By Jason Davis – WASHINGTON, DC (Dec 28, 2022) US Soccer Players - If 2022 was anything for soccer, it was eventful. With the World Cup on the schedule, that was a guarantee. However, the World Cup wasn't the only thing in the soccer world to make a mark on 2022. That was especially true in American soccer. The USMNT getting to and then playing in the World Cup were the big stories, but a select . . .
Another MLS contingent is set to make a difference for the USMNT
By Luis Bueno - RIVERSIDE, CA (Nov 9, 2022) US Soccer Players - When Major League Soccer began, the US National Team benefited. Not only did MLS provide national team-caliber players a chance for meaningful minutes, but it also provided future national teamers a chance to start and develop their respective careers. Since 1996, the league has evolved substantially, and so has the league's role in . . .
5 things from the 2022 MLS season
By Clemente Lisi – NEW YORK, NY (Nov 7, 2022) US Soccer Players – Another Major League Soccer season has come and gone. The postmortem of the 2022 season will be dissected in the coming days and weeks after Los Angeles FC came away with the MLS Cup following Saturday's epic game against the Philadelphia Union. LAFC downed the Union on penalties after a 3-3 game that pitted the two top teams from . . .
MLS Power Rankings: The obvious top two and figuring out the bottom of the tables
By Luis Bueno - RIVERSIDE, CA (Nov 2, 2022) US Soccer Players - And then there were two. LAFC and Philadelphia will meet on Saturday at Banc of California Stadium in the 2022 MLS Cup. There is finally justice as the two best teams during the regular season will decide the league title in a one-off contest. If the result follows these rankings, the hosts will hoist the trophy before its boisterous . . .
2022 becomes something for Inter Miami to build on
By Charles Boehm – WASHINGTON, DC (Oct 21, 2022) US Soccer Players - The scene was blue, both literally and figuratively, as Inter Miami CF's season ended at New York City FC on Monday night. As the visitors trudged off the converted baseball field, they were suddenly shrouded in thick clouds of artificial fog, apparently churned out as part of NYCFC's celebrations. Miami's first three years of . . .
Q&A with Alexi Lalas: “I think, quite honestly, that the crucial game is the first one against Wales”
By Clemente Lisi – NEW YORK, NY (Oct 17, 2022) US Soccer Players – Known as one of the best defenders in National Team history, Alexi Lalas is now a no-nonsense commentator. Lalas has been a major part of the game's growth in this country for the past three decades. His latest contribution will be working as a studio analyst for Fox Sports at next month's World Cup. Lalas, who played at the . . .
An important winter beckons for Atlanta United
By Charles Boehm – WASHINGTON, DC (Oct 13, 2022) US Soccer Players - "On the pitch as in life, you either win or you learn. And this season was full of lessons." With those 19 opening words in the club's season-ending message of thanks to its fans, Brad Guzan efficiently summed up Atlanta United's 2022. Year six brought a different kind of frustration to one of the bigger, bolder projects in . . .
The 4th-seed Galaxy knows what’s in front of them
By Luis Bueno - RIVERSIDE, CA (Oct 12, 2022) US Soccer Players - It used to be that the LA Galaxy hosting in the playoffs was commonplace. It was not an unusual occurrence nor something to necessarily celebrate. Of course, in the league's early days and as it progressed into its second decade, playoff formats changed. At various times, any team making the playoffs got a home game. Back then, . . .
Are all playoff teams contenders in MLS?
By Jason Davis – WASHINGTON, DC (Oct 12, 2022) US Soccer Players - Major League Soccer's version of that famous philosophical thought experiment involving the falling tree in the forest and the sound it does or does not make goes something like this: If parity rules and top seeds rarely win the championship, can there be outsiders in the MLS Cup playoffs? These things are relative, of course. . . .
Adding to the Supporters’ Shield, NYCFC defends, and the potential for a first-time champion
By Clemente Lisi – NEW YORK, NY (Oct 10, 2022) US Soccer Players – Decision Day, as usual, left everyone riveted. As teams jockeyed for home-field advantage in the MLS Cup playoffs or were fighting to just grab a postseason spot, the MLS regular season finale did not disappoint. Now it's the three-week long cavalcade towards the final and the crowning of a champion. Once again, the postseason . . .
