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 . . .
Halftime in the MLS conference semifinals
By Jason Davis – WASHINGTON DC (Nov 7, 2018) US Soccer Players - Halftime of the conference semifinals in Major League Soccer’s 2018 playoff season means taking stock of a number of areas on the way to the deciding second-legs. Since no first-leg delivered a multi-goal win for any team, there’s plenty of drama packed into every matchup on the board. That doesn’t mean that a few of the final eight . . .
MLS gets it wrong with half of the knockout round
By Jason Davis – WASHINGTON DC (Nov 2, 2018) US Soccer Players - The 2018 MLS playoffs didn’t exactly begin with a bang. That’s not a comment on the two games that took place on a Wednesday Halloween night roughly 72 hours after the events of Decision Day, but an observation about the excitement around them. NYCFC knocked off the Union 3-1 at Yankee Stadium. Portland sprung the rare road upset in . . .
What’s next for MLS teams that missed the playoffs?
By Jason Davis – WASHINGTON DC (Oct 31, 2018) US Soccer Players - For most of us, the only answer to the question "what’s next?" in MLS is "the playoffs." The knockout round happens just days after the regular season ends. It's time for one-off games that count, the most intense version of Major League Soccer. Meanwhile, for 11 teams the end of the regular season means the end, period. With no . . .
MLS Decision Day gets it right
By Jason Davis – WASHINGTON DC (Oct 26, 2018) US Soccer Players - Decision Day arrives in Major League Soccer bursting with myriad possibility. With 10 of 12 playoff spots known heading into the final day of the season, there's a lot left to decide. The Supporters' Shield, playoff seedings, and those two final postseason berths are all in play with 11 simultaneous kickoffs Sunday afternoon at . . .
