By Clemente Lisi – NEW YORK, NY (Mar 28, 2022) US Soccer Players – It's just a month into the MLS season, and narratives are already beginning to emerge. In a league known for not exactly being predictable week-to-week, the expectation is that it takes time for the season to come into focus. The initial weeks are normally about teams trying to make some obvious points, but plenty fade as the . . .
The top of the Western Conference after four weeks
Monday's soccer news starts with the top of the Western Conference with three teams undefeated. LAFC and Real Salt Lake both have 10 points with LAFC ahead on a tiebreaker. 3rd-place Minnesota is on eight points, trading a win for a loss. That none of them are on a dozen points might resonate more if it wasn't the same situation at the top of the Eastern Conference. MLS remains a week-by-week . . .
The LA teams, the Concacaf Champions League, and what dynasty means in MLS
By Luis Bueno – RIVERSIDE, CA (Mar 16, 2022) US Soccer Players - New York City FC survived its Concacaf Champions League quarterfinal series against Comunicaciones of Guatemala. Only CF Montreal lost their first-leg, with New England and Seattle both carrying three-goal leads into their deciding games. MLS should expect greater representation than just its defending champion in the final four. The . . .
The Galaxy and LAFC in a city now used to champions
By Luis Bueno – RIVERSIDE, CA (Feb 23, 2022) US Soccer Players - Once again, it's not a good time to be a middling team in the greater Los Angeles area. LA pro soccer is obligated to step up and challenge for a championship in 2022. This town demands it. The Super Bowl is fresh on Angelenos' minds. Just a couple of weeks ago, the LA Rams hosted the Super Bowl and won it in dramatic fashion. The . . .
Familiar expectations for LAFC
By Luis Bueno – RIVERSIDE, CA (Feb 3, 2022) US Soccer Players - Is it easier to succeed when there are no expectations or high expectations? Aim at nothing, get nothing or shoot for the moon and settle for landing among the stars? LAFC's 2022 campaign will be a testament to which approach is better. With manageable expectations, LAFC hit the ground running upon joining MLS in 2018. Everything . . .
The evolution of LAFC
By Jason Davis – WASHINGTON, DC (Jan 21, 2022) US Soccer Players - Soccer clubs are always in the business of selling. Fans aren't going to line up to see your team play if you tell them everything is bad. Even teams with no reasonable way to spin obvious failure will line their pitch with words of hope. For clubs that haven't lived up to expectations, the people who make the decisions have . . .
New coaches for LAFC and Houston
Tuesday's soccer news starts with two MLS coaching hires. Former USMNT player Steve Cherundolo is the new coach at LAFC. Cherundolo spent last season coaching their affiliate team, the Las Vegas Lights. He previously worked as an assistant in the Bundesliga. "I am ecstatic to be named the head coach of LAFC," Cherundolo said in a press statement. "Having been a part of the club for the past . . .
The LAFC job
By Luis Bueno – RIVERSIDE, CA (Nov 24, 2021) US Soccer Players - LAFC's 2021 season did not go nearly as planned. What was supposed to be a continuation of their successful beginning in MLS turned into something else entirely. After a 2020 season where they finished 7th and exited in the opening round of the playoffs, LAFC struggled to be a factor in the Western Conference. Eventually missing out . . .
LAFC after Bob Bradley
Friday's soccer news starts with another Major League Soccer club looking for a coach. LAFC and Bob Bradley "reached a mutual decision to part ways" with Bradley's contract expiring at the end of the 2021 season. Bradley returned to MLS as LAFC's first coach, a significant get for a club that quickly became a power in the league. "We are grateful to Bob for his service to LAFC and the city of . . .
LAFC and the Galaxy end the season as outsiders
By Luis Bueno – RIVERSIDE, CA (Nov 10, 2021) US Soccer Players - If Los Angeles wants to be the center of the MLS universe, it's going to need more from both of its teams. After the Covid-19 pandemic upended the 2020 season, things were set to return to normal. It was a fair expectation that would include LAFC and the LA Galaxy returning to their winning ways. LAFC, of course, dominated the . . .
