Hey friends,

Hope you’re week is going well. Here’s what we’ve got for ya today…

• 🏆 Columbus Crew are Champs

• 📢 Don Garber’s State of the MLS

• 🇺🇸 New Home for US Soccer

Columbus Crew Win MLS Cup

Look at the photos above the lockers in the background of the photo below. Wilfried Nancy surprised the players with pictures of them playing soccer as kids. His pregame message, “Remember where you came from.” They did just that.

The Columbus Crew defeated LAFC 2-1 on Saturday, winning their third Philip Anschutz trophy in club history. And they deserved it. They were the better team, dominating the first half and holding on late after Denis Bouanga scored his record tying 38th goal across all competitions. They held 61% of possession and created better chances (2.1 expected goals vs LAFC’s .9).

Cucho Hernandez slotted a PK past Maxime Crepeau in the 31st after a controversial hand ball. The ball clearly hit Diego Palacios’s outstretched arm after bouncing off his chest so VAR upheld the call. After that, the floodgates opened up for the Crew. Four minutes later, Yaw Yeboah slotted one below Crepeau from an incredible assist (See below) from Malte Amundson that dissected the back line perfectly. The Crew’s midfield played a high line that made it easy to severe connections between LAFC’s back line and Ilie Sanchez. And it resulted in LAFC being on their heels the entire first half.

The Crew adopted the personality of their head coach; courageous, aggressive, and willing to take risks. And it worked beautifully. After winning his 4th MLS Cup Nagbe said. “The best part about a team is being able to bring a coach’s vision to the field and we were able to do that.”

Five years ago the Crew were on the verge of moving the franchise to Austin. Since then they’ve won two MLS Cups and supplanted themselves as one of the premier organizations in American soccer. That’s a hell of a turnaround.

Don Garbers State of the MLS

Don Garber delivered his annual State of the MLS on Saturday. It was quite the year for the MLS. You could argue the best year in the league’s history. Here are a few of the monumental moments:

• Welcoming the 29th franchise, St. Louis City SC to the league

• The first year of the Apple broadcasting partnership

• The 30th franchise being awarded to San Diego

• Single-game record attendance (82,210 for El Trafico)

• Season attendance record as a whole (10,900,804)

• Oh… and that guy Messi came to Miami

Not bad, not bad at all. So what did Garber reveal in his address?

No 4th DP Spot - This was the big one that everyone was expecting. Garber said there are no plans to add a fourth designated player but hinted at there being other roster changes that will be announced soon.

MLS Won’t Pause for International Breaks - He mentioned the league must play through Copa America but will pause for the World Cup.

The Playoff Format - He said the league loves the format and the attendance and ratings were up. While so many fans hated it, it looks like it’s here to stay.

Leagues Cup was a Success - Garber called is a “smashing success on every level”. He added that there may be changes in the future to reduce the amount of travel that Liga MX teams have.

New Home For US Soccer

The U.S. Soccer Federation has unveiled initial design plans for its National Training Center(NTC), a state-of-the-art facility 30 minutes outside of Atlanta that promises to be a game-changer for American soccer.

Extensive Playing Fields

The NTC will boast over a dozen soccer fields, catering to all 27 U.S. Soccer National Teams, including Senior Women's and Men's, Youth, and Extended National Teams.

Indoor Training Facilities

Over 100,000 sq. ft. of indoor fields will provide ample space for training regardless of weather conditions. These will be equipped with the latest technology and equipment, ensuring optimal training experiences for players.

High-Performance Support

The NTC will also feature more than 200,000 sq. ft. of high-performance facilities, including:

• Advanced training rooms: equipped with cutting-edge technology for performance analysis, injury prevention, and rehabilitation.

• Modern locker rooms: providing dedicated spaces for players to prepare for matches and recover afterwards.

• Spacious meeting rooms: facilitating collaboration and team building among players, coaches, and staff.

Sounds freaking awesome, huh? It’s like Disneyland for a US Soccer fan.

But you might be asking… why outside Atlanta? One main reason; accessibility. Atlanta is a two hour plane ride from 80% of the US population. It also has the worlds busiest airport with daily flights to more than 150 domestic and 70 international cities making it easy to access for players and coaches around the world.

Goal of the Week

The MLS Cup winning goal. How could it not be the goal of the week? But honestly… that assist was sweeter 😍 

Tweet of the Week

Look at how much it means to Morris. The 22 year old just won his second MLS Cup and is soaking up every bit of it.

Quick Hits

• FC Cincinnati GM Chris Albright named Sporting Executive of the Year (Link)

• Colorado Rapids are in advanced talks to sign Zack Steffen from Manchester City (Link)

• Inter Miami playing Saudi Clubs this preseason…Messi vs Ronaldo is back (Link)

• LAFC Center Back Giorgio Chiellini retires (Link)

• Bruce Arena reinstated by Don Garber (Link)

• NY RedBull will name Sandro Schwarz their next head coach (Link)