Robert Hay

Over 600 million people watched El Clasico, and I, like them, switched the match on to watch a rivalry that is so conceited that it assumes every game is a classic. What I saw was a ton of incredibly well-paid, well-groomed players on both sides who were wearing the stress of the day on their faces. […]

It may be hard to imagine now, but at one time the New York MetroStars and Red Bulls were the underdogs in their rivalry with DC United. While DC won trophies and became a model franchise in MLS, New York rebranded, cycled through high-profile coaches and players, and continuously underachieved considering the wealth and marketplace […]

Today's news that the German soccer federation could have been involved in bribery around the 2006 World Cup will shake many people to the core. It is easy to point to nations with a history of abuse (Qatar) or corruption (Russia), or individuals with suspicious pasts, and say that they are the problem. If only the […]

For years, the United States has striven to become a world power in soccer. Even as a majority of the country failed to acknowledge the sport, the die-hards in this country looked forward to the day when America's passion for winning, combined with a population that seemed to populate every sport successfully, would lead to […]

Is the U.S. Women's National Soccer Team "America's Team"? As the team prepares for its possible third World Cup title today, the increased viewership and buzz after the team's win over Germany has made them media darlings. It also highlights how soccer, a "foreign" sport, can unite this country in a way no other sport […]

The 2015 Women's World Cup final has a familiar feel to it, but U.S. fans are hoping it is not deja vu all over again. With the Americans making a statement against No. 1 Germany and Japan benefiting from an own goal to advance, the momentum is with the USA. However, as we saw four years […]

For the first time possibly ever, the U.S. Women's National Team is facing a World Cup elimination match as underdogs. Today will see the two top ranked women's teams in the world face off for the right to play Japan or England in the final on Sunday. The match will see the highest scoring team in […]

With yesterday's win over Colombia, the United States Women's National Team (USWNT) has three wins and a draw in the Women's World Cup, finished first in the Group of Death, and has shown it may have the strongest defense of any team in this year's tournament. Despite all of these positives, there are five worrying […]

Three years ago, I drove across the United Kingdom just to see a soccer match. Stupidly I had planned a vacation during an international break and the one exciting match occurring in the U.K. during that time was the Wales versus Scotland World Cup qualifier. Both countries were languishing near the bottom of their group, […]

The best quality of the U.S. women's national team is that when they play as poorly as they did Monday night, they are able to win and win with style. While Australia may ultimately prove to be a legitimately world class squad, the match showed the U.S. has the ability to play a C level […]

Last week, just days after winning re-election to a fifth term, Sepp Blatter placed a call to the heads of every continental confederation (at least those not in jail) to inform them that he was resigning as head of soccer's governing body. An avalanche of negative press and communications from the major sponsors had put […]

The shockingly sudden resignation of Sepp Blatter as head of FIFA prompts a number of questions, many of which are a long way from being answered. Some will remain unanswered until the prosecutors and various police forces announce the results of various investigations, but practically there is now a major question that needs to be […]

This weekend the United States kicks off its participation in the FIFA U-20 World Cup. Featuring rising stars like Gedion Zelalem of the U.S. and Andreas Pereira of Brazil, this tournament can be a stage for players' Q ratings to skyrocket. The United States begins the tournament in Group A, which lacks major international powers […]

The news of U.S. and Swiss authorities executing arrests and warrants on FIFA and CONCACAF today are shaking the sports world, and while the news is quickly changing with constant updates and information, there is one thing that we can be sure of: FIFA will be changed from this day forward. Unlike some of my […]

As many have written, the bidding for the Premier League rights in the United States will be intense. With NBC growing the property to incredible heights and the popularity of the sport skyrocketing, the next rounding of bidding could lead to ESPN, NBC, and Fox "splashing" a lot of cash for the league rights. However, […]