The USMNT coach has always respected players from the domestic league, and this summer is likely to be a showcase of the talent available in MLSAmerican heroes tend to have a familiar look. Indeed, the US national team took to the field on Saturday in a new shirt that would suit Captain America perfectly: stripes across the chest, stars along the shoulders. But while the look is a familiar one around the fourth of July, those who wore it in the 2-1 friendly win over Ghana were not.This was something of a new-look US side, with three players handed their debuts. Dom Dwyer, the English-born striker who recently received American citizenship, scored the opener as Kelyn Rowe and Kenny Saief...
The US should beat Honduras but if they fail then the pressure is likely to tell on a team left floundering at the end of the Jürgen Klinsmann eraLet’s start with the obvious — Honduras is a must win game. Concacaf qualifying may appear to present a ridiculously forgiving format, but there’s only so far that forgiveness stretches when you’ve lost your first two games and dropped points in the third. And no team has ever secured an automatic qualifying spot after losing its first three games, so unless the US team fancy playing in a wild card game after the Hex (and that’s a best case scenario…), they need to win on Friday. Continue reading...
After the uncertainty of the Klinsmann era, the sight of players being played in their best positions was a welcome oneWith all the drama and (often unfortunate) symbolism of the regime change at the USMNT, coupled with the urgency with which the US needs to find results, the game against Serbia was freighted with way more sense of expectation than it could ever be reasonably expected to bear. And that’s before we even contemplate the rhetoric around national identity from Tim Howard, or the comments on American ideals from Michael Bradley. Related: Bruce Arena's return to USMNT ends in goalless draw with Serbia Continue reading...
Disappointing results dominated the landscape for both the women’s and men’s teams this year as some famous names slipped off center stageThe USMNT had never lost a World Cup qualifying game in Guatemala when they played there in March, but a 21-game unbeaten streak against their opponents was about to end in abject fashion. Related: Guatemala 2-0 USA: World Cup 2018 qualifying – as it happened Related: Argentina hammer four past outclassed USA to reach Copa América final Related: Hope Solo ignores Zika chants to star in USA Olympic soccer win over France Related: Hope Solo's punishment shows that women are judged more harshly | Shireen Ahmed Related: Mexico's Rafael Márquez scores late winner to stun USA in World Cup...
If the USMNT coach really wants to make an impact on US soccer a second time around, he must look at the problems inherent in the American gameBruce Arena, the Brooklyn-born, no-nonsense manager who once elevated USA as high as fourth in the Fifa rankings, will return to a seat he once occupied for eight years. Between 1998 and 2006, the 65-year-old collected 71 wins for the US national team – including a memorable run to the 2002 World Cup quarter-finals – and became the most successful coach in the history of the national team. He has also proved himself on the domestic stage, winning five MLS Cups with LA Galaxy and DC United. Related: Bruce Arena's in-tray: the key...