Alessandro Acquistapace-Volpe

the war in Iran sucks for 5000 reasons but there's one (1) positive externality

Into the Chaos (and Out the Other Side) Philadelphia Had the Pressure. Penso Had the Whistle. NYCFC Has the Points.

Philadelphia dialed up the pressure and chaos. Chris Penso tried to be the main character. But it was NYCFC that came away with the three points.

@kevinnelson.theoutfield.nyc breaks down how here: www.theoutfield.nyc/p/into-the-c...

😳

2026 Primary Window GAM Release A glimpse into the (potential) futures of MLS teams

MLS released its latest GAM numbers again today, and we’re really seeing some interesting situations. Some teams are all in and there’s a new leader at the top of the GAM leaderboard.

I speak Italian now suckers....

Unfortunately, “Yo brother, legal team confirmed we can’t work with minors rn” is an instant classic

Okay, enough. Look, the centre-right are going to be the centre-right, that's completely unsurprising to me. I don't expect the Economist to like Polanski.

But this shit is just dangerous. It is asserting that what is at the end of the day a democratic party is akin to literal neofascists.

The Most Chilling Detail in the U.S. Attack on an Iranian Naval Ship The Iranian warship was taking part in an international exercise with many other countries—including the United States.

This is a chilling crime. A shame on our country. The Iranian ship was unarmed. The US knew this. The sailors were murdered by our navy, and the survivors were left to die at sea.
newrepublic.com/post/207429/...

Christian media figures have claimed that the Iran war could signal “the second coming” or the “End Times” and said “we are watching incredible prophecy in this time come to pass” Right-wing Christian media are praising President Donald Trump’s decision to join Israel in launching military strikes against Iran, with some figures likening Trump to Cyrus the Great and Constantine...

Pretty crazy stuff happening in Christian nationalist media wrt the Iran war. www.mediamatters.org/us-iran-rela...

“We bombed a school and killed all 100+ students inside because an AI chatbot said it was a military facility” is yet another true thing you can’t say to offline normies without sounding like a crazy person

E15 - Ospite David Gass di Soccerwise

At the Italian MLS podcast I am a contributor on we had the pleasure to host @empiregass.bsky.social to talk about the new MLS season, the World Cup year and youth development!

open.spotify.com/episode/1jbr...

Messi's visit to Trump has reignited comparisons with Maradona, who is usually considered much more politically aware. However, things are a bit more complex than that.

For example, this is Maradona shaking hands with Videla, in 1979.

👇

E15 - Ospite David Gass di Soccerwise

Big thank to @empiregass.bsky.social for boing part of our podcast! @soccerwisehq.bsky.social always step ahead!

Here the episode 👇🏻

open.spotify.com/episode/1jbr...

A little late on the victory lap but last year I wrote about how Pep Biel's deal was similar (to a degree) to Rodrigo De Paul's Miami deal.

Well...

Oh and another thing about USL: these folks have openly talked about bargaining with USSF to amend the Pro Standards so that it’s easier for them to become D1 even when they simply are not in a position to become one. After all of this it simply cannot happen. They shouldn’t get a seat at the table

USLPA Statement on USHQ's Union-Busting Tactics To our Supporters, The timing and tone of US HQ's communication is crystal clear - an effort to scare players out of exercising their rights. This is classic union-busting in action. Their letter attempts to inject fear and confusion into the bargaining process while misrepresenting what is actually on the table. It spins numbers and selectively frames proposals in a way that ignores the broader context of negotiations. Unfortunately for League HQ, our players know exactly what has been put on the table. The Players Association has been transparent with membership every step of the way, and players are fully aware of their rights and the realities of these negotiations. The bigger question is why a professional soccer league is warning players about the consequences of a strike instead of addressing why so many players felt compelled to authorize their bargaining committee to call one if necessary. If anything, this kind of pressure campaign only reinforces why players voted to provide strike authorization in the first place. They're making workers sound unreasonable for simply asking to be paid a living wage, when the reality is some players in this league could potentially qualify for food assistance programs. This is what management does-but players remain committed to ensuring that no member of the USPA is left in a vulnerable situation. With appreciation for your continued support, USL Championship Players

Statement from the USLPA:

“The bigger question is why a professional soccer league is warning players about the consequences of a strike instead of addressing why so many players felt compelled to authorize their bargaining committee to call one if necessary.”

The pro/rel zealots are fully in favor of this btw

(Of course, I am ignoring the real burn-it-all-down stuff like covering up abuses etc etc. those aren’t blunders, a much stronger term is needed for them)

In a list of top blunders from a US soccer league, this goes probably ahead of almost anything NASL 2.0 and even NISA have done. Man these negotiations have just brought to light what was evident for so much time but so many wilfully ignored: these people are charlatans

Idk why people are acting surprised by this behavior from the USL when it actively doesn’t want to pay players and provide them with professional standards

Can promotion and relegation fix this?

Let me go check in on the USL stans

A normal state Department of Labor would take them to the wood chipper.

The comp/buyout stuff is genuinely a concession to the USLPA’s ask! But the timing here is unmistakably PR spin-ish, especially when there’s nothing mentioned about healthcare/entry-level deals/licensing payouts

The “we aren’t the bad guys if there’s a strike” statement

A statement that to me reads 'the USLPA's walking before game 1...and our spin still doesn't make us look good'.

Updated March 4 at 8:00 p.m. ET After several hours of bargaining today (March 4), the League made significant movement on key issues identified by the USPA, including: • Further increases to minimum compensation to $40,000 • Elimination of in-season buyouts • Additional protections related to team contraction • League-level bonuses for player awards and championship teams • Established pay rates for League-level promotional and commercial appearances • These proposals reflect meaningful concessions - including on issues of substantial importance to the League and Clubs - in an effort to help bridge remaining gaps. As we have consistently stated, successful collective bargaining requires meaningful participation and compromise from both parties. We remain ready to continue negotiations at any time to reach a fair and sustainable agreement.

Lol at the USL realizing that the USLPA wasn’t fucking around and are now so desperately trying to save face in order for the season to start tomorrow

uslchampionship.com/cba

Oh my Brad Sims is spilling the tea on everything. Genuinely don’t think I’ve ever seen an executive being this transparent and open on as many topics outside of clubs with high levels of internal democracy and explosive outbursts of rage

How Does Luca Bombino Keep Getting Away With It? A really interesting usage for a really interesting player

Getting a little more niche with it this week. A good read for fans of San Diego, MLS, and weird soccer

substack.com/@scnate3/not...

It’s hilarious he says this when he made his money in a decade in which guitar music (be it Brit pop or any type of grunge not named Nirvana, or emo etc) got propped up by the music industry to stop young kids from falling in love with the more heretic electronic/dance music

MLS Sack Watch 2026 Ask not for whom the bell tolls...

Is two games to early for #SackWatch? I don’t think so!