Yeah, as I mentioned, the best angle to determine the position of his arm would be directly from behind him (or in front of him). If the best we have is the behind the goal shot, we can't say for sure how far his arm is extended out from his body. Failing that, I think you have to keep the call on the field.
I'd say that's really unlikely, since IFAB has gotten rid of/is getting rid of such language (deliberate) in every other case...
It's funny, because they just got rid of the "deliberate" language, and that's been stressed in every CalNorth webinar (regional and grassroots) I've "attended" this year. However, if the reaction has been overwhelmingly negative, perhaps they're having second thoughts?
MLS contract decisions tracker: Live updates on end-of-season roster moves By Tom Bogert Nov 2, 2023 15 As the playoffs progress, just four teams remain alive. The other 25 have their full focus on 2024. The first step for all of those teams is to announce their contract decisions: Which options to pick up or decline, who to open negotiations with, and more. MLS teams eliminated from the playoffs have until Friday to inform the league of their decisions. The teams who lose on Saturday in the conference finals must inform the league of their decisions on Sunday. MLS Cup participants have until December 10 to confirm their decisions. Here’s where every offseason team stands. We’ll keep updating this post as teams announce their roster decisions and what it all means. St. Louis City Updated 11/29 Contract options declined (2): Max Schneider, Michael Creek Out of contract (2): Jonathan Bell, John Nelson Waived (1): Owen O’Malley A ho-hum start to the offseason for St. Louis City, the team had little change or surprise come with their end-of-season contract updates. Left back John Nelson, who performed well as the starter over the first half of season, is out of contract and eligible for the Waiver Draft. Center back Jonathan Bell is also eligible. St. Louis selected both players in the Expansion Draft last year. First-round SuperDraft pick Owen O’Malley was waived. O’Malley didn’t appear in a first team match for STL. The club picked up contract options on several players, including breakout attackers Sam Adeniran and Aziel Jackson. St. Louis had an historic debut season in MLS, topping the Western Conference but fell in round one of the playoffs to Sporting KC. They head into the offseason looking to improve around their core of Roman Burki, Joao Klauss, Eduard Lowen, Tim Parker and more. The club has 25 players under contract in the first team, plus two players out on loan (Selmir Pidro and Isak Jensen). GO DEEPER How Sporting Kansas City disrupted St. Louis City's playoff debut Colorado Rapids Updated 11/28 Contract options declined (7): Sebastian Anderson, Steven Beitashour, Oliver Larraz, Jack Price, Abraham Rodriguez, Gustavo Vallecilla, William Yarbrough Out of contract (1): Luis Díaz, Diego Rubio Loan expired (1): Danny Leyva In negotiations (3): Sebastian Anderson, Oliver Larraz, William Yarbrough The first official changes after naming Chris Armas as head coach, the Colorado Rapids are fully moving on from finishing bottom of the Western Conference. Colorado is moving on from at least six players, including stalwarts Jack Price and Diego Rubio. Both were integral to the group that topped the Western Conference in 2021. William Yarbrough was the starting goalkeeper in that group and may be on his way out as well, though the two sides remain in negotiations. The Rapids picked up contract options on Andrew Gutman, Calvin Harris and Ralph Priso. Andreas Maxsø, Connor Ronan, Cole Bassett, Gutman, Kevin Cabral, Keegan Rosenberry plus on-loan forward Rafael Navarro remain at the team’s core. The Rapids will lean back into a transition-based ethos in 2024 under Armas. Expect the next offseason moves to reflect that direction. GO DEEPER Rapids hire Chris Armas as coach Chicago Fire Updated 11/22 Contract options declined (3): Kendall Burks, Alex Monis, Allan Rodríguez Out of contract (1): Kei Kamara Loan expired (2): Alonso Aceves, Ousmane Doumbia In negotiations (1): Javier Casas Jr. After officially announcing the return of sporting director Georg Heitz and technical director Sebastian Pelzer, Chicago’s offseason is underway with some key contract decisions. Most notably, the club declined the purchase option on DP midfielder Ousmane Doumbia. He returns to sister club FC Lugano and a DP spot opens up for the Fire. The club also declined the purchase option on U-22 initiative left back Alonso Aceves. He returns to Pachuca and Chicago has an open U-22 initiative slot. Chicago did pick up one purchase option: Winger Maren Haile-Selassie from sister club FC Lugano. He stays with the club on a permanent basis after surprisingly leading the club in goals with six. It’ll be another rebuild this winter for the Fire, who missed the playoffs each of the last four seasons. In addition to the one DP spot already open, Chicago is likely to move on from Jairo Torres to open another. Other high-earners could also be cycled out as well to create more flexibility. The club is still without a head coach, as Frank Klopas remains the interim. A decision on that front should come soon. GO DEEPER What comes next for Chicago Fire Austin FC Updated 11/17 Contract options declined (9): Charlie Asensio, Will Bruin, Sofiane Djeffal, Kipp Keller, Adam Lundkvist, Alfonso Ocampo-Chávez, Rodney Redes, Memo Rodriguez, Maxi Urruti Loan expired (1): Brandan Craig In discussions (1): Hector Jimenez A midseason trade of Diego Fagundez signaled the start of a rebuild under new sporting director Rodolfo Borrell. Austin then got the winter started by cleaning house, moving on from at least 10 players for 2024. Austin FC declined options on the likes of Maxi Urruti, Rodney Redes and Memo Rodriguez. Together with Fagundez’s trade, the moves open up a big amount of salary cap space. Redes’ departure also opens a U-22 initiative slot. Veteran midfielder Alex Ring is under contract for 2024 after his option was automatically triggered thanks to performance-based metrics. Ring is on the salary cap as a DP but could be bought down if the club wants to add another alongside Sebastian Driussi and Emiliano Rigoni. Austin will continue to be one of the busiest teams in MLS this offseason and further outgoings are expected. GO DEEPER Q&A: Austin FC sporting director on coming from Man City to MLS Atlanta United Updated 11/17 Contract options declined (5): Machop Chol, Jackson Conway, Clément Diop, Justin Garces, Efrain Morales Loan expired (1): Juanjo Purata Loan decision to be made (1): Xande Silva Out of contract (4): Ozzie Alonso, Miguel Berry, Matheus Rossetto, Amar Sejdic In discussions (3): Efrain Morales, Miles Robinson, Quentin Westberg Atlanta United continued its roster overhaul on Friday, moving on from at least 10 players and possibly as many as 13. The club declined options on six players (including the purchase option on Juanjo Purata) with a further six out of contract. The biggest name out of contract is star defender Miles Robinson, who technical director Carlos Bocanegra says the club remains in discussions with over a new deal. Robinson has been linked with PSV and other European clubs as a potential free agent signing this winter. He seems to be getting ever closer to an exit. Atlanta also still needs to decide on the purchase option of winger Xande Silva, one that includes an agreed transfer fee and contract if triggered. Club president Garth Lagerwey confirmed that would not be a DP deal if triggered. Atlanta remains in talks with backup goalkeeper Quentin Westberg and defender Efrain Morales. More change could come. Goalkeeper Brad Guzan’s future is up in the air with the 39-year-old contemplating his future. Bocanegra said the club will have more discussions with him after he talks over his plans with his family. Then, of course, there’s Thiago Almada. Atlanta is planning to have him for the start of 2024 but transfer rumors continue to swirl. If a big enough bid comes this winter, he could be gone. Lagerwey previously told The Athletic it’s just a reality of the game that an offer like that is more likely to come in the summer than winter, but they’ll be prepared either way. GO DEEPER How Atlanta United's midseason makeover changed the team's MLS form LA Galaxy Updated 11/10 Contract options declined (5): Tony Alfaro, Jonathan Klinsmann, Kelvin Leerdam, Uri Rosell, Billy Sharp Loan expired (1): Lucas Calegari Out of contract (4): Michael Barrios, Douglas Costa, Javier “Chicharito” Hernandez, Adam Saldaña Bona fide offer made (1): Tyler Boyd After a disastrous 2023 season, plagued by poor form and several key injuries, the LA Galaxy has begun their offseason with a bang. At least 10 key veterans and bottom-of-the-roster players have now departed the club, creating plenty of flexibility. Most importantly, the Galaxy has opened two DP spots, as Chicharito and Douglas Costa are out of contract and not returning. Those moves were previously announced and the Galaxy has long been planning to add two DPs around Riqui Puig this winter as they reload for next year. Rising Brazilian defender Lucas Calegari’s loan expires without the Galaxy picking up his purchase option, heavily influenced by his torn ACL suffered in September. The right back was among the club’s consistent performers until the injury. He’s expected to be out until at least the summer and could return to another MLS club then, provided a deal can be reached with Fluminense. That move gives the Galaxy another U-22 initiative slot open on top of the two DP spots. Veteran forward Billy Sharp, signed on a short-term deal in August, had his contract option declined despite scoring six goals in just 711 minutes. The club did pick up several options, including the purchase option for goalkeeper Novak Mićović. He is expected to seriously challenge Jonathan Bond for the starting role next year. The Galaxy now only has 21 players under contract for 2024. They’ll be one of the most interesting teams to watch this winter. [go deeper id=”4950878′] Vancouver Whitecaps Updated 11/10 Contract options declined (3): Matteo Campagna, Kamron Habibullah, Thomas Hasal In negotiations (5): Sebastian Berhalter, Junior Hoilett, Richie Laryea, Russell Teibert, Karifa Yao A strong season for the Whitecaps came to an end at the hands of LAFC in round one of the playoffs. Their core is all set, plus head coach Vanni Sartini just signed a new multi-year contract at the end of the season. The biggest decision and deal to be worked out relates to Canadian international Richie Laryea. The wingback is on loan from Nottingham Forest until the end of December and the Whitecaps want to keep him long-term, but the deal could require a DP spot — a rarity for fullbacks in MLS. They will continue negotiating with Nottingham and Laryea. Vancouver also remains in negotiations with Junior Hoilett, Sebastian Berhalter and the club’s all-time appearance leader Russell Teibert. Despite such a defined and strong starting XI, the Whitecaps have a lot of flexibility with only 19 players under contract, plus two players — Caio Alexandre and Deiber Caicedo — out on loan. Both deals have purchase options. [go deeper id=”5046977′] Toronto FC Updated 11/3 Contract options declined (5): Greg Ranjitsingh, Tomás Romero, Themi Antonoglou, Víctor Vázquez, CJ Sapong Loan expired (1): Franco Ibarra Out of contract (1): Cristian Gutierrez Retired (1): Michael Bradley In negotiations (1): Aimé Mabika It was a nightmarish season for Toronto FC, finishing bottom of MLS despite the second highest payroll. Lorenzo Insigne and Federico Bernardeschi were two high-profile disasters, with head coach Bob Bradley getting fired during the season. Toronto began overhauling the roster over the summer as they reset and look to rebuild, trading away Matt Hedges and Mark-Anthony Kaye, while sending Ayo Akinola and Kosi Thompson on loan. Their contract decisions continue that theme, with at least eight players departing, including the now retired Michael Bradley. Between Bradley, CJ Sapong and more, the club will have plenty of flexibility under the salary cap for change. They do still need to re-work the top of their roster, specifically if there will be resolutions to Bernardeschi and Insigne. John Herdman is in as the club’s new head coach as he leads Toronto in this new era. As of Friday, TFC has 21 players under contract. Expect further departures. Charlotte FC Updated 10/30 Contract options declined (6): Harrison Afful, McKinze Gaines, Chris Hegardt, Pablo Sisniega, Jan Sobocinski and Adrian Zendejas Out of contract (1): Derrick Jones In negotiations (1): Justin Meram Charlotte FC kicked off their offseason by moving on from several squad players, including defender Harrison Afful, winger McKinze Gaines and midfielder Derrick Jones. Jones is likely to have options in free agency. The club also moved on from center back Jan Sobocinski, who was signed as a rising Poland youth international ahead of the club’s debut season in 2022. He didn’t quite make the cut in MLS. Winger Justin Meram, who arrived in a midseason trade from Real Salt Lake, is out of contract but in talks about a new deal for 2024. Charlotte, after making the playoffs this year despite dealing with the Anton Walkes tragedy in preseason, are looking to take another step forward in 2024, so the club will be busy this winter. It seems likely that designated player striker Karol Swiderski will return to Europe, provided an acceptable offer arrives. Charlotte also could look to move on from fellow DP Kamil Jozwiak, meaning they could have two DP spots open this winter. GO DEEPER Charlotte FC's path forward after their first postseason appearance NYCFC Updated 10/30 Contract options declined (7): Nico Benalcazar, Braian Cufré, Jonathan Jimenez, Alfredo Morales, Samuel Owusu, Matias Pellegrini, Stephen Turnbull Missing the playoffs for the first time since its inaugural season in 2015, NYCFC embarks on another offseason of change; The club’s 2023 season saw it transition even further from their 2021 MLS Cup-winning squad, with only a few key pieces remaining. After announcing a statement of support for head coach Nick Cushing, NYCFC declined options on seven players, most notably left back Braian Cufré, winger Matias Pellegrini and midfielder Alfredo Morales. The decision to move on from Morales, in particular, was clearly a difficult one. “I’d like to take this opportunity to thank Alfredo for playing a key role in helping us win our first piece of silverware in 2021, and to all the departing players for their professionalism and contributions to the club,” sporting director David Lee said in a statement. “I hope that we will one day see many of them back in our organization in some capacity.” Morales, 33, made 86 appearances with NYCFC. Pellegrini, 23, was Inter Miami’s first signing once upon a time, for a whopping $7 million fee. Cufré, 26, was a key starter at left back but was on loan from Mallorca. NYCFC declined his purchase option. Both goalkeepers, Luis Barraza and Matt Freese, had their options picked up. Barraza started 24 games, Freese 10. That battle will be one to watch again in preseason. NYCFC doesn’t have any DP spots open, as they’re currently filled by Thiago Martins, Santi Rodriguez and Talles Magno. However, the club should have flexibility under the cap to make a couple of decent swings. Pending what happens with Thiago Andrade (on loan at Athletico Paranaense through December), they’ll have another U-22 Initiative slot as well. GO DEEPER What comes next for NYCFC Inter Miami Updated 10/25 Contract options declined (2): Josef Martinez, Jake LaCava Contracts expired (1): Victor Ulloa No surprises here for Inter Miami, which was the first team to announce end-of-season roster decisions. The big-name departure is Josef Martinez, but it was a foregone conclusion they’d be moving on from the Venezuela international after one year. It wasn’t even a bad season for Martinez, per se, but his contract hit ($4.39 million in guaranteed compensation, according to the MLSPA) was untenable for his production and Miami’s needs. This certainly accelerates the probability that Miami brings in Luis Suarez this winter. It would make no sense to keep Leo Campana, Martinez and Suarez on the roster, assuming that last name gets over the line. Miami exercised contract options on Ian Fray, Cole Jensen, Robbie Robinson, Ryan Sailor, Lawson Sunderland and Robert Taylor. All of those decisions were straightforward, with all players on cheap deals and taking up lower roster spots (and, in Taylor’s case, playing legitimate key minutes). Expect Miami to use cap space to push for Suarez and add another attacking piece, one that can play wide or centrally, as well as more veteran MLS experience to add to the core. The only surprising point of Miami’s offseason thus far is that Chief Soccer Officer Chris Henderson still has no new contract, with his current deal expiring this winter. The longer that goes, the more worrying it’ll be for fans (and the more other MLS teams with CSO openings will be calling).
Ally Mackay and Jason Levien Q&A on D.C. United’s path forward By Pablo Maurer Nov 28, 2023 29 It took a year, but D.C. United finally found a general manager. Former Nashville SC assistant GM Ally Mackay is the man United has tasked with helping right the ship. In Nashville, Mackay was part of the team that engineered one of the most consistently competitive expansion sides in MLS history, qualifying for postseason play in each of its four years of existence so far. In that same span, D.C. United has cycled through three different head coaches, a pair of general managers and hasn’t made the playoffs once. Mackay’s first task will be a big one: filling D.C. United’s managerial vacancy. The club’s former coach, Wayne Rooney, left for Birmingham City after D.C. United was eliminated from playoff contention in October. United’s roster also remains a work in progress. Long-perceived to be one of the thriftiest teams in MLS, D.C. has more recently loosened its purse-strings, but has yet to see any real value from its increased investment. On Tuesday afternoon, Mackay and D.C. United co-chairman and CEO Jason Levien sat down with The Athletic at United’s training center to look ahead to the task at hand and unpack Mackay’s vision for the club moving forward. Questions and answers have been lightly edited for length and clarity. The Athletic: Jason, you’ve interviewed many candidates over the past year — how did Ally get on your radar, and what made him the right fit? Jason Levien: Ally got on my radar from my old friend Google. I was up, late at night, thinking about who should be the next leader of our front office. I just saw a couple interviews he did, I was really interested in his background as a player agent prior to helping launch Nashville, and the culture he built there. I felt we needed someone who was very player-centric and focused on culture-building, someone who could lend that perspective, but also someone who came from a successful environment. I spoke to many people who Ally worked for, and people who he represented, people who had worked for him, people around the industry to get a sense of what his leadership style was like and his communication style was like. And that took months. TA: Jason mentioned your background as an agent, Ally. It’s interesting, you sort of made a leap to ‘the dark side’ in a way, when you transitioned into a front office job at an MLS club. I’m not sure what the dark side is, there, even. Ally Mackay: (laughs) The dark side is definitely the agency thing. TA: Do you feel that people who make that transition are uniquely equipped to deal with the realities of being a chief soccer officer or GM? Mackay: From my perspective, I think that player identification and acquisition will always be the heart and soul of most clubs. You’re going to live and die by that as a GM, as a scout. Your product on the field is always going to be paramount. From all of that, you see what an agent does, you go and sit in the stands and evaluate players, you go and negotiate contracts, you’re basically a salesman, as well. You have to sell the club to the players, or even to their families — sometimes these players might be really young. That translates into every single aspect involved in being a CSO (chief soccer officer) and a GM because, at the end of the day, if you can do that sales job and you can have that dream there for these players, and these families, it’s the same as the agency world. TA: What was your perception of this particular opportunity? You’ve been around the league for a while, and D.C. has had its challenges. It also has a huge upside in terms of history and in terms of its market. What was your impression of the job when you first started digging into it? Mackay: Part of that allure was what drew me to this place. You look at this club, this is a massive MLS club. It’s won four MLS Cups. Put together all the trophies and there’s been no team that’s been more successful than D.C. Who wouldn’t get attracted to that? I told my wife several times during this process that you can’t necessarily pick where you go, but you can understand what the organization is about. And obviously when you see the history, I think it’s a really exciting project. There has not been a ton of success recently but at the same time, that’s what excites me. Having this chance to look forward with this club is huge for me. TA: There have been questions in the past surrounding the club about the decision-making tree. About who has the final say in player acquisition, be it the head coach, the GM at the time, whoever it may be. Has that been clarified in this process? Levien: The process caused us to think about how we make decisions, yes. This is the first CSO that I’ve hired in my 12th season now with D.C. United. I think building the right structure is something that Ally and I talked about a lot, and it’s something I talked about with a lot of other candidates, too. I think we’ve also talked about Ally bringing other people on board to add to the front office, to bring new ideas and different perspectives in addition to the coaching hire. This is going to be a collaborative process. Ally is the tip of the spear, leading the front office. He’s going to make recommendations with his team and we’re going to huddle up, figure out what makes sense and move forward. Prior to him coming, I think that we had (Dave) Kasper there for a long time in that role. We brought someone on who we thought was going to grow into Dave’s role; it turned out not to be the right fit. But Ally is assuming that role immediately, at this level. Chief soccer officer. TA: What is Dave Kasper’s place moving forward? It’s tough to figure out sometimes what it means when someone is retained as an “advisor.” Many times it just feels like industry speak for someone riding out their contract, but largely being removed from any real responsibility. Levien: That’s not the case here. It is not a gratuitous role. Dave has been here 20+ years. He has won a bunch of trophies with this club and given his heart and soul to this club. I think we want this club to be a place that takes care of its own. We want to have a family feeling. People who give service to the club, we want to reciprocate that. But more importantly, and Ally and I have talked about this, we think Dave has a lot to offer in advising Ally. He sat in the CSO role for a long time and has been there when we’ve won championships and when we’ve made mistakes. Ally is the youngest CSO in the league (at 37 years old) and someone who is doing it for the right time. He is embracing Dave as someone who he can bounce ideas off of. Mackay: I am also confident enough in my own beliefs and what my visions are that I have no inhibitions in terms of having Dave here. He is a good guy. We’ve had good, productive conversations and I think it would be ridiculous of me to suggest that I can’t work with that. He knows the good — and the bad — that we have at the organization. Levien: I think we also expect Ally to be more publicly facing, both within the organization and externally, than our CSO has been before. TA: Certainly Nashville SC has been successful for an expansion side. When you look at the way that you and (Nashville GM) Mike Jacobs built that project out, what similarities and differences do you see. Mackay: There are obviously going to be similarities, I think, to Nashville. But I want to put my own footprint on this, as well. Obviously the alignment and collaboration and the potential of making some new hires here will allow me to do that. Data and analytics is something we relied upon heavily in Nashville and something we’ll look to do here, as well. And then there’s assessing the roster, assessing the staff, as well. I’d like to think I’ve been in a number of different agencies and organizations where you understand there are good people everywhere, but that there sometimes aren’t great fits, as well. TA: What does success look like for you next year? The common thought in MLS is that making the postseason is a good bar. But at this point, 18 teams make postseason play — that’s a very low bar. Mackay: For me, process vs. outcome is definitely a big thing. I think if we put good processes in place on and off the field — and that includes an identity and style of play for the group — I think good outcomes will follow. Levien: I want us to feel like we are building a winning culture. I want us to go to sleep at night and wake up the next morning and feel like we’re moving in a really good direction. Obviously we want to make the playoffs, obviously we want to go far in the playoffs. We can’t always control that. But I want us to be committed to following a path where we know good things are going to happen. I was really deliberate before we brought Ally in. This is the most important hire on the soccer side that I’ve ever made at this club. Getting his leadership and having him drive the ship forward is really important. TA: Ally, you mentioned identity — how do you see that identity? D.C.’s previous coaches have always had to be responsive to their roster, to injuries, to all of that. At times last season it felt hard to even identify how Wayne wanted to play, for one reason or another. Mackay: That’s something that’s super important. Hiring our head coach is obviously a huge part of all of this. That coach will be aligned with how I see things. We need a style of play that is entertaining. I want to try and make this team one that entertains. The essence of the sport of soccer is to entertain, and focusing on those aspects and on putting bums on chairs, as they call it in the UK, these are things that are important to the product. TA: You’re already into the process of finding your next head coach. There are typically two schools of thought in MLS: you either hire an MLS lifer with extensive experience in the league or you make an external hire who is new to all of this. What’s your approach? Mackay: It’s a good question and one we’ve talked about over the last couple of weeks. Right now, it’s definitely faceless. Everybody and their grandmother has reached out in terms of projecting potential candidates. Fundamentally, you want to understand what’s important for the organization. This is such a unique league in terms of travel, in terms of the climate, in terms of the roster mechanisms and the salary cap. It’s a huge plus if someone isn’t going through this for the first time. That doesn’t necessarily mean it will be a domestic candidate, but it could be. What I can tell you right now is that we’re open for business in terms of a head coach and we want to make sure we find the right individual that aligns with our vision for the club. TA: What’s the timeframe on making this hire? There is no offseason in MLS. Mackay: It’s true. You are never off the clock. We want to move urgently but not fast. Urgency and speed are different things sometimes. If you move quickly, you can sometimes make mistakes. We understand that there are timelines that we work by and ultimately we have to have someone in place by January 15, 2024. Right now we’re just coordinating a lot of profiles and working on the criteria we’re looking for. Next week we’ll really start sitting down with individuals electronically and assessing what those individuals can bring to the table and whether they’re a good fit. Again, we’re not just going to move quickly to move quickly. We’re going to move pragmatically and get a good understanding of how these individuals will affect the long- and short-term future of D.C. United. TA: What do you make of the core group right now? Mackay: There are obviously some good pieces. The hardest thing to do in soccer is score goals and you have a 15-goal striker right now playing up top who has remained healthy and has been a big asset to the club. I had a good conversation today with Steve Birnbaum, our captain. There are guys in the gym right now like Russ (Canouse) or Teddy (Ku-DiPietro). There are good pieces here, and that was part of the attraction to the club for me. There are assets here. You don’t have to blow everything up. We can understand what this roster looks like and how we sprinkle in some pieces with the various mechanisms that are in place to enhance things. TA: The financial realities of D.C. have shifted a bit in recent years and the club seems to spend more on players than it has in the past. Are you convinced that the club will provide adequate support for you, financially, to allow you to enact whatever your vision is here? Mackay: I’ve had in-depth conversations with Jason and (D.C. United co-owner) Steve (Kaplan) about all of this and we’ve worked over all that internally. I think there’s definitely some pieces that we want to add and others, like the U-22 initiative, that we can certainly focus on. It’s all part of the project that I think is really exciting. Having those conversations, these are elements that can really set the club up long-term, as well. We want a sustainable model that can be impactful. (Photo: D.C. United/Hannah Wagner)
Will he do it? Will Bouanga break Vela's record for goals in a calendar year across all competitions? 1. Carlos Vela (LAFC) 38 goals, '192. Dénis Bouanga (LAFC) 37 goals, '23T-3. Josef Martínez (ATL) 35 goals, '18T-3. Carlos Ruiz (LA) 35 goals, '025. Roy Lassiter (TB) 34 goals, '96— Major League Soccer (@MLS) November 29, 2023
Hard to believe that Vela scored 38 in 2019. Seems like he can barely buy a goal now, though to be fair Bouanga hogs most of the chances. I know he scored 9 in regular season but that's a small fraction of 38. Doesn't help to be 34 yo either though.
He's going on the AppleTV salary budget. C'mon now Inter Miami Roster Everyone Else AppleTV Roster Luis Suarez Lionel Messi Jordi Alba Sergio Busquets Dreak Callendar Robert Taylor
It wouldn't shock me if all of a sudden LAFC, LA Galaxy, NYCFC and New York Red Bull all get some kind of AppleTV player.
Nice plunging v-shaped necklines on those jerseys. Weird to have baggy shorts and really tight-fitting shirts.