ve seen the best of Miami or Messi just yet. Things are going to get even better. One way they could get better? Signing Kevin De Bruyne. One of the elite midfielders of his generation, De Bruyne recently announced he won’t return to Manchester City at the end of the season. He’s been linked with MLS for years, with San Diego FC the rumored destination until GiveMeSport’s Tom Bogert [debunked those reports](https://www.givemesport.com/kevin-de-bruyne-leave-manchester-city-transfer-mls-san-diego-sources/?ref=backheeled.com). The Athletic’s [Paul Tenorio reports](https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6256074/2025/04/07/kevin-de-bruyne-inter-miami-mls-discovery-rights-man-city/?ref=backheeled.com) that Miami hold his discovery rights, and would be an on-brand signing for the midfielder. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### MLS, illustrated URL: https://www.backheeled.com/mls-illustrated-josef-martinez-nycfc-la-galaxy-chucky-lozano/ Last updated: 2025-04-07T03:44:36.000Z _This post is for subscribers only._ ### MLS Winners and Losers: Wilfried Nancy gets the last laugh, Sporting KC’s step, bought-in stars & more URL: https://www.backheeled.com/mls-winners-and-losers-wilfried-nancy-sporting-kansas-city-san-diego-fc/ Last updated: 2025-04-09T13:18:21.000Z *It’s in the title, folks. Every week during the MLS season,* Backheeled *will dive into the biggest Winners and Losers from around the league. This week, Wilfried Nancy laughed, Sporting Kansas City stepped towards a new era, a group of stars looked bought-in, and more.* ## Winner: Sporting Kansas City's new era I like working from my couch. I mean, who wouldn’t? There are times, though, where I’m envious of folks watching games in stadiums — it’s not often you get to hang out with thousands of people as you cheer on a common objective. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### USL Power Rankings: No more perfect Championship teams, El Paso impress & more from Week 5 URL: https://www.backheeled.com/usl-power-rankings-cbs-tv-el-paso-locomotive-tactics-analysis-more/ Last updated: 2025-04-10T13:01:02.000Z Television ratings aren’t the only (or even primary) measure of success for the USL, but they’re a quick and easy way to see how the league is making inroads to the average soccer fan. The more people that watch the USL on CBS or ESPN, the more advertisers and investors will buy in. Ratings can signify that the league is succeeding in getting its message – on prioritizing player development, providing community connections, and opening the pyramid – out to new supporters. This Sunday marked the first nationally televised match of the USL year, featuring San Antonio FC and Phoenix Rising as a Sunday afternoon lead-in to the nightly news and *60 Minutes* on CBS. We won’t know what the ratings looked like for another week or so, but every viewer counts, and league headquarters will be looking for a jump as compared to a roughly 400,000 average from last season. Of course, San Antonio and Phoenix played an actual soccer game, and that’s what we’re here to discuss. After Week 5, how do those clubs and the rest of the USL Championship stack up? Let’s dig in. ## 1\. Louisville City ***Trending: No change*** *Result: 1-1 draw at Sacramento* Watching Louisville play on the back foot and absorb pressure is an out-of-body experience. It just doesn’t feel right! For large swathes of their match in Sacramento this weekend, LouCity was forced to sit back and let someone else set the terms for the first time all year. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### “You just need to reset”: How Philadelphia Union’s offseason of change is paying early dividends URL: https://www.backheeled.com/philadelphia-union-offseason-changes-mls-jim-curtin-ernst-tanner-bradley-carnell/ Last updated: 2025-04-10T21:39:49.000Z “Sometimes you just need to reset it, neutralize everything, and start fresh. That’s what we did,” Philadelphia Union sporting director Ernst Tanner told *Backheeled* earlier this week*.* When Jim Curtin was let go in November as the Union’s manager after 11 years on the job, there was little doubt that Philadelphia would look different this year compared to last. But with Bradley Carnell hired as Curtin’s replacement and with new players from the academy and abroad, the Philadelphia Union sit tied for third in MLS in points per game through the first six weeks of the season. *Backheeled* sat down with Tanner to learn more about why he wants the Union to play an aggressive style, how the club has found early success after Curtin, a potential MLS calendar shift, and more. *Answers have been lightly edited and condensed for clarity.* _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### U.S. Open Cup superlatives: In-state rivalries, burritos, Kljestan's red card & more second round moments URL: https://www.backheeled.com/us-open-cup-second-round-rivalries-burritos-kljestan-red-card-more/ Last updated: 2025-04-07T02:24:45.000Z Five matches pushing themselves to extra time, two of which ended in penalty shootouts. A historic intra-city rivalry game contested for the first time ever. More than 50 goals scored. Burritos. Whatever you’re looking for from a soccer tournament, the second round of the U.S. Open Cup had it. As always, we’re recapping all the action in superlative form, highlighting the best of the best from all 16 matches. Let’s get to it. ## Biggest Rivalry Game It’s 2018, and Chattanooga FC has a decision to make. [This is a club that once drew 18,000 fans to the NPSL title game](https://www.mlssoccer.com/news/us-amateur-record-crowd-18227-sees-npsl-club-chattanooga-fc-fall-overtime?ref=backheeled.com), one that’s forged inroads in their community for the better part of a decade. Now, they’ve got the option to go fully professional in the newly-founded USL League One. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### MLS In-Depth Power Rankings: LA Galaxy keep falling, Sporting KC's transition & more URL: https://www.backheeled.com/mls-in-depth-power-rankings-la-galaxy-keep-falling-sporting-kc-transition-more/ Last updated: 2025-04-07T00:46:39.000Z *Power Rankings never cease to spark outrage. But here at* Backheeled*? We’re not here to cause anger. No, we’re here to dissect the latest performances, trends, tactics, and news for each of MLS’s 30 clubs. Every week during the MLS season, Ben Wright will guide you through the Eastern Conference teams and Joe Lowery will do the same for the West.* *Okay, fine. We’re also here to spark some outrage, because we’re ranking all 30 teams, too. Power Rankings are based on each club’s average position across Ben and Joe’s individual rankings. Onwards.* ## 1\. Inter Miami *Trending: No change* > “Miami continue to win games by sheer grit and individual moments. It seems unsustainable, but it’s been sustainable for two years at this point. With or without Messi, this team finds ways to win every week, and they will make you pay for every moment you give them.” Oh wait, you thought this was about Miami’s 2-1 win over Philadelphia? No, I [wrote this two weeks ago](https://www.backheeled.com/mls-in-depth-power-rankings-nashville-sc-tactics-bruce-arena-attack-more/) after their win over Atlanta. No matter the opponent, the Herons find ways to get the job done. On Saturday, it was Robert Taylor coming back into the lineup and opening the scoring and then Oscar Ustari standing on his head until Lionel Messi could come on in the second half and win the match. Rinse and repeat. One tactical note from this: Javier Mascherano tweaked his system into a back three, with Ian Fray operating as a right center-back while Robert Taylor and Benja Cremaschi took turns in the right wingback space. ![](https://lh7-rt.googleusercontent.com/docsz/AD_4nXc5uMwUrmre2vsWThcp4A_t-ZUYU-NVFuZtRa3ChGOI1zczI7QajqU4ULbmDRdh67VCqYG_tDH6HCOjWAT177-R9-aqdilXWQWsutcSNWMupaU8emwwp3FKtcCF4Si9Q7DKjYlEJw?key=EO35dJA0V06rpHAaU4DM9PCX) _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### This League! Takeaways from the USL Championship's latest action URL: https://www.backheeled.com/this-league-takeaways-usl-championship-fc-tulsa-upsets-more/ Last updated: 2025-04-01T22:38:27.000Z Welcome back to *This League!*, our show covering the USL Championship’s biggest stories, characters, and on-field action. Every week, *Backheeled's* John Morrissey, Peyton Gallaher, and Ryan Sýkora run the Championship's gauntlet to provide fresh observations from around the league. From FC Tulsa's upturn to a slew of upsets to a tactical trend sweeping the league, our trio covered a ton of ground. *Want to listen to the show instead? We've got you covered:* ### Sporting Kansas City part ways with Peter Vermes, the longest-tenured manager in MLS URL: https://www.backheeled.com/sporting-kansas-city-part-ways-peter-vermes-the-longest-tenured-manager-mls/ Last updated: 2025-04-01T16:02:17.000Z Sporting Kansas City has parted ways with manager Peter Vermes, the club announced on Monday morning. Vermes, who took over SKC in 2009, is the longest-tenured coach in MLS and has been in charge seven years longer than the next person on that list (Brian Schmetzer, Seattle Sounders). He coached 609 matches for Kansas City across all competitions, a figure that totals more than half of the games in the club’s 30-year existence. No figure in MLS history has coached more games for one MLS club. “It would be hard to list all of the people I want to thank after 20 seasons in managerial positions at Sporting Kansas City,” Vermes said in a statement. “I am thankful to everyone, especially ownership for giving me the opportunity of being a steward of this club for the past two decades. I wish the club nothing but the best in the future.” While with Sporting Kansas City, Vermes helped lead the club to the 2013 MLS Cup and U.S. Open Cup titles. In addition to serving as manager, Vermes was one of the only coaches in MLS to simultaneously head up his team’s front office. But after three-straight seasons of missing out on an automatic playoff berth in the Western Conference and after collecting just one point from their first six regular season games this year, Vermes’ time in charge in Kansas City came to an end. Assistant coach Kerry Zavagninwill now become SKC’s interim head coach. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### MLS, illustrated URL: https://www.backheeled.com/mls-illustrated-messi-berhalter-lafc-la-galaxy-revs-nycfc-atlanta-more/ Last updated: 2025-03-31T02:54:05.000Z _This post is for subscribers only._ ### MLS Winners and Losers: San Diego FC’s attack, Carles Gil, LA Galaxy’s problems & more URL: https://www.backheeled.com/mls-winners-and-losers-san-diego-fc-attack-carles-gil-la-galaxy-problems-more/ Last updated: 2025-04-02T13:14:16.000Z *It’s in the title, folks. Every week during the MLS season,* Backheeled *will dive into the biggest Winners and Losers from around the league. This week, San Diego FC took things to another level, Carles Gil found himself, the LA Galaxy hit a new low, and more.* ## Winner: The “Inter Miami are deeper than last year” narrative In the aftermath of Inter Miami’s 2-1 home win over the Philadelphia Union on Saturday, there are two ways to read the game that pitted the East’s top two teams based on points per game against each other. The first is this: Inter Miami won yet another game thanks to the singular talents of Lionel Messi, who came off the bench in the 55th minute and scored in the 57th minute to give his team what turned out to be an insurmountable lead despite Philly’s best set piece efforts. Add this game to the Messi tally. > 55' - Messi subs on > 57' - Messi scores > > Inevitable. [pic.twitter.com/JyBC0QWgr5](https://t.co/JyBC0QWgr5?ref=backheeled.com) > > — Major League Soccer (@MLS) [March 30, 2025](https://twitter.com/MLS/status/1906149082361418129?ref%5Fsrc=twsrc%5Etfw&ref=backheeled.com) The second is this: with their brightest star on the bench to open the match, Inter Miami thrived in the first half against the next-best team in the Eastern Conference. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### USL Power Rankings: Rising star shines out East, San Antonio stay perfect & more from Week 4 URL: https://www.backheeled.com/usl-power-rankings-san-antonio-stay-perfect-eastern-contenders-struggle-more-week-four/ Last updated: 2025-04-03T13:20:48.000Z After four weeks of USL Championship action, we're ranking every team in the league. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### The USL voted to adopt promotion and relegation. Now what? URL: https://www.backheeled.com/usl-vote-adopt-promotion-and-relegation-questions-format-mls-tv/ Last updated: 2025-04-03T14:03:46.000Z The USL’s [vote to adopt promotion and relegation](https://www.backheeled.com/usl-introduce-promotion-relegation-big-questions-us-soccer-mls-tv-pro-rel/) has ignited the imaginations of soccer fans all across America. That the USL intends to create a three-tier system between a new first-division league, the USL Championship, and USL League One has the potential to be a monumental reform, and supporters are dreaming about the upside of the new pyramid. Still, it’s a long road between the vote and pro-rel becoming an actionable reality. The aim is to begin promoting and relegating teams in 2028, but huge decisions and questions will need to be addressed between then and now. How will investment in infrastructure change? What does pro-rel mean to advertisers and broadcasters? How should the reforms be advertised to fans? In conversation with *Backheeled*, executives from across the USL recognized those difficulties but also agreed that pro-rel could be a game-changer. From Matt Rizzetta (the owner of 2026 USL Championship expansion side Brooklyn FC) to Dan Rutstein (the president of Orange County SC) to Bobby Dulle (the president of Phoenix Rising), the sentiment is clear: promotion and relegation can elevate the USL on and off the pitch. ## “There are people who learned about the USL just because of this announcement” _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### This League! Takeaways from the USL Championship's latest action URL: https://www.backheeled.com/this-league-takeaways-usl-championship-oakland-roots-rhode-island-pro-rel/ Last updated: 2025-03-27T13:01:58.000Z Welcome back to *This League!*, our new show covering the USL Championship’s biggest stories, characters, and on-field action. Every week, *Backheeled's* John Morrissey, Peyton Gallaher, and Ryan Sýkora run the Championship's gauntlet to provide fresh observations from around the league. From Oakland's historic outing to Rhode Island's sophomore season to the USL's historic pro-rel vote, our trio covered a ton of ground. *Read more:* [USL Power Rankings: Oakland set records, San Antonio surge & more from Week 3After three weeks of USL Championship action, we’re ranking every team in the league.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/22/3c/223ce17d-3253-4d03-873b-ce236408cde2/content/images/icon/Backheeled-2-Sq-Light-271.png)BackheeledJohn Morrissey![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/22/3c/223ce17d-3253-4d03-873b-ce236408cde2/content/images/thumbnail/2025_USL-POWER-RANKINGS-WK2-1.jpeg)](https://www.backheeled.com/usl-championship-power-rankings-oakland-roots-coliseum-san-antonio-more/) ### “We didn’t show up”: Pochettino, players on where USMNT stands 15 months ahead of the World Cup URL: https://www.backheeled.com/where-usmnt-stands-ahead-of-2026-world-cup-pochettino-pulisic-problems/ Last updated: 2025-03-31T01:09:00.000Z The honeymoon is over. After winning the first three editions of the Concacaf Nations League, the U.S. men’s national team’s fourth-place finish following very forgettable losses to Panama and Canada in Los Angeles erased the optimism about the Mauricio Pochettino era. Pochettino, though, took a different tone after the two defeats. “I want to send a message to the fans. Don’t be pessimistic and don’t get bad feelings… I don’t want that the people feel pessimistic,” the manager said after a rotated U.S. team fell 2-1 against Canada on Sunday. “Disappointed? Disappointed, we are all. And the fans need to feel the disappointment that we didn’t win. But I don’t want to allow \[them\] to feel pessimistic, because I think we have good players. We are going to find a way to perform. And for sure we are going to compete in a different way.” With the World Cup fifteen months away, it’s not time to panic. Not yet. Pochettino framed the March window as a learning experience and noted there’s time. But he acknowledged, “If we will be in this situation in one year’s time, for sure I will tell you: ‘Houston, we have a problem. SOS.’” So, where does the USMNT find itself 15 months before their World Cup campaign kicks off at the very same SoFi Stadium where their new era hit a new low? From Los Angeles, *Backheeled* collected thoughts from Pochettino and his key players to learn the answer to that question. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### MLS In-Depth Power Rankings: LAFC's star teenager, CF Montreal's dysfunction & more URL: https://www.backheeled.com/mls-in-depth-power-rankings-lafc-star-teenager-cf-montreal-fire-coach/ Last updated: 2025-03-30T20:46:31.000Z In a twist on a classic, we’re not just ranking all 30 MLS teams. We’re analyzing them, too. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### How Jesper Sorensen’s new-look Vancouver Whitecaps have started hot: Aggressive pressing, fluid possession & depth URL: https://www.backheeled.com/jesper-sorensen-vancouver-whitecaps-historic-start-tactics-mls/ Last updated: 2025-03-26T22:21:18.000Z Jesper Sorensen’s tenure as the head coach of the Vancouver Whitecaps is off to a flying start, with his team sitting on top of the Western Conference and in the quarterfinals of the Concacaf Champions Cup despite relentless early adversity. After parting ways with former manager Vanni Sartini and losing Designated Player Stuart Armstrong over the offseason, the Whitecaps have claimed 12 points from a possible 15 in MLS play. While a loss to the Chicago Fire on Saturday ended their perfect (and historic) start, with six starters missing either through injury or international duty, it wasn’t indicative of where they are as a team. Whitecaps fans have every reason to be thrilled with the opening weeks of the new campaign, and should have their sights set on a run in the playoffs. So, what’s behind Vancouver's hot start to the 2025 season? Let’s dig in. ## Vancouver’s aggressive defending The newly appointed Sorensen, who arrived from Denmark over the offseason, has brought a brand-new approach to the program – and so far his philosophies couldn’t be more clear. The Whitecaps are here to dominate possession, and the moment they lose it, they’re going to press from the front with unmatched intensity in order to win it back. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Ten Windows, No. 8: Mauricio Pochettino says “we have time” as USMNT suffer back-to-back losses URL: https://www.backheeled.com/mauricio-pochettino-says-we-have-time-as-usmnt-suffer-back-to-back-losses/ Last updated: 2025-03-26T18:56:13.000Z *When Mauricio Pochettino signed on last fall, only 10 international windows — nine regular FIFA dates, plus the 2025 Gold Cup — separated the USMNT from the 2026 World Cup. After each window, “Ten Windows” digs into key developments and charts the USMNT’s progress towards 2026.* ## Results this window: Panama 1, U.S. 0 (Waterman 90+4), Concacaf Nations League semifinal; Canada 2, U.S. 1 (Oluwaseyi 27, David 59; Agyemang 35), Concacaf Nations League third-place game. ## The story this window: ### It’s ‘late early’ for Pochettino’s USMNT The World Cup kicks off in 444 days. The U.S. men’s national team has only seven more international windows between now and then, and only one of those – this summer’s Gold Cup – will include competitive matches. It does not seem like much time to prepare for the most important tournament of many USMNT fans’ lifetimes. But Mauricio Pochettino clearly believes it will be time enough: > Mauricio Pochettino: "Negativity? Where is the negativity?" > > "Pessimism maybe, yes, but you see in the World Cup teams that were building were not good until right at the World Cup. I want to send the message to the fans: don't be pessimistic or get bad feelings." [#USMNT](https://twitter.com/hashtag/USMNT?src=hash&ref%5Fsrc=twsrc%5Etfw&ref=backheeled.com) > > — Kyle Bonn (@the\_bonnfire) [March 24, 2025](https://twitter.com/the%5Fbonnfire/status/1903968723003687087?ref%5Fsrc=twsrc%5Etfw&ref=backheeled.com) > Poch: If we are going to make mistakes, I rather we do it now because we have time. If it happens in 1 year, then "Houston, we have a problem. SOS." [#USMNT](https://twitter.com/hashtag/USMNT?src=hash&ref%5Fsrc=twsrc%5Etfw&ref=backheeled.com) > > — Kyle Bonn (@the\_bonnfire) [March 24, 2025](https://twitter.com/the%5Fbonnfire/status/1903971784061247636?ref%5Fsrc=twsrc%5Etfw&ref=backheeled.com) Maybe he’s correct. Maybe it’s too soon to worry. Maybe we’re only a couple windows away from the players fully adapting to Pochettino’s system, from Pochettino making shrewder tactical and personnel decisions, from a healthier roster pool. Maybe the U.S. storms to the quarterfinals or better and we look back on this Nations League as an amusing footnote, the early obstacle in [our USMNT heroes’ journey](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hero%27s%5Fjourney?ref=backheeled.com). _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### CF Montreal fire head coach Laurent Courtois just five games into 2025 URL: https://www.backheeled.com/cf-montreal-fire-head-coach-laurent-courtois-mls/ Last updated: 2025-03-24T13:49:59.000Z Courtois was beginning his second season in charge of the Canadian club. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### MLS, illustrated URL: https://www.backheeled.com/mls-illustrated-berhalter-austin-fc-atlanta-united-lucho-acosta/ Last updated: 2025-03-24T02:53:27.000Z _This post is for subscribers only._ ### MLS Winners and Losers: Devaluing the regular season, Luis Muriel shines for Orlando City & more URL: https://www.backheeled.com/mls-winners-and-losers-devaluing-regular-season-luis-muriel-orlando-city-more/ Last updated: 2025-03-26T13:10:29.000Z The league doesn’t care about its own regular season, times are tough in Toronto, and there’s a Hector Herrera-esque turnaround happening in Orlando. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Diego Luna impresses, but USMNT otherwise flat in loss to Canada URL: https://www.backheeled.com/diego-luna-impresses-but-usmnt-flat-in-loss-to-canada/ Last updated: 2025-03-24T18:17:45.000Z The United States men’s national team had already been eliminated from trophy contention in the Concacaf Nations League, but a loss to Canada in Sunday’s third-place game saw them finish dead last in the final four. Sanjay Sujanthakumar (on-site with the U.S. in Los Angeles) and Joe Lowery (on-his-couch-in-Phoenix) combine to share their thoughts on the USMNT’s 2-1 loss to Canada by answering a set of key questions. ## What’s your one-sentence reaction to that game? **Lowery:** Diego Luna brought some genuine creativity to a U.S. team that looked largely uninspired against their rivals from the north. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### USL Power Rankings: Oakland set records, San Antonio surge & more from Week 3 URL: https://www.backheeled.com/usl-championship-power-rankings-oakland-roots-coliseum-san-antonio-more/ Last updated: 2025-03-25T16:23:39.000Z USL clubs live and die on their ability to connect with local communities, and no team does it better than the Oakland Roots. From their 2019 debut in NISA to their move to the Oakland Coliseum ahead of the 2025 USL Championship season, the Roots have leveraged fan investment, grassroots sensibilities, and lovingly hand-crafted marketing to win over the East Bay. The hard work was on display for the American soccer world to see on Saturday night, when Oakland drew more than 26,000 spectators to their first-ever Coliseum match. Rocking kits inspired by the classic Oakland A’s green-sleeved look, the Roots may’ve lost, but they gave a city used to losing their sports teams something deeper to cheer for. Oakland doesn’t have the USL’s highest budget or a sterling record of on-field success, but this weekend showed how the Roots are drawing the blueprint for that all-important community connection. What defined Oakland’s performance on the pitch, and how did the USL Championship’s 23 other clubs fare this week? Let’s dig in. ## 1\. Louisville City ***Trending: No change*** *Result: 2-0 win v. Loudoun* Louisville are driven by their press, and Danny Cruz upped the intensity to the highest level yet seen in 2025 with Loudoun coming to town this weekend. This isn't the pushover version of Loudoun we've seen in prior seasons, and LouCity understood that they needed to deny their guests in the central areas while limiting room between the lines to connect with stars like Abdellatif Aboukoura. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### U.S. Open Cup superlatives: Oldest lineup, best mascot, obscure nickname & more first round moments URL: https://www.backheeled.com/us-open-cup-superlatives-mls-retired-upsets-usl-more-first-round/ Last updated: 2025-03-24T13:09:10.000Z The first round of the U.S. Open Cup is magical. It’s an opportunity for grassroots clubs to show off what’s unique, wild, and endearing about their teams and hometowns. It’s a chance for under-the-radar players to make a statement on the national stage. It’s also a showcase for some genuinely good soccer and a testament to the level of the American game. What better way to celebrate the first roound than to hand out some superlatives? From the best plays to the weirdest moments, let’s dig into this week’s Open Cup action. ## Goal of the Round Aaron Bibout is the classic MLS Next Pro ‘tweener, a striker with 23 goals in 37 league starts for Ventura County. Still, Bibout has earned just 21 minutes for the LA Galaxy since 2023, and he’s been loaned out to the USL Championship as many times as he’s seen the pitch in MLS. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### New coach, familiar problems: Pochettino's USMNT show attacking (and pressing) frailty in Panama loss URL: https://www.backheeled.com/new-usmnt-coach-familiar-problems-pochettino-attacking-issues-panama-loss/ Last updated: 2025-09-08T13:51:08.000Z Maybe the United States should just [stop playing Panama](https://bsky.app/profile/tutul.bsky.social/post/3lku2oj7guc2y?ref=backheeled.com). After losing to Thomas Christiansen’s team in last summer’s Copa America, the USMNT fell to Panama yet again on Thursday. This time, that defeat came by a 1-0 scoreline in the Concacaf Nations League semifinals, a result that drops the U.S. out of Sunday’s main event and into the opening act that is the third-place game. For the first time ever, then, the U.S. will not be Concacaf Nations League champions. What they will be is frustrated. The United States generated all of 0.68 xG, failing to create clear-cut chances against Panama’s deep defensive block. Christian Pulisic looked passive and was ineffective in tight spots. On the whole, Mauricio Pochettino’s extremely conservative lineup only made life more difficult for his team in the attack. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### USMNT lose to Panama: Instant reaction to Pochettino's first competitive loss URL: https://www.backheeled.com/usmnt-pochettino-win-panama-takeaways-concacaf-nations-league/ Last updated: 2025-03-21T13:48:14.000Z For the first time in Mauricio Pochettino’s brief tenure, the U.S. men’s national team lost a competitive game. After Panama topped the United States in last summer’s Copa America, they topped the United States 1-0 in Thursday’s Concacaf Nations League semifinal, sending them to Sunday’s third-place match. So, what went wrong for the USMNT? And what did we learn? Sanjay Sujanthakumar (on-site with the U.S. in Los Angeles) and Joe Lowery (on-his-couch-in-Phoenix) combine to share their rapid-fire thoughts on the USMNT’s loss. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### The Equalizer is now Backheeled’s exclusive women’s soccer partner! URL: https://www.backheeled.com/the-equalizer-is-now-backheeled-exclusive-womens-soccer-partner/ Last updated: 2025-03-21T13:10:04.000Z That’s right, folks! *Backheeled* and The Equalizer are officially partner publications. What does that mean for you? Well, it means that any paid *Backheeled* subscriber can now get an annual subscription to [The Equalizer](https://equalizersoccer.com/?ref=backheeled.com) for just $20. There’s the ‘what’. Now here’s the ‘why’. The Equalizer has been the go-to source for independent women’s professional soccer coverage for more than 15 years. Founded by Jeff Kassouf, The Equalizer has covered the NWSL, the U.S. women’s national team, and the women’s game as a whole with both excellence and persistence. Today, their coverage of the women’s domestic game is simply the best around. For all of those reasons, here at *Backheeled*, we’re genuinely thrilled to call The Equalizer a partner. If you’re looking for thoughtful, quality coverage of the NWSL and the USWNT, The Equalizer has you covered. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### USL to introduce promotion, relegation: What big questions follow owners’ historic vote URL: https://www.backheeled.com/usl-introduce-promotion-relegation-big-questions-us-soccer-mls-tv-pro-rel/ Last updated: 2025-03-23T20:08:01.000Z Promotion and relegation is coming to the USL. Announced [by the league on Wednesday](https://www.uslsoccer.com/news%5Farticle/show/1334700?ref=backheeled.com) morning, a supermajority of club owners voted to implement a pro-rel system on Tuesday, following in short order after the USL’s announced plans to create a first-division competition. According to The Athletic, the USL’s [new Division 1 men’s league](https://www.backheeled.com/usl-division-one-mens-league-potential-markets-pro-rel-issues-mls/) and pro-rel are both being targeted for a debut in 2028. No sports league in America has ever adopted promotion and relegation. The USL’s decision to do so is, thus, historic. The league has publicly [teased such a move since at least 2018](https://www.espn.com/soccer/story/%5F/id/37544008/promotion-relegation-usl-divisions-very-interesting-president?ref=backheeled.com), when then-president Jake Edwards touted the potential of such a system. Since then, the USL has added a full third-division competition in the form of USL League One in addition to its second-division USL Championship, divested itself of MLS-affiliated development teams, and grown to include 38 independent organizations. There have been attempts at bringing a pro-rel vote to the table over the last several years – most notably in 2023 – but consensus was sparse amongst the owners. That’s now changed. With the USL on more stable footing, allowing the cream of the league’s crop to form a first-division competition was a logical (if bold) next step. Now, pro-rel will be a major part of the USL’s ongoing evolution. While it’s clear that approval wasn’t unanimous, the owners are definitively on board for major reforms. The news is exciting. There’s no two ways around the hype. Still, fundamentally changing how multiple soccer leagues operate is no mean feat. Pro-rel is approved, but the pathway to implementation is a long one – in terms of regulatory compliance, logistics, and bottom-line impact. With that caveat in mind, let’s dig in: what are the biggest questions surrounding promotion and relegation in the USL? _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### MLS In-Depth Power Rankings: Nashville SC's new look, Bruce Arena's attack-heavy setup & more URL: https://www.backheeled.com/mls-in-depth-power-rankings-nashville-sc-tactics-bruce-arena-attack-more/ Last updated: 2025-03-24T20:13:20.000Z *Power Rankings never cease to spark outrage. But here at* Backheeled*? We’re not here to cause anger. No, we’re here to dissect the latest performances, trends, tactics, and news for each of MLS’s 30 clubs. Every week during the MLS season, Ben Wright will guide you through the Eastern Conference teams and Joe Lowery will do the same for the West.* *Okay, fine. We’re also here to spark some outrage, because we’re ranking all 30 teams, too. Power Rankings are based on each club’s average position across Ben and Joe’s individual rankings. Onwards.* ## 1\. Inter Miami *Trending: No change* Lionel Messi with one functioning adductor and Luis Suarez with zero functioning knees continue to run this league, and it’s must-see stuff, man. Messi quietly dropped off set piece duties before [withdrawing from the Argentina squad](https://x.com/InterMiamiCF/status/1901765002178318623?ref=backheeled.com) for the upcoming international break, citing a need to recover from lingering issues. In the meantime, though, he did this: > Messi steals it, Messi finishes it. > > 🐐 things. [pic.twitter.com/u0RovdUfzq](https://t.co/u0RovdUfzq?ref=backheeled.com) > > — Major League Soccer (@MLS) [March 16, 2025](https://twitter.com/MLS/status/1901416776002654530?ref%5Fsrc=twsrc%5Etfw&ref=backheeled.com) Fafa Picault stole three points at the end of a 2-1 road win over Atlanta, prodding a set piece home with his face past a sprawling Brad Guzan. Miami continue to win games by sheer grit and individual moments. It seems unsustainable, but it’s been sustainable for two years at this point. With or without Messi, this team finds ways to win every week, and they will make you pay for every moment you give them. They’re the Supporters’ Shield favorites once again in 2025\. - *Ben Wright* ## 2\. Vancouver Whitecaps *Trending: +3* When the Whitecaps fired Vanni Sartini in November, the big question was this: could Vancouver find a manager who would turn their roster into more than the sum of its parts? Sartini, for all of his chaotic energy, led a Whitecaps squad that finished essentially right at their expected level. In his first full season in charge in 2022, Vancouver finished ninth in the West. In 2023, sixth. In 2024, eighth. With Ryan Gauld, Andres Cubas, and Brian White, the Italian had a capable squad, one befitting of that sixth-to-ninth range every season. But he also had less to work with than his peers in, say, Los Angeles or Seattle. When Sartini was axed, then, the Whitecaps traded the known for the unknown. They traded a mid-table Western Conference finish for the potential for something more — and the risk of something less. So far in 2025, Jesper Sorensen is giving Vancouver something more. Given the ‘Caps returned the 12th-highest percentage of minutes from 2024 in MLS at 76.5%, their perfect start hasn’t been fueled by a roster overhaul. If anything, Vancouver’s squad got worse this winter with Stuart Armstrong’s exit. But the Whitecaps? They’re still perfect after a 1-0 win over Dallas on Saturday. It sure looks like their managerial bet paid off. - *Joe Lowery* _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### This League! Takeaways from the USL Championship's latest action URL: https://www.backheeled.com/this-league-takeaways-usl-championship-san-antonio-fc-loudoun-united/ Last updated: 2025-03-19T13:49:44.000Z On this week's episode of *This League!*, the *Backheeled* crew dives into the biggest and most interesting takeaways from the USL Championship's latest action. From San Antonio FC's hot start to Loudoun United's talented youngster, check out the freshest batch of observations fromJohn Morrissey, Peyton Gallaher, and Ryan Sýkora: *More USL Championship coverage:* [USL Power Rankings: Charleston’s big win, Phoenix’s wonder strike & more from Week 2After two weeks of USL Championship action, we’re ranking every team in the league.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/22/3c/223ce17d-3253-4d03-873b-ce236408cde2/content/images/icon/Backheeled-2-Sq-Light-252.png)BackheeledJohn Morrissey![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/22/3c/223ce17d-3253-4d03-873b-ce236408cde2/content/images/thumbnail/2025_USL-POWER-RANKINGS-WK1.jpeg)](https://www.backheeled.com/usl-power-rankings-charleston-battery-mo-traore-phoenix-rising-goal-more/) ### MLS Winners and Losers: Diego Luna shines, Vancouver Whitecaps stay perfect & more URL: https://www.backheeled.com/mls-winners-and-losers-diego-luna-shines-vancouver-whitecaps-stay-perfect-more/ Last updated: 2025-03-20T14:00:34.000Z *It’s in the title, folks. Every week during the MLS season,* Backheeled *will dive into the biggest Winners and Losers from around the league. This week, perfection stayed alive in the form of the Vancouver Whitecaps, Diego Luna dazzled, coaches kept it real, and more.* ## Winner: Perfection Playing on the road without Ryan Gauld on two days rest after getting past Monterrey in the Concacaf Champions Cup? No problem. This year’s Whitecaps team is different, man. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### MLS, illustrated URL: https://www.backheeled.com/mls-illustrated-inter-miami-atlanta-united-la-galaxy/ Last updated: 2025-03-18T21:40:54.000Z *For more on the latest set of games from the 2025 MLS season, check out our Winners and Losers column:* [MLS Winners and Losers: Diego Luna shines, Vancouver Whitecaps stay perfect & moreA couple of MLSers are red-hot ahead of USMNT camp, Jesper Sorensen is dropping all-timers in press conferences, and the New England Revolution are in trouble.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/22/3c/223ce17d-3253-4d03-873b-ce236408cde2/content/images/icon/Backheeled-2-Sq-Light-251.png)BackheeledJoseph Lowery![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/22/3c/223ce17d-3253-4d03-873b-ce236408cde2/content/images/thumbnail/2025-MLS-WINNERS-AND-LOSERS-WK4.jpeg)](https://www.backheeled.com/mls-winners-and-losers-diego-luna-shines-vancouver-whitecaps-stay-perfect-more/) ### USL Power Rankings: Charleston’s big win, Phoenix's wonder strike & more from Week 2 URL: https://www.backheeled.com/usl-power-rankings-charleston-battery-mo-traore-phoenix-rising-goal-more/ Last updated: 2025-03-19T13:12:07.000Z Whatever you want out of a soccer league, the USL Championship had it in Week 2\. An eight-goal game in El Paso featuring multiple Goal of the Year contenders? An Eastern Conference final rematch? A certain Floridian club reprising their role as the USL’s laughing stock? Take your pick. In the wake of a jam-packed weekend, where do all 24 clubs stand, and what tactical decisions or player performances landed them there? Let’s dig in. ## 1\. Louisville City (No change) *Result: 1-1 draw at Birmingham* Like a boxer working the speed ball, Louisville City never stops hitting out at defenses. The punches can come from anywhere, whether a flick-on off a long restart, a quick one-two through the central midfield, or layered movement up the wing. Try as Birmingham might to match LouCity's intensity on Sunday, Danny Cruz's side was the only one capable of connecting on a knockout blow. In the early going, the Legion's unabashedly direct style put their guests off balance, turning the match into a stop-start physical battle. Neither Adrien Perez nor Ray Serrano in the front line fared especially well in the air, and the match took on a staccato tempo. Still, it felt like a waiting game for Cruz and co. Once Birmingham flagged, Louisville began to tilt the pitch through Taylor Davila and Zach Duncan in the midfield and highlight the sophistication of their movement. > This is just so nice by @loucity.com. Picked Legion apart and Perez with a roofed finish as a result. #USLChampionship #BHMvLOU > > — [Nicholas Murray (@njemurray.bsky.social)](https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:ak5t3ogj3564ctmygzgoocof?ref%5Fsrc=embed&ref=backheeled.com) [2025-03-16T21:13:44.111Z](https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:ak5t3ogj3564ctmygzgoocof/post/3lkjkmsmzxk2z?ref%5Fsrc=embed&ref=backheeled.com) Concerted movement featuring Adrien Perez (the right winger) and Manny Perez (the right wingback) proved especially influential once the territorial dynamic changed. The former would knife inside, dragging Birmingham's defense with him. Then, you'd get a perfectly timed overlap into the now-open channel from the wingback. That formula – aided by a terrific through ball from Duncan – put Louisville on top. The other fascinating note? Aiden McFadden's deployment. Usually a right-sider in his own right, he started on the opposite flank to replace usual starter Amadou Dia. The last time McFadden played on the left with any regularity was 2022, back when he was a member of Atlanta United 2\. He didn't miss a beat despite the switch, proving as fearless as ever as a runner. It's an embarrassment of riches for the East's best side. Louisville only managed to grab a point, but they were clearly the better side. There are still kinks to work out in the final third, and Phillip Goodrum hasn’t yet found his shooting boots, but there’s no cause for one iota of concern. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### MLS data deep-dive: San Diego FC's identity, perfect Vancouver Whitecaps & more URL: https://www.backheeled.com/mls-data-tactics-san-diego-fc-identity-vancouver-whitecaps-more/ Last updated: 2025-03-17T01:07:44.000Z Let’s dive into the most intriguing statistical storylines from the latest set of MLS games. ## San Diego FC’s identity San Diego, you officially have my attention. With a very clear tactical approach set by chief soccer officer Tyler Heaps and the larger Right To Dream organization, San Diego FC hired Mikey Varas as their manager to execute a possession-based game model. As Heaps told *Backheeled* ahead of the season, they want to “avoid duels at all costs”. He also mentioned Wilfried Nancy’s Columbus Crew as an inspiration. [Inside San Diego FC’s tactical identity: “You won’t see us play long out of a goal kick”Inspired by the Columbus Crew, here’s how MLS’s newest expansion team developed a detailed on-field approach.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/22/3c/223ce17d-3253-4d03-873b-ce236408cde2/content/images/icon/Backheeled-2-Sq-Light-249.png)BackheeledJoseph Lowery![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/22/3c/223ce17d-3253-4d03-873b-ce236408cde2/content/images/thumbnail/2-10-24_SDFC-3.jpeg)](https://www.backheeled.com/inside-san-diego-fc-tactical-identity-mls-expansion-tyler-heaps-chucky-lozano/) So far in their expansion season, San Diego FC have recorded two wins and one draw and currently boast the second-best xG differential in the Western Conference. Their non-penalty xG per shot is the ninth-highest in MLS and they’re actually underperforming their xG overall. Pair that with being fifth in the league in touches in the attacking penalty box and fourth in the attacking third and you’re talking about a team that is finding good spots *a lot*. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Your guide to the USL Championship’s new managers: What opening weekend revealed about fresh faces URL: https://www.backheeled.com/your-guide-to-usl-championship-new-managers-2025-coaches-tactics-data/ Last updated: 2025-03-16T22:39:46.000Z A third of the USL Championship changed coaches this offseason, meaning that Week One was the first look at a slew of new managers. Yes, some of the hires (say, Neill Collins and Dennis Sanchez) came with a USL track record in the league, but most others (Gaston Maddoni and Luke Spencer, for example) didn’t bring that same level of familiarity. What did we learn about the 2025 coaching class from the first round of fixtures? Whose tactics were the most successful? Let’s take a look at the eight new managers. ## Antonio Nocerino, Las Vegas Lights Las Vegas was one of the USL’s most possessive and offensively sophisticated clubs in 2024\. Antonio Nocerino’s Miami was the opposite of those things. Matchweek One saw the Lights take on a distinctly different style than the false No. 9-driven 4-4-2 that took them to the playoffs last year. Instead, Nocerino carried over a highly pragmatic 5-2-3 that beat Tampa Bay but looked fitful in the process. Defensively, Las Vegas were content to sit in a mid-low block, hoping to disrupt the Rowdies’ rhythm and keep play in front of their back five. The Lights finished the match with a whopping 27 clearances, and their average defensive action came just 31 yards upfield to rank second-deepest in the Championship over the weekend. Nocerino’s back five didn’t exactly prevent danger in spite of the conservatism; Tampa Bay easily accessed the halfspaces on either side of the pivot, though their chance creation landed in the “quantity” bucket more so than “quality.” _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### This League! Takeaways from the USL Championship's opening weekend URL: https://www.backheeled.com/this-league-takeaways-from-usl-championship-opening-weekend/ Last updated: 2025-03-12T19:21:00.000Z The latest episode of "This League!", our new weekly video show covering the USL Championship, is live. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### MLS In-Depth Power Rankings: Two perfect teams remain, Concacaf failures, new tactics & more URL: https://www.backheeled.com/mls-in-depth-power-rankings-inter-miami-concacaf-champions-cup-more/ Last updated: 2025-03-13T14:31:39.000Z *Power Rankings never cease to spark outrage. But here at* Backheeled*? We’re not here to cause anger. No, we’re here to dissect the latest performances, trends, tactics, and news for each of MLS’s 30 clubs. Every week during the MLS season, Ben Wright will guide you through the Eastern Conference teams and Joe Lowery will do the same for the West.* *Okay, fine. We’re also here to spark some outrage, because we’re ranking all 30 teams, too. Power Rankings are based on each club’s average position across Ben and Joe’s individual rankings. Onwards.* ## 1\. Inter Miami *“Miami set the single-season points record in 2024, and I think they’re probably even better – or at least deeper in key areas – in 2025.”* That’s me, from last week. Ditto after Matchday 3\. The rest of the squad stepped up once again sans Messi, with Tadeo Allende and Luis Suarez linking up for one of my favorite goals of the year so far. I mean, I’m contractually obligated to point out every sweet backheel this year for \* *gestures\** branding reasons, but that was a sexy backheel from Allende. And then the finesse on the pass from Suarez? Gorgeous. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Mauricio Pochettino’s USMNT March Nations League squad: Gio Reyna, Tyler Adams, Diego Luna called up URL: https://www.backheeled.com/mauricio-pochettino-usmnt-march-roster-gio-reyna-tyler-adams-diego-luna/ Last updated: 2025-03-11T17:15:46.000Z The roster for the U.S. men’s national team’s Concacaf Nations League semifinal against Panama on March 20th and either final or third place game against Mexico or Canada on March 23rd was released on Tuesday. Manager Mauricio Pochettino’s 23-player squad features both Gio Reyna and Tyler Adams, who will join the U.S. for the first time under their Argentine manager. Due to injuries, several other key USMNT players won’t cross the Atlantic during this international window. Sergino Dest, though he’s recently returned from his ACL injury to play for PSV, Ricardo Pepi, Folarin Balogun, and Malik Tillman aren’t in the squad. Brenden Aaronson, though healthy, was left off. Notably, several rising MLS players made their way into Pochettino’s squad, including Diego Luna, Patrick Agyemang, and Brian White. Here’s the full 23-man roster: **Goalkeepers:** - Patrick Schulte (Columbus Crew) - Zack Steffen (Colorado Rapids) - Matt Turner (Crystal Palace) **Center backs:** - Cameron Carter-Vickers (Celtic) - Mark McKenzie (Toulouse) - Tim Ream (Charlotte FC) - Chris Richards (Crystal Palace) - Auston Trusty (Celtic) **Fullbacks:** - Marlon Fossey (Standard Liege) - Antonee Robinson (Fulham) - Joe Scally (Borussia Mönchengladbach) **Central midfielders:** - Tyler Adams (Bournemouth) - Johnny Cardoso (Real Betis) - Diego Luna (Real Salt Lake) - Weston McKennie (Juventus) - Gio Reyna (Borussia Dortmund) - Tanner Tessmann (Olympique Lyon) **Wingers:** - Yunus Musah (AC Milan) - Christian Pulisic (AC Milan) - Timothy Weah (Juventus) **Strikers:** - Patrick Agyemang (Charlotte FC) - Josh Sargent (Norwich City) - Brian White (Vancouver Whitecaps) _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Lucho Acosta is where he wants to be, chasing glory with FC Dallas – and maybe soon with the USMNT URL: https://www.backheeled.com/lucho-acosta-mls-fc-dallas-usmnt-offseason-transfer-fc-cincinnati/ Last updated: 2025-03-17T04:00:11.000Z Luciano Acosta is home now. He looks comfortable, as he and his family search to find the right place to live in the north Dallas suburbs. There are plenty of Spanish speakers here, a plus for the Argentina native. It’s bright. Acosta says he’s enjoying the sun. “It’s nice, warm, beautiful” out, and he’s connecting well with his new FC Dallas teammates. This, he’s sure, is where he should be. “I’m really happy,” Acosta tells *Backheeled* after a training session in Frisco. “The goal I have is to leave a footprint at the club, to make history.” Of course, this is not the first time Acosta has felt he’s been at home, has found the right place for his family to put down roots and settle in. During the good times, his 2023 MVP season with FC Cincinnati, he signed a contract extension that was supposed to keep him at the club through 2026 and potentially longer. During the 2024 season, though, it became clear that his time in Ohio would be cut much shorter. ## Tensions with FC Cincinnati _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### USMNT to play friendlies against Turkey, Switzerland in June URL: https://www.backheeled.com/usmnt-to-play-friendlies-against-turkey-switzerland-in-june/ Last updated: 2025-03-10T14:58:30.000Z The United States' calendar is starting to fill up. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### MLS Winners and Losers: Jordan Morris makes history, Austin FC’s problems, LinkedIn tactics & more URL: https://www.backheeled.com/mls-winners-and-losers-jordan-morris-makes-history-austin-fcs-problems-linkedin-tactics-more/ Last updated: 2025-03-12T13:22:59.000Z *It’s in the title, folks. Every week during the MLS season,* Backheeled *will dive into the biggest Winners and Losers from around the league. This week, Jordan Morris and the Sounders’ player pipeline thrived, a pair of Western Conference teams struggled, a LinkedIn post made waves, and more.* ## Winner: The Seattle Sounders’ player pipeline Jordan Morris made a clever slipped run behind LAFC’s backline — the kind of run he’s made hundreds of times through his nearly decade-long professional career. Deep in the box, the 30-year-old struck the ball with his right foot, sending it between Thomas Hasal’s legs and into the back of the net. Looking up to the crowd at Lumen Field, Morris kissed the Seattle Sounders’ badge on his jersey, pointed to it, and then kissed it again. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### MLS, illustrated URL: https://www.backheeled.com/mls-illustrated-philadelphia-union-inter-miami-nashville-sc-more/ Last updated: 2025-03-11T13:17:21.000Z *For more on the latest set of games from the 2025 MLS season, check out our Winners and Losers column:* [MLS Winners and Losers: Jordan Morris makes history, Austin FC’s problems, LinkedIn tactics & moreSeattle’s player pipeline moved into the spotlight, a teenager shined in New York City, and the Philadelphia Union wouldn’t stop.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/22/3c/223ce17d-3253-4d03-873b-ce236408cde2/content/images/icon/Backheeled-2-Sq-Light-241.png)BackheeledJoseph Lowery![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/22/3c/223ce17d-3253-4d03-873b-ce236408cde2/content/images/thumbnail/2025-MLS-WINNERS-AND-LOSERS-WK3-1.jpeg)](https://www.backheeled.com/mls-winners-and-losers-jordan-morris-makes-history-austin-fcs-problems-linkedin-tactics-more/) ### USL Power Rankings: Where each Championship team stands after 2025's opening weekend URL: https://www.backheeled.com/usl-championship-2025-power-rankings-where-each-team-stands-after-opening-weekend/ Last updated: 2025-03-13T13:49:04.000Z One week down, 33 to go. The USL Championship season is back, and Week One set the tone for what’s already setting up to be a wild 2025 season. From powerhouse matchups featuring top-of-the-table contenders from both the Eastern and Western Conference to surprisingly strong showings from a few dark-horse upstarts, the weekend was full of storylines. Who stood out, what tactical decisions mattered, and where does your club sit? Let’s dig in. ## 1\. Louisville City *Result: 2-1 win at Charleston* Can Louisville make a go at a second consecutive Players' Shield? Time will tell, but you could've looked at their lineup against Charleston this weekend and hardly clocked that Danny Cruz had turned the page on the calendar. Zach Duncan was the only new player to start, and just two new players made the bench. Continuity paid off. Duncan, who went a mere 10-for-17 on passes but racked up 10 defensive actions, tended to take on a defensive stance, allowing Taylor Davila to do Taylor Davila things. The all-league midfielder was a perennial threat in the right halfspace, where he constantly created triangular overloads with wingback Manny Perez and sophomore winger Jansen Wilson. All three were spirited in the counter press – hence why LouCity put up six final-third takeaways while Charleston posted just one. Tight marking across the board helped Louisville to control the match. Aaron Molloy was essentially man-marked in the high press. The ageless Amadou Dia took up the responsibility of shadowing potential MVP candidate Juan David Torres; though the Colombian winger took eight shots, seven of those tries came from either outside the box or from an improbably wide angle. The guests brought superior intensity, and they were eventually rewarded for it. > @loucity.com strikes first eight minutes into the second half as Ray Serrano scores his first goal of the campaign. Good energy from both #USLChampionship contenders so far in this one. #CHSvLOU > > — [Nicholas Murray (@njemurray.bsky.social)](https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:ak5t3ogj3564ctmygzgoocof?ref%5Fsrc=embed&ref=backheeled.com) [2025-03-09T01:52:58.939Z](https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:ak5t3ogj3564ctmygzgoocof/post/3ljvwirlsok2j?ref%5Fsrc=embed&ref=backheeled.com) The go-ahead goal was defined by that fire. Philip Goodrum, who has huge expectations on his shoulders, battled alongside Dia and eventual goalscorer Ray Serrano to force the ball over the line. It was a masterpiece of pressure and a deserved finish. Though Louisville conceded somewhat unluckily, they were the better side. Charleston going down a man allowed Cruz to put the Battery to the screws late, but his side didn’t miss a beat for 90 minutes. It’s going to be another season to remember at Lynn Family Stadium. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### MLS Next Pro aiming for “40 to 50 teams”, potentially “two divisions”: President Charles Altchek discusses the league’s future URL: https://www.backheeled.com/mls-next-pro-expansion-plans-new-division-relocation-charles-altcheck/ Last updated: 2025-03-10T02:59:34.000Z MLS Next Pro, a third-division men’s professional league launched by MLS that began play in 2022, is set to begin its fourth season on Friday. Though the league, which currently stands at 29 teams, is largely made up of MLS second teams, two independent clubs debuted in Next Pro last season with four more slated to join in the coming years. Ahead of the 2025 season and with the backdrop of [professional soccer’s ever-changing landscape in the United States](https://www.backheeled.com/usl-division-one-mens-league-potential-markets-pro-rel-issues-mls/), *Backheeled* spoke with MLS Next Pro president Charles Altchek about the league’s future expansion, the potential to create a new MLS-run second-division league, relocating MLS second teams, and more. *Answers have been lightly edited and condensed for clarity.* ## As MLS Next Pro continues to expand, what is the vision for the final number of teams in the league? What we've talked about is continuing to grow the league and bringing professional soccer to new markets, and that's going to happen in two ways. One is for us to have more of our affiliated teams moving into new markets like we have in Huntsville, with Nashville's MLS Next Pro team having launched in Huntsville in a new soccer stadium in partnership with the city. It's been a great two seasons so far and we're really excited for season three as they continue to grow that club and grow their connection to Huntsville and to the region. We’ll have a different version of that starting next year in Mansfield, Texas, with North Texas SC, FC Dallas’ MLS Next Pro Team, moving into a new stadium in partnership with with city of Mansfield and again bringing professional soccer to a new market. We have many of our other teams that are working on projects like that, where they’ll move into a new market and be able to grow the game. So that’s the first leg of the stool. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### MLS data deep-dive: LA Galaxy’s problems, Philadelphia Union’s efficiency & more URL: https://www.backheeled.com/mls-data-tactics-la-galaxy-problems-philadelphia-union-fc-dallas-more/ Last updated: 2025-03-10T01:28:12.000Z *Let’s dive into the most intriguing statistical storylines from the latest set of MLS games.* ## Philadelphia Union’s efficiency Raise your hand if you had the Philadelphia Union on six points going into the third weekend of the season. Great, now stop lying. The Union have stunned their opponents out of the gate, scoring four goals in each of their first two matches and dominating Orlando City and Cincinnati respectively. Tai Baribo has five of those goals and Bradley Carnell’s team is looking eerily similar to the squad he had in St. Louis. If you remember, Carnell’s team would almost freeze teams with their press and capitalize on mistakes early in matches. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### 2025 USL Championship Season Previews, Day 4: Pittsburgh, Rhode Island, Sacramento, San Antonio, Tampa Bay & Tulsa URL: https://www.backheeled.com/2025-usl-championship-season-previews-pittsburgh-rhode-island-sacramento-san-antonio-tampa-bay-tulsa/ Last updated: 2025-03-09T20:35:13.000Z ## Pittsburgh Riverhounds [Pittsburgh Riverhounds 2025 USL Championship season previewWe’re taking you through Pittsburgh’s offseason action, hopes, fears, tactics & much more.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/22/3c/223ce17d-3253-4d03-873b-ce236408cde2/content/images/icon/Backheeled-2-Sq-Light-225.png)BackheeledJohn Morrissey![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/22/3c/223ce17d-3253-4d03-873b-ce236408cde2/content/images/thumbnail/pitt.jpg)](https://www.backheeled.com/pittsburgh-riverhounds-2025-usl-championship-season-preview-transfers-tactics-stars-predictions/) *Bob Lilley's Riverhounds look built for a more open style this year. Will Pittsburgh extend a lengthy playoff appearance streak?* ## Rhode Island FC [Rhode Island FC 2025 USL Championship season previewWe’re taking you through Rhode Island’s offseason action, hopes, fears, tactics & much more.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/22/3c/223ce17d-3253-4d03-873b-ce236408cde2/content/images/icon/Backheeled-2-Sq-Light-226.png)BackheeledJohn Morrissey![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/22/3c/223ce17d-3253-4d03-873b-ce236408cde2/content/images/thumbnail/ri.jpg)](https://www.backheeled.com/rhode-island-fc-2025-usl-championship-season-preview-transfers-tactics-stars-predictions/) *After an impressive expansion campaign, will Rhode Island's decision to double-down by signing top playmaker Maxi Rodriguez pay off?* ## Sacramento Republic [Sacramento Republic 2025 USL Championship season previewWe’re taking you through Sacramento’s offseason action, hopes, fears, tactics & much more.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/22/3c/223ce17d-3253-4d03-873b-ce236408cde2/content/images/icon/Backheeled-2-Sq-Light-227.png)BackheeledJohn Morrissey![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/22/3c/223ce17d-3253-4d03-873b-ce236408cde2/content/images/thumbnail/sac.jpg)](https://www.backheeled.com/sacramento-republic-2025-usl-championship-season-preview-transfers-tactics-stars-predictions/) *With a slew of familiar faces (and a few new ones, too), can Sacramento's experienced quality help them stand out in the West?* ## New season, new discount! ### Get 20% off an annual subscription today. [Subscribe!](https://www.backheeled.com/new-season-new-discount) ## San Antonio FC [San Antonio FC 2025 USL Championship season previewWe’re taking you through San Antonio’s offseason action, hopes, fears, tactics & much more.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/22/3c/223ce17d-3253-4d03-873b-ce236408cde2/content/images/icon/Backheeled-2-Sq-Light-228.png)BackheeledJohn Morrissey![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/22/3c/223ce17d-3253-4d03-873b-ce236408cde2/content/images/thumbnail/san-an.jpg)](https://www.backheeled.com/san-antonio-fc-2025-usl-championship-season-preview-transfers-tactics-stars-predictions/) *Between a new manager and plenty of roster tweaks, a new era has begun in Texas. How will it play out on the field?* ## Tampa Bay Rowdies [Tampa Bay Rowdies 2025 USL Championship season previewWe’re taking you through Tampa Bay’s offseason action, hopes, fears, tactics & much more.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/22/3c/223ce17d-3253-4d03-873b-ce236408cde2/content/images/icon/Backheeled-2-Sq-Light-229.png)BackheeledJohn Morrissey![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/22/3c/223ce17d-3253-4d03-873b-ce236408cde2/content/images/thumbnail/tampa-bay.jpg)](https://www.backheeled.com/tampa-bay-rowdies-2025-usl-championship-season-preview-transfers-tactics-stars-predictions/) *With a strong returning core and some new high-end talent, can Tampa Bay push their way up the Eastern Conference standings?* ## FC Tulsa [FC Tulsa 2025 USL Championship season previewWe’re taking you through Tulsa’s offseason action, hopes, fears, tactics & much more.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/22/3c/223ce17d-3253-4d03-873b-ce236408cde2/content/images/icon/Backheeled-2-Sq-Light-230.png)BackheeledJohn Morrissey![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/22/3c/223ce17d-3253-4d03-873b-ce236408cde2/content/images/thumbnail/tulsa.jpg)](https://www.backheeled.com/fc-tulsa-2025-usl-championship-season-preview-transfers-tactics-stars-predictions/) *Heading into Luke Spencer's first season on the sidelines, will their retooled attack be enough to make Tulsa a genuine threat?* ### FC Tulsa 2025 USL Championship season preview URL: https://www.backheeled.com/fc-tulsa-2025-usl-championship-season-preview-transfers-tactics-stars-predictions/ Last updated: 2025-03-06T13:15:45.000Z [USL Championship 2025 Season Previews - BackheeledWith a new USL Championship season starting this weekend, we’re dropping in-depth previews for all 24 teams.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/22/3c/223ce17d-3253-4d03-873b-ce236408cde2/content/images/icon/Backheeled-2-Sq-Light-212.png)BackheeledJohn Morrissey![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/22/3c/223ce17d-3253-4d03-873b-ce236408cde2/content/images/thumbnail/2025-USLC-TEAM-PREVIEWS-1-6.jpeg)](https://www.backheeled.com/tag/usl-championship-2025-season-previews/) ## Where we left off last year *2024 season: 38 points, 10th in the Western Conference* FC Tulsa is innately frustrating, in that every other year seems to be a reset. This club has cycled through manager after manager for a handful of seasons, and Mario Sanchez's single-year reign in 2024 still wasn't enough to get over the playoff line. Still, there's a sense that legitimate groundwork was laid for a new era. Sanchez settled on a somewhat direct style based out of a back four, and while he's handed off the coaching job to fellow Louisville alum Luke Spencer, that template shouldn’t face. In-season adds like Owen Damm, Andrew Booth, Faysal Bettache, and especially goalkeeper Johan Penaranda helped to inspire a late-season upswing; all four are back as core pieces heading into 2025\. Whether 2024 was a real building block campaign will be impossible to know for a few years more, but the potential forged last year is undeniable. ## What changed in the offseason _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Tampa Bay Rowdies 2025 USL Championship season preview URL: https://www.backheeled.com/tampa-bay-rowdies-2025-usl-championship-season-preview-transfers-tactics-stars-predictions/ Last updated: 2025-03-06T13:15:33.000Z [USL Championship 2025 Season Previews - BackheeledWith a new USL Championship season starting this weekend, we’re dropping in-depth previews for all 24 teams.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/22/3c/223ce17d-3253-4d03-873b-ce236408cde2/content/images/icon/Backheeled-2-Sq-Light-212.png)BackheeledJohn Morrissey![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/22/3c/223ce17d-3253-4d03-873b-ce236408cde2/content/images/thumbnail/2025-USLC-TEAM-PREVIEWS-1-6.jpeg)](https://www.backheeled.com/tag/usl-championship-2025-season-previews/) ## Where we left off last year *2024 season: 50 points, 6th in the Eastern Conference* In their first year under new manager Robbie Neilson, the Rowdies withstood a major injury to Forrest Lasso and hurricane-driven dislocation and still managed to win a playoff game. Sounds like a success, right? There's still a nagging feeling that Tampa Bay could've done more in 2024\. The Rowdies underperformed their expected goal difference by a 24-goal margin, one of the three biggest gaps since the inception of xG data at the USL level. Defensive lapses and streaky finishing let this team down - even if the ultimate results in Tampa Bay would be considered stellar in 90% of other markets. ## What changed in the offseason _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### San Antonio FC 2025 USL Championship season preview URL: https://www.backheeled.com/san-antonio-fc-2025-usl-championship-season-preview-transfers-tactics-stars-predictions/ Last updated: 2025-03-06T13:15:20.000Z [USL Championship 2025 Season Previews - BackheeledWith a new USL Championship season starting this weekend, we’re dropping in-depth previews for all 24 teams.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/22/3c/223ce17d-3253-4d03-873b-ce236408cde2/content/images/icon/Backheeled-2-Sq-Light-212.png)BackheeledJohn Morrissey![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/22/3c/223ce17d-3253-4d03-873b-ce236408cde2/content/images/thumbnail/2025-USLC-TEAM-PREVIEWS-1-6.jpeg)](https://www.backheeled.com/tag/usl-championship-2025-season-previews/) ## Where we left off last year *2024 season: 39 points, 9th in the Western Conference* In hindsight, San Antonio was obviously a team caught between eras in 2024\. Marco Ferruzzi, the club's new sporting director, built a roster to take the club in a more patient and physical direction. Manager Alen Marcina, meanwhile, tried to oblige but quickly had to revert to his direct template in spite of that roster build. By season's end, the clashing concepts resulted in a shocking playoff miss. San Antonio ended up using 34 different players in league action, the second-highest number in the league. Marcina could never nail down a core, and numerous in-season signings failed to right the ship. Yes, Jorge Hernandez still picked up nine assists to nearly lead the league. Yes, players like Mitchell Taintor and Kevon Lambert were terrific in the back half. There ultimately wasn't nearly enough consistency around those core pieces to do the job. ## What changed in the offseason _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Sacramento Republic 2025 USL Championship season preview URL: https://www.backheeled.com/sacramento-republic-2025-usl-championship-season-preview-transfers-tactics-stars-predictions/ Last updated: 2025-03-06T13:15:07.000Z [USL Championship 2025 Season Previews - BackheeledWith a new USL Championship season starting this weekend, we’re dropping in-depth previews for all 24 teams.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/22/3c/223ce17d-3253-4d03-873b-ce236408cde2/content/images/icon/Backheeled-2-Sq-Light-212.png)BackheeledJohn Morrissey![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/22/3c/223ce17d-3253-4d03-873b-ce236408cde2/content/images/thumbnail/2025-USLC-TEAM-PREVIEWS-1-6.jpeg)](https://www.backheeled.com/tag/usl-championship-2025-season-previews/) ## Where we left off last year *2024 season: 49th points, 5th in the Western Conference* For about 10 weeks early last season, Sacramento was tearing through the West on a long unbeaten streak. Then, Rodrigo Lopez went down. Forwards Trevor Amann and Russell Cicerone either went cold or got injured themselves. The Republic continued to compete, but that special something was gone. It's a sign of the impossibly high standard in Sacramento that Mark Briggs lost his job after a first-round playoff exit. The Republic had a perfectly fine year in the league, they uncovered a gem in teenaged defender Chibuike Ukaegbu, and they made a quarterfinal run in the Open Cup, but it wasn't enough. The onus is now on Neill Collins, the highly respected former Tampa Bay manager and Briggs' replacement, to meet that standard anew. ## What changed in the offseason _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Rhode Island FC 2025 USL Championship season preview URL: https://www.backheeled.com/rhode-island-fc-2025-usl-championship-season-preview-transfers-tactics-stars-predictions/ Last updated: 2025-03-06T13:14:53.000Z [USL Championship 2025 Season Previews - BackheeledWith a new USL Championship season starting this weekend, we’re dropping in-depth previews for all 24 teams.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/22/3c/223ce17d-3253-4d03-873b-ce236408cde2/content/images/icon/Backheeled-2-Sq-Light-212.png)BackheeledJohn Morrissey![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/22/3c/223ce17d-3253-4d03-873b-ce236408cde2/content/images/thumbnail/2025-USLC-TEAM-PREVIEWS-1-6.jpeg)](https://www.backheeled.com/tag/usl-championship-2025-season-previews/) ## Where we left off last year *2024 season: 51 points, 5th in the Eastern Conference* There may never be another USL Championship expansion team that flies as high as Rhode Island did last year. Even as the club drew most of the first dozen matches, their potential was obvious. By the time RIFC won the Eastern Conference, they had cemented themselves as a genuine contender, not just a fluky coincidence. Much of that quality owes to Rhode Island's considerate roster construction. Signings like attacker Noah Fuson and defender Frank Nodarse emerged as stars but provided multi-position versatility. Strikers JJ Williams and Albert Dikwa both had their moments, and both were willing to lose out on starting minutes when other players were in better form. Midfielders like Marc Ybarra and Clay Holstad threaded the needle within a tactical system combining physicality and possessive finesse. Though a title-game drubbing still stings, RIFC's debut year was a smashing success. This club set a new standard for any and all new entrants in 2024. ## What changed in the offseason _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Pittsburgh Riverhounds 2025 USL Championship season preview URL: https://www.backheeled.com/pittsburgh-riverhounds-2025-usl-championship-season-preview-transfers-tactics-stars-predictions/ Last updated: 2025-03-06T13:14:37.000Z [USL Championship 2025 Season Previews - BackheeledWith a new USL Championship season starting this weekend, we’re dropping in-depth previews for all 24 teams.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/22/3c/223ce17d-3253-4d03-873b-ce236408cde2/content/images/icon/Backheeled-2-Sq-Light-212.png)BackheeledJohn Morrissey![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/22/3c/223ce17d-3253-4d03-873b-ce236408cde2/content/images/thumbnail/2025-USLC-TEAM-PREVIEWS-1-6.jpeg)](https://www.backheeled.com/tag/usl-championship-2025-season-previews/) ## Where we left off last year *2024 season: 48 points, 7th in the Eastern Conference* Did Pittsburgh go 585 consecutive minutes without scoring at one point last season? Yup. Did that stop them from extending their playoff streak to seven years? Absolutely not. Bob Lilley found a way to get over the line as always, leaning into eventual Golden Glove winner Eric Dick in net and experimenting ahead of him. Eventually, leaning into a gritty young midfielder in Bradley Sample and loaning in the electric Bertin Jacquesson from Real Salt Lake did the trick, and the Riverhounds actually looked formidable heading into postseason play. There's no reason to think that defense-first, "let Lilley cook" sensibility is going to change in the near future. ## What changed in the offseason _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Introducing “This League!”, our new USL Championship video show URL: https://www.backheeled.com/watch-this-league-new-usl-championship-show-season-preview/ Last updated: 2026-02-17T17:06:04.000Z Welcome to *This League!*, our new weekly video show covering the USL Championship’s biggest stories, characters, and on-field action. On this inaugural episode, *Backheeled's* John Morrissey, Peyton Gallaher, and Ryan Sýkora run the gauntlet of the USL Championship to preview the league ahead of Saturday’s 2025 season kickoff. Which young stars will thrive in 2025? Which new signings are set to make an impact? All that — and much more — on *This League!* *For more USL Championship coverage, check out our written team-by-team 2025 season previews:* [USL Championship 2025 Season Previews - BackheeledWith a new USL Championship season starting this weekend, we’re dropping in-depth previews for all 24 teams.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/22/3c/223ce17d-3253-4d03-873b-ce236408cde2/content/images/icon/Backheeled-2-Sq-Light-224.png)BackheeledJohn Morrissey![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/22/3c/223ce17d-3253-4d03-873b-ce236408cde2/content/images/thumbnail/2025-USLC-TEAM-PREVIEWS-1-12.jpeg)](https://www.backheeled.com/tag/usl-championship-2025-season-previews/) ## New season, new discount! ### Get 20% off an annual subscription today. [Subscribe!](https://www.backheeled.com/new-season-new-discount) ### 2025 USL Championship Season Previews, Day 3: Monterey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oakland, Orange County & Phoenix URL: https://www.backheeled.com/usl-championship-season-previews-2025-monterey-new-mexico-north-carolina-oakland-orange-county-phoenix/ Last updated: 2025-03-06T13:16:05.000Z ## Monterey Bay FC [Monterey Bay FC 2025 USL Championship season previewWe’re taking you through Monterey’s offseason action, hopes, fears, tactics & much more.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/22/3c/223ce17d-3253-4d03-873b-ce236408cde2/content/images/icon/Backheeled-2-Sq-Light-218.png)BackheeledJohn Morrissey![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/22/3c/223ce17d-3253-4d03-873b-ce236408cde2/content/images/thumbnail/monterey.jpg)](https://www.backheeled.com/monterey-bay-fc-2025-usl-championship-season-preview-transfers-tactics-stars-predictions/) *Will signings from largely untapped locales help Monterey make the jump in Jordan Stewart's first full year on the sidelines?* ## New Mexico United [New Mexico United 2025 USL Championship season previewWe’re taking you through New Mexico’s offseason action, hopes, fears, tactics & much more.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/22/3c/223ce17d-3253-4d03-873b-ce236408cde2/content/images/icon/Backheeled-2-Sq-Light-219.png)BackheeledJohn Morrissey![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/22/3c/223ce17d-3253-4d03-873b-ce236408cde2/content/images/thumbnail/new-mexico.jpg)](https://www.backheeled.com/new-mexico-united-2025-usl-championship-season-preview-transfers-tactics-stars-predictions/) *Landing Dennis Sanchez could just turn out to be the Championship's best move of the winter. With their new manager at the helm, can New Mexico top the West again?* ## North Carolina FC [North Carolina FC 2025 USL Championship season previewWe’re taking you through North Carolina’s offseason action, hopes, fears, tactics & much more.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/22/3c/223ce17d-3253-4d03-873b-ce236408cde2/content/images/icon/Backheeled-2-Sq-Light-220.png)BackheeledJohn Morrissey![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/22/3c/223ce17d-3253-4d03-873b-ce236408cde2/content/images/thumbnail/north-carolina.jpg)](https://www.backheeled.com/north-carolina-fc-2025-usl-championship-season-preview-transfers-tactics-stars-predictions/) *North Carolina looked stable after their jump from League One to the Championship. Can they take a step forward in 2025?* ## New season, new discount! ### Get 20% off an annual subscription today. [Subscribe!](https://www.backheeled.com/new-season-new-discount) ## Oakland Roots [Oakland Roots 2025 USL Championship season previewWe’re taking you through Oakland’s offseason action, hopes, fears, tactics & much more.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/22/3c/223ce17d-3253-4d03-873b-ce236408cde2/content/images/icon/Backheeled-2-Sq-Light-221.png)BackheeledJohn Morrissey![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/22/3c/223ce17d-3253-4d03-873b-ce236408cde2/content/images/thumbnail/oakland.jpg)](https://www.backheeled.com/oakland-roots-2025-usl-championship-season-preview-transfers-tactics-stars-predictions/) *Will Oakland's high-profile additions in Panos Armenakas and Jurgen Damm push them up the table out West?* ## Orange County SC [Orange County SC 2025 USL Championship season previewWe’re taking you through Orange County’s offseason action, hopes, fears, tactics & much more.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/22/3c/223ce17d-3253-4d03-873b-ce236408cde2/content/images/icon/Backheeled-2-Sq-Light-222.png)BackheeledJohn Morrissey![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/22/3c/223ce17d-3253-4d03-873b-ce236408cde2/content/images/thumbnail/brycejamison_transfer_121824-2.jpg)](https://www.backheeled.com/orange-county-sc-2025-usl-championship-season-preview-transfers-tactics-stars-predictions/) *After a strong finish to 2024, can one of the USL's foremost youth development clubs make a run at a trophy?* ## Phoenix Rising [Phoenix Rising 2025 USL Championship season previewWe’re taking you through Phoenix’s offseason action, hopes, fears, tactics & much more.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/22/3c/223ce17d-3253-4d03-873b-ce236408cde2/content/images/icon/Backheeled-2-Sq-Light-223.png)BackheeledJohn Morrissey![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/22/3c/223ce17d-3253-4d03-873b-ce236408cde2/content/images/thumbnail/phoenix.jpg)](https://www.backheeled.com/phoenix-rising-2025-usl-championship-season-preview-transfers-tactics-stars-predictions/) *With a new manager and a clear focus on putting together a younger, more energetic squad, what will 2025's version of Phoenix Rising look like?* ### Phoenix Rising 2025 USL Championship season preview URL: https://www.backheeled.com/phoenix-rising-2025-usl-championship-season-preview-transfers-tactics-stars-predictions/ Last updated: 2025-03-05T13:22:14.000Z [USL Championship 2025 Season Previews - BackheeledWith a new USL Championship season starting this weekend, we’re dropping in-depth previews for all 24 teams.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/22/3c/223ce17d-3253-4d03-873b-ce236408cde2/content/images/icon/Backheeled-2-Sq-Light-212.png)BackheeledJohn Morrissey![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/22/3c/223ce17d-3253-4d03-873b-ce236408cde2/content/images/thumbnail/2025-USLC-TEAM-PREVIEWS-1-6.jpeg)](https://www.backheeled.com/tag/usl-championship-2025-season-previews/) ## Where we left off last year *2024 season: 42 points, 8th in the Western Conference* Everyone in Phoenix, whether fan or player or front office member, would *love* to forget about the 2024 season as quickly as possible. Having lost manager Juan Guerra, star forwards Danny Trejo and Manuel Arteaga, and box-to-box dynamo Carlos Harvey, Rising could never recapture what made them a title team in 2023\. By midseason, manager Danny Stone had been fired and Phoenix's playoff hopes were in major doubt. While it's hard to describe last year as anything but a failure in the Valley, Rising at least made a few important strides. Poaching Pape Mar Boye from the college ranks is an investment that will ultimately pay off in the form of a handsome transfer fee; the defender was an all-leaguer as a 20-year-old rookie. Signing Giulio Doratiotto out of the Juventus academy was similarly inspired. Rising also made a few midseason additions, most notably Charlie Dennis and Jearl Margaritha, that should be core pieces going forward. By recognizing that the year had gone off the rails, Phoenix was able to find some clarity late-on. The big question is whether the lessons learned result in a return to success in 2025. ## What changed in the offseason _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Orange County SC 2025 USL Championship season preview URL: https://www.backheeled.com/orange-county-sc-2025-usl-championship-season-preview-transfers-tactics-stars-predictions/ Last updated: 2025-03-05T13:22:03.000Z [USL Championship 2025 Season Previews - BackheeledWith a new USL Championship season starting this weekend, we’re dropping in-depth previews for all 24 teams.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/22/3c/223ce17d-3253-4d03-873b-ce236408cde2/content/images/icon/Backheeled-2-Sq-Light-212.png)BackheeledJohn Morrissey![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/22/3c/223ce17d-3253-4d03-873b-ce236408cde2/content/images/thumbnail/2025-USLC-TEAM-PREVIEWS-1-6.jpeg)](https://www.backheeled.com/tag/usl-championship-2025-season-previews/) ## Where we left off last year *2024 season: 46 points, 6th in the Western Conference* At their best, the 2024 version of Orange County SC had genuine title upside. At their worst - and "worst" is probably an overly cruel descriptor - Orange County was wracked by injuries and unsettled as they transitioned from Morten Karlsen to Paul Hardyman to Danny Stone on the sideline. OCSC was deeply unlucky, yet they finished strong and even won a playoff game. During the home stretch of the season, Stone adopted a 4-4-2 (or thereabouts) look that could hurt defenses in multiple ways. Bryce Jamison and Cameron Dunbar were lethal on the counter from the wingers, but Orange County could also break opponents down thanks to the addition of loanee No. 10 Chris Hegardt. The defense got healthy, too, giving OCSC a much-needed backstop. The upturn earned Stone the managerial job full-time, and it gives this club a real base to build upon for the year to come. ## What changed in the offseason _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Oakland Roots 2025 USL Championship season preview URL: https://www.backheeled.com/oakland-roots-2025-usl-championship-season-preview-transfers-tactics-stars-predictions/ Last updated: 2025-03-06T13:16:24.000Z [USL Championship 2025 Season Previews - BackheeledWith a new USL Championship season starting this weekend, we’re dropping in-depth previews for all 24 teams.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/22/3c/223ce17d-3253-4d03-873b-ce236408cde2/content/images/icon/Backheeled-2-Sq-Light-212.png)BackheeledJohn Morrissey![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/22/3c/223ce17d-3253-4d03-873b-ce236408cde2/content/images/thumbnail/2025-USLC-TEAM-PREVIEWS-1-6.jpeg)](https://www.backheeled.com/tag/usl-championship-2025-season-previews/) ## Where we left off last year *2024 season: 44 points, 7th in the Western Conference* As spring rolled around last year, the Oakland Roots were down bad. Having won just two of their first eight games, Oakland elected to fire manager Noah Delgado, promote Gavin Glinton from within, and see if they could make a run. Though the season ended on a flat and offensively stagnant note, it's the seven-wins-in-nine run that ensued over the summer that allowed Glinton to keep the job for 2025\. During that stretch, the Roots figured out how to weaponize their wingbacks, use players like Camden Riley as two-way weapons, and scrape out results. Yes, making the playoffs was an achievement. Still, Oakland is frustratingly unable to break through their "bubble team" ceiling, and 2024 only reinforced that history. ## What changed in the offseason _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### North Carolina FC 2025 USL Championship season preview URL: https://www.backheeled.com/north-carolina-fc-2025-usl-championship-season-preview-transfers-tactics-stars-predictions/ Last updated: 2025-03-05T14:14:56.000Z [USL Championship 2025 Season Previews - BackheeledWith a new USL Championship season starting this weekend, we’re dropping in-depth previews for all 24 teams.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/22/3c/223ce17d-3253-4d03-873b-ce236408cde2/content/images/icon/Backheeled-2-Sq-Light-212.png)BackheeledJohn Morrissey![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/22/3c/223ce17d-3253-4d03-873b-ce236408cde2/content/images/thumbnail/2025-USLC-TEAM-PREVIEWS-1-6.jpeg)](https://www.backheeled.com/tag/usl-championship-2025-season-previews/) ## Where we left off last year *2024 season: 48 points, 8th in the Eastern Conference* Making the jump up the pyramid to the USL Championship was never going to be easy, but North Carolina managed to look like a rock-solid playoff team for most of 2024\. Building from a title-winning final season in USL League One, NCFC retained about a dozen players but added just enough star power to compete in the second tier. The big surprise? Just how good the holdovers looked. Oalex Anderson scored double-digit goals, Rafa Mentzingen and Louis Perez emerged as elite wide threats, and Mikey Maldonado outfought multiple Championship additions to nail down a starting role in the pivot. That core allowed John Bradford to adopt a feisty, high-flying 5-4-1 that was both stingy and fun to watch. If nothing else, North Carolina proved that they belong. 2024 was a year for consolidation; 2025 is the next step. ## What changed in the offseason _This post is for paying subscribers only._ _Includes the latest 500 public posts. Use `/sitemap.xml` for the complete archive of public content._