With the 2019 U-17 World Cup kicking off in Brazil, we spoke to John Hackworth, a U.S. coach at four U-17 World Cups who was at the helm at the start of the current U-17s’ cycle.Hackworth served as assistant coach, to John Ellinger, at the 2003 U-17 World Cup. He was head coach in 2005 […]
Mike Woitalla
Soccer America Executive Editor Mike Woitalla has written freelance articles about soccer for more than 30 media outlets in nine nations. The winner of eight United Soccer Coaches Writing Contest awards, he is the author of two books. He coaches and referees youth soccer, and is a "Soccer Without Borders" volunteer.
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Canada-USA: Men's Concacaf Nations League Player Ratings
USA-CANADA EXPRESSOct. 15 in TorontoCanada 2 USA 0. Goals: Davies 63, Cavallini 90+1.Att.: 17,126 In a performance that will rank among the worst in U.S. national team history — two years and five days after the debacle against Trinidad & Tobago in Couva — the USA fell to Canada for the first time in 34 […]
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Shaun Tsakiris on coaching the USA's top young talent, and the perils of too much structure
During his tenure as a U.S. youth national team coach through the end of 2018, Shaun Tsakiris coached many of the promising young Americans who are now breaking into the progame. In 2015, while still coaching at Northern California’s De Anza Force, he co-coached the U.S. U-16 boys with Luchi Gonzalez. Tsakiris was hired full-time by […]
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Key legal issues in U.S. women's discrimination lawsuit explained by Steven Bank, UCLA law professor
Steven Bank is Professor of Business Law at UCLA School ofLaw. His course “International and Comparative Sports Law” explores legal issues in the soccer world, as does his seminar, “Law, Lawyering, and the Beautiful Game.” We’ve asked ProfessorBank to explain some of the key legal issues in the U.S. women’s national team players’ gender discrimination […]
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Tab Ramos discusses his U-20 World Cup roster selections, taking Weah and Cerrillo but not Araujo, Amaya and Amon, and injury worries
U.S. U-20 head coach TabRamos met with selected media in New York on Friday to discuss his World Cup roster, which he unveiled earlier that morning. When compared with his past teams, this one was very difficult for thecoach to assemble due to a plethora of options and difficult cuts he had to make. In […]
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Watch: Another fantastic Tobin Heath back-heel goal
Twice within two weeks, the Portland Thorns’ Tobin Heath finished a Caitlin Foord cross with a back-heel strike. The goal earned the Thorns a 2-2 tie at SkyBlue FC. Two weeks ago, Heath scored similarly:
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Thom Meredith: The backstage star of American soccer
There’s a very good chance that you attended a big-time soccer game run by Thom Meredith. From game balls to security, corner flags to closing ceremonies, team transportation to TVlogistics, Meredith has managed major events in the USA for decades. The hundreds of games that Meredith directed from behind the scenes include World Cup, Olympic, […]
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USA-Panama: The Gregg Berhalter era begins, but remember — it's all about the players
The Gregg Berhalter era begins on Sunday night when the USA hosts Panama in Glendale, Arizona. A sparse crowd — pre-sale for the game at 63,400-seat State Farm Stadium was put at “more than 6,000” — willget the first glimpse of just what the new men’s national team coach has in mind as he begins […]
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Gregg Berhalter's pro playing career started with a boost from Rinus Michels
Back when it was rare for an American to land a contract in Europe, Gregg Berhalter moved to the Netherlands at age 21. The New Jersey producthad played three seasons at the University of North Carolina (1991-93) and captained the USA at the 1993 U-20 Word Cup. In 1994, he joined the U.S. U-23 national […]
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A visit with Lothar Osiander: The man who guided the USA to two Olympics while working as a San Francisco waiter
I arrive 10 minutes early to meet Lothar Osiander for coffee, but he’s already there. “I don’t even try, but I’ve always been early,” says Osianderas we wait in line at Starbucks in downtown Walnut Creek, a city 25 miles east of San Francisco. When we seat ourselves, I recall interviewing Osiander three decades ago at […]