Minutes from the Committee Meeting

November 21, 2025 — Committee Meeting # 17

Thanks for enjoying Kickback Minutes! We’re in a very special time of the year for fans of soccer in America, and this week we have two domestic championships on the agenda!

Agenda Items 📋:

• It’s a huge week in American soccer. This weekend, both NWSL and the USL Championship will feature their 2025 Final, and MLS returns after the international break for their quarterfinal matches. Of course, the news doesn’t stop there.
• The biggest talking point around NWSL finalists is not their match, but the fate of their superstar Trinity Rodman. Arguably the face of NWSL, Rodman’s fate hangs in the balance as her free agency begins and the top clubs around the world angle for her signature.
• While owner Michelle Kang always seems ready to spend on the Spirit, and Rodman is attached to her club, NWSL features a cap on player spend that allows international rivals to spend significantly more. NWSL Commissioner Jessica Berman has spent the week touting the Cap as a feature rather than a bug, but if Rodman departs, the discourse is only likely to increase.
• Major League Soccer’s discourse is also focused off the pitch, but primarily around the ramifications of last week’s schedule change. A major component of the change seems to be a likely shift in MLS player spending rules, including the cap structure, to be adopted around the change in 2027.
• Big changes in American soccer seems to be the calling card for U.S. Soccer CEO J.T. Batson these days, as he hinted that the USSF has major organizations on board with a “Pathways Strategy” that may significantly impact player development in service of their goal of making soccer the number one sport in the U.S. U.S. Soccer announced the hiring of a COO in support of this strategy.
• The biggest news of all in the U.S. this week — forgot about even “just soccer” — is One Knoxville SC became the USL League One champions! Our congratulations to the organization, Head Coach Ian Fuller, and our Committee Chair Susannah Fuller on their amazing success…and to us, for being the weekly hype home of One Knox. If you’d like your club to receive the formidable Kickback Soccer bump, please email us your bank account info and EIN to info@kickbacksoccer.com.
• And to wrap us up, some awards. NWSL announced their 2025 award winners, and unsurprisingly Kansas City Current’s star striker Temwa Chawinga took home MVP. Other award winners include best coach Bev Yanez (Racing Louisville), Rookie of the Year Lilly Reale (Gotham FC), and defender of the year Tara Mckeown (Washington Spirit).

Best of Bluesky:

Courtesy super-poster John Muller (seriously, give him a follow):

Matches to Watch:

Washington Spirit vs. Gotham FC, NWSL Final (November 22nd, 6:00 PM ET, CBS): The east coast rivals travel to San Jose to compete for the cup! Gotham FC squeaked into the playoffs, but have eschewed the title of underdog and rode their talismanic attackers Rose Lavelle and Jaedyn Shaw to the final. Make no mistake, though, Washington Spirit are the favorite despite Rodman’s lingering injuries. Michelle Kang’s war chest created one of the deepest teams in NWSL history, and their midfield duo of Bethune and Santos is clicking at just the right time.

FC Tulsa vs. Pittsburgh Riverhounds, USL Championship (November 22nd, 12:00 PM ET, CBS): Early round underdogs knocked out all of the favorites save one, FC Tulsa. The Western Conference champions have had easily their best year in franchise history, and are on the doorstep of a memorable victory. Following a 3-0 brace against New Mexico, spearheaded by assuredly-MLS-bound Taylor Calheira’s brace, the “Scissortails” will host the always-resolute Pittsburgh Riverhounds, annually one of USL’s toughest defending teams.

Vancouver Whitecaps vs. LAFC, MLS Playoffs (November 22nd, 9:30 PM ET, AppleTV): This looks like one of the most fun MLS playoff matches in history. Vancouver and LAFC have been absolutely rolling since their midseason pickups of Thomas Muller and Son Heung-min, respectively, and look as capable as anyone of lifting the Cup. Vancouver’s pitch control in 2025 has been elite, and LAFC absolutely feasts on the break, so a battle of style and system is sure to break out.

Level Up:

While she’s already become a regular call-up for the USWNT, Jaedyn Shaw’s midseason move to Gotham FC led to a renaissance in NYC, and her exemplary play in the 2025 NWSL playoffs confirm for us she’s Leveling Up.

The 20-year-old attacker broke through at San Diego Wave, earning a Best XI nod in 2023. However, Shaw became a misfit within the Wave’s tactical system and was traded to the North Carolina Courage, where…she again was not a fit in the tactical system. 

As much a playmaker as a goal scorer, Shaw has thrived playing with a traditional goal scorer like Esther Gonzalez, and shown off her amazing creativity with game-winning goals and assists to push Gotham to the final.

While not a traditional growth curve from Shaw, she’s showing development is linear and has re-established herself as one of the USWN’sT and NWSL’s foremost young talents.

Jaedyn, allocate your points wisely.

American Soccer Vibes Power Rankings:

Each week we will power rank the clubs, people, or whatever the hell we feel like for top five vibes in American soccer.

1. Gotham FC “Underdogs”: “Underdogs my ass” - Jaedyn Shaw.
2. The Forthcoming Gio Reyna + Seb Berhalter World Cup Start Turn: Sebastian Berhalter simply an XI of Uruguayans from every major club imaginable, and Gio Reyna brilliantly returned to the fold to create or finish three goals. This is the redemption arc the USMNT deserves in 2026.
3. Hometown Hero Robbie Mertz: The Pittsburgh kid was the star man for the Riverhounds in their semi-final against Rhode Island, scoring the game winning goal and bringing the Riverhounds to the brink of a title.
4. Alex Freeman: From MLS Next Pro regular to USMNT star in a single year. The Orlando City homegrown and MLS Young Player of the Year was a force against Uruguay, scoring two goals from the back and dominating the right side of the pitch. Expect Freeman to make the move to a big European club this winter.
5. NWSL First Responders: Props to NWSL for recognizing the first responders who reacted to and supported Savvy King and Savannah DeMelo in their on-pitch medical emergencies this season.

Susannah “Cup Should Always Be” Fuller’s Cocktail Recipe of the Week:

Committee Chair Susannah Fuller may need a week off booze after all the celebration of One Knox’s USL title, but you can relive some of her festivities with a classic Champagne Cocktail!

1. 1 sugar cube, douse with bitters on a spoon.
2. Drop sugar in a champagne flute.
3. .75 oz cognac or brandy.
4. Top up with champagne
5. Add lemon garnish.

That one’s easy, but doing the USL League One double is not!

Action Items:

Soccerwise: NWSL final! USMNT dominance! MLS schedule change! MLS playoffs! You get it, there’s a ton going on.

Kickback Committee: We're going deep on the NWSL Final with coverage of both Gotham and the Spirit, while we check in on Sooz post title glory.

When you’ve done that, remind your local coach and chief sporting officer to please, Play the Kids.