Commissioner Don Garber, who begins his second decade in charge of Major League Soccer, and other sports executives give their insights on the present state and future of America’s soccer league, which is coming off a period of growth yet has been hit by the same economic issues that have hurt other sports.
Category: Soccer America Magazine
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Backline: Rick Davis-American Cosmo Heads AYSO
When Rick Davis was in high school, he told his father he planned to be a professional athlete. "That's great," said his dad. "Someday you'll get a real job." Richard Sr., a physician, was right on both counts. Rick Davis had a great career as a pro soccer player and eventually got a "real job." […]
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MLS: Cubans Find Home
Of the many soccer players who have taken on the risks of defection, forward Maykel Galindo and midfielder Osvaldo Alonso have established themselves as valuable MLS players and done their nation proud.
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Americans Abroad: Making An impact
Americans continue to celebrate success of various degrees in foreign leagues. We look at 11 who stood out during the 2008-09 season, including young Marco Vidal, the latest Mexican-American whose career required a move south of the border.
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Women’s Professional Soccer: Success Stories
Brazilian Marta and Englishwoman Kelly Smith came with big reputations, but other foreigners have also had an immediate impact in Women’s Professional Soccer. Indeed, their success is credited with elevating the level of play in WPS to at least what it was at the height of the WUSA. Here’s a look at five foreign stars:
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Youth Beat: AYSO-The Volunteer Model Lives On
In an era when so much of youth soccer has become profit-driven, the 45-year-old American Youth Soccer Organization continues to provide low-cost play for children thanks to its steadfast belief in volunteer coaches.
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Americans Abroad: Maurice Edu’s Wild Ride
Sidelined for the summer by a knee injury, U.S. midfielder Maurice Edu has some time to reflect on a wild ride that has taken him from college soccer to the U.S. national team and Scotland in less than three years.
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MLS: Preki’s Thinking Game
The eight-time MLS All-Star is in his third season as head coach of Chivas USA, where he draws on his playing experiences in Europe and the United States to aid his quest for an MLS Cup title.
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World Cup Qualifying: USA’s Recurring Problems
A propensity to concede early goals plagued the U.S. again during its two Hexagonal matches in June, and an overall sluggishness in transition is one facet of the team’s game that needs to be improved between now and the 2010 World Cup.
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Backline: Coach Bora Feeling ‘Super’ About Latest Challenge
It’s past midnight when Bora Milutinovic answers the phone in Qatar, but no matter what time, no matter where he happens to be, the Bora optimism prevails.
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Youth Beat: Reality TV Uncovers Missed Talent
The story of this year’s winner of “Sueno MLS,” soccer’s answer to “American Idol,” underscores how high the odds are stacked against low-income children in American youth soccer.
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MLS: Conor Casey Settled Back Home
Conor Casey’s career has come full circle. Recruited out of Denver to play for the University of Portland, Casey moved on to Germany, where a six-year stint was marred by major knee injuries. Following a short stay in Toronto, the former U.S. Olympian landed in Colorado, for which he scored 11 goals last year and is among the MLS leaders this season.
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MLS: Claudio Lopez is Here to Play
Former Argentine international Claudio Lopez played all but two games last year in his MLS debut season. For 2009, he agreed to a much smaller salary while retaining a major role in the Wizards’ attempt to win its first MLS title since 2000.
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World Cup Qualifying: Frankie Hejduk
Frankie Hejduk, who played in the 1998 and 2002 World Cups but was sidelined in 2006, has set his sights on another World Cup.
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MLS: Zach Thornton the Gentle Giant
A stunning start to the 2009 season by Chivas USA has featured the return to prominence of goalkeeper Zach Thornton, a five-time All-Star during his years with Chicago.
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MLS: Viva Chivas USA
Sharp moves pushed Chivas USA to the top of the Major League Soccer standings – a remarkable achievement for a team battered by injuries.
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Youth Beat: The Girls Game – Higher Expectations
Anson Dorrance, the USA’s first world championship coach, and Pia Sundhage, its latest, share their views on how American girls soccer can keep getting better.
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Backline: USL – Islanders And Impact Are Favorites
The USL First Division is getting a lot of respect.
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World Cup Qualifying: Europe
Will Northern Ireland’s luck hold out and take it to the World Cup finals in South Africa? And what about Hungary, which shares the Group 1 lead with Denmark, and also hasn’t qualified for the finals since 1986? On the other hand, the biggest disappointment in European qualifying has been Portugal, which can’t buy a goal.
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World Cup Qualifying: USA
The first of four qualifying double-dates produced the standard four points as the USA beat Trinidad & Tobago, 3-0, in Nashville after tying, 2-2, in San Salvador, but also left some niggling questions yet to be resolved.
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MLS: Home From Abroad
Clint Mathis, Bobby Convey and Eddie Lewis all have played in the World Cup and lived the ups and downs of European soccer. For different reasons, they have returned home to settle down. They are discovering new roles on their MLS teams.
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Women’s Professional Soccer: Brandi Chastain
She’s 40, she’s whipped off her jersey and flashed a sports bra to celebrate winning a Women’s World Cup, she’s won world and domestic championships, and after more than two decades of competitive play she’s learning another new position.
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Women’s Professional Soccer: Marta
USA men’s coach Bob Bradley once compared defending against Brazil to being fleeced by the shell game; no matter where you think the ball is, or it’s going to be, it pops up somewhere else.
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Backline: Sullivan Brings Unique Perspective To Telecasts
The mind of Christopher Sullivan works in myriad ways, and dozens of times a year, during telecasts of MLS matches or international games, viewers of Fox Soccer Channel hear the views and ideas of a former U.S. international steeped in many facets of the game. He played collegiately at the University of Tampa and professionally […]