By Clemente Lisi – NEW YORK, NY (Feb 17, 2020) US Soccer Players – It’s a question MLS teams participating in the Concacaf Champions League ask themselves every winter. How will we be able to win a trophy while Mexican clubs continue to dominate? It’s a puzzle MLS teams, currently in preseason, have to ponder seriously. In a way, participation in the Concacaf Champions League has become a . . .
Ben Olsen in DC
By Clemente Lisi – NEW YORK, NY (Feb 10, 2020) US Soccer Players – Coaches in MLS have come and gone over the past decade. Some lasted a few years, others even less. It is a trend throughout soccer. Impatient clubs dump a coach in the hopes of finding another who can turn the team around. It's always cheaper to change the coach than the entire squad, even if the problems run deeper than the . . .
The Chicago and Atlanta MLS expansion models
By Clemente Lisi – NEW YORK, NY (Feb 3, 2020) US Soccer Players – A new Major League Soccer season starts in four weeks. With preseason in full swing, coaches are testing new tactics as teams buy and sell players. For Nashville SC and Inter Miami, it's their MLS debuts. Expansion teams have typically had a tough go at it in North American sports. In MLS, the gold standard remains the Chicago . . .
Martino’s Mexico in 2020
By Clemente Lisi – NEW YORK, NY (Jan 27, 2020) US Soccer Players – It's an interesting 2020 in Concacaf, especially for old rivals the United States and Mexico. Both have the Nations League on the schedule in June and the start of World Cup qualifying in the September international window. Between now and then, there are friendlies on the schedule to provide options and tighten things up before . . .
5 players to watch in the 2020 USMNT Camp
By Clemente Lisi – NEW YORK, NY (Jan 20, 2020) US Soccer Players – The annual January camp gets the year going for the USMNT, especially when it comes to young talent. While largely limited to MLS-based players and those in European leagues with a winter break, it remains an important part of the program. After all, these camps proved vital in the past, especially in years where World Cup . . .
The MLS youth movement continues
By Clemente Lisi – NEW YORK, NY (Jan 13, 2020) US Soccer Players – Bobby Convey was once the youngest player in MLS history, signing with DC United for the 2000 season when he was just 16. At age 14, Freddy Adu became the youngest American ever to sign a major league pro contract in any team sport, drafted first overall by DC United back in 2004. That same year, Adu made his debut as a second-half . . .
Inter Miami surprises by hiring Diego Alonso
By Clemente Lisi – NEW YORK, NY (Jan 6, 2020) US Soccer Players – The end of 2019 made waves with Inter Miami hiring Diego Alonso as their first coach. Alonso built his reputation in Liga MX. He wasn't the big name some had expected the MLS expansion side to sign, but he is an interesting choice. The 44-year-old Alonso, a former journeyman striker, is a two-time Concacaf Champions League winner . . .
Soccer in 2020
By Clemente Lisi – NEW YORK, NY (Dec 30, 2019) US Soccer Players – One year may be ending, but another is about to begin. That means a 12-month marathon of games and tournaments played around the world in what has increasingly become a congested fixture schedule for players and fans alike. There will be no shortage of games in 2020, including a summer with the Euros, Copa America, and the . . .
The USMNT in the 2010s
By Clemente Lisi – NEW YORK, NY (Dec 23, 2019) US Soccer Players – The next two weeks mark the end of not just another year, but a decade. For the USMNT, it was another ten years full of joyous moments and historic milestones. It was a decade that saw the United States win two Gold Cups while reaching the finals of two World Cups. The team scored some big goals and stunned various opponents. The . . .
The early MLS contenders
By Clemente Lisi – NEW YORK, NY (Dec 16, 2019) US Soccer Players – The close of a calendar year is often a time for reflection. It is also a time to look ahead to the new year and what 2020 may have in store for all of us. For MLS, the big question is how will teams navigate player signings, preseason, and the Concacaf Champions League as a new MLS season approaches. While MLS is unpredictable, . . .
