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 . . .
The USA at the 1930 World Cup
By Clemente Lisi – NEW YORK, NY (Jul 13, 2020) US Soccer Players – World Cup history can often reveal some surprises, especially in the tournaments early era. Uruguay hosted the first World Cup 90 years ago this month. No one back then had any idea of what the tournament or the sport might become. The World Cup is now the planet's most-watched sporting event and a commercial and marketing . . .
5 soccer docs worth your time
By Clemente Lisi – NEW YORK, NY (Jun 8, 2020) US Soccer Players – The lack of live sports gave a newfound focus on documentaries. Viewership for the 10-part ESPN docu-series The Last Dance, for example, finished with an average of 5.6 million viewers. This has prompted a series of armchair critics to chime in on which sports docs they like best. Axios recently put out a list of the 50 best sports . . .
Justice for George Floyd
Recent events have focused everyone's attention on the racial inequality and official mistreatment and violence that African-Americans in the United States face every day. This issue has plagued our country since its inception and is the original sin of the United States. Racial discrimination and the threat of violence force black Americans to live in fear. They suffer fear and pain caused by . . .
Where are they now? The 1990 USMNT World Cup squad
By Clemente Lisi – NEW YORK, NY (Jun 1, 2020) US Soccer Players – It was 30 years ago that the United States was preparing to play in its first World Cup since 1950. Qualifying for Italia ‘90 in November 1989 had been a history-making feat for a nation that had been in the international soccer wilderness for so long. The team, made up largely of recent college grads and a mix of semi-pro and . . .
Gregg Berhalter’s USMNT at the 18-month mark
By Charles Boehm – WASHINGTON, DC (May 22, 2020) US Soccer Players - In early June, Gregg Berhalter's tenure in charge of the USMNT will pass the 18-month mark. In a world without COVID-19 and the disruptions it's unleashed, he and his team would be set to gather for a camp to prepare for the Concacaf Nations League semifinals and final. Those games were on the schedule for June 4 and 7 in . . .
