When Michael Lewis published Moneyball in 2003, it instantly became one of the most influential books about American sports in a generation. Michael Lewis, normally a financial writer, analyzed how baseball's Oakland A's managed to consistently produce highly competitive teams despite a payroll that was a fraction of their biggest rivals.

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Surprisingly little has been written about the National Soccer Hall of Fame closing its doors to the public, although Michael Lewis is sad and Dan Loney thinks the United States Soccer Federation should take the blame. There have also been wild proposals on BigSoccer to move the Hall to New York's new stadium or some such place. Click to continue reading...

Michael Lewis of Big Apple Soccer spoke to Juan Carlos Osorio in his first interview since stepping down as head coach of the New York Red Bulls.
"When I stepped aside, I felt they would be relieved and there was a sense of urgency," Osorio said. "I am not surprised the team won two games. Click to continue reading...

Hey everybody, kind of a slow news day for the Fire (so far anyway...) so I'm taking a little break from writing and simply sharing some links today. I'll be back to the grind tomorrow with a Fire Practice Report though, so keep an eye out for that.Steve Davis of ESPN Soccernet writes about the somewhat surprising fact that tickets are still available for Saturday's World Cup Qualifier between the U.

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Yeah, another dead homie. Look at that table. Not even Arena could survive. Seriously, that team is the best argument the league has for relegation - 14 seasons of pure suck, a stadium that's drained away more MLS treasure than every other team combined, and the most retarded logo/mascot/sponsor the league has ever seen. Click to continue reading...

Michael Lewis of Big Apple Soccer is reporting that the New York Red Bulls team is for sale, and that FC Barcelona is the potential buyer!
Wow! Wow! Wow!
Then again it's not much of a surprise, as Red Bull has shown no real clue how to run a team in MLS. Yes, the stadium building project is beyond parallel in the league, but the rest of their project has been miserable most of the time. Click to continue reading...

So much for a slow summer Friday.
Earlier today, New York Red Bulls Head Coach Juan Carlos Osorio quit the team with eight matches remaining in the MLS season. Osorio, who joined the club in 2007, took New York to its highest point, the 2008 MLS Cup Final, and it's lowest, a current 16-match winless streak across all competitions. Click to continue reading...

There has been more dirty laundry being floated around the final season of the swamp and in the practice facility at Montclair State University when it comes to both Head Coach Juan Carlos Osorio & Sporting Director Jeff Agoos. Michael Lewis of the New York Daily News has reported on his Big Apple Soccer Blog that there is a possibility that Juan Pablo Angel might not return to the club either thru the new coach or could make the decision on his own.

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According to Michael Lewis of the Salt Lake Tribune (click here for the original and all the details), 20 year old left-sided Argentinian midfielder/defender formerly of Quilmes has impressed coach Jason Kreis and should be signed soon. You may recall hearing about this trialist on our July 17, 2009 post here. Click to continue reading...

It looks like the Borough Boys will have to wait for an MLS team in Queens.
According to Michael Lewis at the NY Daily News:

New York City soccer fans will have to wait longer than expected for an MLS expansion team in the city.
MLS commissioner Don Garber said on Thursday night that plans for a team has been placed on hold.

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Yes, I have missed alot this week. So lets recap, shall we?

- The CONCACAF Champions League draw is set, and the Bulls face their first challenge in the form of the W Connection of Trinidad and Tobago. The first match will be away for the Bulls, on July 30, and the home half will be played on the 5th of August.

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Real Salt Lake owner Dave Checketts gave Jason Kreis the proverbial kiss of death yesterday, giving his embattled coach a VOTE OF CONFIDENCE.
Michael Lewis of The Salt Lake Tribune says that Checketts was initially reluctant to endorse Kreis' performance, but later said that the team has "great leadership". Click to continue reading...

New York Red Bulls 2 : 3 D.C. UnitedSix Word Novel Recap

Good day for DC in Nuyawk.

Media, Traditional and OtherwiseThe New York Post, Brian Lewis: "The Red Bulls _ and the MetroStars before them _ have specialized in heartbreaking defeats in their history, but few have been as stunning or as maddening as today's collapse"
The Washington Post, Steve Goff: "A 90-degree afternoon on unforgiving artificial turf had taken its toll on mind, body and soul, and considering United's futility on the road the past year, a draw with the New York Red Bulls might have been sufficient. Click to continue reading...

I've really enjoyed seeing more coverage of soccer in Utah (although it's pretty RSL-centric). I wanted to get a better feel for the coverage, so I asked Michael Lewis from the Salt Lake Tribune James Edward of the Deseret News if they'd be willing to answer some questions in a joint interview. They were both happy to respond, and the following is the result:

Covering soccer seems like a dream job to a lot of fans, how did you end up in your positions?

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Here's just a quick piece from The Huffington Post, highlighting a Robin Roberts interview with Elizabeth Edwards about her commitment to work with the Obama team - especially focusing on health care issues. Meanwhile Charlie Black's disturbing statement quoted in Fortune Magazine has raised lots of eyebrows. Click to continue reading...