Recently named the USMNT Young Male Player of the Year, Sergiño Dest has had quite an impressive 2019-20 season already. He's logged major minutes for Ajax in the Eredivisie and chose to represent the USMNT over the Netherlands (still trying to figure out why, to be honest).
Sports and politics have long been intertwined. For as long as athletes have had a platform, they’ve used it to speak up for their beliefs and ideals, from Muhammad Ali and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to Tom Brady and LeBron James.
But when it comes to American politics, soccer players have long been on the periphery, too obscure for anyone to really notice come election day. That began to change somewhat in 2016, and based on an announcement on Friday, 2020 could be a big year for American soccer players in politics.
Julie Ertz, a two-time World Cup winner, and Christian Pulisic, a one-time Gold Cup runner-up, were named to Forbes’ 30 Under 30 list for 2020, announced Tuesday. The annual list recognizes high-performing individuals under the age of 30. Last year, Crystal Dunn was the lone soocer player selected.
Y’all remember Terrence Boyd?
At the start of the decade, Boyd, a German-born striker with an American father, was part of the influx of German-Americans brought into the fold of the USMNT under then-coach Jürgen Klinsmann.
Jürgen Klinsmann finally found another coaching job, for now.
Three years and six days after Klinsmann was fired by U.S. Soccer amidst a disastrous World Cup qualifying campaign (one that would only get more disastrous), the German was hired by Hertha Berlin to coach the Bundesliga side.
With both teams having completed their 2019 schedules, U.S. Soccer announced the six women and six men nominated for Player of the Year for the USWNT and USMNT on Tuesday.
The list for Female Player of the Year in the U.S. includes some of the best players in the world. The nominees for Male Player of the Year? Not so much.
Here are your 2019 #USWNT Player of the Year nominees!
The 2019 FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup kicked off today in Luque, Paraguay, and we’re going to be all about it over the next 10 days.
There’s nothing like it — the way you can make a little tee for your free kick before smashing it off a sand dune to leave the keeper wrong-footed; the sight of a goalie slowly juggling it up the beach with one knee while looking the supreme image of concentrated paranoia and anxiety; the civil engineering majors giving it hell; the sound of “What’s Luv?” by Fat Joe and Ashanti blaring out the speakers.
Michael Bradley was a late scratch from the USMNT roster for its November Concacaf Nations League matches. Injured in Toronto FC’s defeat in the MLS Cup final a few days prior, coach Gregg Berhalter would not be able to rely on his most experienced midfielder for must-win matches against Canada and Cuba.
Mexico pushed Brazil to the brink in the final of Sunday's 2019 FIFA U-17 World Cup, but late goals from Kaio Jorge and Lázaro sent a raucous crowd of over 15,000 into raptures in Brasília. Inspirational captain Eugenio Pizzuto had provided the assist on Bryan Gonzalez’s opener for El Tri in the 66th minute, but Brazil’s ferocious comeback began in the 84th with Kaio’s VAR-assisted penalty and ended — just before the match was headed straight to a shootout — with Lázaro’s stunning winner with only one minute remaining in stoppage time.
Sergiño Dest knows how to make an entrance. Dest became cap-tied to the USMNT as the Americans romped over Canada 4-1 on Friday night in Orlando, Florida. Despite the four goals, an electric Dest elastico was easily the highlight of the night for the U.S.