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

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…

WAITING PATIENTLY EDITION

The Barometer is back after a two-week layoff to open the off-season. It may disappear again, but that depends on whether the rumors continue or we have some actual news and more importantly actual writing. One might think the off-season is a good time to work on those longer features now that the schedule has slowed, but they’ve yet to appear. Also a point of concern – MLS single-entity structure keeping the teams on equal footing off the field. Click HERE for the full story…

PROTECT YOURSELF EDITION

DaMarcus Beasley is possibly out for months after surgery; the Olympic Squad was announced; as was the World Cup qualifying draw; the crap-shoot that is the NCAA tournament is underway; MLS Hot stove is piping after the expansion draft; Beckham is still Beckham Down Under; Benny Feilhaber will get a chance to impress a new coach; the Guardian did a full feature on Dempsey which you read four years ago, but it’s nice to see the British press show some love.

There was plenty of news to go around - unmanned drones to spy on soccer hooligans anyone? - but this week was light on reading beyond the headlines. While it’s given me some time to work on a few larger projects you’ll see here in the coming weeks, there was one topic I couldn’t just note and move on from. Click HERE for the full story…

2007 FOUND AMERICAN SOCCER IN SEARCH OF ITS HEAD

It started with the retirement of Brian McBride from international duty after the 2006 World Cup and has continued downhill to the incapable feet of otherwise able bodies.

The national team’s striker regression, however, highlights more than one team’s struggle to find a player fit for a role. Throughout the ranks of American soccer, the national team’s shortcomings up front lay bare the game-changing skills, mental and physical, still largely missing in America’s version of the global game. It reverberates throughout American soccer, making this the year of a headless beast. Click HERE for the full story…

ANTICIPATION EDITION

Though everybody else noted it and moved on, I’m not content with the week’s expansion coverage. More on that next week. I was wanting to get it out this week, but due in no small part to the exciting weekend we have in front of us, getting some answers has been difficult. So to the weekend I guess.

Jose Mourinho’s appearance in our nation’s capital has me wondering what the buzz is on the other side of the Atlantic for the MLS Cup. You’d figure, like me and the NBA, that if they were going to pay attention at all, the final might be the game to watch. God loves a final.

A personal request for anyone heading to D.C. (unfortunately I won’t be making the trip) - ask Mourinho to name a player from each of the two teams. Think he could do it?

This weekend wraps up the 2007 seasons for both club and country. In the coming weeks TIAS will look back to figure out how we move forward. But we need to wrap this week up first. Click HERE for the full story…