Thursday's soccer news once again starts with the USMNT players in the Champions League, with Weston McKennie's Juventus beating Maccabi Haifa 3-1 at home in group H. Adrien Ribot put Juve up in the 35th and Dusan Vlahovic doubled the lead in the 50th. Maccabi Haifa pulled a goal back in the 75th but Ribot finished off the Juventus goals in the 83rd. Juventus is in 3rd-place in the group on three . . .
MLS Power Rankings: LAFC’s focus, Philadelphia holding on, and Montreal in position
By Luis Bueno - RIVERSIDE, CA (Oct 5, 2022) US Soccer Players - It all comes down to this. The final weekend of the MLS season will determine playoff spots, sending teams to the postseason and crushing the hopes of others. A pair of Wednesday night matches will steal the spotlight from Sunday's Decision Day slate, but there is plenty of positioning left to settle. At the top, though, there is . . .
Considering all of the factors for Coach of the Year in MLS
By Jason Davis – WASHINGTON, DC (Oct 5, 2022) US Soccer Players - The choice for the 2022 Sigi Schmid Coach of the Year Award in Major League Soccer may seem obvious. It's just that the choice is not always the same, depending on who you happen to ask. The 2022 MLS season delivered exceptional campaigns by a handful of teams. Some of those met or slightly exceeded expectations. Some far . . .
The Philadelphia Union is showing how to balance a roster in 2022
By Clemente Lisi – NEW YORK, NY (Oct 3, 2022) US Soccer Players – The battle for the Supporters' Shield for much of the season has pitted Los Angeles FC against the Philadelphia Union. LAFC won it on Sunday thanks to a dramatic 2-1 win against the Portland Timbers, buoyed by its star-studded roster. Across the country, the Union, a side without the same level of international stars, relies on a . . .
MLS Week 33: Union loses at Charlotte, LAFC wins Supporters’ Shield at Portland
Week 33 of the 2022 MLS season began on Friday in Toronto, where Inter Miami won 1-0 on the road. Gonzalo Higuain scored in the 86th minute and Drake Callender kept the clean sheet with three saves. "This group is an amazing group and now they're beginning to believe what we've believed in them from day one and it's great to see," Inter coach Phil Neville said. "I think it helps when you've got . . .
Orlando, Inter Miami, Charlotte, and Columbus play game 32
By Jason Davis – WASHINGTON, DC (Sep 30, 2022) US Soccer Players - Major League Soccer's weekend schedule will deliver the 33rd game of the season for 24 of its 28 teams. Among that group are teams already eliminated from playoff contention, some still mathematically alive but facing a steep uphill battle for a playoff place, clubs on the precipice of confirming a postseason berth, and a small . . .
NYCFC, Orlando City, FC Cincinnati, Inter Miami, and the LA Galaxy put themselves into playoff positions
By Clemente Lisi – NEW YORK, NY (Sep 26, 2022) US Soccer Players – Winning the MLS Cup is all about timing. The regular season is long, and often parts of it may seem insignificant. In reality, every game counts if you want to clinch a playoff spot in the end. Consistency is key, but so is peaking at just the right time. That time to peak is now, both for teams who've already clinched a spot . . .
Preview: Saudi Arabia vs USMNT, World Cup group B roundup, Galaxy wins at San Jose
Monday's soccer news starts with a preview of tomorrow's Saudi Arabia vs USMNT friendly in Murcia, Spain. The USMNT's 2-0 loss to Japan in Dusseldorf raised questions, but in a friendly window it's difficult to know what needs underlining after 90 minutes. While it's easy to compliment Japan for keeping to a strategy, the USMNT normally doesn't finish games with no shots on goal. That may be the . . .
The importance of the California Clasico speaks to MLS then and now
By Jason Davis – WASHINGTON, DC (Sep 23, 2022) US Soccer Players - As American soccer rivalries go, there aren't many with more history than the California Clasico. The match-up of the Los Angeles Galaxy and San Jose Earthquakes goes back to the earliest days of MLS, a standard bearer for the league. In MLS's early years, Los Angeles versus San Jose was a battle of perennial cup contenders. The . . .
Preview: Japan vs USMNT and MLS wins in the Leagues Cup Showcase
Thursday's soccer news starts with things to consider in advance of the USMNT playing Japan in Dusseldorf tomorrow morning (8:25am ET - ESPN2). The situation for the teams outside of Europe is playing games that have to count as coaches work on figuring out World Cup rosters. For USMNT coach Gregg Berhalter, that once again puts the focus on the best personnel for his tactical plans to . . .
