VIDEO :: 2013 D.C. United Academy Orientation

D.C. United's Academy teams and training programs are designed to find and develop the top players in the Washington region. Our coaches and staff emphasize playing attractive, possession-oriented soccer. The ultimate goal is to prepare players for the club's First Team or the nation's top university teams.

Learn more: click here

VIDEO: Longwood Women's Soccer 2013 Preview

via: LongwoodULancers

Coach Todd Dyer talks about his players, the team, and the competition in a preview of the fall season. The Lancers have been selected as the fourth best team in the Big South Conference....see why!

Giveaway :: Live Breathe Futbol Header Snapback

Our first Live Breathe Futbol giveaway was so popular we've decided to reward our readers with an even more EPIC prize from Live Breathe Futbol.

The Header snapback features our winged logo on a perfectly crafted snapback cap.  All black construction with black clasp closure on back.  Green under brim.

Hit the streets in style.

'The Header' Snapback from Live Breathe Futbol

Don't worry, if you don't win you can still pick up one of these sweet lids here: The Header - LBF Shop


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Video :: Is soccer headgear effective in protecting athletes against concussions?

Unless you have been living on the moon the past 5-6 years, you surely have heard plenty of debate and discussion regarding concussions in sports. Particular attention has been given to concussion awareness training in recent years in hopes of better education coaches, parents, and players.


In the following video, Tad Seifert, M.D., answers the question, "Is soccer headgear effective in protecting athletes against concussion?"

Some MLS players who currently wear some sort of protective headgear include, Daniel Woolard (D.C. United), Carlos Valdez (Philadelphia Union), and Pablo Mastroeni (Colorado Rapids).

DC defender to don headgear after 2012 concussion issue

Custom Nike Cortez iD 'VASoccerNews.com' Editon

Here is our take on a throwback pair of Nike Cortez with VASoccerNews.com branding and style.

Back view of VASoccerNews.com Nike Cortez iD

VA Soccer News Nike Cortez iD Poster

Check out the
Nike Cortez iD
I designed at NIKEiD.com    

Hey Parents.....Your kid sucks

This is a blog post from a youth baseball coach however the "suggestions and solutions" recommended by the blogger, Colin Young, are a perfect fit for travel soccer as well. At least, from my perspective coaching travel soccer.

Anyway, check it out and let us know what you think, do you agree with Colin Young? 

Baseball Perspective: Hey Parents.....Your kid sucks:      Now that I have your attention, I must qualify that it is not the child's fault that he is terrible at (enter sport).  It has every...

Fellaini Has a Big Afro! – Soccer News Weekly

Soccer News Weekly is lightweight news show covering a few topics in world football.  It’s produced by Jared Montz and is regularly syndicated on VA Soccer News.  Jared is a former pro player and founder of OnlineSoccerAcademy.com.

View Fellaini Has a Big Afro on Youtube 

Fellaini's Big Afro, FIFA Approves Goal Line Technology, and Messi Scores His 300th Goal for Barcelona.  These stories and more on Soccer News Weekly!

For a bonus video learn a soccer juggling pick up trick Jared originally made for Disney’s youtube channel.  It is a cool way to start juggling!

Why the U.S. women’s soccer team is sport’s greatest team and America’s best export

Exclusive Op-Ed: America's Band of Sisters

By Joe Donnelly, TakePart.com 

By MattGerlachPhotography

I’m not sure how I’m going to talk about USA women’s soccer without sounding like some babbling teenage, fanboy kook. I’m not. I’m well into middle age and generally sober, often skeptical and sometimes cynical. But I can’t do that here now, not after what I saw take place at venerable Old Trafford stadium in Manchester, England, on Monday.

I hope you saw it for yourself because words get real small and inadequate when they try to describe the bigger things that sometimes overwhelm us and make us feel humble and elevated at the same time. These things often happen in nature, but sometimes on the pitch, and that’s what happened yesterday when Alex Morgan headed a beautiful loping cross from the right wing off the foot of Heather O’Reilly to defeat Canada in the Olympic semifinals, 4-3.

The goal came in the 123rd minute, with 30 seconds left in the second and final overtime before the game would have been decided by the lottery of a penalty kick shootout. Calling the game one of the greatest soccer matches ever doesn’t do it justice.

Full Op-Ed at: http://www.takepart.com/article/2012/08/07/why-us-womens-soccer-team-sports-greatest-team-and-americas-best-export

Get to Know: Tribe Men's Soccer Assistant Coach Brendan Bourdage

D.C. United Video Truck Coming to Arlington

D.C. United will be bringing their #DefendRFK video truck will be making multiple stops throughout the Arlington area Wednesday from noon until 5:00 PM.


#DefendRFK video truck in Chinatown Tuesday.


Be on the lookout today and be sure to get your picture in the "wall" alongside pictures of United players.

Schedule: Wednesday, July 18 - 12:00 PM to 5:00 PM

• Rosslyn/Clarendon
• Virginia Square
• Ballston
• Columbia Pike
• Route 50

Click HERE for full video truck schedule.

Job Alert: Commonwealth Soccer Programs Seeking Tournament Director

CSP Seeks Tournament Director

Since 1997, Commonwealth Soccer Programs has been a soccer management company based in Richmond, VA, dealing with club consultation, tournament management, camps, team training, and more. We are currently operating 10-14 tournaments, with several of those being in Florida.

CSP is looking for a qualified candidate to manage a team in the operations of these tournaments.

This is a specific list of duties that will be included in the Tournament Director’s duties:

• Oversee the general operations of the tournament
• Scheduling
• Promotion/Marketing
• Instructing the staff and coordinating internal communication
• Tracking team entries and team checks
• Organization of vendors and obtaining sponsors
• Finalizing game brackets
• Communicating with teams
• Arranging game officials
• Organizing site facilities
• Establish, follow and evaluate tournament budget
• Responsible for the recruitment, scheduling and oversight of event volunteers
• Responsible for all permits necessary for the event
• Ensure all financial obligations are concluded in a timely manner
• Document standard procedures for job position as well as a calendar year timeline of activities
• Implementing the policies and rules of the tournament
• Creating a positive tournament experience for the fans and participants
• Resolving any conflicts amicably
• Meeting predetermined goals that can include finances, attendance and number of participants
• Other duties as assigned

Qualifications

• Experience in running a tournament-type event preferred
• Knowledge of the sport, event planning and marketing experience required
• Good communication skills, strong writing and organizational skills
• Knowledge of computers with data entry, word processing and email capability mandatory
• Pleasant manner, patience, problem-solving ability, dependability and well-spoken
• Self-motivated, require minimal supervision and strong leadership qualities
• Must have initiative!
• Working relationships with current soccer organizations, DOC’s, Technical Directors is a plus.

Qualified applicants should send resumes, with references and cover letters to Steve Lovgren at steve@cspsoccer.net .  If you have further questions, please feel free to email.

Famous Soccer Tattoos

Famous Soccer Tattoos

 

 

 

From David Beckhams' world famous tattoos to U.S. Women's team member Natasha Kai and her massive tattoos, soccer players from around the world are sporting more and more body art than ever before.

Here is a look at some of the most famous soccer players with tattoos as well as some of the tattoos from around the world of soccer.

The beautiful game has some beautiful artwork.

David Beckham 

David Beckham gives a tour of his many tattoos to 60 minutes reporter Anderson Cooper.

 

powered by Youtube

 

Natasha Kai 

Hands down Natasha Kai is the most tattooed women in soccer if not all sports. With over 25 tattoos (a number that continues to grow) Kai is seemingly covered from head to toe.

Born and raised in Hawaii many of her tattoos have a more traditional Polynesian look to them.

Natasha Kai on L.A. Ink 

powered by Youtube

Do you like tattoos on athletes?

Yes, it makes them look sexy,

No, I prefer boring.

Fernando Torres 

 

Fernando José Torres Sanz (born 20 March 1984), nicknamed El Niño (The Kid in Spanish), is a Spanish footballer who plays for Liverpool and the Spain national team as a striker.

He won the 2010 FIFA World Cup with Spain.

Emmanuel Adebayor 

Emmanuel Adebayor explains the meaning behind his body art. Adebayor is a Togolese footballer who plays for Manchester City.

Trivia: Adebayor bought Cristiano Ronaldo's seven-bedroom mansion in Cheshire for �5.5 million when he made the move to Manchester.

 

powered by Youtube

 

Marco Materazzi 

 

Marco Materazzi is an Italian footballer who plays as a defender for Serie A club Internazionale. In 2006 he won the World Cup with Italy national team.

Tattoo stuff on Amazon 

The Mammoth Book of Tattoos

by: Lal Hardy

Amazon Price: $12.21 (as of 12/07/2010)

6 Guns Tattoo Kit Tattoo Machine Complete w/ LCD Power Supply Needles Ink Grip Tube Case BRAND NEW T06

Amazon Price: $199.99 (as of 12/07/2010)

72 Dinosaur Tattoos

Amazon Price: $6.28 (as of 12/07/2010)

The following is a guest post by Brad Smith of MySoccerImage.com

WPS Problems Start in the Boardroom, Not on the Field

The latest announcement from the FC Gold Pride and the Washington Freedom has sent panic around the WPS.  This has come on the heels of the Los Angeles Sol folding, and the mid-season St Louis Athletica debacle. The recent failings are beginning to remind people of the WUSA, and that’s not good.  The WUSA, the world’s first women’s professional soccer league, blew through $100 million dollars in just 3 years of existence.

If the FC Gold Pride goes down, then the WPS effectively becomes a regional league. The LA Sol situation was a complete disaster.  LA Sol was a great team located in a huge, passionate market that’s a soccer haven in Southern California. Not to mention the endorsement of AEG, one of the biggest brands in U.S. Soccer. Despite on-field success, the LA Sol lost more than $3 million in one year. Obviously something is wrong here.

So what do the FC Gold Pride, Washington Freedom, Los Angeles Sol, and the St. Louis Athletica all have in common? (Besides terrible names?)

Failure by Design

The WPS has secured some of the best women’s players in the world, are bringing in top young talent and providing an entertaining game for the fans. However the teams are only as good as the WPS.

The WPS, like the MLS, is a top-down organization. The league is heavily involved with dictating how teams will be run. Unfortunately, this is the only model the U.S. has had any success with in professional soccer.

The problem though is that they fail to recognize that the WPS is a start-up company, and should be run with a viable business model. A major part of this includes developing a strategy that will acquire new customers (passive fans), and transforming them into loyal supporters (brand evangelists).

Before and After

A recent article by Virginia Online Soccer News pointed out the top 3 obstacles for WPS future success:

Not surprisingly most of them pointed out the following three areas the league will need to focus on immediately:

• Increased ticket sales
• The need for major sponsorship deals
• Increased TV/Media coverage

Now let’s analyze these 3 obstacles and find out how we would expand on each one:

• Increased Ticket Sales (Marketing/Advertising)
• Need for Major Sponsorship Deals (Marketing/PR)
• Increased TV/Media Coverage (Marketing/PR)

So it’s safe to assume, the biggest issues to WPS success and sustainability is improving league-wide marketing.

The WPS recently announced reorganization. Here are some of the moves they made at the end of July:

The positions cut include New Media Manager, League Office Manager/Assistant to the Commissioner, in addition to jobs in marketing. The release also points to consolidation within operations and shifting some of those duties to the team level… and WPS Communication Executives.

So while the largest obstacles to WPS success are largely dependent on marketing and public relations, they decided to shed jobs in marketing and public relations. Brilliant!

Everyone’s favorite satirical blog, Fake Sigi, had this to say in regard to WPS marketing at the beginning of last season:

I'm also going to question WPS marketing efforts right here, right now. Longtime readers know I've been unimpressed with WPS executives dismissing marketing to young girls and women. While it's not appropriate to go into a long discussion of the issues here, the collapse of the Sol only heightens the pressure on the rest of the league to get their stuff together in regard to reaching their strongest demographic.

So can this be fixed?  How do we improve our marketing efforts to not only acquire new customers, but also retain them and turn them into passionate supporters?  In a league pouring money down the drain, are traditional TV commercials and billboards advertisements going to effectively accomplish this?  I may not have all the answers, but the short answer is a resounding “No”.  So how do you reach consumers directly, and spread the “good news”?

Enter Social Media

One of the most dramatic effects of the rise of the internet and worldwide broadband connection has been the acceptance of social media’s ability to connect people.  Social media is a broad range of sites including blogs, YouTube, Wikipedia, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Digg Delicious and many more.  On Facebook alone, there are over 500 million users that interact as friends, share information, post funny thoughts, and “Like” things on a regular basis. In February of this year, Nielson reported that people are spending an average of 7 hours per month on Facebook, more time than on Google, Yahoo, Microsoft, YouTube and Wikipedia combined.

It’s clear that social media sites are providing low cost, but highly effective marketing channels for companies. Some of the biggest benefits include branding, lead generation, promotion, customer support, and the “viral” spreading of links, news and information. However perhaps the largest benefit is being able to listen to your customers and react or respond to them in real time.

Survey Says: Social-media use builds fan avidity

Another recent study measured the impact of fans social media sites interacting with their favorite sports teams.

The results show that 61 percent of MLB fans and 55 percent of NFL fans consider themselves bigger fans of the respective leagues since they started following their favorite teams on Facebook, Twitter and similar sites. In addition, more than half of MLB fans (and 43 percent of NFL fans) said they spend more time watching and following the league now than they did prior to their social-media engagement.

Marketing 101 says it’s much easier and cheaper to keep an existing customer then to acquire a new one. It’s such an important concept that they’ve coined a term to demonstrate this: the Lifetime Value of a Customer.  It’s difficult to get a fan to attend 1 game.  But the biggest issue is how do you keep them coming back, buying merchandise, and having them spread their enthusiasm to their network of friends and family. 

The Proof is in the Pudding

One leading innovative marketing company, Razorfish, released a report in 2009 reporting on how digital social interaction affects companies. Here are some relevant excerpts from that report.

Digital is not simply an “awareness” play; it’s a customer-creation play. According to our study, the overwhelming majority of consumers who actively engage with a brand (e.g., follow a brand on Twitter or enter a contest) can evolve from passive reactors to advocates almost instantaneously.

On average, 97% report increased brand awareness; 98% show increased consideration; 97% will likely purchase a product from the brand; and 96% may recommend the brand to their friends.
Engagement equals affinity.

Moreover, brands that use digital to drive awareness also drive sales: 64% of consumers report making a first purchase from a brand because of a digital experience.

In fact, according to Forrester, if you are 45 years old or younger, you spend significantly more time using the Internet than watching television. We believe that this trend signifies the rise of “digital primacy,” where consumers are turning first and foremost to digital to help them navigate, connect, and make sense of the world.

Google and Facebook are experiential brands, as are Zappos, Twitter, Netflix, Amazon, Apple, Starbucks, and Nike. These companies understand that we are living in a world where consumer preference isn’t formed in reaction to a message, but through a series of experiences over time. Ultimately, it’s a dialogue of interactions that’s stunningly effective when done right.

As Jeff Bezos, Amazon’s CEO, has been known to say:

Your brand is formed primarily, not by what your company says about itself, but what the company does.

 Experience, as we will see, not only matters—it drives results to the bottom line.

The Bottom Line 

Today in 2010, the most effective (and cost-efficient) ways to directly reach consumers and spread information is through social media. Using these methods effectively, any company (or professional soccer league) can increase customer acquisition, but more importantly develop relationships (bonds) between existing fans. This social media phenomenon turns passive spectators into interactive partners. Following your favorite sports team on Twitter or Liking them on Facebook creates a new bond and gives you a vested interest in the success of that brand.

It is unacceptable to ignore this impact and the repercussions of these actions. It should be a huge red flag that the WPS reorganized and shed jobs in marketing, new media and communications when the biggest hurdles for their success are improving their customer acquisition and retention. Because it’s not just their financial position their damaging. They’re letting down the teams, players, fans, and millions of young female athletes who pray for the chance of playing professional soccer someday.

*Brad Smith is the author of College Soccer Recruiting 101, a free e-book on how to be a top recruit. He is also the co-founder and President of MySoccerImage.com, which provides college soccer recruiting information and education for youth, club, and high school soccer players.

US Youth Soccer to host Soccer Fiesta in Springfield, VA

Presents:

Soccer Fiesta

Saturday October 23, 2010

Franconia Park, Field #4

6432 Bowie Drive

Springfield, VA

From 4:00p.m. to 7:00p.m.

US Youth Soccer's Soccer Across America is teaming up with VYSA and Springfield Youth Club to provide an opportunity for yout players ages 5-17 and their families to enjoy a day of soccer, music, food, and prizes.

The Soccer Across America program is designed to introduce the sport of soccer to youngsters living in communities not yet served by existing clubs and leagues. Focused on making soccer available to lower-income children in underserved communities, Soccer Across America provides soccer training and administrative guidance to players and organizations who might otherwise not be exposed to the sport.

Soccer Across America also helps new programs find the funding and equipment to begin and then to expand their activities. In the past several years, US Youth Soccer has donated hundreds of thousands of dollars in financial and material support to programs across the United States.

• This event is FREE and for participants ages 5–17
• All participants will receive prizes/gifts
• Food for all participants
• Music provided from a DJ
• Come with your family and have fun!!

Meet Washington Freedom Mascot - Glory

 *For more information, call Marcelo Gangotena 703-861-2580

---

Sábado 23 de octubre 2010

Franconia Park, Field #4
6432 Bowie Drive

Springfield, VA

Desde las 4:00 p.m. hasta las 7:00 p.m.

•  Este evento es GRATIS y para participantes entre 8–17
• Todos los participantes recibirán premios/regalos
• Comida para los participantes
• Musica con DJ
• Ven con tu familia y diviértete

*Para más información llamar a Marcelo Gangotena 703.861.2580

Get to know UVA Women's Head Coach: Steve Swanson

The Virginia women's soccer team is off to a 4-0-1 start and is ranked No 6 nationally by Soccer America. The Cavaliers look for their fourth consecutive Virginia Nike Soccer Classic title when they host Texas on Friday and Boston University on Sunday. Virginiasports.com discussed the early part of the season and this weekend's tournament with head coach Steve Swanson.

Steve Swanson Biography

Question: Now that you are five games into the season, what have you seen from your team at this point of the season?

Swanson: I think there have been many positives that have stood out over the last month, since we started preseason training. There is strong work ethic amongst the group, which is important to any team that wants to go far in a season and accomplish their goals. That was something we saw in the spring that has carried over into the fall. I think there is a better appreciation for everyone's role on the team, and that has something to do with having a lot of veterans, who have a lot of experience. We are certainly more verbal, which is something I thought hurt us at times last year. Our communication is much better and that is something that has been beneficial to our play this year. Our technical ability from one player to the next is very high. The entire team has a good level of skill and that allows us to do some things that we might not have been able to do in the past. There are some areas that I have seen some great growth over the past year or so, and that has been keys to our play so far this season.

Question: How much of a luxury is it for a coach to have 10 returning starters and 18 returning letterwinners on a team?

Swanson: That kind of experience certainly makes a big difference for any coach. I like to think that it has been a reason for our early season success. Those players have worked awfully hard during their time at Virginia and have put themselves in a position to be successful on the field. It doesn't always happen, but you first want to put yourself in a position to be successful and our players have done that. They have worked hard on their weaknesses and have improved every year they have been in our program. With that, I hope comes some cohesiveness as a team as everyone knows each other's strengths and how to play as a unit.
Question: Has there anything over the first few weeks of the season that has surprised you?

Swanson: I don't think this is as much a surprise, but it has been nice to see the change in our second-year class. The evolution of them as players from first-years last season to where they are now has been great to see. I remember coming in last year and thinking how new and raw they were. It's always tough to come in as a first-year. They have done a great job of improving and using the experience they had last year and putting it to good use. I think our first years that have come in this year, it has been a surprise, not to us as coaches, but maybe to our team overall, just how quickly they have fit into the group. Their injection into the group has been really smooth and they did a good job preparing themselves this summer to be ready to contribute right away.

Question: This season, in three home games you have three wins and outscored opponents 18-0. What has been key to the strong play at Klöckner Stadium?

Swanson: Our mentality from the onset has been key. Our players are bringing an energy and a mentality to each game. We have gotten out to strong starts of games and that has a lot to do with our mentality and attitude heading into each game. For the coaching staff, it has been great to see that consistency.

Question: How important are these non-conference games in order to get ready for the difficulty of ACC play?

Swanson: They are extremely important as you try to prepare your team for what is ahead. It is like a boat. You put it in the water first and test it out and see if there is anything you need to fix before you try to take it through some storms. We try to put our team in an environment where we can see where we are and what we need to work on. These games are important in terms of building your resume come postseason, but also to test your team and get an accurate gauge of where you are.

Question: This weekend you host a challenging tournament. Texas is undefeated and Boston University, despite their record, has played some good teams well this year. The fourth team, William & Mary, is also undefeated. What will fans see when they come to Klöckner this weekend?

Swanson: It will be a good tournament. William & Mary has had a strong year thus far. Texas traditionally has always been a strong, well-coached team. We have never played BU before, but I have a lot of respect for their program and they are another team that was picked to win their conference, which we have already played a few of those teams this season. We know what we are getting with these games. These are more opportunities to test our team and that is exactly what we are looking for at this time of the year. Hopefully we will get a good crowd out for both Friday and Sunday, because I think our fans will be treated to some great soccer.

Hotspur, Impact Unveiled - FASA Adds PDL, W-League Franchises

USL News Release -
Wednesday, September 15, 2010

TAMPA, Fla. – United Soccer Leagues is proud to announce that the Fredericksburg Area Soccer Association will be fielding teams in both the Premier Development League and W-League beginning with the 2011 season.

The Fredericksburg Hotspur will play in the PDL, while the Fredericksburg Impact will compete in the W-League. Both teams will begin play in their respective leagues in May, 2011. Division alignment and schedules for both teams will be released at a later date.

“We’re very excited to have an organization of the caliber of FASA joining the PDL and W-League,” Senior Director of PDL Operations Jeff McRaney said. “With the level of aspiration they have shown with their Super Y and Super-20 programs this year, we feel they will be a valuable addition to both the PDL and W-League for many years to come.”

A community of soccer players, families and coaches, FASA is dedicated to maintaining a positive atmosphere for athletes to compete through the sport of soccer – and to promote and encourage camaraderie among club members through team participation in athletic events.

“We are thrilled to be bringing elite-level soccer to the Fredericksburg community and have no doubt they will enthusiastically support our teams,” FASA General Manager Pete Cinalli said. “The area has a history of producing quality soccer players and to have the opportunity to have a ‘hometown’ team to compete on a national level will create a lot of excitement.”

FASA, which has been a fixture in the Central Virginia soccer scene for more than 30 years, began its involvement with USL this year with 10 teams participating in the Super Y-League and Super-20 League. Cinalli believes adding the PDL and W-League to the organization will allow for even greater player development in the coming years, and a goal for the organization’s younger players to aim for as they progress through the club.

“Our explosive growth and focus on elite player development was certainly a key motivator for pursuing PDL and W-League franchises, as was the success former FASA players are having at the college level,” Cinalli said. “Our club will now have the ability to have players start with us as young as 4 years old in our Classic Program, move to Travel and Super Y, then return from college to play on our PDL or W-League teams. It allows us to take our focus on player development to the highest level possible.”

The top U23 men’s league in North America, the USL Premier Development League (PDL) featured 67 teams within four conferences across the United States and Canada in 2010. The PDL season consists of 16 regular season matches for each team, eight home and eight away, and provides elite collegiate players the opportunity to taste a higher level of competition while maintaining their eligibility. In addition to league play, PDL teams compete in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup as well as various exhibitions. The USL Premier Development League has proven to be an important stepping stone for top professionals now playing throughout the world. This year’s PDL champions were the Portland Timbers U23s, which defeated the Thunder Bay Chill, 4-1, in the final.

The first and longest-standing women’s league in North America, the W-League is USL’s highest level of women’s soccer in the United States and Canada. The 2010 USL W-League campaign featured 29 teams in three regional conferences playing 10 or 12 regular season matches. In addition to featuring international and professional stars, elite amateur players have the opportunity to compete on amateur teams in the league while maintaining their collegiate eligibility. The league is recognized throughout the world for providing superior competition for female players, while offering affordable family entertainment for fans across North America. This season’s championship was won by the Buffalo Flash, who defeated the Vancouver Whitecaps, 3-1, in Santa Clarita, Calif. on July 31.

United Soccer Leagues

Founded in 1986, United Soccer Leagues has become the largest organization of elite-level soccer leagues in North America by building on the vision, commitment, and passion of players, fans and investors. Now in its third decade of operation, USL continues to be a driving force in the growth of soccer in the United States, Canada and Caribbean. USL provides a clearly defined path for the progression of male and female soccer players beginning at the youth level (USL Super Y-League/USL Super-20 League), continuing through the amateur level (USL Premier Development League/USL W-League) and up to the professional level, both outdoor and indoor (USL PRO, I-League). A platform for countless players to reach for their dreams each year, USL is devoted to developing the sport at the grassroots level in every community across the region.

USL Public Relations - Jay Preble / Nicholas Murray / David Wagner - Tampa, FL - 813.963.3909 - Twitter: USLsoccer

Virginia College Soccer Players to Watch

Women’s College Players to Watch - ACC (TopDrawerSoccer.com)

1 Sinead Farrelly, Virginia MF
11 Lauren Alwine, Virginia F
12 Marika Gray, Virginia Tech. F
17 Meghan Lenczyk, Virginia F

Women’s College Players to Watch - CAA (TopDrawerSoccer.com)

2 Diana Weigel, William & Mary MF
5 Omolyn Davis, George Mason MF
6 Teresa Rynier, James Madison MF
12 Lisa Bernardini, Old Dominion D
16 Ashlee Coutu, Old Dominion MF
17 Tiana Kellenberger, George Mason F
19 Ashley Kukura, Old Dominion MF
20 Kaitlen O’Connor, William & Mary D

Men’s College Players to Watch - CAA (TopDrawerSoccer.com)

1 CJ Sapong, James Madison F
3 Victor Freeman, George Mason F
5 Nathaniel Baako, William & Mary MF
15 Thomas Webb, Old Dominion D
17 Alan Koger, William & Mary F
18 Evan Newton, Old Dominion GK
19 Yannick Smith, Old Dominion F
20 Paul Wyatt, James Madison F

Style over Structure: A comparison of Brazil and US Soccer Philosophy

VS

The future success of US Soccer must start at the bottom. American players are missing the intangibles: creativity, desire, and confidence. All of these are set in motion at an early age and not instilled via coaching at the top level.

The Brazilian National team is always considered one of the top teams in international soccer competitions and have been for quite some time. The Brazilians have won 5 World Cup competitions in 19 appearances (the only team to play in every World Cup). The Brazilian team has produced numerous international stars including the best to ever play futbol, Pele. From current national team members Robinho and Kaka to up and coming superstar Neymar, there is never a lack of talent being produced by Brazil.

In Brazil the focus is not on coaching but rather playing the “beautiful game”. Style, skill, and passion are encouraged and expressed by the national players from Brazil with much less emphasis on structure and power. In comparison the US Soccer program has continued to fail in its goal to produce a competitive international soccer squad due to its dependence on the model American athlete. Most sports that youth in America participate in require size, strength, and power the desired attributes of an “athlete”. However, as Brazil continues to demonstrate, this may not be the correct area of focus when it comes to building a winning soccer team and successful coaching philosophy.

In their youth Brazilian children can be seen with a ball at their feet no matter what the field conditions are, constantly playing the ‘beautiful game’. This open play is the key to developing creativity and skill without any coaching whatsoever. Compare this scenario to that of a suburban soccer complex in America: turf fields, top of the line equipment, and multiple coaches (and unfortunately parents) dissecting and interjecting at the first sight of a players’ “mistake”. We focus our coaching on technical, tactical, psychological and of course physical skills. Not mentioned is creativity, passion, or individuality.

If US Soccer where to study successful international teams from around the globe and attempt to blend their winning formulas for developing talented players and competitive teams they may have a better chance at success.

The true measure of success for a national soccer team is measured in wins and not corporate sponsorship money or T.V. coverage/revenue. For the game of soccer to finally take hold of the American audience the team must first WIN. Face it, Americans love WINNERS. Remember back not long ago to the 2010 World Cup and the attention our country paid to the results of the US Soccer team and captain Landon Donovan when they were playing well and advancing in the tournament.



Then remember how quickly that attention faded once the team was eliminated.



In Brazil where the love of futbol is introduced along with a bottle at birth the success of the national team unites an entire country. In the US the sport of soccer is an afterthought to many. With an open mind and willingness to change philosophy, the US Soccer program would have the opportunity to embrace the youth of America with a sport that is not only the most popular sport in the world but is also accessible to any race, religion, color, gender, and class.

Americans are innately independent soles. This is why democracy and capitalism are encouraged and defended in our country. Start with our youth and encourage them to develop their independent spirit through the beautiful game and we may soon see the results on display during the most widely viewed sporting event in the world. And who knows, with a little help from FIFA that might even be on US soil as soon as 2018 or 2022.