By J Hutcherson (Jul 7, 2020) US Soccer Players - Since streaming services have decided the best way to differentiate themselves is to offer anything they can find, it's not exactly abnormal that the Danish league is available on ESPN+. It was easy to spot what was different with Saturday's AGF vs Copenhagen game. Danish authorities eased restrictions on crowds, allowing over 7,000 into Ceres . . .
The Pro League and the Eredivisie have time
By J Hutcherson (June 23, 2020) US Soccer Players - Belgian's Pro League became the first notable topflight in Europe to decide not to resume its season. Minus a government mandate, Belgian soccer authorities decided to act before the Bundesliga showed a restart was possible. Their northern neighbor the Netherlands had no choice. The Dutch government banned any pro sports until September, calling . . .
Is the glut of games good for soccer?
Friday's soccer news starts with a question that may only be an issue in retrospect. With all of the world's professional sports leagues impacted by the global pandemic looking to get the games in, will this be the summer of too many options? The Bundesliga is the only major European league that will finish by the end of the month, but we now know the 2019-20 Champions and Europa Leagues will be . . .
Sporting merit, points per game, and Europe’s seasons
Wednesday's soccer news starts with another reason to wonder why UEFA didn't attempt to impose top-down regulations for how Europe's leagues complete their seasons. Instead, leagues are operating under UEFA's vague concept of sporting merit to determine final tables if they don't complete their schedules. That's led to some interesting interpretations of what sporting merit means. The Dutch wiped . . .
Soccer is not in control
Friday's soccer news starts with the German government postponing the Bundesliga's restart by at least a week. German soccer planned on resuming its top two divisions on May 9, with clubs already in their second week of practice sessions. That's with social distancing somewhat in place, as they try to figure out the best way back to actual games. That plan needed government approval at regional . . .
The Premier League reportedly sets a date
Thursday's soccer news starts with a familiar topic with the Premier League holding a Friday meeting to try to figure out if they can resume the 2019-20 season. It's the same scenario, with no clear pathway to returning to enough of a normal where closed door games make sense. Short of government decree banning games even without fans, the Premier League and the rest of Europe's major leagues are . . .
Does European soccer need a unified response?
Wednesday's soccer news starts with UEFA's timeline for leagues deciding whether or not to continue the 2019-20 season. As with every timeline in the era of the coronavirus, UEFA's May 25 deadline is subject to change. Still, there has to be a date where getting the games in is no longer feasible. The governments in the Netherlands and France decided that for their domestic leagues, banning the . . .
French government all but ends Ligue 1 season
Tuesday's soccer news starts with the French government announcing a ban on sporting events until September. The move would leave the French professional leagues no choice but to cancel any plans to finish the 2019-20 season. PSG leads Ligue 1 with Marseille and Rennes in the other Champions League places. Lille, Reims, and Nice would take the Europa League spots. Nimes is in the relegation . . .
UEFA announces criteria for next season’s Champions League
Thursday's soccer news starts with UEFA announcing how it plans to determine eligibility for the 2020-21 Champions League and Europa League. With the potential for more domestic leagues ending their suspended season, UEFA walked back not allowing clubs from those leagues into European competition. The Eredivisie is the latest league to end its season based on the Dutch government not allowing . . .
ICC cancels 2020 tournament
Monday's soccer news starts with the International Champions Cup becoming the latest soccer event to exit the 2020 summer schedule. The organizers of the ICC announced on Saturday that its regular summer tour was off due to the pandemic. With European clubs likely to need the summer if they can finish their domestic seasons, the likelihood of availability for summer touring seemed low. In a . . .
