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

HISTORY EDITION

Somewhere a copy editor is pissed. Everything this MLS season is historic. “A historic double header,” as it was continuously described on Fox Soccer Channel, culminated the pre-season hype and put a fitting cap on the media hyperbole heading into Saturday’s games. Thing about it was, though, the games didn’t want to be left out. Some quick hits from an exciting opening weekend after the jump.

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photo credit: Bouna Coundoul by ISI Photos Click HERE for the full story…

The Sweet smell of my lady’s love / her body blending with my own / a time when the world is dark and quiet and we’re alone / the precipice that separates noise from peace / a hint of the ever evolving magic / a precious place that combines and still confirms the space of oneness and togetherness / there is a morning thought.

And still a softer morning in March / a gift for me from god with a darling face and papa’s eyes and grandma’s grace / how there the light of immortality shines / as wondrous fragile dream chase light and the slightest breeze for the first time / morning thoughts then evolve as smiles and love and sunshine and…

Soccer. There is a morning thought. My lady in all her imperfect glory wakes from her beauty sleep to welcome me back into her arms. MLS 2008. What? You were expecting a preview? I think you know where to find it. Or you can sign up to follow TIAS on Twitter for instant updates on everything you need to know and a few things you don’t all season long.

–quote with a slight addendum, from Gil Scott-Heron’s “Morning Thoughts” off Reflections, Arista 1981.

IF I WERE HOLDING MY BREATH I’D BE DEAD BY NOW EDITION

Two of my biggest frustrations were alive and well this week. One because there is still yet to be an appearance, and the other because there was the rarest of sightings (we’re talking snow leopards here). Give me just one star player and one long form soccer story, and I’ll cry you a river. One out or two aint bad. Which one we got, along with my favorite discussion topic, after the jump. Click HERE for the full story…

frankenfood edition

The more things change, the more they stay the same. A lame cliché I know, but quite fitting for the final week of the MLS off-season before teams must have their salary caps in order. Or tell the league office they won’t be able to do that by Monday. You know, either way. Whatever you need to do. It’s a rule, but don’t worry so much about following it. Whatever you need to do.

Such is life in corporate America. Don’t like a rule? Change it. Create a new rule. Create whatever you think you need to protect those profits. They are not Monsanto. Millions are not sick or dead from the products sold by MLS. But lately, it seems MLS might be manufacturing growth. Like a genetically modified seed, you have to wonder about the environmental cost.

After the jump, a week of focus on the altered DNA of MLS. Click HERE for the full story…

QUARANTINE THE CALM BEFORE THE STORM EDITION

As the likes of Goff and Galarcep do the dirty work of uncovering and reporting on the increased outbreak of signings as we edge closer to the start of the 2008 MLS season, lets ask a few questions. It’s arguably been the biggest off-season ever. After the jump, some things to think about as we tread the pre-season waters before putting MLS back under the microscope. Click HERE for the full story…

SHIRT OFF MY BACK EDITION

USA 2, Mexico 2. Man those games are fun (even when the soccer aint so good, and it don’t count for nothin). Altidore scored what will be his first of many international goals (and mixed it up throughout his 90 minutes). Onyewu returned from his recent international doldrums with, yes, a perfect header, but he also hustled back and stood up the countering Mexicans seconds later (without a foul!). Bocanegra was the foul king last night, but he did manage to not make any of the major mishaps he has a tendency to oblige (and that have him out of the Fulham starting lineup?). Michael Bradley also committed some dumb fouls and continues to struggle with carrying his club prowess into the national team (it was painful to watch him for most of the night, but all of our European-based players looked tired, so we’ll give him the friendly pass). Considering we shoulda coulda won what was a game largely dominated by the speed and tenacity of the young Mexicans (we should all count our blessings that Giovanni Dos Santos played as few minutes as he did) in front of what seemed like 60,000 Mexican fans in Houston of all places, I guess a draw - a Mexican moral victory as it was called - is acceptable (as long as Bradley learned some things ((like bringing in a few more defensive backs?))).

My favorite part of the game and the rest of this week’s news are after the jump. For continuing updates on all the must-read stories, Follow TIAS at Twitter (see side panel at right).

banner photo courtesy of ISI Photos

Click HERE for the full story…

A SPECIAL ACN EDITION

Like The Daily Show without writers, this is a different kind of barometer. Remember this amazing piece by Austin Merrill, former Associated Press writer in the Ivory Coast? Well, he’s back (in Africa), working on another story, and while soccer is not his focus, there just so happens to be a little tournament going on at the same time. I like to call it the Africa Cup of Nations. Austin was kind enough to take a break from reporting on subjects that really matter and write exclusively for TIAS a little slice of soccer life in Ghana. South Africa buying supporters? Check it out, after the jump. Click HERE for the full story…

PLOT YOUR COURSE EDITION

My mind was about to explode. The rumor, speculation, and quotes from a “source close to the team” were getting out of hand. And then the straw that broke the camels back: Benny Feilhaber recalled to Derby from Israel, but maybe going to MLS on loan? Detonation.

A lot of things I’ve been thinking about recently came to a head this week - it’s the start of the 2008 soccer calendar - and now seems as good as time as any to put them out there. Click HERE for the full story…

GIVEAWAY EDITION

Did you hear? _____ is coming to MLS! (sigh) It’s been a slow month for those of us without a MLS team to fret about or who would rather read a story like this from ESPN than this from our best soccer reporter Steve Goff. Freshly freelancing Ives Galarcep claimed yesterday as “a busy day in the MLS world as the news is permeating throughout the league,” yet I’m still left looking for something worth reading beyond the headline. Even my mainstay crate digger du Nord hasn’t found much more than transfer rumors and coaching moves the last few weeks. It’s like we only have reporters, not writers (but now with a blog!), and they have devoted their lives to extracting every bit of rumor that spills from the industrial machine. So we get 746,283 tid bits and not a single story. For the first time in my life, I’m glad The Worldwide Leader is poaching feature writers from places that obviously have forgotten their worth. The boys from Bristol have produced some of the best (and only?) long form sports journalism in the last few months.

But I have had plenty to read lately. In a nice coincidence, I was introduced to the editor of the 900-page book (thank god for the index) The Ball is Round by David Goldblatt which can only be described as ‘the once and for all history of soccer on this planet.’ And I got my hands on a couple extra copies of the book, which I’d like to send to two lucky readers who may be feeling my - What, Who Is Going Where!?! - pain. So starting today and running through next Friday, I welcome you to write a comment on this post or e-mail me with your favorite written story from the last year. It can be from anywhere on any subject, on-line or off, a book or news short. Two participants will be selected at random to receive a copy of the book.

DECORATED COACH SITS DOWN WITH FORMER STAR PLAYER SET FOR MLS BREAKOUT

I visited recently with Chicago Fire’s Bakary Soumare and his former coach Martin (Jake) Jacobson, both of NYC soccer dynasty Martin Luther King high school. Jake was the man who first spotted Soumare playing on a New York field soon after his arrival from France (where he grew up after moving from his birthplace of Mali), setting the course for where we now find the young defensive midfielder: fighting to fill the shoes of retired Chris Armas and weighing national team options. Click HERE for the full story…