Minutes from the Committee Meeting

March 6, 2026 — Committee Meeting # 30

Agenda Items 📋:

• The big news of the week comes from USL, where the USL Championship’s CBA has expired and the Players’ Association and league seem unlikely to reach an agreement before the league’s first match on Friday.
• While the players have continued to train throughout the negotiations, they have voted to authorize a strike. The USLPA has not called the strike as of yet, but it is possible it will occur before kickoff this weekend.
• You can find more on the Player’s Association fight for what they deem the lack of professional standards here.
• Meanwhile, the extended search for a head coach has ended for the Portland Thorns with the appointment of former Tottenham head coach Robert Vilahamn. The appointment comes less than two weeks before the start of the season.
• Many of the NWSL players are with their respective national teams for SheBelieves Cup, where the U.S. has defeated Argentina (2-0) and Canada (1-0) to top the table going into a deciding match against Colombia.
• In MLS, we focused on one trend of the new season last week: Playing the Kids! It was even more apparent last week, as the homegrown teenagers showed out for Real Salt Lake, New York Red Bulls, and more. 17-year-old USYNT striker Julian Hall even tops the golden boot chart with three goals.
• The other big trend is what’s not happening, which is MLS teams winning on the road. Check out Soccerwise’s Matt Doyle’s take on this over at his newsletter Tactics Free Zone!

Three Early MLS Season Surprises:

(Besides the Kids and Red Bulls, since you’ve got that from us already)

San Jose, Defensive Powerhouse: Bruce Arena took over San Jose Earthquakes in 2025, and many expected the legendary coach to quickly fix the woeful defending San Jose has suffered from for years. That did not happen. But now! As Matt Doyle would say, you can always count on Bruce Arena training up young American centerbacks, and the duo of Drew Munie and Reid Roberts have two consecutive shutouts.

Charlotte FC, Juiceless?: Charlotte FC were a 59 point team in 2025. In 2026, the departures of their star striker and defender Agyemang and Malanda seem to be really impactful. There are still some great pieces, including a goalkeeper who can win matches, but Charlotte FC largely have tried to run it back in 2026, and it looks like they may need to bolster their roster still.

Real Salt Lake, Having Juice? Hah! You thought we weren’t going to talk more about the star young players balling out in MLS? YOU FOOLS! Real Salt Lake had an impressive win against Seattle Sounders where 18-year-old homegrowns Aidan Hezarkhani and Zavier Gozo shone, and 17-year-old Lucas Moisa held down the fort in midfield. Just as important? New DP Morgan Guilavogui looks like the real deal…and an international signing by RSL hasn’t looked the real deal inquire some time.

Matches to Watch:

Lexington SC vs. Louisville City, USL Championship (March 6th, 7:30 PM ET, ESPN Select):

**Big asterisk here, this assumes there is no strike implemented prior to kickoff. USL may be kicking off the season with the biggest match of the year. After a historic offseason featuring the acquisition of three USL Best XI players and multiple highly accomplished MLSers, Lexington enters the season as Backheeled.com’s #1 USL team. #2? Fellow Kentuckians Louisville City. This Backyard Bourbon Brawl could become USL’s biggest annual match.

USWNT vs. Colombia, SheBelieves Cup (March 7th, 7:30 PM ET, TBS):

The USWNT sits atop the SheBelieves standings and needs just a draw with Colombia to win it. However, Colombia is potentially their most dangerous opponent yet, and the young USWNT may feel like their three goals in two matches isn’t up to their usual, dominant standards. While many will watch for Trinity Rodman’s contributions, it’s been the fleet of young attacking stars around her who have been the difference makers of late.

Columbus Crew vs. Chicago Fire, MLS (March 7th, 7:30 PM ET, AppleTV):

This midwest battle faces Gregg Berhalter versus his former club team, and two sides that want to attack on-and-off the ball. While Henrik Rydstrom’s tenure in Columbus isn’t off to a great start, his priorities are clear…have the ball, attack, and everybody tries to get it back immediately if you lose it. Berhalter’s Chicago side space the field more, but similarly prefer front foot soccer. This could be the weekend’s most thrilling match up (sorry for the inevitable jinx).

Bonus Match: Nashville SC vs. Minnesota United, MLS (March 7th, 8:30 PM ET, AppleTV):

Juuuust in case that USL match doesn’t happen, watch Nashville vs. Minnesota! Turns out Minnesota is pretty good, even without James contributing yet! 2005 midseason signing Triantis looks like an MLS star, and the team features more balance than in 2025. Nashville, meanwhile feature as good an attacking three in the League and are many’s sleeper pick for MLS Cup.

An NWSL Preseason Primer:

Here’s Soccerwise’s Jordan Angeli on the reigning champs, Gotham FC:

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

It’s Porch Season in the South, so that means Sooz is getting spicy this weekend with a Spicy Sauvy B!

1. 1 jalapeno, frozen for at least two hours.
2. Slice jalapeno into rounds.
3. 4-5 oz. Sauvignon Blanc (preferably New Zealand)
4. 4-5 frozen jalapeno slices.

Enjoy that crispy, spicy goodness on a porch in some nice 80+ degree weather!

Action Items, Kickback:

Soccerwise: Soccerwise is starting the season in peak form, featuring Matt Doyle and Andrew Wiebe recapping the week in MLS, and Jordan Angeli joining David Gass to preview the NWSL season!

Make sure you listen to Soccerwise now on SiriusXM, every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday at 9 p.m. on SiriusXM FC 157, and on the SiriusXM App!

Kickback Committee: Chicago Stars’ Brianna Pinto joins Susannah Fuller to talk NWSL Kits, Bodo/Glimt, and a not-so-great representative of our soccer community on Love is Blind!

First Touch: Episode Two is now out! Make sure to subscribe and listen to the first ever World Cup 2026 dedicated show, First Touch! Inspired by podcasts with premium, rich storytelling like The Daily and Planet Money, this is Kickback Soccer Media’s most unique offering yet.