By Jason Davis – WASHINGTON DC (Dec 14, 2018) US Soccer Players - FC Dallas is not a team with millions to spend in the pursuit of a championship. It doesn’t have a grand, state-of-the-art stadium in a downtown location. It doesn’t glow with the shiny newness of MLS expansion, being an MLS original with a rebrand in its past. Standing out is difficult if you’re FC Dallas. Keeping up with a . . .
The next stage of MLS looms
By Jason Davis – WASHINGTON DC (Dec 7, 2018) US Soccer Players - The 2018 MLS Cup final provided the latest backdrop for a pressing discussion about the future of topflight soccer in the USA and Canada. That discussion and the debate it engenders is a function of the success of Atlanta United and the ambition of the club’s owner, Arthur Blank. The massive crowd that filled Mercedes-Benz Stadium . . .
Are the Portland Timbers MLS Cup underdogs?
By Jason Davis – WASHINGTON DC (Dec 7, 2018) US Soccer Players - There’s no rule that says a championship game must have a favorite and underdog. It’s quite possible that two teams can arrive at a final equally matched, on paper or in reality. That takes away the need for the tried-and-true narrative that one team is the obvious choice to win while the other is fighting an uphill battle. It . . .
FC Dallas and USL League One
By Jason Davis – WASHINGTON DC (Dec 5, 2018) US Soccer Players - On Thursday, FC Dallas will unveil the name, logo, and first signing of a new United Soccer League entry run by the Major League Soccer club. The lower division side will bring FC Dallas into line with a majority of MLS teams who operate a team at the USL level to serve as a stepping stone between their academies and the first . . .
NYCFC without David Villa
By Jason Davis – WASHINGTON DC (Nov 30, 2018) US Soccer Players - How young is MLS? Young enough that more than a few of its teams can count among their player ranks names that have been there since the club launched. In an environment where “expansion” is nearly always relevant and new clubs are popping up seemingly every year, players can be both original members of a roster and still crucial . . .
The next Orlando City rebuild
By Jason Davis – WASHINGTON DC (Nov 28, 2018) US Soccer Players - Orlando City hasn’t had much success on the field, failing to reach to the playoffs in every one its four top division seasons. Over that period, the club has gone through three different head coaches and several different strategies for breaking out of the also-ran group in Major League Soccer. None of the coaches (with the jury . . .
What the 2018 USMNT Player of the Year nominees tell us
By Jason Davis – WASHINGTON DC (Nov 21, 2018) US Soccer Players - There’s only so much to take away from 2018, a year that saw a World Cup come and go without the United States participating for the first time since 1986. A period of transition saw a new president of the US Soccer Federation elected, a general manager installed to oversee the men’s national team program, and in large part because . . .
The battle of the underdogs in the Western Conference
By Jason Davis – WASHINGTON DC (Nov 16, 2018) US Soccer Players - There’s still more than a week to go before the FIFA international break is over and MLS resumes its playoff season with the conference final stage. The anticipation for one matchup, in particular, is already high. The Eastern Conference final, pitting the record-breaking New York Red Bulls team against the club the' beat to the . . .
NYCFC after David Villa
By Jason Davis – WASHINGTON DC (Nov 14, 2018) US Soccer Players - How do you know when it’s the right time to say goodbye? That’s the question NYCFC faces as the weather turns cold and the club contemplates preparations for 2019. Sunday’s loss to Atlanta United in the Eastern Conference semifinals means the clock is now ticking on difficult decisions for next year. That includes the face of their . . .
Aaron Long’s path to MLS Defender of the Year
By Jason Davis – WASHINGTON DC (Nov 9, 2018) US Soccer Players - MLS announced the New York Red Bulls’ Aaron Long as 2018 Defender of the Year on Wednesday. The 26-year old centerback beat out three-time Defender of the Year Chad Marshall to the award, garnering an impressive 33.33% of the media vote in his second full MLS campaign. The players around him in the Red Bulls defense certainly . . .
