Christian Pulisic may well be the future of US soccer but during the Gold Cup semi-final the Sounders striker showed he is integral in the short-termClint Dempsey’s star turn against Costa Rica in the Gold Cup semi-final did more than win his team the game and help the striker match the US goalscoring record — it may have extended his meaningful international career by another season.There was a danger that by the time the Russia World Cup came around, Dempsey would represent the kind of selection headache for Bruce Arena that Landon Donovan became for Jürgen Klinsmann in 2014 — no longer a player a coach could build a team around, and potentially as much of a distraction as an...
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...
Bruce Arena’s plans for the US national team are taking shape and his plans for Christian Pulisic and other young stars were on show against El TriA familiar American phenomenon has been in full force during the rise of Christian Pulisic this past year — for every US soccer fan or writer proclaiming Pulisic as the real deal, there’s been another one fretting about Freddy Adu, and the dangers of too much hope, too soon, being placed on the shoulders of the 18-year-old. It’s a familiar US pastime. And as Pulisic broke open a tense game against Trinidad & Tobago with two goals on Thursday night, the cautionary takes were as abundant as the hyperbolic ones. Related: World Cup qualifier:...
The US had to contend with hostile crowds in their own backyard and players not used to outdoor football as they attempted to make Mexico ‘86Thirty-two years ago today, and a good half hour after arguably the most disappointing loss in US soccer history, a devastated Rick Davis sat slumped at his locker, head in hands. The Murdock Stadium locker room in Torrance, California, was silent. The United States had just been eliminated from contention for the 1986 World Cup after a 1-0 home defeat to Costa Rica.“We can’t play much better than that,” a somber Davis said. “It’s a shame it wasn’t supposed to end that way. We were playing for US soccer – for its reputation and recognition...
The US, Mexico and Canada have submitted a joint bid to host the tournament. But is it a fair deal for fans across the three countries?David Rudin, Toronto based football writer: Good news – Canada’s only liable for 12.5% of this boondoggle. If that sounds like damning with faint praise, you have located the central tension of this joint bid. Insofar as Fifa hosting rights are really just an excuse to sacrifice much of a nation’s sovereignty for a month and spend ungodly sums, Canada has dodged a bullet here. The nation would have to waste a lot of money on soccer-specific stadia to host 80 matches, so this bid is definitely preferable to the alternative of Canada hosting on...