Hey, guy on my couch is a senior role, that's personally why I took the job too

I love Bethune, but this is a selection call that's easy to criticise and hard to manage. I wouldn't drop Lavelle or Shaw. Moultrie would feel equally hard done by- she's also playing very well right now

If football matches were 270 minutes long and you were allowed 15 substitutions the USWNT would basically never lose a game ever again. Should football matches be 270 minutes long? Impossible to say

Who gets dropped: Lavelle, Shaw or Moultrie?

Tennis catch up...Coco Gauff won this point 🤯

Tactics Talk: Analyzing Boston’s reasons to be positive Starting fast was always going to be a tough task for the Boston Legacy. Not only are they a new team within the National Women’s Soccer League, but they are a relatively unproven one featuring very f...

My latest looks at Boston's reasons to be positive, for @equalizersoccer.bsky.social

equalizersoccer.com/2026/04/16/t...

Lastly, I think there are too many technocrats now, usually data-led, where failure truly is an orphan. Buying lots of cheap tickets, occasionally winning football's transfer lottery. Just looks like a numbers game to me

That's something, at least.

I've always had an issue with the demotion of manager to head coach. If you don't trust them to identify a talented player, why on earth would you trust them to pick the team? It makes little sense to me.

Sporting director is just like a new terminology for manager IMO. They hire staff, essentially manage the coach & recruitment team. If they are good they go for a bigger job, if they are bad they need sacked along with all their failings. Only difference is they are not accountable

Enjoyed that, Stefan. I hope you don't mind me sharing thoughts that came up reading it. One is that modern football clubs have divided roles to the extent that the idea of extensive teambuilding may be beyond many of today's up and coming coaches. Their sell is that of the "training ground guru"

Sounds interesting...I need to catch up on this game to be honest, hopefully will find a replay so I can get up to speed

I remember you mentioning the Lawson CB beef on the pod... Is the full-backs in a back three thing not a bit Martinez Losa-y as well? I might be misremembering but thought he used that in a few games I saw too

Yeah that formation looked a bit out there...1 centre-back, 1 striker, 4 wing-backs, 4 midfielders. A head-scratcher

Do you know why Davidson doesn't start? Her final ball is surely among the best of the whole player pool...

Lauren Davidson with the superb, pinpoint cross for Scotland's goal tonight. Couldn't have placed it any better.

Margherita Monnecchi (24, Lazio): Bustling left wing presence with a sharp turn of pace, she showed ability to beat her marker on the dribble inside or outside. Looked more dangerous on the outside, getting to the byline and a decent cross on the run. One of the fastest players on the field

Giada Pellegrino Cimo (19, Ternana): Attacking midfield, in a slightly more complete role than at club level. Knitted play together with good all-round movement, showing for the ball deep, in combination or with a penetrating run behind. Lively, good pace, decent passing and did well defensively

Melissa Bellucci (25, Napoli): Italy's deepest midfielder and kept their possession flowing. Tidy, efficient use of the ball, always on the move showing good anticipation, touch, turning and vision. Looked an absolute natural on the ball. Didn't see much defensively due to the nature of the game

Sara Caiazzo (22, Sassuolo): Didn't put a foot wrong at left centre-back. Read play well, good positioning, stepped in front to intercept. Easily handled Portugal's striker. Italy's main ball progressor from the back, comfortable driving it forward, decent passes with her right foot, capable on left

Watched Italy U23s beat Portugal today. Here is an overview of their shape, movements, star players. High press worked well generally; one time it didn't their back line was turned easily for Portugal's goal. Corelli with a nice redirect header for 1-0; Bellucci tucked the penalty away well for 2-1

Fiorentina seventh with a team full of internationals, Janogy & Severini among them, & fun players like Catena. They battered Roma at one point. And they could finish bottom half...So it's fair to say Serie A lacks the upper-end quality but a close distance between best and rest, almost NWSL level

Interesting from Yash. I've enjoyed catching up on Serie A recently and this makes a lot of sense. Roma are top but not convincing in a lot of games. Not much between them and Inter/Juve. Then you can chuck a blanket over fourth to eighth, and a fairly intense 3-4 team battle to avoid relegation

I think Dickey is the best #analysis

"Our good friend Blair Newman had an...intriguing little moment" haha. That will be my epitaph

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I like the idea of a 4-3-3 à la Juventus men's mid-90s with Del Piero Vialli Ravanelli up top. Portland can keep their zonal defence, compact the centre, and have three strikers ready to counter with. It's basically their performance vs Seattle but with Wilson alongside Tordin and Turner

Tactics Talk: How can Portland get the best out of Wilson, Turner and Tordin? Turner has scored three goals, Tordin has scored two goals.

My latest for @equalizersoccer.bsky.social focuses on how Portland could get the best out of three quality strikers: Sophia Wilson, Reilyn Turner and Pietra Tordin.

equalizersoccer.com/2026/04/08/t...