The Red and Blue Soccer Chat - 8/21/24

The Red and Blue Soccer Chat

Hello, Reds and Blues! So much has happened in just the past few weeks: Olympic finals, season curtain raisers, new coaches, and especially new players. Let’s sort through it all.

Chelsea didn’t make many big moves in the transfer market before their season opener with City. And while none of their new signings started, several were subbed on during the match. But the reality is that Chelsea appear to have the same issues as last season. City were the better side, but as with last season the scoreline didn’t tell the whole story. Chelsea had decent possession and created some good chances. But their wastefulness in front of goal and lack of probing in attack picked up where last season left off. Joao Felix is rumored to be making a permanent move to the Bridge, which will see Conor Gallagher finish his move to Atletico as part of the deal. Felix’s form has been inconsistent, but his attacking style could add the flair and unpredictability that Chelsea has so often lacked. A healthy Nkunku gives them further options. But until they find a true goal scorer, this narrative may not change much. Chelsea will play 3 games in 7 days that may help define their immediate future. 2 Europa Conference League qualifying matches sandwich a tough trip to Wolves in the EPL.

United had the unofficial season opener against City in the Community Shield, and also the official season opener with a Friday night game against Fulham. The Shield was not quite a carbon copy of last year’s FA Cup Final, but the game did have similar patterns of City having possession deep in United territory and United looking to counter quickly. United were mere minutes from a repeat victory, but a late goal sent things to penalties where City prevailed. The match with Fulham was a slightly different story with United dominating possession and creating multiple opportunities. United’s dominance fell off a bit without Mason Mount harassing Fulham’s defense; however, it would be his replacement who grabbed the headlines. Joshua Zirkzee only played 30 minutes and had few touches, but he started and ended a move late on that secured victory for United and a place for him in club folklore. Erik ten Hag now has the good kind of headache in trying to figure out how to get the best out of what is becoming a side full of young talent. They will travel to Brighton for the early match this Saturday before kicking off September against rivals Liverpool.

The USWNT put themselves back on top of the world with 3 straight 1-0 wins to close out the Paris Olympics as gold medal winners. Trinity Rodman, Sophia Smith, and Mallory Swanson kept up their roles as the Trident to each weigh in with a goal in those 3 games. Emma Hayes has quickly taken last year’s lackluster group and turned them back into the world beaters they’ve been for the past decade or more. The future looks bright.

The USMNT U-23s were bounced from the Olympics by a rampant Moroccan side. But once the dust settled, good news finally arrived. US Soccer announced the appointment of Mauricio Pochettino as the man to replace Gregg Berhalter, and there was much rejoicing. Known for his tough training sessions and astute tactics, he may be the right choice to get a group of Americans with obvious talent to finally realize its potential. An early friendly match-up with Jesse Marsch and Canada awaits.

We’ll be enjoying less VAR intervention and probably just as much controversy, so join us live from Chatham Tap Fishers at 7:00 pm on Wednesday, follow along on Facebook Live and YouTube Live, or catch us at your leisure on our other platforms listed below. Please like, subscribe, and comment wherever you choose to find us. CHEERS!

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