USA

Costa Rica’s Castro Is Looking Better Than Mexico’s Efrain Alvarez, USA’s Gianluca Busio At Concacaf U-17 Championship

Watch a couple minutes of Concacaf U-17 Championship highlights and one thing is clear: There is a lot of talent in the youth ranks at some of North America and Central America. 

This isn’t that surprising to anyone who follows MLS these days. Two of the biggest stars in the field are Mexico’s Efrain Alvarez and the United States’ Gianluca Busio, two 16-year-olds who are already making waves in MLS. 

USL Launches New Academy Cup As It Continues To Shape The Future Of U.S. Soccer

Prior to the start of the 2019 season, the USL launched its new league brand as the organization looks to expand its reach over U.S. soccer. The USL was renamed the USL Championship, a new USL League One (third tier) was created and the Premier Development League (PDL) was rebranded as USL League Two — straight out of the FA playbook in England.

And while expansion across all three tiers will continue, the USL's next focus is formalizing academy competitions for the next generation of players. 

Horrendous Piece Of MLS Officiating Ends With Ref Abusing VAR System To Bail Himself Out

Last night, D.C. United defeated the Columbus Crew 3-1 at Audi Field thanks to goals from Luciano Acosta, Wayne Rooney and Paul Arriola, but the complexion of the match would’ve been wildly different had the Crew’s 22nd-minute opener been allowed to stand.

With the score level at 0-0, referee Ted Unkel got mixed up in the play with United in possession. A pass intended for Acosta never reached its mark because of the ref’s interference, and Wil Trapp immediately released Pedro Santos going the other way. Santos hammered home his finish, 1-0 to the Crew.  

American Teen Ledezma Scores First Goal Since Joining PSV Eindhoven

Richard Ledezma, an 18-year-old Phoenix native, scored his first goal since joining PSV Eindhoven on Saturday, netting in a 1-1 draw for the U-19s against NAC Breda.

Ledezma, a dual national who has represented the USMNT at youth levels but remains eligible to represent Mexico, moved to the Netherlands in December. 

Weston McKennie On Relegation Anxiety, Life In Germany And The USMNT’s Next Cycle

It’s raining sideways in Herzogenaurach on Monday evening with the temperature hovering in the low 40s. With a colossal match against Augsburg — one place above Schalke in the desperate battle to avoid the Bundesliga relegation playoff — looming the following Sunday, you could forgive Weston McKennie for being in a foul mood after traveling over 400 kilometers from Gelsenkirchen to arrive at adidas headquarters in Herzo for an evening of interviews. 

18 Soccer Players Who Are UFC Fans And Aren’t Afraid To Show It

On the face of it, soccer and MMA have little in common. One relies on teamwork, creativity and knocking a ball around; the other relies on strength, power and endurance. But there are more soccer players who are UFC fans than you might think, despite their differences.

From Cristiano to Zlatan, footballers have been inspired by UFC fighters (and sometimes vice versa). 

Claudio Reyna’s Son Helps Save U-17 USMNT With 3-Goal Comeback To Open Concacaf U-17 Championship

Giovanni Reyna scored on a 24-yard free kick to cap a rally from two goals down as the U-17 USMNT beat Canada 3-2 to open the Concacaf U-17 Championship on Thursday in Bradenton, Florida. 

Reyna, the son of former USMNT captain and current NYCFC director of operations Claudio Reyna, had a goal and an assist for the U.S. youth team as it began its quest to qualify for the U-17 World Cup to be played in Brazil later this year.

Seattle Sounders Sign Two Academy And USYNT Standouts

Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Wayne Rooney may grab the headlines, but Major League Soccer is seeing noticeable growth from the other side of the career timeline. Efrain Alvarez, Paxton Pomykal and Gianluca Busio have already had tremendous starts to their 2019 campaigns and should continue to be regular contributors for the Galaxy, FC Dallas, and Sporting Kansas City, respectively.

Jill Ellis Announces USWNT World Cup Roster To Defend 2015 Title With A Couple Key Inclusions

Coach Jill Ellis unveiled her USWNT World Cup roster for the 2019 Women’s World Cup on Thursday, the 23 players who will attempt to defend their title and win a record fourth championship.

The 2019 USWNT World Cup roster includes few surprises. Half of the squad (12 of 23) returns from the 2015 team, including eight who started the final. 

In Her Own Words: Kristine Lilly On The Most Important Play In The History Of U.S. Soccer No One Remembers

There are moments in a match that can go unremembered by the final whistle. Sometimes these are simple misfired shots or dubious fouls, forgotten over the course of a long match. Other times, as it was on a sweltering day in Southern California in 1999, they are significant in the moment but largely overshadowed by events later in the game. 

Pages