Columbus Crew 2 to host Austin FC II in 2023 MLS NEXT Pro Cup
For a second straight year, Columbus Crew 2 will play host for the MLS NEXT Pro Cup when they welcome Austin FC II for the league's championship event Sunday at Lower.com Field (5 pm ET | MLS Season Pass).
Inter Miami sign Gregore to contract extension
Gregore and Inter Miami CF have reached a contract extension through the 2025 MLS season with an option for 2026. The Brazilian midfielder has missed the majority of the 2023 campaign with a long-term foot injury. But he’s been among their most impactful players when healthy, tallying eight assists in 62 games (all starts) since arriving for the 2021 season from Bahia.
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It’s Decision Day week! And some teams are heading into Saturday with a ton on the line. Some teams are… not doing that… like at all. In fact, there’s nothing on the line for them. So, how’d they get here? And what’s next?
I figured we’d continue our week in typical Daily Kickoff fashion: By being a total bummer. Let’s take an abridged and broad look at what went wrong for our teams with nothing to play for. And what might be on the way as they try to turn things around in 2024. The East yesterday and the West today.
How’d we get here?
Dread it. Run from it. The regression to the mean comes for us all.
Last year, Austin finished with an expected goal differential of -1.8. They finished second in the West. This year, Austin’s underlying numbers got even worse and their luck cratered. They finished with an expected goal differential of -6.3 and are already eliminated from Audi MLS Cup Playoffs contention. Those are all outcomes that make a whole lot of sense when you consider they ran out of luck and available center backs.
Injuries and poor play at the back really hampered this team this season. Then again, their underlying numbers defensively actually improved slightly. They took a notable step back in attack, but it’s probably fair to assume playing from behind a little more often affected that.
In the end, a post-Leagues Cup run that’s seen them pick up six whole points over the last 10 games put the final nail in the coffin. That doesn’t even include two miserable losses to JuĂ¡rez and MazatlĂ¡n in the prior two games. In general, the vibes of this team felt off from the jump when they face-planted in CCL against Violette. It never really got better.
What’s next?
Josh Wolff is still the head coach and that feels like the right call. The game model is fine. The roster construction… eh. That’s why the club brought in Pep Guardiola’s right-hand man Rodolfo Borrell. His CV is impressive, but will that translate to success in MLS? And to a team without quite the same budget as Manchester City? Either way, the club will likely make some big moves that will probably include a DP replacement for Emiliano Rigoni. Maybe more. They could be a reshaped team by the time we reach opening day.
How’d we get here?
It’s not entirely clear, but I’m guessing Chicharito’s season-ending injury and summer transfer restrictions had at least something to do with it. Mix in some bad goalkeeping, bad defense and a string of fan protests and things just never got good for LA. Even with Riqui Puig continuing to be an elite chance creator. That’s a tremendous disappointment considering how they finished 2022.
I’m not even really sure what to add from there. They just weren’t good enough. Injuries furthered the problem. That was that.
What’s next?
No more transfer restrictions and likely two open DP spots to fill. There are worse places to be. Chicharito and Douglas Costa are reportedly out of contract and that means new senior vice-president of player personnel Will Kuntz will get a chance to help work some of the same magic he worked with LAFC as assistant general manager. He and Greg Vanney will have plenty of resources available to get this right. If they can convince Riqui Puig to stay around another season, then the Galaxy could be set for a bounceback year in 2024.
How’d we get here?
You can start with the 2022 offseason and work from there. They failed to capitalize on the success of 2021 and the roster only got less effective as time went on. They don’t spend much and they get results that reflect that. When they lose key players like Jack Price and Max, and a risky DP choice like Kévin Cabral doesn’t hit, you get the last-place team in the West.
Along the way, they decided moving on from head coach Robin Fraser would help things. As of now, it has not.
What’s next?
Probably nothing different. There’s just not a reason to believe they’ll get this right. There’s no proof of concept. They’ll add a new manager, but it doesn’t matter if you’re not adding DPs and maximizing your resources to compete. Until we see it, there’s no reason to believe it will happen.
Houston Dynamo sign Bartlow to contract extension: Houston Dynamo FC have signed defender Ethan Bartlow to a contract extension through the 2025 MLS season with an option for 2026. Bartlow, selected No. 6 overall by Houston in the 2021 MLS SuperDraft presented by adidas, has made 32 appearances (23 starts) across all competitions this year. Those efforts helped fuel the Dynamo’s first Audi MLS Cup Playoffs berth since 2017, a US Open Cup title and a Round-of-16 appearance in Leagues Cup.
San Jose Earthquakes goalkeeper Marcinkowski out with knee injury: San Jose Earthquakes goalkeeper JT Marcinkowski will miss the remainder of the 2023 season after sustaining a knee injury in this past weekend's friendly match against Honduran side CD Olimpia. Marcinkowski tore the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL), posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) and medial collateral ligament (MCL) in his right knee. He is scheduled to have surgery in the coming weeks.
- John Herdman believes Lorenzo Insigne and Federico Bernardeschi can create a "new future" at Toronto FC.
- Joe Lowery picked out 10 players who will decide Decision Day.
- Jeremy Ebobisse is seeking a more inclusive soccer future in the Bay Area and beyond.
- If the Audi 2023 MLS Cup Playoffs started today, here’s what the bracket would look like.
- The USMNT are anticipating "a few changes" vs. Ghana after Germany defeat.
Good luck out there. It’s good to refresh your memory from time to time.
