US Soccer
Equal Play. The USWNT Tackles Its Next Quest
The celebration of the Women’s World Cup soccer championship shifts this week from France to New York City. On Wednesday, the USWNT will be honored with a ticker tape parade and keys to the city, following its 2-0 win over the Netherlands in Sunday’s final in France. But amid the celebration, the women now turn their focus back to a more serious matter. A gender discrimination lawsuit, filed before the tournament, demands pay equal to that of their male counterparts. And legions of USWNT supporters say a fourth Women’s World Cup title makes the case even stronger. Equal pay In the stadium near Lyon, France, on Sunday, it didn’t take long for the pivot. From joy to indignation. As U.S. players hugged and celebrated their hard-earned victory over a tough Dutch team, c...
Wayne Rooney has driven a revolution at DC United
For years, DC United had targeted June 2018 as a turning point. It was the moment everything would change for one of American soccer’s most storied institutions, which had fallen on tougher times in recent years. And, as it happened, the opening of a new $400m stadium last summer did coincide with a dramatic upturn in fortunes for the club. Bricks and mortar cannot explain what has happened at DC United over the past year, though. Whether by design or not, the opening of Audi Field coincided with the arrival of Wayne Rooney, something that will go down as the most significant moment in DC United’s recent history. The former England and Manchester United striker was always likely to make an impact in MLS, such is his undoubted quality, but few predicted the cultural change he would bring to...
MLS, is it becoming a competitive league or an Elephant’s Graveyard?
MLS clubs are signing some of the most influential football stars from Europe, but do they really want to challenge themselves and win the title or they just go to the US to end up their careers? The MLS or Major League Soccer of the US, is one of the most popular leagues of the American continent. This popularity doesn’t necessarily come from the level of the competition, but from the fame of some of its players. Since David Beckham signed with Los Angeles Galaxy in 2007, a wave of elite football players have moved to MLS teams. Most of these players claim that the level of the league gets better every year and the competition is very high. However, not everybody believes these testimonies. The main reason why people do not believe the MLS stars, is that they usually move to America...
All U.S. Open Cup games will be broadcasted on ESPN+
The U.S. Open Cup will have more exposure than ever starting in 2019, with ESPN+ and U.S. Soccer agreeing to terms on a deal that will feature every match of the tournament on the streaming platform. The Lamar Hunt U.S. open cup will be running its 106th edition this year. The deal, which runs through 2022–the same year U.S. Soccer and MLS’s current TV rights deal expires–will begin the first week of May, with the first round of the cup, which includes 38 amateur teams. The second round includes twenty-five USL professional teams, but it is not until the third round scheduled for May 29 that MLS teams join the competition. The Executive Vice President of ESPN, Burke Magnus said “The U.S. Open Cup is America’s version of what is truly unique about soccer around the world. Knockout f...