Author Archives: Abe Asher

MLS’ big night is here: The 2014 All-Star game from Providence Park in Portland, which will see the league’s best, made up of a quasi-US national team core, take on European superpower Bayern Munich. ESPN2, which will broadcast the All-Star … Continue reading →

People like Portland. You see that when you go out of town, and tell people where you’re from. More often than not, you’ll see faces light up. “Oh, I love Portland!” Or, “I’ve heard Portland is amazing, I’ve always wanted to … Continue reading →

While in Florida promoting and helping with Gatorade’s Unreal Around the World contest, a program that provides select winners for a once-in-a-lifetime trip around the globe to experience trips in either Italy, England, Spain, Argentina, or Brazil with clubs like … Continue reading →

New York City FC made Frank Lampard their second designated player Thursday, signing the England and Chelsea veteran to a two-year deal that will pay Lampard almost eight million dollars per year. On the face of it, this is a … Continue reading →

The people who don’t steadfastly admit that the 2014 World Cup in Brazil has been the best ever edition of the great tournament will at least grant this: It’s the best World Cup in “recent memory.” Or, in other words, … Continue reading →

For sports fans who became enthralled by the World Cup coverage from Brazil, here’s a guide to Major League Soccer, the top flight league in the United States. Major League Soccer has two conferences, Eastern and Western with five teams … Continue reading →

Germany won the World Cup late in extra time with a wonderful goal from Mario Gotze to deny Argentina. Here are the player ratings for both teams from the final. Germany   Manuel Neuer, 8: Neuer didn’t have too much … Continue reading →

Will Argentina complete a remarkable and slightly inexplicable run to the title, or will Germany finally realize their unlimited potential? Here are the key matchups to watch. Ezequiel Garay v. Miroslav Klose Klose has done it. He has set the … Continue reading →

In the past 48 hours, I’ve lost count the number of conversations I’ve had with people or have overheard others talking about how Brazil won’t be able to defeat Germany due to the loss of Neymar and Thiago Silva. In … Continue reading →

The World Cup never let the USA breathe. From the moment they were drawn into the Group of Death and handed the World Tour travel plan, the American national soccer team couldn’t come up for air. There was the bombshell … Continue reading →

The US exited the 2014 FIFA World Cup with their heads held high after a 2-1 extra time loss to Belgium. Here are the player ratings. Tim Howard, 10: He covered himself in all kinds of glory with one of … Continue reading →

In many ways, it’s a classic matchup: A team with real belief whose sum is greater than its individual parts, against a sleeker, more fancied, more talented bunch who has a sum that is frustratingly less than its individual pieces. … Continue reading →

The United States didn’t deserve to go out of the World Cup Thursday against Germany — not after coming within 30 seconds of clinching their place in the knockout stages against Portugal, and battling gamely against the worst travel schedule … Continue reading →

It was one of the most tense viewing experiences as a fan of the US Men’s National Team, but the USA team did what was necessary to advance to the next round of the World Cup. We can now all … Continue reading →

When was the last time the United States played a bad World Cup game, devoid of drama, controversy, and great goals? You’d have to go all the way back to a meeting with Germany in Paris in 1998. Jurgen Klinsmann … Continue reading →

In a post-match interview, Uruguay striker Luis Suarez brushed off the biting incident that became the main talking point of the Italy-Uruguay World Cup game. In an interview with Uruguay media, Suarez said: “These things happen in the box. We … Continue reading →

As Graham Zusi lumbered off the sandy pitch at the Arena Amazonia to make way for a fresh, tall, athletic center-back in Omar Gonzalez, a decisive change was made. It may have been referee Nestor Pintana himself who communicated to … Continue reading →

Who said soccer was boring, eh, sports fans?! The United States of America were some thirty seconds away from the World Cup knockout stages and a stranglehold on the Group of Death, but a Cristiano Ronaldo cross, headed in by … Continue reading →