By Clemente Lisi – NEW YORK, NY (Feb 18, 2019) US Soccer Players – Here we are again. MLS teams competing in the Concacaf Champions League need to dust off the winter rust and speed up their preseason preparations. At stake is a tournament that has been elusive to American and Canadian clubs. The Mexican clubs that have dominated this tournament for years have a decided edge in the region. Higher . . .
The 4-2-3-1 formation in MLS
By Clemente Lisi – NEW YORK, NY (Feb 11, 2019) US Soccer Players – The start of another MLS season is just weeks away and coaches are refining their tactics with the start of the Concacaf Champions League and the numerous preseason friendlies. It’s a good bet that teams will line up in a very familiar 4-2-3-1 formation, which has become the tactical formation of choice for managers in recent . . .
Henry, Gerrard, and Lampard on the sidelines in Europe
By Clemente Lisi – NEW YORK, NY (Dec 3, 2018) US Soccer Players – It isn’t so unusual to see former players now coaching some of the best teams in the world. Zinedine Zidane went from World Cup-winning attacking midfielder for France to helping Real Madrid capture three consecutive Champions League titles as their coach. He isn’t alone in making the transition from elite player to elite . . .
Adams makes his Bundesliga move
USMNT midfielder Tyler Adams is officially a member of Bundesliga club RB Leipzig. The New York Red Bulls announced that they completed the transfer on Sunday. Adams becomes available for RB Leipzig in January. "I’d like to thank everyone at the organization, coaches, staff, my teammates and the supporters,” Adams said in a press statement. “I’ve worn a New York Red Bulls shirt for eight years, . . .
Atlanta United, the Western Conference, and the Armas scenario
The soccer news starts with the clear favorite in the 2018 MLS playoffs, and that's Atlanta United. With all due respect to the other half of the bracket, this is now Atlanta's MLS Cup to lose. It would take a meltdown of epic proportions in the second-leg on Thursday (7:30pm ET - FS1) for the New York Red Bulls to stage an unlikely comeback. FiveThirtyEight puts that Red Bulls scenario at 6%. . . .
Aaron Long’s path to MLS Defender of the Year
By Jason Davis – WASHINGTON DC (Nov 9, 2018) US Soccer Players - MLS announced the New York Red Bulls’ Aaron Long as 2018 Defender of the Year on Wednesday. The 26-year old centerback beat out three-time Defender of the Year Chad Marshall to the award, garnering an impressive 33.33% of the media vote in his second full MLS campaign. The players around him in the Red Bulls defense certainly . . .
What kind of a league is MLS?
By Clemente Lisi – NEW YORK, NY (Oct 8, 2018) US Soccer Players – It’s no secret that MLS aspires to be one of the world’s best domestic leagues. While the league still has a long way to go, they can claim something already. It's the competitiveness we see in October as teams maneuver for the playoffs. The road to MLS Cup makes North America's league somewhat unique in world soccer. Leagues and . . .
NYCFC and the Red Bulls split the points
The soccer news starts with the Hudson River derby. NYCFC held on to get a point after going down two men at home. Bradley Wright-Phillips put the Red Bulls up in the 37th. NYCFC's Eloi Amagat saw red for a serious foul in the 40th minute with David Villa scoring the shorthanded equalizer in the 52nd. The referee sent off Ebenezer Ofori for a serious foul in the 73rd. "When it was 11-vs-11, we . . .
Who has the MLS advantage in NYC?
Wednesday's soccer news starts with another edition of the Hudson River derby, with NYCFC hosting the Red Bulls at Yankee Stadium (7pm ET - FS1). A point and a game played separates the two teams, with the Red Bulls in 2nd-place with 48 points from 24 games played and NYCFC in third with 47 points from 25 games. The Red Bulls trail Eastern Conference leaders Atlanta by three points with a game in . . .
Bradley Wright-Phillips at 100 goals
By Jason Davis – WASHINGTON DC (Jul 27, 2018) US Soccer Players - Everyone loves a good, round, number. There’s something about them that strikes us as significant, a catch in our brains that make them seem special. That's true even if a round number of something is only slightly more meaningful than the previous non-round number. We celebrate them in every possible context, but especially in . . .
