ESMIR

The 2026 FIFA World Cup looms closer with every passing hour, and boy, could you ever tell around MLS Matchday 12. Let's take a whip around the grounds: www.mlssoccer.com/news/messi-t...

> cutting-edge analysis > increasing and developing the understanding of the game > Jurgen Klinsmann

INBOX: FIFA has announced its 'Technical Study Group' for the 2026 World Cup, to be based in Miami

The 2026 FIFA World Cup looms closer with every passing hour, and boy, could you ever tell around MLS Matchday 12. Let's take a whip around the grounds: www.mlssoccer.com/news/messi-t...

Inchy's Curse. Gotta burn a Gaffer Gnome with some sage at midfield or something

Despite starting just 1 league game and playing a bit more than 100 minutes so far, James ranks fourth in both chances created + big chances created for Minnesota United. Comes off the bench and immediately pings a pinpoint cross for the equalizer vs. Austin tonight. Maybe he should've played more?

ICYMI

“There’s a side of his game offensively that reminds me of the UEFA Champions League... I always tell him, ‘Buddy, you can be a millionaire. You can make so much money.’” It's magical when a young prospect makes The Leap, as David Martínez has for #LAFC this year: www.mlssoccer.com/news/david-m...

“There’s a side of his game offensively that reminds me of the UEFA Champions League... I always tell him, ‘Buddy, you can be a millionaire. You can make so much money.’” It's magical when a young prospect makes The Leap, as David Martínez has for #LAFC this year: www.mlssoccer.com/news/david-m...

Blame immigration for all of the problems. Cut taxes for the very rich. Continue to blame immigration for everything. Cut welfare and services. Continue to blame immigration, but also the poor, sick and disabled. Works every time. In every country. Humanity is not developing.

personally I think it's a very big deal that the Canada bureau chief for the @nytimes.com — certainly one of the highest-paid journalists in the country — asked an unspecified "AI tool" what Poilievre said & published its AI-hallucinated quotes in her reporting.

Flavor Flav, Sofia Huerta AND Kellyn Acosta? Why the hell not!

'[Alan] Rothenberg wanted “a really high-priced ticket” due to the associated prestige [in 1994]... In some echoes to now, too, he argued that “the street value would be at least that” so touts shouldn’t get the benefit. “Fifa said no.” Why? “Overly concerned about average fans’ reaction.”'

however much you think these heinous things cost, you are underestimating it store.fifa.com/pages/host-c...

This story is WILD. Juan Orlando Hernandez, the Honduran ex-president pardoned by Trump for narcotrafficking, seemingly caught on tape in dozens of conversations (if true), discussing plans with GOP and other figures to attack left-wing governments, and saying Israel paid for his pardon from Trump.

'𝙸𝚗𝚌𝚑 𝚋𝚢 𝚒𝚗𝚌𝚑, 𝚕𝚒𝚏𝚎'𝚜 𝚊 𝚌𝚒𝚗𝚌𝚑. 𝚈𝚊𝚛𝚍 𝚋𝚢 𝚢𝚊𝚛𝚍, 𝚕𝚒𝚏𝚎'𝚜 𝚑𝚊𝚛𝚍.' That old saying's been a powerful force for Paul Rothrock, who leveraged marginal gains and a sense of place to become a @soundersfc.com cult hero. This week we talked about life, joy and finding purpose: www.mlssoccer.com/news/paul-ro...

Also noted Oklahoma likers

Imagine watching your club play a CCC semifinal at home on television while you were urgently needed for a dinner of eggs and orange juice.

FORGETTING THINGS

Things are bad at Real Madrid right now — terrible dressing room vibes, infighting, physical altercations — but fortunately Jose Mourinho is on his way to make it so much worse

'𝙸𝚗𝚌𝚑 𝚋𝚢 𝚒𝚗𝚌𝚑, 𝚕𝚒𝚏𝚎'𝚜 𝚊 𝚌𝚒𝚗𝚌𝚑. 𝚈𝚊𝚛𝚍 𝚋𝚢 𝚢𝚊𝚛𝚍, 𝚕𝚒𝚏𝚎'𝚜 𝚑𝚊𝚛𝚍.' That old saying's been a powerful force for Paul Rothrock, who leveraged marginal gains and a sense of place to become a @soundersfc.com cult hero. This week we talked about life, joy and finding purpose: www.mlssoccer.com/news/paul-ro...

“There were a lot of days where I finished rehab, and cried on my way home.” I wrote something about Brandon Vazquez's path from rock bottom to back on the pitch in ~300 days for Austin FC. www.mlssoccer.com/news/brandon...

Poor guy's had brutal luck

Precisely. Just the altitude is hard enough, but the raucous environment is another consideration. In addition, there are two different styles at play during those matchups. MLS teams have trouble adapting to the CONCACAF-y tactics employed by Mexican teams.

This is an underexposed angle of the MLS-in-CCC discourse - it's easy to call for more liberal spending, and there is validity to that. But it may not matter when teams have to go to 7300 ft above sea level - or even 8700, for Toluca - and not get their 💩 rocked. Son & Bouanga struggled last night

today in headlines I don’t expect to see nypost.com/2026/05/07/b...

Son: 35 touches, 16/23 passing, 2 chances created, 1/3 dribbles, 2/4 ground duels, 0 defensive contributions, 1 error led to goal, 1 foul drawn, 0 fouls committed

Woulda coulda shoulda

Tough place to play. And they didn't show up tonight. Both goals, gifts.

Denis Bouanga tonight, as of 75:00: 20 touches, 3 shots, 1 on target, 2 big chances missed, 2/6 passing, 0/2 dribbles, 0/3 ground duels won, 1 defensive contribution, 0 fouls committed, 0 fouls drawn

Toluca ride the bleeding edge between physical and dirty like few teams I've ever seen in this region. Habitual line steppers. Poses a test for the officiating crew every time out, one many Concacaf referees just aren't up to.

like—

Miss of the year from Timmy Tillman down in Toluca 🙈 #CCCFever

Much more to come on the drama this morning/overnight on @usatodaysports.usatoday.com. Here's a video review of the situation with my take on whether or not Mexico's original plan is even a good one: www.youtube.com/shorts/RAHLc...

“There were a lot of days where I finished rehab, and cried on my way home.” I wrote something about Brandon Vazquez's path from rock bottom to back on the pitch in ~300 days for Austin FC. www.mlssoccer.com/news/brandon...

There's a plausible case for why FMF has to apply the same policy to the 8 clubs in the liguilla... but Toluca is in the semifinals of a continental competition! The game is just up the road! It's a good opportunity for your players, and it's barely an hour's drive from your training center.

It is nonsensical to force players to miss Liga MX playoff matches/ConcaChampion semi or finals games so they can go to a training camp weeks before FIFA mandates clubs allow players to leave. A training camp half filled with non Word Cup players. What is the point?

Inadvertent, unscheduled heat check for Toluca vs LAFC tonight #CCCFever

Gianni, please come to the DMV so @travismclark.bsky.social and I can take you to witness some of the finest college soccer on the Eastern Seaboard at Georgetown or U Maryland for $15, and even less for military or children

Warm @mattdoyle.bsky.social take: “If MLS really cared about winning [CCC]... 3 or 4 yrs ago they would've bumped it up to 5 or 6 DPs per team and an extra $3 million in salary cap. If they had done that, I honestly think the best MLS teams would be easily on par with the likes of Toluca & Tigres”

What a silly, silly goal for Nashville to concede. WYD guys

New classic just dropped

Tigres can still blow anyone's doors off when things go right for them on a given night, but what's more impressive is how this core group, after so much time and glory together, almost always seem to produce exactly what's needed to win/advance/survive. And sometimes not a drop more. #CCCFever

A second-half hat trick from Montreal product Ballou Tabla has sprung a Canadian Championship cupset, and probably raised the temperature a bit for Toronto FC

Say bruh, that's some damn fine Concacafery you got going there Warren Madrigal x #CCCFever 🤌🏼🤌🏼

Myles Lewis-Skelly. Nineteen years and seven months of age. Good enough, old enough.

Some blown leads, some injury-time drama, some hoofin' it into the mixer - lots of party-time soccer across MLS over the weekend. Also, a potentially cursed new stadium and the inexorable rise of the ZAVIER GOZO AGENDA™