As many MLS teams stock up on Latin players with the expanded options for international players, more Americans are finding places to play not far from the Arctic Circle.
Category: Soccer America Magazine
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Inside Africa
The African Nations Cup remains an enigma. It grows in international stature but is still beset by organizational problems. Egypt beat its more fancied rivals to defend its title at the competition recently held in Ghana.
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Jeff Agoos: Red Bull Sporting Director
Five-time MLS champion relishes opportunity to have impact at all levels of the organization.
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Sacha Kljestan: One Piece of Midfield Puzzle
U.S. U-23 head coach Peter Nowak has the same issues juggling his domestic and European-based players for Olympic qualifying as does Bob Bradley with the national team, yet he’s assigned the role of captain to Chivas USA midfielder Sacha Kljestan.
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MLS Players Take Power
Their titles range from president to technical director to general manager, and their duties and responsibilities differ greatly, but former players are rapidly filling MLS front-office positions.
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Youth Beat: Tackling Pay-to-Play
Lifting the cost burden off players remains the big challenge for elite youth clubs.
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Michael Bradley’s All-Around Rise
It seems natural for the son of a prominent coach to become a savvy player, but young Michael Bradley’s achievements have proved truly remarkable.
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Backline: Tom Dooley Multi-tasks From So Cal
The two-time U.S. World Cup veteran stays on the ball in various ways.
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Life In the Pros: The New Generation
Top picks in the 2008 MLS SuperDraft include members of Generation adidas, the program that offers tuition grants to players who skip college ball or leave before completing their NCAA eligibility.
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MLS: Sweet Scenario in Seattle
Entertainer and producer Drew Carey is the most famous member of the group investing in a Seattle MLS franchise, yet two other members also bring business clout and a love for soccer to the table.
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2008 Best Girls Clubs
For the second year in a row, Eclipse Select and the Dallas Texans are 1-2 in Soccer America’s rankings of the Best Girls Clubs. Southern California’s Slammers moved up two spots to No. 3.
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2008 Best Boys Clubs
For the first time since Soccer America began its annual rankings of the Best Boys Clubs, the Dallas Texans are No. 1. They edged the Chicago Magic, first the last three years. Arsenal FC of Southern California again completed the podium.
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Euro 2008 Countdown: The New Wave
A new generation of stars is set to take over European soccer. Here’s a look at some of the young players who could play key roles at the 2008 European Championship.
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Youth Beat: A Different Approach
A replica of the French federation’s youth development program may not be feasible in the USA, but some key aspects of the system are worth considering.
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MLS Preseason Prospectus
A strong crop of defenders marked the 2008 MLS SuperDraft but none went in the first five picks, kicking off a day of surprises and disappointments.
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Maurice Edu: Fast Track to Stardom
Maurice Edu was hardly noticed when he was being recruited out of high school in California, but the midfielder made a quick transition from the University of Maryland to MLS’s Toronto FC and an even quicker adjustment to the international game with three wins, all shutouts, in his first three starts for the U.S. national team.
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Backline: Oscar Pareja Joins U.S. Effort
The addition of Colombian vet makes U-17 coaching staff heavy on experience.
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Peter Nowak: A Mental Approach
Peter Nowak is the only man to win an MLS title as a player (Chicago, 1998) and head coach (D.C. United, 2004). The former Polish international fills a dual role as assistant coach to Bob Bradley with the national team and head coach of the U-23 team vying to qualify for the 2008 Olympics.
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Pia Sundhage: A Way of Living
For the first time, U.S. Soccer has hired a foreigner to coach its women’s team. Former Swedish star Pia Sundhage brings two decades of international experience as a player and three seasons coaching in the WUSA to her new job. Most important, she brings a passion for soccer that she hopes will rub off on her players.
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MLS: A-Team Takes on San Jose
First owned by MLS, then owned or operated by various out-of-town ownership groups, and finally shipped off to Houston, the former San Jose franchise never took root in the Bay Area. But a group fronted by Oakland A’s co-owners Lew Wolff and John Fisher is gearing up to launch the expansion Quakes this spring.
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Youth Beat: Total Soccer for Children
When should coaches start assigning specific positions to young players?
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World Cup 2010: Into Africa
The World Cup is finally coming to Africa, to be hosted by a nation that had been banned from international soccer up until just 15 years ago.
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Bob Bradley Interview: ‘More of a Comfort Level’
Bob Bradley looks back on his first year at the helm of the U.S. national team, the challenges going into World Cup 2010 qualifying, and the state of the U.S. game in general.
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MLS Playoff 2007 Best XI
Around the world, cup competitions are a volatile, unpredictable counterpart to the long grinding slog of league play. In the United States, the MLS season is condensed into a frantic burst of tense showdowns that determine the champion.
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Ellinger: U.S. Youth Soccer ‘renews focus’
John Ellinger has coached some of the most brilliant young American players in the nation’s history and brings vast experience to new USYS Technical Director role.