This Is American Soccer, US Soccer, MNT, WNT, and MLS - Tackling the subject of Soccer in the US, and worldwide.

The TIAS Diary Project returns.

While mainstream America media fawns over the game for the next month (not that there is anything wrong with that), I thought it important to return to the people who are always there, no matter no four-year cycle.

First up teenager Shaj Mathew, who found himself not so much questioning his national team after attending the final home game in Philadelphia with some friends, but the environment that surrounds the team in the run-up to its biggest test.

Shaj’s essay begins after the jump. Got a story to tell? Send your Diary Project submissions to thisisamericansoccer@gmail.com. Click HERE for the full story…

the TIAS Diary Project continues with a personal essay on the meaning of soccer

I’m off to South Africa for a week. While I’m traveling, enjoy this latest entry to the TIAS Diary Project. Read past contributions to the project; send your personal stories and photos to thisisamericansoccer@gmail.com for inclusion in the readers’ project now 5 years running.

Thanks to my travel, Waiting for Gaetjens, the weekly podcast I host with Greg Lalas (also available on iTunes), will be off one more week but will return. Follow WFG and TIAS on Twitter.

After the jump, Maryland resident and University of Maryland Baltimore County writing teacher Seth Sawyers break down his life with, away from, and returning to American soccer. Click HERE for the full story…

Los Angeles artist Noe Valladolid continues his illustrated soccer biography

The TIAS Diary Project returns with the 2nd part of a series put together by a young man in Southern California. This is his life’s story, his soccer story in words and pictures. Consider it a stab at a TIAS graphic novel.

For the first installment, I referred to it as a stab at a comic book, but “graphic” now seems to be a better fit, as Noe’s story takes a turn for the darkness… Click HERE for the full story…

Los Angeles illustrator and artist Noe Valladolid begins his illustrated soccer biography

The TIAS Diary Project returns with the first part of a series put together by a young man in Southern California. This is his life’s story, his soccer story in words and pictures. Consider it a stab at a TIAS comic book.

Speaking of life stories, maybe you’ve heard that journalism is in a tough spot, facing obstacles both financial and technological. It hit me hard last year when I was laid off from my fulltime editor job at a magazine. Since then I’ve been searching for my next chapter, piling on the freelance work where I can get it.

In an effort to be fully transparent, this month I added NIke to my list of freelance clients by writing some projects directly for the company. TIAS will remain as the place for my independent journalism stories, essays, and deeper discussions, and I hope you will continue to follow along (and maybe submit your own Diary Project).

Now back to Noe’s life. Following is the first in a number of serial guest posts that I have been working on in the last month in an effort to expand upon and deepen the discussion of my single biggest editorial question: What is American Soccer? Click HERE for the full story…

“Springtime Portland weather is grumpy, almost schizophrenic. It loathes changing from rain to sunshine, instead lurching through contemptuously cranky storm fits in every shade of gray. Every now and then, however, bright lights and rainbows find their way to Oregon.”

Brian Costello was a witness. This is his account of history… Click HERE for the full story…

So you think you can be a professional soccer player?

Keyvan Heydari thought he could too. Almost did. Now some 20 years after he first tried, after he covered six World Cups (starting with Mexico 1986) as a journalist and broadcaster, after he contributed to outlets such as NPR, The Miami Herald/El Nuevo Herald, The Washington Post, L’Equipe, La Gazzetta dello Sport, Paris Match, Univision, ESPN, Gol TV and Telemundo, not to mention a couple of soccer books published in Italy… he wants another shot.

After the jump, Heydari delivers the second part of his exclusive dispatches from a place where, yes, even a 45-year-old has a chance to live the dream. Click HERE for the full story…

So you think you can be a professional soccer player?

Keyvan Heydari thought he could too. Almost did. Now some 20 years after he first tried, after he covered six World Cups (starting with Mexico 1986) as a journalist and broadcaster, after he contributed to outlets such as NPR, The Miami Herald/El Nuevo Herald, The Washington Post, L’Equipe, La Gazzetta dello Sport, Paris Match, Univision, ESPN, Gol TV and Telemundo, not to mention a couple of soccer books published in Italy… he wants another shot.

After the jump, Heydari delivers his first of several exclusive dispatches from a place where, yes, even a 45-year-old has a chance to live the dream.

Click HERE for the full story…

A DIARY PROJECT FROM JEFF FRENZEL

I’ll start off by saying that the real estate market here in Atlanta right now is abysmal, which, on any given day is a bad thing for me and my wallet, but today turned out to be a good thing because I could skip out of work at 2:30 to get to the local soccer bar by the 3:05 kickoff of the USA vs. England game. I’m only interested in one piece of real estate right now: that 115 yards by 75 yards located in the middle of London.

I’m really excited. I usually watch English Premier League games, sometimes toss in the big games of Spain and Italy too. But watching my national team battle against the big boys of Europe and South America (yeah, Spain and Argentina are next) makes my stomach tighten up and my nerves cringe. And today there will be no exception… Click HERE for the full story…

After the jump, an American girl and her English bloke relive last night’s episode…
Click HERE for the full story…

no matter how you look at it or think of it / it’s life and you just got to play the game
-Tony Joe White, Rainy Night in Georgia

March 28, 2008—It’s a mad jumble of American soccer. An MLS expansion team that replaced an existing MLS team that took off for Houston is playing against one of the best fan-supported USL teams and their newly acquired Japanese World Cup veteran on a collegiate soccer field that produced several U.S. and Canadian national team stars. 1,200 people showed up in rain, hail, and snow. This is American soccer.

Brian Costello’s addition to the Diary Project is after the jump. Click HERE for the full story…