Minutes from the Committee Meeting

September 19, 2025 — Committee Meeting # 8

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

Agenda Items 📋:

• American soccer’s oldest and most prestigious tournament, the U.S. Open Cup, determined its finalists this week as Nashville SC dispatched the Philadelphia Union 3-1 and Austin FC stunned Minnesota United in extra time on the road in a 2-1 victory. Austin FC will host Nashville in the final which will see on of the clubs lift their first ever trophy.
• The collapse of Racing Louisville’s Savannah Demelo on the pitch following a similar terrifying incident that saw Angel City’s Savy King require emergency treatment. The prior incident generated consternation and outrage as NWSL decided to finish the match, but the league’s learning from the previous incident and decision to postpone this match following the incident should be praised.
• The impending conclusion of the MLS season means the start of MLS front office crazy season. Caleb Porter was sacked by the New England Revolution and while former players already have their knives out, the Revs have already reached out to highly sought after former Union coach Jim Curtin. Meanwhile, D.C. United fired and hired a new coach and then decided to fire their Chief Soccer Officer Ally Mackay.

Approvals ✅:

Best Bluesky Post: Kickback is launching a book club?

Matches To Watch This Weekend:

Bayer Leverkusen vs. Borussia Monchengladbach (September 21st, 11:30 AM ET, ESPN+): It’s a battle between two aspiring USMNT talisman at their respective new clubs, as Malik Tillman and Leverkusen face Gio Reyna and ‘Gladbach. The most amazing detail? Both clubs feature their second coach of the season less than a month in.

MLS: MLS 360 (September 21st, 7:30 PM ET, Apple TV): This weekend can go one of two ways in MLS. With a scheduling coincidence pitting all of the top teams against lower table opponents, we can either have a chalk weekend or classic MLS chaos. Our recommendation? Tune into MLS 360 and bet on chaos.

Orlando Pride vs. North Carolina Courage, NWSL (September 19th, 8:00 pm ET, Amazon Prime Video): From Kickback producer Douglas Reyes-Ceron, “I'm putting eyes on Orlando vs. NC Courage. Separated by only four points, the defending champs have been in a freefall and are currently seventh on the table. Can they move up with Ovalle settling in? NC is the outside team looking in, currently putting their foot forward to snag that last playoff spot.”

Chattanooga Red Wolves FC vs. Spokane Velocity, USL League One (September 21st, 7:00 pm ET, ESPN+): It’s a battle for first place in USL League One! That’s all you need. Watch it.

Union Omaha vs. One Knoxville SC, USL League One (September 21st, 5:00 pm ET, ESPN+): This is such a big match both the host and producer of the Committee will be in attendance! One Knox remain juuuuust outside first and can keep pressure on with a win.

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 the Portland Thorns’s Olivia Moultrie.

Moultrie set the NWSL teenage scoring record right before her 20th birthday this past week with a stunning free kick. Moultrie is tied atop the league in big chances created, despite star striker Sophia (Smith) Wilson’s absence, and stands out across all playmaking categories despite her youth.

While Moultrie will always be known for her lawsuit that kicked off the youth movement in NWSL, she’s proving now to be one of the top prospects in global soccer.

Allocate your points wisely, Olivia!

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. Denis Bouanga and Son Heung-min, LAFC: Many questions surrounded how LAFC’s new all-time leading scorer Bouanga would partner with the South Korean legend, but those questions have been answered and epitomized by this opportunity where Bouanga laid off his 1v1 opportunity to Son to finish his first LAFC hattrick, and the duo capped it off by combining their respective signature celebrations.
2. Kansas City Current: We’ve feature them here before, but they’re on pace to break the NWSL points record and have lapped the field. If they lift the cup, the only question that remains is whether they’re the best women’s team in North American history.
3. Charlotte FC & Dean Smith’s Poznan: As highlighted in this week’s Kickback Happy Hour, Charlotte FC have won nine in a row and matched the MLS consecutive wins record. So good are the vibes that head coach Dean Smith used his red card suspension to do the Poznan in the owner’s box with owner David Tepper.
4. Diego Luna’s Pink Hair:

5. USL Western Conference Playoff Race:  

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

It’s Tennessee Week at Kickback, and that means we gotta make it hot. Here’s Suz’s Hot Honey Margarita:

1. 1.5 oz Silver Tequila.
2. 1 oz Mike’s Hot Honey
3. .25 oz Cointreau.
4. 1 oz fresh squeezed lime juice.
5. Shake cocktail.
6. Wet rim of a glass. Dip rim of glass in a plate of salt.
7. Pour cocktail over ice. Top with soda water and red pepper flakes.
8. Garnish with lime wedge.

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

Action Items:

Soccerwise: We've got special guests Tom Hindle and Ben Wright this week as the MLS season reaches a crossroads between playoff races and clubs reaching rebuild, while Jordan Angeli joins David Gass to discuss NWSL’s enthralling 2025 playoff battle.

Kickback Committee: The U.S. Open Cup is this week and if you know us by now, of course we’re geeked up.

Pull up to the Kickback bar and join our Happy Hour, where Susannah Fuller and Jillian Sakovits reunite for a revival of an American soccer original, The Call Up!

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