By J Hutcherson (Oct 30, 2018) US Soccer Players - Julen Lopetegui out as Real Madrid coach after ten games is now the super club story. Following their 5-1 loss at Barcelona on Sunday, Real Madrid is 9th in La Liga and in 1st-place in Champions League Group G on a tiebreaker. That mixes the results, but La Liga struggles and a demoralizing loss to Barcelona drew a line that means a new coach in . . .
Do things really change in European soccer?
By J Hutcherson (Oct 9, 2018) US Soccer Players - Call it the panic of the super clubs, with the 2018-19 season already turning into something few expected. Check the league standings in Spain and England and that tells the story. Sevilla is top of the table in La Liga, with the usual suspects slotting in at 2nd through 4th. It's Real Madrid in 4th-place, losing for the second time over the . . .
La Liga, FIFA, and playing home games at home
Tuesday's soccer news starts with the latest in Spain's La Liga attempting to play a game that counts in the United States as soon as this January. La Liga has a deal in place, but received pushback from the Spanish federation, the Spanish players' union, and now FIFA itself. ESPN's Adriana Garcia has a statement from FIFA president Gianni Infantino. He isn't exactly thrilled with the idea of . . .
One team leagues in Europe
The soccer news starts with the other elite European leagues trying to compete with the Premier League. Though few would claim parity in the Premier League, they do have more super clubs that could potentially win the title than anywhere else in European soccer. That's a clear advantage in an era where three of the top five leagues have one dominant club. UEFA's coefficient now rules the . . .
La Liga and Serie A start their seasons
La Liga begins their 2018-19 season later today and Serie A starts on Saturday, with two more of Europe's big leagues debuting. In La Liga, it's a similar story with the big three. Barcelona is defending champions with last year's 2nd-place finisher Atletico and 3rd-place Real Madrid trying to change that. As many have pointed out since Wednesday, Atletico's Super Cup win over Real Madrid seems . . .
La Liga in America
The soccer news starts with the announcement that Spain's La Liga will play games that count in North America. The league announced a deal on Thursday with Relevant Sports to stage La Liga games in the US and Canada over the next 15 years. Various outlets are reporting that the first game could happen this season, possibly in Miami. Relevant Sports promotes the International Champions Cup and . . .
UEFA and its Super Cup
By J Hutcherson (Aug 14, 2018) US Soccer Players - Wednesday's UEFA Super Cup doesn't officially start anything. It's not the kickoff for either of Europe's club tournaments, both well into qualifying at this point. UEFA's Champions League couldn't even get out of the way for the World Cup, playing games while that tournament was still underway in Russia. The domestic leagues in Europe stagger . . .
Steve McManaman on North American talent, playing abroad, and La Liga’s US push
By Charles Boehm – WASHINGTON, DC (Aug 3, 2018) US Soccer Players - Sometimes outsiders can provide the most incisive perspectives. So when offered the chance to chat with Steve McManaman as he tours the United States in an ambassadorial role for La Liga, I sought out the retired English great’s views on a range of American soccer matters. The former Liverpool and Real Madrid midfielder is on . . .
Soccer TV: Portland Timbers vs LAFC
The finals of the FA Cup and DFB Pokal are on the weekend soccer TV schedule, with Timmy Chandler's Eintracht playing for a trophy. It's also the finale of the 2017-18 Serie A season with Juventus already champions but the relegation places uncertain. MLS has a game on national TV on Saturday with Portland hosting LAFC. As always with national TV, check your local listings to make sure your . . .
La Liga in the Europa League
We start the soccer news with La Liga's dominance in the Europa League. Since revamping the UEFA Cup and merging in the Cup Winners' Cup for the 2009-10 Europa League, Spanish clubs have won it five out of eight times. The only time over that period that a La Liga team lost a Europa League final was when both finalists came from Spain. Sevilla accounts for three of those titles with their . . .
