Earl Reed

If you're like me, you put very little credence in the ESPY's. I can't remember a time when I've sat down after a hard day's work and said, "Gee, I wonder who's going to win the ESPY for Outstanding Team???" The idea of an awards ceremony for sports television really ranks in that lovable Twitter […]

The Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup resumed on Wednesday night, with the first semifinal pitting the Philadelphia Union against visiting Sporting Kansas City. The Union had recently pounded Kansas City 4-0 in league play, the first win in the John Hackworth Era. Sporting KC got their revenge this evening, booking their date in the Finals […]

If there are two things that Philadelphia Union fans have craved over the last two seasons, it's a steady lineup and a playmaking midfielder. It turns out that the first, combined with some shrewd personnel deployment, has begotten the second. Michael Farfan, selected in the 2nd round of the 2011 SuperDraft, has been one of […]

The Montreal Impact are cruising along in their first season. They were buoyed by a few positive early results and a couple of huge crowds at their temporary home, Olympic Stadium. Now that revamped Saputo Stadium is open and an exciting European striker has signed, the team looks to captivate the hearts of Southern Quebec. […]

The Harrisburg City Islanders, a USL-Pro side in the third division of the US pyramid, had previously shown that they could overcome a 3 goal deficit against an MLS squad. On Tuesday evening, a repeat of their 3rd Round heroics could not be duplicated, as Lionard Pajoy scored two goals to drive the Philadelphia Union […]

Soccer can be a cruel sport. Dominance doesn't always equal points, and the last two matches at PPL Park have proven that. After being zapped late by D.C. United to lose 1-0 last weekend while dominating possession and shots taken, the Philadelphia Union turned the tables on visiting Sporting Kansas City last night. The Union […]

Scottish football is currently at a pivotal moment in its illustrious history. While the Scottish National Team has taken a dip (as evidenced by the thrashing the United States awarded the Scots in May), their Premier League has continued to be a mid-level league in Europe. The fate of one club, Rangers F.C., not only […]

Relationships are tough. The wide range of emotions that flood one's psyche can cloud the senses and make things seem better (or worse) than they really are. Remorse, nostalgia, jealousy, betrayal, lust – well on a soccer blog, that last one may be a little misplaced – but you get the picture. So it was […]

Certainly, Ireland’s first foray into international tournament football in over ten years did not yield the outcome many had hoped for. Nevertheless, in spite of being largely outplayed and surprisingly outfought by an athletic and silky Croatian team, Ireland’s tournament is far from over. Next up for this Irish team are the European and World […]

The United States' first sojourn into 2014 FIFA World Cup Qualifying is over, concluding with a 1-1 draw in Guatemala City. This result has put the US in first place in Group A on goal difference, level on points with Jamaica. The long weekend started off in mildly pleasing fashion. A 3-1 victory in Tampa, […]

We've heard the rhetoric from Klinsmann. Tonight will be his team's first test at playing the right kind of nasty. Nearly a fortnight ago, the United States fell to visiting Brazil 4-1 at FedEx Field outside of Washington, D.C. The Americans gave a strong effort, but Neymar's crew took apart an aging US backline. After […]

It's a handful of days before CONCACAF World Cup 2014 Qualifying begins, and there is little clarity for supporters about the United States' chances against regional opposition as Friday's opener looms. Sunday evening saw the American team travel to Toronto to face Canada, who celebrated the recent Centennial of the birth of their Soccer Association […]

The United States is nearing the early stages of their quest to qualify for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. In a friendly match against the hosts of the tournament, the Americans were given a true tune-up – a match which saw Brazil conclude as the 4-1 victors, but also showed an American side that […]

The new-look U.S. Open Cup saw most of the American-based Major League Soccer clubs in action on Tuesday evening. At PPL Park, the Philadelphia Union rode two goals from Freddy Adu to outmatch the visiting USL-Pro side Rochester Rhinos, 3-0. With manager Peter Nowak suspended for an infraction at last year's Cup play-in versus D.C. […]

In a match with just about everything, it was the Chicago Fire that eventually benefited from a beautiful goal and a suspect call to overcome a banged-up F.C. Dallas squad, 2-1 at home. Dallas opened the scoring in the 41st minute off of a set piece. Bryan Leyva pumped a corner kick into danger near […]