The GOAL US team discusses U.S. Soccer's version of Kendrick-Drake beef and examines key preseason MLS storylines
It's time to talk Major League Soccer. As preseason comes to a close, and teams finalize their rosters for the 2025 season, attention turns towards North America's top flight. Inter Miami, of course, are the headliners. But outside of them, there are interesting things happening.
New/returning managers, such as Gregg Berhalter and Bruce Arena have fresh opportunities. There is plenty of scope for USMNT players to impress – especially with the injuries racking up in Europe.
And also a word post-Super Bowl. Kendrick Lamar ritually humiliated Drake at halftime of the Philadelphia Eagles 40-22 dismantling of the Kansas City Chiefs. That got us thinking: has soccer ever had a beef quite like the one that has consumed the two rappers of late?
GOAL US writers looks at all of that and more, tackling the biggest stories in American soccer in the latest edition of… The Rondo.
AFPWhich MLS player can translate USMNT camp performance to the season?
Tom Hindle: The realist in me says Diego Luna. He's loads of fun as a footballer, all trickery, pace and creativity in a league that lacks it. But a word, too, for the immensely effective Jack McGlynn, who should ping his way around Houston after his trade to the Dynamo. The former Philly Union midfielder has a lovely left foot, and should be given ample opportunities to show what he can do with it in Texas.
Jacob Schneider: Either Luna or Patrick Agyemang. Luna, MLS’ Young Player of the Year in 2024, had a fantastic cameo in January before breaking his nose – forcing him to be subbed off. He should, theoretically, have another double-digit season in both goals and assists as he looks to earn a move abroad. Agyemang, meanwhile, will look to build on an outstanding January camp and 2024 season – 15 goals will be a benchmark for him in MLS, and if he keeps impressing, we may see him on the March USMNT roster, too.
Ryan Tolmich: Charlotte FC is built for Agyemang to thrive. The club decided not to get a DP No. 9, realizing instead that there was already one in house. Because of that, they surrounded Agyemang with talent. Wilfried Zaha is on one wing and should push for double-digit goals himself. Liel Abada should take a step forward in his second season on the other wing, while Pep Biel, who was with the club last season, is back on a non-DP deal. Charlotte has plenty of playmakers, and they'll all be pointed towards Agyemang, who will just have to provide the finishes this team needs to contend.
AdvertisementGetty Images SportWhich MLS manager is most under pressure?
TH: Berhalter seems the obvious choice given his standing within the game and the difficulty of the job he is inheriting in Chicago. The Fire have given him a few interesting pieces this winter, and he will be expected to get the most out of them from day one. But Arena might be the one with the most to prove. He ended his last job marred in controversy, and now faces the undesirable job of getting a tune out of a pretty poor San Jose team. He would seem to have a pretty long leash in San Jose, but still needs to get things right to prove he can still provide as a manager at a high level.
JS: Has to be Berhalter. After a not-so-good Copa America with the USMNT, this is his chance to bounce back as a manager. The Fire have opened their wallets this offseason, built the roster to his liking and gathered some really great pieces. Now, it's his chance to get on top, and return the Fire to prominence.
RT: Maybe not the most pressure exactly, but it's certainly hard to envy Bradley Carnell. Following a club legend is hard; doing so when he was unceremoniously dismissed in a way that ignited the fanbase is even harder. The Philadelphia Union job is already difficult given the club's focus on developing youth, but now Carnell will face a fight to get the fans on his side. It's a rough situation to walk into, and one that is entirely ownership's doing. It's Carnell, though, that will have to dig the Union out of it, which will be easier said than done.
Which Mexican striker should start in Nation's League: Santi Gimenez or Raul Jimenez?
TH: Santi for the quality, Raul for the culture. Gimenez is, objectively, the more talented all-round player and has enjoyed a good start to his Milan career after making a big money January move from Feyenoord. But Jimenez has more of a pedigree for the national team, and showed up big time against the USMNT last fall. Get the old head in first, and then let Santi have his moment off the bench.
JS: It depends on the opposition. Against the U.S., I would start the Fulham man. The USMNT struggles with aerial duels, and he knows how to knock a header in, while also bringing a physical presence, too. However, against Panama, Milan's new man should likely be the trusted forward. Let him be a menace on the break and in transition.
RT: It's time to pass the torch. If Gimenez is going to be scoring for AC Milan, he has to be the guy. His Mexico record is poor, admittedly, and Jimenez looked like he was still at the peak of his powers in the fall, but this March's CONCACAF Nations League is just as much about the World Cup in 2026 as it is 2025. At some point, Gimenez has to be the starter. The sooner that transition happens the better as El Tri march towards the World Cup on home soil.
What is American soccer's best Kendrick-Drake moment?
TH: Alex Morgan and that stupid tea celebration against England. That lived rent free in my head for days. Teenage Tom might have even fired off an angry tweet about it. Consider me baited.
JS: Morgan's tea cup celebration is surely up there, but my favorite has to be Matt Miazga's interaction with Diego Lainez in 2018 in a U.S. vs. Mexico match. The former Chelsea defender squared up with Lainez, telling him he wasn't tall enough to talk with him after he was fouled by the Mexican. It was iconic in so many ways, and is often looked at as one of the more contentious moments in the rivalry.
RT: There are so many moments in the USMNT's rivalry with Mexico, but Christian Pulisic's Man in the Mirror celebration when the series was the most one-sided. As Mexico still clung on to hope that they were on the same level as that U.S. team, Pulisic rubbed Guillermo Ochoa's quote right back in his face en route to a trophy. It's an iconic moment, not just because of the celebration itself but because the USMNT finally put aside any doubts about who was the top team in the region.