By Jason Davis – WASHINGTON DC (Apr 18, 2018) US Soccer Players - Let’s start this discussion about the Eastern Conference of Major League Soccer by putting aside three teams: NYCFC, Atlanta United, and Toronto FC. That's the elite of both the Eastern Conference and MLS. You'd be hard-pressed to find anyone who disagrees that those teams belong at the top. Two other teams might deserve inclusion . . .
What is the MLS business model?
By Jason Davis – WASHINGTON DC (Apr 11, 2018) US Soccer Players - MLS is adding at least one new name to its group of investor/operators. Per reports from Bloomberg and Steven Goff of the Washington Post, new investors are stepping in to take over a majority share of original franchise DC United. Minority owner Jason Levien will increase his holding and remain the managing owner of the club, while . . .
Supporters groups in modern MLS
By Charles Boehm – WASHINGTON, DC (Mar 2, 2018) US Soccer Players - DC United's 2018 MLS season is about building. One of the league’s founding clubs, United have influenced MLS mightily over the decades, winning a roomful of trophies and setting its first standard for “supporter culture.” While the suburban minivan demographic held sway in most MLS venues in the early years, DC’s passionate, . . .
The big MLS stories for 2018
By Jason Davis – WASHINGTON DC (Mar 2, 2018) US Soccer Players - Maybe it’s a function of league growth, or simply a matter of chance. Either way, the new MLS season that kicks off on Saturday is rife with interesting stories both on and off the field. Here are a few worth your attention. Columbus and Austin The best place to start is with the biggest off the field story of the MLS offseason. . . .
DC United wins in 2018 because of Audi Field
By Jason Davis – WASHINGTON DC (Feb 2, 2018) US Soccer Players - There’s really no way to frame the 2018 DC United season as anything else than a triumph. A triumph, before it even begins. A triumph no matter what the club’s record is at the end of the regular season or whether they lift MLS Cup. It's a triumph, because of a stadium. Audi Field is set to open on July 14, when DC United hosts the . . .
LAFC vs the MLS schedule
The soccer news starts with Major League Soccer releasing the 2018 MLS schedule. That's big news for everybody in the league, but especially this season's expansion team. LAFC has a stadium to open, with Banc of California Stadium debuting on April 29. That means starting the season with six games on the road, a stretch that could have them well out of contention by the time the spotlight . . .
Playing to win in DC, New England, and Philadelphia
By Jason Davis – WASHINGTON DC (Nov 3, 2017) US Soccer Players - We're in the midst of the 2017 MLS Cup playoffs. The best teams in the league battle it out for supremacy on fields from Cascadia to New York City. Meanwhile, a quieter, much less fun process is unfolding in all of the cities left out of the postseason party. In places like Washington DC, Foxborough, and Chester, the painful march . . .
Saying goodbye to RFK
By Jason Davis – WASHINGTON DC (Oct 18, 2017) US Soccer Players - Robert F Kennedy Memorial Stadium opened on October 5, 1961 when it hosted a National Football League game between Washington and the New York Giants. Originally called "DC Stadium", the city renamend it for Kennedy in 1968, a year after his death. In fact, the President of the United States, Robert’s brother John, was in attendance . . .
MLS plays by its ridiculous rules
By Charles Boehm – WASHINGTON DC (Aug 11, 2017) US Soccer Players - MLS closed its summer transfer window with a bang this week. Several current and former USMNT players found themselves at the center of the action. The process offered up a timely snapshot of the many and nuanced ways in which the domestic league both fosters and frustrates this country's players. For the players, it can be a . . .
The 2017 MLS transfer season nears its end
By Jason Davis – WASHINGTON DC (Aug 9, 2017) US Soccer Players - The 2017 MLS secondary transfer window closes on Wednesday. Like any good deadline, this one has prompted a flurry of activity with mere hours to go as clubs looks to strengthen their sides or cash in on the market, whichever the case may be. Naturally, it’s the clubs at the bottom end of the table who are looking to turn some . . .
