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.
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.
It was a must-win match against a neighboring rival, one that had just thwomped the Americans a month earlier. And it kicked off with a half-empty stadium — and that’s being generous. The USMNT vs Canada attendance was shockingly sparse on Friday night in Orlando, Florida.
When former USMNT manager Jürgen Klinsmann labelled the newfangled CONCACAF Nations League a “waste of time” back in October (rich enough coming from a coach that inspired his team to defeats against Mexico, Costa Rica and Guatemala by a combined scoreline of 8-1 during 2018 World Cup qualifying), it was easy to grasp the German’s point: If you limit the amount of big matches you have against quality opponents, you limit your growth.
The USMNT approaches Friday’s CONCACAF Nations League match against Canada needing a victory to have any chance of advancing to the semifinals of the competition, and they'll do so without attacking catalyst Christian Pulisic, who misses out with a hip injury he sustained against Crystal Palace last Saturday.
Christian Pulisic has scored yet again. *Insert hyperbole here about the young American while ignoring the fact he barely played at the start of the season and up-and-down performances are all just a part of the process for young players.*
What is worrying, however, is the injury sustained as Pulisic scored on Saturday.
Soccer in America is failing, they say. The USMNT sucks! The USWNT will soon be passed by Europeans!
Soccer, we’ve been told, will never fully succeed in America.
Well now, Americans have found a way to stay relevant in soccer — at least once our robot overlords take over.
In a series of videos that is sure haunt your nightmares, some “Mini Cheetah” robots from MIT have been shown to frolic, run, gallop, trot, prance, do backflips and, yes, play soccer.
If you Google “Tyler Boyd” you’re going to be given results about some American football player who will never earn the love and admiration of Turkish soccer fans. The real Tyler Boyd, the New Zealand-born USMNT winger, is finally starting to win over those in Istanbul.
Tyler Boyd, the soccer player, joined Turkish club Beşiktaş in July, shortly after switching international allegiances from the country of his birth and father (New Zealand) to the country of his mother (U.S.).
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.
Finally, some good news surrounding the U.S. men’s national team. 18-year-old Ajax defender Sergiño Dest has committed his future to the Yanks, and he'll hopefully be on display if we can qualify for the 2022 World Cup.