By Jason Davis – WASHINGTON, DC (Jan 10, 2020) US Soccer Players - The last Major League Soccer team with an open head coaching position finally filled the job on Monday. New York City Football Club announced the hiring of Ronny Deila. To say Deila arrives in the country’s biggest market to lead one of the league’s marquee teams with questions swirling around him would be an understatement. Deila . . .
Expansion isn’t the biggest story for MLS in 2020
By J Hutcherson (Jan 7, 2020) US Soccer Players - We've reached the point in the preseason where all 26 MLS clubs have coaches. Welcome aboard Ronny Deila, a surprising choice to take over from Dom Torrent at NYCFC. Orlando City also left it late before officially announcing former Monterrey coach Diego Alonso. Then there was Chicago naming Raphael Wicky just after Christmas, the latest step away . . .
NYCFC at Yankee Stadium and Citi Field
The soccer news starts with NYCFC moving four of its weeknight games to the weekend by using Citi Field in Queens. That means Saturday home games on April 26, July 25, August 8, and September 26. NYCFC used the home of the Mets for their 2019 playoff game due to the unavailability of Yankee Stadium. It's the same situation in the 2020 regular season, with NYCFC's home stadium only available when . . .
The early MLS contenders
By Clemente Lisi – NEW YORK, NY (Dec 16, 2019) US Soccer Players – The close of a calendar year is often a time for reflection. It is also a time to look ahead to the new year and what 2020 may have in store for all of us. For MLS, the big question is how will teams navigate player signings, preseason, and the Concacaf Champions League as a new MLS season approaches. While MLS is unpredictable, . . .
“Soccer in the City” aims to tell a new story of the American game
By Charles Boehm – WASHINGTON, DC (Dec 12, 2019) US Soccer Players - Michael Holstein noticed something about the soccer scene he played in while growing up in the DC suburbs: By and large, it simply didn't reflect the region's dazzling diversity of cultures, nationalities, and ethnicities. "It's bigger here than most places, but it was always like this fringe sport and that always seemed weird . . .
The timing problem in MLS
The soccer news starts with NYCFC's exit from the 2019 MLS playoffs. The Eastern Conference champion was one and done, losing 2-1 to Toronto at CitiField on October 23. That already seems like a long time ago, but timing was part of the problem for NYCFC. Winning the Eastern Conference meant bypassing the opening round of the playoffs. NYCFC didn't play from Decision Day on October 6 to the . . .
NYCFC and the value of soccer-specificity
By Clemente Lisi – NEW YORK, NY (Oct 14, 2019) US Soccer Players – Playoff fever has certainly gripped New York. With the brisk fall weather this month comes another season where baseball fans hope their beloved Yankees can win yet another World Series. At the same time, both NYCFC and the Red Bulls are in the playoffs. While the intersecting of baseball and soccer is rare, it’s not entirely . . .
The top three in the East
The soccer news starts with the top of the table in the Eastern Conference. NYCFC is in 1st-place with 58 points, Atlanta has 54 in 2nd, and Philadelphia is in 3rd with 52. Though the Union is only four points ahead of 4th-place DC United, the top three in the East are on 31 games played to United and the rest of the top six's 32. The three points that extra game represents is enough of a . . .
Blue-Collar MLS
By Jason Davis – WASHINGTON, DC (Sep 6, 2019) US Soccer Players - Before we get started with a discussion of the 2019 Major League Soccer teams most worthy of the blue-collar label, a disclaimer. It's just a coincidence that both of these clubs wear blue as their primary color. Now to frame a discussion about what "blue-collar" means when applied to a professional soccer team. It's a term that . . .
The changing Eastern Conference
The soccer news starts with one game making a difference in the Eastern Conference. Philadelphia's 3-1 win over Atlanta United on Saturday reset the table, with the Union in 1st-place on 51 points, NYCFC in 2nd on 50, and Atlanta two points behind in 3rd. There's now a six-point gap between Atlanta and 4th-place DC United, with that now the easy line that separates the contenders in the East. . . .
