The Pittsburgh Spirit was a victim of its own success. One of six original Major Indoor Soccer League teams in 1978, the Spirit was outdrawing another sports franchise also owned by Edward J. DeBartolo Sr.: the Pittsburgh Penguins. But when the National Hockey League team signed Mario Lemieux, and ESPN agreed to televise league games, […]
Posted inSoccer America Daily
Premier League: Man City eyes finish line
Manchester City can take a giant stride towards a third consecutive Premier League title by beating Everton this weekend but rejuvenated Arsenal has not given up hope of springing a surprise. Liverpool is suddenly in the conversation for a top-four finish after six straight wins cranked up the pressure on Manchester United and Newcastle. At […]
Posted inSoccer America Daily
Big Sam: New Leeds boss Allardyce says he is 'as good as' Guardiola
Sam Allardyce insisted Wednesday that he is “as good as” Pep Guardiola and Jurgen Klopp as he plots to keep Leeds in the Premier League following the sacking of Javi Gracia. The Spaniard was dismissed with four games to go after just 10 weeks in charge, with the club outside the relegation zone only on goal difference. Allardyce, 68, […]
Posted inSoccer America Confidential
Wes Burdine on the celebratory nature of Minnesota soccer
In 2018, Allianz Field was being built in St. Paul. The soccer-specific stadium would be home to Minnesota United FC – but there were no sports bars in the Midway neighborhood for fans to gather. Wes Burdine was a longtime writer and editor for local soccer publications. He was born in Texas, grew up in […]
Posted inSoccer America Confidential
How will money from NIL — 'name, image and likeness' — impact college soccer?
Just days after a 2021 U.S. Supreme Court ruling that the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) could not bar schools from offering education-related benefits to student-athletes, the college and high school sports landscape shifted dramatically. Three new letters – NIL – became part of athletes’, coaches’ and booster clubs’ vocabulary. Suddenly, student-athletes gained much more […]
Posted inSoccer America Daily
Frank Lampard defends Todd Boehly after Chelsea co-owner tries to fire up troubled Blues
Frank Lampard has defended Todd Boehly‘s “passion” after the Chelsea co-owner reportedly told his players the season has been “embarrassing” in an attempt to fire them up for Tuesday’s Champions League clash against Real Madrid. Boehly spoke to Chelsea’s struggling stars in the dressing room in the immediate aftermath of their demoralizing 2-1 defeat by Brighton […]
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Goal-hungry Haaland targets more records for Man City
Is any record safe with Manchester City hotshot Erling Haaland around? The 22-year-old Norwegian could overhaul Mohamed Salah‘s record of 32 goals in a 38-game Premier League season this weekend, with relegation-threatened Leicester the fearful visitors. The overall single-season record of 34 goals in the Premier League era — set in the days of 42 […]
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Lampard returns to Chelsea as caretaker boss: 'It's a pretty easy decision'
Frank Lampard insisted it was an “easy decision” to make his surprise return to Chelsea as caretaker manager until the end of the season on Thursday, just over two years after he was fired by the Premier League club. Lampard, Chelsea’s record goalscorer, previously managed the Blues from July 2019 until January 2021, when he […]
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Kati Jo Spisak's pro experiences led her to create women's soccer agency
When Kati Jo “KJ” Spisak played professional soccer, women didn’t have agents – “except Abby Wambach,” she jokes. So Spisak pretended to have one. She negotiated contracts and conducted other business using a different email. That did not help when in May of the 2010 Women’s Professional Soccer season, Saint Louis Athletica announced it was […]
Posted inSoccer America Confidential, Story
Doug Williamson's quest: Helping coaches consider moral and ethical issues
In the 1990s, Doug Williamson was the very successful women’s soccer coach at Nebraska Wesleyan University. One day, as a spectator, he watched the University of Nebraska take a 5-0 lead against a team in its first or second year. To keep the score down, the Cornhusker coach had his women play possession soccer throughout […]