Archive for the ‘American soccer’ Category

Philadelphia fans at the draft without a team

By Tom Dunmore • Jan 21st, 2008 • Category: American soccer

You might have heard of Philadelphia’s Sons of Ben, the supporters’ group without a team. They are, you see, very keen on MLS awarding Philadelphia an expansion franchise (currently hanging in the balance over funding), and they’ve attracted a lot of attention for their cause. They even showed up at the MLS draft this week [...]



Alexi Lalas Completes His Masterpiece by Signing Carlos Ruiz

By Mike Gumballhead • Jan 15th, 2008 • Category: American soccer

Has Alexi Lalas gone barking mad with his signing of Carlos Ruiz for the Galaxy, Mike Gumballhead asks, or is this the final stansa to complete the epic poem he’s long had planned?



Finding Nimo: From Liberia to Generation Adidas

By Tom Dunmore • Jan 10th, 2008 • Category: American soccer

According to Stephen Goff, Alex Nimo, a seventeen year old forward, will likely be announced as a member of the elite Generation Adidas today. His journey to escape civil war in Liberia to Ghana and eventually Portland, Or. is a remarkable tale, told in full on the U.S. Soccer site.
As many refugees struggle to find [...]



The Curious Netherworld of American Indoor Soccer

By Tom Dunmore • Dec 27th, 2007 • Category: American soccer

Recently, thanks to Chicago’s Windy City Wanderers F.C., I went to my first ever indoor soccer match. In America, indoor soccer has at times been big business, using aggression and scoring and showbiz to attract considerable crowds. It’s got a rich and long history, at times the only way to see some of the best [...]



MLS Supporters Getting Some More Publicity

By Max J. Rosenthal • Dec 13th, 2007 • Category: American soccer

MLS Underground has decided to shift focus and start covering MLS supporters in all their glory or lack thereof. The site also wants to create a sort of directory of all things MLS support. A great project in the works for American fans.



Saving the Victory and Soccer in San Francisco

By Tom Dunmore • Dec 10th, 2007 • Category: American soccer

Most of the soccer media’s coverage about the Bay Area recently has focused on the impending return of MLS there in 2008, as the San Jose Earthquakes are reborn. But they’ve been ignoring an inspirational showing of grassroots passion a few dozen miles to the north in San Francisco.
Mike Alonso and other supporters of the [...]



The Future of American Soccer, MLS Deputy Commish Speaks

By Tom Dunmore • Dec 7th, 2007 • Category: American soccer

Ivan Gazidis, Major League Soccer’s Deputy Commissioner, was interviewed by USSoccerPlayers.com this week, and there were lot of interesting nuggets in there. His views about changing the development of American youth soccer chime with what we’ve been discussing here recently as well. And in fact, the problems he addresses are shared with numerous countries, including [...]



Street Soccer in Chicago

By Tom Dunmore • Dec 4th, 2007 • Category: American soccer

Over at Chicago Sports Weekly, I take a look at a Chicago-based organised pickup soccer club (Windy City Wanderers F.C.) who have grown from nothing to over 1,000 members in a little over a year. Their founder, Matt Rosine, discusses their plans for the future, which includes a partnership with Calle Soccer out of Utah, [...]



The So-Called Pan-Pacific Championship

By Tom Dunmore • Nov 30th, 2007 • Category: American soccer

Try as the likes of Ian Plenderleith might, it’s increasingly hard to satirise the David Beckham Extravaganza. Reality has become too absurd.
Major League Soccer (USA), the J.League (Japan) and the Hyundai A-League (Australia) today announced an unprecedented and innovative partnership in the creation of a new international soccer tournament to be hosted in Honolulu, Hawaii: [...]