It’s a day late, but we recorded the pod last night, so now’s a great time to get synced up with the Super League! Also, listen to our podcast!

Brooklyn FC is Rolling

While we’re still very early in the season, it seems clear that Brooklyn is the real deal. While the team seemed slow to come together off the field, with a late roster reveal and then the cancelled home opener that turned into a different venue for the season, the play on the field hasn’t struggled at all. After a season opening draw with Spokane, the club is on a three match winning streak, including two wins in the last week.

Players celebrate scoring against Lexington. Image courtesy of Brooklyn FC

And the team is doing it in a variety of ways. Goalkeeper Morgan Aquino hasn’t given up a goal since Brooklyn’s first match and looks to be one of the many goalkeeping superstars in the league. Isabel Cox has scored two goals for the club, while Jessica Graziano scored one of the best goals of the season against Dallas Trinity. Key in the attack has been the play of MacKenzie George, who is just everywhere on the field, scoring, assisting, you name it.

The first win came on Wednesday against Dallas Trinity. And while Trinity has shown it can score goals with the best of them, Brooklyn managed to shut out the visitors 2-0. The second win came against Lexington (more on them later), with a 1-0 win off a goal from George. We had thought their upcoming match against Ft Lauderdale would be cancelled, but they are promoting it on socials, so should be a good one!

Might Be Time for Disruption in Lexington

No team has struggled this season like Lexington. The team has a single point in five matches, which came in its opener with Carolina. Since then, the horses (can I call them that?) have lost four straight, the worst run of any team in the league and are setting dead last. Even more disturbing is that team’s ability to give up goals. Opponents have scored three or more goals (including a 6 spot from Dallas) in the majority of Lexington’s matches. Something has to be done.

Sure, adding talent would help. The team built its roster using a lot of W League players and didn’t focus as much on recruiting in outside talent. Unfortunately for Lex, the rest of the league did and the results are showing. Teams are beginning to pencil in W’s on the calendars. But roster overhauls take time and money, so that feels like a long-term fix, rather than a short one.

So maybe it’s time to break up the routine a bit and change gameday approach. Mindset is key in a long season and finding a way to view the game different, feel better about a tough run, or simply find some hope in a losing streak could help a struggling team, especially a young one. Time for a visit from the sports psychologist or a team outing. Bowling is fun or maybe some hikes around town. The key is for this team to see something other than the string of losses its taking on the regular. Find a new view and maybe turn this around.

The Table and the Talent

Every team has now played at least four matches and we’re beginning to see some hierarchy in the table. Two clubs remain undefeated, Brooklyn and Carolina, while Lexington and DC are on the bottom. The middle of the field is four clubs all within 2 points. As Danielle would say, half the teams make the playoffs, so there’s so much to play for. But what’s abundantly clear is that there is so much talent in this league. Feels like a couple of these teams could sign a single player and change their entire trajectory.

Morgan Aquino has shined for DC Power. *Image courtesy of DC Power*

Spring Schedules Are Out!

Just as I posted this article, I spotted that Super League has released the Spring schedule! We’ll be sure to take a look and make some previews next week.

- Dan Vaughn