KICK OFF |
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XABI ALONSO COULDN’T MAKE THE RELATIONSHIP WORK
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Xabi Alonso’s biggest mistake was thinking he could change the toxic relationship. Yes, he walked into Real Madrid, this cauldron of self-interest, and thought “maybe they will change for me”. How quaint, Xabi. The club legend wasn’t a bad manager. But he wasn’t a particularly good one either. He was a nerd, a dude who liked the Xs and Os, getting together with an institution that was very self-centered, focused on individual excellence. Madrid, to be fair, led him on. They said the right things, suggested that things would be different this time. In the end, Alonso could not change Madrid. He could not coach the uncoachable and was sacked (harshly) after seven months in charge. GOAL looks at how a doomed coupling fell apart - and why we all should have seen this coming…
Hindle: “Kylian Mbappe, like Vinicius Jr and Jude Bellingham, is now bigger than any club, any jersey, and certainly any manager. These men are all successful brands that Alonso tried, in a quite valiant failure, to treat like footballers. Alonso is a truly excellent coach who has shown in an immensely successful spell at Bayer Leverkusen that he is one of the game's most effective tacticians. Give him the right squad, full of more eager and, frankly, coachable players, and he can work wonders. But for this Madrid, he was the wrong manager from the start.”
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THE EUROPEAN STAR THAT AMERICA (SORT OF) MADE
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You might not have heard of Yan Diomande. But the chances are you will soon. The Ivorian plays for RB Leipzig, currently second in the Bundesliga. He’s 19 years old, and he’s very, very good at soccer. Odds are, he will be playing for a better team, in a better league, on a bigger stage next year. But less than two years ago, he was kicking a ball around high school fields in Daytona Beach, Florida, and staying at a boarding school thousands of miles from home. His journey has been a weird one, from the Ivory Coast’s largest city to Florida and now to Germany. Diomande is the future superstar America rather accidentally developed. GOAL talked to him about life in the States, and why he’s up next…
Diomande, to Hindle: “The system was like this. They told me to go to the USA. I didn't ask, because that was my first time traveling, so I was just happy. I was young…It was a good experience…I learned a lot.”
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THE USMNT, EXPLAINED
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Right, let’s make this really simple. The United States is one of three countries that will host the 2026 World Cup. With that comes loads of pressure. After all, hosting a major tournament is kind of a big deal. It’s probably best if you don’t screw this up. But who are the 20-plus men charged with bringing America to glory next summer? Well, they’re an interesting bunch. There are big names from Europe, plenty of MLS talent, and an elite coach brought in on a short-term contract to piece it all together with a tight runway. What could go wrong? It could also be a winning formula. Who knows? We’re not in the business of speculation, but GOAL’s Ryan Tolmich can certainly break it all down:
Tolmich: “The spotlight shines squarely on the U.S. men’s national team, which has a rare opportunity to capture the attention - and imagination - of American fans on a scale the program has never seen before. The profile of the USMNT has risen plenty in recent years. Once obscure and niche, the team has grown into a bigger part of the American sports ecosystem. That's especially true in a World Cup year, when fans and non-fans from all over the country will tune in in equal measure to see how American soccer stacks up against the rest of the world.”
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THE NWSL STARTS TO COME TOGETHER
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It’s been a rough winter for the United States’ top women’s soccer league. All of the chatter for years now has been about how good this thing is and why it appeals to so many around the world. Well, that might be true, but some of the USWNT’s best have left in recent months. Sure, the floor might be high, but that ceiling is getting lower day by day. There’s good news on three fronts, though. The first is that Trinity Rodman seems more likely to stay than go. Lindsey Heaps, one of the USWNT’s best, has arrived from Europe. And we finally have a schedule for the 2026 season, with tantalizing matchups abound. GOAL’s Celia Balf breaks down the schedule, with a focus on returning stars…
Balf: “One key question entering opening night is the availability of USWNT star Trinity Rodman, who is currently a free agent. Portland, meanwhile, recently re-signed USWNT forward Sophia Wilson to a new contract through the end of the year. Wilson has been on maternity leave but has returned to training, putting her status for the opening weekend in focus as well.”
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WHO SHOULD MAN UNITED HIRE NEXT?
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Right, we already did the Real Madrid thing. Alonso=bad, relationship=doomed. You remember, right? Well, how about Manchester United, who 11 days ago parted ways with Ruben Amorim. To be fair, the Portuguese manager had been trying to get sacked for about a year now, dropping the “what are you gonna do, fire me?” pretty much every week. Well, Man United finally answered with a “yep.” For now, they have appointed Michael Carrick, going for the whole ex-player-sorts-it-out kind of vibe.
But GOAL’s Richard Martin reckons they should swing big and pinch the England manager Thomas Tuchel…
Martin: “From the fans’ point of view, there is a lot to like about Tuchel. He is one of the best in-game coaches in the world, rivalled only by Pep Guardiola for his ability to tweak his team’s shape for the better. His adaptability, which he first showed by overachieving with Mainz, should also appeal to United supporters frustrated by the dogmatic Amorim. While the Portuguese talked of needing several years to get things right at Old Trafford, Tuchel normally needs just a few weeks to get the desired results.”
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CADE COWELL, FROM COWBOY TO RED BULL
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A lot of people told Cade Cowell that he was an idiot for going from San Jose to Chivas Guadalajara. For one, the Mexican club didn’t allow Americans - at all. But Cowell, then 20 years old and full of swagger, got his Mexican passport and just went for it. His time in Liga MX was mixed. The fans actually liked him. They gave him a cool nickname: “El vaquero.” For a while, it was a good laugh. Then, a new manager came in, and Cowell was exiled to the bench. So now, he has returned to MLS, where he will be the new face of the New York Red Bulls. It’s been a bit of a mad journey, and he talked to GOAL about it in full…
Hindle: “The Red Bulls have retooled and need a boost after failing to make the playoffs for the first time in 15 years last season. Bradley, one of the most hyped coaching prospects in years, is part of it. Cowell will be another key element. And for him, this is a fresh start - something he has been needing for a while. The American kid with Mexican blood is back home.”
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VIDEO REVIEW |
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Why are you still diving, Jordan Pickford?
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AROUND THE GROUNDS |
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A few other things you need to know to impress your pals at the bar, ruin your social feed or generally be a snob about this sport:
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CHECKING THE MONITOR |
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Ever wondered what beating Real Madrid looks like?
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POSTMATCH HIGHLIGHTS |
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Our Rondo guys are building World Cup squads. England are first (oh god)
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MATCHES NOT TO MISS |
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January 17: Premier League, Man United vs. Man City, 7:30 a.m. — USA Network
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January 17: Bundesliga, Bayern Munich vs. RB Leipzig, 3 p.m. — ESPN+
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January 18: AFCON Final, Senegal vs. Morocco, 2 p.m. — BeIN Sports
- January 18: La Liga, Barcelona vs. Real Sociedad, 3 p.m. — ESPN+
That’s all for this edition of The Rondo. Irritate me directly with questions/comments/insights/incorrect opinions @tom_Hindle_
Cheers for reading! |
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