Lawrence Dockery

When the attendance for the USA starts to fall off a cliff, the surest way to boost the numbers is to schedule a friendly against Mexico, which is also a preview of the Nations League semifinals. Playing against Mexico in an NFL stadium always draws a big crowd and helps boost the TV viewership. Such is […]

The USMNT picked up their first win of 2023 in Grenada on Friday night. With the win, they secured their place in this summer's Gold Cup. However, they will need a draw or a win in their final group stage game to secure their place in the Nations League knockout round. That final game is […]

With the United States set to host the 2026 World Cup with Mexico and Canada, the opportunities for competitive games will be few and far between. Thus the CONCACAF Nations League takes on added significance. Unfortunately, the USMNT still does not have a full-time manager. Based on what US Soccer has said of late, it […]

Nashville, TN: It was a picture-perfect day to see USA defeat Japan in the SheBelieves Cup match played at the gorgeous new Geodis Park in Nashville. The Women's World Cup in New Zealand is still several months away, but the USWNT is rounding into form nicely. Last year featured a rough patch for Team USA […]

The return of USMNT games was supposed to be a welcome distraction from the drama currently surrounding the US Soccer Federation. It was the launching point of the 2026 World Cup cycle. There were fresh, eager players on the roster going up against an inexperienced Serbia team. Unfortunately, it was yet another loss. Now, the US must […]

The 2022 World Cup is in the rear-view mirror. Hence, it's time for the US Men's National Team (USMNT) to turn its attention to the 2026 World Cup, to be played here in the United States alongside Mexico and Canada. Given the unique timing of the Qatar World Cup, the annual January camp for the United […]

One of the myriad of issues US Soccer has faced in recent times is the perception by the fan base that the federation only plays USMNT home games in a select few cities. USMNT attendance in 2022 seems to suggest a level of frustration and burnout of the same venues. But does the perception match […]

The US fans that are heavily invested in the US/Mexico rivalry may want to avert their eyes. When it comes to soccer in the US, Mexico is ironically America's team. This isn't particularly groundbreaking news, though. Mexico attendance at games in the US has long dwarfed both the USMNT and USWNT. This past year was […]

While the USWNT's TV ratings may have dropped 10% in 2022, that was not the case with their attendance. USWNT attendance in 2022 was up compared to 2021. In fact, it was their best year in the stands since 2019. And that does include 2020, when they were able to play 8 home games prior […]

The year 2022 was a smashing success for the USMNT's TV ratings. After all, they qualified for the World Cup and advanced to the Round of 16. But their attendance did not benefit the same way. In fact, the 2022 USMNT attendance was their lowest since 2006. Here's how the crowds break down. Date Competition […]

Perhaps the biggest metric used to gauge the growing popularity of soccer in the USA is attendance. Bigger crowds means more money and more eyeballs. That in turn leads back to bigger crowds. And so on and so forth until soccer becomes a behemoth. In researching the data for 2022, we compiled a list of […]

As the year comes to an end, the news for the TV ratings for the USMNT was quite good. This was not a surprise as they made their return to the World Cup. Playing four games at the World Cup tends to boost the viewership. Unfortunately for the USWNT, the news was not as good […]

The year is drawing to a close and that means it is time to take a look at the 2022 USMNT TV ratings. This year was different for the US than any other year for some time. The USMNT returned to the World Cup after missing out on the 2018 edition of the tournament. Consequently, the […]

Despite making it to the knockout stage, it's evident that US Soccer needs a better coach than Gregg Berhalter to move this team forward. There's no other way to put it than to say that Gregg Berhalter has massively underachieved with the US Men's National Team (USMNT). The World Cup run for the US came […]

World Soccer Talk writer Lawrence Dockery, himself a referee, shares his insight regarding the officiating from the World Cup group stage of Qatar 2022. Many don’t realize but one of the most important parts of any soccer game is the referee. Without officials, there is no game. Being selected to referee at the World Cup […]

It seemed like a long-shot at various points throughout the group stage but the USMNT has made it to the knockout rounds at the World Cup. While some fans are still frustrated by the team’s inability to score goals, at the end of the day the US got where they needed to go. Whether they did it […]

World Soccer Talk writer Lawrence Dockery, himself a referee, shares his insight regarding the officiating from the World Cup group stage of Qatar 2022. Many don’t realize but one of the most important parts of any soccer game is the referee.  Without officials, there is no game.  Being selected to referee at the World Cup […]

Friday’s game against England was one the fans, journalists, and network executives circled on their calendars. The two countries shared so much history, and it was the day after Thanksgiving. Consequently, it was bound to dominate the headlines. Unfortunately, once the first whistle blew, neither side produced much to admire. A scoreless draw saw England […]

The USMNT’s return to the World Cup got off to a dream start in the first half of their opening game against Wales. Christian Pulisic found Tim Weah who scored a wonderful goal to put the US into dreamland. But, when the second half started, it went from a dream to a nightmare. Wales was […]

It’s been eight and a half long years since the USMNT last played a World Cup game. Back when the 2014 World Cup campaign in Brazil ended in the Round of 16 at the hands of a golden Belgian generation, nobody in the US could have imagined such a sustained absence from the game’s biggest […]