In their third season, New York City FC still play in Yankee Stadium. But results have improved and they aim to become one of the US’s biggest clubsAs Pep Guardiola’s players emerged from the concrete bowels of the Los Angeles Coliseum, the fans jeered.The boos came as little surprise. Related: David Villa's tireless work in New York an example for MLS's foreign stars Continue reading...
The system’s success in North America this season will go a long way to deciding VAR’s place in the gameFC Dallas thought they had clawed a goal back. Maxi Urruti reacted quickest to a loose ball in the box, and found the back of the net to give the Texans a lifeline against the Philadelphia Union. On any other weekend previously this season, the goal probably would have stood. FC Dallas may well have mounted a late comeback on the back of it. This weekend, however, Major League Soccer debuted its new VAR system. Urruti’s goal was its first case study.Indeed, replays showed that Cristian Colman made contact with Philadelphia goalkeeper John McCarthy before Urruti took his shot. The decision,...
American fans flock to the International Champions Cup but there is concern that while enriching top European clubs it may not be helping the US domestic gameOn Saturday night a sellout crowd of 66,014 spectators footed between $240 (£183) and $3,500 (£2,665) to watch a pre-season friendly between Real Madrid and Barcelona at Miami’s Hard Rock Stadium, the pièce de résistance of the two-week summer exhibition tour featuring high-profile European clubs known as the International Champions Cup. The rights holder ESPN delivered the type of blanket coverage more typical of a Super Bowl or World Cup final, committing no fewer than 25 on-air personalities to south Florida and broadcasting live on location throughout the week.This is to say nothing of...
There was a time when US soccer was a storm of Rowdies and Cosmos, but now United is the name of choice. What’s going on?Once, pro soccer in the United States firmly embraced the country’s sporting culture. Teams that came to prominence in the 1970s in the North American Soccer League (NASL) had names that wouldn’t sound out of place in the NFL: the New York Cosmos and and Tampa Bays perhaps being the most notable. Cheerleaders roamed the sidelines, and even the foundations of the game – such as the offside rule and the draw – were changed to appeal to an audience accustomed to traditional American sports.But over the last 15 years, Major League Soccer has evolved from...
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...