The soccer news starts with the USMNT in action against Ecuador at 8pm ET on ESPN2. The preparations for the game at Orlando City Stadium focused on USMNT coach Gregg Berhalter making his preferences known in advance for his first choice squad. Ecuador is the 9th-ranked team in CONMEBOL, 58th overall in the FIFA World Rankings. It's a different calibre of opponent than what the USMNT faced in . . .
Jason Kreis and the USMNT U-23s
The soccer news starts with US Soccer announcing that Jason Kreis will coach the USMNT U-23s. Kreis takes over the program immediately, with the team currently in camp in Spain. The U-23s are the team that attempts to qualify for the Olympics, something that has turned into a challenge in recent cycles. Kreis takes the job while remaining part of Inter Miami. "It's a tremendous opportunity," . . .
MLS and the March international break
The soccer news starts with the MLS schedule. Showing some respect to the international break, there are only five games in an abbreviated week 4. There's certainly an argument for that being five too many. In the league's own media roundup, they pointed to the "80 MLS stars set for National Team action" over the break. That's the standard reason for topflights taking the international break off . . .
Atlanta United’s point
The soccer news starts with the obvious issue for Atlanta United. So far in 2019, it's not working. Atlanta split the points at home with Philadelphia in a 1-1 draw that required a comeback. This isn't the Atlanta we knew from 2018, adding pressure to a transition that was never likely to be easy. “I feel like we were finding some problems to really find our free man," Atlanta coach Frank de Boer . . .
MLS Week 3: DC United scores five, FC Cincinnati wins at home
Week 3 of the 2019 MLS season saw DC United shutout Real Salt Lake 5-0 at Audi Field and FC Cincinnati win their home opener. Seattle extended their run of form once again with help from Jordan Morris and Minnesota lost in Carson. Wayne Rooney had a hat-trick in DC's 5-0 win over RSL, converting a 34th minute penalty and scoring in the 41st and 65th minutes. RSL went a man down with a red card to . . .
Goals for Orozco and Novakovich, assist for Yedlin
The roundup of USMNT players in Europe and Mexico starts in Liga MX with Michael Orozco scoring in Lobos BUAP's 1-1 draw at Morelia. Orozco scored in the 38th minute with Morelia equalizing in the 45th. Orozco subbed out in the 73rd minute. Ventura Alvarado's Necaxa won 2-1 at Santos Laguna. Facundo Castro scored for Necaxa in the 17th minute with Santos equalizing in the 55th. Rodrigo Contreras . . .
FC Cincinnati’s home game
By Jason Davis – WASHINGTON, DC (Mar 15, 2019) US Soccer Players - The truth is that for FC Cincinnati, Sunday’s home Major League Soccer debut wasn’t exactly “a long time coming”. At least not if we’re judging by the amount of time between MLS making the expansion announcement in May of 2018 and the upcoming game against Portland at Nippert Stadium on March 18, 2019. The fans of other recent . . .
Sporting Kansas City advances in the Concacaf Champions League
Friday's soccer news starts with the last MLS team standing in the 2019 Concacaf Champions League. Sporting Kansas City overturned a first-leg deficit to win 3-0 on the night and advance 4-2 on aggregate to advance past Independiente. Sporting plays Monterrey in the semifinals with Tigres vs Santos Laguna on the other side of the bracket. Krisztian Nemeth opened the scoring in the 74th minute . . .
USMNT roster: Balance vs building in Berhalter’s first international window
By Charles Boehm – WASHINGTON, DC (Mar 14, 2019) US Soccer Players - Iconic UCLA basketball coach John Wooden used to tell his teams “be quick, but don’t hurry.” That mindset also seems to reflect Gregg Berhalter’s approach to his construction process with the USMNT. The players will gather in Orlando next week for a training camp ahead of friendlies vs Ecuador and Chile. This is the first FIFA . . .
Liga MX goes three for three in the Champions League quarterfinals
The soccer news starts with the polite way of saying that another MLS team lost to a Liga MX club in the 2019 Concacaf Champions League quarterfinals. Atlanta United took the second-leg against Monterrey 1-0 at home, losing 3-1 on aggregate. Atlanta is the third MLS team to lose to Liga MX, with all three of the Mexican teams in the quarterfinals advancing. Josef Martinez scored the game's only . . .
