National Teams

On a cold Thursday night in Columbus, Ohio, the USWNT beat Sweden 3-2 in the first match for the new U.S. head coach Vlatko Andonovski. 

While the U.S. was sent packing after the group stage following its worst-ever showing at a FIFA U-17 World Cup, Mexico is through to the quarterfinals following a 2-0 victory over Japan in Gama, Brazil, on Wednesday. If you were already a little disappointed with U.S. Soccer following the dismal showing, you’ll be pleased to know that Mexico’s success is even further damnation of our bumbling federation.

Tarania “Plum Plum” Clarke, a member of the Jamaica women’s national team and captain of reigning Jamaica champion Waterhouse FC, was stabbed to death on Thursday in Kingston, Jamaica, authorities confirmed Friday.

Police said Clarke, 20, was killed by another woman after a fight broke out at a bar after a dispute over a cell phone. That woman, who has not been identified, has been arrested. 

Clarke had planned on moving to the United States in 2020 to go to college.

Vlatko Andonovski will replace two-time Women’s World Cup-winner Jill Ellis as head coach of the USMNT, according to sources.

First reported by Sports Illustrated’s Grant Wahl and then New York Times’ Andrew Das, at least two officials close to the situation have said he will be introduced as head coach early next week. 

FIFA has once again chosen money over human rights. And FIFA president Gianni Infantino’s indifference is infuriating. 

China will host the revamped, 24-team Club World Cup in 2021, FIFA announced Thursday, once again eschewing human rights in favor of handing coveted hosting rights to authoritarian governments. 

The latest FIFA World Ranking has been released, and it comes as no surprise that the USMNT has taken a slight tumble. Any good grace that was earned with a 7-0 beatdown of Cuba was subsequently withdrawn following a nightmarishly disjointed performance against Canada, and the U.S. has fallen two places to a global ranking of 23.

Colorado native Lindsey Horan recently shared her story about how she started her journey to achieve her dreams with The Players’ Tribune. Horan had her goals set from a young age, when she dreamed of being the best football player in the world. Her mindset remains the same today, except now she’s living out her dream. 


The numbers are officially in, and the 2019 Women's World Cup viewership totals are astronomical — double what they were in 2015 by some of the most important metrics.

We’re a little over a month away from the 2019 FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup in Asunción, Paraguay, but the defending champion has just delivered a timely reminder of its mastery of the sand. The World Beach Games wrapped up yesterday in Doha, Qatar, and it was Brazil that captured the men’s beach soccer title following a 9-3 victory over Russia in the gold medal match.

Josh Sargent sprinted to the sideline, thinking his race had been run. Alas, even substitutions proved too difficult for the USMNT on Tuesday: The substitution board read 15, not Sargent’s No. 19; the striker was to suffer through the full 90, just like all the fans watching on TV.