By Charles Boehm – WASHINGTON, DC (Oct 23, 2020) US Soccer Players - In theory, a Hall of Fame shouldn't be controversial. When the process and the selectors who participate in it gobble up more attention than the honorees themselves, it's a safe bet that something is not functioning as it should. That's the quandary the National Soccer Hall of Fame has found itself facing. With the flow of new . . .
USMNT gets a game in November
The soccer news starts with the US Soccer Federation announcing a November friendly for the USMNT. The USMNT will travel to Swansea to play Wales on November 12 at Liberty Stadium (2:45pm ET - FS1, UniMas). Concacaf sat out the September friendlies due to the pandemic, and US Soccer didn't schedule games in October. This will be the first time the USMNT has played since February 1. US Soccer also . . .
A crowded USMNT road map for 2021
By Charles Boehm – WASHINGTON, DC (Oct 1, 2020) US Soccer Players - The USMNT is off again this month, forced by the continuing COVID-19 crisis to scratch any plans of a camp or friendly matches during the October international window. Even without a team gathering, however, this period might turn out to be a significant pivot point for the program. Over the past few weeks, Weston McKennie has . . .
Preview: The 2021 Gold Cup draw
By Clemente Lisi – NEW YORK, NY (Sep 28, 2020) US Soccer Players – The 2021 Gold Cup will mark the tournament's 16th edition. At the same time, the tournament will celebrate 30 years of existence. Over those three decades, the competition has both morphed and evolved with the times while making Concacaf teams more competitive at the World Cup. It's that evolving nature that, pandemic allowing, . . .
Concacaf moves Nations League finale to June
Wednesday's soccer news starts with the never-ending 2019-20 Concacaf Nations League. With the semifinal and final moved from June to March 2021, Concacaf has now pushed those games to June 2021. The USMNT plays Honduras with the confederation centralizing the semifinals, finals, and 3rd-place game in one location. That location, along with the dates in June, will wait for a later . . .
Concacaf pushes back World Cup qualifying
Wednesday's soccer news starts with Concacaf pushing back the opening round of World Cup qualifying to the March international window. Officials from some of the Concacaf nations involved in the opening round of qualifying had questioned the schedule due to the pandemic. "Many parts of the region continue to have very challenging public health situations, and that has been a key factor in this . . .
Agnelli on the broadcast fallout for European clubs
Tuesday's soccer news starts with European Club Association and Juventus president Andrea Agnelli making one economic issue clear. UEFA will likely refund Champions League and Europa League broadcast rights holders around 575 million euros. Agnelli made that statement at the organization's 24th general assembly with UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin present. "We have seen a £330million rebate in . . .
Concacaf’s new 2022 qualifying format sets expectations in the region
By Charles Boehm – WASHINGTON, DC (Jul 30, 2020) US Soccer Players - This week Concacaf rolled out its grand new plan for the 2022 World Cup qualifying cycle. On Monday, the confederation unveiled a revised format and timetable for the road to Qatar in the wake of the upheaval caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. At the same time, it released the rescheduled dates for the final phase of the inaugural . . .
Concacaf sets its schedule
Tuesday's soccer news starts with Concacaf deciding eight is better than six when it comes to the final round of World Cup qualifying. Instead of this being the swansong for the Hexagonal ahead of World Cup expansion for 2026, we get the Octagonal. Two rounds will determine the three teams that join the USMNT, Mexico, Costa Rica, Jamaica, and Honduras with the final round starting in the June 2021 . . .
The near future of the USMNT according to Gregg Berhalter
By Charles Boehm – WASHINGTON, DC (Jul 23, 2020) US Soccer Players - Gregg Berhalter conducted one of his most in-depth media sessions in months on Tuesday, spending nearly an hour on a Zoom call with reporters. He's entered the so-called bubble at the MLS is Back Tournament outside Orlando, Florida to scout the games and keep in touch with MLS-based members of the player pool. The scope of the . . .
