By Charles Boehm – WASHINGTON, DC (May 24, 2019) US Soccer Players - Real Betis arrived in the nation’s capital worn and tired, both physically and mentally. They’d flown across the Atlantic for their first-ever US tour mere hours after the end of a long, difficult season. A 10th-place finish in LA Liga and deep but ultimately unsuccessful runs in the Copa del Rey and Europa League, left players . . .
The MLS rivalries in the I-95 corridor
By Clemente Lisi – NEW YORK, NY (Apr 15, 2019) US Soccer Players – For the major East Coast cities linked by Interstate-95 in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the country, every game between them is a rivalry game. That's regardless of the sport. all of them have a rich sports tradition and distinct rivalries. Over the past two decades, rivalries built by those other sports have . . .
Depth becomes an issue for DC United
By Jason Davis – WASHINGTON, DC (Apr 10, 2019) US Soccer Players - After Saturday’s rout at the hands of LAFC, DC United star Wayne Rooney suggested that getting back on the field quickly would be good for his team. The idea was that playing a competitive game would help United put the embarrassment of the loss behind it and push the team to regain the form that had the Black & Red as an early . . .
DC United faces expectations in 2019
By Jason Davis – WASHINGTON DC (Jan 16, 2019) US Soccer Players - As encores go, 2019 figures to be a difficult one for DC United. The club didn’t lift the MLS Cup in 2018, but expectations will rise dramatically in the new year. United’s late-season run to the MLS Cup playoffs and the energy that it inspired in the newly opened Audi Field are tough acts to follow. This is a period of transition . . .
MLS gets it wrong with half of the knockout round
By Jason Davis – WASHINGTON DC (Nov 2, 2018) US Soccer Players - The 2018 MLS playoffs didn’t exactly begin with a bang. That’s not a comment on the two games that took place on a Wednesday Halloween night roughly 72 hours after the events of Decision Day, but an observation about the excitement around them. NYCFC knocked off the Union 3-1 at Yankee Stadium. Portland sprung the rare road upset in . . .
Away wins in the MLS knockout round
The soccer news starts with the away teams in the MLS knockout round. Columbus needed penalties to see off DC United at Audi Field. In a back and forth game, Frederic Brillant put DC up in the 21st minute. Federico Higuain equalized in the 30th minute. With the game in extra time, Higuain scored again in the 96th. Nick DeLeon equalized in the 116th to send the game to penalties. Columbus advanced . . .
How good is DC United’s position?
The soccer news starts with a look at the Eastern Conference table. DC United, the team with the back-loaded schedule of home games using that to make a lot of noise. As our MLS Power Rankings made clear, DC might be the Eastern Conference contender, but there's one hard to ignore issue. They're in 7th-place in the East. Now, there's the MLS scheduling caveat. The construction of Audi Field means . . .
Q&A with Paul Arriola: “These games give us experience right now”
By Clemente Lisi – E RUTHERFORD, NJ (Sep 10, 2018) US Soccer Players – Paul Arriola is one of the many young faces that makes up the current US National Team set up. While European-based players like Christian Pulisic and Tim Weah have garnered a lot of the attention, the DC United midfielder is one of those who makes a strong case that MLS remains a major contributor to the USMNT roster. With . . .
Rooney works for DC United, Toronto’s trophy
By Jason Davis – WASHINGTON DC (Aug 17, 2018) US Soccer Players - DC United signing English superstar Wayne Rooney generated more than a little bit of doubt among American soccer watchers. Several European stars have made the jump to Major League Soccer and treated their time in North America as semi-retirement. The big paycheck and the cushy lifestyle, perhaps combined with the differences in . . .
Fans, stadiums, and questions for American soccer
By Charles Boehm – WASHINGTON, DC (Jul 19, 2018) US Soccer Players - It was a pleasant Saturday night by DC summer standards, with relatively mild temperatures and low humidity. The home team was debuting their pricey, richly-anticipated new stadium. The buzz around it compounded by a marquee global superstar, Wayne Rooney, making his first appearance in town. It was an occasion many of the area’s . . .
