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

The 2006 American Soccer campaign is effectively over; its fiscal end, so to speak, comes to a close this weekend with the MLS Cup. We’ll get the usual hot-stove talk before the new year, especially from our Peace Cup Champions as they look to become World Cup Champions. January will materialize with an interesting transfer window for some American men looking for a change of scenery, which of course will only intensify the fixation our eyes and ears have for Europe, following our Yanks Abroad and pondering the potential squads that will be amassed for 2007. The ladies will soon need a World Cup roster, and someone will be naming a Copa America roster for the men. Who knows, maybe even Beckham will become an American problem.

There will, however, be an ebb and flow, and it is in these slight lulls over the coming weeks that TIAS will try to bring stories to the forefront that help to inspire and reinvigorate the soccer senses that have for better or worse been battered over the last year.

The love for a game takes that season-long roller coaster ride, finding some cheering and some left with contempt for colors, clubs, and countries. We would be wise to take a step back for rebirth, returning to the simple love for a game, for kicking a round ball around. As filmmaker Greg Hamilton told me a few weekends ago in an interview you’ll see in the coming weeks regarding his film, Mystic Ball, “There’s just something about manipulating a ball with your feet, whether its keeping it in the air or to score goals with it or whatever. There is something really extraordinary about that – extraordinarily difficult - and you know you’re just part of this weird fabulous thing.” So with that spirit in mind, we’ll be returning to your stories, your Diary Projects (send your’s here), and introspective pieces from our contributors (want to be a contributor? pitch me here).

We begin today with a letter from Gabriel Constans, a new contributor to the site. I believe we often find what we are looking for when we need it, and though the film Gabriel screened a few weeks back is several years old, it was new to him (and to me), and was exactly what we both needed. After a long, and at times trying, 2006, it is important to remember that this is what it’s all about.

Gabriel takes the reins after the jump…
Click HERE for the full story…

left to right: Tarpley, Kai, Whitehill

A few things I didn’t want to slip past…

While most of us were pulling our tired bodies out of bed this morning, the US WNT was continuing their tour of South Korea, defeating the Netherlands 2-0 with goals from Lindsay Tarpley and Cat Whitehill, putting the ladies through to Saturday’s Peace Queen Cup Final. If the last string of World Cup tune-up matches is any indication, the better half of our National team picture is looking like a favorite for 2007.

And if anybody missed the Champion’s League clash between Arsenal and CSKA Moscow yesterday, WOW. No mystery I love Henry and the boys - some apparently don’t - but I can’t remember a game, in any sport, i enjoyed as much as that.

I mentioned earlier how I needed to watch some European ball after the boredom of last week’s MLS playoffs, and it seemed my wish was granted. FInal score: 0-0. Talk to me next week, but right now I don’t even care how many chances the north Londoner’s missed, or how the draw places them in jeopardy of not making it through to the knock-out stage of the tournament; the midfield play and one-touch passing at break neck speeds was the stuff dreams are made of… not to mention the goal tending and sweeping that held the high-octane Arsenal scoreless. Champion’s League indeed.

the late 70’s, yet Hirshey is still the only one rocking the stache

So, I’ve got no real peg for this (that’s media talk for a reason to publish a story), except recently I finally got around to two things that make this post relevant. 1: I saw Once In A Lifetime, the documentary about the peak (so-far) of American Soccer when Pele et al. stole American hearts and nightclubs for a hot minute back in the excesses of the late-seventies. And 2, I got back in touch with David Hirshey, an editor at Harper Collins and god-like figure in the New York soccer scribe community who raises the bar for all of us. Look no further than the aforementioned film to understand why: he is interviewed several times because he covered and partied with the Cosmos back in the day. People often say a photo can’t do something justice, but in this case, I think it does.

These days, Hirshey keeps his shirt on as he helps writers perfect, publish. and market books (sometimes they are even about soccer) and writes a weekly EPL round-up for Deadspin, the Gawker Media sports blog, among other things. Check out today’s entry here, and check back weekly, because it is hard enough to follow American soccer, much less every other country in the world. So with David, at least we have England covered.

BROADCASTING LIVE EDITION 

On Saturday morning between the hours of 11 and Noon EST, check out Kick This, The Soccer Talk Show. As if you needed another reason to absorb some soccer talk, I’ll be joining sportswriter Jeff DiVeronica, producer Rich Jones, and news director “Jim Bob” Weise on WHTK Hot Talk 1280 in Rochester NY. We’ll chat about what else, American Soccer. You can call in to ask questions and share your opinions too: 585-222-1280. If you can’t tune in, their website, http://www.soccersam.com/kickthis/ streams all the past shows, so you can listen to it at your convenience.