U.S. MNT wins Fifth CONCACAF Gold Cup

In the final of the 2005 Gold Cup, the U.S. Men's National Team defeated Panama and where named Champions. This past Sunday the Americans secured a repeat victory over Panama in the CONCACAF Gold Cup final, giving them their fifth title (Mexico leads with six).


Landon Donovan was named MVP of the tournament and leads the all-time scoring with 18 goals in Gold Cup matches.



Check out highlights from the Championship match:

Video :: Congratulations, Abby! Wambach Passes Hamm as All-Time Leading Scorer

via U.S. Soccer:

On June 20, 2013 Abby Wambach became the all-time leading socrer in international soccer, netting her 159th goal for the USA. Here's a look back at some of her most memorable highlights.

Seattle artist Art Chantry designs custom U.S. Soccer poster

SEATTLE (June 9, 2013) - Local Seattle artist Art Chantry has designed a game-specific poster for the U.S. Men's National Team's FIFA World Cup Qualifier against Panama on June 11 at CenturyLink Field. 

U.S. Soccer Poster by Art Chantry

Chantry is a graphic designer based in the Northwest whose lo-fi, high contrast designs have been used by famous rock bands such as Nirvana, Hole, Gang of Four and several others. His low-tech design approach has also been showcased at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Museum of Modern Art, the Seattle Art Museum, the Smithsonian and the Louvre. 

The limited-edition poster will be available for purchase at the U.S. Soccer Pep Rally at Cinerama on Monday night (door open at 7:30 p.m.) and on ussoccerstore.com. There will also be a limited number of posters signed by Chantry for sale only on ussoccerstore.com.

"Having seldom executed 'sports' posters before, I realized that there was little I could do to actually compete against the standards within the genre of sports graphics," said Chantry. "So, I decided to treat the idea of a sports poster as if it were a grunge rock gig poster. All the graphic elements in the poster carry along that aged, worn feel along with a casual disregard for formal restraints."

Chantry utilized the dynamic movement of a soccer player in motion to capture a design that is literally throwing itself off the frame of the poster's edge.

"I captured that moment of impact between the kicking foot and the flying ball," said Chantry. "That split second when the world stops mid-motion, when you don't know which way it's all going to go. It can fly directly into the goal, or it can fall off the poster entirely."

Video :: USMNT Steal 3 Points in Extra Time against Jamaica

A goal from U.S. defender Brad Evens in extra time was exactly what the Americans needed to get three important points in World Cup qualifying play.

via U.S. Soccer

Three Day U.S. Soccer Combine coming to D.C.

U.S. Soccer announced today plans to help uncover more youth soccer talent by bringing their Training Center Program to seven U.S. cities.

The 2013 U.S. Soccer local combine is scheduled to come to the D.C. area July 8-10.

Complete Details After the Break: 

U.S. Withstand Second Half Surge from Germany, get 4-3 Victory at RFK

U.S. vs Germany, 6/02/2013 - photo credit: Chris Wimmer

By: Chris Wimmer

RKF Stadium was host to another exciting U.S. Men's National Team match this past weekend as part of the U.S. Soccer centennial celebrations. U.S.A. hosted Germany in an international friendly and more than 47,000 fans packed RFK to witness a goal scoring frenzy that saw the USMNT up 2-0 within the first twenty minutes of the match.

Marc-André ter Stegen
photo credit: Chris Wimmer

In what could only be described as a goalkeeper's worst nightmare, German netminder Marc-André ter Stegen allowed an own goal (see it here) on a seemingly simple passback from his defender gifting the Americans a 2-0 lead early in the first half. To make matters worse for Stegen, minutes later Jozy Altidore of the U.S. had possession of the ball at the center circle of the field and flighted a ball over Stegen's head - causing the German keeper to take a tumble while attempting to back peddle in order to make a play. Although the shot by Altidore sailed over the net, the American fans let loose with a loud chorus of boos and jeers directed at Stegen.

VA Soccer News spoke to D.C. United goalkeeper Bill Hamid after the match to get his thoughts on the troubled first half the 21-year-old Marc-André ter Stegen:

Hamid discusses poor start by Stegen

Tim Howard who some may say is the best ever U.S. goalkeeper also spoke to VA Soccer News about the struggles of Stegen and what goalkeepers do to stay in the game mentally:

Howard on Stegen

Germany came out swinging to begin the second half and quickly cut the American lead to 2-1 but U.S. superstar and Tottenham Hotspur midfielder (12 goals/43 appearances) Clint Dempsey struck with a vengeance, scoring two goals just five minutes apart (60', 65'). The Dempsey brace put the USMNT up 4-1 and RFK was louder than it had been in at least a decade as the American supporters began chanting wildly and had the temporary stands bouncing up-and-down.

A three goal lead, at home, against a not-so-full strength German club, in the second half of play should have been all that was needed to put the game away but the U.S. players seemingly checked out mentally and allowed the Germans to claw their way back to within one goal, 4-3.

The final 10-15 minutes saw Klinsman's squad struggling to hold on for the win, which they did, despite exposing the porous back line yet again. Maybe the U.S. should follow in the footsteps of American Football and hire a Defensive Coordinator to help shore up the suspect defense...just an idea.



Overall the international friendly surely pleased the mostly American contingent of fans with the amount of goals scored, drama, and patriotism that where all in full bloom to kick off the summer and celebrate the first 100 years of U.S. Soccer. Oh, and RFK had what may be one of it's final shining moments as host of another great sporting event.

photo credit: Chris Wimmer

VIDEO: Krieger Has the Spirit

Check out Virginia native and Washington Spirit player Ali Krieger.

via U.S. Soccer YouTube channel

Few U.S. players have played as many professional club matches as Ali Krieger. For five seasons in Germany, she represented FFC Frankfurt, one of the top clubs in Europe and the world. She came back to the USA to play in the new National Women's Soccer League and is looking forward to having those same lessons learned in the highly competitive pro game replicated on U.S. soil so that she, and many other American players, can maximize their potential.

Follow Ali Krieger on Twitter: @AlexBKrieger

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United Goalkeeper Hamid called to U.S. Men's National Team camp

Bill Hamid called up to U.S. Men’s National Team for January camp and a friendly

Squad will face Canada on Jan. 29 in Houston, TX at 9 p.m. ET on ESPN2

Washington, D.C. (January 6, 2013) – D.C. United today announced that Homegrown goalkeeper Bill Hamid has been called up to the U.S. Men’s National Team for training camp and a Jan. 29 friendly against Canada in Houston, TX at 9 p.m. ET on ESPN2. The match, occurring at the end of the annual January camp, will open the team’s 2013 campaign and is the only game prior to the start of the Hexagonal Round of 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifying.

Alex Morgan U.S. Soccer 2012 Female Athlete of the Year

Alex Morgan at 2011 Mia Hamm Celebrity Soccer Match (photo by Chris Wimmer)

CHICAGO (Dec. 3, 2012) - For their excellence at the highest levels of the sport, U.S. Soccer announced U.S. Women's National Team forward Alex Morgan as the 2012 Female Athlete of the Year and U.S. Under-20 WNT defender Julie Johnston as the 2012 Young Female Athlete of the Year.

• Watch ussoccer.com's highlight video of 2012 Female Athlete of the Year Alex Morgan
• Read ussoccer.com's Q&A with Alex Morgan 
• Watch Julie Johnston meet her role model, U.S. captain Christie Rampone, on ussoccer.com.
• Read ussoccer.com's Q&A with Julie Johnston

The U.S. Soccer Athlete of the Year award is the highest honor awarded to soccer players in the United States. Online votes registered on U.S. Soccer's Facebook Page counted for 50 percent of the total votes, while the other 50 percent was represented by votes compiled from members of the national media and U.S. Soccer representatives, including National Team coaches and members of the U.S. Soccer Board of Directors.

The Female Athlete of the Year award is the first for Morgan and it comes in the Diamond Bar, Calif. native's first time on the ballot. The forward leads all U.S. scorers in 2012 with 28 goals which is good for third-best all time in a calendar year behind Abby Wambach (31 in 2004) and Michelle Akers (39 in 1991). Morgan has also compiled a team-leading 19 assists in 2012, the fourth-most in a single year. She still has three matches left to play as the USA finishes the Fan tribute Tour, presented by Panasonic, which matches against China on Dec. 8 in Detroit, Dec. 12 in Houston and Dec. 15 in Boca Raton, Fla.

Morgan's exploits have also earned her a place on the FIFA Ballon d'Or shortlist. The winner for FIFA's top honor will be announced on Jan. 7, 2013.

U-20 WNT defender Julie Johnston took home the Young Female Athlete of the Year award in one of the tightest races in the award's history, just edging out her U-20 teammates Kealia Ohai, who scored the winning goal in the U-20 Women's World Cup Final, and midfielder Vanessa DiBernardo.

The U-20 WNT captain was instrumental in helping the team win the FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup in Japan, starting all six games on the backline and earning the Bronze Ball as the tournament's third-best player, an extremely rare feat for a defender. The Mesa, Ariz. native also made an impact with Santa Clara, where the junior was the team's leading scorer with eight goals and five assists in 14 appearances.

Morgan and Johnston complete this year's list of winners for U.S. Soccer Athletes of the Year in 2012. Last month Clint Dempsey was announced as the Male Athlete of the year, Rubio Rubin the Young Male Athlete of the Year, and Felicia Schroeder the Disabled Athlete of the Year.

FEMALE ATHLETE OF THE YEAR
1985: Sharon Remer
1986: April Heinrichs
1987: Carin Jennings
1988: Joy Biefeld
1989: April Heinrichs
1990: Michelle Akers
1991: Michelle Akers
1992: Carin Gabarra
1993: Kristine Lilly
1994: Mia Hamm
1995: Mia Hamm
1996: Mia Hamm
1997: Mia Hamm
1998: Mia Hamm
1999: Michelle Akers
2000: Tiffeny Milbrett
2001: Tiffeny Milbrett
2002: Shannon MacMillan
2003: Abby Wambach
2004: Abby Wambach
2005: Kristine Lilly
2006: Kristine Lilly
2007: Abby Wambach
2008: Carli Lloyd
2009: Hope Solo
2010: Abby Wambach
2011: Abby Wambach
2012: Alex Morgan

YOUNG FEMALE ATHLETE OF THE YEAR
1998: Cindy Parlow
1999: Lorrie Fair
2000: Aly Wagner
2001: Aleisha Cramer
2002: Lindsay Tarpley
2003: Cat Reddick
2004: Heather O'Reilly
2005: Lori Chalupny
2006: Danesha Adams
2007: Lauren Cheney
2008: Kristie Mewis
2009: Tobin Heath
2010: Bianca Henninger
2011: Sydney Leroux
2012: Julie Johnston

U.S. Soccer Names Cheryl Bailey as Executive Director of New Women’s Soccer League

CHICAGO (Nov. 29, 2012) - U.S. Soccer president Sunil Gulati announced today that Cheryl Bailey has been named the Executive Director for the new U.S. Soccer-led women's soccer league that will begin play in the spring of 2013.

Bailey served as General Manager of the U.S. Women's National Team for five years from 2007 through 2011. A long-time athletics administrator who led the support staff for the U.S. team during the 2007 and 2011 FIFA Women's World Cups and the 2008 Olympics, she was in charge of all areas of Women's National Team administration including team travel, payroll, liaising with clubs, and working with FIFA, CONCACAF and other Federations.

"Cheryl was a highly regarded employee for U.S. Soccer during her time with the Women's National Team and she has the perfect skill set and experience to help get this league up and running," said Gulati. "Cheryl was one of the many pioneers for intercollegiate women's athletics and was immersed in the inner works of elite women's soccer for five years. We're excited to have her on board."

(credit ISIphotos.com)

"It was a wonderful experience to be a part of the bWomen's National Team for five years and see first-hand the impact that women's soccer players can have as role models," said Bailey. "The new league is another extension of that and a vitally important part of the continued growth of the sport in the United States. I am dedicated to ensuring that this league is set up with the best possible business model that emphasizes sustainability above all else while giving players a competitive environment in which to play and creating something special for young girls to aspire to."


Bailey was the Senior Associate Athletic Director and the Senior Woman Administrator at the University of Wisconsin for 15 years from 1990 to 2005. At Wisconsin, she was the sport administrator for 22 different teams, including men's and women's basketball, men's and women's soccer and men's and women's ice hockey. Bailey developed strategic plans, set policies, oversaw a multi-million dollar budget and fundraising campaigns. She also was involved in the planning and decision-making with the Athletic Board and its committees, which included gender equity/diversity issues, academic, compliance, finance and facility development.
Bailey served on numerous committees while at Wisconsin, including stints as the chairs of the NCAA Division I Women's Basketball Committee from 2001-2004 and the Women's Soccer Committee from 1989-1993.
Before moving to Madison, she was the Athletic Director at Denison University (Ohio) from 1979-1990, where she oversaw 12 women's sports and was the head track and field coach (1981-1988), the head soccer coach (1979-1990) and was an assistant professor, teaching History of Sports, Psychology/Sociology of Sports, Ethics of Sports, Lifetime skills & Activity Classes.
U.S. Soccer will serve as the main organizational body for the new league and will subsidize the salaries of up to 24 U.S. Women's National Team players while the Canadian Soccer Association will do the same for up to 16 Canadian players and the Federation of Mexican Football will do the same for up to 12 Mexican players.

U.S. Women Celebrate Gold Medal on Twitter

The 2012 London Olympics have been referred to by many media outlets as the Twitter Games or the Twitter Olympics. With the bad press some Olympic athletes (i.e. Hope Solo) have garnered for their not-so-smart use of Twitter we wanted to show the positive side of athletes using Twitter to share their excitement with their fans. Here is a small collection of some great pictures shared by members of the U.S. Women's soccer team celebrating their Gold Medal win on Twitter.

"MLS Triple Woven Jacquard Throw - USA Soccer" (Google Affiliate Ad)

Tobin Heath and Amy Rodriguez with Usain Bolt, Olympic Village, London. (@AmyRodriguez8/Twitter)
Source: Uploaded by user via Bruce on Pinterest

'WHAT?!?!?! We did it!!!!!! Everything is gold and nothing hurts.' (@kohara/Twitter)
Source: Uploaded by user via Bruce on Pinterest

'We are Olympic gold Medalists!!!!!!!!' (@alexmorgan13/Twitter)
Source: Uploaded by user via Bruce on Pinterest

Former Washington Freedom Star, Abby Wambach Previews Gold Medal Game against Japan

In two seasons with the Washington Freedom (2002-2003/WUSA & 2009-2010/WPS) Abby Wambach not only played along side the most famous U.S. Soccer player ever - Mia Hamm, she also won a league championship and was named MVP. Wambach scored 44 goals and added 30 assists while playing for the Freedom franchise and was by far a fan favorite at the Maryland SoccerPlex.

Now Wambach is looking to lead the U.S. Women's Soccer team to Olympic Gold in London against Japan, a team that beat the Americans only a year ago to win the 2011 Women's World Cup. On the other side of the pitch will be a former Washington Freedom teammate of Wambach's, Homare Sawa.
Another former Washington Freedom player on the U.S. roster for the 2012 Olympic squad going for gold include is Becky Sauerbrunn (2008-2010). 

Abby Wambach

On going up against her friend and former club teammate Homare Sawa against Japan:
"I think that Homare Sawa has proven herself to be one of the best players in the world. She led her team to a world championship. I have the greatest respect for her. She came to play in the United States a couple of times and took what she learned back to her country and they've done an extraordinary job over the last couple of years putting it together. I do think that we also have a great team. We're at a place that I think is solid. I think the fact that we lost the World Cup and the way that we did gives us even more passion and desire to go out and perform tomorrow. We saw each other in the Village. We told each other that we're both glad that the other had won because we believe that we're the top two teams in the world and our fans deserve to see a great final. This gold medal match is going to be nothing short of that."

USWNT Host China at PPL Park in May

D.C., Maryland, and Virginia fans of the U.S. Women's National Team will have a chance to catch the team in action at the somewhat nearby PPL Park in Pennsylvania. The two and a half hour drive from D.C.is well worth the trip to see the USWNT. The women are returning from Japan where a goal from Alex Morgan gave them a 1-1 draw against the defending Women's World Cup Champions.

USWNT players Tobin Heath, Alex Morgan, Yael Averbuch

From the U.S. Soccer Communications Center:

U.S. WOMEN WILL FACE CHINA AT PPL PARK IN CHESTER, PA., ON MAY 27

Match Will Serve as Valuable Preparation on the Road to the 2012 London Olympics

 

CHICAGO (March 30, 2012) - The next domestic match for the U.S. Women's National Team has been confirmed and the USA will take on China on May 27 at PPL Park in Chester, Pa.








Fans can follow the match on ussoccer.com's MatchTracker and via Twitter @ussoccer_wnt.

• Ticket Information for U.S. WNT vs. China (Tickets Page)

Tickets starting at $22 go on sale to the public Friday, April 6, at 10 a.m. ET through ussoccer.com, by phone at 1-800-298-4200 and at the PPL Park ticket office (open Monday-Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.). Groups of 20 or more can obtain an order form at ussoccer.com or call 312-528-1290.








As a sponsor of U.S. Soccer, Visa® is pleased to offer all Visa cardholders access to an advance ticket sale for this match before the sale to the general public. This advance sale starts Thursday, April 5, at 10 a.m. ET and runs until Friday, April 6, at 8 a.m. at ussoccer.com. Visa will be the only payment method accepted through the Visa presale and is the preferred card of U.S. Soccer. Terms and conditions apply.








The U.S. WNT is currently in Japan for the Women's Kirin Challenge Cup and will play the first of two matches when it faces the hosts on April 1 at Yurtec Stadium in Sendai at 7:30 p.m. local time (6:30 a.m. ET). Two days later, the U.S. will take on Brazil in Chiba at 8 p.m. local time (7 a.m. ET). After these two matches, the next full international will be against China on May 27.








Both Kirin Challenge Cup matches will be televised live on ESPN2 and ESPN3, and fans can also follow the matches on ussoccer.com's MatchTracker and via Twitter @ussoccer_wnt.








The U.S. Women have a long history in Pennsylvania, having played 12 matches in the state, including a 5-0 victory against Nigeria in Philadelphia during the 2003 FIFA Women's World Cup, but this will be just the second match at PPL Park. The first was in October of 2010, also against China, and ended in a 1-1 draw as Alex Morgan scored her first career WNT goal with a late equalizer.








PPL Park is a part of the new wave of stadium construction for Major League Soccer. The stadium opened during the summer of 2010 and is the home of the Philadelphia Union.








The USA, which currently sits atop the FIFA Women's World Rankings, will be playing China for the first time since January of 2011 when it won 2-0 to take the title at the Four Nations Tournament in Chongqing, China, on goals from Carli Lloyd and Amy Rodriguez.

Richie Williams, former D.C. United player; UVA Assistant named U.S. U17 MNT Head Coach

U.S. Soccer Press Release:

RICHIE WILLIAMS NAMED U.S. U-17 MNT HEAD COACH

Former U.S. MNT Midfielder to Oversee U-17 Residency Program

 

CHICAGO (Jan. 24, 2012) - U.S. Soccer President Sunil Gulati has named former U.S. Men's National Team midfielder Richie Williams as head coach of the U.S. Under-17 Men's National Team. Williams will oversee U.S. Soccer's U-17 Residency Program from Bradenton, Fla., where the country's elite players reside year-round and train in a professional environment.

"I'm excited about the opportunity to coach the U.S. U-17 Men's National Team and be with the players full-time in the Residency Program," Williams said. "It is a great responsibility as the players kick off the cycle toward the 2013 FIFA U-17 World Cup, but it is also an excellent platform for introducing them in more detail to the philosophies and style of play that are being integrated throughout the National Team programs."

Williams had previously been the head coach of the U.S. Under-18 Men's National Team and the Mid-Atlantic Region technical advisor for the U.S. Soccer Development Academy, but will leave both positions to immediately take over the U-17 Residency Program full-time in Bradenton.

• 2012 Spring Semester Residency Roster

"Richie is an ideal candidate to guide the development of our young National Team players while also preparing the team during the next year to qualify for the 2013 FIFA U-17 World Cup," said U.S. Soccer President Sunil Gulati. "His experience as a player and coach at the highest levels will allow him to continue to provide a professional environment for the players in our U-17 Residency Program."

Before joining U.S. Soccer, Williams spent five seasons with Major League Soccer's New York Red Bulls as an assistant coach. Williams began his coaching career in 2005 as an assistant coach for his alma mater, the University of Virginia.

As a player, Williams represented the U.S. Men's National Team for five years from 1998-2002, compiling 20 appearances and 11 starts. During his professional career, he won three MLS Cups with D.C. United in 1996, 1997 and 1999.

The current crop of U.S. Under-17 players were born mostly in 1996, with three born in 1997, making all the players eligible for the upcoming CONCACAF qualifying tournament and FIFA U-17 World Cup in 2013 (2012 Spring Semester Roster). The U.S. Soccer Development Academy continues to have a growing influence on the U-17s, with 26 of the 31-player Residency roster stemming from Academy clubs. U.S. Soccer Technical Advisors continue to scour the country in search of the best players that are age eligible for the upcoming events in 2013.

The U-17 Residency Program has been a fixture of U.S. Soccer since 1999. The U.S. players live on campus at IMG Academies in Bradenton, and train in the morning before attending classes at St. Stephens Episcopal School. Along with training daily, the players regularly use IMG's state-of-the-art strength-training facilities, and top-of-the-line soccer equipment and fields.

This setup has helped the U-17s with both individual player development and team development. Since its inception, more than 300 players have been through the Residency Program, and more than 100 of those players have moved on to MLS, or the professional leagues in Europe. A total of 24 players have also registered at least one cap with the full MNT.

USWNT Fight Back, Silince Critics



Photo: Marcio Jose Sanchez / AP

 After all the unbelievable drama surrounding the 2011 Women's World Cup Quarterfinal match between the U.S. and Brazil it all came down to one play and one player who always seems to find herself right in the middle of most USWNT drama - goalkeeper, Hope Solo.

With quite possibly the most important penalty kick save in women's soccer history, Solo and the rest of the U.S. women not only silenced the many critics but also helped bring soccer back into the American conscious.

U.S. head coach PIA SUNDHAGE

On the drama of the match:

“I have no words. Phenomenal. The goal and then the PKs. Someone is writing this book. There is something about the American attitude to find a way to win. Unbelievable.“

With a slow start to this years World Cup Abby Wambach has now scored in two straight matches including her header that secured the tie for the Americans and kept them alive.

Abby Wambach On her goal:

“It was a perfect ball. (Megan Rapinoe) got an opportunity down the left flank and sent the ball in. It just popped over that defender's head. I was sitting on that back post. I’m so happy it went in.”

Now needing to beat France on Wednesday to advance to the Championship match of this years Women's World Cup in Germany, the USWNT will hope to ride the confidence earned from their amazing and surely instant classic win over 5-time FIFA Women's Player of The Year Marta and an always formidable opponent in Brazil.

The match will be July 13, 2011 on ESPN at 11:30 p.m.

Virginia Players Chosen for U.S. u-15 Boys National Team Roster

Three local players have been selected by head coach Jim Barlow to participate in the upcoming eight-day training camp in Bradenton, FL.

• Herber Mejia-Flores (GFA Rangers; Manassas Park, Va.)
• Jorge Calix (Team America; Alexandria, Va.)
• James Ellis Jr. (Beach FC Red; Chesapeake, Va.)

Full U.S. Soccer u-15 Boys Roster

Has U.S. Soccer Bought Future Success or Mediocrity with Bob Bradley Extension?

USSOCCER.com announced Monday, August 30, that Bob Bradley has signed a four-year contract extension to remain the coach of the U.S. men's national soccer team through the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.

Following the 2010 World Cup there had been a lot of talk on soccer message boards and around the Internet regarding rumors of Bradley coaching a European team (i.e. Fulham, Aston Villa). There was also plenty "experts" debating whether or not Bradley was the right coach for the USMNT moving forward and was he solely responsible for their performance and the US teams results in South Africa at the 2010 World Cup?

American Soccer Wants YOU!

In my opinion Bob Bradley did the best he could have done with a very small talent pool (most soccer fans would agree the US is still having trouble producing international level talent with exception of Goalkeepers). Add to the limited availability of quality players the fact that Oguchi Onyewu, the defenses anchor, was still recovering from his ruptured patellae tendon injury and Charlie Davies did not fully recover from injuries suffered in an automobile accident in October 2009 causing him to not even be selected for the World Cup roster. Bradley was forced to fill his roster with unproven players in Edson Buddle and Herculez Gomez. Neither of whom made much of an impact.

Some may say that the coaches that have come before Bradley like Bruce Arena (1998–2006), Steve Sampson (1995–1998), and Bora Milutinović (1991–1995) had even less talent to draw from. I agree that the level of US soccer talent has grown over the last 20 years but so has the rest of the world which means Bob Bradley's teams faced tougher international competition. Bradley led the US team to an excellent performance in the 2009 Confederations Cup with a win over Spain who is playing in the World Cup Final. So I say lets recognize the excellent job done by Bob Bradley (51.92% of poll voters agree) and hope that the US Men's team can continue to develop a deeper and more talented roster for future international competitions so that soccer/football/futbol will finally get some respect here in America.

• Bradley coached U.S. to First Place in Group C at 2010 FIFA World Cup, Captured 2007 Gold Cup and First Place in CONCACAF Qualifying
• Holds Career Record of 38-21-8; Led U.S. to First FIFA Tournament in Final at 2009 Confederations Cup

VOTE FOR BEST US MNT COACH!

American Soccer Didn't Start with Pele: Part 6 of 7 - The Pro Game in the Early 1950s

The Pro Game in the Early 1950's

Philadelphia Pro Soccer

As young players in the ‘40s, we often watched the Philadelphia Americans and the Philadelphia Nationals—our local pro teams in the old American Soccer League. Eventually we trained with the pros as we moved up the soccer ladder. By the time we signed with the pros in the mid-’50s, Bahr, McLaughlin, Hynes, and our heroes from our junior days were well-established stars. For Americans, Bahr and McLaughlin had no equals. We learned from both--Bahr with his end-to-end hustle, his ball control, his long accurate passes, his 40-yard throws, his take-charge leadership, and his powerful shots on goal. The smaller McLaughlin inspired us with his finesse, dribbling opponents one-on-one throughout the game--lithe, snaking through defenses, setting up other attackers with deadly through passes, a little guy taking on the biggest defenders, bouncing up from bruising tackles, and also possessing a devastating shot.

I joined the Philadelphia Uhrik Truckers, named after owner Tony Uhrik, a Philadelphia trucking magnate, in 1955. The “Truckers” had taken the old Philadelphia Americans’ franchise, and won back-to-back American Soccer League titles in 1955 and 1956. Jimmy Mills, the ageless Haverford University coach who recently passed away at 96, coached the Uhriks. I’ll always remember Jimmy’s Scottish accent booming out, “Give it a bit more ginger, lads.”

The ASL was semi-pro, the only recognized professional league In the U.S. at the time. Players were also in the old German-American League (GAL) in New York “under the table,” but the “pros” were in the ASL.

The “modern ASL,” formed in 1933 with exclusive rights from the USSF to operate professional soccer on the Eastern seaboard, by mid-1950 was on reasonably solid footing. The ASL had initiated its foreign tours in 1946, earning money from the games. Dominated by New York and Philadelphia teams, the ASL represented with the GAL, the peak of soccer in the eastern U.S. at the time. Ethnic teams like New York Hakoah. Brooklyn Hispano, Newark Portuguese, Newark Ukrainians, and Ludlow Luisitano competed along¬side American-grown talent from the Philadelphia and Baltimore areas. In the mid-‘50s, there was nowhere else to go to play top-level soccer in the U.S.--at least on the East coast. The other top amateur leagues in the country were the National Soccer League of Chicago, St. Louis Major League, and the Greater Los Angeles League. All of these except for the ASL and St. Louis Leagues remain active to this day.

The ASL contributed to the growth of U.S. soccer by keeping the pro game alive until the upsurge in pro teams in the late ‘60s, bringing foreign teams to play the ASL All-Stars and each other, and providing players for the U.S. National Teams. The ASL attracted hundreds of coaches, referees, administrators, and spectators who later would become the basis for the growth of pro soccer.

The Philadelphia pro teams often attracted several thousand spectators in this soccer-hungry town, whereas away games were often played before sparse crowds with little media attention in dusty ovals. For example, the Brooklyn Hispano played on a cinder field which served as a parking lot during the week, with the tire tracks often making the path of the ball unpredictable. Metropolitan Oval in New York’s Bronx was often our destination after a three-hour drive where we played rain or shine before several hundred standing and often hostile spectators. Being on the touch line, the fans could yell at both opposing players and officials indiscriminately. After these games, we often had to exit in a circle, fists at the ready, as fans tried to get at us, forgoing the single shower to jump in our cars for the long ride home. The referee disappeared equally as fast.

Whatever criticisms have been leveled at the ASL, thousands of youngsters had heroes to emulate and exciting soccer to watch. We could shoot for a pro spot after college, as some of us did, to continue our playing. We could watch world-class foreign teams, marveling at their skills and speed. It was the best soccer around for the period, and American-born players more than held their own. The ASL also kept pro soccer alive until the mid-’60s arrival of the new professional leagues--the United Soccer Association (1967), the National Professional Soccer League (1967), and then the North American Soccer League (1968).

---

To read the entire piece written by Len Oliver of DC Stoddert select the links for parts 1 - 7 or click here for the entire piece.

Part 1 - “Street Soccer” Memories
Part 2 - Youth Soccer with the Lighthouse Boys Club
Part 3 - Philadelphia Junior Soccer in the 1940's
Part 4 - Playing With the Big Guys: Amateur Soccer in the Early 1950's
Part 5 - High School and College Soccer--Products of the Clubs
Part 6 - The Pro Game in the Early 50's
Part 7 - In Retrospect