By Clemente Lisi – NEW YORK, NY (Jan 9, 2023) US Soccer Players – This could be the year where the 4-2-3-1 begins to fall out of favor. It’s a tactical formation that has endured since 2012 when it was popularized at the European Championship that summer, reliable because it gives teams balance across the field. The recent World Cup highlighted a few tactical formations that could move into the . . .
Five USMNT players at new clubs for 2023
By Clemente Lisi – NEW YORK, NY (Jan 2, 2023) US Soccer Players – A new year means a change in uniform for many American players. Whether it’s a player going from MLS to Europe or those who have changed teams but are staying in Major League Soccer, there were lots of moves made in 2022 that could make an impact this year. MLS continues to generate talent as more Americans sign with European clubs. . . .
The 2023 American soccer calendar
By Clemente Lisi – NEW YORK, NY (Dec 27, 2022) US Soccer Players – It has, once again, been a very engaging and absorbing year for the game. The late fall World Cup made it a very unusual 2022, although the entertainment value ended up being very high in the end. Although the massive event concluded just last week, fans have already immersed themselves back into the European club season. The . . .
2022 World Cup: Goalkeeping, upsets, MLS players, and USMNT TV ratings
By Clemente Lisi – LUSAIL, QATAR (Dec 19, 2022) US Soccer Players – With the 2022 World Cup over, now comes the time for assessments. It's natural to take a look back after such a massive event. In the end, what happened on the field proved to be spectacular beyond anyone's imagination. Let's start with the final. Never has a game delivered on every story line and talking point. It's rare to live . . .
The importance of UEFA Champions League players in the World Cup semifinals
By Clemente Lisi – DOHA, QATAR (Dec 12, 2022) US Soccer Players – Four years ago, the World Cup semifinalists were all from Europe: France, Croatia, Belgium, and England. They finished in that order. It confirmed the trend that started in 2006 when Italy won it all. The last four World Cup winners all hailed from Europe: Spain in 2010, Germany in 2014, and France in 2018 extended the streak. In . . .
What we’re learning tactically from the 2022 World Cup
By Clemente Lisi – NEW YORK, NY (Dec 5, 2022) US Soccer Players – A World Cup always brings to the forefront trends in the game. It is the only time the planet’s best teams and players converge on one stage to compete for a championship. More than halfway through the 2022 World Cup, we have a decent sample size of where the game is tactically. As is typically the case, the group stage brought . . .
The history of the USMNT in the third game of the World Cup group stage
By Clemente Lisi – NEW YORK, NY (Nov 28, 2022) US Soccer Players – After collecting two points at the 2022 World Cup, the USMNT enters Tuesday's final group stage match in need of a win. The United States controls its own fate after draws against Wales and England, setting the stakes against Iran. It's a task the US has had to face before. Excluding the 1990 and 1998 World Cups, where the USMNT . . .
Yedlin as the veteran in a USMNT squad now looking to England on Friday
By Clemente Lisi – NEW YORK, NY (Nov 21, 2022) US Soccer Players – The USMNT is one of the youngest teams at this World Cup. It’s a data point we’ve heard again and again. It’s also a trait that can be a benefit at this World Cup, especially when it comes to fitness and dealing with the Qatari heat. Following an eight-year absence, the United States returned to the World Cup on Monday, playing . . .
The group stage as a tournament, Premier League experience, and the bench for the USMNT
By Clemente Lisi – NEW YORK, NY (Nov 14, 2022) US Soccer Players – Following two years of World Cup Qualifying, the Nations League, and months of friendlies, the start of the 2022 World Cup is under a week away. It will be a tournament of firsts. It is the first time FIFA is holding it in November. It's the first time that a World Cup with 32 nations will happen during a compressed 29-day window. . . .
5 things from the 2022 MLS season
By Clemente Lisi – NEW YORK, NY (Nov 7, 2022) US Soccer Players – Another Major League Soccer season has come and gone. The postmortem of the 2022 season will be dissected in the coming days and weeks after Los Angeles FC came away with the MLS Cup following Saturday's epic game against the Philadelphia Union. LAFC downed the Union on penalties after a 3-3 game that pitted the two top teams from . . .
