“As the summer of 1995 came to a close, Luis Orozco, a Colombian-born student living in Akron, Ohio, popped a letter in the mail that was bound for his local newspaper. He was overcome by two emotions: pessimism and intrigue. The latter of the two was fueled by Orozco’s love of football, which, to his delight, was welcoming a yet-to-be-named professional team to his area, set for a place in the newly formed Major League Soccer league. The pessimism: that came from Orozco’s belief that his suggestion for the Columbus slot’s name, contained in the letter that was now on its way to the Columbus Dispatch, may not be chosen, thanks to a wave of competition.” 8by8

“When it came time to talk about Tim Howard’s recent book, The Keeper, focus quickly turned to one of the book’s subplots, a conflict between the Everton goalkeeper and one of his former international teammates, Brad Friedel. According to the book, Friedel opposed Howard’s move from Major League Socer to Manchester United in 2003, declining to sign a recommendation as well as petitioning the Professional Footballer’s Association to deny Howard’s work permit appeal.” Soccer Gods

“In 2014, Jurgen Klinsmann put the finishing touches on the transformation of the United States men’s national team into some sporting version of The Hunger Games. No one died, except for perhaps Landon Donovan’s ego, but the German World Cup winner imposed a vision in which no player’s spot on the squad or in the lineup is ever safe. In Klinsmann’s mind, the previous iterations of the team were happy-feely groups hanging out in Mister Rogers’s neighborhood, complacent and content with the status quo. That needed to change.” Grantland

“The plucky, over-archiving Irish. The hard-working, underdog Yanks. Even among those of us who make a living spewing these tropes, there’s recognition that narratives are a poor interpretation of what happens on the field. Yet Tuesday’s game – the final one in a busy year for the U.S. men’s national team – presents a clash of walking, talking stereotypes. Few teams in international soccer are more readily typecast than the Republic of Ireland, Tuesday’s host, and the United States.” Soccer Gods

“As the MLS semifinals begin on November 23^rd, two of MLS’ greatest stars look set to move on. Well, one is for sure heading to retirement, while the other has been more opaque about it. Landon Donovan announced months ago that this would be his final season. His farewell tour kicked off with a semi-manufactured ‘Landon Donovan Send-Off’ friendly vs. Ecuador. Then he said good-bye to the LA Galaxy fans in his final regular season match. Now he needs a win against the frightening Seattle Sounders to reach yet another MLS Cup final.” Soccer Pro

“Most Americans aren’t familiar with Nacogdoches, Texas, and if they are it’s probably because of Clint Dempsey. Nacogdoches is a small town of less than 35,000 people in East Texas, roughly 150 miles from Houston and Dallas. Dempsey, the only American ever to score in three World Cups, grew up playing soccer on dirt fields against Hispanic immigrants in his town. He played in an unaffiliated local Mexican League in his teens, even after he had joined a more traditional Dallas-based soccer program.” SI

“Normally one needs to die to gain Sainthood, but footballers seem to be granted a special exception. At the end of this week, Landon Donovan will play his final match for the US Men’s National Team. As is par for the course when announcements like these are made, there has been an immense of praise and detractors coming out of the woodwork for the former US Captain. Despite all of the hostility and passion that comes from such a debate, there is still a question that is not answered: just how good was he?” backpagefootball

“It’s me, and I’m sorry. I am the nascent American soccer fan. I am the one who has rewarded the editors that fill their sites with SEO-friendly ‘New soccer fan? Start here!’ posts. I am the brand new fan who, after running out of ideas for Tim Howard memes, took the ‘Which Premier League team should you follow?’ quiz, and considered abiding by the result. I am the soccer fan who, until six weeks ago, knew three players: – Landon Donovan – Pele – Ronaldo (Without knowing that there are somewhere between two and ten important Ronaldos). I am presuming that you have been around longer than that, living through the dark years when American soccer fans had roughly the same social standing as leprosy victims and Michael Bolton enthusiasts, so I do not begrudge you your sighs and scoffs. But while you can be frustrated with this new legion of American soccer fanatics, you can’t hate us, or at least shouldn’t.” The Classical

“A great Mexican club fights to stay relevant. Fernando Arce, Chivas’s new midfield ace, stood over a free kick Sunday at Mexico’s Estadio Olímpico Universitario, measured up the 30-yard attempt, and fired it past Pumas goalkeeper Alejandro Palacios. The goal handed Chivas a 1–0 win, making it undefeated in its first two Liga MX matches. Several years ago, that wouldn’t have been news. Now, as supporters of the team forage for nuggets of positivity during this dark period, it’s a big story and reason for optimism. But while Chivas’s first win at Pumas since the 2004 Apertura may be seen by as a forerunner of good results, the club still has long way to go before it transitions out of this bleak era that has seen them go without silverware in the last 15 tournaments.” Fusion

“Why the U.S. and Mexico should bid to co-host the 2026 World Cup. The ties between the United States and Mexico make up one of the most important bilateral relationships in the world today, with profound implications for the prosperity, well-being, and security of the people of both nations. Some in Mexico and the U.S. may not enjoy reading this, but there is one inescapable truth, one that has developed over time since the early 1990s and accelerated in the decade after NAFTA’s approval, and that could fundamentally alter the nature of our relationship and have a profound impact for North America and, dare I say, for the global community as well: Mexico and the United States are converging, as societies and as economies.” Fusion

“It was great fun, wasn’t it? The determination, the refusal to quit, the passion, the belief that running until it was physically impossible to run anymore was easier than acceding to defeat. Oh, yes, the United States at this World Cup gave Americans a team to be proud of, but it did not deliver on Jurgen Klinsmann’s 2011 promise to play progressive, attack-minded football. While the U.S. had grit, it lacked a coherent national style. The development of a national playing style, or even general philosophy of how the game should be played, is an important moment in a country’s footballing history.” 8 by 8