Photo credits to stuartwainstock

Landon Timothy Donovan currently holds the record for most goals and assists for U.S. National Football Team.

Landon was already destined for greatness. In his first competitive game playing against older players, he scored seven (7) goals!

One of the most surprising stories so far this season regarding American soccer players overseas has been the sudden emergence of Daniel Williams at SC Freiburg in the German Bundesliga.

The Sports Business Journal is reporting on MLS first quarter merchandise sales. The article includes a number of interesting tidbits, including that the Union has already sold seven figures worth of merchandise this year and it is expected to reach eight figures. The article also reports that MLS has tripled its reach into soccer speciality stores while adding to its footprint with big box retailers such as Target and Wal-Mart.

According to rumors, 20 year old American Freddie Adu is considering a loan move to Premier League team Hull City.

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While most young American soccer players who leave the country to play often go to Europe or Mexico, Kevin Hoyos is currently playing at the youth levels with Argentina's Estudiantes de la Plata.

Photo by ISIphotos.com

One of several American soccer players still sorting out their club futures this summer, Jay DeMerit has been laying pretty low in the weeks since the World Cup, but he has emerged to discuss his current status and playing future.

Brad Evans offers an enigma. He may be more valuable to the US National Team than he is to his club. Certainly, the young midfielder has value to the club, particularly once he settled back to a box-to-box midfield role inside Sigi's Arrow, but for long stretches his role was unknown. While with the US MNT Evans has settled into a Right Back role, but that isn't where his strength lies, nor his chances of being the one or two selected from the January camp to travel to South Africa this Summer.

I've asked Lyle Yorks for an interview several times to no avail. Agents aren't known for talking to press and short of Scott Boras are famous for the low profiles they keep in the shadowy underbelly of professional sports. So when Michael Wheeler appeared on Twitter, giving up information not just on client movement but personal research on the game, it struck me as odd.

Fernando Rossi loved the game of soccer.

From his playing days to his decades of service as a high school soccer coach, to his years as the father who molded his son into an international caliber talent, Rossi embraced the beautiful game throughout his life and countless people are better off because of it.

While Eastern Europe and the Balkans are not areas that many young American soccer players frequently go to start their careers, George Pantelic has made the move to the region and is progressing well at FK Rad in Belgrade, Serbia.

Where do American soccer players come from? The simple answer is California. The more complicated answer offers an intriguing chance for the amateur cultural geographer in me to analyze the rosters of American professional teams—something I did a few weeks ago prior to the MLS season to consider the state of the men's game, and something I'm doing this week on the women's side as a nod to the start of the Women's Professional Soccer (WPS) season.

The Host: Carlos Bocanegra, happy birthday buddy. Now now, calm down Carlos. I am not going to tell everyone how old you are like I do for all the other Nats because I know you are a little touchy when it comes to your age (geezer), so just chill. Instead I am going to roast you and toast you in front of your friends and fam at this restaurant near your team in Rennes: the Golden Corral.

Recently, I had the opportunity to interview Brian Maisonneuve for Pro Soccer Weekly. Brian was recently named as an Assistant Coach at Indiana University and with all of his experience as a college player with Indiana, in MLS with the Columbus Crew, and of course with the U.S. National Team, Brian is able to provide a lot of good information about soccer in the United States.

As the US team prepares to face Ghana in the round of 16, and the rest of us recover from yesterday's game and steel ourselves for Saturday, a few random thoughts:

Neven Subotic can now work on his tan. Subotic joins Giuseppe Rossi as potential American soccer players who would have had a far more satisfying tournament had they chosen differently.

Brad Evans offers an enigma. He may be more valuable to the US National Team than he is to his club. Certainly, the young midfielder has value to the club, particularly once he settled back to a box-to-box midfield role inside Sigi's Arrow, but for long stretches his role was unknown. While with the US MNT Evans has settled into a Right Back role, but that isn't where his strength lies, nor his chances of being the one or two selected from the January camp to travel to South Africa this Summer.

A loss in a meaningless international friendly shouldn't mean much. After all, Saturday's 3-1 defeat at the hands of Honduras came after the U.S. were reduced to ten men, thanks to Jimmy Conrad and his apparent desire to not be part of the World Cup squad in 2010.

Whatever could have gone wrong for the U.

A loss in a meaningless international friendly shouldn't mean much. After all, Saturday's 3-1 defeat at the hands of Honduras came after the U.S. were reduced to ten men, thanks to Jimmy Conrad and his apparent desire to not be part of the World Cup squad in 2010.

Whatever could have gone wrong for the U.

Our series on the US at the World Cup continues with a look at the road to the 1998 World Cup hosted by France.

You can read more about US World Cup appearances in 1930 (part 1), 1930 (part 2), 1934, 1950, the 1950-1990 drought, 1990, and 1994.

Our series on the US at the World Cup continues with a look at the road to the 1998 World Cup hosted by France.

You can read more about US World Cup appearances in 1930 (part 1), 1930 (part 2), 1934, 1950, the 1950-1990 drought, 1990, and 1994.

In a recent article entitled "Promotors have high hopes for FB Edmonton," Curtis Stock mentions that "...Instead of the other way around, we are bringing the European concept to Edmonton, 'It's never been done before.'" – Curtis is directly referring to the soccer ceiling that Canada currently experiences, and their initiative to promote an elite soccer force out of Edmonton.

While most American soccer players often admit to having personal goals that include moving their career overseas, it is usually implied that they are referring to a move across the Atlantic and playing in the prestigious leagues of Europe.

We got this email from U.S. Under-17 Women's National Team goalkeeper Caroline Stanley and we wanted to share it with you. We hope that all the young boys and girls across the country are watching the World Cup like she is and that it is impacting them like it is her. Who knows what effect this World Cup can have on the next generation of American soccer players?

Europe is a seemingly wonderful place. Each country has their own interesting culture, they speak different languages, and they worship soccer like no other sport. Yes, there is Rugby, Cricket, Cycling (a favorite of mine), but soccer is on another level, another echelon of fandom. Our young American soccer players grow up dreaming of one day putting on the colors of a European club, playing in the Emirates, or the Camp Nou.

The post-World Cup saga of Landon Donovan has certainly been interesting. Don Garber said Landon isn't for sale. Manchester City either didn't get the memo or doesn't care. Whether Donovan stays or goes remains in the balance. Does he need to? Does an American need to go to Europe to be successful?

I was still scratching my head over the events, or, more appropriately, lack of events, leading up to Monday night's announcement that US Soccer and Bob Bradley had agreed to a four year contract extension when I heard that, according to Martin Rogers of Yahoo! the retail price tag Major League Soccer had apparently affixed to Landon Donovan's head was $16 million.

STARTERS
Englishman Ian Darke has been hired by ESPN as their top soccer play by play announcer. Which presumably means he will be the new voice of Team USA.
dN
My NSC Minnesota Stars have clinched the #7 seed in the USSF D2 playoffs, and must now wait to find out if they will face Carolina or Vancouver in the first round!

After only two years, Sounders FC has already become a flourishing brand that raises the bar in Major League Soccer and serves as a model for franchises in all sports. And the best may be ahead.

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. – Flocked by family, friends, and familiar faces, Taylor Twellman, the greatest soccer player to ever wear a Revolution uniform, somberly announced his retirement from professional soccer Wednesday afternoon.

The thirty-year old striker's prolific career one which saw him accumulate 100 goals faster than anyone in MLS history – was cut short after suffering from the symptoms of post-concussion syndrome.

Our third, and final installment, in our Preston Zimmerman conversation as he answers the questions that you asked him right here on TSG:

Matthew:

Below are the answers to these questions. Hopefully I've answered them well and covered everything. I will talk to you later.