The First Soccer Ball In Space

An astronaut, a tragic explosion, and his daughter’s soccer ball. This week, we take a look at the space mission that pushed our sport where it’s never gone before. Back on Earth, we visit a holy site in Mexico, the beaches of Naples, and more. American Soccer really is everywhere.

This week’s stories:

• 🇺🇸 20 Years Since Donovan’s Bathroom Break

• 🧑🏼‍⚖️ Karen Sues New NWSL Home

• 🚀 The Soccer Ball That Survived Space

• 🔥Township Rebellion

• 🗳️ Poll + Last Week’s Answers

• ➡️ And More

OUR HISTORY
20 Years Since Donovan’s Bathroom Break

This month, it’s 20 years since Landon Donovan made a big splash on Mexican soil — and not in the way you’d expect. The USMNT had endured “Osama, Osama, Osama” chants during their stay in Mexico in 2004, and a young Donovan fired back with a piss-take of his own. 

Chivas’ Estadio Jalisco was one of the most revered stadiums in Mexico at the time, and the pitch had even been blessed by a prominent Catholic archbishop. That ground would ultimately be the stage for a pivotal moment in North American soccer history.

The day before a crucial USA-MEX derby, Donovan was caught urinating on that sacred Jalisco pitch, much to the dismay of Mexican reporters. Looking back, the headlines were hilarious, but the incident ignited a national firestorm that truly cemented the beef between Donovan and El Tri. Decades of future animosity sparked by one untimely bathroom break.

EXPANSION
Karen Sues New NWSL Home

It’s a rite of passage in American soccer. We’ve all played on a field and promptly gotten kicked out. That’s what’s happening now with the new Boston NWSL club. 

Fifteen citizens and a nonprofit filed a lawsuit this past week to stop the proposal to renovate Boston’s White Stadium for the use of NWSL matches.

Karen Mauney, the president of the group, said they’re asking to slow down and reconsider the deal because it would turn over a public park to a for-profit investment group. The stereotypes are true. It’s hard to find places to play in the US.

COVER STORY
The Soccer Ball That Survived Space

In 1986, NASA Astronaut Ellison Onizuka was set to take the first soccer ball up to space.

Ellison’s daughter was an avid soccer player in Houston, and she’d gifted him the ball for good luck. Her high school teammates had signed it too, and they all hoped it would make history among the stars.

But disaster struck. A minute after takeoff, the Space Shuttle Challenger broke apart, claiming the lives of everyone on board. It was a tragedy that defined a generation.

Amidst the wreck, recovery boats found the ball inside a bag, floating in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. To this day, scientists still don’t know how it survived.

For the next 30 years, the ball sat inside a trophy case at Clear Lake High School, forgotten in time. It wouldn’t be until a parent recognized it at a booster club meeting that the ball would finally complete its emotional journey to space in 2016.

GROWING THE GAME
Build Your Own Club

It’s a lot more realistic than you’d think. Last week, Olive & York released their new kit, “Bring Women’s Soccer to Ohio,” and it got us thinking of what it’d take to bring a team to life in all these untapped spots around the country. 

200M people in the US don’t have access to first-division soccer – men’s or women’s. And over two-thirds of those people also don’t have access to any other top-tier sport. Maybe it’s time to change that.

For those who can’t afford to buy a club in USL League One (the lowest pro league in the US), there are other options that may fit your budget. With this handy guide, that dream of building your own club from scratch is not so far-fetched.

CLUBELEVEN
The Supporters Section

We'll share the results and best responses in next week's newsletter.

CLUBELEVEN
Aggregates

Copa America Tickets: Get ready to cough up some serious dough. The general sale for the tournament opens up tomorrow (2/28), and it’ll be a bloodbath. You only live once, though.

Neapolitan Slice: Here’s your chance to be a part of soccer history in Naples, Florida. Their brand new USL club was just announced last month, and they need your input for a crest. Survey entries close in two days.

Taylor Twellman Turns 11: Only a handful of players in the world hold this accolade. The New England Revs’ all-time top goalscorer is a Leapling. With his birthday on the 29th, take a look back at his ‘07 Conference-Title-winning bicycle kick, at the ripe age of six.

Grand Opening: Bigger and better than ever. Our friends over at Golaço Kits are unveiling their new location in Miami next Monday, and we’ll be there. Make sure to stop by if you’re in town!

Soccer on the Moon: With the SpaceX rover landing on the moon last week, scientists have estimated 2035 as the year we’ll realistically be able to play soccer up there. They’ve already made a special rule book too. Seriously.

SOCCER POLITICS
Township Rebellion

This might be the only time you see a ref argue a call. They even took over the streets of NYC last week to protest outside league offices.

This all came after PRO (the MLS-funded body that manages professional refereeing) locked out the refs after their labor union rejected a tentative CBA between the two parties. Chaos ensued on and off the field.

Our good friend Peter Bonilla even told us his New Jersey realtor and part-time D1 assistant ref from the area was tapped to fill in and officiate MLS this weekend. Just surreal. We all tend to undervalue refs, but maybe it’s time we stand by them in this fight.

2026 WORLD CUP
World Cup Blunder

It could be a multi-million dollar mistake. SoFi paid $625M to be the naming sponsor of LA’s newest and shiniest stadium in 2019, and surely, their eyes were set on being able to benefit from the world’s biggest sporting event. Yet that won’t be the case. 

FIFA stood firm on its rule of not allowing host stadiums to use their title sponsors at a World Cup, and they’ll be changing the names of all those stadiums in 2026. They’ll either get really creative or stay incredibly bland.

Despite that snag, cities will be allowed to sign up to 10 supporting official partners ahead of the tournament — the first time that’s ever been allowed. It’ll be a marketing free-for-all like we’ve never seen before. It’s quite fitting that it’s happening in the US.

CLUBELEVEN
Your Takes 🗯️ 

Last week, we asked you how much you were willing to pay for an authentic MLS kit. Here are some of our favorite answers:

• “$100. And with a gun to my head.” – Scott

• “I have paid and will pay more than $130 but that's the price point where I don't have to spend a week to a month justifying the purchase.” – Tim

• “I understand additional pricing for adding player names/numbers, but the authentic jersey should never exceed about $130. Inflation is bad enough on us as it is! Don't screw over our passion too, we just want to support our teams as an escape from the day-to-day work grind of life!” – Clay

• “$130 cuz I’m just a broke college student :,)” – Morgen

• “A Minneapolis City SC jersey (designed by Nike kit designer Matt Wolfe) can be acquired for under $75 shipped. Support Local Lower Leagues.” – Mick

In the poll, the $100 option beat out all the other price points with 59% of the vote. Seems most of us stand with Scott up there. 

We had a lot of fun reading your takes, so drop us a line on this week’s poll to be featured up next.

Coming Soon

We have a few projects we’re excited to release in March, and we can’t wait to start sharing those right here in the coming weeks.

For now, we hope you’ve been enjoying these untold stories, and we’ll see you next week for even more. It’s been really fun digging for these.

Have a great Tuesday!

Pablo