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Justin Horneker

@hornekerjustin.bsky.social

2.5K followers 520 following 7.1K posts

Curator of CITY SCene newsletter at stlmag.com // MLSSoccer.com contributor // NWSL and other soccer stuff elsewhere // read my newsletter. www.talkinsoccer.com

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Justin Horneker @hornekerjustin.bsky.social · Aug 22

The Athletic report recapping Saturday's timeline is just one of multiple instances where NWSL Commissioner Jessica Berman failed to care for player safety this season.

Something has to change.

New from me: The NWSL is failing to meet the moment.

talkinsoccer.substack.com/p/the-nwsl-i...

The NWSL is failing to meet the moment.

The NWSL’s growth mindset has continually come at the expense of player safety.

talkinsoccer.substack.com

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Justin Horneker @hornekerjustin.bsky.social · 5m

No official limit, just that teams are usually using MLSNP for academy call ups, prospects, and draft picks, but international spots are the only roster limitations.

Justin Horneker @hornekerjustin.bsky.social · 16m

MLSNP Best XI is so funny.

Some of the country’s best prospects, players who are finding their footing post NCAA ball, and a 41 one year old former Premier League keeper in Eldin Jakupović

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Justin Horneker @hornekerjustin.bsky.social · 37m

AEW Wrestledream, Blues vs Stars, and CITY SC vs RSL all within a mile of each other on Saturday. Plus, the No Kings rally at Kiener, going to be a busy Saturday down Market Street.

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Reposted by Justin Horneker

Phuoc Nguyen (Fook Win) ✍️ @phuocerman.bsky.social · 1h

Official: Reilyn Turner signs contract extension through 2028 with the Portland Thorns #BAONPDX

"I’ve gotten a lot of opportunity here and I want to stay in Portland because I love the city, the fans, the stadium, and the program. This place is my home, and it will be for a long time.”

Official: Reilyn Turner signs contract extension through 2028 with the Portland Thorns

Stumptown Radio - Portland Thorns Edition: Reilyn Turner signs extension, loss at Orlando, and ACFC preview0:00/1559.657371× The Portland Thorns have signed Reilyn Turner to a contract extension thro...

stumptown-footy.ghost.io

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Justin Horneker @hornekerjustin.bsky.social · 1h

Clean sheet on 18 shot attempts against, 4 diving saves, and 4 saves from shots in the box.

PTJ = 🐙

Reposted by Justin Horneker

Tariq Panja @tariqpanja.bsky.social · 2h

💣 ⚽️ 👮 🙀 Josh Wander, the brash American businessman who came close to buying Premier League team Everton, once one of the biggest multi club investors in football, is charged with fraud by US authorities.

www.nytimes.com/2025/10/16/b...

Brash Investor in Global Soccer Clubs Is Charged With Fraud

www.nytimes.com

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Justin Horneker @hornekerjustin.bsky.social · 1h

A lot of it is that the Euro leagues are still uneven, Bayern and Wolfsburg are able to rotate heavily when they play SGS Essen vs when Bayern play Barcelona - they don’t have those type of challenges in league play. Clubs can’t sleepwalk through an NWSL weekend.

Justin Horneker @hornekerjustin.bsky.social · 1h

There is a complete 180 in purpose.

Orlando doesn’t push minutes because their playoff positioning is more important to them.

While, OL Lyonnes will rest players in league play with Champs League as their opportunity to play best on best.

I hope the NSL’s inclusion can add more challenges.

Justin Horneker @hornekerjustin.bsky.social · 2h

I certainly noticed how hard Paramount pushed their “wall to wall” UWCL coverage when their Concacaf production hasn’t received the same care.

Douglas Reyes-Ceroñ @dreyesceron.bsky.social · 2h

there's a fascinating conversation to be had about how these continental tournaments in women's soccer are being received and respected, relative to their age and investments by their respective federations

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Justin Horneker @hornekerjustin.bsky.social · 2h

Roman Bürki is also staunchly in favor of the proposed calendar shift, as long as there is “a little break in the summer.”

Justin Horneker @hornekerjustin.bsky.social · 2h

Roman Bürki, last pregame of 2025:

On culture, “it needs time, but we are on the right track.”

Is still open to returning, “It’s a difficult situation. […] It's complicated, I totally understand that there are positions that are more important than a play position at the moment. ” #allforcity

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Justin Horneker @hornekerjustin.bsky.social · 3h

Pre-presser notes from #allforcity training:

Rasmus Alm keeps progressing.
Jeong Sangbin and Mykhi Joyner are at the facility —both had tough travel days this week.
Santos on hand for CITY2’s session.
Hackworth says form fueled Ventura County pick, “1 vs 8 is the most traditional way to do it.”

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Justin Horneker @hornekerjustin.bsky.social · 5h

I’d like there to be less uses of “stakeholder”…

Justin Horneker @hornekerjustin.bsky.social · 5h

The implications on the women’s side especially are worth considering. If collegiate programs can offer more money and players don’t have to worry about eligibility, there’s a world where NCAA soccer is easily the country’s 2nd best pro league.

I’d have to see the new proposal for conferences…

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Justin Horneker @hornekerjustin.bsky.social · 5h

The recommendations in US Soccer’s collegiate soccer report are meaningful and they would be a natural continuation of what were already seeing in the space. Talking with MLS Academy directors, they’re already tracking/preparing players for collegiate soccer.

www.ussoccer.com/collegesoccer

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Justin Horneker @hornekerjustin.bsky.social · 18h

Darren Pang!

Reposted by Justin Horneker

Zach Everson @zacheverson.com · 18h

The Central Park Five—whom Trump wanted executed for a crime they did not commit—were 14 to 16 years old.

Julianne McShane @juliannemcshane.bsky.social · 21h

NEW @motherjones.com: Nobody in that GOP group chat praising Hitler or making racist comments was a “kid,” as JD Vance claimed today

I tracked down their ages. (Weirdly, it seems nobody else did.)

Eight of the 11 in the group chat range from 24 to 35. Ages of others are unclear.

But… no “kids”!

No one in the GOP Hitler chat was a "kid"

We checked. Sorry, JD Vance.

www.motherjones.com

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Justin Horneker @hornekerjustin.bsky.social · 20h

This does not spark joy

Jason Anderson @jasondcsoccer.bsky.social · 21h

Trinity Rodman heading to the locker room on crutches during the halftime break

A photo of Trinity Rodman on crutches, surrounded by Washington Spirit staff, at Audi Field

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Justin Horneker @hornekerjustin.bsky.social · 1d

nightmare fuel

Justin Horneker @hornekerjustin.bsky.social · 1d

The Golchella lineup is out.

#allforcity returns for the third straight season.

The women’s side also features the first look at the inaugural Denver Summit roster.

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Justin Horneker @hornekerjustin.bsky.social · 1d

ARE YOU NOT ENTERTAINED

Justin Horneker @hornekerjustin.bsky.social · 1d

And Lily Yohannes is continually strengthening her case to stay in the starting XI with these Champs League outings.

Justin Horneker @hornekerjustin.bsky.social · 1d

Will go more in depth with it later this week but I really like this roster.

U.S. Women's National Soccer Team @uswnt.ussoccer.com · 1d

Fall footy awaits 🍂

The squad for our October matches is here ⬇️

🔗 ussoc.cr/octoberroster

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Justin Horneker @hornekerjustin.bsky.social · 1d

Some of that is just the Wave's principles of play - being asked to jump into the attack while being left exposed 1v1 on the back end - but it does put the focus on what exactly Hayes is looking for in these deeper roster spots.

Justin Horneker @hornekerjustin.bsky.social · 1d

First callup for SD Wave defender Kennedy Wesley:
Wesley has been great on the ball this season ranking 3rd in completed pass percentage among all NWSL players and has borderline elite numbers among defenders joining the attack, but her defensive stats (tackles, interceptions, blocks) are rough.

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