By Jeff Rueter – SAINT PAUL, MN (Apr 26, 2018) US Soccer Players - Last week, we looked at the growing conference imbalance in MLS. Due to population centers and ownership wealth, the Eastern Conference is quickly dwarfing the quality level of its more even-keeled Western neighbors. The Mississippi River has always been a convenient way to break the country up geographically. However, in a league . . .
LAFC’s stadium game
By Luis Bueno – RIVERSIDE, CA (Apr 25, 2018) US Soccer Players - For all the excitement and attention that the greatest new thing in Los Angeles causes, rarely does it apply to stadiums. There's a simple reason for that. The last time a new open-air stadium opened for business in LA was more than 50 years ago. LAFC is changing that. Major League Soccer’s newest club will officially christen Banc . . .
Arsenal, Wenger, and MLS
By Jason Davis – WASHINGTON DC (Apr 25, 2018) US Soccer Players - There aren't many things that tie Arsenal Football Club to Major League Soccer. Even Stan Kroenke, investor/operator of the Colorado Rapids in addition to majority shareholder at Arsenal, doesn’t mean much on the field or in the stands. The Rapids and Gunners have that link in the boardroom and nowhere else of consequence. Two key . . .
Soccer History: San Francisco IAC
By Clemente Lisi – NEW YORK, NY (Apr 23, 2018) US Soccer Players – Much of this country’s soccer history finds its roots among the wave of immigrants who came to the United States. These newcomers had dreams of a better future, but never forgot where they came from. In many cases, they brought with them the love and passion for the world’s most popular game. A great example of this was the . . .
Jimmy Maurer on the uncertainty of life in the lower divisions
By Charles Boehm – WASHINGTON, DC (Apr 20, 2018) US Soccer Players - It’s not often that you see an American player make his top-flight professional debut at age 29. It’s even rarer for a player to arrive at that milestone via a path like Jimmy Maurer’s. A supplemental draft pick of the New York Red Bulls way back in 2011 after a solid NCAA career at South Carolina, the Georgia native didn’t get . . .
FIFA quickly pushes ahead with instant replay
By Jason Davis – WASHINGTON DC (Apr 20, 2018) US Soccer Players - The Video Assistant Referee system, aka instant replay, is coming to the World Cup whether we like it or not. By edict of FIFA, games at the 2018 tournament in Russia will include the controversial review technology that is even now creating waves of confusion and frustration in places like the United States, Germany, and Italy. . . .
Western parity in MLS
By Jeff Rueter – SAINT PAUL, MN (Apr 19, 2018) US Soccer Players - After years of relatively balanced conferences in MLS, the past 16 months have seen the East stand head and shoulders above its Western counterpart. Nearly every list of Supporters' Shield or MLS Cup projections focuses on teams in the East, with few true contenders across the Mississippi. In my latest Power Rankings, the top five . . .
Toronto FC, Chivas, and the memory of Chivas USA
By Luis Bueno – RIVERSIDE, CA (Apr 18, 2018) US Soccer Players - The Concacaf Champions League final is at the halfway point. The drama will only ramp up in one week’s time when Toronto FC visits Chivas de Guadalajara for the decisive finale. While this matchup is not a USMNT vs Mexico tilt, the MLS vs Liga MX pairing has brought forward plenty of emotions on all sides of the US border. In fact, . . .
Trying to make a run in the East
By Jason Davis – WASHINGTON DC (Apr 18, 2018) US Soccer Players - Let’s start this discussion about the Eastern Conference of Major League Soccer by putting aside three teams: NYCFC, Atlanta United, and Toronto FC. That's the elite of both the Eastern Conference and MLS. You'd be hard-pressed to find anyone who disagrees that those teams belong at the top. Two other teams might deserve inclusion . . .
Who has the most to lose in Europe?
By J Hutcherson (Apr 17, 2018) US Soccer Players - It's an off week for the Champions League and Europa League while we wait for the semifinals in both of Europe's club tournaments. With eight clubs still in position to lift a trophy, it's worth remembering what happened last season. Though Real Madrid kept their Champions League streak alive at the expense of Juventus, it was the Europa League . . .
