KICK OFF |
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MESSI IS MLS MVP - WHAT NOW?
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To anyone who thought anyone but Messi could win MLS MVP: what were you thinking? Funnily enough, only 55 percent of MLS players(!!) voted for the great Argentine, so this writer, who does not play professional soccer, might be full of shit. But, like, Messi? Anyway, he took home the “Landon Donovan MVP award” (cringe), and looked pretty happy doing so. Times are good in Miami. BUT what’s next? Miami aren’t exactly squad-building geniuses, and it’s really hard to build MLS dynasties. Was this their one season of glory before it all goes haywire? That simply needs to be avoided. GOAL looked into where Miami go from here…
Hindle: “For Miami, the award raises the stakes. They have won MLS Cup, carried mostly by Messi's brilliance in the final. The club is opening a new stadium in Miami Freedom Park and will likely find a way to carry a star-studded roster next season, but it still hasn’t truly built a balanced team around Messi. Their playoff run was an excellent exercise in getting hot at the right time, but there are still questions to be asked about how prepared this team is to survive long-term. And if this is to be more than a one-off for a consistent MVP, Miami need to get smart in the transfer market.”
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GETTING PHOTOGRAPHY ADVICE FROM A USMNT CENTER BACK
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Mark McKenzie can certainly tell you a bit about being a good center back. He’s been excellent for Toulouse this season and could be in the USMNT starting XI next summer at the World Cup. But footballers are allowed to have other interests - as baffling as that may sound. And McKenzie loves taking pictures. So what? Well, it comes from a far deeper place than just snapping one for the ‘gram. The U.S. center back talked to GOAL’s Ryan Tolmich about fatherhood, heartbreak, and how memories have shaped him - one photograph at a time…
McKenzie, to Tolmich: “It's about appreciating being present and how fleeting all of this stuff is. At the end of it all, my family and my loved ones are the most important factor in my life outside of my faith. I think that these are the moments that are the most beautiful moments and, as you get older, those moments start to become a little bit fast.”
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POCHETTINO AND CO. CAN START TO DREAM
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‘MURICA. FLY THE FLAG, LET THE EAGLE SCREAM. I BELIEVE THAT WE WILL WIN. IT’S CALLED SOCCER.
Right, now the patriotic stuff is out of the way, we can get real. The USMNT’s group reads like this: Australia, Paraguay, and (presumably) Turkey. That’s not a bad draw, all said. The U.S. could - and maybe should - win that. And then, who knows? Maybe it’s time to dream. Manager Mauricio Pochettino ain’t thinking that far ahead. But the Argentine coach has been handed a favorable draw. Still, every game is a cup final. He realizes that. Let this thing begin. GOAL’s Ryan Tolmich broke down the group - with input from Pochettino at a revealing presser.
Pochettino: “Our first game is the final of the World Cup. The second needs to be the final of the World Cup. The third, too. We need to see that. The first game is not just another opportunity. That's why we have the mentality that we want to build, the mindset we've talked about before.”
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MO SALAH AND THE ART OF PLAYER POWER
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There it is, Mo. Tell us how you really feel. No, you’re definitely holding back when you say that the club has “thrown you under the bus” and publicly speculate that someone in Liverpool setup has it out for you. Those words are too vague for us. We could do with some real honesty here. On a serious note, Salah gave a very explosive, very silly interview after Liverpool’s Premier League game last Saturday. Cue the internet firestorm. Surely he has to be sold now. But why go about it like this? GOAL’s Mark Doyle reckons it might just have ruined his Liverpool legacy, too…
Doyle: “Instead of stepping forward as a leader in times of trouble, Salah has become a destructive force, putting himself above the team. No one can take away the 'Egyptian King's' status as a Reds icon after so many years of brilliance and tangible success, but his decision to publicly speak out against Slot after being dropped to the bench has permanently tainted his legacy.”
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ANYONE FANCY THE MADRID JOB?
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Football legend Thierry Henry put it best: Real Madrid don’t need a coach, they need a manager. This is a locker room full of stars who don’t take any crap from anyone. They can’t really be told where to go, given tactical ideas, or molded in any way. Instead, it’s about the vibes, the confidence, the belief in not only their individual quality but the common goal: winning everything. Well, Xabi Alonso has the audacity to want to play a coherent football system. The result? Two wins in his last eight games and what seems to be an inevitable sacking. Who in their right mind could want this job? GOAL’s James Westwood looks at some candidates… He reckons a certain former Liverpool manager might just be the best option.
Westwood: “Alonso is a progressive coach who needs time to stamp an identity, but that luxury is never on offer in Madrid. Change is inevitable if the inconsistency continues, and there are already seven candidates in the frame to replace the Spaniard.”
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IS NEYMAR FINALLY COMING TO THE U.S.?
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It’s that time again. The offseason has arrived, rosters are being torn apart and stitched back together, and every team is convincing itself that this is the year it figures out how to actually win something. Inter Miami were a machine in the playoffs, sure, but MLS doesn’t care who you are — keeping a title is brutally hard. They’ll need to reload. Again.
And so we arrive at the annual question: is this the moment Neymar drops into South Florida like it’s the world’s most expensive midlife adventure? Maybe. Maybe not. But if Miami are serious about going back-to-back, they need more than vibes and Messi magic.
It’s not just about the Herons, either. Sixteen other playoff teams also have holes to patch and dreams to chase. Will someone finally unleash Cavan Sullivan properly? Could a dark horse jump into contention? Could a contender completely implode? (Yes. Absolutely.). GOAL takes a look at all of this year’s playoff teams’ wish lists…
Hindle: The positive to this all is that there isn't a single team in the league that is entirely set for next year. Not every side can win a championship, of course, and there are frightfully few that have the right ambition to do so. But there is plenty of room for some to break into the picture, and others to throw it all away. Inter Miami, for one, have money to spend, but, will they make wise decisions or remain top-heavy as they've historically shown?
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PLAY GOAL8 |
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So there’s this thing called GOAL8. What you do is pick a bunch of scorelines for games that are randomly generated by our very clever machine, known as the internet. Eight games, eight scorelines. Get all eight correct, and there’s a $100,000 prize on the line. Last time out I literally got zero points. Bloody hell. Here are a few misguided predictions…
Liverpool 1-1 Brighton
Man United 2-2 Bournemouth
Nottingham Forest 1-0 Tottenham
Athletic Club 2-0 Celta Vigo
Parma 1-1 Lazio
Juventus 1-0 Bologna
Napoli 3-1 Udinese
Hamburg 1-1 Hoffenheim
PLAY AGAINST ME IN A PRIVATE LEAGUE HERE(!!)
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VIDEO REVIEW |
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Our Corbin Mills captured some truly ridiculous footage of Lionel Messi celebrating an MLS Cup win…
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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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Curious how Messi's English is? The Argentine legend puts it to good use while talking to refs here...
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POSTMATCH HIGHLIGHTS |
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Our Rondo guys played a football guessing game that you won’t win |
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MATCHES NOT TO MISS |
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December 13: Premier League, Chelsea vs. Everton, 10 a.m. — USA Network
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December 13: Premier League, Liverpool vs. Brighton, 10 a.m. — Peacock
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December 14: La Liga, Real Madrid vs. Alaves, 3 p.m. — ESPN+
- December 14: Serie A, Juventus vs. Bologna, 2:45 p.m. — Paramount+
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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