By Clemente Lisi – NEW YORK, NY (Dec 20, 2021) US Soccer Players – Decision Day was the end of the line for the 14 teams not moving onto the playoffs. With that, several MLS stars brought their careers to an end. In the case of the San Jose Earthquakes, there was nothing to play for at PayPal Park. Instead, the crowd was there to see star striker Chris Wondolowski score the final goal of his pro . . .
Chris Wondolowski’s new job
By Charles Boehm – WASHINGTON, DC (Nov 12, 2021) US Soccer Players - When Chris Wondolowski officially made his retirement official this week, it ended an incredible 17-year professional career as the runaway leader atop the all-time MLS scoring chart. While every player's retirement is fraught with emotion and reflection, his is a story the likes of which we may not see again for a long time, if . . .
Ambition and expectation in the MLS playoff race
By Jason Davis – WASHINGTON, DC (Sep 8, 2021) US Soccer Players - There's a point in every race when competitors off the lead pace have to make a move if they want a chance at victory. In some cases, kicking into high gear is part of the strategy. Giving it everything down the stretch can be a part of the game. It's not a direct comparison with how a playoff race tends to work. Still, every MLS . . .
Konrad De La Fuente moves to Marseille
Wednesday's soccer news starts with USMNT player Konrad de la Fuente completing a transfer from Barcelona to Marseille in France's Ligue 1. Showing the beginnings of a breakthrough last season with Barcelona, he now joins Marseille on a four-year deal. Barcelona announced a €3m transfer fee with Barca retaining a percentage of a future transfer, reported to be 50%. "FC Barcelona publicly expresses . . .
San Jose’s loss at Orlando highlights the MLS schedule
Wednesday's soccer news starts with the compacted schedule already catching up with Major League Soccer. After drawing 0-0 at Austin on Saturday, San Jose continued on a road swing to Orlando last night that turned into a 5-0 loss. As much as that scoreline flatters the home team, it also speaks to the travel demands and potential fatigue on teams even after most of them had a two-week . . .
The underdogs in the Western Conference
By Jason Davis – WASHINGTON, DC (Mar 24, 2021) US Soccer Players - The 2021 season arrives for Major League Soccer behind a vanguard of uncertainty as formidable as any in recent memory. 2020 wreaked havoc on preconceived notions and reasonable expectations while laying waste to rosters throughout a stop-start campaign. It’s impossible to know what might have happened in the absence of the . . .
Argentine coaches in MLS
By Clemente Lisi – NEW YORK, NY (Feb 15, 2021) US Soccer Players – Hernan Losada is like a lot of South American players. He started his playing career in his native Argentina with Independiente. Within a few years of his 2003 debut, the attacking midfielder was playing in Europe. Over the next decade, Losada was with several clubs, including Anderlecht and Beerschot in Belgium. Losada retired . . .
The Earthquakes get it together
By Jason Davis – WASHINGTON, DC (Nov 6, 2020) US Soccer Players - To properly tell the story of the San Jose Earthquakes in 2020, we have to go all the way back... to last season. You remember 2019, right? Smiling faces, full stadiums, soccer that didn't feel like it was happening in the middle of a slowly unfolding apocalypse. Back in 2019, things were "normal," whatever that means, and the San . . .
What’s wrong with the San Jose Earthquakes?
By Jason Davis – WASHINGTON, DC (Sep 23, 2020) US Soccer Players - When the San Jose Earthquakes secured the services of Argentine head coach Matias Almeyda in October of 2018, it surprised many in the soccer world. Following a stint in Mexico at the helm of Chivas, Almeyda looked to be in high demand. Despite his unconventional style and penchant for theatrics, Almeyda had carved out a niche as a . . .
Making sense of the San Jose Earthquakes
By Charles Boehm – WASHINGTON, DC (Sep 3, 2020) US Soccer Players - In a 2020 already marked by a range of unpleasant global events, Northern California may feel more apocalyptic than most places in North America. Searing heat waves and serious wildfires are exacerbating the ravages of COVID-19 and sustained economic and socio-political angst. The San Jose Earthquakes are among those affected by . . .
