latest articles by abeasher
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/ 2857 days agoWhat to watch for at the 2018 World Cup
The World Cup squads are set and twelve stadiums in eleven Russian cities are ready to host 32 teams competing for the globe’s greatest prize. Though the finals are yet to kick off, this tournament has already seen its share of drama. Argentina, for one, likely wouldn’t be involved if not for the heroics of […]
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/ 2858 days agoWorld Cup groups A-D predictions
Editor's Note: With the World Cup fast approaching, Abe Asher takes a look at groups A-D and predicts who'll finish first through fourth as well as offering his games to watch and players of note. Group A 1. Uruguay Uruguay came comfortably through qualifying and are headed to a third straight World Cup with […]
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/ 2858 days agoWorld Cup groups E-H predictions
Editor's Note: With the World Cup fast approaching, Abe Asher takes a look at groups E-H with squad breakdowns for every country, games to watch and players of note. Group E 1. Brazil After the humiliation of the 7-1 defeat to Germany in 2014 and the two dreadful years under Dunga’s leadership that followed, […]
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/ 2861 days agoWorld Cup 2018: A quick look at all 32 managers
There are few positions in sports as pressure-packed as that of World Cup manager. Here is a look at the 32 men privileged with that pressure heading into the start of the tournament in just three weeks time. Group A Stanislav Cherchesov, Russia The man tasked with leading the home nation this summer? Not a […]
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/ 2961 days ago2018 MLS Western Conference preview
On March 3, MLS will kick off its 23rd season featuring a new team in Los Angeles, a new stadium in DC, and new investments in first-teams and academies across the league that have raised the bar again. 1. Portland Timbers What’s To Like: Despite losing two franchise cornerstones in Caleb Porter and Darlington […]
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/ 2961 days ago2018 MLS Eastern Conference preview
On March 3, MLS will kick off its 23rd season featuring a new team in Los Angeles, a new stadium in DC, and new investments in first-teams and academies across the league that have raised the bar again. 1. Toronto FC What’s To Like: Pretty much everything. Toronto more or less returns the best […]
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/ 3042 days ago5 things we learned from MLS Cup 2017
Here are the five things we learned from MLS Cup 2017. 1. Toronto Claims Its Place in History It hadn’t been the easiest of journeys through the playoffs for Toronto FC, but on Saturday evening at BMO Field, they left no doubt as to their place as one of the best MLS team ever assembled. […]
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/ 3050 days agoWorld Cup 2018: What to expect from Groups A through H
The World Cup draw took place at the Kremlin on Friday. Here’s a breakdown of what to expect from all eight groups as the buildup to next summer’s tournament kicks into high gear. Group A: Russia, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Uruguay This is a remarkably weak group. It has the lowest ELO score of all the […]
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/ 3068 days agoItaly didn’t deserve to qualify for World Cup 2018
Welcome to the apocalypse. For the first time since 1958, Italy has failed to qualify for the World Cup. It’s a shock to the system. No team apart from Germany had qualified more World Cups consecutively, and only one, Brazil, has won the tournament more times. Italy is a giant of world soccer in a […]
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/ 3074 days agoWorld Cup qualifiers: Preview of final games
In a week’s time, the field for the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia will be set. All that’s left to settle are four playoff ties in Europe, two pitting teams from across continental divides, and three groups in Africa. Drama is guaranteed. The tournament, as we approach the new year, lies just around the […]
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/ 3076 days ago10 things we learned from the 2017 MLS Conference Semifinals
Here are the ten things we learned from the 2017 MLS Conference Semifinals. 1. Toronto Loses Its Cool Jozy Altidore is great player, but his conduct in the first half of Toronto’s game on Sunday against the Red Bulls was phenomenally stupid. Whatever the particulars of the tunnel incident with Sacha Kljestan were, Altidore was […]
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/ 3086 days ago10 things we learned from the 2017 MLS Wild Card games
Here are the ten things we learned from the 2017 MLS Wild Card games. 1. Glory To Columbus No one gave Columbus much of a chance on Thursday night in Atlanta. But thanks first and foremost to a stupendous performance from young goalkeeper Zach Steffan, the Crew held the high-flying MLS debutants off for 120 […]
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/ 3090 days ago10 things we learned from MLS gameweek 33 of the 2017 season
Here are the ten things we learned from Week 33 of the 2017 MLS season. 1. San Jose Sneaks In, Ignominy for Dallas There was only one playoff spot up for grabs on the season’s final day: the Western Conference’s sixth and final seed. San Jose, by virtue of its wins tiebreaker over FC Dallas […]
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/ 3097 days ago10 things we learned from MLS gameweek 32 of the 2017 season
Here are the ten things we learned from Week 32 of the 2017 MLS season. 1. What Is MLS’s Role In The USMNT’S World Cup Failure? It’s huge. Whether you think MLS is an underlying cause of the U.S.’s failure to get the 2018 World Cup, there’s no denying this: MLS played a bigger role […]
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/ 3101 days agoUnfounded arrogance cost US Soccer place at World Cup
In the aftermath of the United States’ stunning failure to quality for the World Cup for the first time in more than thirty years, it’s clear that U.S. Soccer has serious structural problems that need fixing. We need to lower costs and remove barriers to entry for young players across the country – especially in […]