By Jason Davis – WASHINGTON, DC (Apr 7, 2021) US Soccer Players - Perhaps no season in MLS history provided a ruder introduction to the league for new coaches than 2020. A typical preseason led directly into two games before a two-month layoff with no games and effectively no training. The return to play, first in Orlando at MLS Is Back, then in a truncated regular season that featured few fans . . .
MLS in the 2021 Concacaf Champions League
By Jason Davis – WASHINGTON, DC (Mar 31, 2021) US Soccer Players - Major League Soccer teams got a bit more time to prepare for the 2021 season due to the delay caused by collective bargaining negotiations in January. That extra month might look like a positive after 2020 pushed rosters to the brink. Then again, there's already been more than enough time to recover and plan. New England . . .
Stephen Glass moves from the USL to the SPL
Tuesday's soccer news starts with Atlanta United 2 coach Stephen Glass taking the manager job with Aberdeen. Glass finished the 2020 season as the interim coach for Atlanta United who have a seat on the Scottish club's board and he played for Aberdeen. That makes the move from USL to the Scottish Premier League a lot easier to understand. Still, it's unique to see anyone work through Glass's . . .
Argentine coaches in MLS
By Clemente Lisi – NEW YORK, NY (Feb 15, 2021) US Soccer Players – Hernan Losada is like a lot of South American players. He started his playing career in his native Argentina with Independiente. Within a few years of his 2003 debut, the attacking midfielder was playing in Europe. Over the next decade, Losada was with several clubs, including Anderlecht and Beerschot in Belgium. Losada retired . . .
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 . . .
High pressure should impress in Atlanta
By Jason Davis – WASHINGTON, DC (Dec 23, 2020) US Soccer Players - If nothing else, fans in Atlanta can feel like they're back to their old selves. That's what the hiring of Gabriel Heinze as the club's new coach does for a fan base that quickly embraced a specific style of soccer. Heinze's arrival returns Atlanta United to something much closer to the team's earliest days when Atlanta made the . . .
Orlando in the driver’s seat in another meeting with Atlanta
Wednesday's soccer news starts with a packed schedule of Major League Soccer games. In a season where every matchday feels like it's a restart, Orlando City travels to Atlanta as the better team. After 15 games, Orlando is in 3rd-place on 29 points, two points back of Columbus and Toronto. Atlanta is in 9th-place, holding onto one of the playoff qualifier spots. For those needing the reminder, . . .
DC vs Atlanta is a big game for both Uniteds
By Jason Davis – WASHINGTON, DC (Oct 2, 2020) US Soccer Players - The nom de soccer "United" is not the only thing that the Major League Soccer clubs from Washington DC and Atlanta, Georgia share as they prepare to face off in league play on Saturday. Both teams are mired in dismal periods when the present is bleak and the future is unclear. Also unclear is whether a win for either of them can do . . .
Atlanta United adds a Designated Player
Tuesday's soccer news starts with Atlanta United making a designated player move. The club signed midfielder Marcelino Moreno from Atletico Lanus, paying a transfer fee. Atlanta transferred Pity Martinez to Al-Nassr earlier this month and has been without Josef Martinez since the opening game of the season due to injury. "We're pleased to bring in a player of Marcelino's caliber and look forward . . .
Atlanta United regroups without Pity Martinez
By J Hutcherson (Sep 8, 2020) US Soccer Players - With it now official that Pity Martinez is no longer a member of Atlanta United, the club has doubled down on what has become standard operating procedure. Given the right deal, Atlanta management will make the choice to move on. "We want to thank Pity for his contributions to our club for the past two years," Atlanta technical director Carlos . . .