On June 9, the USMNT drew with France 1-1. On June 13, the United States was awarded the 2026 World Cup. On July 30, LA Galaxy phenom and California native Efrain Alvarez admitted that he’d still be open to representing the U.S. over Mexico. Ladies and gentleman, in the aftermath of missing the world’s greatest event because of a defeat to Trinidad & Tobago, I’m not at all opposed to calling this a new golden era in U.S. soccer.
Tras la victoria por 3-1 del Borussia Dortmund en un amistoso contra el Liverpool el 22 de junio, el entrenador de los Reds, Jurgen Klopp - un admirador de larga data del estilo de juego del estadounidense de 19 años Christian Pulisic - se tomó un momento para hablar del fenómeno de Dortmund. En esencia, fue un llamado para que América despierte y aprenda a jugar al fútbol.
Last night, some kid named Christian Pulisic decided what better time to light things up than back at home in the U.S. of A. against the Champions League runners-up/the team that has a growing interest in him.
Wil Trapp doesn’t score often. In fact, what you’re about to see from the 25-year-old USMNT and Columbus Crew defensive midfielder is his first goal of the season and only the second of his six-year professional career. When you factor in the circumstances, it’s one of the best goals of 2018.
Emerson Hyndman left Texas at the age of 15 to join the Fulham youth academy in 2011, but the 22-year-old has yet to really break through with a first team in Britain, having also appeared for Rangers and his current club Bournemouth. But this Hyndman goal vs Levante in a preseason friendly makes a great case for the American to be included in the upcoming Premier League season.
Both born in 1998, France’s Kylian Mbappé and the U.S.’ Christian Pulisic are football superstars who, if both continue being great, will be of yet another generation that redefines the beautiful game. The question is, who’s the better 19-year-old?
If you say it now, you say it without a tone of mockery and without the ability to harvest likes through shit posting: The USMNT is in contention for the World Cup.
The road to Qatar begins in September with six high profile friendlies over the course of 74 days. It shouldn’t be difficult to get excited about tests against Brazil, Mexico, Colombia, Argentina, England and Italy, but if you’re still having trouble buying into the new cycle, U.S. Soccer is here to help with a beautifully produced series profiling America’s new generation.
With Mexico failing to advance beyond the Round of 16 for the seventh consecutive World Cup and South America failing to send a representative to the semifinals for the first time since 2006, a myriad of coaching changes are expected in both CONMEBOL and CONCACAF over the coming weeks. Key to all this is Mexico manager Juan Carlos Osorio, who’s expected to step down from his role when his contract expires at the end of the month.