By Mike Woitalla In March, the Tab Ramos-coached USA won the Concacaf U-20 Championship for the first time while qualifying for the 2017 U-20 World Cup. En routeto the regional title, it celebrated a 1-0 win over three-time defending Concacaf champion Mexico that marked the USA’s first U-20 win over El Tri at the Concacaf […]
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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The timing's perfect for Gordon Jago's autobiography
By Mike Woitalla A crowd of 19,417 showed up to the Cotton Bowl on Sunday to watch youth soccer. As part of the triple-header on the opening day of Dallas Cup U-19 Gordon Jago Super Group play, FC Dallas beat Everton, 5-0, and Chivas Guadalajara downed Manchester United, 4-1. Among those in the stands, Gordon […]
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American teens see first-team action in Germany
By Mike Woitalla The international break created opportunities for three U.S. teenagers to see friendly game action with their Bundesliga clubs. WestonMcKennie and Nick Taitague made their first-team debuts at Schalke 04 in a 3-1 loss to second division Hannover, while McKinze Gaines saw first-team actionfor VfL Wolfsburg in a 1-1 tie with second division […]
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SA's Paul Kennedy to receive Colin Jose Media Award
Soccer America editor-in-chief Paul Kennedy has been awarded the National Soccer Hall of Fame’s 2016 Colin Jose Media Award. He will receive the award at the March 24 ceremonyat which U.S. women’s national team legends Brandi Chastain and Shannon MacMillan will be inducted into the Hall of Fame. The ceremony will take place atSan Jose’s […]
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Anson Dorrance on Girls DA vs. ECNL — and why the focus should be on the youngest ages
Interview by Mike Woitalla Anson Dorrance, coach of theUSA’s first Women’s World Cup championship team in 1991 and head coach of the University of North Carolina since 1979, has been closely following the major change in the girls youth soccerlandscape that’s coming with the introduction of the Girls U.S. Soccer Development Academy. The Girls Development […]
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A Van Basten idea worth considering: only captains speak to refs
By Mike Woitalla When FIFA technical director Marco van Basten reeled off a list of possible rule changes most, like getting rid of offside, could be easily dismissed. But his solution toprevent the mobbing of referees should be seriously considered. “There is far too much complaining about the referee, and that also wastes time,” Van […]
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Q&A with U.S. Soccer's top coach educator Nico Romeijn: On teaching the coaches
Interview by Mike Woitalla The U.S. Soccer Federation hired Nico Romeijn of the Netherlands in June 2015 as its Director of Coaching Education. Romeijn previouslyserved as the Head of Education for the Dutch federation (KNVB). SOCCER AMERICA: After one and a half years on the job, what would you say have been your biggestaccomplishments? NICO […]
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Newcomers to USA get a boost from Soccer Without Borders: Meet founder Ben Gucciardi
Interview by Mike Woitalla Ben Gucciardi is the founder of Soccer Without Borders, which isentering its second decade of providing soccer programs for under-served youth in the USA and abroad. Also known as Futbol Sin Fronteras, SWB started in Oakland, California, and its year-roundprograms in the USA serve more than 1,000 children in Oakland, Baltimore, […]
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Reyna and Fuentes strike for U.S. U-15 boys in Croatia
The U.S. U-15 boys national team, coached by Dave van den Bergh, fell to host Croatia (2-1) and Serbia (2-0), and beat Montenegro (1-0) at a four-team tournament in Zagreb. Giovanni Reyna (NYCFC) scored the decider against Montenegro. Gilbert Fuentes of Northern California’s Ballistic United scored the consolation goal againstCroatia. The U-15s had won their […]
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Tony DiCicco on the high school ban, coaching education and the future of girls soccer
Interview by Mike Woitalla Tony DiCicco, who coached the U.S. women to the 1996 Olympic gold medal, the 1999 Women’s World Cup title and the 2008 U-20 Women’sWorld Cup crown, spoke with us about the changing landscape of girls soccer in the USA. The U.S. Soccer Federation is launching a Girls Development Academy in 2017. […]