By Jason Davis – WASHINGTON, DC (Sep 17, 2021) US Soccer Players - Unless you're a fan of an Eastern Conference rival, you might find yourself feeling bad for the Philadelphia Union. The Union won its first trophy in 2020, lifting a makeshift Supporters' Shield at Subaru Park last November before later receiving the actual Shield. The Union finished with the most points in MLS after a challenging . . .
MLS tries again against Liga MX
By Luis Bueno – RIVERSIDE, CA (Sep 15, 2021) US Soccer Players - The US National Team and Mexico met up twice in a pair of high-stakes title games over the summer with the Americans winning both. The victories showed that the USA returned to the same level as Mexico, arguably taking a step past them. After all, the USMNT played with two different rosters, in two different largely pro-Mexico . . .
Philadelphia tries for a Champions League turnaround
Tuesday's soccer news starts with Club America hosting Philadelphia in the second-leg of their Concacaf Champions League semifinal series tomorrow night (9pm ET - FS1). Club America took a 2-0 lead at Estadio Azteca on August 12. Separating the games by over a month that included an international break is an interesting choice. Whether it's a benefit for either team is part of the scenarios . . .
The MLS player development model is working for the league
By Jason Davis – WASHINGTON, DC (Aug 20, 2021) US Soccer Players - Major League Soccer's evolution as a "selling league" in the parlance of the world soccer market is a net positive. For the first time in its history, MLS is fully engaging with the international market for players. Long little more than an occasional buyer of relatively cheap and/or over-the-hill talent, MLS is now a provider of . . .
Has the coaching cult of personality arrived in MLS?
By Charles Boehm – WASHINGTON, DC (May 7, 2021) US Soccer Players - Gabriel Heinze's team was losing, miles from home, and there was nothing more he could do about it. Atlanta United's Concacaf Champions League dream was evaporating. The Philadelphia Union frittered away the minutes in their quarterfinal second-leg match at Subaru Park, up 3-1 on aggregate thanks to their stunning three-goal away . . .
Manchester City advances in Champions League, Toronto and Philadelphia in CCL
Thursday's soccer news starts in the Champions League. Gio Reyna subbed on in the 68th minute of Borussia Dortmund's 2-1 home loss to Manchester City with City advancing to the semifinals 4-2 on aggregate. Jude Bellingham scored for Dortmund in the 15th minute. Riyad Mahrez converted a City penalty in the 55th with Phil Foden scoring in the 75th minute. Zack Steffen was on the bench for Manchester . . .
The Union in the Champions League
By Jason Davis – WASHINGTON, DC (Apr 9, 2021) US Soccer Players - The Philadelphia Union added to its list of firsts on Wednesday night. Just five months removed from securing the club's first trophy, Jim Curtin and his team traveled to Costa Rica to face Deportivo Saprissa in the quarterfinal round of the 2021 Concacaf Champions League. Not only was it Philadelphia's first match in the . . .
MLS in the 2021 Concacaf Champions League
By Jason Davis – WASHINGTON, DC (Mar 31, 2021) US Soccer Players - Major League Soccer teams got a bit more time to prepare for the 2021 season due to the delay caused by collective bargaining negotiations in January. That extra month might look like a positive after 2020 pushed rosters to the brink. Then again, there's already been more than enough time to recover and plan. New England . . .
Goal for McKennie, shutout for Steffen
Thursday's soccer news starts with Weston McKennie's goal for Juventus in their 3-1 win at AC Milan. Federico Chiesa put Juventus up in the 18th minute with Milan equalizing in the 41st. Chiesa scored again in the 62nd. McKennie subbed on in the 64th and finished off the Juve goals in the 76th minute. "It was a key game for us and we were focused on what we needed to do, regardless of the other . . .
Valuing goalkeepers in MLS
By Jason Davis – WASHINGTON, DC (Nov 13, 2020) US Soccer Players - Like with everything else we usually do, the Major League Soccer end-of-season awards are happening despite the strangeness of the current moment. There are several questions worth asking as the soccer community debates honors like "Defender of the Year," "Young Player of the Year" (new in 2020!), and "Most Valuable . . .
