The soccer news starts by paying respect for former USMNT player Fernando Clavijo who died on Friday from cancer. Clavijo was best known as an indoor player in the 1980s, joining the USMNT in 1990 and playing in the 1994 World Cup. Clavijo finished his USMNT career with 61 caps. He immediately moved into coaching, eventually spending time in charge of the Metrostars, Revolution, Haiti's national . . .
New coaches, familiar pressure in MLS
By Clemente Lisi – NEW YORK, NY (Feb 4, 2019) US Soccer Players – Preparation for the upcoming MLS season is in full swing. Players have hit the training grounds and playing preseason friendlies, while the front offices continue to deal for players and sell season-ticket packages. And the coaches? They’re doing a lot of the work, setting tactics and figuring out what formations to use. It’s also a . . .
The MLS regression rankings
By Jason Davis – WASHINGTON DC (Jan 30, 2019) US Soccer Players - MLS fans across the country are already checking their calendars. Teams are in training, running through their paces ahead of the 26th season of Major League Soccer. For some, the games start earlier than for others. Five sides will compete in the CONCACAF Champions League kicking off the third week of February. The rest of MLS gets . . .
FC Dallas and an MLS youth movement
By Jason Davis – WASHINGTON DC (Dec 14, 2018) US Soccer Players - FC Dallas is not a team with millions to spend in the pursuit of a championship. It doesn’t have a grand, state-of-the-art stadium in a downtown location. It doesn’t glow with the shiny newness of MLS expansion, being an MLS original with a rebrand in its past. Standing out is difficult if you’re FC Dallas. Keeping up with a . . .
FC Dallas and USL League One
By Jason Davis – WASHINGTON DC (Dec 5, 2018) US Soccer Players - On Thursday, FC Dallas will unveil the name, logo, and first signing of a new United Soccer League entry run by the Major League Soccer club. The lower division side will bring FC Dallas into line with a majority of MLS teams who operate a team at the USL level to serve as a stepping stone between their academies and the first . . .
Pareja’s chance with Club Tijuana
By Luis Bueno – RIVERSIDE, CA (Nov 28, 2018) US Soccer Players - In Mexico, a much-rumored and not-at-all secret coaching move became official this week. No, it is not Gerardo “Tata” Martino taking over El Tri. Instead, it's a move that could have more impact than that one. Club Tijuana reached north and plucked Oscar Pareja away from FC Dallas and MLS. With it, the Liga MX club lured away one of . . .
FC Dallas needs a new coach
The soccer news starts with confirmation of earlier reporting over the weekend. Oscar Pareja is no longer the coach of FC Dallas, leaving the MLS team for Liga MX's Club Tijuana. The move is interesting for both teams. From a Liga MX perspective, is Pareja the coach that stabilizes the situation for Tijuana? From an MLS perspective, what happens to a team that if anything has under delivered over . . .
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 . . .
Reggie Cannon and Ben Sweat take different routes to a USMNT call
By Jason Davis – WASHINGTON DC (Oct 3, 2018) US Soccer Players - Among the collection of fresh faces in the USMNT roster is a pair of MLS fullbacks getting their first looks with the senior squad. One is a homegrown product of one of Major League Soccer’s more renowned academy setups barely into his 20s. The other is former college soccer player who built his career over several stops in American . . .
Orlando City, FC Dallas, and the MLS reserves problem
By Jason Davis – WASHINGTON DC (Sep 7, 2018) US Soccer Players - In 2016, Orlando City launched a reserve team called Orlando City B as part of Major League Soccer’s partnership with the USL. The team ostensibly served the same purpose as the rest of the USL’s MLS entries, providing professional minutes to up-and-coming players in the Lions’ system as part of a path to the first team. Results . . .
