By Charles Boehm – WASHINGTON, DC (Apr 19, 2019) US Soccer Players - Major League Soccer dropped two hefty pieces of news after its Board of Governors meeting in Los Angeles this week. The first was no great surprise, official confirmation that the league will expand further, to 30 teams, in the coming years. The second was a bit more dramatic. MLS said it will now collect as well as pay training . . .
A USMNT look at the 2019 Gold Cup
By Charles Boehm – WASHINGTON, DC (Apr 12, 2019) US Soccer Players - A bigger, more ambitious tournament, at least one new opponent, and a bevy of highly familiar ones await the USMNT this summer as they defend their Gold Cup title. This year’s remodeled event is 33% larger and takes place across three countries instead of just one. Costa Rica and Jamaica will each host a group-stage . . .
Decisions, decisions loom for Tab Ramos as USMNT U-20s count down to World Cup
By Charles Boehm – WASHINGTON, DC (Apr 5, 2019) US Soccer Players - The USMNT U-20s are now less than two months away from the FIFA U-20 World Cup. Both optimism and uncertainty are swirling. The tournament, which the USMNT opens vs Ukraine on May 24, is the culmination of the U-20s’ biennial cycle and a potentially life-changing event for those who take part. One of the world’s most prominent . . .
Taking stock of the USMNT’s March matches
By Charles Boehm – WASHINGTON, DC (Mar 28, 2019) US Soccer Players - Occasionally soccer matches turn out to be Rorschach tests, partially-consumed glasses of water that take on different looks from different points of view. You could certainly say that about the USMNT’s 1-1 draw with Chile on Tuesday. Watched in real time, on television, the eye test suggested that the hosts were lucky to grab a . . .
Takeaways from USMNT vs Ecuador
By Charles Boehm – WASHINGTON, DC (Mar 22, 2019) US Soccer Players - The USMNT banked their third win in three tries under Gregg Berhalter on Thursday, defeating Ecuador 1-0 in Orlando. It was a game that shed light on both the program’s promise under new management and the persistent presence of some old challenges. Here are a few takeaways from the win. A game of thirds The US showed composure . . .
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 . . .
More clues from Berhalter as March friendlies approach
By Charles Boehm – WASHINGTON, DC (Mar 8, 2019) US Soccer Players - Gregg Berhalter provided another glimpse of his work and thought processes this week as he addressed media at a press conference in Houston, site of the second of the USMNT’s two matches later this month. The USMNT plays Ecuador on March 21 in Orlando and Chile at BBVA Compass Stadium five days later. It’s the first group he’ll . . .
Everyone under one roof: US Soccer and the Chicago policy
By Charles Boehm – WASHINGTON, DC (Mar 1, 2019) US Soccer Players - Do you commute to an office to perform your job, or work from home? Does the location of work affect your choice of residence? How do you find that elusive work/life balance? For most Americans, these questions are part of everyday life. We spend lots of time and resources reconciling where we want to live with where we have to . . .
The value of Champions Leagues, both at home and abroad
By Charles Boehm – WASHINGTON, DC (Feb 22, 2019) US Soccer Players - For many years, the United States and its teams and players reliably wore tags like “underdog” and “up-and-comer.” This was a soccer backwater finally growing into a contender after years in the wilderness. Even though the US was and is a superpower almost every other facet, those labels fit in a country where several other . . .
MLS teams take another shot at the Concacaf Champions League
By Charles Boehm – WASHINGTON, DC (Feb 15, 2019) US Soccer Players - It’s that time of year again. In a few short days the Concacaf Champions League, North America’s top club competition, returns. 16 of the region’s best teams play for a trophy and a place in the FIFA Club World Cup. It’s also the latest opportunity for MLS teams to break their long-running drought in this tournament. The league . . .
