White House, Jill Biden host MLS youth clinic
The South Lawn transformed into a youth soccer clinic Monday afternoon and early evening, a celebration of MLS All-Star Week arriving in the nationās capital. The White House event, hosted by First Lady Jill Biden, welcomed local children and their families as a reminder of how sports can unite communities and empower young people.
Skills Challenge tonight
Major League Soccerās All-Stars and Arsenal FC will compete in the 2023 MLS All-Star Skills Challenge presented by AT&T 5G tonight. Check out the rosters and events here.
NYCFC sign Norwegian defender Risa
New York City FC have signed defender Birk Risa from Norwegian top-flight side Molde FK through the 2025 MLS season with an option for 2026. Risa, 25, predominantly plays center back and left back. The former Norwegian youth international has made more than 180 first-team appearances throughout his professional career, spanning Eliteserien sides Molde and Odds BK, as well as German Bundesliga club 1. FC Kƶln.
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Happy Skills Challenge day to all who celebrate. Which, if youāre reading this newsletter, includes you. Itās how you were raised.
Anyway, MLS is taking on a team with a dinosaur mascot for some reason in five different events. Letās go through each event and do our best to pick a player or two who might make the difference in D.C. tonight.
Christian Benteke, DĆ©nis Bouanga, JesĆŗs Ferreira
Itās great to see Bouanga and Ferreira here in a competition predicated on finishing skill when both have somewhat notably been chastised by dudes on the internet for not being good at finishing. First and foremost: Finishing is only barely a thing. Success is far more about what positions youāre getting in to take shots rather than how good you are taking them. Thereās pretty much only one guy in history who has outrun his expected goals numbers consistently due to his incredible finishing skill and he happens to play for Inter Miami now.
However, in this case, itās probably important to note Ferreira is outperforming his xG by 3.4 goals on the season. Thatās 10 goals from 6.6 xG. Bouanga is almost identical with 12 goals from 8.4 xG. Does that mean theyāre āgoodā at finishing? Nope! Probably means theyāve been a little lucky. But theyāre definitely not ābadā at finishing either.
All that to say, Iām taking Benteke to get the most points, heās just built different. Plus heās actually underperforming his xG this year. Heās the only one thatās due!
Thiago Almada, HĆ©ctor Herrera, Hany Mukhtar
Here we have an interesting collection of a young player, an older player and a going-to-win-the Landon Donovan MLS MVP award-for-a-second-year-in-a-row player. Iām not sure I have any real science to put behind this one, but I will say Almada is the only prototypical 10 here. His free kick ability has shown us he knows how to manipulate a ball better than anyone else in the league. Feels like a safe pick to lean Almada here.
Christian Benteke, DĆ©nis Bouanga, JesĆŗs Ferreira, HĆ©ctor Herrera, Roman BĆ¼rki, Hany Mukhtar, Riqui Puig, Tyler Miller
Big cast here. You could go a number of ways to pick out the most impactful player. To me though, the answer is obvious. Roman BĆ¼rki has been the most productive 'keeper in the league this season. Per FBrefās post-shot xG measure, heās kept out a little over six more goals than the average 'keeper this season. Thatās the best mark in MLS, right ahead of Djordje Petrovic and well ahead of third-place Brad Stuver. Thereās a good argument to make that St. Louis arenāt in first place in the West without Burki. Heās been unreal. And if anyone is going to make a major impact in this challenge, it feels like it will be him.
Luciano Acosta, Thiago Almada, Riqui Puig
Everyone here is an incredible passer, butā¦ come on, itās Puig. I can tell you the passing stats for Puig and Almada are virtually the same and Puigās numbers are a little better overall, or you can just trust me on this. Itās Puig. Come on, yāall, you watch the games. You know.
Luciano Acosta, Christian Benteke, DĆ©nis Bouanga, Roman BĆ¼rki, HĆ©ctor Herrera, Tyler Miller, Hany Mukhtar
There can only be one. Just one person to hit the crossbar and seal a win over the 1970 Inter-Cities Fairs Cup champions. And itās going to beā¦
Lucho Acosta. This is Cincyās year. Havenāt you figured that out by now?
Messi's official Inter Miami CF No. 10 jersey is available for pre-order: Ā You can pre-order now at MLSstore.com.
- 2023 MLS WORKS + BODYARMOR All-Star Community Day celebrated the power of creativity.
- Luciano Acosta reflected on his return to D.C. during All-Star Week.
- All-Stars weighed in on Hany Mukhtarās MVP chase.
- Hereās how you can watch and stream the upcoming FIFA Womenās World Cup.
- Take a look at a preview of Wednesdayās All-Star game.
- St. Louis CITY SC's Eduard Lƶwen won the AT&T 5G Goal of the Matchday.
Good luck out there. Show some loyalty.