Soccerwise Minutes

November 13, 2026

Big, big weekend for the USMNT amidst all the drama, so buckle up, kids it should be a fun one. Plus, we’ve got lots more playoff action as well. Oh, and if you are in and around the New York City area, go meet David Gass and Tom Doyle.

They'll be at Jack Dempsey’s (36 West 33rd St.) tomorrow, Saturday, Nov. 14, for a U.S. Soccerwise Watch Party at 4 p.m. (Eastern) for the USMNT game against Haiti.

And again, if you enjoy our newsletter, please share it with your friends, your family, your neighbor, maybe even your barista; go ahead and share this link HERE. Also feel free to hit us back with your thoughts.

Now, let's get into it.

🥅 Goal of the Midweek:

A hit from the heavens by Stanford’s Jack Pymm in the ACC Championship quarterfinals.

🥳 The Best Thing We Saw :

We love some good old shithousery when it comes to penalty kicks.

MLS Award Finalists Are Here!

Amidst the USMNT saga, MLS dropped its award finalists for the 2026 season. You can take a look at the full list here, but some things stood out to us. 

• Nashville SC is well represented and rightfully so; they broke every record under the sun this season. Six nominations across the major categories: Hany Mukhtar for MVP, B.J. Callaghan, who is probably a slam dunk for Coach of the Year, all three nominees for Defender of the Year, so that’s in the bag, and another strong candidate for Goalkeeper of the Year, Brian Schwake, who tied Tony Meola’s 26-year-old record for clean sheets (16) in a single season. 
• Cavan Sullivan. There’s really not much else to say. He’s now the youngest MVP finalist ever at 17 years old and the first teenager. While Messi is surely the frontrunner, it’s clear Sullivan has earned respect in many MLS circles to earn a nom — whether or not it’s deserved is up for debate. He’s up for Young Player of the Year as well, which he clearly deserves. Nine goals and 14 assists are seriously strong numbers and historic for a teenager.
• Newcomer of the Year. Three very deserving finalists, but perhaps Andre Luiz is clearly in a distant third. It’s likely Antoine Griezmann's award to lose; the man was on fire the moment he put on an Orlando City kit. Orlando sat in 12th place at 4-9-2 on 14 points heading into the World Cup break, and what followed was 14 goals and eight assists from Griezmann, leading to a 9-5-5 record and 32 points to see them secure a postseason berth. Honorable mention goes to Guilherme, the man who literally did it for all for Houston, contributing to 60.5% of the team’s goals this season. Can we give him the not-Antoine Griezmann Newcomer of the Year award?

Go Big or Go Home? Breaking Down the Options for the Next USMNT Manager

By: Cat Bush

It’s all but official: the USMNT are in need of a new manager. After a saga that has seemingly lasted two years but in reality spans just three days, Mauricio Pochettino is headed to Manchester to succeed a now-sacked Michael Carrick. He leaves the national team he recommitted to just two months ago. When that second contract was signed, Pochettino himself stated a move to Tottenham wasn’t out of the realm of possibility, sending a clear signal the Argentine wasn’t planning on staying long in Atlanta. Why re-sign a man who clearly has two eyes on the door? Well, $10 million ain’t bad. If there was ever a club dumb enough to spend that much money on a manager who was essentially available a few months ago, it would be Manchester United, and this time, it’s the USSF that benefits. 

Where the federation goes from here is uncertain. There are plenty of qualified candidates, but those in charge must decide what kind of coach they want at the helm. Will it be another Pochettino — a billionaire-funded superstar manager who commands international clout — or someone a little closer to home. The choices are fascinating, as are the tradeoffs. With four years to go before the 2030 World Cup, there’s no guarantee that another big-name manager would even be here by the time that tournament rolls around. The risk that they take flight and leave the USSF scrambling right before the World Cup kicks off isn’t nonexistent. The allure of such a manager, especially to the decision-makers at the federation, cannot be understated. Case in point, it seems those in charge are trying to call Pep Guardiola — good luck trying to get him to pick up. 

In the meantime, the USMNT will need a caretaker or interim, with the consensus pick being Steve Cherundolo, who currently manages the U-23 side. Cherundolo, who is very familiar with the USSF, could be a stabilizing pick even beyond such an interim stint, if he does get the nod. As for current MLS managers, one man stands well above the rest. B.J. Callaghan, once a USMNT interim manager, is now a shield-winning coach at Nashville, and has one of the best resumes for the job. Ending on a high wouldn’t be a bad move for Callaghan, but will the USSF want to turn in a new direction? One last pick, who is currently without a club, is Wilfried Nancy. The accomplished coach flopped at Celtic — though Celtic was doing a good job of flopping before he got there — though he provides a mix of MLS and European experience that Cherundolo and Callaghan lack. All we know for sure is that the Pochettino experiment has ended and the question remains: will the USSF go big or go home?

Also head over to our YouTube page as Gass and Doyle break it all down in our latest episode of U.S. Soccerwise. They share their picks for the USMNT’s next coach. Plus, a bonus interview with the U.S. U-23 WNT coach Heather Dyche.

📺 Weekend Watchlist (non-USMNT Version)

Yep, tomorrow, Nov. 14, tune in for the USMNT’s Concacaf Nations League Quarterfinal Leg 1 match against Haiti at 4:30 p.m. ET on TNT; it sounds like Poch will be on the sidelines, so that should add an extra layer of fun. But if you want more soccer to watch, we’ve got you covered. Championship berths are on the line, and a champion is set to be crowned.

Washington Spirit vs. Utah Royals, NWSL Semifinal (Sat., Nov. 14, 12:00 pm ET, CBS): The Spirit are one win away from playing for a title at home, something that hasn't happened in the NWSL since 2019, and a third straight trip to the NWSL Championship. And now Trinity Rodman is cooking after a brace in their first playoff game against Portland. They are up against a clear underdog in a Utah team led by USWNT goalkeeper Mandy McGlynn, who was stellar in the quarterfinals against San Diego. It’s definitely a David-Goliath type of match, but the Royals do have some offensive magic up their sleeve with Canadian international Cloe Lacasse, who delivered 10 assists in the regular season. 

Gotham FC vs. Kansas City Current, NWSL Semifinal (Sun., Nov. 15, 3:00 p.m. ET, ABC): This one brings an element of revenge. One year ago, Kansas City was the top seed and Shield winner in the playoffs, and Gotham rolled into CPKC Stadium and stunned the Current on their way to a league title. Now the tables are turned as Gotham wears the crown, and KC hopes to spring an upset led by three-headed attack Temwa Chawinga, Croix Bethune and Michelle Cooper. But can the league’s top defense and the magic of Rose Lavelle and Jaedyn Shaw slow KC down for a shot at the double and a repeat?

Charleston Battery vs. Louisville City SC, USL Championship Eastern Conference Final (Sat., Nov. 14, 6 p.m. ET, ESPN+): Both teams needed late-game heroics in the semifinal round to punch their tickets to the conference final, where two of the winningest USL Championship squads fight for a place in the championship match. Lou City is in the conference final for the 10th time in 12 years, looking to avenge a 2023 playoff defeat to Charleston. The Battery boast 19-year-old USYNT prospect Colton Swan, who scored off the bench last weekend, while Lou City’s English forward Tola Showunmi has been the super sub of the moment, scoring both game-winners for Lou City in the postseason. 

New Mexico United vs. Sacramento Republic FC, USL Championship Western Conference Final (Sun., Nov. 15, 7 p.m. ET, ESPN+): The West went chalk, so we’ve got a classic No. 1 vs. No. 2 matchup on the other side of the bracket. The top seed, New Mexico, is in search of its first-ever hardware, but they will come face-to-face with a Sacramento squad that has not lost in three months marking 15 games unbeaten. Former Houston Dynamo product Memo Rodriguez leads the way for Sac Republic with five goals and five assists in his last seven games, while a blast from the past for some serious hardcore sickos reps a New Mexico kit: Gedion Zelalem.

Charlotte Independence vs. AC Boise, USL League One Final (Sat., Nov. 14, 7:30 p.m. ET, CBS Sports Golazo): Saturday night will crown a first-time League One champion, with the expansion Cinderella AC Boise facing a Charlotte team that was runner-up in 2023 and is one win away from the double. The Independence are a juggernaut: 74 goals, a 16-1-1 record at home, Golden Boot winner Souaibou Marou up top, and Jon Bakero, the fifth overall pick in the 2018 MLS SuperDraft, setting a league record with 18 assists. Boise wins with balance, with six players who have at least nine goal contributions this season, including Idaho native and former Timbers homegrown Blake Bodily, plus RSL loanee and semifinal hero Jesus Barea.

📰 Other Things You Might Have Missed:

• 🇺🇲The USMNT U-17s are out of the World Cup. News broke on Wednesday after U.S. Soccer sent a letter to the players and their families, citing security concerns in Qatar. 
• ☕ Sam Coffey is back in action and building minutes. After the USWNT midfielder missed the October friendlies against Spain due to injury, she returned to Man City and notched her first Champions League assist against Inter Milan on Tuesday. USWNT can exhale with their eyes on qualifiers in November. 
• 🏆 The U.S. is also one step closer to hosting the 2031 Women’s World Cup alongside Mexico, Costa Rica, and Jamaica. FIFA reported the bid met the minimum requirements and will now be voted on at the FIFA Congress on Nov. 23.
• 🟣 ⛲It’s coach hiring season as well, and it’s official: Yolanda Thomas is no longer interim; she is now officially the Orlando Pride’s head coach. And the first black female head coach in NWSL history.
• 🏅Both Megan Rapinoe and Jozy Altidore will don the red jacket in April 2027 after being surprised on Thursday with the news that they will be inducted into the National Soccer Hall of Fame as members of the 2027 class. And yes, Rapinoe got the news at the airport!

Quick Links, Kickback:

• Soccerwise: David Gass and your Kickback family have you covered all things MLS, NWSL and U.S. Soccer.
• First Touch: Your American home for the global game. Join us every week for First Touch Dispatch and First Touch Weekly with Susannah Fuller for the stories and conversations shaping soccer around the world.
• Tom Bogert, The Athletic: No one better to keep you up-to-date on all of the silly season news from MLS!
• Tactics Free Zone: Matt Doyle is your go-to analyst for all MLS action.

Quick Links, Kickback Partners:

• Happy Foot, Sad Foot is your go-to podcast for LAFC. Check out their weekly pod and some pretty sweet merch. 
• Out West, San Diego Futbol has you covered for all things San Diego FC. San Diego’s #1 source for all things soccer.
• Five Stripe Final  has your coverage of Atlanta United. Check out their Substack and listen to their podcast to keep up to date.
• And for our friends on the East Coast, The Blazing Musket covers soccer across New England, from the Revs to Legacy and a whole lot of love for the USL.
• SixOneFive Soccer has you covered as they continue to recap Nashville’s historic run. The Music City men are headed to Toronto midweek and they have you covered.
• Check out Sounder at Heart as they provide all the coverage for the Boys in Rave Green, keeping you up-to-date as Seattle looks to make a playoff push.
• TopBin90 is your main source for Charlotte FC and beyond. Also, with college soccer season now in full swing, they can keep you up to date with College Soccer News.