Hello and welcome back to the three DMV Soccer-Related thoughts on Honeyball Soccer! It was an interesting weekend in soccer here in the Washington D.C.-Maryland-Virginia area with D.C. United, Loudoun United, and the Washington Spirit all taking the pitch. The results were pretty awful with all three sides losing and both the Spirit and United bowing out of their respective tournaments.

However, let’s all remember that it wasn’t that long ago that we had no soccer to watch. Anyone miss watching replays? No, me neither.

DMV Soccer-Related Thought #1:What’s next for the Washington Spirit?

Let’s all agree that penalty kicks are just the worst. On Saturday the Spirit came up just short against Sky Blue FC losing 4-3 in penalties to drop out of the NWSL Challenger Cup. There is a British term that many in soccer use to describe a loss that happens in heartbreaking fashion: gutted. That term really fits well when describing this match. The Spirit dominated the match and had several great strikes at goal only to be denied by a world class performance from Sky Blue goalkeeper Kailen Sheridan.

Two penalty misses and U.S. Soccer’s bizarre rule on a minutes cap for Rose LaVelle shouldn’t take away from a great tournament by this young Spirit side. Players like Ashley Sanchez, Ashley Hatch, Samantha Staab, Bailey Feist, and Natalie Jacobs all stepped up in various moments during this tournament. The veteran effort was also exemplary with goalkeeper Aubrey Bledsoe, defender Tori Huster, and forward Kumi Yokoyama all providing vital roles during key stretches. Losing Andi Sullivan to a meniscus tear and having LaVelle in limited minutes before the Sky Blue match obviously hurt their chances to go deeper. But their results against Portland and the Red Stars and a solid showing against the Courage proves that this team is on the rise.

Quick sidebar to talk about U.S. Soccer: Limiting Rose LaVelle’s minutes is a very odd decision. First, the odds are that there will not be any international friendlies this year. Second, you have a financial stake in the NWSL. Third, LaVelle is one of the most marketable players in the league. So given that the league is doing an excellent job at getting more viewers in to watch this tournament and court new sponsors (which in turn financially helps you) does it really make that much sense to limit her exposure the likelihood that she will be playing for the USWNT this year is low to non-existent?

So to get back on track here (sorry U.S. Soccer at times needs to be called out on their peculiar decisions) the big question now is: Where do the Spirit go from here? On the pitch the club seems to be ready to take on all teams across the league. But off of it no one quite knows when we will see the team again. The Challenge Cup has been an incredible success for the league so there does seem to be a drive towards continuing to play in either a season format or in another tournament in the fall. The Spirit and the league have proven that there is a growing audience for women’s club soccer and there seems to be a desire from both the players and the various front offices to capitalize on this success. Of course the virus will have a say and this and given the issues currently in the Southeast and in the Midwest it may just not be feasible. But, assuming similar safeguards can be put into place, the Spirit and the league should have another opportunity to shine.

DMV Soccer Thought #2: What’s Next For D.C. United?

Tuesday night was not an easy night for D.C. United. After drawing against the New England Revolution on Friday they followed up a pedestrian performance with another rough effort, losing 1-0 to the Montreal Impact on Tuesday. With a 0-2-1 record United are out of the MLSisBack tournament and left with an unclear future both on and off of the pitch.

There really aren’t that many positives that can be drawn from United’s stay in Florida. Kevin Paredes certainly showed his potential and Bill Hamid once again showed why he is one of the top goalkeepers in the league. Federico Higuain should also be paid double whatever he is making. But aside from a few positive performances it was a pretty tough tournament for the Red and the Black.

The calls for change within United are getting louder and louder. The biggest target, as it has been for the past five or so years, is for the firing of coach Ben Olsen. Olsen didn’t do himself many favors last night, providing a series of one word answers when asked about roster decisions.

The biggest frustration from supporters, aside from results, seems to stem from the lack of attacking options. United’s two leading goalscorers this season are Frederic Brilliant, a defender, and Federico Higuain, who just joined them this tournament. While Paredes did get some time other youngsters like Griffin Yow and Moses Nyeman never got off of the bench.

For years, United have kicked the Olsen question can down the road hoping results would improve. They haven’t and the confidence of the players seems to be lost. Management need to look at the long-term future of the side and determine what is in the best interest of their players and their fans and what will lead to future success.

DMV Soccer Thought #3: Loudoun loses but may be the big winners

It was also a tough weekend for Loudoun United, who fell behind early and inevitably lost 3-1 to Hartford Athletic on Monday. Their rust was definitely showing in the first 15 minutes with the more seasoned Hartford side taking advantage of an inexperienced Loudoun group. United did get back into the game, earning an Elvis Amoh penalty and having some quality shots on goal in the second half.

The good news for Loudoun is that a.) Ted Ku-DiPietro looked strong in 20 minutes of action in his recovery from a knee injury and b.) With United bowing out of the MLSisBack competition an influx of talent should be coming. With the MLS season uncertain look for Paredes, Yow, Nyeman, Odoi-Atsem, and possibly Donovan Pines to get some time with Loudoun. That should help all parties as Loudoun relied heavily on D.C. United Youth Academy players against Hartford.