By Jason Davis – WASHINGTON, DC (July 1, 2022) US Soccer Players - Toronto FC certainly knows how to go big. In retrospect, it's fitting that Major League Soccer's first Canadian franchise entered the league upon the arrival of the Designated Player rule. Though TFC wasn't the first club to leverage the new freer spending rules, the history of Toronto's success on the field can be connected . . .
The US U-20s aim to break an Olympic slump
By Charles Boehm – WASHINGTON, DC (Jun 16, 2022) US Soccer Players - Concacaf's Under-20 Championship in Honduras served up some legitimate stunners Wednesday night. First, the Dominican Republic booked a place in its first-ever FIFA World Cup of any kind with a 1-0 quarterfinal upset of Jamaica. Then Guatemala pulled off an even bigger shock, knocking out Mexico on penalties after a tense 1-1 . . .
Once again in 2022, LAFC raises its game
By Luis Bueno – RIVERSIDE, CA (June 29, 2022) US Soccer Players - LAFC sits in 1st-place both in the Western Conference and Supporters' Shield standings as the calendar approaches July. The summer months, then, would be a time for the club to continue working with its pieces in place and trying to maximize the potential it has within its roster. Instead, LAFC raised the ante quite a bit. That . . .
The Union and NYCFC build an MLS rivalry
By Jason Davis – WASHINGTON, DC (June 29, 2022) US Soccer Players - Major League Soccer loves a good rivalry. Check that. MLS loves any rivalry, even ones that might not be immediately apparent. MLS decided long ago that pushing rivalry was a winning marketing strategy. Rivalry can come from nearly anything, but geography is the most common variable at play. Put a couple of teams on a soccer field . . .
Playing for the now in MLS
By J Hutcherson (Jun 28, 2022) US Soccer Players - In its expanded version, MLS had become a one-season league. The best teams can fade quickly. Surprises are bound to happen, becoming so common that it's almost a tactic. Each year, a low payroll team will look like an overachiever and potentially surprise even itself. That throws a willingness to spend into contrast. An MLS season may reward it, . . .
The 2022 summer touring schedule features big name clubs and USMNT players
By Clemente Lisi – NEW YORK, NY (Jun 27, 2022) US Soccer Players – After the pandemic suspended the regular European preseason touring schedule, the summer of soccer has returned to the United States. While Major League Soccer offers games that count, the summer touring schedule provides the opportunity to see some of the biggest clubs in the world here rather than there. In a summer with no major . . .
MLS and the nation’s capital
By Charles Boehm – WASHINGTON, DC (Jun 24, 2022) US Soccer Players - One week after FIFA opted not to put the national capital region on its list of 2026 World Cup sites, Major League Soccer turned up at Audi Field on Thursday to present a consolation prize of sorts. DC United's home stadium, commissioner Don Garber officially announced, will host the 2023 All-Star Game, the event's third trip to . . .
Figuring out how to score goals in MLS
By Jason Davis – WASHINGTON, DC (June 24, 2022) US Soccer Players - With more than half the regular season still to play and the secondary transfer window set to open on July 7, every club in MLS still believes it has a shot at glory. This is Major League Soccer. There's no reason to think that things can't change, and quickly. The question of how to get better is ever-present, even for the . . .
After an Open Cup exit, what’s next for the LA Galaxy?
By Luis Bueno – RIVERSIDE, CA (June 22, 2022) US Soccer Players - Sitting in the Galaxy's trophy display at StubHub Center are five MLS Cups and two US Open Cups. The problem for the most successful club in MLS history is that the last title came in 2014. That's also the last time the Galaxy played for a trophy, a major issue for a club that has been to nine MLS Cup finals. It looked like that . . .
Kansas City adds World Cup host to its reputation as a soccer city
By Jason Davis – WASHINGTON, DC (June 22, 2022) US Soccer Players - Last Thursday, Kansas City was the lone Midwestern locale to be awarded matches for the 2026 World Cup. Of the 11 American cities chosen among 16 host cities in total, Kansas City ranks among the biggest surprises. They don't have a new-ish NFL stadium like the other American hosts, and they're the smallest metropolitan . . .