⚽️ @backheeled.com
🖊️ ESPN, The Guardian, The Athletic
🎙️ TV analyst for Phoenix Rising FC
🗣️ Total Soccer Show
Joseph Lowery
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Tomorrow, I’m off to cover my first World Cup in person.
Tonight?
Catch me on ESPN+ right now(!) for Phoenix Rising vs. Louisville City 📺🍿
Joseph Lowery
Only 3️⃣ days until 𝐓𝐒𝐒 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐝 𝐂𝐮𝐩 𝐋𝐢𝐯𝐞! 🤗
In Los Angeles, the night before the USMNT’s World Cup opener! HYPE!!!
We’d love to see you there! We still have some tickets left! 🎟️
Get tickets ➡️ tssworldcup.com
The biggest World Cup ever is here — and so is our biggest discount ever 👀
Get 𝟯𝟬% 𝗼𝗳𝗳 an annual subscription today and enjoy access to USMNT and World Cup coverage you won't find anywhere else.
Subscribe ➡️ www.backheeled.com/backheeled-2...
🚨 𝐓𝐒𝐒 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐝 𝐂𝐮𝐩 𝐋𝐢𝐯𝐞 is the DAY AFTER TOMORROW!!! 🚨
📅 Thursday June 11, 8pm
🏟️ El Rey Theatre, LA
🤩 Special guests - @tombogert.bsky.social, @paultenorio.bsky.social & @soccercooligans.com
We still have some tickets left! We'd love to see you!
Get tickets ➡️ tinyurl.com/yxfx8eb7
As if we needed more clarifying, the USMNT's two World Cup tuneups made it abundantly obvious that Chris Richards is desperately needed in the middle of the team's backline.
Miles Robinson and Mark McKenzie failed to impress. Richards will be a huge upgrade.
A strong hire from Austin FC, who will need to build out the front office to give Jim Curtin the pieces he needs to win games (let's not forget that the Union really hit their stride when that happened in Philly).
Good first step in Austin's new era.
Darren is the man! Had a blast previewing the USMNT’s World Cup with him.
A healthy Chris Richards was already crucial for the USMNT.
But now that Poch is experimenting with a more attacking CM (Tillman) next to Adams?
There may be more stress on the U.S. center backs this summer than at any previous point in the Poch era.
Total Soccer Show
Total Soccer Show
After the USMNT's World Cup tuneups, I started feeling something strange: optimism about what this team could do on home soil 🇺🇸
For @backheeled.com, I forced myself back to reality by writing the Hater's Guide to the USMNT at the World Cup.
Read ⤵️
Want to sound smart about the USMNT at the World Cup?
I’ve got you covered for @backheeled.com with a guide unlike any other.
From Harvard research studies to Beast Mode to tactical analysis, here’s one clever thing to say about every U.S. player.
Read ⤵️
🇺🇸 USMNT training notes
- Chris Richards is training “first time with the team”, Mauricio Pochettino says. Fully training today.
- Tyler Adams is not with the full USMNT group and is walking around in running shoes. Team says “load management”.
BREAKING: Jim Curtin will become Austin FC head coach after the 2026 season.
Huge hire for Austin.
#USMNT defender Chris Richards on his availability for the World Cup co-hosts’ tournament opener against Paraguay on Friday. “I feel good. I’m ready.”
The #USMNT plays a World Cup game on Friday. Here's a preview of the team and their tournament with the always excellent @joeclowery.bsky.social from @backheeled.com:
open.substack.com/pub/dsmithsh...
