MLS's plan to maximize Messi's first full season, apparently — Week 1:

1. paywalled opener
2. Open Cup controversy
3. ref lockout
4. but hey, Messi!

With soccer sickos and casuals alike, really feels like opportunity is being squandered:

sports.yahoo.com/mls-is-squande…

With MLS season upon us, I dove into the unseen evolution that is priming the league for a more globally competitive future.

From overburdened coaches and GMs to full-fledged scouting systems, the sophistication of MLS sporting departments:

sports.yahoo.com/mls-is-ready-t…

Soccer's guardians are failing Black players.

“Today,” as Mike Maignan wrote, “an entire system must take responsibility.”

A column on the spineless playbook that places too much onus on those players, and doesn't combat racism at scale:

sports.yahoo.com/soccers-anti-r…

Jimmy Butler was hyped to see Brazilian soccer legend Marcelo at Heat-Nets 🤝

(via NBA)

LeBron swaps jerseys with Vini Jr 🔥

(via NBA)

Messi and Ronaldo are set to meet again 🐐

'Impossible is an opinion' — Wilfried Nancy, on what he told his team when he took over.

What a line. What a team.

sports.yahoo.com/mls-cup-columb…

COLUMBUS CREW ARE MLS CUP CHAMPIONS 🏆

Their third title in club history 👏

The U.S. and Mexico are officially bidding for the 2027 Women's World Cup.

Bid books submitted today, after months of silence.

Two competitors: Brazil, and a Netherlands-Belgium-Germany joint bid.

Details, key issues, and more: sports.yahoo.com/2027-womens-wo…

The official Copa América groups 🏆

The U.S. will host the tournament in 2024 🇺🇸

USMNT's Copa América group and schedule:

Bolivia — June 23 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, TX
Panama — June 27 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta
Uruguay — July 1 at Arrowhead Stadium in KC

U.S. Soccer announces that its national training center will be in Fayette County, about 30 mins south of downtown Atlanta.

- will span over 200 acres, per J.T. Batson at today's USSF board meeting
- 'more than a dozen' fields; a rendering seems to show 24
- indoor courts, etc.

Lionel Messi has been named Time Magazine's 2023 Athlete of the Year 🫡

(via TIME)

The UEFA Women's Nations League has offered up a ludicrous, one-of-a-kind scenario today.

On Scotland, and the players who must lose to qualify for the Olympics:

sports.yahoo.com/scotland-engla…

.FSU Soccer ARE FOUR-TIME NATIONAL CHAMPIONS 🏆