By Charles Boehm – WASHINGTON, DC (Apr 8, 2021) US Soccer Players - Asked for an update on the course of preseason, Hernan Losada did not waste time nor mince words. "There's still a lot of work to do," said DC United's new head coach on Tuesday, speaking to media for the first time in several weeks. "I have to say that I didn't expect this progression after five weeks of preseason, not only on . . .
The new coaches in MLS
By Jason Davis – WASHINGTON, DC (Apr 7, 2021) US Soccer Players - Perhaps no season in MLS history provided a ruder introduction to the league for new coaches than 2020. A typical preseason led directly into two games before a two-month layoff with no games and effectively no training. The return to play, first in Orlando at MLS Is Back, then in a truncated regular season that featured few fans . . .
Squad rotation, fixture congestion, and competitive imbalance
By J Hutcherson (Apr 6, 2021) US Soccer Players - Speaking after the Premier League win at Leicester City on Saturday, Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola became the latest to ask a simple question. Why is it alright to compress the schedule and obligate players across multiple competitions for club and country? In Guardiola's more concise version, it's a simple statement. "They are human . . .
Playing the Concacaf Champions League
By Clemente Lisi – NEW YORK, NY (Apr 5, 2021) US Soccer Players – The Concacaf Champions League is back. Reworked schedules mean that this year's tournament is closer to the beginning of the MLS season. That may or may not help MLS teams this season. With more money and deeper rosters, Liga MX clubs added to that edge by already being in season. This time around, they've been in season even . . .
NYCFC will ask a lot of its midfield
By Jason Davis – WASHINGTON, DC (Apr 2, 2021) US Soccer Players - New York City Football Club is preparing for its seventh season in Major League Soccer. Since entering MLS back in 2015, NYCFC turned itself into one of the better teams Eastern Conference. That means staying in contention and emerging as a legitimate MLS Cup threat over the long-term. Last season turned on an injury. New head . . .
A new project in San Francisco, US pro soccer’s most elusive frontier
By Charles Boehm – WASHINGTON, DC (Apr 1, 2021) US Soccer Players - From its history and location to its name to the fact of its very existence, Treasure Island is a curiosity. Carved out of shallow water next to Yerba Buena Island in the mouth of San Francisco Bay to host the 1939 Golden Gate International Exposition, it's a monument to the ambitions of the New Deal. Over the decades, 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 . . .
UEFA may be pushing for even more change
By J Hutcherson (Mar 30, 2021) US Soccer Players - It's probably easier to look at what might not be changing in the way European club soccer runs. We already knew about the various ideas for revamping the Champions League, the threat of a super league, and FIFA's push for a bigger Club World Cup. Now, there are reports that UEFA is considering doing away with Financial Fair Play. That comes at a . . .
Preview: 2021 MLS season
By Clemente Lisi – NEW YORK, NY (Mar 29, 2021) US Soccer Players – There was nothing normal about the 2020 season for Major League Soccer. Getting as close to normal as possible is now the challenge for MLS this season. The pandemic continues, but lower infection rates and more vaccinations point to better times ahead. For MLS, that journey starts on April 17. The regular season runs through . . .
Four talking points following the USMNT’s win over Jamaica
By Charles Boehm – WASHINGTON, DC (Mar 25, 2021) US Soccer Players - The USMNT ran their unbeaten streak to eight games on Thursday with a confident 4-1 defeat of Jamaica in Wiener Neustadt, Austria, the first of their two friendlies in the March international window. Sergino Dest opened the scoring with a lovely long-range strike, the highlight of his eye-catching performance. Brenden Aaronson . . .
