By Clemente Lisi – NEW YORK, NY (May 3, 2021) US Soccer Players – There's no place like home. That's what a young Dorothy in the film "The Wizard of Oz" repeated to herself as she attempted to return to Kansas. In soccer, like in sports generally, playing at home and before your own fans has been considered a positive. In the pandemic era, home-field advantage and supporters have taken on a whole . . .
The MLS TV audience
By Clemente Lisi – NEW YORK, NY (Apr 26, 2021) US Soccer Players – Soccer has grown in immense popularity in this country over the last few decades thanks to a confluence of factors. The 1994 World Cup, the creation of MLS, and leagues around the world becoming more accessible have helped turn more Americans into fans of the world game. Television was, and remains, key for Major League Soccer's . . .
Figuring out VAR
By Clemente Lisi – NEW YORK, NY (Apr 19, 2021) US Soccer Players – It was the type of technology that was going to forever change the game. It was going to end all debates and usher in an era of fairness. Like all new technologies and innovations, the promises are often bigger than the realities. The widespread use of the video assistant referee, commonly known as VAR, over the past two years gets . . .
MLS 2021: Tactical preview
By Clemente Lisi – NEW YORK, NY (Apr 12, 2021) US Soccer Players – The start of a new MLS season brings with it plenty of questions and speculation. What a new season also brings with it is speculation over tactics and formations. How does a team win in MLS in 2021? That's the question coaches are trying to unlock heading into Friday's season opener. In MLS, there's another question that may be . . .
Playing the Concacaf Champions League
By Clemente Lisi – NEW YORK, NY (Apr 5, 2021) US Soccer Players – The Concacaf Champions League is back. Reworked schedules mean that this year's tournament is closer to the beginning of the MLS season. That may or may not help MLS teams this season. With more money and deeper rosters, Liga MX clubs added to that edge by already being in season. This time around, they've been in season even . . .
Preview: 2021 MLS season
By Clemente Lisi – NEW YORK, NY (Mar 29, 2021) US Soccer Players – There was nothing normal about the 2020 season for Major League Soccer. Getting as close to normal as possible is now the challenge for MLS this season. The pandemic continues, but lower infection rates and more vaccinations point to better times ahead. For MLS, that journey starts on April 17. The regular season runs through . . .
Austin FC’s expansion season
By Clemente Lisi – NEW YORK, NY (Mar 22, 2021) US Soccer Players – It has become an annual rite of passage in MLS. A new team prepares to enter the league each winter, signing players and marketing itself to a new city. The aim is to sell tickets and be competitive enough to make the playoffs. It's exactly what Austin FC has been doing as they prepare to kick off the 2021 season on April 17 on the . . .
Preview: USMNT U-23s Concacaf Olympic qualifying
By Clemente Lisi – NEW YORK, NY (Mar 15, 2021) US Soccer Players – The Concacaf Olympic Qualifying Tournament that kicks off Thursday has been on the minds of many for the past year. Part of that was timing. Originally scheduled for last March, it and the Olympics ended up delayed due to the pandemic. Open to Under-23 players, it determines which two teams from the region travel to . . .
The Champions League’s American audience
By Clemente Lisi – NEW YORK, NY (Mar 8, 2021) US Soccer Players – There has never been a time in European soccer history when so many Americans play for clubs at the pinnacle of the game. While Americans have been playing across Europe’s top leagues for decades, it's just recently that some of them moved into the big time. Seven Americans made it to the round of 16 of the world’s most prestigious . . .
American Designated Players in 2021
By Clemente Lisi – NEW YORK, NY (Mar 1, 2021) US Soccer Players – In 2007, Major League Soccer instituted the Designated Player rule. By design, it was to allow clubs to sign elite players. Namely, the LA Galaxy's move for global superstar David Beckham. The rule, allowing teams to sign as many as three players outside their salary cap, revolutionized the league. It also made it possible for . . .
