Tuesday's soccer news starts with Major League Soccer setting an April 3 start date for the 2021 season. Clubs opening training on February 22 for the 34-game regular season. The league set the 2021 MLS Cup for December 11. MLS acknowledged that they have yet to reach an agreement with the Players Association after the league invoked the force majeure clause and set a January 29 deadline. In a . . .
The 2021 January camp and game roster
Game Roster GK: Matt Freese (Philadelphia Union; 0/0), JT Marcinkowski (San Jose Earthquakes; 0/0), Matt Turner (New England Revolution; 0/0) DEF: Julian Araujo (LA Galaxy; 1/0), George Bello (Atlanta United FC; 0/0), Kyle Duncan (New York Red Bulls; 1/0), Aaron Herrera (Real Salt Lake; 0/0), Aaron Long (New York Red Bulls; 18/3), Mauricio Pineda (Chicago Fire FC; 0/0), Miles Robinson (Atlanta . . .
The status of the SuperDraft
By Jason Davis – WASHINGTON, DC (Jan 22, 2021) US Soccer Players - For an event whose influence on Major League Soccer was already in steep decline before the outbreak of a global pandemic, the 2021 version of the MLS SuperDraft figures to be the least cared about in history. The trajectory of the league’s player development efforts and the timing of this year’s draft rob the exercise of the . . .
The unsettling prospect of MLS going dark
By Charles Boehm – WASHINGTON, DC (Jan 22, 2020) US Soccer Players - Whatever your thoughts about the value of the MLS SuperDraft, it does serve a time-honored function in the collective North American soccer consciousness. It’s the unofficial kickoff of the new season every January, a mid-winter reference point. In that regard, the 2021 rendition fell a bit flat as it unfolded virtually on . . .
Kessler, Dike, and the continued importance of the college model
By Jason Davis – WASHINGTON, DC (Jan 20, 2021) US Soccer Players - Gregg Berhalter's first USMNT camp of the new year now has a match to close it out. A mixed American squad will face off against Trinidad & Tobago on January 31 in Orlando. The game is the finale of an annual process that's about talent identification and opportunity. This year’s camp is also serving as a chance for U-23 . . .
The value of MLS experience
By J Hutcherson (Jan 19, 2021) US Soccer Players - MLS teams occasionally hire coaches with no direct experience with the league. That creates an easy opportunity for the most obvious of caveats. How will they adjust? Squad building, travel, the weather, and whatever else ends up on a list of differences. All of them can derail a coach new to how topflight soccer works in North America. DC . . .
New coaches in DC and Miami
Tuesday's soccer news starts with DC and Miami hiring coaches. DC United announced that Hernan Losada has taken their head coaching job, leaving Beerschot in Belgium's Pro League. A former Beerschot player, Losada quickly became the club's head coach three months after taking their U-23 job for the 2018-19 season. "I'm excited about the opportunity to join DC United and to write a new chapter . . .
Chris Armas takes over Toronto in transition
By Jason Davis – WASHINGTON, DC (Jan 15, 2021) US Soccer Players - MLS history is a bit deceiving. As a league with a quarter-century of existence, MLS has packed a lot into a relatively short period. With parity a central feature, the fortunes of clubs have risen and fallen in dramatic ways at shorter intervals than happens in the rest of the world. Those big swings can be disorienting when it . . .
The Impact becomes Club de Foot Montreal
Friday's soccer news starts with another Major League Soccer club deciding that at least a partial answer to their problems is a rebrand. Goodbye, Montreal Impact. Hello, Club de Foot Montreal, CF Montreal to its friends. Also welcome the kind of logo that's going to get what we'll politely refer to as a divisive response. If Impact Black, Ice Silver, and Sacre Bleu look familiar, it's because the . . .
Fulham draws at Spurs, Juventus and Barcelona advance
Thursday's soccer news starts with Fulham getting a point in a version of the London derby. Antonee Robinson's Fulham drew 1-1 at Spurs in a game rearranged due to Aston Villa's coronovirus issues. Trailing from the 25th minute, Ivan Cavaleiro equalized in the 74th minute. Tim Ream was on the bench for Fulham, in 18th-place with 12 points from 16 games. "To a man we were superb under what we . . .
