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ENZO MARESCA, AND HARD ACTS TO FOLLOW
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Let’s make something clear now: there is no reason to feel sorry for Enzo Maresca. The new Man City manager interviewed for his current job while still in his old one - and tried to keep it quiet. He is being paid more than the $5.7 million disclosed in his Chelsea contract. There are more important things in life than highly paid football managers. However, if there ever was a job you did not want to follow, it’s Pep Guardiola at Man City. Silverware is expected, and fans will want the football to look good, too. That’s a shame, considering Maresca just lost his best player in Rodri, and was criticized by Chelsea supporters for playing some pretty turgid stuff. The upshot? This is a tough, tough, tough job. And a 3-0 battering crystallized how difficult it will be. GOAL’s James Westwood broke it all down…
Westwood: “While the traditional season curtain-raiser is widely viewed as a glorified pre-season friendly, the new City boss could take very few positives away from Cardiff's Principality Stadium. The Italian has much to ponder after opening his reign with a whimper.”
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PULISIC COULD BE AMORIM’S DREAM PLAYER
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Stop us if you’ve heard this one before, but Christian Pulisic might be setting himself up for a top-tier season. His new manager, Ruben Amorim - yes, that Ruben Amorim who was sacked by Man United in disgrace - insisted that the American is a perfect fit for his system. GOAL has been hurt before. The scars of Max Allegri, Stefano Pioli, even Thomas Tuchel are yet to fully heal. We have been lied to about Pulisic on many a occasion. That’s all managers do to our beloved Captain America: spread mistruths. Joking aside, we are now about to embark on the journey of another manager insisting that Pulisic could be their guy. Can this time really be different? GOAL’s Ryan Tolmich asked the big questions…
Tolmich: “And so begins the Amorim era, the latest in Pulisic's long career of many managers. Amorim will be the 13th different coach he's played under as Pulisic approaches his 28th birthday. It's been a long list, one with plenty of swings and almost as many misses. Maybe Amorim will be different. If he is going to be, it'll depend on many factors, but one most of all: trust."
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ROBERT LEWANDOWSKI IS BALLING IN MLS
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Cast your mind back a month or so, and there were real-life humans saying that Chicago Fire didn’t need Robert Lewandowski, because they had (wait for it) Hugo Cuypers! And no disrespect to the Belgian international who has zero senior Belgium appearances, but…c’mon. You can either have a decent journeyman striker, or one of the GOATs. In that situation, you probably pick Lewandowski. Just a thought. Of course, there are no guarantees in soccer. But Lewandowski is making a mockery of this league - even if the goals aren’t coming in spades. The fact is, he makes Chicago a LOT better. In fact, it might just be time to dream big. GOAL took a look at Lewandowski’s Chicago stint so far…
Hindle: “His last season at Barcelona was certainly his worst - at least in terms of goals. But it was also the one where he played the fewest minutes. He started 17 of a possible 31 La Liga games, and totaled 1,000 minutes less than the season before. Yet the benefit for Chicago is obvious. Lewandowski might have more than 45,000 career minutes in his nearly 38-year-old legs. But he at least saved a few in his last season in Catalonia. But then there's the inverse. As Gregg Berhalter put it: ‘Robert's still in his preseason mode.’ And that might be the scariest part of it all.”
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HAJI WRIGHT, PREMIER LEAGUE STRIKER?
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That has a nice ring to it, eh? Haji Wright certainly has his critics, and he is quite certainly third in the USMNT’s striker pool right now. But that’s always been a bit harsh on a really talented footballer. The truth is, Wright is quite good at this thing, and his 17 goals were vital in getting Coventry City promoted last year. Can he make an impact at the next level? That will be interesting to see. Josh Sargent, another No.3 guy for the U.S., struggled in the Prem. But Wright has the backing of manager Frank Lampard. Tolmich spoke with the manager and Premier League manager to find more...
Tolmich: “Wright, though, is one of the players that gives Lampard belief. Coventry’s first Premier League campaign in a generation could depend on one run of form, one period where lightning is caught in a bottle. And Wright has done a lot of lightning catching over the last few years, which is why the American star could be a difference-maker this season for a team that could really use one.”
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USL MEETS NFL
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VAR is expensive and silly. There is nothing wrong with the conceit of wanting to cut out bad decisions in soccer. There are some goals that shouldn’t stand, and some calls that just get blown. Decreasing the margin of error is just fine (we are dancing around the fact that VAR would NEVER have let Maradona get away with that Hand of God thing here). ANYWAY, VAR has its critics, mostly because it’s the ref who elects to review the play. But what if you switched it around, and went all yee-haw American style where coaches could “challenge” plays? And what if it were cheaper and less invasive than VAR? It seems a bit silly, but it has worked in small sample sizes. And let’s be honest, sometimes soccer can learn a thing or two from America. With that, let us introduce FVS, a sort of VAR-lite in which coaches challenge the plays they don’t like. GOAL took a look at the tech and how it might change the landscape of soccer…
Hindle: “USL has been at the forefront before. Eagle-eyed viewers will also note that this comes at a time in which USL is aiming to launch first division soccer, complete with a promotion-relegation system. It's ambitious, and the first time it could be properly implemented in American professional sports. This could be another moment in which the league has a key role in wider changes to the footballing landscape.”
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WHERE SHOULD USWNT STARS END UP NEXT?
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Nah, we can’t keep track of transfer markets, either. The good thing about increased capital in the women’s game is that top players have more opportunities to play at different clubs. The quality is better. The facilities are better. Women’s soccer is a bit more egalitarian now. That’s a good thing. The flip side here is that there are a bunch of really good footballers who are always moving around. You’d be forgiven for not being bang up to date with everything. The good news is our Celia Balf constantly has her finger on the pulse. It will be a weird 12 months or so with the World Cup approaching. Some USWNT stars will feel the pressure to leave for bigger clubs. Others will need to stay. Jaedyn Shaw is among those in a tricky spot. At least, that’s what Balf thinks…
Balf: "The question is not whether she should leave before the World Cup, but whether Europe could become the next step in her career afterward. For now, Gotham provides the stability and platform Shaw needs to show everyone just how creative and lethal she can be.
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NO WHITE SHORTS, THE BEST WOSO SHOW OUT THERE
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Speaking of women’s soccer stuff you should be keeping tabs on. No White Shorts is the newest women's soccer show to hit the market and tackles everything from the game itself, culture, plus the narratives surrounding the game. All of this, without a filter. Expect a weekly women's soccer show hosted by Celia Balf and Ruby Naylor. It's edgy, millennial meets Gen Z WOSO, and a whole lot of banter. The good news? Episode one is OUT NOW. The two discuss if the U.S. women's national team is ready for the 2027 World Cup. It's divided, it's complicated, and...is anyone actually ready?
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VIDEO REVIEW |
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Niklas Dorsch career goals before joining Toronto: 9. Niklas Dorsch career goals now: 10.
Here’s the 10th.
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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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POSTMATCH HIGHLIGHTS |
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Has MLS beat the “retirement league” allegations?
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MATCHES NOT TO MISS |
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August 19: MLS, Cincinnati vs. NYCFC 7:30 p.m. — Apple TV+
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August 19: MLS, Inter Miami vs. Philadelphia Union, 7:30 p.m. – Apple TV+
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August 21: Premier League, Arsenal vs. Coventry, 3 p.m. – USA Network
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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