The roundup for week 17 of the 2017 MLS season starts with a coaching change in San Jose. The Earthquakes announced that coach Dom Kinnear and assistant John Spencer are out in favor of technical director Chris Leitch as the new head coach with director of methodology Alex Covelo as his assistant. The news came after San Jose's week 17 win. "I would like to thank the ownership group for giving me . . .
2017 USMNT Gold Cup squad
USMNT coach Bruce Arena cut his provisional Gold Cup squad to 23 players on Sunday. Gold Cup camp begins on June 25 in Nashville, TN. The USMNT opens group play against Panama on July 8 in Nashville (4:30pm ET - Fox Sports). Arena will be able to alter his roster should the USMNT advance to the knockout round. He can make up to six changes. "It's a good roster with a nice blend of experienced, . . .
Recalibrating our ideas about lower division American soccer
By Charles Boehm – WASHINGTON, DC (Jun 23, 2017) US Soccer Players - They arrived by the hundreds, some hours early even on a weeknight. Their vehicles backed up for miles down the small country roads and residential streets like the crowds flocking to the baseball diamond in “Field of Dreams.” The bucolic little stadium simply wasn’t ready for their numbers. The entry lines stretched easily a . . .
Weighing the MLS rivalries
By Jason Davis – WASHINGTON, DC (Jun 23, 2017) US Soccer Players - Once again, Major League Soccer has manipulated its schedule to bring us a round of games thick with rivalries. The weekend has a sponsor. The league's marketing department is opening up the throttle in a bid for attention. While MLS is clearly the biggest professional soccer league in the country, it nevertheless struggles to . . .
The power of the Premier League
Friday's soccer news starts with another example of how much things have changed in the Premier League. Crystal Palace, far down the list of Premier League clubs in general and London Premier League clubs in particular, is closing in on a new manager. Frank de Boer left Ajax for Inter Milan last season, losing that Italian job after three months. BBC Sport's David Orstein has the details on the . . .
Questioning instant replay
Thursday's soccer news starts with the growing complaints about how instant replay is working at the 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup. The quick take is that it isn't, at least not enough to convince that it's worth the effort. Instant replay, which of course FIFA would prefer the soccer world refers to as "video assistant referee", has been a long time coming. The discussions seem to have dragged on . . .
LAFC intrigue and Mexico asks their fans to stop
By Luis Bueno – RIVERSIDE, CA (Jun 21, 2017) US Soccer Players - There is still quite some time until LAFC takes the field. Many things with this club are still up in the air, but the possibilities seem unlimited. The roster will not start to take shape until sometime after a team lifts the 2017 MLS Cup. Already, rumors swirl linking a top Mexican player to LAFC and the potential for more such . . .
Another end for the Strikers
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What’s wrong with DC United?
Wednesday's soccer news starts with games on the MLS schedule. DC United hosts Atlanta United with another chance to try to turn their season around. DC is bottom of the Eastern Conference, six points behind 7th-place Atlanta with both teams about to play their 16th game of the season. With DC sitting on 10 goals scored, the worst in MLS. The Washington Post's Steven Goff makes some unflattering . . .
The Cristiano Ronaldo situation
Tuesday's soccer news starts with Cristiano Ronaldo. Though many people's pick for the best player in the world is currently focused on Portugal's Confederations Cup schedule, it's his club situation making the news. Ronaldo has tax issues in Spain, leading to speculation that his time with Real Madrid could be coming to an end. Of course, none of this is straightforward. The Guardian's Sid Lowe . . .
