By Jason Davis – WASHINGTON DC (Jan 4, 2019) US Soccer Players - The nature of an “organization” means that success or failure is a function of a cooperative effort. It takes a small army to do anything moderately complicated, like, say, win a championship, meaning that no one person should get all of the credit when a team does just that. If we attempted to fairly divide the credit for the rise . . .
New Year predictions for LAFC and the Galaxy
By Luis Bueno – RIVERSIDE, CA (Jan 2, 2019) US Soccer Players - It is now officially 2019 and with the New Year comes the chance to wipe the slate clean and start from scratch. For MLS teams, the slate-wiping has been going on for a bit. With the calendar changing, there's a light at the end of the tunnel. All this change is really going to happen. Just how all of the changes within clubs like the . . .
2019 in soccer
By Clemente Lisi – NEW YORK, NY (Dec 31, 2018) US Soccer Players – The past year will stand out for years to come for the type of soccer it produced. That is almost always the case in a year with a World Cup. The USMNT continued to rebuild and got a new coach, while MLS gave us a new champion in Atlanta United FC that helped to showcase the passion for the game in this country. Indeed, Atlanta’s . . .
5 things for LAFC and the LA Galaxy
By Luis Bueno – RIVERSIDE, CA (Dec 26, 2018) US Soccer Players - Much has happened in one year. Before 2017 was up, nobody knew what to expect from LAFC. The MLS expansion team seemed more like an abstract idea rather than a bona fide club. The Galaxy looked like a mess of a team with an uncertain future. Fast forward one year, and both LA clubs went through much change and growth. LAFC is no . . .
Villarreal in Nebraska
By Clemente Lisi – NEW YORK, NY (Dec 24, 2018) US Soccer Players – There have been lots of high-profile European clubs who have set up shop in this country. Bayern Munich has an office in New York. Barcelona and Arsenal have established youth academies. The annual International Champions Cup happens each summer in NFL stadiums. Soccer’s growth has also established several demographic surprises. . . .
A look at the 2019 January camp squad
By Charles Boehm – WASHINGTON, DC (Dec 20, 2018) US Soccer Players - After more than a year of treading water and waiting on a permanent leader, the USMNT finally took a concrete step into the Gregg Berhalter era on Thursday. The new coach named his first roster, calling an MLS-based group of 27 players for the 2019 edition of the traditional January camp. It’s a group packed with familiar names . . .
Liga MX and the Club World Cup letdown
By Luis Bueno – RIVERSIDE, CA (Dec 19, 2018) US Soccer Players - Chivas Guadalajara claimed the Concacaf Champions League with a thrilling victory over Toronto FC in April, a fitting triumph given the club’s recent successes. Chivas had won Copa MX and Liga MX titles in 2017 and was passing through a period of stability. The club was not exactly a model franchise, but it was close. Chivas . . .
Did MLS upgrade the playoffs?
By Jason Davis – WASHINGTON DC (Dec 19, 2018) US Soccer Players - In the beginning, there were playoffs. From the very launch of Major League Soccer back in 1996, a postseason playoff tournament decides the league’s champion. At no point in the history of America’s top division was there any real thought given to doing things differently. Sure, European leagues prefer to crown a winner on the . . .
Concacaf can’t unlock the Club World Cup
By J Hutcherson (Dec 18, 2018) US Soccer Players - It's a common occurrence this time of year. The Concacaf Champions League winners travel a long way to disappoint in the FIFA Club World Cup. This time, it was Chivas heading to the Emirates and losing their second round game 3-2 to Japan's Kashima Antlers. That meant 5th-place against Esperance de Tunis. It took penalties, but Chivas lost . . .
Soccer History: San Francisco Bay Blackhawks
By Clemente Lisi – NEW YORK, NY (Dec 17, 2018) US Soccer Players – The post-NASL years are often referred to as the dark ages of American soccer. The indoor game was king and the lack of a strong national league didn’t help. The game struggled to gain traction and was still largely considered a niche sport. That low period, however, did produce some bright spots. One of them was the San Francisco . . .
