• World Cup 2022 group games, second round: Real strikers, fake MVPs, and why 8x4 works best
    Soccer is an absurd game, and cup tournaments can effect random and bizarre patterns of unexpected success and failure.
  • The U.S. connections of Iran's worldly coach Carlos Queiroz
    In 1998, U.S. Soccer commissioned Queiroz to research American soccer and recommend how the USA might compete for the World Cup.
  • Alexi Lalas on his USA-Iran experience, and his longtime love of the World Cup
    The Fox Sports broadcaster represented the USA at the 1998 and 1994 World Cups - and attended Italia 90 as a fan.
  • Maturity shown by USA in England tie bodes well for Iran clash
    Against Wales, the U.S. team showed some naivety. Against England, there was a huge step up in maturity.
  • World Cup 2022 group games, first round: A surfeit of VAR, politics and stoppage time
    FIFA will often use World Cups to try out new applications of existing rules. That's not necessarily a bad idea, but ...
  • Wales exposes U.S. flaws that need fixing ahead of England clash
    Shoddy set-piece service and fruitless passing remain a huge concern for Gregg Berhalter's team.
  • Frankie Hejduk on his World Cups with the USA, facing Iran, and how surfing helped his soccer
    Among the colorful characters painted on the totem of American soccer players, there is no one quite like Frankie Hejduk.
  • John O'Brien's seasoned perspective on USA's 2002 World Cup success and what to expect in 2022
    One of the first Americans to succeed in Europe (with Ajax), O'Brien now works as a psychologist Colorado.
  • Jay DeMerit: U.S. 2010 World Cup defender on playing in and against England -- and advice for the 2022 team
    The Midwest product forged a most remarkable path to playing pro soccer and for the USA in a World Cup.
  • Uncovering FIFA's all very well, but what about the future?
    The four-part Netflix documentary is a very well re-constructed history of the corruption in world soccer's governing body.
  • Stellar English Premier League play paved Tim Ream's path to World Cup
    The 35-year-old central defender hadn't played for the USA for 14 months when he got the World Cup call-up.
  • At last, good numbers for youth soccer in the USA
    The Aspen Institute's annual State of Play report reveals that a lot of sports rebounded to pre-pandemic numbers.
  • World Cup Books, Part 3: How fans can achieve real and lasting change
    Ronny Blaschke: "I believe that every individual should develop their own relationship toward this World Cup."
  • Dave Sarachan on helping prep young U.S. World Cup players, triumphs of 2002, and failures in the last cycle
    Nine of the players who made their U.S. debuts under Sarachan are on the USA's squad in Qatar.
  • Bayonle Arashi: Working in Houston to keep Nigerian children's dreams alive
    Arashi reports for work at 4:30 a.m. in a correctional facility. When his day job ends, he focuses on the Midas club back in Lagos.
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