Happy Friday everyone! Welcome to the Friday June 17th edition of the Three DMV Soccer-Related Thoughts here on Honeyball! First, I want to say thank you to everyone who read our first edition on Tuesday and shared their thoughts on Twitter. The reaction was quite incredible and a little humbling.

When it comes to putting down your thoughts on pen and paper or in this case keyboard it can be a little scary (Fun fact: People on the internet can at times be erratic). Although I am always writing, as of late, most of my work has either been for the day job (Marketing and Communications Director for Bethesda Soccer Club – shoutout BSC!) or in print (Yes, that still exists). Writing about national sports topics with your name at the top, in a medium that can connect with a large audience instantly, is just a different beast. If you talk to any writer, photographer, editor, or any person in media for that matter they will tell you the same thing: They are always worried what the reaction will be before their work is published.

That aside, it was incredible to hear how much people enjoyed the piece, a small sample of my story, and what lies ahead for Honeyball. We are busy as bees working on some cool stuff here including today’s Three DMV Soccer Thoughts!

DMV Soccer Thought #1: Does a trap game await the Spirit?

Who is ready for the knockout round of the NWSL Challenge Cup? Judging by their Group Stage the Washington Spirit seem to be. After getting out of the Group Stage with a 2-1-1 record the Spirit enter the knockout stage of the NWSL Challenge Cup as the number two seed. For their hard work they get a Saturday lunchtime date with Sky Blue FC (12:30PM EST CBS All Access).

While the Spirit should feel like the favorites there seems to be a bit of a ‘trap game’ feel to this match-up. Sky Blue are coming off of their best result in the Challenge Cup, a 2-0 win over the Houston Dash. Meanwhile the Spirit will be without midfielder Andi Sullivan who tore her meniscus and will miss the remainder of the tournament. With Sullivan out and Rose LaVelle still nursing a knee injury, this will be a big test for the younger Spirit players and their new signees.

Keep an eye on midfielders Bayley Feist and Kumi Yokoyama in this match. Feist hit the belter that gave the Spirit the 1-0 win over the Dash last Sunday and has shown some real attacking promise during this tournament. Meanwhile Yokoyama kept the Spirit midfield organized in the final 20 minutes giving their defense a bit of a reprieve.

The Spirit are teeming with confidence and given their recent run of form they should be the favorites in this match. However, a victory is not a given and they’re going to need a strong shift from their midfield to come out on top.

DMV Soccer Thought #2: Loudoun United Is Back!

On Monday, Loudoun United will begin their second season in the USL Championship on Monday when they travel to Hartford to take on the Athletic (7pm EST, ESPN2). For many reasons this year will be quite different for Loudoun as they will be playing in a group format as opposed to the entire Eastern Conference. In addition to Hartford they will face Philadelphia Union II, New York Red Bulls II, and Pittsburgh Riverhounds. The top two teams from the group will go on to the knockout round of The Championship. I should also note that Loudoun’s previous draw against the Union II from March has been applied to the standings.

Quick side note: Can we just call it ‘The Championship’? We have borrowed so many things from British soccer what is one more thing. Plus, The Championship has a really good ring to it.

On the field, the side will look a little different with leading goalscorer Gordon Wild having gone to the Los Angeles Galaxy in the offseason. They will also be without Griffin Yow, Moses Nyeman, and Kevin Paredes who are down with D.C. United in the MLS is Back Tournament.

In terms of additions, perhaps the biggest signing was one made late last year in forward Alioune Ndour, who scored five goals in four appearances for Loudoun. Up top they are a little light in attacking depth with Ndour, Elvis Amoh, and Michael Gamble.

Their depth will also be tested in the midfield with Yow, Nyeman, and Paredes all down in Orlando and then facing an unknown return time once they return to the DMV. Last season, Ted Ku-Dipietro really came on in the second half and was a consistent performer in managing possession. He and Christian Sorto will have massive roles in coach Ryan Martin’s midfield.

Much like in 2019 Loudoun has a really unique blend of veteran leadership (Ndour, Amoh, goalkeeper Colin Miller, defender Peabo Doue) and young players from D.C. United’s Academy looking to break through. Martin did a great job last year in bringing both groups together under a hectic schedule.

DMV Soccer-Related Thought #3 Let’s Talk Baltimore and Washington D.C.’s Dual 2026 World Cup Bids

It seems odd talking about 2026 when 2020 has been so awful (sorry, even glass half-full me has trouble putting this year into kind words) but there has been some movement with the 2026 World Cup, which will be held in Canada, Mexico, and the United States. Last week, FIFA concluded their candidate host city workshops with the 23 cities and venues. That group of 23 will eventually be narrowed down to 16. Canada and Mexico will each use three cities so that means 17 U.S. cities are vying for 10 spots.

The good news is that both Baltimore and Washington are in the final list of cities under consideration. The bad news is that the likelihood that both will receive a bid is low. Here is the full list of cities under consideration: Atlanta, Baltimore, Boston, Cincinnati, Dallas, Denver, Houston, Kansas City, Los Angeles, Miami, Nashville, New York/New Jersey, Orlando, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Seattle, and Washington D.C.

Of the 17 cities listed there are five locks (Boston, Dallas, Los Angeles, Miami, and New York/New Jersey) and one near certain lock (Houston). In all likelihood there will be a city in the Midwest/Mountain region with Denver getting a slight edge over Kansas City. Atlanta/ Seattle/Orlando/San Francisco all seem to be the front-runners for 1-2 ‘at-large’ bids ahead of Nashville/Cincinnati.

That leaves the Mid-Atlantic. If you look at previous tournaments staged in the United States the region always seems to get one-two spots from Baltimore, Philadelphia, and Washington D.C. Due to D.C. using FedEx Field (one of the worst professional sports stadiums in the country) they have slipped in recent years which has given Baltimore and Philadelphia more opportunities to host major tournaments. So it should not be considered a given that Washington D.C. will be hosting World Cup games in 2026, especially given a.) How well Philadelphia has done over the years in hosting international soccer events, b.) The rise of cities like Atlanta and Seattle and c.) FIFA’s love of Florida and possibly adding Orlando to go with Miami.

As for Baltimore, there is very little not to like about the idea of games at M&T Bank Stadium and creating a World Cup atmosphere in Charm City. Of the remaining bids though, it is the only city not to have an MLS or USL team and I wonder if that may impact their bid. The organizers are going to have to put in a strong effort to show how massive soccer is in Baltimore and in the state of Maryland and I think that they will do that. The same feelings are felt for the D.C. organizers who have done a tremendous job of accuentuating the positives of playing in our Nation’s capital.