By Clemente Lisi – NEW YORK, NY (Oct 14, 2019) US Soccer Players – Playoff fever has certainly gripped New York. With the brisk fall weather this month comes another season where baseball fans hope their beloved Yankees can win yet another World Series. At the same time, both NYCFC and the Red Bulls are in the playoffs. While the intersecting of baseball and soccer is rare, it’s not entirely . . .
The USMNT in the Nations League
By Clemente Lisi – NEW YORK, NY (Oct 7, 2019) US Soccer Players – The October international window is interesting for the USMNT. The United States prepares to take on Cuba and Canada in a pair of games that feel like friendlies, but count for something thanks to the Nations League. As the team prepares for these games, USMNT coach Gregg Berhalter has to examine what the new competition means for . . .
Canada’s deadline
By Clemente Lisi – NEW YORK, NY (Sep 30, 2019) US Soccer Players – Canada's National Team is at a crossroads. It's been here many times before over the past two decades. Wins is what this team needs as it embarks on a pair of high-stakes games against the United States. The Nations Cup, which resumes in October, has made all games meaningful. It represents another chance for Canada to gain . . .
The Columbus Crew tries to move past a difficult 2019
By Clemente Lisi – NEW YORK, NY (Sep 16, 2019) US Soccer Players – A visit to MAPFRE Stadium on a June afternoon brings with it all the energy and passion we've become accustomed to seeing at a soccer game in this country. An original MLS franchise dating back to the league's inaugural season in 1996, the Columbus Crew are a big part of the story about the sport's growth in this country. MAPFRE . . .
Living on the edge of the MLS playoffs
By Clemente Lisi – NEW YORK, NY (Sep 16, 2019) US Soccer Players – It's easy to criticize the MLS playoffs. Specifically, the number of teams that make the postseason. Fourteen teams will make the playoffs, two more than last season, in a rebranded format. For critics of the league, this turns the regular season into a long qualifying tournament. Maybe it is, but that only adds to the pressure . . .
The pressure on Christian Pulisic and Chelsea
By Clemente Lisi – NEW YORK, NY (Sep 9, 2019) US Soccer Players – Chelsea is off to a rough start this season. After four games, the team is in 11th-place with just five points. For a club with ambitions of a top-four finish, that's already a problem. New manager Frank Lampard still has the time to get things right. American fans are keeping a particular eye on Chelsea since Christian Pulisic . . .
MLS in the global market
By Clemente Lisi – NEW YORK, NY (Sep 2, 2019) US Soccer Players – For years, many called MLS a retirement league. Aging European superstars crossed the Atlantic for what critics decried was an easy payday. The young talent from South America joining the league over the past few seasons pushes against that, but it's still an easy criticism to make. It shows up every time a European player of a . . .
Moving on from Rivalry Week
By Clemente Lisi – NEW YORK, NY (Aug 26, 2019) US Soccer Players – Although MLS is a fairy new league, it and its fans have worked to build up rivalries. The notion of a Rivalry Week may feel contrived. Still, more often than not, it does its job in generating wider interest. It's more than a marketing strategy. Since these games come in late summer, they go a long way in gauging the health of . . .
Q&A with Sporting KC defender Seth Sinovic
By Clemente Lisi – NEW YORK, NY (Aug 19, 2019) US Soccer Players – MLS is loaded with notable defenders. Among the best, and most consistent, over the past decade has been Seth Sinovic. The Sporting Kansas City left back was raised in Kansas and has been a part of the team since 2011. Over that time, Sinovic helped the team win the 2013 MLS Cup and three US Open Cups. Sinovic played college . . .
Tactical questions for five European clubs
By Clemente Lisi – NEW YORK, NY (Aug 12, 2019) US Soccer Players – Preseason friendlies are a time to test new players and tactics. For the many European clubs that spent the past few weeks training and playing games on American soil, it was a chance for managers to do just that against other high-caliber opponents. While most teams featured incomplete rosters after National Team tournaments . . .
