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 . . .
Wynalda: “Marrying yourself to mediocrity is not what I’m in this to do”
By Charles Boehm – WASHINGTON, DC (Feb 8, 2019) US Soccer Players - It’s been a strange year or so for Eric Wynalda. The USMNT legend entered 2018 as a central figure in the bruising US Soccer presidential election, defiantly running as the anti-establishment candidate in what turned out to be a landslide victory for US Soccer Federation VP Carlos Cordeiro. Fall brought the career breakthrough . . .
USMNT coaching debut hints at Berhalter’s other mandate: to teach
By Charles Boehm – WASHINGTON, DC (Jan 31, 2019) US Soccer Players - The USMNT scored three quality goals in Sunday’s 3-0 friendly win over Panama. They generally controlled proceedings in new head coach Gregg Berhalter’s debut. In the long run, though, what may turn out to be one of the game’s most revealing episodes had little chance of making it into most highlights reels. In the 17th minute, . . .
Seasoned rookie: A conversation with USMNT newcomer Daniel Lovitz
By Charles Boehm – WASHINGTON, DC (Jan 25, 2019) US Soccer Players - With a brand new coaching staff in charge, this year’s USMNT January camp is at least somewhat of a new experience for everyone involved, even a long-serving veteran like Michael Bradley. That said, it’s a different sort of scenario for Daniel Lovitz. This is the first national-team call-up of any kind, at any age level, for the . . .
Interesting questions for MLS and US Soccer in the player development space
By Charles Boehm – WASHINGTON, DC (Jan 22, 2019) US Soccer Players - It’s been winding its way through FIFA’s adjudication systems for nearly four years. Now it seems that a verdict may finally be nigh on Seattle-area youth club Crossfire Premier’s legal pursuit of solidarity payments relating to their former player DeAndre Yedlin’s 2015 transfer from the Seattle Sounders to Tottenham . . .
The Philly way: The Philadelphia Union plant their flag
By Charles Boehm – WASHINGTON, DC (Jan 11, 2019) US Soccer Players - A famous movie maker once opined that 80 percent of life is just showing up. Sometimes the most striking way to make a statement, however, is not showing up at all. That’s what the Philadelphia Union did this week. It’s no secret that the MLS SuperDraft has steadily drifted towards the periphery of Major League Soccer’s player . . .
Five USMNT questions in 2019
By Charles Boehm – WASHINGTON, DC (Jan 4, 2019) US Soccer Players - January is here and the blank slate of a new year, a new cycle, and a new era awaits the USMNT. Gregg Berhalter is about to convene his first training camp as head coach. The first match of 2019 kicks off in under a month. There’s a Gold Cup trophy to defend come summer. A new competition, the Concacaf Nations League, starts in . . .
A look at the 2019 January camp squad
By Charles Boehm – WASHINGTON, DC (Dec 20, 2018) US Soccer Players - After more than a year of treading water and waiting on a permanent leader, the USMNT finally took a concrete step into the Gregg Berhalter era on Thursday. The new coach named his first roster, calling an MLS-based group of 27 players for the 2019 edition of the traditional January camp. It’s a group packed with familiar names . . .
Lessons from Tata
By Charles Boehm – WASHINGTON, DC (Dec 14, 2018) US Soccer Players - He came, he saw, he conquered, he left. From the moment he joined Atlanta United, Gerardo “Tata” Martino was already one of the biggest names ever to coach in Major League Soccer. Some insiders quietly wondered, however, whether he’d get a handle on the league’s myriad quirks, or wind up a curiosity, another asterisked figure in . . .
The difficult road ahead for Gregg Berhalter
By Charles Boehm – WASHINGTON, DC (Dec 7, 2018) US Soccer Players - Neither his former team nor his new one is directly involved in Saturday’s MLS Cup final. Still, Gregg Berhalter’s name was on the lips of many here in the lead-up to the big game between Atlanta United and the Portland Timbers. With the long-awaited confirmation and introduction of the USMNT’s new coaching hire finally arriving . . .
