By Clemente Lisi – NEW YORK, NY (Sep 7, 2020) US Soccer Players – The European season is upon us just a few weeks after the Champions League final ended the previous season. The pandemic pause pushed the conclusion of the continent's top leagues into the summer, forcing the Champions League to become a single-elimination event in August. What that means is a very short preseason as leagues start . . .
Spain’s big three
Tuesday's soccer news starts in Spain, where it rarely takes much of an interest to figure out which teams are in the top three. It's the order that's trickier. Since the resumption of the season, Real Madrid has passed Barcelona for 1st-place, 71 points to 69 with Atletico 11 points back of Barca in 3rd. All three are still alive in the Champions League. In this weirdest of seasons, that has no . . .
Are draws and home losses the new normal in Europe?
Monday's soccer news starts the week that will see the rest of Europe's major soccer leagues resume play. The Premier League returns on Tuesday. Serie A follows on Saturday. What passes as the new normal for professional sports means closed door games and attempts to figure out how to add an environment. That means adding crowd noise to the broadcasts, video boards, and any other potentially good . . .
Barcelona and other clubs reduce spending
Tuesday's soccer news starts with what we've learned about European soccer clubs. Any disruption to games on the schedule has even the biggest clubs struggling with how to pay the bills. That's the clear takeaway from clubs insisting on wage reductions for players under contract after a few weeks of suspended seasons. Though players unions exist in all of the major leagues in Europe, none of them . . .
La Liga will wait for government approval
Monday's soccer news starts with Spain's domestic leagues now turning toward the government to approve an eventual restart. Though international soccer is well on record for not wanting government interference in a country's soccer operations, Spain is moving ahead with a common sense move other countries should follow. "The Monitoring Commission established by the current RFEF-LaLiga . . .
How to solve the Barcelona problem
Friday's soccer news starts with reports of discontent at FC Barcelona. After parting ways with the coach that got them everything but the Champions League, Barcelona regrouped around Quique Setien. Whatever good feelings existed, the La Liga table tells the story. Barcelona is now 2nd to Real Madrid, trailing their old rivals by two points after 22 games. Compounding Barca's issues, they exited . . .
What Chicharito’s move means for MLS
By Luis Bueno – RIVERSIDE, CA (Sep 4, 2019) US Soccer Players - As the summer winds down and temperatures begin to drop, the frenetic pace of players switching teams also slows. There was one late move though that sent a ripple through Mexico and MLS. It sent a message that at least one of the two leagues is not quite the buyer's market that it appeared it was. Javier "Chicharito" Hernandez bid . . .
The 2019 summer transfer window closes
The soccer news starts with the transfer window disappointing without another marquee deal among the super clubs. Neymar stays at PSG. Manchester United sticks with Paul Pogba. Real Madrid decides that they need Gareth Bale after all. Joao Felix from Benfica to Atletico Madrid ends up the highest transfer fee of the summer at almost $138m just ahead of Antoine Griezmann moving from Atletico to . . .
The new difficulties in building a super club
The soccer news starts with the latest rumors linking Neymar with a return to Barcelona. As always at this level, financing a move for one of the most expensive players in the world is at issue. ESPN's Moises Llorens and Sam Marsden are reporting that Barca's pitch includes players along with €100m. They're not the only ones interested, with Real Madrid also reportedly trying to work a deal with . . .
Tactical questions for five European clubs
By Clemente Lisi – NEW YORK, NY (Aug 12, 2019) US Soccer Players – Preseason friendlies are a time to test new players and tactics. For the many European clubs that spent the past few weeks training and playing games on American soil, it was a chance for managers to do just that against other high-caliber opponents. While most teams featured incomplete rosters after National Team tournaments . . .
