By Jason Davis – WASHINGTON DC (Feb 8, 2019) US Soccer Players - Time flies when you’re having fun. It also flies when you’re attempting to prepare for your first season as a Major League Soccer franchise. For both the freshly named Inter Miami and the future Nashville MLS club, there’s a lot to do and not much time to do it in. The business of putting a team together - hiring a coach, signing . . .
Wynalda: “Marrying yourself to mediocrity is not what I’m in this to do”
By Charles Boehm – WASHINGTON, DC (Feb 8, 2019) US Soccer Players - It’s been a strange year or so for Eric Wynalda. The USMNT legend entered 2018 as a central figure in the bruising US Soccer presidential election, defiantly running as the anti-establishment candidate in what turned out to be a landslide victory for US Soccer Federation VP Carlos Cordeiro. Fall brought the career breakthrough . . .
Europe and the soccer calendar
The soccer news starts with more from UEFA, this time announcing a memorandum of understanding with the European Club Association. The biggest point for those of us outside Europe is a focus on the international calendar after 2024. The current version of the international calendar that removed single match windows was in large part due to pressure from Europe. The double matchday calendar isn't . . .
RB Leipzig and Schalke advance in the DFB Pokal
The soccer news starts with more from the DFB Pokal. Tyler Adams's RB Leipzig shutout John Brooks's Wolfsburg 1-0 at home. Matheus Cunha scored the game's only goal in the 9th minute with Peter Gulacsi keeping the clean sheet with one save. "Our off-the-ball play was really good again today," RB Leipzig coach Ralf Rangnick said. "We only let Wolfsburg have one clear chance, which Peter Gulacsi . . .
Marco Fabian and Mexico players in MLS
By Luis Bueno – RIVERSIDE, CA (Feb 6, 2019) US Soccer Players - The more MLS grows, the greater the caliber of player that comes to the league. That much has been evident for the last decade-plus. The league will take another step forward, though, when larger numbers of Mexican internationals consider this league a viable option. MLS may soon take another step in that direction. Reports link . . .
Has MLS redefined the Designated Player?
By Jason Davis – WASHINGTON DC (Feb 6, 2019) US Soccer Players - While Atlanta United makes headlines across North America thanks to the record-breaking sale of Miguel Almiron and the signing of Pity Martinez, the rest of MLS contemplates a changing league and the future of Designated Player business. Not everyone can be Atlanta United, backed by the wealth and enthusiasm of owner Arthur Blank. . . .
Pulisic scores but Werder Bremen advances in the DFB Pokal
Christian Pulisic scored for Borussia Dortmund in their DFB Pokal loss on penalties to Werder Bremen. The game ended 1-1 in regulation and 3-3 after extra time, with Werder advancing 4-3 on penalties. Josh Sargent and Aron Johannsson weren't in the squad for Werder Bremen. Milot Rashica put Werder Bremen up in the 5th minute with Marco Reus equalizing for Dortmund in first-half stoppage time. In . . .
The power of UEFA in world soccer
We start the soccer news with an open question. Is FIFA president Gianni Infantino the most powerful person in world soccer, or is it UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin? As Reuters' Brian Homewood reports, Ceferin will win reelection for a second term as UEFA president since he's the only candidate on the ballot at Thursday's congress in Rome. Ceferin's rise in global soccer politics was quick, . . .
New coaches, familiar pressure in MLS
By Clemente Lisi – NEW YORK, NY (Feb 4, 2019) US Soccer Players – Preparation for the upcoming MLS season is in full swing. Players have hit the training grounds and playing preseason friendlies, while the front offices continue to deal for players and sell season-ticket packages. And the coaches? They’re doing a lot of the work, setting tactics and figuring out what formations to use. It’s also a . . .
The USMNT focuses on the March window
The soccer news starts with the USMNT ending weeks of training with another win. The second-half told the story against Costa Rica, with the US offense taking over in the 2-0 win. That the defense limited shots and recorded back-to-back shutouts is also worth highlighting, even with the regular caveats about strength of squads in out of window friendlies. “Our job is to learn, and he’s . . .
