You can debate all you want about the necessity of singing the national anthem before a sporting event. But after watching Malea Emma Tjandrawidjaja bring down the house with her MLS Cup anthem, you can’t debate the chills.
Tjandrawidjaja, a 7-year-old, absolutely crushed it with an awesome rendition of the Star-Spangled Banner. Just watch.
This is the best. This is just the best. After a year dictated by the scummy musings of Anthony Precourt and the Columbus Crew moving to Austin, we finally saw the fruits of the #SaveTheCrew movement and the long-term vision of soon-to-be owners Dee and Jimmy Haslam (the owners of the Cleveland Browns) today. The Crew buyers are pledging an investment of $645 million in the club, a gobsmacking total which includes the cost of a $230 million stadium in Columbus’ downtown Arena District.
For the past four seasons, the United Soccer League has had tremendous growth, both on and off the pitch, growing from 14 clubs in 2014 to 33 during the most recent campaign. And while attendance in professional sports is a hotly contested topic, there is no denying that the league has seen a tremendous return on its investment. However, as the USL attendance star, FC Cincinnati, heads to MLS in 2019, can the league maintain the current heights?
This weekend was full of official transfer business for two of the USMNT’s brightest stars: It’s been long-anticipated, but New York Red Bulls midfielder Tyler Adams, 19, will officially join Bundesliga side RB Leipzig when the January transfer window opens, and Christian Pulisic, 20, was the subject of an official transfer approach from Premier League club Chelsea.
45-year-old New Jersey native Gregg Berhalter has been named manager of the USMNT with a contract running through the 2022 World Cup, according to ESPN. Berhalter arrives from the Columbus Crew after leading the club to the MLS Playoffs in four out of his five seasons at the helm.
In the early days of Major League Soccer, it wasn’t uncommon for players to take up part-time jobs in the offseason to supplement what was often meager pay. While many players made a comfortable living, rookies and squad players often struggled to make ends meet.
These days, every MLS player makes at least $54,000 — a livable wage to be sure, but nothing spectacular. Minnesota United center back Brent Kallman recently made more than that playing another — far less physically demanding — game.
Is Sydney Leroux pregnant again?!
Seismic activity was detected in the social media world recently when American soccer power couple Sydney Leroux Dwyer and Dom Dwyer announced they are expecting their second child. The Orlando Pride forward released the big news via her Instagram account with this hilarious picture worth a thousand words.
As if Kansas City hadn’t fallen hard enough for Patrick Mahomes — what with his absurd 37 touchdowns and 330 yards passing per game as a sophomore in the NFL — the Chiefs quarterback gained even more fans on Thursday night by turning out in support of Sporting KC during the MLS playoffs.
While MLS has grown leaps and bounds over the past two decades, that doesn't correlate to each of the respective clubs. In 1998 the Chicago Fire were an expansion side that won the MLS Cup and the U.S. Open Cup. The club captured another three Open Cups and the 2003 Supporters' Shield. A solid first decade of action in the Windy City was headlined by the construction of a new 20,000-seat, soccer-specific stadium.