By Clemente Lisi – NEW YORK, NY (Jan 7, 2019) US Soccer Players – The curtain on the 2019 MLS season unofficially opens this Friday with the SuperDraft. Although an influx of younger players continue to stream into the league without entering the draft, the MLS SuperDraft remains a major source of talent for Major League Soccer. Despite being secondary to the academy system, many college . . .
2019 in soccer
By Clemente Lisi – NEW YORK, NY (Dec 31, 2018) US Soccer Players – The past year will stand out for years to come for the type of soccer it produced. That is almost always the case in a year with a World Cup. The USMNT continued to rebuild and got a new coach, while MLS gave us a new champion in Atlanta United FC that helped to showcase the passion for the game in this country. Indeed, Atlanta’s . . .
Villarreal in Nebraska
By Clemente Lisi – NEW YORK, NY (Dec 24, 2018) US Soccer Players – There have been lots of high-profile European clubs who have set up shop in this country. Bayern Munich has an office in New York. Barcelona and Arsenal have established youth academies. The annual International Champions Cup happens each summer in NFL stadiums. Soccer’s growth has also established several demographic surprises. . . .
Soccer History: San Francisco Bay Blackhawks
By Clemente Lisi – NEW YORK, NY (Dec 17, 2018) US Soccer Players – The post-NASL years are often referred to as the dark ages of American soccer. The indoor game was king and the lack of a strong national league didn’t help. The game struggled to gain traction and was still largely considered a niche sport. That low period, however, did produce some bright spots. One of them was the San Francisco . . .
MLS 2018 season in review
By Clemente Lisi – NEW YORK, NY (Dec 10, 2018) US Soccer Players – It was a season of records for Atlanta United. The newly-crowned MLS champions, in just their second year of existence, emerged as a truly unstoppable train. That's thanks in large part to the scoring pace of Josef Martinez. The league’s MVP this season, Martinez easily surpassed the MLS regular-season scoring record 31 goals in 34 . . .
Henry, Gerrard, and Lampard on the sidelines in Europe
By Clemente Lisi – NEW YORK, NY (Dec 3, 2018) US Soccer Players – It isn’t so unusual to see former players now coaching some of the best teams in the world. Zinedine Zidane went from World Cup-winning attacking midfielder for France to helping Real Madrid capture three consecutive Champions League titles as their coach. He isn’t alone in making the transition from elite player to elite . . .
What to watch as the USMNT moves forward
By Clemente Lisi – NEW YORK, NY (Nov 26, 2018) US Soccer Players – The recent defeat to Italy in stoppage time officially drew the curtain on the USMNT’s 2018 schedule. There remain plenty of "what ifs" with this squad, but there is also no doubt that the US has steadily progressed in the right direction over the past 12 months. That interim coach Dave Sarachan laid the groundwork for the future . . .
Soccer History: USMNT vs Italy
By Clemente Lisi – NEW YORK, NY (Nov 19, 2018) US Soccer Players – It's possible to calculate the USMNT's progress and success through a series of games and milestones tied to various nations around the world. The rivalry with Mexico has defined the US’s growth and success over the past two decades. Games against others such as England, Colombia, and Costa Rica have also come to define the program . . .
Waiting on the MLS Conference finals
By Clemente Lisi – NEW YORK, NY (Nov 12, 2018) US Soccer Players – The 2018 MLS playoffs have produced some very competitive matches over the past two weeks. As always, the postseason doesn’t fail to disappoint, as Sunday’s triple-header revealed. With the Conference Finals on the horizon, there’s no better time than now to take stock of what’s happened and what it says going forward. One of the . . .
Soccer History: Baltimore Blast
By Clemente Lisi – NEW YORK, NY (Nov 5, 2018) US Soccer Players – The original North American Soccer League's demise following the 1984 season ushered in a dark period in American pro soccer. There were, however, a few bright lights. The popularity of the indoor game, considered an abomination by some, kept the professional version of the sport alive. It was the place where American players could . . .
