MLS

D.C. United fires head coach Hernan Losada

Published

4 weeks ago

April 21, 2022

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Just six games into his second season, D.C. United has fired head coach Hernan Losada. The move, first reported by The Athletic, comes after a four game winless streak in the league and a 3-0 win against NISA side Flower City Union in the US Open Cup last night. Reports say that long-time United assistant coach Chad Ashton will take the interim reigns for the rest of the year.

According to The Athletic and the Washington Post’s Steve Goff, relationships with players and with the front office led to Losada’s dismissal. For example, The Athletic reported that

Sources indicated that Losada has had a tenuous relationship with some players as well as members of the club’s front office, including sporting director Dave Kasper and GM Lucy Rushton, as well as with ownership.

In addition, Steve Goff reports:

Many players were turned off by Losada’s management style. Certainly played a role in Arriola’s departure. Things reached a breaking point leading to Open Cup game in Rochester. Among the issues: Losada wanted Birnbaum to travel, front office overruled him.

— Steven Goff (@SoccerInsider) April 20, 2022

I have a number of initial thoughts on all of this, that I’m sure will evolve over the course of the next days and weeks. Firstly, I am disappointed that the rumor is for Ashton to take over for the entire rest of the year. I was hoping that a firing this early meant that Dave Kasper and Lucy Rushton wanted to find a new coach over the summer window, and bring that person in to work hand-in-hand with Ashton for the balance of the season. Seemingly punting that decision 8 months down the road doesn’t give you a lot of options for overseas coaches, and many of the exciting assistants D.C. United were interested in a year and a half ago have already been snapped up.

In addition, Losada only really got this year to implement his system with a semblance of his players. The performance in six games has been disappointing, but the previous coach got 10 years. But, Ben Olsen never lost the locker room, and it seems like Losada in a short period of time this year. This team has favored player coaches for a long time, and the system coach didn’t last.

Kasper and Rushton will hopefully have a lot of moves to make this summer, because by firing Losada now they are really saying that the team is theirs, and not the coaches. If they want it, now they need to do their job.

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MLS

Salloi and Sporting Kansas City visit the San Jose Earthquakes

Published

24 mins ago

May 21, 2022

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Sporting Kansas City (3-7-3, 13th in the Western Conference) vs. San Jose Earthquakes (3-5-4, 11th in the Western Conference)

San Jose, California; Sunday, 7:30 p.m. EDT

LINE: San Jose -156, Sporting Kansas City +402, Draw +300; over/under is 2.5 goals

BOTTOM LINE: Daniel Salloi leads Sporting Kansas City into a matchup with the San Jose Earthquakes after a two-goal showing against the Colorado Rapids.

The Earthquakes are 3-2-3 against Western Conference opponents. The Earthquakes have a 3-2 record in one-goal games.

Sporting KC is 3-5-1 in conference play. Sporting KC has a 3-2 record in games decided by one goal.

The matchup Sunday is the first meeting this season between the two teams.

TOP PERFORMERS: Jeremy Ebobisse has seven goals and one assist for the Earthquakes. Jamiro Monteiro has scored three goals over the past 10 games.

Salloi has four goals for Sporting KC. Johnny Russell has scored three goals over the past 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Earthquakes: 3-4-3, averaging 1.8 goals, 4.3 shots on goal and 6.0 corner kicks per game while allowing 2.2 goals per game.

Sporting KC: 2-5-3, averaging 1.0 goal, 3.6 shots on goal and 2.2 corner kicks per game while allowing 1.9 goals per game.

NOT EXPECTED TO PLAY: Earthquakes: George Asomani (injured).

Sporting KC: Gadi Kinda (injured), Alan Pulido (injured), Daniel Salloi (injured), Nikola Vujnovic (injured), Nicolas Isimat-Mirin (injured), Andreu Fontas (injured), Ozzie Cisneros (injured), Khiry Shelton (injured), Graham Zusi (injured), Johnny Russell (injured).

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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by

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MLS

CF Montreal hosts Real Salt Lake in non-conference action

Published

1 hour ago

May 21, 2022

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Real Salt Lake (5-3-4, fifth in the Western Conference) vs. CF Montreal (6-4-2, second in the Eastern Conference)

Montreal, Quebec; Sunday, 4 p.m. EDT

LINE: Montreal -142, Real Salt Lake +393, Draw +273; over/under is 2.5 goals

BOTTOM LINE: CF Montreal and Real Salt Lake take the pitch in non-conference play.

Montreal is 3-1-0 at home. Montreal is 4-0-0 when it records a pair of goals.

RSL is 1-3-3 in road games. RSL is fifth in the league drawing 68 corner kicks, averaging 5.7 per game.

The teams meet Sunday for the first time this season.

TOP PERFORMERS: Djordje Mihailovic has scored six goals and added three assists for Montreal. Kei Kamara has three goals and three assists over the past 10 games.

Bobby Wood has two goals and one assist for RSL. Tate Schmitt has two goals over the past 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Montreal: 6-2-2, averaging 2.2 goals, 4.5 shots on goal and 4.5 corner kicks per game while allowing 1.7 goals per game.

RSL: 4-3-3, averaging 1.1 goals, 3.8 shots on goal and 5.4 corner kicks per game while allowing 1.6 goals per game.

NOT EXPECTED TO PLAY: Montreal: Mason Toye (injured), Bjorn Johnsen (injured), Tomas Giraldo (injured).

RSL: Zack Farnsworth (injured), Bret Halsey (injured), Erik Lee Holt (injured), Jonathan Menendez (injured), Anderson Julio (injured), Scott Caldwell (injured), Damir Kreilach (injured).

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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by

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