Hindsight will ultimately prove whether or not Gregg Berhalter’s time in Columbus is successful. All I can do is react to news when it comes in. My reactions are going to be strong because this is a pivotal time in the Crew’s history and I want to see them hit a proverbial home run with this transition to a new owner, new coach, and (possibly) new logo/”brand”.

So with that in mind…I have serious concerns about both Asher Mendelsohn and Josh Wolff. Let’s start with the former.

Here’s what we know for sure: Asher Mendelsohn is the new Director of Soccer Operations for the Columbus Crew. What does that mean?

According to MLSSoccer.com’s write up about the hire,”Mendelsohn is tasked with overseeing the Crew’s competition guidelines and salary cap management, player identification and acquisitions, as well as assisting with the implementation of the club’s technical vision.”

So it’s safe to assume that Mendelsohn was hired because his previous jobs/experiences have given him an eye for talent. He should be able to not only identify good players, but also have enough knowledge of MLS salary cap restrictions/rules to ensure that said good players can be brought in at the best possible price. Not only does he have to identify good, affordable players, but he also has to do so with Berhalter’s long term vision in mind. He has to get all of the Crew academy teams to start recruiting and training players the way Berhalter sees fit.

How can we tell if he’s qualified for such a position? Let’s take a look at his previous jobs. A quick search of LinkedIn will give us his entire employment history over the past 10 years. From 2003-05 he was a Project Manager for concession giants Aramark. Then he joined the United States Soccer Federation (USSF) in 2005 as a Member Services Coordinator. At some point in that role he helped start the US Development Academy that is now the premier competition for youth clubs across the country and went on to serve as the Development Academy Manager from 2007-10. Ever since then he has served as Director of Referees, Coaching Administration and Development Academy Programs where he had a hand in creating everyone’s favorite referee oversight organization: PRO.

At first glance these sound like purely administrative roles to me. I don’t see anything in there to suggest he has an eye for identifying talented soccer players or signing them to MLS contracts. In his most recent role, it would seem he was the boss (the Big Cheese, the Head Honcho) of not one, not two, but THREE very unique areas; each with its own unique challenges. Rarely in sports (or any industry really) do we see a person assume the role of Head Coach AND General Manager and have sustained success. It’s true that most European managers handle the responsibilities of both, but MLS roster rules are so convoluted you have to devote all your time and energy to understanding them. My point is: I don’t see how Mendelsohn could have possibly had a ton of success running three very different aspects of US Soccer. If you’ll recall from the press conference announcing Berhalter’s hire, Anthony Precourt said Berhalter came highly recommended from people within US Soccer circles. Well, lo and behold we have a bit of a “US Soccer legacy hire” in the form of Mendelsohn. And this brings us to the other hire from Wednesday.

Josh Wolff and Gregg Berhalter go way back as players for both club and country. Wolff spent the 2013 season as an assistant under Ben Olsen at DC United. Berhalter and Precourt have both praised Wolff for his playing career as a striker, but if we take his first season under Olsen at face value things don’t exactly look promising. DC United scored just 22 goals in 34 regular season games. That’s 0.65 goals per game. Yes, the team in general was terrible this year but they did make a run through the playoffs in 2012 and brought back a lot of the players from that team.

So we step back and see that Mendelsohn is now in charge of scouting and player development despite no hands on experience in either department and Josh Wolff is being hailed as a man who can help the team produce more goals despite his previous team scoring 0.65 per game in his only season as an assistant coach. Not only that, but both of these hires come from people who are close with Berhalter not just professionally, but personally as well. When you start hiring your friends and hiring people as favors or on the recommendations of people already close to you, it rarely tends to work out well.

Waylon Francis

It’s also being reported that the Crew have signed Herediano (Costa Rica) left back Waylon Francis. This was first reported a while back but was denied by the team. Now the team is neither confirming nor denying the report. I’m too lazy to post the highlight video I found of him but my initial overreaction is that he’s a slightly above average left back. He’s fast and likes to get forward and he seems to have a reliable first touch and makes very few mistakes while under pressure.

Whether he’s going to replace Agustin Viana as the No.1 left back remains to be seen.

The US enjoyed a very successful qualifying campaign and finished atop “The Hex” with 22 points and a perfect 5-0-0 record at home. The team appears to be coming together under Jurgen Klinsmann and expectations for the World Cup are high, even if their outlook for the group stage draw seems daunting at this point. We’re starting to get an idea of who will be called upon to start come June’s group stage. If I had to venture a guess, I’d say the starting XI will look something like this…

Howard

Evans – Gonzalez – Besler – Beasley

Jones – Bradley

Donovan – Dempsey – E. Johnson

Altidore

There will always be debate, but this is probably what most Americans would consider the “best XI” based upon the last couple months of qualifying/friendlies. I take issue with several of these spots, but there’s one in particular I want to focus on: that lone striker up top.

Jozy Altidore seems to be the consensus No.1 for this role. He scored four goals in five qualifier starts in 2013 after notching 23 goals during the 2012/13 Eredivisie season in the Netherlands with AZ Alkmaar. However, he has struggled to find the back of the net ever since joining Sunderland over the summer. So far this season he has no goals in league play and just 13 shots total in 10 starts.

Enter Aron Johannsson.

The American-born Icelandic striker joined AZ Alkmaar in January of 2013 and he pretty much became Altidore’s replacement at the Dutch club. Since arriving in the Netherlands, Johannsson has 12 goals in 18 appearances. After earning his first cap with the US in August (after getting approval from FIFA for a one time switch from Iceland) Johannsson tallied his first goal in October’s qualifying finale against Panama. His goal came late in the game proved to be the winner that sank Panama’s hopes and sent Mexico through to a two leg playoff with New Zealand. That is the last impression we have from the US’s last “competitive” game.

Then came last week’s friendly in Scotland. Jozy Altidore started up top and Aron Johannsson eventually came on to play alongside him; a move that Jurgen Klinsmann had to make at some point just to see if the two could co-exist. They did, for the most part, but ultimately the game ended in a 0-0 draw and now here we are heading into Tuesday’s game with Austria.

Altidore still seems to be the consensus No.1, but should that be the case? If you simply look at the numbers, both Altidore and Johannsson have pretty similar payloads. Altidore tore it up at AZ Alkmaar, stayed hot with the US, but has since cooled off at Sunderland. Johannsson has stepped in and matched Altidore’s goal scoring pace at the Dutch club and is now on the board with the US. The two would appear, on paper, to be in a dead heat for that starting striker spot, despite the fact that Altidore is several years older and has more caps with the US.

So how do we separate the two?

The answer to that depends on how you want to view the “problem”. There’s no doubt Altidore is the better athlete, but Johannsson may have more technical ability. Such a “comparison” is at the very center of a debate that still rages on to this day about the best way to develop great American soccer players. Many would have us believe that we need our biggest, strongest, fastest athletes to start playing soccer; big, bruising machines like Altidore who are capable of overpowering defenders. Still some say we need to produce more well-rounded, complete soccer players. We need players who understand the flow of the game. I side with the latter philosophy.

We’ve had much more time to watch Jozy Altidore play than Aron Johannsson, but we can already start to see how the two compare. When Altidore is leading the line, everything seems to slow down and the flow of a given offensive push tends to stall when the ball winds up at his feet. That’s ultimately what people love to rave about his game: “look at how good his “hold up play” is!” And to be fair, there’s value in a player who can play with his back to the goal and distribute to other teammates. But then comes the disclaimer with Jozy: “He needs help.” He requires service from the players around him in order to be successful. And to be fair, every great striker needs such help. Unless your name is Luis Suarez, you’ll have a hard time beating two or three defenders all by yourself and scoring on a regular basis. But at the end of the day, your job as a striker is to create something when your surrounding circumstances are less than ideal. The great ones don’t make excuses; they find ways to score. I have a lot more faith in Johannsson to pull a goal out of his hat when the US is in trouble than Altidore because Johannsson’s game is less reliant upon others.

Aron Johannsson may not be as big or as strong as Altidore, but after only a couple appearances with the US it’s clear he has more technical ability than Altidore. For all the praise Altidore gets as a true “No.9″, his passing ability is average and his first touch continues to let him down at the worst possible moments. He’s so busy chasing the ball as far back as the halfway line, that he forgets to simply be patient and make smart runs in and out of the opposing team’s back line. Johannsson has no such weakness. He is a cerebral player who reads the game well and whose first touch is perhaps his greatest weapon.

Johannsson is several years younger than Altidore, but that shouldn’t stop him from taking the No.1 striker spot between now and June. If he has a good showing in Brazil, there’s no reason he can’t be “the future” at the striker position for the US. Just like Jozy, Aron won’t stay in the Netherlands for long. Someone will pay good money to see if “the Iceman” can get it done at the next level. I think his skill set lends itself to said next level better than Altidore. We’re seeing the real Altidore at Sunderland. His is a game that is too dependent on others. Johannsson can read the game and pick his spots much better than Altidore.

Hindsight is always 20-20, but perhaps we’ll look back on these few months between the World Cup draw and the start of group play as the moment when a new, unexpected goalscorer rose up and seized the title of “No.1 Striker” for the US Men’s National team. It may even be a turning point for American soccer as a whole; to see the more complete soccer player usurp the better athlete.

Time will tell.

The Original Massive Report Post

American Outlaws Response

Massive Report Response To American Outlaws Response

Okay good…

I moved to Columbus when I was in 5th grade and lived there until January 2011. I was at the USA-Mexico game in ’05 in the middle of the supporters section. I have not met any of the Massive Report guys in person. I have no personal connection to any of them.

So now you know exactly where I’m coming from.

I am completely and utterly disappointed at the timing of this whole thing. We’re a little less than two weeks from the USA-Mexico World Cup qualifier that will take place at Columbus Crew Stadium. This will be the fourth consecutive World Cup qualifying cycle that features the USA-Mexico fixture in Columbus. For those who may not be aware, the score of each of the three previous games was 2-0; hence the term “Dos A Cero” that gets thrown around.

This year the guys at Massive Report and the rest of the Columbus faithful have gone all out for a special tifo display for September’s showdown. The official hashtag being thrown around is “#tifosweat”. They’ve kept everything under wraps so far, but their enthusiasm has been utterly contagious and it has made me borderline depressed that I no longer Columbus home.

But I still identify with the community there as I was a permanent resident. That’s what makes this whole situation even more depressing than missing out on “#tifosweat”. There’s a lot of anti-Seattle sentiment around the American soccer community these days and much of it has to do with the attention the Seattle Sounders and their large home crowds get from those who follow the sport in the US. Seattle recently hosted a World Cup qualifier for the first time since the Sounders joined MLS and put on a very impressive show of support. This has led many people to believe this could potentially be the last time Columbus is afforded the opportunity to host the USA’s greatest rival in a World Cup qualifier. So you can understand why the Columbus representatives on the conference call that took place earlier this week would be defensive towards representatives from Seattle being on the call.

I’ll let you choose whom you choose to believe as to what transpired on the call. Both sides have confirmed there was a call, but that’s where the agreement stops. Regardless of what really transpired, I have to say that I’m incredibly bummed by the way this entire fiasco has painted Columbus in a negative light; mostly because the negative backlash is somewhat justified. As the Columbus representatives on the conference call, the Massive Report guys (or at least, the ones on the call itself) have spoken out for the greater Columbus community of US Soccer supporters; whether it was their intention to do so or not. The tone of Matt Goshert’s post smacks of desperation and I can’t say I blame him given the uncertainty of Columbus’s future as the unofficial home for the US Men’s National Team.

He states: “After witnessing the disorganized crowd support for the U.S. Men’s National Team match in Salt Lake City, American Outlaws leadership and the Seattle chapter collaborated and decided to use Seattle-based capos for every USMNT match no matter what city it’s being played in. This was the reason American Outlaws Seattle was on the call.”

The national leadership for American Outlaws responded with the following: “AO Seattle is not being tasked to take over the in-stadium experience for this or any future USMNT games outside Seattle. A Seattle takeover of tifo and singing at all USMNT games has never been the plan or intention and any reports of such are false.”

So we have Columbus accusing the national leadership of favoring Seattle and the national leadership denying such claims. Unfortunately, this means we ultimately have to until the game itself on September 10 (and the next home USMNT game after that) to find out if in fact the only capos at the game(s) are from Seattle; and we may not even get proof if that is case. All of this distracts from the game itself and what is sure to be an awesome tifo display. Both sides are responsible for such a distraction.

Not only that but, as I mentioned earlier, this whole situation has painted Columbus in a negative light. Many people outside of Columbus are inclined to believe the statement from AO’s national leadership and it’s hard to blame them. Columbus has every reason to be paranoid and fearful of losing their only chance to showcase their passion for the US Men’s National Team on the biggest stage outside of the World Cup itself. But by singling out Seattle and excusing the national leadership (and even the US Soccer Federation itself; they had a rep on the call) of favoritism, the Columbus supporters on this call have played right into the hands of those who would claim that Columbus is simply jealous they cannot attract the same volume of supporters as Seattle.

But Columbus isn’t entirely to blame in this. The leadership at American Outlaws would have done well to trust in the Columbus leadership to pull off a smooth performance from the supporters on game day. I understand their concerns over the record number of “supporter sections”, but that’s no reason to deny Columbus the opportunity to show they are capable of handling such a large crowd. In fact, the conference call and its subsequent aftermath has already planted seeds of doubt in the minds of the leadership at the US Soccer Federation; not to mention the rest of the US Soccer supporter community.

The bottom line is this: the minute Massive Report made this a “Columbus vs. Seattle” issue, they lost a lot of credibility with the supporters from the rest of the country. And the minute US Soccer decided to host this call and bring a US Soccer Federation rep on board, they made the folks in charge of the federation think twice about giving this game to Columbus again in the future.

But worse than that is the fact that all parties involved in this have distracted us from the buildup towards what will be a fantastic game in which it’s very likely the US will have the opportunity to clinch their World Cup spot; just as they did when I was there in 2005. There’s still time to right the ship though and I sincerely hope both sides immediately drop the issue and focus their attention back on the game itself.

I was not sure what to expect when tuning into watch the United States Premier Development League Championship tonight. Being that the game was being played in Austin, Texas on a night where the Dallas Cowboys third stringers will start the NFL preseason, I was afraid that the crowd would be sparse and that the fans would be dead. While I have heard that the Austin Aztex fans are some of the best in the lower levels of American soccer, Texas is football country. Nothing was more telling about the State of Texas priorities than trying to figure where the end line is from the touchdown lines. But instead of getting a snoozefest, the match between the Austin Aztex and the Thunder Bay Chill proved to be a quality match and a great reminder of how far this game has come in the United States.

Having grown up a fan of the Washington Warthogs in the Continental Indoor Soccer League, I have always had an appreciation for minor league soccer in this country. The games were always more affordable and the players were always more accessible. As an adult, I realize the difficulties these players have making ends meet on a minor league soccer player salary, and I suppose that furthers my appreciation for their dedication to the game. But as a kid, I just remember how much fun the games were and how much I learned from them.

For those that do not know, the United States Premier Development League is the lowest league of Professional Soccer in the United States. It is part of a larger pyramid of professional soccer leagues in the United States that also includes higher leagues like the North American Soccer League (2nd tier,) and the National Professional Soccer League(3rd tier.) Although Major League Soccer is at the top professional soccer league in all of the United States, it is only connected to the other professional leagues through the ability to loan players out to the lower leagues. Over 48 states currently have professional soccer league teams, with Alaska and Hawaii being the only ones without one. In addition to teams in the United States, there are also teams in Canada, Antigua and Barbuda, and in Puerto Rico.

Now let me get this disclaimer out: the quality of play of the United States Premier Development League is relatively poor. This is not a league of 40 million dollar players or players that will end up suiting up for the national teams in Brazil next year. These players are journeymen, players who are being loaned out to the minor leagues for seasoning, and gentleman who hold regular 9 to 5’s who just enjoy playing the game.

Minor leagues in all of American sports are filled with these types of people, and American soccer is no different. So while the Chill and Aztex do not have world class players, they do have players who give it their all on every play. Anytime you see three goals in the first 23 minutes you can tell that neither team is going to mail it in. Plus with Thunder Bay Goalkeeper Stephen Alexander being red carded in the third minute, there is the added speculation of how long the Chill can hang on a man down in the Austin “heat.”

I use the term heat in quotations because not only is the weather hot (100 degrees, or in FIFA terms “2022″) the crowd is ready to eat Thunder Bay alive. With close to 5,000 people on their feet at House Park in Texas it is apparent that the people of Austin, much like many other cities throughout the United States appreciate their local soccer teams. Having lost the original franchise in 2010, this the Aztex are considered to be one of the most popular, and well organized group of fans in all of American soccer. Much of it has to do with Austin being a city of 20-30 year old who have grown up watching the beautiful game. But these are not just people who buy Manchester United jerseys because it is hip. And not everyone gets up at 6am to watch the J-League like yours truly. They root for the Aztex because they started watching the game during a World Cup, played recreational soccer, and are looking to go out on Sunday night and have a cold beer or just shoot the breeze with their friends. Fans of teams like the Austin Aztex appreciate the game of soccer.

Given that other minor league sports in the United States generally skip on the production values of their broadcasts, it was great to be able to watch the championship on their website and not once have a lag or a broken connection. The announcer of the match Kit McConnico seemed to know quite a bit about Canadian Soccer, which is always helpful. Despite Canada being a separate country, most of their minor league clubs play in the United States leagues. Although I did just come back from Halifax, I have to admit I had no idea where Thunder Bay was located [Author’s Note: It is in Ontario.] It sounded like someone had heard of the name Tampa Bay and wanted to come up with something much radder. However, the announcer spent a considerable amount of time explaining the team and the players and the region that they come from.

In addition to watching the match itself and trying to figure each team’s style of play, I always trying to pick out players that I had seen before in Major League Soccer or abroad. It is not that I like to point and laugh, but rather I like to piece together where these players have gone since the last time that I saw them. While both the Austin and Thunder Bay feature mostly young players whose careers are just starting, there is one name that sticks out on the Austin bench: Dalglish. No it is not, Kenny Dalglish, the Liverpool legend but rather his son Paul Dalglish. Although Paul was never as famous as his dad, he did have a lengthy career playing in England (Blackpool, Newcastle United, Norwich City, and Wigan) Scotland (Hibernian and Scotland,) and in the United States for the Houston Dynamo where he won two MLS titles in 2006 and 2007.

Paul’s style of coaching is very similar to his father: playing up tempo style with two forwards and two midfielders on the flanks acting as wingers. It seems to have paid off as the Aztex took a 3-1 lead into halftime. The key player of the game was unquestionable Sito Saoene, their star midfielder and top scorers for the Aztex in the 2013 PDL Season. He is a very fierce midfielder who has no trouble taking on multiple defenders at a time. He distributed the ball well to the club’s top forward Kris Tyrpak, who scored the third goal of the game. The 2013 PDL MVP has shown at least in this game that he is someone that could potentially play at a higher level, even if that level is the NASL.

With being a man up, the Aztex ended up pulling away in the second half and winning the 2013 PDL Championship with a score of 3-1. Although this was by no means an El Classico, it was still a fun and exciting match. To have a good match you do not always need superstar players. Sometimes you just need a few goals, some key mistakes, and a hot crowd to make the match memorable. For so many years, soccer pundits have wondered when this game will gain a foothold in the United States. Had they watched the match on Sunday night at House Park, I think they would have received their answer.

“Landon proved today how well he plays and how he can make a difference,” Jurgen Klinsmann said.

With the win over El Salvador, the stars and stripes are now in the Gold Cup semis for the 11^th time, the most of any other country. The victory extends the teams winning streak to nine wins and 31 goals, the longest in U.S. team history.

“We strive to be the best team. It doesn’t matter if it’s a world cup qualifier or not. You always want to be one step ahead of them,” DaMarcus Beasley said.

“This is a process. We are trying to catch-up with the big teams in the world and raise the bar,” said Klinsmann. “It’s all about speed. I’m talking about mental speed and passing speed. You’ll see players trying to keep the tempo high and create changes”.

It was this newfound speed that Landon Donovan credited as being the key to the win for the U.S. “El Salvador played well and defended well, but the key was to continue with a fast pace, “ said Donovan.

Veteran players like Rimando, Clarence Goodson, and Donovan laid the groundwork for younger players like Joe Corona to come in and finish plays.

“The younger players are getting better with each game. They’re showing they belong on the national team, Donovan said.”

The players and coaches also credited their collectiveness on the field as a key factor in the team’s victory.

“We have been together for three weeks, but it feels like we have been together for years. You can see that on the field,” said Jose Torres.

USMNT fans at M&T Stadium in Baltimore where overshadowed by a sea of El Salvador fans decked in blue, but that didn’t stop Klinsmann’s team from finding the back of the net.

“For every opportunity we made, the U.S. made two or three”, El Salvador’s coach said. “The U.S. was very consistent, we haven’t seen this type of level of play in this tournament”.

Coach Agustín Castillo said the U.S. team’s collectiveness challenged the team. “The U.S. almost play by memory. They can find their spaces and make the ball appear,” Castillo said. “Players like Beckerman in the midfield made it challenging for us.

The U.S.’s tempo changed in the second half. The second half brought in goals from both Eddie Johnson and Mix Diskerud. In the 60^th minute, Eddie Johnson scored off a header just 14 seconds after being subbed into the game.

“We knew that with Eddie Johnson’s goal the game was over,” said Klinsmann.

The team is one step closer to capturing the title. The last time the team won was in 2007. The U.S. will try to extend their nine game winning streak to ten when they take on Honduras in Dallas on Wednesday in the Gold Cup semifinals.

“They are the best team I’ve seen in this tournament and strong candidates to win the Gold Cup,” El Salvador’s coach said.

I arrived midway through the first half of a game between the Crew’s U-15/16 academy team and IMG Academy. Both teams seemed to have a good understanding of what to do tactically, but I couldn’t help but wonder if their technical abilities left more to be desired. Regardless, Columbus wound up winning 3-1.

After that game I wandered around the complex checking out some of the other games in action. I was drawn to a game between the U-15/16 academy teams from San Jose Earthquakes and Montreal Impact. The first thing that struck me was that the entire Montreal coaching staff spoke French. Obviously Montreal remains heavily influenced by its French roots to this day, but I was still a little bit surprised that their academy team wouldn’t use any English. This team also happened to be the most diverse team I encountered. I saw a number of kids from a variety of ethnic backgrounds. As for the game, both teams seemed a lot more bold in terms of taking chances going forward. Forwards made diagonal runs through the box and wide players tried to take their defenders one-on-one. It was very encouraging to see, even if one team doesn’t actually represent the United States.

Then it was time for the Crew’s U-17/18 academy team to square off against the hosts (and defending National Champions) from FC Dallas. Columbus spent the majority of their warm up period stretching out, while Dallas stretched momentarily before breaking out into small sided scrimmages in tight spaces for the majority of the buildup to the match. I didn’t stay for the whole thing, but Columbus wound up scoring and hanging on to win 1-0.

And although I didn’t see them in action, the Crew’s Michigan Wolves U-15/16 academy team wound up winning their group.

A few other quick observations…

-It seemed like every single American college in the country was present; from the University of Michigan down to tiny Denison University from Granville, Ohio.

-Paris-Saint Germain, who have recently taken to spending like world beaters, had their Chicago Magic academy teams competing.

-There appeared to be (in my humble opinion) a distinct difference in the flow of the games that were played on turf and those that were played on grass.

-The participating teams’ coaches were able to attend a futsal presentation from the head coach of the US’s National Futsal Team.

“There’s more soccer on [US] television than any other sport by far. You’ve got European soccer. You’ve got Mexican soccer. You’ve got Major League Soccer. There’s way too much soccer on television. I think all of us got to figure out a way to narrow that window so you can get a situation like the NFL has, a couple of days a week, short schedule, something that’s very compelling and very targeted.”-MLS Commissioner Don Garber on the expanding presence of international soccer in the United States.

This week I had the opportunity to do something I never thought I would be able to do: I got to watch a Copa Libertadores match between legendary South American clubs Corinthians and Boca Juniors. Although these legendary sides that every hardcore American football fan has heard of, for the modern era they have been just that. Legends. Never seen, their work only told in the United States from those who have seen them in person or through fan magazines like Soccer America. In a country where more people are warming up to the beautiful game and old stereotypes are being broken, fans are having more opportunities to find different games and teams. Despite Mr. Garber’s beliefs, this is not the time to provide less coverage of the game. Providing a wider variety of teams, players, and most importantly styles and tactics will only spur growth in the game and improve the product on the field.

In a growing soccer culture like the United States what team a person roots for is not necessarily as important as it is in other parts of the world, but it is getting there. Camaraderie between soccer fans is starting to break among different supporters unions. Where there was once a war for respect among traditional fans, it seems like there is more acceptance of the game from nontraditional fans. Any fan who is in their twenties and thirties can remember getting crap from their classmates for playing a sissy sport and not a man’s sport like football. Breaking down the “everyone’s together” feeling of American soccer fans and developing true rivalries will only help the sport grow.

Although I have told many people in the past that I have always been a Newcastle United fan, my parents will correctly point out that the first team that I rooted for was Aston Villa. I had purchased one of their jerseys when I was about 10 or 11 years old at a place called Soccer Plus in Waldorf, Md. During the Wild West times in American soccer, players would have to travel 20-30miles at a time for decent gear and the culture was very much underground. While pretty much every parent had their kids play Parks and Recreation for the exercise and social aspect (i.e. orange slices) these people often lost interest after the age of 8 or 9. Games were never about winning, they were about feeling good for yourself.

The Coaching was also very poor: people who had no real experience in the game were forced to coach or had positions of power because of money or other athletic experience. I do not fault them: most coaches did the best they could with what little resources that they had. But I do often wonder if people who were my age had been able to watch teams like Ajax, Bayern Munich, Lyon, and the two La Liga giants if the passive nature of American soccer would have been stamped out.

As a kid growing up, there really was not a choice on what team to root for. Your choice was any soccer team or whoever was on. While most soccer fans I know rooted for the USA National Team and hated Mexico that is not really a rivalry to build a soccer culture on. There are only a dozen or so National Team games a year, and back in the 1990s very few games were televised. Club football coverage was even worse. Aside from the occasional English Premier League Review show English club football was hardly shown. The rest of European club football did not exist in America. While we did receive the Champions League, games are normally shown at 245, which is hard to watch for those of us who are in school. It did not help my brother and I had a horrible bus driver who made us wait an extra 45 minutes to get off of the bus. So until I went to college, MLS and the occasional U.S. National Team game would have to do to feed my soccer interests.

It would be easy to say that I have always been a Newcastle United fan, but the fact of the matter is that would be a lie. While some people have chosen their favorite team because of where they grew up, their family heritage, or a team’s pedigree the fact is that I originally chose to be a Newcastle fan because of the Newcastle Brown Ale. Newcastle for McDaniel College students was a cheap, good beer. While everyone had National Bohemian, Natty Ice, Keystone Ice, or my friend Rob’s favorite beer Red Dog (Is that even made anymore?) lining their mini-fridge walls Newcastle was a step or two above that. It was the type of drink you would tell a girl that you had in your dormitory to get cozy with her.

While I do not remember exactly my first Newcastle United match, I do remember sitting in Rob’s apartment at 9am, watching a Newcastle match on pirated Television, and cracking open a Newcastle Brown Ale. Whether it was a sign from god, Rupert Murdoch, or the liquor store owner I am not sure. What I do know is that during my senior year, my Saturday morning diet consisted of Fox Soccer Channel, plenty of games online, and watching whatever Champions League games that I could during study breaks. Also, I am not the only person to see the ties to soccer and beer. Groups like the Free Beer Movement work to get more American fans into the game through the beauty of beer.

I can empathize with Mr. Garber to a degree. International clubs are direct competition to his product, and in most cases, is a far superior product. While NBC’s recent $250 million dollar purchase of the American rights to the Premier League is good for the English Premier League, it means less airtime and exposure for MLS. While MLS is doing well in attendance, their television ratings are abysmal. What is good for American soccer is not exactly good for MLS. These two groups do not have mutually exclusive goals. Mr. Garber does not want to see kids wearing FC Barcelona, Real Madrid, or even Aston Villa or Newcastle United jerseys. He wants to see them wearing D.C. United or L.A. Galaxy jerseys.

That being said, if a person has the ability to watch more soccer games their interest will grow, and eventually they will tune in to watch the domestic product. Although I had been a D.C. United fan since the team formed, my interest did wane during the early to middle 2000’s. The team was still winning trophies, but the quality of the league was slipping and you could never find a match on T.V. Plus with the league folding the Miami Fusion and the Tampa Bay Mutiny it felt like it was just another failed American soccer league. After watching Newcastle for a few weeks, I started to check up on MLS again more often, reading team websites and setting time aside to watch ESPN’s game of the week. Once technology had gotten to the point where it was possible to watch a game on the computer, I started setting time aside each week to watch a game or two online. While I watch the Bundesliga, the Premier League, Ligue 1, the Eredivise, and La Liga with regularity, the only league that I make sure to watch is MLS. Newcastle may have brought me back into the game, but it is D.C. United where my passions lie.

American soccer has come quite a long way from rare matches on T.V. With the expansion of internet capabilities and large television contracts, fans are able to watch more games from different parts of the globe. Having a variety of games, teams, and players to choose and root for will only open the game up to a wider audience. If more fans can watch battles like those between Corinthians and Boca Juniors, then more people will be interested in the game both at home and abroad.

The 2013 AT&T MLS All-Star Game logo was unveiled on Sunday at Sporting Park during halftime of Sporting Kansas City’s nationally televised match against Chivas USA.

In conjunction with the logo’s launch, the first edition of 2013 AT&T MLS All-Star Game merchandise was made available to purchase in-stadium at Sporting Park on Sunday. The gear can also be purchased online at shop.sportingkc.com and mlsgear.com beginning Monday.

The 2013 AT&T MLS All-Star Game logo, designed by Major League Soccer, features the colors of Sporting Kansas City – Sporting Blue and Dark Indigo – in celebration of the club’s avid fan base and the vibrant soccer movement happening in greater Kansas City. Detail of the iconic canopy roof structure at Sporting Park highlights the world-class venue that will serve as the perfect setting for the League’s 18th-annual summer showcase.

The annual event will feature three days of festivities, culminating in a match between the League’s top players and a renowned international club on Wednesday, July 31 at Sporting Park. The 2013 AT&T MLS All-Star Game will be broadcast live at 8 p.m. CT on the ESPN, Univision, TSN and RDS family of networks. Exact networks will be announced at a later date.

The 2013 All-Star Game will mark the tenth time that an elite international club has played the MLS All-Stars, who are 6-2-1 in those matches and will be coached by Sporting Kansas City Manager Peter Vermes this year. In addition to honoring the best players in MLS, the game has featured world-famous clubs such as Manchester United (2010 & 2011), Everton FC (2009), Chelsea FC (2006 & 2012), and Chivas de Guadalajara (2003). The opponent for this year’s game will be announced at a later date.

Since opening in June 2011, Sporting Park has hosted Sporting Kansas City’s full home schedule — selling out the last 20 MLS matches (including playoffs) – as well as the 2012 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Championship, the 2011 CONCACAF Gold Cup, the 2012 CONCACAF Olympic Qualifying semifinals and championship, both the U.S. Men’s and Women’s National Teams and international friendlies.

U.S. Soccer selected Sporting Park to host the U.S. Men’s National Team on Oct. 11 in the team’s final home qualifying match for the 2014 FIFA World Cup. The U.S. Soccer Federation is also currently exploring a proposed project that would bring a new National Training and Coaching Development Center to Kansas City, Kan. The world-class training facility would serve as the premier destination in the United States for player, coaching and referee innovation.

The U.S. men’s national team played to a scoreless draw against Mexico yesterday in a sold-out Azteca Stadium. The U.S. gained an important point in qualifying, which places them third in-group standings.

 Panama leads the pack in first with Costa Rica following in second. The scoreless draw against the U.S. marks Mexico’s third straight draw in qualifying, which places them fifth in the pool.

Although El Tri controlled most of the possession, they had an unlucky night with several missed chances and several fouls that were not called in favor of Mexico.  Less than half an hour into the match, both back-line players DaMarcus Beasley and Matt Besler were in a dangerous position after picking up yellow cards early in the half.

Klinsmann once again started with a 4-2-3-1 formation last night after testing it out against Costa Rica. With Jermaine Jones out after sustaining an ankle injury against Costa Rica, Maurice Edu was brought in to partner with Bradley in the midfield. Edu missed his opportunity to make himself present last night and was not able to catch up to the Mexican’s pace.

Klinsmann made another change to the line-up last night, which included adding Matt Besler to the central back-line. The start gave the Sporting Kansas player his second cap with the stars and stripes.

My man of the match honors go to both Brad Guzan and Michael Bradley. Both players gave a solid performance. Guzan made some major saves for the U.S. last night, which will serve to grow the U.S. fans’ faith in the future of the goalkeeping position after Howard. As usual Bradley was a standout last night getting most of the touches last night while also being active defensively.

The U.S. will once again be on the road on June 7^th for a qualifying match against Jamaica.

Should fans be happy with a scoreless draw?