The midfielder was born in the UK but his career was made in America. As the US game struggles on the world stage fans need all the comfort they can getHas a call-up to the England Under-21 squad ever caused such a stir? When news broke on Sunday that Jack Harrison had been selected for Aidy Boothroyd’s squad, some of the game’s greats were quick to praise the New York City FC winger for his belated international recognition. “So happy for you,” Frank Lampard wrote on Instagram. “Top man, you deserve it and more.” David Villa went one step further. “Congrats golden boy,” the Spain World Cup winner eulogized on Twitter. “You deserve it, Jack! We are proud of you!” That...
NYCFC’s ‘home’ game 110 miles from their temporary home ground reaffirmed the fact that one of the league’s star clubs are still without a permanent homeIt was billed as a home game, but it was the loosest definition of the term. Even Patrick Vieira admitted as much. “We treated it like an away game,” the New York City FC head coach said.On Saturday, New York City fans endured up to seven-hour round trips to East Hartford, Connecticut, for their ‘home’ game against the Houston Dynamo, a match they drew 1-1. Related: Ashley Cole still burns: forgotten man will not forget his English foes | Ewan Murray Together, we are stronger. @NYCFC pic.twitter.com/Iq1icp7ZYjEast Hartford! The New York City of Connecticut! #NYCvHOU...
MLS has long been derided as a retirement home for aging stars. But some young English players are choosing to kickstart their careers in the StatesOver the last decade, Major League Soccer has attracted its fair share of British footballers. Since the league’s watershed moment with David Beckham’s acquisition, the likes of Steven Gerrard, Frank Lampard, Jermain Defoe and Ashley Cole have taken their talents to North America.Of course, they all had one thing in common: their careers were in their twilight years when they made the move to MLS. It took a few years for Beckham’s superstar sheen to settle down enough for him to play quality football. Gerrard struggled to adapt to the league after his love affair...
How did the Five Stripes become MLS’s most popular team five months after their first ever game? Shifting attitudes towards football in the US explain a lot Two Major League Soccer expansion clubs first took the field in March 2017, both bearing the moniker United. One in Minneapolis, the other in Atlanta – a city in that lower-third of the American map which, conventional wisdom holds, stands in stark opposition to the globalist concerns of either American coast, and could therefore never deign to care about a sport as preposterously effete as soccer, where flopping is rewarded. Five months later, Atlanta United boast the highest average home attendance in Major League Soccer history (46,318 fans per game, more than any...
The veteran coach’s return to southern California seemed like a Hollywood script. But now Galaxy are struggling to qualify for the playoffsAs juicy narratives go, Sigi Schmid’s return to the LA Galaxy could have been scripted 20 or miles or so due north from the StubHub Center, up in the Hollywood Hills.When Schmid took over from deposed first-year coach Curt Onalfo late last month, the opportunity offered the 64-year-old redemption on multiple levels. Continue reading...