Hello internet! It has been 420 (nice) days since I last wrote a blog for LADS. Did you miss me? Last season, we witnessed Messi leave Barcelona (more on that charade of a team later), Real Madrid defy the odds to comeback over and over to win another Champions League, and the Premier League had a title race, top 4 race, and relegation battle all come down to the final matchday of the season. We’re just a week away from European football starting up again in full swing, so here are some notable storylines to follow through summer 2023.
A Winter Wonderland World Cup
Truly unprecedented, Qatar will host the World Cup this November-December as the country is too hot for matches in the summer. Aside from Qatar bribing FIFA officials to host, we’re in store for arguably the greatest month of sports history with a winter World Cup. Domestic leagues and cup competitions have been jam-packed to pause for the 6-week break in the late fall.
This is an ultimate test for managers - they have to rotate their squad enough to avoid fatigue while keeping players focused on their clubs with a World Cup in the back of their minds. Additionally, aside from a few teams, most will have players that aren’t called to their countries for the World Cup. Will they stay back and train during the break, or will they be given time off?
Most importantly, we get to witness USA in a World Cup for the first time in 8.5 years. It feels like an eternity ago but I can even tell you where I was and who I was with when we were eliminated in 2014 to Belgium. Apologies to my employer on November 21 and 29 (hopefully more games after this) as I will not be able to focus on work those days. I have little kid excitement to watch our incredibly promising talent play in the biggest games of their lives.
Americans on the Move
Similar to last season, we’re seeing more and more Americans take their talents overseas amongst some of the world’s greatest players. Additionally, we’ve witnessed Americans transfer from mid-tier European leagues to some of the best. A few notable moves this summer:
Matt Turner (GK): New England Revolution > Arsenal
Turner will likely be Arsenal’s backup goalkeeper.
Zach Steffen (GK): Manchester City > Middlesbrough [Loan]
While he is moving to England’s second division, Steffen will be starting regularly ahead of the World Cup.
Gabriel Slonina (GK): Chicago Fire > Chelsea
He’s only 18 and just transferred to Chelsea. One for the future, but his ceiling is high enough to make us all forget who Tim Howard was.
Brenden Aaronson (CAM): RB Salzburg > Leeds United
Brenden gets an opportunity to play in the world’s best league and will be coached by a fellow Yank (Jesse Marsch). Arguably the biggest American transfer of the summer, we’re in a fantastic position this November if he can hit the ground running in the Premier League.
Tyler Adams (CDM): RB Leipzig > Leeds United
Adams joined Aaronson in Leeds this summer to form an exciting mini-American team in Leeds. Adams plays a crucial role on the USMNT and may be our captain for the World Cup this winter. Similar to Brenden, a solid start to his Premier League career bodes well for our potential in Qatar.
Malik Tillman (ST): Bayern Munich > Rangers [Loan]
One for the future. Tillman won’t be part of this World Cup squad, but a solid performance on loan would warrant international attention beyond 2022.
This blog is already getting long and I’ve rambled about the USMNT enough, but I know many are just as excited as I am to witness this team in a World Cup again.
Barc€lona
How did this team go from being unable to sign their club icon in Lionel Messi to spending the most money of any club in the world just a summer later? Well, they sold their soul to Spotify amongst other commercial deals. They’ve made great signings for affordable prices comparatively, but their financial status is unlike anything we’ve ever seen in football. Their spectrum is everything from European dominance to bankruptcy. Is it bad I’m rooting for them to crash and burn into history?
Bayern Munich
After 8 incredible seasons, Robert Lewandowski departed Bayern Munich for the circus of a team in Barcelona. While his talents will be missed in Munich, they had a great summer transfer window bringing in Sadio Mané, Ryan Gravenberch, and Matthijs De Ligt. They’ll likely win yet another Bundesliga and will remain a serious threat in the Champions League. However, they did not directly replace Lewandowski, so it will be interesting to see how they perform on a European stage.
Serie A
Italy’s top division is arguably the toughest to predict this season. There are realistically 4 or 5 teams that can win the Scudetto. AC Milan looks to defend their title on the backs of finally winning again after a decade of gloom. Inter will be competitive while Juventus have the talent to compete with a more established team. The entire city of Rome came out for Paulo Dybala’s unveiling (it’s worth the watch) for AS Roma while their bitter rivals Lazio strengthened this summer. Italy’s performance in European competitions have been lacking the past few seasons, but their domestic parity is exciting.
Bonus: Mike Dean
I’m gonna miss this dude. After 22 seasons officiating the Premier League, Mike Dean hung up his whistle. How long will the Premier League last without his brilliant refereeing? Who is going to celebrate giving advantage? Will anyone ever receive a red card?
With or without Mike Dean, bring on the damn season. With so many unique storylines across the world, cherish every second you can through May 2023.
