By Clemente Lisi – NEW YORK, NY (Jun 29, 2020) US Soccer Players – The growth of MLS over its 25 years of existence has depended in large part on the stadiums the teams call home. In the league's inaugural season in 1996, all 10 MLS teams played in large football stadiums. With MLS averaging 17,000 fans that season, stadiums looked mostly empty on television and offered very little in terms of . . .
The MLS is Back schedule stresses rivalries in the group stage
By Jason Davis – WASHINGTON, DC (Jun 26, 2020) US Soccer Players - Like most Americans, soccer fans have a caffeine addiction. While caffeine dependency is not always great for personal health, leaning into it might be a good idea for followers of Major League Soccer this summer. The MLS Is Back schedule is out. It features several dates that will test the endurance of those fans committed to . . .
5 questions for the MLS is Back tournament
By Charles Boehm – WASHINGTON, DC (Jun 26, 2020) US Soccer Players - Ready or not, MLS is Back, or at least on its way. In less than two weeks, the league resumes at the Disney Wide World of Sports Complex on Orlando's outskirts. Though the central Florida region has become a flashpoint for the state's COVID-19 outbreak in the weeks since Major League Soccer announced the event, MLS is plowing . . .
The present and future of the Concacaf Champions League
By Luis Bueno – RIVERSIDE, CA (Jun 24, 2020) US Soccer Players - Amidst the COVID-19 global pandemic, soccer leagues worldwide are in flux halting operations to try and halt the spread of the potentially deadly virus. In North America, the fallout was as severe as it has been in other places. MLS teams got in two matches apiece before stopping. Only recently, the league announced plans to return. . . .
Chris Wondolowski, Kyle Beckerman, and what becomes of the 2020 MLS season
By Jason Davis – WASHINGTON, DC (Jun 24, 2020) US Soccer Players - Soccer, as they say, is a young man's game. It's the rare player who's prime doesn't come in their 20s, when a body is at its peak fitness and the ravages of time and miles haven't yet slowed a person down. Age isn't always the determining factor in a player's effectiveness, but it's always an important one. Occasionally, a player . . .
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 . . .
5 things to watch in a European club summer
By Clemente Lisi – NEW YORK, NY (Jun 22, 2020) US Soccer Players – This past weekend felt normal again. Europe's biggest domestic leagues were all in action after a three-month hiatus following the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic. This new normal for soccer will mean a summer packed with games that matter. Gone are the meaningless friendlies. Instead, the Bundesliga, Premier League, La Liga, . . .
MLS is Back but do the Florida teams have an advantage?
By Jason Davis – WASHINGTON, DC (Jun 19, 2020) US Soccer Players - Barring a last-minute change of plans, Orlando will be the nexus of men's professional soccer in the United States next month. For six weeks from July 8 until August 11 when Major League Soccer holds its "MLS Is Back" tournament at the Wide World of Sports Complex in Lake Buena Vista, Florida. The league's compromise solution for . . .
IFAB, FIFA and Pandora’s Box
By Charles Boehm – WASHINGTON, DC (Jun 19, 2020) US Soccer Players - A quick litmus test. When you hear the phrase "rules changes" in the context of soccer, what's your first reaction? If your answer is suspicion, disgust, concern, or anything along those lines, you've generally got plenty of company in this sport, where tradition tends to hold sway. Soccer was one of the last major professional . . .
Kevin Durant, the Union, and MLS celebrity
By Jason Davis – WASHINGTON, DC (Jun 17, 2020) US Soccer Players - On Monday, NBA star Kevin Durant officially became a minority investor/operator of the Philadelphia Union, purchasing 5% of the team. Per Union majority investor/operator Jay Sugarman, the Union is worth $325 million, putting Durant's stake at $16.25 million. Durant also holds an option to purchase an additional 5% of the team in . . .
