By Jason Davis – WASHINGTON, DC (May 12, 2023) US Soccer Players - One of Major League Soccer's recurring lessons, taught every season to clubs that seem to forget it as soon as they learn it, is "Things are rarely as bad as they seem." A more direct way to state the same lesson as an imperative is "Don't panic." Both CF Montreal and Inter Miami enter Matchday 12 carrying winning streaks. Those . . .
MLS tactics early in the 2023 season
By Clemente Lisi – NEW YORK, NY (Mar 13, 2023) US Soccer Players – If there's a common trend when looking at MLS clubs finding success early in the 2023 season, it could be the two tactical formations already standing out. The 4-3-3 and 4-2-3-1 have proven to be part of the formula in both conferences so far. It is obviously very early, in addition to the small sample size. Formations are largely . . .
2022 becomes something for Inter Miami to build on
By Charles Boehm – WASHINGTON, DC (Oct 21, 2022) US Soccer Players - The scene was blue, both literally and figuratively, as Inter Miami CF's season ended at New York City FC on Monday night. As the visitors trudged off the converted baseball field, they were suddenly shrouded in thick clouds of artificial fog, apparently churned out as part of NYCFC's celebrations. Miami's first three years of . . .
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 . . .
Inter Miami’s new approach
By Jason Davis – WASHINGTON, DC (May 25, 2022) US Soccer Players - For all the drama that followed the club for the first two seasons of its Major League Soccer existence, Inter Miami is suddenly decidedly ordinary. General manager Chris Henderson is working through a roster overhaul while second-year coach Phil Neville keeps the team within reach of the top-seven in the Eastern Conference. So . . .
Inter Miami’s revamp gets a six-point boost
By Jason Davis – WASHINGTON, DC (Apr 20, 2022) US Soccer Players - Inter Miami didn't have much going for it when the 2022 Major League Soccer season began. Off the field, the club was mired in a years-long struggle to push through a stadium plan on the western side of the city it nominally represents. On it, the club was reeling from an 11th-place finish in the Eastern Conference. Add to that the . . .
Four points in the Eastern Conference
By J Hutcherson (Apr 12, 2022) US Soccer Players - There's no magical moment over the course of an MLS season where we all agree that the numbers become real. The league of the four-game losing streak doesn't lend itself to the points suddenly counting early or even midway through the season. Bad teams stay within easier reach than they should of a playoff spot as Decision Day looms. While this is . . .
Resetting the squads and expectations in Chicago and Miami
By Jason Davis – WASHINGTON, DC (Feb 9, 2022) US Soccer Players - The Chicago Fire is starting over again. Inter Miami is doing the same, but for the first time. Beyond that difference, the two clubs enter 2022 very much in the same rickety boat. A boat they're trying to mend while at sea. Transforming a soccer team while moving through the rhythms of seasons and off-seasons is a little like . . .
The 2021 Club World Cup in February, 2022
Wednesday's soccer news starts with the focus on the club game, specifically the start of the 2021 FIFA Club World Cup. Had things gone according to plan, a revamp of FIFA's marquee club competition would see it playing out with more clubs in the summer. Had things stayed the same, this is a December tournament capping the calendar year for club soccer. Instead, it's a 2021 competition now . . .
