A Soccer Scrimmage Will Determine the Election

This Election Day, we look at the story behind the curious soccer tradition in Congress that has determined the outcome of the last two presidential elections. Plus, we visit the greatest American soccer collection in the country, dive into the Women’s Amputee Soccer World Cup, and much more.

This week’s stories:

• 👕 GRAILS: Pablo Maurer

• 🇺🇸 Harris & Trump Soccer Tales

• 🏛️ A Soccer Scrimmage Will Determine the Election

• 🦂 The End of the Clash

• 🗳️ Poll + Last Week’s Answers

• ➡️ And More

CLUBELEVEN
GRAILS: Pablo Maurer

From Johan Cruyff’s old boot bag to the original 1994 World Cup mascot design, renowned journalist Pablo Maurer owns some of the greatest — and most random — items in American soccer history.

For Episode 3 of our Grails series, we traveled to Maryland to meet with Pablo and dig through his incredible collection. Be the first to watch it here.

POLITICS
Harris & Trump Soccer Tales

It’s going to be a long Election Day, but we’ve compiled a few soccer anecdotes from each candidate (VP and Presidential) to ease you into it.

Up first, we have Tim Walz coaching a soccer game 12 years ago in Minnesota. Most people know he coached football at one point, but it’s cool to see he dabbled in the beautiful game too.

Next, we have JD Vance and the time he turned into a Columbus Crew fan. Right after last year’s MLS Cup, he introduced a congressional resolution honoring the team’s victory. It had some nice callouts to the Nordecke supporters collective, the ownership group, and proud Ohioan Darlington Nagbe.

When it comes to Vice President Kamala Harris, she’s been vocal about soccer on several instances, particularly when it comes to showing her support for the USWNT. And it seems she also enjoys playing the occasional desk soccer match. Someone get her a Binho Board, please!

Finally, the Athletic released an article yesterday detailing the story of Donald Trump, Jared Kushner, and the race to host the 2026 World Cup. It’s an interesting look into the entanglement of soccer and global politics.

It also just sunk in that tonight we’ll know who will be the nation’s president during the 2026 World Cup. It’s certainly the least important issue on the table, but it’s a good reminder that what happens today will impact our lives for the next four years. Go vote!

COVER STORY
A Soccer Scrimmage Will Determine the Election

The outcome of a soccer scrimmage between Democrat and Republican Congressmen has decided the last two elections. It’s almost on par with Paul the Octopus’ mystical predictions during the 2010 World Cup.

The first Congressional Soccer Match was held all the way back in 2013, and it’s one of the US Soccer Foundation’s marquee fundraising events every year. Members of the bipartisan Soccer Caucus, lobbyists, staffers, and former MLS players all come together to participate in an ultimate showdown between both political parties.

Although these matches have been mostly friendly over the years, there have also been injuries, clashes, and even instances of Congressmen having to play in work clothes. DC soccer culture at its finest.

But I know what you’re thinking. You want to know who’s predicted to win the presidency this year. Well, the pattern is that whichever party wins the game before an election, loses the presidency.

In 2016, the Democrats won the game 7-4, and Hillary Clinton lost the election. In the last match ahead of the 2020 election, Republicans won the game 6-5 and Trump lost. I won’t spoil it, but you can click here to see who won the scrimmage this year. We’ll see if the pattern holds tonight.

In the meantime, if you want a true blast from the past, check out this recap of one of the earliest games in this tradition (and the first to truly pit Democrats vs Republicans).

HISTORY
The End of the Clash

Last week, it was the 25th anniversary of the San Jose Clash changing their name to San Jose Earthquakes.

San Jose was awarded one of the initial 10 MLS franchises, and they debuted in 1996 with the Clash name, logo, and branding (developed by Nike and the league together).

Three years in, though, the club wasn’t attracting many fans, and they felt they needed “a marketing shot in the arm.”

What better way to do so than tapping into some NASL nostalgia? At the end of October 1999, the club officially switched to the Earthquakes monicker, and they became the first MLS team to hearken back to an NASL franchise name.

CLUBELEVEN
The Supporters Section

Drop the rarest item you own or simply your personal favorite! We’ll highlight your best answers next week.

CLUBELEVEN
Aggregates

Las Palmas NY Event: It was a great evening hosted by the La Liga club and 5ASIDE Media. Check out the recap here.

Heisman Candidate: Soccer has officially infiltrated College Gameday. Whoever made that “Cavan Sullivan 4 Heisman” sign and flashed it to the cameras is a hero. Too funny.

Viewership Analysis: The list of best viewership markets this year for US National Team games is finally out. Number 3 will surprise you. 

Bracket Set: It’s the best time of the year: the NWSL playoffs. The bracket is finally out, and you can check it out here.

Wavin’ Flag: It’s not every day you see a USL flag fly above a City Hall. What a beautiful sight.

WATCH
Women’s Amputee Soccer World Cup

It’s the inaugural edition, and you won’t want to miss it. Years of training and fundraising have made it possible for the US Team to participate, and now they need your support in the competition.

Tune into their opening match against Ukraine today at 9:30 AM EST, and see their second group stage match against Ecuador tomorrow at 4:00 PM EST.

You can stream the games for free here. We wish the team all the best down in Colombia!

MUSIC
This Charming Man (Dynamo Version)

This past week, I stumbled upon an excellent Mexican-inspired cover of “This Charming Man” by The Smiths, and I knew I had to share it. A local band giving it their all at a Houston Dynamo halftime show.

The performance is from a year ago, but the band posted a reel last week to celebrate the 41st anniversary of this great track… and it might have awakened something in the Dynamo.

Something not so charming, to be honest. In case you missed it, Hector Herrera got a red card for spitting at a ref over the weekend. Disgusting.

CLUBELEVEN
Your Takes 🗯️ 

Last week, we asked you if you think MLS should switch to a “European-style” calendar? Here are some of your answers:

• “No. It's an issue that is [being] made in a bubble. The same fan who supports Austin FC or Minnesota FC, also supports the Texas Longhorns, Vikings, and Timberwolves during the fall & winter with their eyes & dollars. Why join the wreckage of College Football, NFL, NHL & NBA when you have baseball as your only other real competitor now? If MLS' advantage is in the “arena experience,” you're bound to lose that edge when you move to the winter in most of the league. It is a decision that is within a soccer/football bubble and forgets our unique market that is the U.S./Canada.” - Jeremy

• “Yes. If they can figure it out, they should change to the European Style Calendar, but they have to clarify how CCC and USOC will be played. It could be a bit chaotic at first.” - Dario

In the poll, “Yes” won with 63% of the vote, while “No” captured just above 30% of the vote. Jeremy makes a good point, though, it’s a decision that could very well backfire. The weather isn’t really the primary reason why the calendar looks the way it does now. The current structure has helped MLS avoid clashing with other major sports leagues, but there will surely come a time when we’ll inevitably have to. It might be worth trying after 2026.

UP NEXT
New Release

Don’t forget to RSVP to our 11/23 event in NYC. We’d love to see you there!

Also, we’ve got some big news coming over the next week, so stay tuned right here. We’ve been working on it for what feels like ages, and we can’t wait to share it with you 😄.

Enjoying This?

Make sure to forward this email to a friend and help us spread the soccer gospel far and wide! We’ll see you next week with even more untold stories of soccer.

Have a great Tuesday!

Pablo