By Clemente Lisi – NEW YORK, NY (Oct 18, 2021) US Soccer Players – World Cup Qualifying rolls on as the road to Qatar 2022 starts to take shape. Aside from the host nation, Germany and Denmark were the first two teams to qualify for the World Cup finals. The pandemic forced a condensed schedule of qualifying games, adding to the emotion and drama that usually comes with these games. Concacaf . . .
Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo from a tactical perspective
By Clemente Lisi – NEW YORK, NY (Oct 11, 2021) US Soccer Players – The biggest transfer moves of the summer involved the world's two best players. Lionel Messi's departure for Paris Saint-Germain in August, followed a few weeks later by Cristiano Ronaldo's return to Manchester United, marked a transfer season like no other. The race is now on, once again, for which of the two will have the better . . .
MLS bubble teams
By Clemente Lisi – NEW YORK, NY (Oct 4, 2021) US Soccer Players – The start of fall brings with it cooler temperatures in most parts of the country. For MLS, things are just starting to heat up. It's the time of year when teams ramp up to the playoffs, jockeying for points on the quest for the Supporters' Shield or a higher place in the table. For teams just outside the top seven in each . . .
The evolution of soccer goalposts centers on one game
By Clemente Lisi – NEW YORK, NY (Sep 27, 2021) US Soccer Players – Soccer is a game where the attention of fans normally focuses on very few things. Goals are an obvious one. So are saves and fouls. It's not a coincidence that both relate to the scoring of goals. What about the goal itself? They only matter to most of us when a ball hits one. They only become important when they make a . . .
Defending in MLS shows how the league is developing
By Clemente Lisi – NEW YORK, NY (Sep 20, 2021) US Soccer Players – One of the biggest knocks against MLS has always been that teams don't know how to defend. Why this is such a regular criticism depends on your take on Major League Soccer. Those who are down on MLS blame it on the quality of players. Those who support the league argue that teams would rather emphasize offense. The truth, of . . .
Las Vegas as an MLS expansion target
By Clemente Lisi – NEW YORK, NY (Sep 13, 2021) US Soccer Players – The growth of Major League Soccer over the past few years in speaks to the league’s commitment to bring the game to untapped markets and investors finding that fans in major US metropolitan areas crave pro soccer. Another city that has been front and center in American soccer in recent months is Las Vegas. Sin City, famous for . . .
Q&A: JP Dellacamera
By Clemente Lisi – NEW YORK, NY (Sep 6, 2021) US Soccer Players – Soccer has seen tremendous growth in this country over the last 30 years, and the soundtrack during that time has been the voice of JP Dellacamera. He has called 15 World Cups, nine men’s and six women’s, on TV and radio starting in 1986 with ESPN. Dellacamera wears many hats as the voice of the Philadelphia Union, a job he’s had . . .
Soccer’s own-goal issue
By Clemente Lisi – NEW YORK, NY (Aug 30, 2021) US Soccer Players – Own-goals are an unfortunate reality of soccer. They normally happen when a defender, unable to fully turn around, kicks or deflects the ball. As YouTube videos will attest, the results can be hilarious but most often lead to face-palming by players and fans alike. Just this past Saturday, Germany's Bayer Leverkusen routed Augsburg . . .
MLS vs Liga MX changes the All-Star Game
By Clemente Lisi – NEW YORK, NY (Aug 23, 2021) US Soccer Players – The MLS All-Star Game returns this week after the pandemic forced the league to scrap it in 2020. While this game in the middle of the season may seem typically American to many around the globe, it's an established part of pro sports in the United States and Canada. That's due to the deep history of all-star games in the two . . .
5 USMNT players to watch in Europe in 2021-22
By Clemente Lisi – NEW YORK, NY (Aug 16, 2021) US Soccer Players – The soccer calendar never comes to a stop. A two-month period loaded with National Team tournaments is behind us, and many players across Europe have now started their club seasons. Among this group are many Americans looking to leave their mark again after the success of USMNT players last season. The US emerged victorious two . . .
