Robert Hay

Jurgen Klinsmann has always had a close attachment to Jermaine Jones. Whether it was because he was one of the first high-profile German dual nationals to come play for the United States in this squad or he positionally was key to Klinsmann's ideal formation, the German-American coach has always stood up for the midfielder even […]

England and Italy is a match-up with a lot of history, and as the two soccer powers prepare to face each other Saturday, England fans need to know an important fact – this is not the Italy team you are used to seeing. In fact, understanding how Cesare Prandelli has changed the Azzurri is key […]

In the modern game, we have lost out on the candid and honest interview in the media. That’s why the sound bites after Brazil’s 3-1 victory over Croatia were so good. Croatian coach Niko Kovac was right to say after the match about referee Yuichi Nishimura, “I had a feeling that the referee had one […]

When Brazil and Croatia kickoff on Thursday, the eyes of the world will be on the host nation for the world’s most watched sporting event. The events outside the stadium, however, could be just as closely watched and the implications could be further reaching. As anyone who has spent any time on the Internet recently […]

Chances are that if you are visiting World Soccer Talk, you know enough about the World Cup to hold down a semi-intelligent conversation about the tournament at a cocktail party. However, if you are new to the sport and trying to quickly learn, or are in a profession where you attend numerous events or receptions […]

Every four years, 32 nations come together to determine which country has the best soccer talent in the world. The limitation to 32 nations, however, leads to a simple problem – sometimes the world’s greatest talent is on a national team where the other players are not-quite-good-enough to downright poor. I thought it would be […]

We are less than one week away from the kickoff of the 2014 World Cup but the hype machine has been churning for the U.S. national team: “We are due for a win over Ghana, we should have won the match four years ago.” “Portugal is Ronaldo and a bunch of overrated players; if he […]

With the World Cup so close after such a long wait, now is the time for the release of numerous pieces, books, and articles about the participants, each one vying to be the authoritative source. Besides some of the more reputable sources (such as the World Soccer Talk previews) there are few established sources of […]

Recently, I wrote a piece pointing the finger for AC Milan’s woes at one man, Silvio Berlusconi. While I hope you read and comment on the article, the short summary is that Milan needs new ideas (and more money) to break free of the status quo they increasingly are stuck in. However, with the […]

On Saturday, I did the unthinkable. I left my open beer sitting on the table next to me untouched for 75 minutes in the second half and stoppage time of the FA Cup. Like many soccer fans, I tend to enjoy a cold adult beverage during my favorite soccer teams’ matches, primarily to calm my […]

By the time the final whistle blows on the Serie A season this Sunday, the odds are that AC Milan will be without European football next season. There is a chance they can jump a few clubs into sixth, but they do not control their own destiny. Already the blame is being assigned and fingers […]

One of the things that bugs me most about popular culture is the lack of quality fictional moves about soccer. Bend It Like Beckham may have been the last good fictional account where soccer played a prominent role, and even that is not that wonderful of a movie. Arguably The Damned United is fictional (and there […]

The spectacle that took place outside and inside the Stadio Olimpico on Saturday was probably missed by most soccer fans. The lead-up to the Coppa Italia final was full of anticipation – both Fiorentina and Napoli play an open and exciting brand of soccer. And Rafa Benitez, with a win, could secure a trophy with […]

It is easy to be cynical in the modern sports era, so it is easy to have doubts about the spontaneously wonderful viral social media campaign “We Are All Monkeys”. The campaign sprung up last weekend after a banana was thrown onto the Villarreal pitch at Barcelona’s Dani Alves. Alves picked up the banana and […]

As MLS and the U.S. Soccer Federation try to create a modern soccer history, complete with its heroes, stories, and even villains, they often set aside our nation's soccer past to complete their narrative. We often forget that the United States had an incredible soccer history before 1994. Before the Seattle Sounders won three straight […]