By their own standards, Real Salt Lake isn't getting it done as we move into the final weeks of the
season. For one of the few Major League Soccer clubs to establish a style and challenge other teams
to overcome it, RSL is in trouble. What once worked is no longer as threatening. A club that has
had to put up with over a season's worth of commentary about their age, keeping a core group.
By Tony Edwards - San Jose, CA (Sep 4, 2012) US Soccer Players -- For your post-holiday reading,
Tony looks at Major League Soccer clubs going in different directions and if there is hope for the
teams on the slide. Tell me something good about Saturday night's New England – Philadelphia
game? Philadelphia completed a lot of passes and had lots of possession.
By Charles Boehm - WASHINGTON, DC (Aug 1, 2012) US Soccer Players -- Naturally, last week's MLS
All-Star Game was all about the big names, as Chelsea's European champions challenged David
Beckham, Landon Donovan, and the rest of the North America-based blue-chippers to show their best
in front of an international audience.
Adidas football unveiled it's latest innovation today the micoach Elite system which will track
players physical conditions in realtime. As one of our staffers learned at the presser, Major
League Soccer clubs will be the first to don these mini devices on their clothing. There's all
these fancy bells, whistles and shiny things [.
Both NY and LA look like buyers this summer. (Getty Images)
The summer transfer window is close to opening here for Major League Soccer clubs. A couple
clubs have already set moves in place to have new players mostly Designated Players join their
clubs once the window opens.
Normally I'd do a buyers and sellers kind of post for something like this but honestly, in a
league like MLS, I think teams are either traders or buyers.
The new-look U.S. Open Cup saw most of the American-based Major League Soccer clubs in action on
Tuesday evening. At PPL Park, the Philadelphia Union rode two goals from Freddy Adu to outmatch the
visiting USL-Pro side Rochester Rhinos, 3-0. ...
Visit http://www.majorleaguesoccertalk.com for the rest of the story.
By J Hutcherson - WASHINGTON, DC (May 30, 2012) US Soccer Players -- It would be interesting to be
able to write that the US Open Cup night of upsets really changed things. Seven Major League Soccer
clubs have... and this is where we run into trouble. Underachieved? Disappointed? Perhaps the best
way to put it is that these seven clubs - and potentially two more later tonight - didn't take
advantage of an opportunity.
Seven Major League Soccer clubs lost in US Open Cup play on Tuesday night, with two games remaining
to determine the field for the Fourth Round. On Tuesday, San Antonio (NASL) shutout Houston 1-0 and
Michigan (PDL) beat Chicago 3-2 in overtime. In a break from the upsets, Sporting KC beat Orlando
(USL Pro) 3-2 and DC United needed overtime to get past Richmond (USL Pro) 2-1.
The importance of television rights to soccer clubs and leagues cannot be overstated. Through
these contracts, television networks disperse an enormous amount of currency worldwide to soccer
leagues and their clubs. Television rights and distribution are the lifeblood of any league in any
sport across the globe.
By J Hutcherson - WASHINGTON, DC (May 8, 2012) US Soccer Players -- The summer touring schedule
starts tomorrow night in Chester, PA. Schalke 04 officially finished 3rd in the Bundesliga on
Saturday and are now in the United States to play the Philadelphia Union. More will follow.
Yesterday, MLS and Creative Artists announced the full World Football Challenge schedule, with two
out of the five games involving Major League Soccer clubs.
Santos Laguna 6 - Toronto 2 (7-3 agg) The second-half of the Santos Laguna - Toronto semifinal
series second-leg turned into a familiar story for Major League Soccer clubs playing in Mexico.
After heading into halftime tied 2-2 with Toronto ahead on away goals, the bottom fell out for the
MLS club. It was Toronto going ahead on the road, with Joao Plata scoring in the 14th minute.
In this special podcast recorded for Forza Futbol, we have Simon Kuper, author of the recently
published Soccernomics 2nd edition.
Simon is also the author of "Football Against the Enemy", "Ajax, the Dutch, the
War" among others. Simon writes a weekly column in Financial Times.
Our series of posts this week has analysed the various impacts geography can have on the fortunes
of soccer clubs. To round things off, we thought we would examine a cross section of eight cities,
towns and city regions which can be said to be under performing in football terms and which may or
may not have the potential to rise to Championship status or above.
Sure, it might seem odd to write a post about the demise of Liverpool FC after they booked their
place in the FA Cup final, but the win at Wembley and their Carling Cup victory mask how far the
once mighty club from Merseyside has fallen.
Currently 8th in the table, one point behind cross-town rivals Everton and 13 points adrift of 4th
place Tottenham, Liverpool are staring at their third consecutive season without the lifeblood of
modern European soccer clubs - the Champions League.
They were the underdog going into Sunday's afternoon affair versus the Seattle Sounders, but
hometown fans would never had known it after the Portland Timbers won 2-1.
With a national television audience tuned in on ESPN, Portland Soccer fans showed how much they
care about their MLS team.
Do you know what else they have in common? They're the only two teams in the "worst team in the
world" conversation with Toronto FC, who had lost nine straight league matches to open the season
before beating the Union on Saturday.
A second tier club since relegation from Ligue 1 in 2009, Football Club de Nantes is one of the
most successful soccer clubs in French football with eight Ligue 1...
Botafogo de Futebol e Regatas (usually called Botafogo) is one of the four major soccer clubs in
Rio de Janeiro along with Flamengo, Fluminense and Vasco da Gama. The club...
Philadelphia's Junior Lone Star will prepare for their National Premier Soccer League season
opener away at Lehigh Valley's FC Sonic on May 18 with a series of preseason warmup away games that
includes encounters with PDL sides Reading United and Ocean City Nor'easters.
Two other PDL teams, Jersey Express and newcomers Boston Victory SC, are also on the
schedule.
As I mentioned in my "The Necessity for Soccer Supporter Groups" post, I emphasize the
importance of women's soccer supporter groups in helping grow the game. I also call attention to
fan's accessibility, or lack of, to these supporter groups. After all, soccer supporter groups
should be one of the instrumental tools helping soccer organizations and fans to connect with each
other and to sustain the game in the United States.
As I mentioned in my "The Necessity for Soccer Supporter Groups" post, I emphasize the
importance of women's soccer supporter groups in helping grow the game. I also call attention to
fan's accessibility, or lack of, to these supporter groups. After all, soccer supporter groups
should be one of the instrumental tools helping soccer organizations and fans to connect with each
other and to sustain the game in the United States.
Those who frequently interact with our Twitter account @SoccerSupport
would have noticed recent discussions about an upcoming Soccer Tech Conference in
Los Angeles next month. We are happy to report this is indeed close to becoming a
reality and is in the final phases of organization.
The world's fastest man thinks he can offer some assistance to one of the world's most storied
soccer clubs.
Usain Bolt, who set an Olympic record in the 100-meter dash with his 9.63-second run on Sunday
to capture his second straight gold medal in the event, claims that he could make a difference for
Manchester United if given the opportunity for a trial, something that he is reportedly serious
about taking on before he departs England after the conclusion of the Olympics.
We have mentioned in previous posts that we believe one of the major impediments to the growth
of soccer in the U.S. is that of the costs to play. Talented kids have often fallen through the
cracks due to the fees associated with the transition/progression from recreational to select
soccer and especially those that come from low-socio economic areas.
My household consists of five children ranging in ages from 6 to 13, all involved in multiple
activities throughout the school year. While soccer is the primary sport for our kids, they also
participate in chorus, band, school plays, school clubs and committees, and softball/baseball
(which they play simultaneously with spring intramural and travel soccer.
Photo: Glenn Riegel, courtesy of Reading United AC
(Editor's Note: Over the next three months, PSP will give readers an unprecedented look
inside one of the nation's top minor league soccer clubs, Reading United AC, which plays in theÂ
Premier Development League, the fourth tier of American soccer, and draws its players from
colleges around the country.
Every 45 seconds a child in Africa dies from a malaria infection - a preventable disease carried by
mosquitoes. We can help. This is why we created the OSA World Juggle-a-thon, a worldwide fundraiser
put on by OnlineSoccerAcademy.com to support the Nothing But Nets campaign.
Nothing But Nets is a global, grassroots campaign to save lives by preventing malaria, a leading
killer of children in Africa.
The Philadelphia Union will be without the services of Sheanon Williams for two weeks, as the
starting right back has flown to Nashville to join the under-23 United States Men's National Team
(USMNT). A source informed the Brotherly Game that Caleb Port, the under-23 USMNT head coach,
called up Williams to replace Josua Gatt on the youth national team's roster.
Following on from our latest blog post ‘Show Me The Money – The Myths And Realities Of Club
Sponsorship, Administration And Grants' and the ensuing interest it generated there was no better
platform to build on these funding issues than to make it the topic for our latest #SoccerSpeakUSA
chat.
