By Mike Woitalla It was, no doubt, a big victory for the USA. The Americans outshot host New Zealand, 30-11, in a 4-0 victory that clinched a spot in the knockout stage of theU-20 World Cup. Under-20 World Cup: New Zealand-USA Player Ratings Results & Schedule Coming off a 2-1 opening win over Myanmar, the […]
youth
Posted inStory, Youth Soccer Insider
The dumbest way to insult a referee
By Mike Woitalla The ref calls a foul. The halfwit coach of the kid who committed it yells, “It’s OK, Timmy! You didn’t do anything wrong!” — believinghe’s cleverly circumventing the dissent rule because he’s not screaming directly at the ref. The last time I got this kind of snide response from a coach, the […]
Posted inStory, Youth Soccer Insider
USA forced to make late U-20 World Cup roster change
By Mike Woitalla Five days before the USA faces Myanmar in its U-20 World Cup opener in New Zealand, Coach Tab Ramos has been forced to replace midfielderRussell Canouse, who captained the USA during qualifying play. Canouse suffered an ankle injury in training and has been replaced on the USA’s U-20 World Cup roster byConor […]
Posted inStory, Youth Soccer Reporter
Donovan replaces injured Canouse on U-20 roster
Midfielder Russell Canouse, who captained the USA during qualifying play, suffered an ankle injury in practice and has been replaced on the USA’s U-20 World Cup roster byConor Donovan. Donovan played in two of the USA’s six games during qualifying and as an alternate has been with the squad in New Zealand and in pre-tournament […]
Posted inStory, Youth Soccer Insider
Teen star Mallory Pugh has her own unique style
By Mike Woitalla At age 16, Mallory Pugh started all four U.S. games at the 2014 U-20 Women’s World Cup. So it’s little surprise that Pugh, as a highschool junior, was named 2014-15 Gatorade National Girls Soccer Player of the Year. Between this year’s U-20 national team camps – she’s eligible for the 2016 U-20 […]
Posted inSoccer America Confidential, Story
MLS in Yankee Stadium completes New York City soccer tapestry
By Mike Woitalla @MikeWoitalla Three days. Not much time to soak in a city’s soccer culture. But this is NewYork City. And it helps that I’m at the apartment of Soccer America columnist Paul Gardner. He started covering Big Apple sports in 1961, when he wrote about the RogerMaris–Mickey Mantle pursuit of Babe Ruth‘s 60-home […]
Posted inStory, Youth Soccer Reporter
Mallory Pugh named Girls Player of the Year
Mallory Pughof Mountain Vista High School (Highlands Ranch, Colo.) has been named 2014-15 Gatorade National Girls Soccer Player of the Year. Pugh, who started for the USA at the 2014U-20 World Cup and is eligible for the 2016 U-20 World Cup, had 24 goals and 12 assists for Mountain Vista during her junior season of […]
Posted inStory, Youth Soccer Insider
The 'Relative Age Effect' — a Response from U.S. Soccer
By Mike Woitalla In his 2008 book “Outliers,” Malcolm Gladwell popularized the concept of the relativeage effect (RAE). He used Canadian hockey to demonstrate a bias in youth sports toward players born near the age cutoffdate. Subsequent research in youth soccer has provided examples in which a disproportionate number of players born earlier in the […]
Posted inStory, Youth Soccer Insider
Richie Williams on teens turning pro, Bradenton, plus lessons from U-17 qualifying
By Mike Woitalla The USA earned a spot at the 2015 World Cup with a penalty-kick shootout at win over Jamaica on March 15, leaving Coach Richie Williams withseven months to fine-tune his team for the World Cup that kick off Oct. 17 in Chile. We spoke with Williams about preparing a team whose squad […]
Posted inStory, Youth Soccer Insider
Wenger chimes in on Zelalem; Ramos names Hyndman U-20 captain
By Mike Woitalla Arsenal coach Arsene Wenger has hinted that 18-year-old Gedion Zelalem, who was recently named to the USA’sU-20 World Cup roster, may be loaned out next season. “[A loan] is possible but I always test the players in preseason,” Wenger said at the press conference following the Gunners’ 1-1tie with Manchester United on […]