By Clemente Lisi – NEW YORK, NY (May 6, 2019) US Soccer Players – The 2019 US Open Cup starts this month. It's the country’s oldest soccer tournament, a single-elimination knockout competition that dates back to 1914. The first round, which kicks off May 7, will feature 32 teams made up of eight amateur clubs in addition to the National Premier Soccer League and USL League One and Two. While last . . .
MLS trends in 2019
By Clemente Lisi – NEW YORK, NY (Apr 29, 2019) US Soccer Players – MLS is once again off to an intriguing start. This is the point in the schedule when some of those preseason predictions are starting to look silly. It’s also a great time for teams up and down the conference tables to take stock before heading into the busy summer stretch. Unlike Europe’s often-predictable title races, MLS is . . .
Canada’s new league
By Clemente Lisi – NEW YORK, NY (Apr 22, 2019) US Soccer Players – The Canadian MLS clubs are soon going to have some company playing in an entirely different league. Canada is finally getting a national pro league, which starts at the end of this month, with the aim of popularizing the game to a national audience as well as help develop players. It sounds a lot like when MLS launched back in . . .
The MLS rivalries in the I-95 corridor
By Clemente Lisi – NEW YORK, NY (Apr 15, 2019) US Soccer Players – For the major East Coast cities linked by Interstate-95 in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the country, every game between them is a rivalry game. That's regardless of the sport. all of them have a rich sports tradition and distinct rivalries. Over the past two decades, rivalries built by those other sports have . . .
The other Gold Cup seeds
By Clemente Lisi – NEW YORK, NY (Apr 8, 2019) US Soccer Players – The USMNT has gotten 2019 off to a strong start. The Gregg Berhalter era has brought with it wins, optimism, and depth at various positions. The aim this year will be winning the Gold Cup. While the US enters the tournament as one of the favorites, what about the region’s other contenders? With the Gold Cup draw set for Wednesday, . . .
Soccer Tactics: What works for Ajax
By Clemente Lisi – NEW YORK, NY (Apr 1, 2019) US Soccer Players – A few surprises stand out when you look at the quarterfinal matchups of the UEFA Champions League. No Real Madrid, winners of the last three editions. No Bayern Munich, the perennial German powerhouse. No PSG, whose oodles of money hasn’t been enough to move the needle much in this competition in recent years. The teams that are . . .
USMNT vs Chile in the 1988 Clasico International Cup
By Clemente Lisi – NEW YORK, NY (Mar 25, 2019) US Soccer Players – The year was 1988 and the US Soccer Federation had embarked on the uphill task of putting together a bid to host the 1994 World Cup. Although soccer had suffered a setback with the NASL’s demise, the National Team continued to play games. In 1988, the team bucked the odds and qualified for the Olympics, the start of an era that . . .
Aaron Long: “How lucky am I that I have Tim on my right and Luis behind me in goal?”
By Clemente Lisi – HARRISON, NJ (Mar 18, 2019) US Soccer Players – Aaron Long is the latest talent to come out of the Red Bulls' system. Over the past few years, the Red Bulls have relied on many young talents like Tim Ream, Matt Miazga, Tyler Adams, Sean Davis, Conor Lade, and Tim Parker. Some have moved on. Others, like Long, are working hard to help RBNY win its first MLS Cup. Named MLS . . .
Soccer Tactics: Guardiola and Klopp in the Premier League
By Clemente Lisi – NEW YORK, NY (Mar 11, 2019) US Soccer Players – The Premier League has become a staple on American television and the steady diet of sports programming on weekends alongside the NFL and college basketball. Club jerseys of England’s biggest clubs, such as Manchester City and Liverpool, have become ubiquitous among even casual fans. What’s less understood by those same casual . . .
Landon Donovan in the MASL
By Clemente Lisi – SAN DIEGO, CA (Mar 4, 2019) US Soccer Players – For a brief moment, Pechanga Arena San Diego has the ability to transport you back to the 1980s. That was a time when indoor soccer was king and the San Diego Sockers were the best team in the country. Originally a franchise that competed in the outdoor NASL, the Sockers would go on to win 10 MISL titles under legendary coach Ron . . .
