Minutes from the Committee Meeting

September 12, 2025 — Committee Meeting # 7

Thanks for enjoying Kickback Minutes! This is Kickback’s weekly quick hits on all things soccer in the U.S. Our new World Cup newsletter, First Touch ‘26, will continue to be issued every Wednesday!

Agenda Items 📋:

• Is there such a thing as a must win friendly? It felt that way as the U.S. dispatched a heavily rotated Japan 2-0 following a lifeless 0-2 defeat at the hands of South Korea. A more communicative U.S. national team, an encouraging switch to a 3-4-2-1, and the enigmatic play of Folarin Balogun up top may give us some…hope?
• Twice in one year USWNT starlet Jaedyn Shaw’s intraleague transfer is a headline. Gotham FC more than doubles the NWSL intraleague record in a $1.25m deal for the 20-year-old attacking midfielder. While Shaw didn’t thrive in her short stint in North Carolina, and her fit beside Rose Lavelle raises some questions, Gotham FC may now be the club to watch in NWSL’s stretch run. 
• The Spit Heard ‘Round Seattle saw (some) closure as MLS issued a three match suspension to Luis Suarez following the Leagues Cup incident that saw the famed troublemaker spit on a Seattle Sounders staff member. While some wanted more, Suarez’s absence may prevent Miami from making a late Supporter’s Shield run.

Approvals ✅:

Best Bluesky Post: Courtesy our friend John Muller.

Matches To Watch This Weekend:

HAPPY US OPEN CUP SEMIFINALS WEEK Y’ALL!!! Nothing hits like the U.S. Open Cup, and Kickback will be covering all the action next week. We have four potential first-time winners left:

Nashville SC vs. Philadelphia Union (September 16th, 8:00 PM ET, Paramount+): MLS leaders Philadelphia Union travel to Nashville to face former Union assistant coach B.J. Callaghan in the featured match of the semis.

Minnesota United vs. Austin FC (September 17th, 8:30 PM ET, Paramount+): Minnesota United is in the midst of their best season ever, and are the favorites to lift the cup with hosting rights for the final .

KC Current vs. Washington Spirit, NWSL (September 13th, 7:30 pm ET, ion): It’s first versus second, with the Current unbeaten since the beginning of May, and the Spirit unbeaten since mid-June. Our main question? Can the Spirit show that the Current are beatable in what may be a preview of NWSL Cup.

Forward Madison vs. Richmond Kickers, USL League One (September 13th, 7:00 pm ET, ESPN+): It’s the Henny Derby in USL League One, started by the respective Black-led supporter groups of these two clubs so uniquely a part of the American soccer community.

AV Alta vs. One Knoxville SC, USL League One (September 13th, 10:30 pm ET, ESPN+): One Knox will be without Kickback HAB (Husband-and-Boyfriend) and Head Coach Ian Fuller, who was red carded in the last match, but need three points to keep up pace at the top of the table.

Level Up:

Each week the Committee approves the leveling up of a player who simply has taken that leap with their game. This week, it’s Austin FC’s Owen Wolff.

Owen Wolff’s last few months define what it means to Level Up. This spring, the 20-year-old homegrown was not the first name on many’s lips when discussing the top young talents in MLS. Now, the central midfielder has eight goal contributions in his past seven matches, and has blossomed from the former coach’s kid into the Austin FC’s star player in no time.

Austin fans may not have much longer to enjoy Wolff, who is likely to attract major interest from Europe, and hopefully the USMNT and Head Coach Pochettino, over the forthcoming months.

Allocate your points wisely, Owen! 

Vibes Power Ranking:

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

1. U.S. Open Cup: The vibes are always high for U.S. Open Cup, but we’re especially stoked that we’re going to get a first time champion in 2025. Support American soccer’s most illustrious competition and tune in next week!
2. Folarin Balogun, Monaco FC: Balogun’s commitment to the U.S. was super buzzy, but injuries have made his USMNT introduction inconsistent. His energy up top changed the vibe for the U.S. vs. Japan, and we’ve got him #1 now at the number nine.
3. Chicago Stars: Yes, they’re second to last in NWSL. But they’re unbeaten since NWSL returned, have scored 12 in four matches, and dropped five goals on Orlando Pride in the second half this weekend.
4. Aidan McFadden, Louisville City FC: Bangers in back-to-back matches gets you in the Vibes rankings. Here’s last week’s stunner against Indy Eleven.
5. Intraleague Transfers: Jaedyn Shaw’s move this week more than doubled the record set from Sentnor’s move last week. MLS has seen a number of its biggest names move and stay in the league, where in years past they would’ve left the country. We’re your biggest fan, Intraleague Transfers.

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

It’s “peak Susannah season” according to our Kickback Committee chair, so this week we’re drinking an Apple Bourbon Smash!

1. 2 oz. bourbon.
2. ¾ cup of apple cider.
3. 1 pinch of cinnamon.
4. Shake cocktail.
5. Strain.
6. Wet rim of a glass. Dip rim of glass in a plate of cane sugar.
7. Pour cocktail over ice. Garnish with apple slices and cinnamon stick.

Please prepare to specifications in advance of our weekly Happy Hour episodes.

Action Items:

Soccerwise: We've got coverage of Bay FC managerial drama and a deep dive into the Jaedyn Shaw transfer with Jordan Angeli, while Tom and David have an end-of-season MLS primer!

Kickback Committee: It’s USMNT week at Committee where we’re chatting about the recent round of friendlies, and where we stand right now in projecting the World Cup roster.

Pull up to the Kickback bar and join our Happy Hour, where Susannah Fuller and David Gass are joined by New Hampshire soccer (and USMNT) legend Charlie Davies!

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