Let’s see how the world reacted to the world-class final.

Argentine reaction

Los Andes says that the “Dream is Complete”:

La Voz celebrates the country’s third World Cup:

El Hincha says that “the love is stronger,” after all, Messi wasn’t always the most beloved player in his native country. Also, the lede refers to “malditos penales,” or, “damned penalties,” which is a good way to describe the format we are stuck with for deciding world championships.

La Nacion captures what Messi has been seeking all these years, “Eternal Glory”:

Clarín gives thanks to Messi:

Diario Popular channels Montgomery Clift and Burt Lancaster in exclaiming “Friends, From Here to Eternity”:

El Tribuno captured just some of the public jubilation throughout the country:

French reaction

La Voix du Nord keeps it chin up with a simply spectacular photo and the words “Thanks Anyway”:

Le Parisien also strikes a thankful tone with “Proud of our Blues”:

Same for L’Equipe with its message of “Keep Your Head Up”:

La Dépêche rues how close France came to the win:

The Courrier Picard found a great photo to accompany its headline of “Disappointment at the End of the Suspense”:

International reaction

The Sun makes sure to remind us that yesterday’s final wasn’t the best of all time:

The Daily Express disagrees:

The Daily Star doesn’t find much room on its front page for the final because of its groundbreaking investigation into what temperature dogs prefer to sleep in:

The Daily Mail evokes Charlton Heston and Rex Harrison in going with “The Agony and the Ecstasy”:

Brazil’s papers were magnanimous toward their country’s rival. Extra says that Messi “Deserves It”:

While O Globo deems Messi an “Immortal”:

In Spain, where Messi spent the bulk of his club years, the Sport newspaper went a bit hyperbolic with “Gods Exist”:

Mundo Deportivo delivers the hot take that Messi is the greatest of all time:

The NFL is typically the only sport to make the front pages in the US – a nation dominated by the austere broadsheets rather than tabloids. But this final was epic enough to make covers coast to coast:

Photo credit: IMAGO / Ulmer/Teamfoto

France is now in back-to-back finals – the first nation to do so since Brazil in 1998 and 2002. And France is seeking to become the first back-to-back champion since Brazil won in 1958 and 1962.

Let’s take a look at how newspapers from around the world covered the semi-final:

French reaction

Le Dauphine captures the national mood with “Only Happiness”:

L’Equipe says it’s the “Final Flight”:

Le Parisien with a reminder that “We’re Still There!”:

Sud Ouest says that France are “A Little Closer to the Star”:

Moroccan coverage

Al Maghribia, a Moroccan Arabic-language paper, delivers the beautiful headline of “You Honored Us, Our Lions. Raise your Heads, Our Heroes”:

Le Matin, a Moroccan French-language paper, says “Chin up. The Atlas Lions Stop at the Foot of the Final!”:

International coverage

The National, out of the United Arab Emirates, focuses on the Moroccan angle:

The Wall Street Journal, America’s leading financial newspaper, did what many American newspapers did in featuring the semi-final result on its front page:

The New York Daily News also found a little room to mention the final:

Argentina’s Cronica says that the country is “Thirsty for Revenge” after the national team’s loss to France in the 2018 Round of 16:

Staying in Argentina, La Gaceta says that France is “the final hurdle”:

Also in Argentina, El Hincha says that it’s a “Champagne Final”:

Italy’s Corriere dello Sport, in an insult to Juventus legend Ronaldo, says that the matchup is between the “best of their generations”

Italys La Gazzetta dello Sport says that the Messi-Mbappé matchup is “A King’s Game”:

Spain’s Marca says that Mbappé is threatening Messi’s dream:

Here’s the reaction from those two nations as well as the rest of the world.

Argentine coverage

The Clarín is in an understandably triumphant mood as it says “Going for the Third World Cup Title”:

The Cronica crafts a clever play on diminutive Lionel Messi’s “La Pulga” (“The Flea”) nickname:

El Dia is “dreaming big”

La Gaceta says that this is but a step toward the big dream:

La Voz leads with a photo that featured in many papers as it celebrates the “thrashing” of Croatia:

El Hincha goes understated with “It’s a Feeling”:

Croatian coverage

The Jutarnji List strikes an optimistic tone as it says “Heads Up, Let’s Go for the Bronze”:

It was the same message from the Sportske Novosti cover:

The Dnevnik was one of many Croatian news outlets to focus on the decisions that went against the team in the match. In their lead story, they go with Croatian manager Zlatko Dalić questioning the VAR officials:

International coverage

England’s the Daily Star gives Messi the Michael Jordan treatment:

The mood for independence is strong in Scotland. England’s exploits at this World Cup never featured on The Scotsman’s front page, but Argentina does:

In Portugal it’s back to focusing on club soccer for the Record with Ronaldo’s rival relegated to the bottom of the page:

In France, understandably, the focus is on today’s match against Morocco:

But L’Equipe found a little room for “Messi and the Wonders”:

For La Opinión, out of Los Angeles, the focus was on Messi’s assist but not on the goalscorers:

Italy’s Corriere dello Sport says that Messi is now approaching Diego Maradona:

Even Argentina’s rivals across the River Plate in Uruguay are treating Messi with reverence:

And finally, Argentina’s win gets the below-the-fold treatment in Qatar’s English-language paper, The Peninsula:

Here’s a look at how newspapers at home and abroad reacted to the action.

The English Exit

First, we look back at The Sun’s bizarre cover from before the match. It doesn’t even look like “eggy bread” as the breakfast treat is also known by over there:

Then we get into coverage of yet another English exit caused, in part, by a penalty kick.

La Joie de la France

France’s daily sports paper, L’Equipe (a concept that failed in the United States even back when Americans actually read newspapers) delivers the perfect summary of what was a tense and taut affair:

La Dépêche goes a little more high-brow for its headline, while the tease up top is a reminder that rugby has a claim to be France’s most beloved sport as well:

L’Yonne Républicaine thinks that match had the “scent of a final,” and it did have that decisive feeling:

Sud Ouest expressed similar sentiments in calling it a “massive” quarterfinal:

Portuguese Pain

A Bola sums up the national mood best with “Cry, Portugal”:

O Jogo says that Portugal were “thrown to the carpet”:

“Sad End” sounds a little more poetic as “Triste Fim” in Portuguese:

Moroccan Coverage

Hespress features scenes of jubilation from throughout the Arab world:

Al Alam delivers a powerful headline, “Morocco Writes a Historical Epic that Paralyzed the Tongues of the World”

Morocco’s French-language paper, Le Matin, offers the words from Morocco’s magnificent manager Walid Regragui: “our qualification is not a miracle, it is the result of teamwork.”

Coverage from the Rest of the World

Canada’s leading French-language daily, Le Journal de Montréal, says “the Moroccan Fairy Tale Continues”:

Italy’s Corriere dello Sport leads with “The First Time” then says that Morocco has ended Ronaldo’s era:

Spain’s Marca says that Morocco is the “Star of the World Cup”:

Morocco’s win even made some front pages in the United States, as we see with Los Angeles’ La Opinión, the New York Times, and the Washington Post:

Photo credit: IMAGO / Pro Sports Images

From the depths of despair to the heights of happiness, here now is the reaction to Friday’s dramatic matches between Brazil and Croatia and Argentina and The Netherlands.

Brazilian heartache

Rio’s Extra leads with the somewhat optimistic “Time to Pick up the Pieces”:

O Dia captures the mood of a nation with “The Dance is Over”:

Neymar’s anguished face featured heavily in Brazilian coverage:

O Estado de Sao Paolo with a poetic headline, “All that’s left is Brazilian tears”:

Estado de Minas cleverly offers a headline in Croatian that reads “Goodbye Sixth Title”:

Croatian ecstasy

The Večernji List leads with the words of Croatia’s manager, and how many fans must feel about yet another incredible Croatian World Cup run “My Players are Not Normal”:

Sportske Novosti leads with “Croatia is a world wonder. We are in the semi-finals again”:

Jutarnji List channels Montell Jordan with “That’s How We Do It”:

Joy in Argentina

Clarín goes with a subtle dig at the Dutch as they say “With a Pure Heart and Dreams”:

Diario Popular asks their own fans, and likely the Dutch for a different response, as it proclaims “Tell Me How it Feels!”:

La Gaceta has a less confrontational headline of “An Endless Joy”:

El Liberal has the perfect summary of the experience for Argentina’s fans over the course of the rollercoaster match, “Suffer to Enjoy”:

The best cover photo of the day goes to Río Negro:

Dutch anguish

It sounds more dramatic in Dutch, but Algemeen Dagblad says “So Close”:

de Volkskrant offers polite props to Argentina fans with “Football and passion never go together as beautifully as in Argentina”:

Reaction from British tabloids to England’s victory

Coverage in Senegal

Senegal’s WIW Sport offers the headline “Lions not on the same level.” Inside, it leads with Aliou Cissé’s sentiment that “I am proud of my boys but we must admit the superiority of England”

The Dakar Buzz reports on the sad scene from a massive watch party at a local university. The paper also offers a message of support from Bayern Munich forward Sadio Mané, who could have made a big difference in the match.

Le Quotidien’s headline needs no translation: “La promenade des Anglais”

Reaction in France to the win against Poland

Sud Ouest, out of Bordeaux, goes big and bold in saying that France is ready to devour England’s lions.

Lille’s La Voix du Nord offers a delightful little rhyme that’s better off left in French:

The Journal L’Ardennais is blunt, saying that now it’s England’s turn after France easily dispatched Poland.

France’s sporting paper, L’Equipe, finds no room for France’s next opponent at all on its cover. You have to scroll way down to find a tactical preview asking “Which England will face France in the World Cup quarter-finals?”

Further down is a story about how this will be the first ever England-France match in the knockout round.

Let’s take a look at how the match was covered in the newspapers on both sides of the pond.

US newspaper coverage of England-USA

The New York Times offered a below-the-fold front page article focused on how far the USMNT has come after drawing against the sport’s elite:

Meanwhile, the Philadelphia Inquirer had the contrary angle as it deemed the result “frustrating”:

The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette delivered a local angle as its front page feature focused on how the World Cup is helping the USL’s Pittsburgh Riverhounds connect with the community:

The Boston Globe also kept it parochial as its front page once again spotlights former New England Revolution keeper Matt Turner:

And talk about parochial, Long Island’s Newsday prioritized high school football over a match that was watched by tens of millions.

The New York Post struck an optimistic tone on its front page:

Los Angeles’ La Opinión summed the match up best as its front page as it said the USMNT was better than England in the match:

How the British newspapers covered US-England draw

Before we dive into the English post-match coverage it’s important to see their approach before the match. The Daily Star summed up the confident mood best:

It was a decidedly different mood after the match:

England’s other tabloids were just as creative with their front and back page match coverage:

The Independent, a broadsheet in spirit but a tabloid in its physical format, delivered a trifecta of terrific headlines:

And finally, we arrive at The Athletic, which was founded to deliver content not being done by other news sites. John Muller’s informative and illuminating graphic showing how Tyler Adams prevented England from playing through the middle is just the kind of coverage we need more of. Not only on news sites but during broadcast coverage of matches.

Graphics like these would help all of those in the US who mainly only watch the World Cup realize that there’s plenty happening even in a scoreless draw.

American coverage of USA-Wales result

At the always sensational New York Post, Ethan Sears questioned US Head Coach Gregg Berhalter’s substitutions while their media columnist Andrew Marchand points out how FOX Sports are misleading viewers with their kickoff times. Their back page was a riff on their famous 2010 cover:

Meanwhile, the graphic designers at The New York Times flexed its muscles with an immersive interactive feature on the US goal scored by Tim Weah. Interestingly, the paper was the rare American newspaper to offer insight on Wales with the story behind the Welsh song, “Yma o Hyd.” Perhaps someday, Michael Sheen’s sensational speech should be played before it for a double dose of Welsh patriotism.

The Philadelphia Inquirer has a fun interactive feature diving into how different communities in the city of brotherly love are celebrating the World Cup.

The Boston Globe offered a tiny below-the-fold front page blurb (see below) that, at first glance, made it seem like the USMNT won the game when they were simply being parochial:

Speaking of parochial, Los Angeles’ La Opinión featured LAFC’s MLS Cup winning star Gareth Bale on its cover:

USA Today delivered a hard-hitting and important editorial angle on its front page:

European coverage of USA-Wales

In the UK, millions more watched the Wales match than watched the England-Iran match, as Wales Online reports.

And across Wales, the front and back pages were understandably euphoric:

The Guardian’s Bryan Armen Graham opines that the USMNT’s path to the knockout stage is now more difficult than it needed to be because of the squad’s second-half letdown. 

France’s Le Equipe says “USA v Wales top flops: Pulisic decisive, Ramsey precious” in its match report card.

Italy’s La Gazzetta dello Sport‘s own report card rated Pulisic at 7.5 and Ramsey at 5.5. And the Italian sporting standard also offers a fantastic feature on Timothy Weah with the headline, “Weah, in the name of the father. Born in New York, he plays in France: now Timothy shines with his own light”

The front page of Germany’s Augsburger Allgemeine ignored the day’s action in favor of a striking image that summed up the pressure well against players wearing “One Love” armbands:

English coverage of England-Iran

England’s front and back pages always come through with fun puns and striking images.

Advertising is a key catalyst for the normalization of new behavior. It’s why Meta spent around $13 million on a Super Bowl ad. Similarly, it is why Hamm, a mega Hollywood star, features as a silver fox Santa. He is FOX’s attempt to normalize watching the World Cup during a hectic holiday season.

As FOX Sports President of Marketing Robert Gottlieb explained, “The 2022 World Cup is historic and unique because it’s the first time the tournament will take place during the holiday season, and our creative campaign featuring some of today’s biggest stars is focused on letting people know just how special this moment will be.” 

Soccer fans don’t need the reminder. They traditionally watch fixtures on frosty November and December mornings. But, FOX needs far more than the few hundred thousand who watch Premier League matches to tune in for this World Cup.

FOX needs all those casual soccer fans who ordinarily spend early December mornings adjusting their fantasy NFL lineups or searching Target’s shelves for the season’s most sought-after gifts like the Baby Yoda squishmallow to tune in. Therefore, it is important for FOX to make its message more about when the World Cup is. As of now, it focuses on the stars and squads of the World Cup. rather than the World Cup itself. 

Challenges for FOX’s World Cup viewership in Qatar

And it’s not just ordinary daily life at this time of year getting in the way of big viewership for FOX. This World Cup is fighting for attention against college football, college basketball, NFL, NBA, and NHL. That’s a far cry from only going up against regular season baseball in the summer. 

While World Cup matches won’t overlap with American football, basketball, and hockey because of early kickoff times, sports fans have only so much bandwidth and freedom to watch games. A fan might prioritize their NFL or college team’s big late season game if they only have a few hours of free time to play with. 

How have other temporally displaced sporting events fared with regards to viewership? The ones postponed during the depths of the pandemic give us some insight.  

Reasons for Pessimism

The NBA Finals are a springtime staple that welcomes in the summer. But, in 2020 the Finals switched over to October. The series between the Lakers and Heat averaged only 7.5 million viewers. This figure represented a 51% drop from 2019. One year later, the 2021 NBA Finals averaged almost 10 million viewers, much closer to the traditional figures. This is in spite of the fact that the two teams, Milwaukee and Phoenix, come from much smaller markets than Los Angeles and Miami.

Tampa Bay beat Dallas in the the 2020 Stanley Cup Final. Like the NBA, that postseason pushed back to the fall instead of June. Viewership fell from an average of 5.5 million in 2019 to 2.15 million. 

The Masters golf tournament is “a tradition unlike any other.” However, the 2020 edition in November saw its ratings sink to an all-time low.

Similarly, the Tokyo Olympics which were held in 2021 instead of 2020 were NBC’s least-watched since it began broadcasting the competition in 1998. 

Reasons for Optimism

Of course, many were understandably not in the mood to watch sports in 2020 and into 2021. But the 2020 World Series, played at its normal late October time, didn’t suffer as big a viewership drop versus 2019 as the above events. And the 2020 NFL regular season, held at its normal time on fall Sundays, only experienced a slight viewership decrease. 

What should give FOX the most hope is that recent temporally displaced soccer events did well. The 2020 Champions League final moved to August. Yet, it performed better than the 2019 edition. The latest Euros waited a whole year, going from 2020 to 2021, even though it remained Euro 2020. Despite the hiatus, the tournament drew far more viewers than its predecessor in 2016. Plus, the 2021 Euro Final was the most watched ever.

Kickoff times are massively important as well. The kickoff times for this World Cup will be similar to the ones from the 2018 World Cup, so it will be interesting to see if the current edition will surpass 2018 for viewership. The 2014 World Cup, with its average kickoff time of around 2 p.m. ET, remains the most watched World Cup in American broadcast history by far. 

There’s only so much an ad campaign can do in the face of kickoff time convenience and the hustle and bustle of holiday season. Now it’s time to see if the World Cup matches themselves will draw hefty viewership. 

Photo credit: IMAGO / Icon Sportswire

Every year, it seems that finding out how to watch the Six Nations on US TV changes. This year is no different.

Europe’s rugby titans will tussle for the 2021 Six Nations rugby union championship in a round-robin from February 6 through March 20. France, Ireland, Wales, Scotland, and hey, why not, even Italy, will try to snatch England’s crown. If you want to find out how to watch the Six Nations live, then your only option is to pony up for Peacock Premium at $4.99 a month. But, if you can shut yourself off from social media and score updates, then NBCSN will be offering televised matches on same-day delay.

There will be no fans in attendance and the women’s Six Nations, normally played during the same window as the men’s, has been postponed to April. England will be looking for its leading 30th all-time win while long shots Scotland are seeking their first title since 1999, when the competition was the Five Nations. In the US sports, ties are often broken by head-to-head record, but England won the Six Nations last year based on point difference with France, despite France having defeated England in Paris.

The opening matches include perennial wooden spooners Italy against second favorites France, holders England against auld enemy Scotland, and Wales against Ireland. The Six Nations, like in 2020, often comes down to the very last day. This year, on March 20, that last round will feature Scotland versus Italy, Ireland versus England, and France versus Wales.

When it comes to sports, Peacock Premium is best known for the Premier League.

But last year, NBC transitioned its rugby union content from its Gold Pass streaming service to Peacock Premium. Aside from the Six Nations, Peacock Premium also offers Premiership Rugby (England’s top tier domestic competition), rugby sevens at this summer’s Tokyo Olympics, and the World Rugby Sevens Series (rugby sevens is a wild, wide-open 7-on-7 version played in matches that last only 14 minutes).

In addition to rugby and soccer, Peacock Premium features IndyCar racing, Olympic sports like figure skating and skiing, Supercross motorcycle racing, and WWE wrestling. And this fall, it’s expected that some NHL matches will move to Peacock.

When it comes to the battle between over-the-top subscription sports streaming services like Peacock Premium, ESPN+, and Paramount+ (formerly CBS All Access), it’s all about the quality and quantity of the offerings. These streaming services must offer both a buffet and a signature dish. For example, B/R Live never got much traction primarily because it didn’t have much to offer aside from the Champions League.

ESPN+ is the market leader thus far, with more than 10 million subscriptions at $5.99 a month. It offers a serious sporting smorgasbord: marquee properties like the Bundesliga, Serie A, and MLS along with a plethora of other offerings like Pro14 rugby (the club league covering Ireland, Italy, Scotland, and Wales), international rugby from the Southern Hemisphere featuring world-beaters New Zealand, lesser international soccer leagues like Australia’s A-League, select NHL games, beach soccer, futsal, cricket, college sports, and European handball. Sports streamers expect more than just a single marquee property in exchange for their monthly subscription.

Rugby has been a winner for NBC. In 2019, more than 650,000 tuned in to see South Africa win the World Cup final over England, while there were more than 10 million unique views on NBC and NBCSN for the tournament as a whole. Rugby Sevens was a hit at the 2016 Olympics and the US even has its own rugby union competition, Major League Rugby, with thirteen clubs.

While rugby is growing in American popularity, the fear when niche sports go behind a paywall is that curious new fans won’t be able to stumble across it to get hooked. But, conversely, being behind a paywall may help a niche sport like rugby. Fans of more popular programming like the Premier League or wrestling who pay for Peacock Premium may feel the need to justify the expense and so might explore all the sports that the service has to offer. Either way, compelling competitions like the Six Nations are a must for Peacock Premium to be competitive in a crowded streaming market.

Peacock Premium is currently offering a free 7-day trial for those who are interested.

How to watch the Six Nations

For the 2021 Six Nations, here’s the schedule for the opening weekend (all times Eastern):

Saturday, February 6

Italy v. France, 9:15am, Peacock Premium (free trial)

England v. Scotland, 11:45am, Peacock Premium (free trial)

Sunday, February 7

Wales v. Ireland, 10am, Peacock Premium (free trial)

It’s been a whirlwind two years for the regional FOX Sports Networks. In 2019, they were acquired by The Walt Disney Company following its acquisition of 21st Century Fox. Then, just a few months later, the Disney Company sold the channels (which did not include FS1 or FS2, which are owned by FOX Corporation) to Sinclair. At the time, Sinclair licensed the FOX Sports Network name under the condition that they would rebrand the channels in the future.

Well, that time is now after Sinclair sold the naming rights to its regional sports networks to the Bally’s casino corporation for $85 million.

We’re already used to kits being covered in advertisements. Then came sponsored stadium names. And now, this is the next frontier in sports advertising with TV networks named after gambling companies.

While it would be relatively easy to criticize the decision as a step backwards for sports, it’s actually a very smart maneuver by Bally’s Corporation. Here’s why:

1. In all, 19 regional sports networks will bear the Bally’s name. The newly named RSNs that will carry MLS franchises include Bally Sports Southeast (Atlanta United), Bally Sports Ohio (Columbus Crew), Bally Sports Kansas City (Sporting KC), and Bally Sports North (Minnesota United). In the past, select FC Dallas matches have appeared on Fox Sports Southwest, which is now Bally Sports Southwest.

Bally’s President George Papanier, as quoted in Sports Video Group News, called the deal “a rewarding first step in a transformational partnership that is going to revolutionize the U.S. sports betting, gaming and media industries.” Papanier added, “we look forward to integrating Bally’s unique content…across Sinclair’s live game day coverage and providing unrivaled sports gamification on a national scale.”

2. Bally’s move is clever on several fronts. Advertising itself via naming entire networks minimizes the risk of backing a loser. What’s the return on investment for advertising on a single club’s shirt or stadium if that club is crummy? What kind of positive exposure is Motorola getting out of advertising on Chicago Fire’s shirts when the Fire only have two swift first round playoff exits since 2010? What is Dick’s Sporting Goods getting for paying $40 million to put its name on the Colorado Rapids’ stadium with the club not a national fixture and the stadium having relatively weak attendance?

And if advertising on a club’s shirt raises brand awareness, wouldn’t such advertising make rival fans aware that they should avoid that brand? If Zulily advertising on Sounder shirts is supposed to make Sounder supports more liable to use Zulily then wouldn’t it, in turn, make Portland Timbers fans and other Sounder haters avoid Zulily?

Bally’s will also receive far more exposure from this deal than sponsoring a specific club or stadium. The Bally’s logo will appear every time a highlight from one of the dozens of teams on its branded RSNs is shown on SportsCenter or social media. Bally’s name and logo will appear on every upcoming schedule and in conversation whenever fans talk about where the game is on.

3. Bally’s move is also clever because it avoids restrictions and regulations on traditional gambling advertising. In 2019, several US casinos voluntarily agreed to a code of conduct for advertising sports gambling. The thrust of that code was to avoid marketing to young people. Moreover, traditional sports gambling advertisements on the radio, in print, on social media or on TV are usually accompanied by warnings about gambling addiction and links to problem gambler helplines.

MLS clubs have expanded their partnerships with gambling companies in recent times. For example, DC United wears a gambling ad on its shirtsleeves and will offer a year-round sportsbook at its stadium. But MLS itself has advised that gambling advertising should be limited to avoid youth exposure. As Front Office Sports explained, “MLS is requiring clubs to make sure that all advertising for sports betting or spirits be directed to an age-appropriate audience for both products. That means no MLS players under the age of 21 can be included in advertising for spirits, and no sports betting or spirits partner will appear on youth-sized replica jerseys or on the front of club youth academy jerseys.”

But Bally’s RSN naming rights deal avoids all of that. It’s a key move to normalize sports gambling in a country that had shunned it, at least legally, for so long. There will be no consumer warnings attached to the logo and now sports fans of all ages will be exposed to this unique form of gambling advertising. Even fans that don’t watch those RSNs will see the logo and name routinely mentioned and shown in local and national sports media. If you pay attention to sports at all, then Bally’s advertising via sports network naming will essentially be a billboard that you can’t avoid seeing.

4. Will other sports networks sell their names to advertisers? Why not? Most sports fans and media members have readily accepted all the other forms of sports advertising that have come down the pike over the years, up to and including the NHL selling naming rights to its divisions.

It’s telling to compare sports with other forms of entertainment like movies and music. Why don’t ads appear below the Wu-Tang “W” or beside the Rolling Stones’ tongue logo on official shirts? Replica Spider-Man or Batman shirts for kids (and adults) don’t feature ads next to the iconic spider and bat silhouettes. Why not? Because then music and movie fans would probably buy fewer shirts.

But most sports fans happily pay a pretty penny to buy replica merchandise ladled with ads. And sports fans happily include the advertisements when drawing or photoshopping players to post on social media. And, despite conflicts with their own paying advertisers, media outlets often perform this kind of free advertising as well when they create infographics or photoshop trade and transfer targets into their potential new uniforms.

READ MORE: Why soccer is bigger than hockey in the United States

As a hobby, sports are a happy illusion that we retain from childhood. Within that hobby, is the name of a sports network sacred? No, no more so than a jersey or a stadium name. But the pervasiveness of advertising in nearly every aspect of the modern sports viewing experience is just a tough reminder that, to them, we aren’t fans – we are customers.

Premier League matches may not be available on millions of Amazon Fire TV and Roku devices for the beginning of this season, as NBC’s Peacock streaming service remains unavailable on America’s two most popular digital media players. Why? As Hal Holbrook’s Deep Throat told Robert Redford’s Bob Woodward in All the President’s Men, “follow the money.”

For the 2020/21 season, NBC’s Premier League Pass has gone the way of sponsorless shirts. Instead, 175 matches will exclusively stream on Peacock. If you’re a Comcast Xfinity customer, good news. It’s free. But for everyone else — even if you already pay for cable, satellite, or a streaming TV service like Fubo or Sling to get NBCSN — you’ll have to pay $4.99/month for Peacock with ads or $9.99/month for the ad-free version. Much more information is available in World Soccer Talk’s comprehensive Peacock guide.

Comcast, America’s largest residential cable and Internet provider, is offering Peacock free to its approximately 32 million subscribers this season. Comcast can do this because it owns NBC and Peacock. Even if you don’t have Comcast, you can watch Peacock for $4.99/month.

Amazon Fire and Roku have 40 million and 32 million users respectively. Adding more streaming options such as Peacock would only strengthen Amazon and Roku’s positions as the leading purveyors of digital media players. Their goal is to have a one-stop shop device that lets TV viewers flick through streaming services like ESPN+, Netflix, Hulu, or beIN Sports as easily as if they were changing channels.

However, Roku’s business model has changed. When they first launched, they were a hardware company, selling their streaming devices and positioning themselves as a way for cord cutters to watch whatever they wanted when they wanted. Recently, Roku has switched gears to focus more on selling advertising, and acting as a gatekeeper by doing deals with media companies to take a big cut of that ad revenue.

At the same time, Amazon has positioned their Amazon Fire TV as a must-have streaming device that is in the home of many Americans. So far, so good except that when consumers sign up for a paid Peacock subscription via Amazon Fire TV, Amazon wants to put a hefty slice of that revenue in their pocket.

With both Roku and Amazon deciding to stall the addition of the Peacock app to their streaming devices, this stalemate highlights the perils of a market that allows content creators and owners to also be content distributors.

Comcast’s ability to distribute its own content while shutting out rivals from its platform isn’t likely to be challenged anytime soon. Soccer fans have seen this antitrust issue play out poorly before. In 2019, the Federal Communications Commission supported Comcast’s decision to not carry beIN SPORTS. Comcast owns NBCSN, the Premier League’s primary home, so it has little incentive to carry a channel like beIN that offers LaLiga and Ligue 1 matches that often go head-to-head with the Prem. Likewise, Comcast’s Xfinity Flex streaming device doesn’t offer ESPN+, the home of MLS, the Bundesliga and Serie A.

Further bolstering Comcast’s position is the recent repeal of the Paramount Decrees. Hollywood’s major movie studios have been barred from owning movie theaters since 1948’s landmark Supreme Court case, United States v Paramount Pictures, Inc. But just this past August, a federal district court removed those restrictions. Jeff Spross, writing in The Week, argued that, “[s]treaming technology has helped bring back the pre-Paramount decree world of concentration and top-down vertical integration… a handful of six or seven massive competing companies, each with their own siloed production-to-streaming pipeline, is hardly ideal.”

Vertical integration isn’t the only barrier to a deal. In one sense, Amazon Fire TV and Roku are simply intermediary distributors. Without the content from streaming services like Peacock, there’d be no demand for their devices. But, as digital gatekeepers, they’re asking for a heavy toll. Variety’s Todd Spangler reports that Roku wants 30% of advertising inventory on top of its 20% cut of subscription fees.  A Roku rep told Vulture’s Josef Adalian that, “[u]nfortunately, Comcast is trying to launch a primarily ad-supported business while refusing to share in the ad model with platform partners.”

And advertising on Amazon is a big deal. As James Hercher said in AdExchanger, “Amazon’s ability to power attribution and new measurement coveted by advertisers as well as the type of inventory it’s availing give it sharp differentiation.”

So on the one hand, Comcast/NBC would want subscribers to access Peacock directly. That way, Comcast/NBC keeps all the advertising money, subscription money, and valuable subscriber data for itself. On the other hand, Comcast/NBC would want its streaming content to be easily available to as many people as possible, which is where aggregators Amazon Fire and Roku come in.

Some might ask why this matters in the grand scheme of things. After all, those who pay for Peacock can simply log in to watch on their phones, tablets, smart TVs or laptops. And they could even connect those devices to their televisions with an HDMI cable. So who cares if many people can’t easily watch streaming services Peacock on their TVs? Well it’s true that most modern conveniences would fail on a moral relativism scale. But to paraphrase Leslie Nielsen’s Frank Drebin, “maybe the problems of Amazon Fire and Roku users don’t amount to a hill of beans. But this is our hill. And these are our beans.” After all, this is the land of drive-thrus, heated car seats, and microwavable rice. If you’ve got your laptop connected to your TV through an HDMI cable, who’s getting up to change the stream from Peacock’s Liverpool vs. Spurs match to ESPN+’s Juventus against Inter Milan match without a remote control? If people are going to pay for all the various streaming services, then they deserve the convenience of watching those services as easily as possible.

We’ve come a long way since the days when there were only a handful of soccer games on TV to watch, but it seems as if we’re still a long way off from being able to flick through all the soccer streaming options on our TVs as easily as we flick through channels.

UPDATE: Peacock is now available on Roku as of September 21, 2021

The National Independent Soccer Association (NISA), which has managed to play matches all over the country this summer, has secured its first broadcast television deal. beIN SPORTS Xtra network will broadcast NISA’s Fall Championship tournament, which will take place between September 21 and October 2.

Eight clubs – California United Strikers FC, LA Force, Oakland Roots SC, Michigan Stars FC, Detroit City FC, New York Cosmos, New Amsterdam FC, and Chattanooga FC, will compete for NISA’s Fall Championship. The tournament will be held in a single location and will offer doubleheaders at 5 and 8 PM Eastern.

Those eight clubs are currently playing an abbreviated season through late September. California United Strikers, LA Force and Oakland Roots are sharing Orange County’s sparkling new Great Park Championship Stadium. The New York Cosmos are at their longtime home, the Mitchel Athletic Complex located in the heart of Long Island’s Nassau County. The Michigan Stars are at the Ultimate Soccer Arenas Outdoor Stadium in Pontiac, Michigan. Detroit City are playing at historic Keyworth Stadium in Hamtramck, Michigan – an enclave near Detroit’s North End. Chattanooga FC are playing at Finley Stadium near the banks of the winding Tennessee River. And New Amsterdam FC are playing at Warwick Village’s Hudson Sports Complex in bucolic Upstate New York. These matches are available free to stream at NISAsoccer.com and mycujoo.tv.

beIN SPORTS Xtra is available free over-the-air to anyone with a digital antenna in 15 major American cities. But only three NISA clubs, the LA Force, Cal United Strikers, and Oakland Roots, have beIN SPORTS Xtra available as a channel on over-the-air TV in their markets. The channel isn’t available in Tennessee, Michigan, or New York state, although enterprising Cosmos and NAFC fans may be able to pick up Connecticut’s channel 34.2.

Otherwise, beIN SPORTS Xtra can be streamed on a smart TV, phone, or tablet via the Roku Channel, Redbox, Xumo, Samsung TV Plus, and Pluto TV. Some NISA matches will also be streamed on beIN SPORTS Connect for those who can log in with their cable or satellite subscription info.

READ MORE: beIN SPORTS launches free streaming channel beIN SPORTS XTRA

This summer, NISA successfully pulled off its Independent Cup, featuring regionalized action contested by NISA member clubs and non-affiliated amateur clubs. And the Independent Cup looks like it will be back bigger and better in 2021 as NISA recently announced agreements with the Gulf Coast Premier League, the Midwest Premier League, and the Eastern Premier League.

NISA itself will be expanding next year as Stumptown Athletic, based outside Charlotte in Matthews, North Carolina, and San Diego 1904 FC will rejoin the competition while the New Jersey Teamsters, based in Bayonne will also start play.

It’s crucial for smaller professional soccer leagues like NISA to thrive in America. As Warren Barton told Soccer Today when the league launched, “[i]t is important for players to have different opportunities. NISA can offer exposure to USL, MLS, and Europe. There is nothing like living the dream of being a professional soccer player, it is all about the opportunity to play and it is important these new pros grab this chance with both hands.”

NISA’s agreement with beIN SPORTS gives American viewers even more action to enjoy. And in a world where more and more soccer is being put behind streaming paywalls, seeing matches being made available for free is welcome news.

Read our Korea League beginner’s guide to learn more about the Korean top-flight soccer league.

Recent reports that ESPN might offer live Korean soccer to American viewers when the 2020 K League season kicks off on May 8th were quashed after the article by SportsPro Media quickly removed the mention of ESPN’s name. Regardless, a potential deal with any US broadcaster would be welcome news to fútbol fiends who’ve been scouring the Internet for action from Belarus, Nicaragua, Taiwan, and Tajikistan.

Christopher Harris, on the World Soccer Talk Podcast, downplayed reports that ESPN had signed a deal. While hopes were raised when ESPN signed a deal to carry South Korean baseball games, the good news is that soccer will soon resume in the “land of the morning calm” with the K League agreeing to stream the opening game for free on YouTube and Twitter with English-language commentary featuring Simon Hill.

On Thursday, on the eve of the new season, we learned that soccer YouTube channel Copa 90 acquired the rights to one game per week.

1. How is the K League set up?

– The K League is a closed-loop system with promotion and relegation between the 12-team K League 1 and the 10-team K League 2. Normally, the last place K League 1 club swaps places with the K League 2 champion. Then, the winner between the 3rd and 4th place K League 2 clubs plays the 2nd place club for the right to enter a playoff against the 11th-ranked K League 1 club for a top-flight spot. For a more in-depth look at how promotion and relegation works across the soccer world, check out our article on the subject.

– MLS haters clutching fall-spring calendars look away now, because the K League runs from spring to the fall.

– Some South Korean stars, like Tottenham’s Son Heung-min and Bordeaux’s Hwang Ui-jo, play overseas. But the K League still boasts many domestic players, like Ju Se-Jong and Lee Yong, who featured in South Korea’s 2018 World Cup and 2019 Asian Cup squads.

– Clubs are limited to five foreign players, of which only three can be from outside Asia. Most foreigners are Brazilian, but Canadian defender Doniel Henry, formerly of Toronto FC and the Vancouver Whitecaps, plays for the Suwon Samsung Bluewings. Henry’s Bluewings teammate is Australian Adam Taggart, whose 20 goals led the K League last year. Last season, former USMNT and NYCFC midfielder Mix Diskerud played for Ulson Hyundai on loan from Manchester City.

– FC Seoul, with six league championships, usually attracts the league’s biggest home crowds. But for all its domestic glory, the club is still searching for its first AFC Champions League title. FC Seoul’s gorgeous home stadium is where South Korea suffered its heartbreaking 1-0 loss to Germany in the 2002 World Cup semi-final. Seongnam FC and Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors, with seven league championships each, are South Korea’s most successful domestic clubs. They also each have two AFC Champions League wins. The Pohang Steelers lead the way on the continent with three AFC Champions League wins.

2. What will the 2020 K League 1 season look like?

– There will be 27 rounds of action. The 12 K League 1 clubs will play each other home and away twice. That’s 22 matches. Then the top six clubs will play a further five matches against each other in a mini-league to determine the league champion and AFC Champions League qualification slots. The bottom six clubs will also enter a mini-league to figure out their final table positions.

– All matches will be played behind closed doors

– Two teams will be relegated this season, one of which has already been announced as Sangju Sangmu FC. This club represents South Korea’s military and its agreement with K League 1 has expired. So if it finishes last this year, then the 11th place K League 1 team will play the winner of the K League 2’s promotion tournament between the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th-ranked clubs for a top flight spot. If Sangju Sangmu finishes anywhere else in the table, then the club will automatically go down along with the 12th place club and there will be no relegation playoff.

– According to a league statement, “[i]f a player or a member of a team’s coaching staff gets infected with COVID-19 during the season, the affected team will not have a game for at least two weeks and the game will be postponed”

– If numerous players or coaches contract the virus then the K League will suspend the season. If this suspension happens after week 22, then the standings will be considered final.

3. What is the time difference?

– Watching K League games in America at off-hours will require gallons of Dalgona coffee, a Korean specialty. It’s a tasty whipped blend of instant coffee, sugar, and milk all topped with spun candy. Fútbol fanatics watching in the dead of night deserve a little bit of froth. Here’s a good recipe.

– South Korea is 16 hours ahead of America’s west coast and 13 hours ahead of the east coast. So, for example, Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors and Suwon Samsung Bluewings kick off the season on a Friday night in Korea at 7 PM local time – – which will be 6 AM Eastern and 3AM Pacific.

– Saturday afternoon matches will generally be at 2 PM in Korea (1 AM Eastern and 10 PM Pacific on Friday night), 4:30 PM in Korea (3:30 AM Eastern and 12:30 AM Pacific) and 7PM in Korea (6 AM Eastern and 3 AM Pacific)

– Any network that picks up K League rights for America, would be wise to produce a Match of the Day-esque show rounding up the best action. That way, Americans could enjoy the K League in a reasonable time slot. A highlights show would also give a better sense of what the league has to offer versus watching a single random match. Not so great for the gamblers, but they’re dedicated enough to watch live in the middle of the night anyway.

4. Why is South Korea able to play when other countries can’t?

–  Planning, and a fair bit of luck, are why South Korea has fought off the virus so well. South Korea is a massive nation of more than 50 million people, and its density rate of around 1,300 people per square mile is among the highest in the world. Yet as of late April, South Korea had just 10,761 confirmed cases and only 246 deaths. For context, Florida, with 21.5 million people, has suffered 1,218 deaths. According to the Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center, South Korea’s per capita death rate is .47 while America’s is 16.43.

– South Korea tested its people in far greater numbers far earlier than other major countries. As The New York Times reported, by late March South Korea’s per-capita testing rate was “more than 40 times that of the United States.” America has now surpassed South Korea in per-capita testing but it is still dealing with rising infection rates in many parts of the United States while South Korea now only has a handful of new cases a day.

– South Korea also aggressively enacted contact tracing, which America’s CDC says, “is a key strategy for preventing further spread of COVID-19.” As The New York Times described the system, “South Koreans’ cellphones vibrate with emergency alerts whenever new cases are discovered in their districts. Websites and smartphone apps detail hour-by-hour, sometimes minute-by-minute, timelines of infected people’s travel.” But South Koreans, as writer James Taub points out in Foreign Policy, “accept intrusions on their privacy that Western liberals might not.”

– Aside from stimulus payments and supporting the wages of those furloughed, South Korea also took care of its citizens by mailing care packages that included essentials like sanitizers and masks. But in America, many hard-hit states like Ohio are not requiring masks. This is despite the CDC stating that even simple cloth masks can prevent asymptomatic carriers from infecting others. The New York City’s Department of Heath agrees, “[p]eople who do not show symptoms may still be able to spread COVID-19. A face covering can help prevent you from spreading COVID-19 to other people, so you should wear one whenever you leave the home.” Professor George Gao, Director General of the Chinese Center for Disease Control, put it bluntly in Science magazine, “The big mistake in the U.S. and Europe, in my opinion, is that people aren’t wearing masks.”

Browse through these beginners guides to the many of the popular soccer leagues:

Soccer Beginner’s guides

• Beginner’s guide to soccer rules

• Beginner’s guide to Argentine Primera División

• Beginner’s guide to Bundesliga

• Beginner’s guide to Championship

• Beginner’s guide to Champions League

• Beginner’s guide to English Premier League

• Beginner’s guide to Korea’s K League

• Beginner’s guide to La Liga

• Beginner’s guide to Serie A

• Beginner’s guide to Euro 2020

• Beginner’s guide to World Cup

• Beginner’s guide to FA Cup

If you have any questions about the Korea League beginner’s guide, let us know in the comments section below.

Many leagues around the world, fueled by the fear of fading TV money, are thinking about playing games behind closed doors with quarantined athletes. As Dr. Anthony Fauci said in a recent interview, “[p]ut [athletes] in big hotels, wherever you want to play, keep them very well surveilled and have them tested every week and make sure they don’t wind up infecting each other or their family, and just let them play the season out.”

But media members are bringing up the daunting logistical hurdles of putting players in quarantine. Let’s take a look at the questions being asked of other leagues to see just how hard it’ll be to re-start the 2020 MLS season.

1. Fantasy Island – What Other Leagues are Thinking

– Germany’s Bundesliga

All 18 Bundesliga clubs have returned to training with the hope that that matches could resume as soon as next month, according to German broadcaster Deutsche Welle.

Epidemiologist Alexander Kekulé of Germany’s Martin Luther University is optimistic that German clubs can play again. But he estimates that 20,000 tests would be required to finish the final nine rounds of the 2019-2020 Bundesliga season. Kekulé’s opinion carries weight because, according to Forbes, he “was one of the earliest specialists to warn the public about the dangers of the COVID-19 pandemic.”

As Jonathan Wilson, writing in Sports Illustrated, said “that [the Bundesliga’s return] is even being contemplated suggests how advanced Germany has been in terms of its testing.” As of last week, Germany has carried out more than 1.3 million swab tests and is now performing around 500,000 tests a week. And the country is driving forward with advanced blood antibody testing. By comparison, the US has only carried out around 2 million tests, and our testing takes a lot longer to complete because of lab backlogs.

Professor Chris Whitty, the United Kingdom’s Chief Medical Advisor, admitted “[w]e all know that Germany got ahead in terms of its ability to do testing for the virus and there’s a lot to learn from that.”

But even with Germany’s edge, the Bundesliga’s return isn’t assured. As German Chancellor Angela Merkel put it, “[t]he situation is fragile… we could very, very quickly destroy what we have achieved.”

Moreover, there’s an unspoken assumption that players are like emotionless Terminator robots who’ll be copacetic with playing in isolation far from family and friends. USMNT and Schlake midfielder Weston McKinnie is currently in Germany and laid down his concerns for CBS Sports, “[m]y family, they are all back in Texas…it’s a bit frustrating at the moment because for somebody like me that lives so far away from home, maybe having to play through summer and not having the opportunity to go home at all is a bit frustrating but something that you kind of have to go through.”

– Taiwanese Soccer & Baseball

Taiwan’s soccer and baseball leagues began play behind closed doors this past weekend. Cardboard cutouts of fans filled the stands – with no reports of any coming to life like Kim Cattrall in Mannequin.

Like Germany, Taiwan has contained the virus far better than other countries. As of last week it has reported only 388 cases and six deaths in a country of almost 24 million people. Unfortunately, no American state or Canadian province with an MLS club has numbers that low.

Unlike the United States, Taiwan’s aggressive and comprehensive efforts have included mass distribution of PPE, early imposition of social distancing, an early ban on incoming travelers, rapid response testing, widespread testing, affordable hospital care, pinpoint tracing, and public area temperature scans.

As Richard Wang, a baseball commentator in Taiwan, told the country’s Central News Agency, “[w]e are very lucky that Taiwan can have a baseball season, and at the same time, it also reflects the solid achievements by the government in coronavirus prevention.”

– UFC

ESPN squashed the UFC’s plan to stage fights this month at a shuttered casino on tribal land in rural California.  As an ESPN statement explained, “[n]obody wants to see sports return more than we do, but we didn’t feel this was the right time.”

The Association of Ringside Physicians had trashed the UFC’s plan, saying in a statement, “combat sports athletes often require medical attention after a bout, and we do not wish to see any additional strain on an already overwhelmed medical system.” British boxing promoter Eddie Hearn added to the attack, telling the Daily Express, “[t]his is stubbornness…with Sky Sports and DAZN, I would not be allowed to stage events right now. It’s bad taste to be quite honest.”

UFC president Dana White remains undeterred. As college football writer Spencer Hall points out, White is cribbing from Enter the Dragon in vowing to hold future fights on a private island outside American jurisdiction.

– MLB

“That’s hell,” said one anonymous Met to the New York Post about Major League Baseball’s plan to have all its teams play a shortened season at Arizona and Florida’s spring training sites.

The players aren’t pumped. Said an anonymous AL pitcher to ESPN, “[w]hen I think about being isolated for four to five months without being able to see my family, I don’t think that would go through at all…I feel for guys who have young children. I feel for guys whose wives are pregnant right now…I don’t want to be putting myself in a position where you could go and infect someone or get infected, and we have coaches, staff, people around us who are older.” An anonymous second-year NL player posed perhaps the most crucial question, “how is everyone going to be quarantined?

Baseball writers are also dubious of MLB’s proposal. USA Today’s Bob Nightengale asks, “[d]o you really think MLB and the players’ association are about to embark on a season in which they get tested for COVID-19 whenever needed, including a result within hours, while health care workers and first responders can’t even qualify for a test?”

Adds The New York Post’s Joel Sherman, “restarting the sport would still put a lot of people in one place at one time — and not just players. There is a need for coaches, umpires, TV crews, grounds crews, clubhouse attendants, doctors, trainers, workout specialists. Everyone will have to be fed and housed and commuted from one place to another, forcing an ever-wider pool of contact…What happens if a player, coach, clubhouse attendant, etc., tests positive for the virus?

– NBA

The NBA is dreaming of playing in Las Vegas, The Bahamas, or Atlantic City to finish its season.

The Ringer’s Rodger Sherman points out that the plan would “require thousands of tests—which means taking thousands of tests away from people who need them more… Why take supplies that could save lives to save sports?”

LeBron James put it succinctly when asked on the Road Trippin’ podcast about the idea of being quarantined far from his family to play games, “I ain’t going for that s***. I’m not going for that.”

– NHL

Dolly Parton sang about fleeing North Dakota’s “sub-zero winds” in Highway Headin’ South, but the NHL is thinking about bunking up in the roughrider state to find a Stanley Cup winner.

Hockey Hall of Fame writer Larry Brooks was blunt in the New York Post, “in a country in which millions who need the test have no access to one and almost certainly will be in the same position a month or two from now, priority would be given to what, the 3,000 or 5,000 people essential to maintaining the NHL ecosystem? …Is there a chance that special privileges granted to elite athletes would form a backlash against the league? What if your business hasn’t reopened or is not fully operational?”

The NHL, like MLS, is way more reliant on fans in the stands buying garlic fries and IPAs than big TV money leagues like MLB, the NFL, and the NBA.  But, as ESPN’s NHL writer Greg Wyshynski asks, “how many fans are going to opt not to attend until, say, there’s a viable treatment or vaccine for COVID-19?”

2. Major Challenges for Major League Soccer’s 2020 Re-Start

MLS commissioner Don Garber told ESPN’s Taylor Twellman that MLS is thinking about a mini-tournament and neutral site matches played behind closed doors at MLS training facilities. But as the critiques of the NBA, NHL, and MLB plans show, travel restrictions could prevent every club from playing at home. And the alternative of concentrating clubs in only a handful of cities would also be a titanic task.

The stakes are high because MLS, at 48%, has a higher percentage of international players than MLB, the NFL, the NBA, or the NHL. So, as Larry W. Johnson explains on his Helltown Beer site, “MLS knows it has to do everything in its power to pay players because if they can’t? They risk losing them to leagues in countries that are in better shape in regards to the coronavirus.”

Seattle Sounders majority owner Adrian Hanauer was doubtful in the Seattle Times, “until we have significant amounts of fast testing that is not bypassing those people who really need the fast testing, I don’t see a path to having sport.”

3. Legends of the Fall – A Best Case Scenario for 2020

Even in a best-case scenario where America achieves widespread testing, or even a vaccine, an MLS re-start in August or September would have unique challenges.

No other soccer league, save perhaps for Australia’s A-League or Japan’s J1, faces as much domestic competition from other sports as MLS. In England for example, domestic rugby and cricket are barely even thorns in the Premier League lion’s paw. Olympic-style handball is Germany’s distant nummer zwei team sport. And would you guess that volleyball is Brazil’s second most popular sport

The MLS season always overlaps with other sports. But this year’s MLS season could potentially be competing against a stacked fall slate featuring the NBA playoffs, the Stanley Cup playoffs, a shorter more exciting baseball season, college football, the NFL, a September Kentucky Derby, and a November Masters.

And if MLS clubs don’t play at their training facilities then the ones that share their stadiums would hit scheduling conflicts because a bigger chunk of the MLS season would coincide with baseball and football.

Chicago will have a tough time in a scenario where the MLS season stretches into December and January as the wicked winter wind blows in off Lake Michigan and into notoriously notoriously muddy Soldier Field. Other clubs in Siberian sites like Toronto, Minnesota, and Montreal could theoretically move into their cities’ domed stadiums. Colorado and Salt Lake’s players might have to wear Gore-Tex kits.

It’s worth noting for those in favor of MLS playing through the winter that the Russian league takes a three-month winter break from mid-December to mid-March. And the Swedish, Norwegian, and Finnish leagues are similar to MLS in playing from late March to early November.

Atlanta, Cincinnati, New England, Vancouver, and Seattle would be relatively fine because their fields use hardy plastic turf. Houston and Nashville share their natural grass pitches with other teams but winters there are relatively mild.

In Southern California, the virus continues to hit the construction crew working on the Rams and Chargers stadium. If the stadium is delayed then the Chargers would presumably move back in with the LA Galaxy. And if baseball returns to New York then both the Yankees and Mets may freeze out NYCFC as doubleheaders and fewer off-days will squeeze the baseball schedule.

And as Miki Turner points out on SB Nation’s Sounder at Heart site, pushing the MLS season into the winter “would likely necessitate a MLS Cup final in a neutral warm-weather site.”

4. The Outlook

Even if games come back, TV networks may try to claw back money from MLS and other leagues. That’s because TV ad revenue expected to plummet as few of us will have much money to throw around.

Major League Soccer’s latest official statement makes the likelihood of playing the 2020 MLS season anytime soon seem as remote as me breaking Cristiano Ronaldo’s toe touch record. But, as Debbie Harry sang, “dreaming is free.”

Thinking about how sports can come back is important.  As Emory University epidemiologist put it to writer Patrick Hruby, “we could all do with more real talk of the practical challenges of restarting sports. Not for doom and gloom, or to say it’s impossible. But for the opposite reason: to get it f***ing done, as responsibly, quickly, but above all *safely* as possible.”

As Major League Soccer celebrates its 25th season in 2020, it continues to chase the elusive goal of mainstream relevance. With a small but passionate fanbase, a sprinkling of stars on a handful of blue chip clubs, mediocre TV ratings, and an underwhelming New York City team, MLS is like where the NBA was before David Stern became commissioner in 1984. Stern, who passed away on New Years Day, reigned over an NBA that rose from tape-delayed anonymity to become America’s second most popular pro league. There’s a lot that a league like MLS can learn from Stern’s triumphant yet tempestuous tenure on how to survive and even thrive. 

What MLS can learn from the NBA

1. Shoot for the Stars: Get Premier Players on Popular Teams

In 1984, when Stern became commissioner, the NBA was about as popular as Betamax tapes. CBS, which held the broadcast rights at the time, would routinely air the NBA Finals on tape delay. And its network affiliates would pre-empt regular season broadcasts in favor of old movies or reruns. The 1983 World Series attracted twice as many viewers as that year’s NBA Finals. And people preferred watching college basketball if they watched hoops at all. 

But by 1984, the stars were literally aligned for the NBA to soar. The Chicago Bulls snagged Michael Jordan in that spring’s draft. Magic Johnson, already orchestrating showtime in LA, and Larry Bird, already a Beantown legend, were both just hitting their primes. In 1984, 1985, and 1987, Magic’s Lakers and Bird’s Celtics would square off in three of the most sensational championship showdowns of all time. Atlanta’s human highlight film, Dominique Wilkins, was an even more dynamic dunker than Jordan. Isiah “Zeke” Thomas was motoring the Bad Boys in Motown. And the “Hoya Destroya,” Patrick Ewing, would soon revive the wretched New York Knicks into Chicago’s most reviled rival. In short, the NBA had big names balling in their biggest markets. 

These Hall of Famers, and the succession of stars that have followed, lifted the NBA to newfound heights. An average of 29 million people, the NBA’s highest average audience ever, watched Jordan win his last ring against the Utah Jazz in 1998. The NBA has now surpassed MLB to become the second-most watched pro league in the country. More people watched the NBA Finals over this past decade than the World Series, and ESPN’s regular season NBA audience is nearly double that of baseball’s. 

Constant star movement adds to the NBA’s allure. Stern’s salary cap rules still allowed titans like Shaquille O’Neal to leave Orlando for LA and for Kevin Garnett to force his move from Minnesota to Boston. New fans flocked to the NBA because its stars transcend regional rooting interests. A Philly fan, for example, will watch an LA Lakers – Dallas Mavs game just to see LeBron levitate past Luka Dončić. As former player Etan Thomas put it, in his Guardian essay discussing Stern’s complicated legacy, “the league as a whole became a worldwide juggernaut defined by megastars with international appeal.” And few exemplified that international appeal better than the late Kobe Bryant.  

MLS isn’t yet at a place where its stars are transcendent enough to make fans want to watch a match without their own club in it. So the league sells its strength, which is the passionate atmosphere at stadiums in Seattle, Atlanta, and Portland, just as much as it sells its stars. 

It’s hard to imagine the NBA basing an ad campaign on its arena crowds. If you’re actually a basketball fan then watching a game in person is an onerous experience because the NBA is the only major pro league that allows arenas to blast canned music while the ball is in play. Nothing breaks the spell quite like that awkward moment of silence after the home team steals the ball, forcing the PA system to switch from the robotic “dee-fense” beat to the instrumental of 50-Cent’s “In Da Club.” With the game drowned in deafening wall-to-wall arena noise, there’s no point in the fans making any noise themselves. 

While MLS may be better known for its fantastic fan experience than for its players, the league is currently blessed with some sensational stars playing for its most telegenic clubs – Carlos Vela for LAFC, Josef Martínez for Atlanta United, Nicolás Lodeiro for Seattle, and Alejandro Pozuelo for Toronto to name a few. And the LA Galaxy have continued their tradition of boasting the league’s biggest names by signing Javier “Chicarito” Hernandez. The Galaxy had only 500,000 Instagram followers before signing Zlatan Ibrahimović in 2018. Since then, and with Chicharito’s signing, LA’s original club is up to 1.2 million and counting. 

But Zlatan and Wayne Rooney, who finished second and fifth respectively in 2019’s Audi Player Index, are now back playing in Europe. Worse, 2019’s list of the 20 best MLS players features only one American, Portland goalkeeper Steve Clark. 2019’s 26-player MLS All-Star roster featured only seven Americans. And two of those seven Americans were keepers.

As for the league’s international stars, Vela is the only player in 2019’s Top 20 to have played at 2018’s World Cup. Mexican national team mainstay Chicharito is sure to join Vela with that distinction. That will keep both LAFC and the LA Galaxy heavy in the national broadcast rotation, but what about the dozens of MLS clubs in smaller markets that are rarely seen on ESPN and FOX? Can they afford to sign, or develop, breakthrough stars? Can ESPN and FOX afford to show their games?

MLS is in a strange in-between place when it comes to its stars. The league can’t entice enough casual fans to tune in because its best and brightest are neither USMNT nor World Cup stars. Only a handful of clubs can afford to sign international stars from unheralded soccer nations like Venezuela’s Josef Martínez or rarely capped players for major nations like Argentina’s Maxi Moralez. USMNT stalwarts Jozy Altidore and Michael Bradley are still playing decently in MLS, but the league still isn’t anywhere near good enough to make it worthwhile for a promising American kid, like a Christian Pulisic or a Gio Reyna or a Timothy Weah, to stay. 

The sight of a passionate crowd on TV singing and waving tifos simply isn’t enough to tempt a non-MLS fan or a fan of another MLS club to watch, say, a Minnesota United vs FC Cincinnati match. ESPN and FOX know this, which is why they ignore most of the league to mainly broadcast matches involving a handful of clubs – Atlanta, LAFC, LA Galaxy, Seattle, NYCFC, Red Bulls, and Portland. Similarly, the NBA’s early TV growth under Stern was built on heavy doses of the Lakers, Celtics, Knicks, and Bulls. 

It’s a tough balance for leagues to strike, as Stern’s expansion mistakes have left the NBA with its fair share of forlorn franchises who never feature on national TV. Would MLS’s growth be better served if it had fewer clubs? Then clubs could stack their rosters with multiple stars to provide ESPN and FOX with a deeper inventory of blockbuster regular season matches. 

2. Franchise Bloat: A Team in Every Town

America today is the residue of overexpansion. Thirteen states became 50, the humble hamburger became the Big Mac, the Model T became the F-350, and the country’s first pro sports team, the 1869 Cincinnati Red Stockings, begat 154 teams across the five major leagues and counting. 

By 1990, almost half of all US households had cable or satellite TV. That growth fueled a dramatic rise in local and national broadcast rights for sports. But the new TV money raining down from regional and national sports networks wasn’t enough. So every league’s commissioner, with Gordon Gekko’s “Greed is Good” mantra ringing in their ears, aggressively chased expansion fees.  

But most of the teams added since the late 1980s have proven to be utter duds both on and off the field. Of the seven teams the NBA has added since 1988, only the Toronto Raptors and Miami Heat can be considered successes. The other five are perennial lottery teams. Orlando is the only franchise among the other five expansion teams to even reach the NBA Finals, losing once to Hakeem Olajuwon’s Rockets and once to Kobe’s Lakers. Minnesota and Memphis have each only reached one conference final while the Charlotte Hornets and the New Orleans Pelicans have never flown as high as that modest perch.  

And when a promising player emerges on one of those NBA expansion teams, their exit feels as inevitable as when Leonardo DiCaprio was smirking on Growing Pains, or when Beyoncé was with Destiny’s Child, or when Virgil van Dijk was shutting it down for Southampton. The Charlotte Hornets have lost Larry Johnson, Alonzo Mourning, and Kemba Walker.

Kevin Garnett, Stephon Marbury, and Kevin Love weren’t feeling Minnesota, and Karl-Anthony Towns is likely gone as well. Shaquille O’Neal and Dwight Howard abdicated their Magic Kingdom crowns. Baron Davis, Chris Paul, and Anthony Davis all begged out of the Big Easy. And the speculation on Zion Williamson’s exit started the day he was drafted. 

ESPN and TNT rarely pick any of these teams for TV broadcasts, and pictures of their empty arenas are fodder for Twitter accounts like @emptyseatspics. Orlando was the only one of the five to make the playoffs last season yet only around 8,000 people on average tuned in to their local regular season broadcasts. 

MLS will have 30 teams by 2022, as many as MLB and the NBA. No league has come this far this fast. But many feel that MLS is building a pyramid scheme, not a viable league. Writer Corey Leff, speaking on Glen Crooks’ On Frame podcast, explained that “…it is a little bit Ponzi scheme-ish in the sense that it’s waiting for the next guy to buy in so we can get a pay day, because most of the teams don’t make money on a year-to-year basis…If the TV media rights deal is only generating 3 million [per team] the question becomes is there anybody that’s willing to buy a $600 million asset that generates $30 million in revenue – that does not sound like a great investment.” Adds writer Chris Smith in Forbes, “[p]ut simply, Major League Soccer’s surging expansion fees and sales prices are not being driven by financial performance.”

MLS clubs are free to ignore DJ Quik’s golden rule – “if it don’t make dollars then it don’t make sense,” because of its deal with Soccer United Marketing. No matter how much or how little MLS clubs make on their own they still get a healthy cut from SUM, which owns the lucrative broadcast rights to the USMNT, the USWNT, and the many Mexican national team matches played on U.S. soil.

This creates a weird situation where it’s not necessarily a big deal if MLS broadcast rights don’t bring in big money. And if the big money is coming from expansion fees and SUM’s national team deals, then why should MLS even care about earning better TV ratings for a more lucrative broadcast deal? 

The American audience for soccer is growing, but the audience for MLS soccer isn’t. MLS’ average national audience last year was around 270,000 viewers, and that was with a schedule heavy on powerhouses like Atlanta and LAFC. The more teams MLS adds, the less it can offer marquee matchups.

Most of MLS’ newest teams are in smaller markets that may not inspire the average Joe 12-Pack to tune in.  According to Nielsen’s list of America’s largest TV markets, Sacramento ranks 20th (goosed mightily by its San Francisco Bay Area), Charlotte 21st, St. Louis 23rd, Nashville 28th, Cincinnati 37th, and Austin 40th. Only the St. Louis Cardinals have a broad national following of all the existing pro teams in those cities.

Teams like the Sacramento Kings, Charlotte Hornets, Carolina Panthers, Nashville Predators, Cincinnati Reds, Cincinnati Bengals, and the St. Louis Blues, despite their recent Stanley Cup win, rarely attract star free agents and are often ignored by national broadcasts.

MLS’s latest expansion clubs may end up doing very well at the box office and on local TV in their respective home markets. But these clubs will struggle to land household name players. And if they develop any promising American prospects then those kids will leave for Europe before they’re old enough to vape. Most of the NBA’s expansion teams haven’t helped raise the league’s profile. The same will likely hold true in MLS.

3. Support for Women’s Sports

The WNBA, which tipped off in 1997, stands as one of David Stern’s singular achievements. As former WNBA player and 2011 MVP Tamika Catchings put it to ESPN in 2014, “[f]rom an opportunity standpoint, for all of us who’ve been able to live our dreams with a league here in the United States, and for young girls to be able to dream about it — that’s [Stern’s] legacy.”

The NBA remains the first and only North American league to truly put its might, money, and power in support of a women’s league. NBA teams own five of the WNBA’s twelve clubs while league vanguards like the LA Sparks and NY Liberty play in NBA arenas. American stars such as Elena Delle Donne, Tina Charles, Breanna Stewart, and A’ja Wilson can now play at home rather than exclusively play in Europe or China. That star power, and the NBA’s support, has put the WNBA at a place where its average regular season audience is about the same as MLS’. 

Meanwhile, an alphabet soup of women’s soccer leagues, including the W-League, the WPSL, the WUSA, and WPS have come and gone since MLS began. While the blame lies mostly with the US soccer hierarchy, MLS still hasn’t supported women’s soccer in the same way that the NBA has supported the WNBA. 

The NWSL now looks like it has staying power, but it still could use the kind of support that the NBA has given to the WNBA. Players feel the lack of investment. As USWNT and NWSL star Crystal Dunn told the Denver Post, “[o]n the men’s side in MLS, they have owners with extremely deep pockets. If the women’s game is going to grow, it’s going to come down to us not kind of penny-pinching on things and really putting a lot of resources in.”

USMNT immortal Megan Rapinoe chimed in for the New York Times with, “[p]robably 75 percent of the people going to Major League Soccer games—are they going because they’re hard-core soccer fans or because it’s a cool experience? The MLS marketing is great, the branding is great, and it’s a fun atmosphere to be a part of. I feel like women could have the exact same thing, but for some reason people aren’t investing in it.”

The MLS/NWSL relationship is changing for the better. Four of the nine NWSL clubs – the Houston Dash, the Orlando Pride, the Portland Thorns and Utah Royals, share ownership and stadiums with MLS sides. The Washington Spirit will play some 2020 home matches at DC United’s still sparkling new stadium while Sky Blue FC is moving all its matches to New Jersey’s Red Bull Arena. And the Chicago Red Stars will continue to play in the suburban soccer specific stadium that the Fire just fled for Soldier Field. 

This is welcome news because while America still produces the lion’s share of elite talent, Europe is rapidly catching up. As writer Joshua Robinson put it in the Wall Street Journal, “the U.S. dominance of women’s soccer was built on higher investment, superior infrastructure and greater professionalism than its European rivals. Or, put another way, the U.S. dominance was built on many countries across the Atlantic simply not caring as much.”

Almost every major men’s club in England, France, Spain, Italy, Germany and the Netherlands now sponsors a women’s side. France hosts the highest-paying women’s league in the world. And the UEFA Women’s Champions League is quickly emerging as the premier women’s club competition in the world. 

Andy Carroll, Chief Business Officer for MLS’ Real Salt Lake and the NWSL’s Utah Royals, recently told MLSoccer.com that “[t]here has to be a commitment from the overall soccer community that [supporting the NWSL] is the right thing to do.” 

MLS needs to go beyond the NBA in its support for the women’s game. It’s absurd that a club like LAFC, partly owned by USWNT legend Mia Hamm and with its own sensational soccer specific stadium, doesn’t field a women’s side. International stars like Sam Kerr, Lucy Bronze, and Ada Hegerberg should be playing in an American league that’s the best in the world rather than playing in Europe. France’s Olympique Lyon just bought Tacoma’s Reign FC, but it should be the other way around. The NWSL should be to the women’s game what the Premier League or La Liga are to the men’s game. French girls should dream of playing for a club like the Portland Thorns just as American boys dream of playing for a club like Barcelona. 

4. A Home of One’s Own

David Stern was, well, stern in getting new arenas built for NBA teams. He showed just how ruthless he could be when he made an example out of the city of Seattle. When the city wouldn’t use taxpayer money to build a new arena for the Sonics, he brokered the deal that saw the beloved franchise move from America’s 13th largest TV market to Oklahoma City, its 43rd.  

The net result of all that home court hardball is that Madison Square Garden, which opened in 1968, stands alone as an “ancient” NBA arena. The NBA’s second-oldest arena behind MSG is Minnesota’s, which opened in 1990. Six new NBA stadiums have opened in the last decade alone. And most of the arenas built in the 1990s and 2000s have received hundreds of millions of dollars in renovations. 

Like Stern, MLS Commissioner Don Garber is far beyond driven when it comes to getting stadiums built. The construction boom that’s seen soccer specific stadiums built in Saint Paul, DC, San Jose, Houston, Los Angeles, Carson in LA’s South Bay, Kansas City, suburban Denver, Orlando, Fort Lauderdale, Columbus, Portland, New Jersey, suburban Salt Lake, Montreal, suburban Philadelphia, suburban Dallas, suburban Chicago, and Toronto gives a sense of stability and permanence for a sport that lacked both before MLS was founded. And new ones are coming in Austin, Nashville, Sacramento, St. Louis, and Cincinnati.  

The markets without soccer specific stadiums have unique circumstances. Seattle and Atlanta attract enough fans to fill cavernous NFL stadiums. The Chicago Fire are giving another go at playing in the heart of the city where they achieved their greatest success. The Vancouver Whitecaps explored building their own waterfront stadium but hit strong local opposition.

But they at least they play in a retractable downtown dome with beautiful sails to gracefully cover the upper deck rather than cheap tarps like in American ballparks. Robert Kraft owns the New England Revolution, the New England Patriots, and all the shopping malls and parking lots  that surround their shared stadium. So there’s no incentive for him to move the team from it’s cavernous, plastic-turfed home. NYCFC plays pinball in Yankee Stadium’s cozy confines because their fantastically flush owners are too cheap to pay to play the real estate game in the country’s most expensive city. 

When the old NY Cosmos-led NASL folded in 1985 it left nothing behind save memories. If MLS has one legacy, then it’s the string of soccer specific stadiums spread all over Canada and the US. So even if MLS were to suffer the NASL’s fate, all the soccer specific stadiums built around the US and Canada ensure that pro soccer is here to stay. 

Every defense of MLS begins and ends by citing its healthy attendance numbers. Hearty home support is great. But MLS is trending more toward Major Baseball’s regional appeal rather than the NBA’s national, and international, appeal. 

Watching LA Galaxy, Seattle Sounders and DC United matches this year might be a little more, well, xtreme. That’s because these three storied MLS clubs will be sharing their stadiums with the LA Wildcats, DC Defenders, and Seattle Dragons of Vince McMahon’s reborn XFL. While most MLS clubs are now meticulous about pitch maintenance, sharing stadiums with football teams brings back bad memories of the league’s early days when clubs like the MetroStars at Giants Stadium played on confusing fields featuring painted lines for both football and soccer. 

The LA Galaxy just finished hosting the NFL’s Chargers so its stadium grounds crew is adept at quickly converting the natural grass field from soccer to football. Zlatan’s field was usually in good shape because most Galaxy matches were on Saturdays – a week after Sunday Charger games. It was the Chargers’ field that often had more white lines on it than Tony Montana’s vanity mirror. 

This spring the Galaxy will play four times, two of them during their preseason, on the day before an LA Wildcat game. There will be six days for the paint to set in and fade the gridiron lines in between Wildcat games on Sundays and Galaxy matches on Saturdays.   

DC United will only play two matches on the day before a DC Defenders game. And the XFL team has agreed to re-sod the pitch after their season is done in April. 

Sounders supporters are already used to sharing their stadium with the Seahawks in the fall. Now they’ll be sharing with the Dragons in the spring. Seattle’s stadium is better equipped than LA or DC’s to handle hosting an XFL team. Its plastic turf is good at withstanding 300-pound linemen digging in their cleats for drive after drive. And while Seattle’s grounds crew used to lazily leave the painted Seahawk lines on the field for Sounder matches, they are now far more meticulous about scrubbing the lines off. 

There could have been even more XFL teams sharing stadiums with MLS clubs this spring. The Houston Roughnecks narrowly chose the University of Houston’s stadium over the Dynamo’s digs. And the New York Guardians picked New Jersey’s massive Meadowlands stadium, home of the NFL’s Giants and Jets, over nearby Red Bull Arena.

MLS has come a long way since World Soccer Talk first wrote about poor looking shared pitches in 2013. But fans of clubs in shared stadiums still have a right to worry about visible gridiron lines and beefy football players clomping on turf. 

Minnesota United’s first ever playoff game, a loss to the LA Galaxy last year, was played on a chewed-up field still bearing gridiron lines from the prior day’s college football game between St. Thomas and St. John’s. 

New England’s plastic turf field in Foxborough, shared by the Revolution and the Patriots, has long been an embarrassment. Michael Bradley once complained, “it’s ridiculous — the field, the (football) lines, the whole thing is a joke…when you talk about trying to grow the league and make every part of it better, games on terrible turf with football lines don’t do a lot to help.” But the Athletic’s Sam Stejskal reported late last season that new coach Bruce Arena has pressured stadium staff to keep the Revs’ field clear of Patriot lines.  

Michael Bradley’s own club, Toronto FC, has struggled to maintain a healthy pitch since taking in the Canadian Football League’s Toronto Argonauts. Their stadium sits on Lake Ontario’s frosty shore, so the grounds crew uses heat lamps to help the pitch strong hold up during brutal Canadian winters. And the pitch is a hybrid one where plastic fibers are interwoven with natural grass.

NYCFC has one of the worst stadium situations in MLS. NYCFC continues to play on a cozy pitch because the haughty Yankees, the club’s part owners, won’t let the pitcher’s mound or outfield walls be adjusted in the slightest.

Arthur Blank, who owns both the Atlanta Falcons and Atlanta United, has held true to his vow that fans would never see gridiron lines on a soccer pitch. The grounds crew is fastidious about erasing old lines and painting new ones. But the plastic turf quality is poor, and playing in a dome makes the pitch look dull and dreary. 

When MLS began, it was in the same boat the XFL is in now – begging for a field to borrow. In 1996, Colorado, DC United, Kansas City, New England, the MetroStars, and Tampa Bay were tenants in massive NFL stadiums while the LA Galaxy, Columbus, Dallas, and San Jose were the little men on campus in cavernous college football stadiums. 

Now the cleat is on the other foot. With nineteen soccer specific stadiums now standing across the US and Canada, startups like the XFL now look to MLS clubs for a field from which to launch their dreams. 

The irony is that MLS clubs and their supporters fought for so long to escape shared situations and move into stadiums of their own. But, as Steven Goff put it in the Washington Post, “[i]t is naive to think that stadiums, particularly new ones, will serve one team and one sport only. Financial reality obliterates that fantasy.”

That’s why MLS clubs are hosting all kinds of events aside from just concerts, women’s domestic soccer, USL soccer and international soccer. The Philadelphia Union is the home of the NCAA’s rugby championship and pro lacrosse. The Galaxy’s stadium, in addition to hosting the LA Wildcats, also features an international rugby sevens tournament. Orlando City’s stadium hosts a college football bowl game. And FC Dallas hosts the NCAA FCS college football championship.

Of course, awkward stadium shares aren’t limited to America. We’ve seen Wembley’s pitch absolutely savaged by NFL games. American football even has a toehold in Mexico, leaving pitches for clubs like Pumas in disarray. In England, Manchester United and Hull City matches have been marred by leftover rugby lines. 

The XFL is off to a strong start. But whether Vince McMahon’s dream survives or not, MLS clubs with soccer specific stadiums will continue to rent them out to any other sport that can pay the rent. Putting aside clubs that are forced by circumstance to play in football or baseball stadiums, the fact that the vast majority of MLS clubs are now landlords rather than tenants symbolizes just how far the league has come in 25 years. 

A crowd of 17,489 fans filled the LA Galaxy’s stadium last week to see the USWNT win the 2020 CONCACAF Women’s Olympic Qualifying Tournament by crushing Canada 3-0. The big crowd was a welcome sight after so many anemic attendances for recent USWNT and USMNT matches. 

For example, the Houston Dynamo’s stadium was a vast sea of blazing orange seats two weeks ago when only 7,082 fans showed up to see the USWNT earn first place in their Olympic Qualifying group with a 6-0 win over Costa Rica. A cozy crowd of 9,172 showed up at the Galaxy’s South Bay LA stadium to see the USMNT down the Costa Rican men 1-0. And these numbers are just the announced attendances. Photos from many of these matches reveal smaller crowds than the official numbers indicate. 

A big problem, as Lawrence Dockery astutely points out on World Soccer Talk, is that the USMNT play in the same stadiums in the same cities over and over again. LA boasts the Rose Bowl, the LA Coliseum, and LAFC’s sparkling new stadium, which is next to two transit lines. Yet the LA Galaxy’s stadium, which is only really reachable by car, has hosted two USWNT matches and one USMNT matches over the past two weeks.   

Others add that mid-winter matches are a tough sell, especially on weeknights, and that the matches were poorly marketed. Some were bold enough to claim that seats were empty because fans were waiting on long lines for soda and chips. Then there are frustrated fans fed up with USMNT coach Gregg Berhalter. 

It’s also worth taking a closer look at the exorbitant ticket prices, which are as out of touch as Berhalter’s tactics. Seeing one of these relatively mundane US Soccer matches should cost the same as a casual night out – it should be more like seeing The Avengers at the multiplex and less like a pricey porterhouse dinner at the Palm. 

The cheapest ticket for the USWNT – Costa Rica Olympic Qualifying group match in Houston was $33, with fees, for a seat in the second level behind a goal. Worse, the second cheapest seat was $68 with fees. 

The cheapest ticket for the USMNT – Costa Rica friendly in LA was $30, without fees, to sit in the second level’s extreme ends. Any decent seat for that meaningless match started at $60, without fees. And the Galaxy’s stadium is far from public transit, so most fans had to shell out at least $25 for parking. 

Prices for marquee matchups are far higher. For example, the cheapest seats for Mexico’s 3-0 win over the USMNT in New Jersey last September cost $82 plus fees. And fans driving to that suburban monolith had to pay $40 for parking as well. 

The players deserve to play in front of full houses. ESPN and FOX, which pay tens of millions a year to show US soccer matches, deserve full houses so that their broadcasts are appealing to as wide a TV audience as possible. Think about how Premier League broadcasts, with stadiums crammed with fervent fans, are far more visually appealing on TV than Serie A broadcasts featuring sparser crowds. Think about how unattractive baseball broadcasts look with all those empty seats behind home plate and it’s no wonder that MLB commissioner Rob Manfred is floating all types of insane ideas to boost interest. 

For context, it’s worth looking at what the ticket prices are for national team games.

The cheapest ticket for the recent US women’s hockey team clash against Canada at the Vancouver Canucks’ arena was $30 in American dollars (CAD 40). And that was to sit in the lowest level closest to the ice. 

The USA men’s basketball team will battle Puerto Rico in Washington DC in late February for a FIBA AmeriCup game. The AmeriCup is the biennial basketball championship for North America, South America, and the Caribbean. The US roster will feature G-Leaguers. So it’s roughly equivalent, talent wise, to the developmental squad the USMNT put out for its recent friendly against Costa Rica. Yet the cheapest tickets to this basketball game are only $15 with fees, with better seats to be had for $21.

The Nike Hoop Summit will take place in at the Portland Trail Blazers arena in April. It features some of the best youth basketball talent in the world – past players in this game include luminaries like Kevin Garnett, Dirk Nowitzki, Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, and Nikola Jokić. The cheapest tickets, which are in nice courtside sections, are $20 with fees 

Ticket prices for this summer’s Team USA basketball pre-Olympic friendlies haven’t been announced yet. But back in 2016, the cheapest seats at NBA arenas to see superstars like Steph Curry and Kyrie Irving ball were generally $30 plus fees. 

In March, the USWNT will next take on England in Orlando in the SheBelieves Cup. The cheapest seats cost $36 with fees, and that’s to sit in bleacher-style seating with no backing behind a goal. 

For contrast, the England men’s national team is taking on Italy in a blockbuster Wembley friendly in late March. The cheapest seats cost $42 with fees (£32.5), but senior citizens, college students, and kids under 16 can get in for only $16 with fees (£12.5), while parents can get in for only $36 with fees (£27.5). 

US Soccer is first and foremost a profit-making institution. Its slogan may as well be Migos’ “Bring Out the Money Counter.” And greedy CONCACAF has a strong say in events like Olympic Qualifying. But US Soccer and CONCACAF, with their ticket pricing, are favoring short money over long. They’re slicing the same pie thinner and thinner by gouging their hardcore fanbase rather than growing the audience for the game. And TV ratings are suffering as well because US Soccer and CONCACAF are doing their big money TV partners dirty by making broadcast backdrops look dreary with empty seats.

More than 650,000 people tuned into NBC for South Africa’s win over England in the Rugby World Cup Final on November 2. That big number, and NBC’s overall success with the six-week long Rugby World Cup, validates the Peacock network’s investment in yet another ascending sport in America. Now NBC stands poised to do for rugby what it did for the Premier League – transform a well-kept secret of a sport into a mainstream success.

Jon Miller, President of Programming for NBC Sports & NBCSN, is justifiably proud of what his network has achieved with rugby. Miller told World Soccer Talk, “The 2019 Rugby World Cup far exceeded our expectations. We reached nearly ten million unique viewers on NBC and NBCSN throughout the tournament, while also seeing outstanding success on our NBC Sports Gold streaming product by making all 48 matches available to fans live and on-demand.”

Miller is the visionary who was instrumental in NBC acquiring Premier League broadcast rights back in 2013. Before then, ESPN and FOX Sports shared the broadcast rights, but they only aired a handful of Premier League matches a week. And FOX Sports relegated most of their matches to a specialty premium channel that few had – FOX Soccer Channel. English football, despite being the most-watched league in the world, was still unfamiliar to most Americans in 2013. It was a sport sought out by anglophiles and diehards. Supporters had to make pilgrimages to soccer-centric pubs, if their neighborhoods were lucky enough to have them, to see their match of choice.

As detailed in Joshua Robinson and Jonathan Clegg’s book The Club, soccer wasn’t on Miller’s mind until he discovered that his teenage son was waking up before dawn to watch Premier League matches. Miller said, as quoted in the book, “‘I learned a long time ago that you cannot ignore what your kids are watching.’ There was an opportunity there, and Miller realized that the Premier League was “an under-appreciated, under-marketed, and certainly an underexposed product.”

After Miller sealed the deal with then-Premier League chief executive Richard Scudamore, NBC changed the game by going all-in with their coverage. For the first time ever, American fans could watch live coverage of each and every Premier League match. And in another first, NBC would regularly broadcast select Premier League matches on free over-the-air television.

Thanks to NBC’s coverage, the Premier League is now a mainstream success story. NBC studio Analyst Kyle Martino told The Guardian last year that, “[w]hen we first started the broadcast, people thought giving Premier League game to the American audience was going to be overkill. But it was clear there was going to be a demand…I have parents coming up to me saying they love waking up on the weekends with their kids watching the Premier League.”

That demand is reflected in the viewing numbers. A total of 35 million Americans watched Premier League soccer on NBC’s networks in the 2018-19 season and the average match audience was 457,000. That’s compared to a 13.3 million total audience with a 220,000 per match average during the 2012-13 season – the last one under the ESPN/Fox Soccer joint rights deal.

Rugby is where soccer once was in terms of being under-appreciated, under-marketed, and underexposed in America. But NBC’s coverage is elevating the sport’s profile. Gary Quinn, NBC Sports’ Vice President of Programming, told Fortune during the last World Cup, “We’ve made a commitment to rugby…[it’s] a fast-moving and action-packed sport with a passionate audience that’s trying to engage new fans.”

Rugby has the potential to appeal to those Americans who have remained immune to soccer’s charms because it’s similar in some ways to the most-watched sport in the country – American football. Rugby, like American football, offers tactical field progression achieved through punishing tackles, precise passing, teamwork, true grit, surgical runs, and strength beyond strength. And rugby offers all of that in a fast, free-flowing, 80-minute package. As Chris Wyles, a three-time World Cup player and former USA Eagles captain, put it to ESPN, “[t]here’s a lot of movement, big athleticism, big hits, attacking play, and it all happens one after another. You go from attack to defense in the space of a second.”

A sure sign of the sport’s growth is that other networks are now following NBC’s lead. ESPN and CBS share coverage of Major League Rugby, a new rugby union competition with clubs in the US and Canada. 510,000 viewers tuned in to watch the Seattle Seawolves down the San Diego Legion in the MLR final on CBS this past June.

Dan Payne, US Rugby’s Chief Executive told CNN that, “I think we’re right on the cusp of really being able to commercialize and monetize the sport.” That’s borne out by NBC’s ambitious acquisitions of rugby competitions for its viewers. Miller adds, in his conversation with World Soccer Talk, “[w]e’re looking forward to the 2023 World Cup in Paris, when we can bring the excitement of the tournament to fans in a much friendlier time zone for America. NBC Sports’ extensive collection of rugby programming will continue to help grow the sport by showcasing the most marquee rugby events in the world, including the Guinness Six Nations Rugby Championship, the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series and the upcoming 2020 Tokyo Olympics.”

The Six Nations Championship is the oldest international rugby union tournament in the world. It’s contested by England, Ireland, Wales, Scotland, France, and Italy every year in February and March – perfect viewing for American football fans in that dead zone after the NFL season ends. Rugby Sevens is the breathtakingly quick version of the sport that prioritizes speed and space above all else. It’s like an entire sport built around Devin Hester’s returns. With games lasting only 14 minutes and with tournaments lasting only a weekend, Sevens is the perfect introduction to rugby. Fans who want to enjoy NBC’s many rugby competitions can sign up for their rugby-only Gold Pass.

All that access comes at a cost. Having a cable or satellite subscription is no longer enough if you want to watch it all. The Rugby Gold Pass is an over-the-top premium service that gives viewers access to tons of rugby matches that won’t be available on NBC or NBCSN. Similarly, Premier League fans who want to watch any of the hundreds of matches not on NBC or NBCSN must stump up for the Premier League Gold Pass. There’s a risk that putting each sport in a standalone subscription silo will limit growth among casual fans. The network assuages that concern by putting most of its best soccer and rugby matches on NBC or NBCSN.

The network’s strategy is paying off. America has the most crowded and competitive sports market in the world. Where other countries only watch one or two team sports in big numbers, we enjoy baseball, football, basketball, hockey, and soccer. And now, judging by NBC’s viewing numbers, it looks like we’re ready to join the rugby scrum as well.

The Rugby Union World Cup kicks off from Japan on Friday, September 20th. But even if you’re already shelling out for cable, satellite, or an internet TV service, you’ll have to spend even more to watch the defending champion New Zealand All Blacks tackle the rest of the world’s best. That’s because NBC is charging $200 to stream the tournament’s most massive matches with its Rugby World Cup Pass. 

For those new to the game, the sport shares the same appeal as American football. It offers tactical field progression achieved through astonishing athleticism and astounding violence – except in a free-flowing 80-minute package. And if you’re already a soccer fan, you may already be a rugby fan as well if only through early morning exposure in English or Irish pubs. So there’s a potentially big audience for NBC to capture. 

When NBC acquired the Premier League broadcast rights it had a simple strategy – if you paid for cable or satellite, then you could easily watch each and every match. That decision fueled the Premier League’s growth in this country. But over the past few years, NBC has put more and more Premier League content on its over-the-top gold tier. That compels soccer fans to pay twice – once for NBCSN and then again for NBC’s Premier League Pass. And now NBC is following a similar strategy with its rugby properties.

Here’s what’s happening:

– NBC’s Rugby World Cup Pass costs $199.99 and will let you stream all 48 matches live and on-demand. But that money won’t give you access to anything else NBC has beyond the World Cup. Not more rugby, not any soccer, nothing. 

– If you’re already paying $64.99 for NBC’s Premier League Pass or $39.99 for its MatchDay Pass you will not get any discount if you sign up for rugby as well.

– If you’re a rugby fan you may already be paying $79.99 for the NBC Sports Gold Rugby Pass. That gives you access to Premiership Rugby (England’s domestic rugby union club competition), the European Rugby Champions Cup (a competition for Europe’s best clubs akin to the Champions League), and the Six Nations Championship (the world’s oldest international rugby union competition that’s contested by England, Wales, Scotland, Ireland, France, and Italy).  But this rugby pass still won’t let you stream the World Cup. 

– NBC does offer a combo rugby package. For $229.99 you’ll get every Rugby World Cup match as well as season-long streaming of Premiership Rugby, the European Rugby Champions Cup, and the Six Nations Championship.

– You don’t need to buy a streaming pass to watch some of the tournament. 26 of the World Cup’s 48 games will air on NBCSN and stream on the NBC Sports app via cable or satellite subscription authentication.  This includes all four of the USA’s pool games. The Eagles, ranked # 13 in the world, have choice matchups with England, France, Argentina and Tonga awaiting them.

– Team USA matches available live on NBCSN:

USA v England, Thursday, September 26th at 6:45 AM ET
USA v France, Wednesday, October 2nd at 3:35 AM ET
USA v Argentina, Wednesday, October 9th at 12:45 AM ET
USA v Tonga, Sunday, October 13th at 1:45 AM ET

– The start times aren’t ideal. Tokyo is 13 hours ahead of America’s east coast and 16 hours ahead of the west coast. While some matches will be replayed on NBCSN at a more humane hour, buying the $200 pass gives you on-demand access to all 48 of the tournament’s games.

– If you want to see rugby at its absolute best with the top-ranked teams in the world playing each other, then you’ll have to buy the $200 pass. These are just some of the blockbuster matches that only pass holders will be able to stream live:

New Zealand v South Africa, Saturday, September 21st at 5:45 AM ET
Ireland v Scotland, Sunday, September 22nd at 3:45 AM ET
Australia v Wales, Sunday, September 29th at 3:45 AM ET
England v France, Saturday, October 12th at 4:15 AM ET

– Individual matches will be available to stream for $29.99 each

– The four quarterfinal matches will be split up – two will air on NBCSN, two will be made exclusively available for the $200 pass holders to stream. Based on NBC’s decision to reserve the best pool play matches for its $200 pass holders, it’s probable that the best quarterfinal matchups will only be on the pay tier. 

– As of now, the semi-finals will air with a delay on NBC. Live access to the semis will exclusively be available for $200 pass holders. 

– NBCSN will air the Rugby World Cup Final live from Yokohama on Saturday, November 2nd at 5 AM Eastern. NBC will broadcast the final over the air later that day on a delay. 

NBC’s spend-to-stream strategy stands in stark contrast to ESPN Plus. ESPN’s over-the-top service costs only $49.99 a year or $4.99 a month. Unlike NBC, ESPN offers all of its streaming sports properties like Italian soccer, Dutch soccer, MLS, European qualifiers, almost every college sport imaginable, tennis, cricket, lacrosse, and even rugby in an all-under-one-roof buffet. NBC makes fans pay separately, and steeply, for each of its sports streaming properties like the Premier League’s gold tier, rugby, track and field, pro lacrosse, and auto racing. The difference is that NBC has premier properties like the Premier League and the Rugby World Cup while ESPN has lesser lights like Italy’s Serie A, the Pro14 rugby club competition, and fast-paced rugby 7s.

NBC’s pricing makes sense for fans who only follow one or two sports. But it’s pay-per-play strategy makes life difficult for more curious fans who want to experience more of what the sporting world has to offer. 

Editor’s note: Since we’re in the dog days of summer with no European soccer kicking off for a few weeks and no more Women’s World Cup, Copa America or Gold Cup, we thought we’d bring you a guide to watching Sunday’s Cricket World Cup final as a change of pace for any of you who are intrigued by the sport.

Either England or New Zealand will win their first ever Cricket World Cup when they meet in Sunday’s final (beginning at 5:30 AM eastern, and continuing throughout the day), live from London’s legendary Lord’s Cricket Ground. But if you know more about the Cricket in Times Square than about this summer’s 50-over cricket championship, then, well, that’s by design.

Cricket’s overlords have gone to great lengths to ensure that the sport stays a well-kept secret in America. Instead of making sure that this niche sport gets exposed to as many people as possible, Sunday’s 50-over final is only available to stream in the US via two expensive services, Hotstar and Willow TV.

Hotstar is available for $100 a year or $20 a month and is currently offering a 50% discount with the offer code “PM50.” For that money, you’ll get heaps of Indian TV shows and movies. But the only sports Hotstar offers are cricket and Kabaddi – a fun game that’s essentially schoolyard tag but with NBA-worthy acrobatics and NFL-worthy tackling. Willow TV is cheaper than Hotstar, at $60 a year or $10 a month, because it only offers cricket.

It’s not even possible to listen to the games on BBC radio because of idiotic geographic restrictions. Thankfully, the irreverent folks at Guerilla cricket will provide live audio commentary at their site. And the Guardian will be doing an entertaining over-by-over report.

It used to be much easier to enjoy foreign imports like cricket, rugby union, rugby league, and Aussie rules football. Fox Sports offered Aussie rules and Australia’s National Rugby League on its cable channels and on its streaming service at no extra charge for cable subscribers. But now, the vast majority of AFL and NRL matches are only available on Fox Soccer Match Pass for $20 a month or $140 a year.

ESPN streamed the 2011 Cricket World Cup on its WatchESPN service at no extra charge for cable subscribers. And so SportsCenter started showing cricket highlights while ESPN dispatched Wright Thompson to write an overwrought Sachin Tendulkar profile. Cricket’s appearance in the American mainstream probably peaked with 2014’s Twenty20 final. 217,000 people watched Sri Lanka beat India early on a Sunday morning on ESPN2.

But then, in a precursor to ESPN+, ESPN sold the 2015 World Cup as a $99 streaming package to American fans.  Then, the International Cricket Council sold the rights for all of its international tournaments through 2023 to Star Sports, which is a Disney subsidiary primarily focused on India. Star Sports then sublicensed the Cricket World Cup to companies like Willow and Hotstar in America and Sky Sports in the United Kingdom.

Of course, more and more soccer matches are moving behind paywalls. As World Soccer Talk recently reported, NBC Sports Gold will now cost $65 a season. The majority of ESPN’s soccer properties, like Serie A or Copa America or the NWSL, are on its $5 a month / $50 a year ESPN+ service.

But soccer built the fanbase to support paid streaming through decades of exposure on over-the-air networks like Fox, NBC, and ABC and mainstream cable channels like FS1 and ESPN. For sports like cricket, there’s been no foundation built here that would to inspire casual fans to pony up stratospheric sums to watch.

The same goes for rugby. NBC will be offering access to this September’s Rugby World Cup at a price that will likely be similar to the $70 a year it charges now for club rugby and the Six Nations tournament. Who, aside from expats and the relatively small amount of hardcore rugby fans, will shell out for that?

It’s a shame, because between football, basketball, baseball, hockey, soccer, car racing, golf, and tennis, Americans watch a greater variety of sports than anyone on Earth. So it’s likely that there’s more room in the pool, that there’s an appetite to watch exciting yet overlooked sports like cricket. If you enjoy baseball for its athletic fielding, one-on-one battles between a pitcher and batter, and the way tension builds with every delivery in the 9^th inning, then you’d enjoy cricket. Even more so in some ways, because there is no parade of tomato can relievers marching in after an ace exits in the 6^th. Imagine Jacob deGrom or Clayton Kershaw pitching in the bottom of the 9th.

Sunday’s final features one of the best one-day bowlers in the world, New Zealand’s Trent Boult, going up against one of the best one-day batsmen in the world, England’s Joe Root. It’ll be a beautiful battle. And Lord’s will be a beautiful backdrop. So it’ll be a beautiful advertisement for cricket. In recognition of this, Sky Sports is making the final available free over-the-air in the UK. Sky knows that by maximizing the final’s audience they’ll attract new customers to pay for Sky’s cricket content. No such luck here in America.

World Soccer Talk has created a bracket for the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations that’s a free, printable download.

Title holders Cameroon are focused on trying to win the 2019 Africa Cup Of Nations after winning the tournament in 2017. In this summer’s tournament, which was originally scheduled to be hosted in Cameroon, the competition will be held in Egypt instead.

The 2019 Africa Cup of Nations runs from June 21 to July 19.

All of the games will be shown live in the United States via beIN SPORTS (English-language).

Click the following link to download the Africa Cup of Nations bracket today.

Use the Africa Cup of Nations bracket to predict who will win the tournament. Plus you can print it out and hang it up on your desk or wall. And you can share it with your friends and work colleagues.

World Soccer Talk has created a bracket for the 2019 Gold Cup that’s a free, printable download.

While the US Women’s National Team has been soaking up most of the limelight so far this summer, it’s time for the US Men’s National Team to make an impression in this Summer of Soccer. As well as USA’s goal of winning the 2019 Gold Cup, there’ll be plenty of other nations competing too including Mexico, Canada, Jamaica, Panama, Costa Rica and others.

The 2019 CONCACAF Gold Cup will be the 15th edition of the CONCACAF Gold Cup, the biennial international men’s soccer championship of the North, Central American, and Caribbean region organized by CONCACAF.

The 2019 Gold Cup runs from June 15 to July 7.

All of the games will be shown live in the United States via Univision Deportes (Spanish-language) and FOX Sports (English-language).

Click the following link to download the Gold Cup bracket today.

Use the Gold Cup bracket to predict who will win the tournament. Plus you can print it out and hang it up on your desk or wall. And you can share it with your friends and work colleagues.

World Soccer Talk has created a bracket for the 2019 Copa America that is a free, printable download.

Out of all of the soccer tournaments this summer, the 2019 edition of Copa America is the most highly-anticipated men’s competition. With teams such as Colombia, Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay and others competing at a high level, Copa America 2019 promises to pack more entertainment into every game. Hosted in Brazil, the 2019 Copa América will be the 46th edition of the tournament, organized by CONMEBOL.

The games will run from June 14 to July 7.

All of the games will be shown live in the United States via Telemundo (Spanish-language) and ESPN+ (English-language).

Click the following link to download the Copa America bracket today.

Use the Copa America bracket to predict who will win the tournament. Plus you can print it out and hang it up on your desk or wall. And you can share it with your friends and work colleagues.

World Soccer Talk has created a bracket for the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup that is a free, printable download.

The most eagerly-anticipated summer tournament of 2019 will be hosted in France from June 7 to July 7. Featuring 52 of the best women’s soccer games from the world’s best teams, the competition will be the 8th Women’s World Cup. Defending champions USA are favorites to win the competition.

All of the games will be shown live in the United States via Telemundo (Spanish-language) and FOX Sports (English-language).

Click the following link to download the Women’s World Cup bracket today.

Use the Women’s World Cup bracket to predict who will win the tournament. Plus you can print it out and hang it up on your desk or wall. And you can share it with your friends and work colleagues.

1. What’s Happening?

The Milwaukee Wave will host Mexico’s Monterrey Flash this Sunday at 6 PM Eastern in the Major Arena Soccer League final. But with MLS starting, the European season ending, and with new streaming services offering games from almost all 211 FIFA member nations, it’s easy to overlook the indoor game. Is it worth your time? If you’re down for an unapologetically Americanized action-packed spin on soccer, then yes. And that’s even with Landon Donovan’s San Diego Sockers missing out on the final.
   
Yes, that Landon Donovan. The greatest player in American soccer history borrowed a move from fellow bald eagle Michael Jordan by unretiring once again. The California-bred golden star, a 6-time MLS Cup winner with the San Jose Earthquakes and the Los Angeles Galaxy, spent this spring with a little further down the coast with the MASL’s San Diego Sockers.

He scored five goals in eight games with the club this season but didn’t dazzle in the playoffs. He took five shots, but couldn’t muster a goal or an assist, in San Diego’s overtime semifinal loss at home to Monterrey last weekend.

Monterrey’s fast and furious golden goal from that match is emblematic of indoor soccer’s end-to-end action. Early into OT, Monterrey’s Miguel Vaca’s right side strike from about 15 yards out pings off the keeper’s right post. San Diego defender Guerrero Pino cleverly fires the rebound backward off the boards. It lands in midfield, where San Diego’s Brandon Escoto collects it and dribbles down the right flank. Escoto, despite two Monterrey defenders draped all over him, manages to strike the ball off the boards for teammate Brian Farber to run onto. But Monterrey keeper Diego Reynoso intercepts the carom and suddenly, before the 4,000 in attendance can even finish gasping, the counterattack’s on. With two quick passes we’re right back where we started with the ball at Miguel Vaca’s feet about 15 yards out from goal. The postman always rings twice as Vaca’s shot once again whacks the woodwork. But, this time it deflects generously off the crossbar and into the goal – sending Monterrey into the final against Milwaukee and Donovan possibly back into retirement. And the entire sequence only took about 22 seconds.

Of course, such rapid reversals happen in the outdoor game too. But this kind of sequence is far more common in the indoor game. That’s part of its unique charm, it’s like watching a player like Kevin Durant dominate college ball at Texas or watching an AND1 mixtape instead of an NBA game. It’s not a replacement for the real thing but rather a refreshing compliment to it.

Indoor players can channel their inner Wilfried Zaha, Mohamed Salah, or Eden Hazard as they have the freedom to aggressively attack defenses with dazzling dribbles again and again. With fewer defenders on a small pitch it only takes a few quick passes to end up in front of the opposition’s goal. Players don’t even have to wait for service from their teammates, they can slip by defenders alone by using the boards as a “partner” for a 1-2.

As Donovan explained to ESPN when he joined MASL in January, “I’ve loved this game growing up, this indoor game…It’s not what people expect when they think of soccer, but this is an entertaining, fun game.”

2. What’s the MASL?

The MASL, founded in 2014, has shown encouraging signs of stability in a sport that rivals lacrosse and spring gridiron football for the amount of leagues that have folded. While the MASL may be relatively new, team names like the Kansas City Comets, the Milwaukee Wave, the Baltimore Blast, the Tacoma Stars, the Dallas Sidekicks, and the San Diego Sockers harken back to the sport’s 1980s heyday. Other clubs like the Mississauga MetroStars, Utica City FC, Turlock Express, and the Ontario Fury bring the beautiful game to places that require a little digging on Google Maps.

But, as Donovan told ESPNFC when he joined MASL in January, “[t]here are so many little pockets of the country that love soccer and don’t have the opportunity to have an MLS team, or even a USL team…It’s awesome to be able to give that to this community. It’s awesome — and it’s not all because of me — to put 8,000 people in the stands to give these guys the opportunity to play in front of that…All of that I think helps soccer get better.”

3. Where can you watch the MASL?

MASL games are available via its YouTube channel. They’re also on the Eleven Sports Network that’s available on cable, satellite TV, or via its Twitch channel.

On the one hand, streaming sites like YouTube and Twitch are a real blessing for niche leagues like the MASL. They can make their games easily and freely available directly to the public when a broadcast or cable network has no room for them. On the other hand, exposure on a network like ESPN, which used to stream MASL games, is crucial for exposing games to a bigger audience.

MASL’s audiences on YouTube are modest. The epic San Diego–Monterrey semifinal has about 2,300 views and most matches clock in around the low-to-mid four figures. Last year’s MASL Final, which saw the Baltimore Blast beat Monterrey, has about 15,000 views. One of the most popular MASL clips on YouTube, with about 122,000 views, features a younger and startlingly skinner Giannis Antetokounmpo scoring from midfield in a 2014 stunt at a Milwaukee game.

This Sunday’s Ron Newman Cup Final promises to be a must watch on Milwaukee’s distinctive black turf. Monterrey features scoring sensation Frank “King” Tayou. He copped Monterrey’s opener against San Diego in the semi after leading the league with 50 goals in 24 games in the regular season. Right behind him on the leaderboard was Milwaukee’s Ian Bennett with 47 goals in 21 games. Bennett scored a sensational game winner in the Wave’s semifinal against three-time defending champion Baltimore. So it should be a dream final in the Cream City.

Mighty Manchester City takes on upstarts West Ham United at venerable Wembley Stadium in Saturday’s Women’s FA Cup Final at 12:30 Eastern. While no TV network here in America will air the marquee matchup, it will thankfully be streamed on the FA Super Women’s League Facebook page.

Next month, the Women’s World Cup in France will bring the international women’s game to a growing global audience. But it’s a different story domestically. The National Women’s Soccer League has no TV broadcast home, instead their matches are available to stream via Yahoo Sports. And there’s no TV broadcast home here for the UEFA Women’s Champions League final coming up on May 18th between Lyon and Barcelona.

It’s a slightly better situation in England, where BT Sport broadcasts some Women’s Super League matches and over-the-air BBC One will broadcast the Women’s FA Cup final. The English Women’s Super League features 11 clubs all affiliated with, and supported by, men’s clubs in either the Premier League or English Football League. It shares a closed loop promotion/relegation relationship with a 2nd division called the FA Women’s Championship.

Manchester City will be looking to capture a domestic club double after beating Arsenal for the Women’s League Cup back in February. Arsenal denied City a chance at a domestic treble by nabbing the league title. Man City’s squad is stacked with players who’ll likely be representing England at the Women’s World Cup next month including keeper Karen Bardsley, sensational striker Nikita Parris, and stalwart Steph Houghton. Meanwhile, West Ham United played in the third tier last year and this is the women’s club first year playing professionally full time.

Despite the mismatch on paper, the FA expects a record attendance of 50,000-plus at Wembley. Some West Ham supporters have vowed to leave the men’s home game against Southampton early in order to make the crosstown trek in time.

It all goes to show how the women’s game can flourish with the proper infrastructure and support. Here, the USWNT has had to fight tooth and nail just to play on grass. And they’ve filed suit against US Soccer for equal pay. Meanwhile, the NWSL struggles in relative obscurity despite boasting some terrific players. In many ways the women’s domestic club game seems healthier in Europe than it does here.

On Friday, all 28 members of the US Women’s National Team (USWNT) filed a discrimination lawsuit against the US Soccer Federation, just three months before defending the Women’s World Cup title.

But does the USWNT have a case?

We took a look at many of the key performance indicators to see how the US women size up against the US men when it comes to soccer.

World Soccer Talk has created a bracket for the 2018 FIFA World Cup that is a free, printable download.

The most eagerly-anticipated sports tournament of 2018 will be hosted in Russia from June 14 to July 15. Featuring 32 of the best national soccer teams from around the world, the competition will be the 21st World Cup, and will be the first World Cup held in Europe since 2006.

In the United States, viewers will need to adapt to a less friendly than usual TV schedule where most of the games will air at 8am ET, 11am ET and 2pm ET.

All of the games will be shown live in the United States via Telemundo (Spanish-language) and FOX Sports (English-language). As we get closer to the tournament, more details will be released about the World Cup TV coverage.

Click the following link to download the World Cup bracket today.

Use the World Cup bracket to predict who will win the tournament. Plus you can print it out and hang it up on your desk or wall. And you can share it with your friends and work colleagues.

We’re into the final 8 of the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations with Egypt, Ghana, Senegal, Cameroon, DR Congo, Burkina Faso, Tunisia and Morocco remaining in the competition.

For soccer fans in the United States, all of the quarterfinals will be shown on US television and/or streaming this weekend (see the full schedule at the bottom of the screen for links).

To make things easier, World Soccer Talk has created a downloadable file for you to download and print from your computer, or save it to your computer, tablet or smart phone.

Download the Africa Cup of Nations TV schedule (PDF format).

Also, here’s an infographic featuring the TV schedule that you can view (or click on it for a larger version) to print:

Here’s the Africa Cup of Nations schedule (including links to watch the games for free):

Africa Cup of Nations quarterfinals

Saturday, January 28

Burkina Faso vs. Tunisia, 11am, beIN SPORTS, Sling World Sports and fuboTV (free trial)

Senegal vs. Cameroon, 2pm, beIN SPORTS, Sling World Sports and fuboTV (free trial) – Also will be shown delayed Sunday at 1am on beIN SPORTS en Español

Sunday, January 29

DR Congo vs. Ghana, 11am, beIN SPORTS, Sling World Sports and fuboTV (free trial) – Also will be shown delayed Monday at 1am on beIN SPORTS en Español; Sling World Sports, YipTV and fuboTV (free trial)

Egypt vs. Morocco, 2pm, beIN SPORTS Connect and fuboTV (free trial) – Also will be shown delayed at 10pm on beIN SPORTS

Wednesday, February 1

Semifinal 1, 2pm, beIN SPORTS Connect and fuboTV (free trial)

Thursday, February 2

Semifinal 2, 2pm, beIN SPORTS Connect and fuboTV (free trial)

Saturday, February 4

Third place final, 2pm, beIN SPORTS Connect and fuboTV (free trial)

Sunday, February 5

Final, 2pm, beIN SPORTS, Sling World Sports and fuboTV (free trial)

Soccer fans love belting out jaunty and uplifting tunes, like “You’ll Never Walk Alone” at Anfield and Parkhead, “Glory Glory Man United” at Old Trafford, “Delilah” at the Britannia, “No One Likes Us We Don’t Care” at the New Den, and “I’m Forever Blowing Bubbles” at West Ham’s new Olympic home. But unless you’re fortunate enough to support a trophy-gobbling upper crust club then the truest song to sing is Tom Petty’s “The Waiting.” Nothing defines the fan experience more – the near-misses the standing in the rain, the heartbreaks, the eons of drudgery, the fleeting bits of glory, the abject failures, the misery, the vain fleeting hopes that this could be the year – than the words “the waiting is the hardest part.”

Of course, some fans wait a lot longer than others. The Chicago Cubs just won their first World Series since 1908, a time so ancient that men with titles like Tsar, Sultan, and Kaiser still ruled in Europe, it could still be said that “sun never set” on the British Empire, and Manchester United had only just won their very first league title. The Cubs’ victory leaves Cleveland woebegone and waiting for its World Series win since 1948, a time so distant that it was the first Series to be broadcast nationally and modern titans Brazil and Germany had yet to win a World Cup.

This has been a year for historic breakthroughs though. The Warriors blew a 3-1 lead in the NBA Finals as the LeBron James’ Cavs, founded in 1970, won their first title. Kris Jenkins dramatically drained a three from waaay downtown at the buzzer to give Villanova its first NCAA title in years. Further afield the Irish rugby team, which has been playing New Zealand for 111 years, finally beat the Kiwis for the very first time this past weekend. Coincidentally, Ireland’s historic win came in the city still nursing its World Series parade hangover – Chicago. Earlier this year in Australia the National Rugby League’s Cronulla Sharks, in their 49th year of play, withstood a late Melbourne charge to become the last of the nine Sydney-area based clubs to win it all. In Aussie rules football the Western Bulldogs snagged their first crown since 1954, which was an era when players were still wearing long-sleeved jumpers. In Ireland County Mayo almost won its first Gaelic Football Championship since 1951 as they dramatically drew against Dublin in the final only to lose the replay. The English County Cricket Championship, one of the world’s oldest sporting competitions, came down to the very last day this season. Owing to the competition’s vagaries and peculiarities, Somerset needed a draw between Middlesex and Yorkshire in order to win its first ever championship. It’s been a long wait. Somerset has been playing in the county championship since 1891, a drought that makes the Cubs’ seem as short as Sam Allardyce’s stint as England manager. Alas, it was not to be as Middlesex put down Yorkshire on the fourth and final day with only four overs to spare. At least Somerset doesn’t have it as bad as Gloucestershire, which remains titleless since its 1870 debut.

In soccer, Neymar shed the weight of a nation’s expectations by stutter-stepping and slicing home the decisive penalty kick to give Brazil its first, yes first, Olympic gold medal in the sport it has long dominated. And of course, there was Jamie “…Get Banged” Vardy leading once-lowly Leicester City, founded in 1884 as Leicester (not Bob) Fosse, to their very first top flight league title in the most unlikely underdog story of them all.

Broadly speaking, it’s difficult to compare title droughts in other sports to those in soccer because in the world’s greatest game league memberships are constantly changing as clubs move up and down the ladder. Moreover soccer clubs chase three, and sometimes as many as six, trophies in a single season. Different trophies mean different things to different supporters. Lifting the FA Cup would be far more meaningful for a club like Hull than for Arsenal fans lusting after the league.

Nonetheless, here are some of the prominent droughts in English football, with an added MLS bonus for good measure since it’s playoff time.

1. Liverpool in the League

In England there are 92 professional clubs spread across the Premier League, Football League Championship, League One and League Two. Of these, only 24 clubs have ever won a top flight title. So most clubs don’t have much sympathy for Liverpool’s 26 years of anguished waiting since their last league title in 1990.

But for Liverpool supporters it’s like the World War I classic ditty goes, “How Ya Gonna Keep ’em Down on the Farm After They’ve Seen Paree?” It hurts more when you’ve tasted success and lived the high life only to slide down from the penthouse to the outhouse. Sure, 26 years is nothing compared to Leicester City’s 124-year wait since joining the Football League in 1891. But ignorance is bliss. Last year was an out-of-nowhere joyride for the Fox faithful. Whereas Liverpool enter each season with crushing expectations and the remembrance of bountiful glories past. Worse, the 18-time English champions have had to endure seeing Manchester United “knock them off their f’ing perch” as Sir Alex Ferguson elevated Man United from 7 titles to 20 in the Premier League era.

Even an English-record fifth Champions League/European Cup title won in miraculous fashion in 2005 didn’t satiate the ravenous hunger to recapture domestic domination. The Reds have come as close as second in 2009 and 2014, but each of those finishes was followed up by swift tumbles out of the all-important Top 4. With Jürgen Klopp setting a blistering pace and no European distraction, this could be the year Liverpool finally kicks down the door to resume its rightful place amongst England’s elite.

2. Arsenal in Europe

Arsenal first played in the European Cup in the 1971-72 season, bowing out to eventual champions Ajax in the quarterfinals. They wouldn’t play in Europe’s premier competition again until 1991 after the Heysel ban denied Arsenal a spot in 1989. Their first Premier League title under Arsène Wenger in 1997-98 got them into the following season’s Champions League and they’ve never looked back from there having qualified in every subsequent year. That’s nineteen consecutive seasons of Champions League football. It’s an unparalleled streak.

Yet the club has never lifted Ol’ Big Ears. Arsenal’s one lonely appearance in the Final was a bitter 2-1 defeat to a pre-tiki taka but still star-studded Barcelona squad that was lowlighted by keeper Jens Lehmann’s 18th minute red card. Meanwhile they’ve had to watch peers Manchester United, Chelsea, and Liverpool conquer the continent.

Arsenal’s consecutive Champions League qualification streak and 21 overall appearances are the best, by far, of all the European sides never win club football’s grandest prize. That, combined with the fact that Arsenal hasn’t won the Prem since Tony Blair was still held in good esteem in 2004, is why Wenger’s grasp on his job is so tenuous

99% of other club supporters would maim and kill to qualify for the Champions League every year and pick up the odd FA Cup along the way. But that’s why Arsenal are the perfect example of how a fanbase can be both spoiled and starved all at the same time.

3. The Bridesmaids

Stoke City, of all the clubs in this year’s Premier League, has waited the longest to win its first ever top flight title. The Potters were one of the twelve founding clubs of the Football League in 1888-89. This is their 61st season of first division football and despite the difficulty of playing, as Andy Gray said, “on a cold, rainy night in Stoke” they’ve still never tasted domestic supremacy. Worse, Stoke hasn’t even won an FA Cup. Their best finish was losing 1-0 to Manchester City in the 2011 final. Middlesbrough, West Ham United, and Southampton are three other Premier League sides that have spent at least 40 seasons in England’s highest division without winning it all. Middlesbrough has never won the FA Cup either, while West Ham and Southampton’s last wins came in 1980 and 1976, respectively.

Of the 24 clubs that have won a top flight title, the longest droughts belong to Preston North End, winners of the first two League titles in 1889 and 1890, Sheffield United (1898), West Bromwich Albion (1920), Huddersfield Town (1926) and Newcastle United (1927).

Newcastle’s plight has been particularly painful. In the late 1990s they made a memorable charge to end their drought under the manager Kevin Keegan’s charismatic care. In January 1996 they were 12 points clear at the top of the table before Manchester United surged to pip them to the Prem by only 4 points. The title race’s pressure led to Keegan’s infamous “I WOULD LOVE IT” rant. Newcastle added Alan Shearer for the next season but cruelly finished runners-up to Man United again. The Magpies have spent more than 80 seasons in the top flight and finished 5th in the Prem as recently as four years ago but now find themselves in the 2nd Division. Moreover, the club’s last FA Cup came in 1955. Their only solace may be seeing neighbors Sunderland replace them in the Championship next year.

Special mention goes to League One side Rochdale AFC. The Dale joined the Football League in 1921 and have failed to ever win anything of note. The three times that they’ve been promoted from the fourth division to the third, in 1969, 2010, and 2014, came by virtue of finishing third. They’ve wallowed in the Fourth Division/League Two for so long that it has come to be known as “The Rochdale Division.” Shrewsbury Town joined the Football League in 1950. Since then they’ve won the Fourth Division and Third Division once. Aside from that, they have the odd distinction of winning six Welsh Cups. Until 1995 the Welsh Cup allowed clubs from border towns like Shrewsbury to compete.

4. This is England

Twenty years ago in 1996 England’s football fans boisterously sang the uplifting words “Three Lions on the shirt/Jules Rimet still gleaming/thirty years of hurt/never stopped me dreaming!” from the single “Three Lions.” The Lightning Seeds, along with comedians David Baddiel and Frank Skinner, released the song for Euro ‘96 – to date the only European championship to be held in the land taught the rest of the continent the game. At the time it had been 30 years since England’s sole and solitary international triumph – its legendary 4-2 extra time win over West Germany in the 1966 World Cup Final. It’s now 50 years and counting waiting for a second serving of international silverware.

Despite the jaunty tune there was little reason for optimism as England slid into Euro ‘96 in a slimy state. At Euro ‘92 they scored just one goal in their three group-stage matches while finishing dead last. They sank even lower into the abyss when they failed to even make it to America for the 1994 World Cup with their denouement coming in a crushing 2-0 defeat to the Netherlands in their penultimate qualification match. Conceding a goal to San Marino just 8 seconds into their final qualification match was simply the final turd in the pudding.

But then the English, led by captain Tony Adams, Paul Gascoigne, Alan Shearer, and Teddy Sheringham, took the country on a riveting romp through Euro ‘96. They stuffed seven goals into the net in the group stage, highlighted by Gazza’s brilliant flick-and-volley against Scotland at Wembley. They then emphatically won their group, and got cold-blooded revenge, with a 4-1 drubbing of the Dutch. In the quarterfinal England scored a shocking penalty shoot out win over Spain as Miguel Ángel Nadal AKA “The Beast” AKA Rafa Nadal’s Uncle missed the crucial kick. The joyride came to an end as the semi-final against West Germany put truth to Gary Lineker’s wise words that “football is a simple game; 22 men chase a ball for 90 minutes and at the end, the Germans win.”

That semi-final loss represents the high-water mark of their nine European Championship appearances. England also lost in the semis to Yugoslavia in 1968, but that was only a four-team tournament and their qualification came relatively easily through their British Home Championship results against Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland. England declined to enter the inaugural 1960 tourney and failed to qualify for the 1964, 1972, 1976, 1984, and 2008 (infamously) editions.

England is easily the best footballing nation to never win a European Championship. Germany, France, Spain, France, and the Netherlands have all won it. As have lesser lights like Russia (as the Soviet Union), the Czech Republic (as Czechoslovakia), Denmark, and Greece. And just this past summer, Portugal – the bane of English football in the 2000s – won it.

It’s hard to say which drought is worse, England having never won the Euros or the 50 years since England’s World Cup win. England are like the New York Knicks, who last won an NBA title in 1973. Both still rank among the biggest attractions in their respective sports despite providing mediocre entertainment. Both have greatly underachieved considering their history in the sport, their organizational wealth and their fans’ undying passion. Both achieved their greatest glory in the late 1960s and enjoyed a brief resurgence in the 1990s. Both have been mismanaged and downright awful for quite some time. And both show little hope of rejoining the elite anytime soon.

5. Major League Success

Major League Soccer has only been around since 1996 so there hasn’t been enough time to generate any truly depressing droughts. Parity abounds as 10 different franchises have won it all. Still, three founding members – the New England Revolution, FC Dallas AKA the Burn, and the Red Bulls AKA the Metrostars, have yet to cop the MLS Cup. It may not be like the sale of Babe Ruth or the Billy Goat, but the Red Bulls even have a curse, Nicola Caricola’s own goal in their 1996 inaugural season home debut, to blame for 20 seasons of failure in New Jersey. The Revs have lost the final a frustrating five times, even while all the other Boston-area teams, the Pats, Bruins, Celtics, and Red Sox, have won championships. It may be cold comfort but at least the Revs and FC Dallas have won the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup.

Four MLS Cup-winning clubs, DC United (most recently in 2004), Houston Dynamo (most recently in 2007), Real Salt Lake (2009), and the Portland Timbers (2015), are the most recent success stories in their respective hometowns. DC hasn’t seen its NFL team or the Bullets/Wizards win it all since 1992 and 1978 respectively while the Caps have never lifted Lord Stanley’s Cup. The Houston Astros, Oilers, and Texans have never won a championship while the Rockets last title came in 1995. The Utah Jazz have never tasted final victory while BYU’s lone national title came in 1984. In Portland the Blazers last won it with Dr. Jack Ramsey and Bill Walton leading the way in 1977 while the somewhat nearby Oregon Ducks and Oregon State Beavers have never won a national college football title.

Landon Donovan, David Villa, and Carli Lloyd are in a Heineken ad campaign called “Soccer is Here” that’s all about how America now loves the sport that was once an unwanted and unloved import. But the truth is that most of our sports were imports to some extent. Baseball was brewed from arcane and baffling British ingredients like cricket, stoolball, and rounders. Nineteenth Century kids at the Ivy Leagues, along with New Jersey’s Rutgers and Montreal’s McGill, transformed Britain’s rugby into the football we love. Hockey came down from our polite northern neighbors. And James Naismith was a Canadian immigrant whose invention of basketball puts him on par with other illustrious Canadian-Americans like Leslie Nielsen, Drake, Ryan Gosling, and Pamela Anderson.

Still, it hasn’t been easy for foreign sports to crack the American market. It took soccer decades to make it to the mainstream. A crucial step was getting matches off of pay-per-view and onto regular TV so that casual and curious fans alike could get hooked by taking a look. Many sports haven’t learned that lesson. ESPN put the 2015 cricket World Cup on pay-per-view and Europe’s annual Six Nations rugby championship is also behind a paywall.

Three foreign sports that have yet to attract big American audiences, Aussie Rules football, Australia’s National Rugby League, and Gaelic football, are holding their respective championships this weekend. If you’re a fan of soccer’s free-flowing nature and American football’s hard-hitting then you’ll find a lot to like in all three games.

The Australian Football League (AFL) Grand Final
When: (late) Friday, Sept. 30, 12:30AM EST/9:30PM PST
(Replay Sunday Oct 2, 7PM EST/ 4PM PST)
Where: Melbourne Cricket Ground
Who: Sydney Swans vs. Western Bulldogs
How: Fox Soccer Plus, Fox Sports Go and FOX Soccer 2GO
Why:

Created by Australians for Australians this athletic and acrobatic game enjoyed a brief heyday in the 1980s when ESPN broadcast it to a bemused American audience. “The biggest cult of course, surrounded Australian Rules football,” observed ESPN O.G. Bob Ley.
It’s a relatively simple game to learn, after all I’m slow on the uptake but I picked it up pretty quick playing for the Los Angeles Dragons. Teams try to advance an American football-shaped ball (but much harder) and kick it or hand-pass it (sort of like a one-handed volleyball dig) to advance down the oval-shaped pitch aiming to eventually kick it through two narrow uprights for six points. If you miss the middle uprights but get it through the wider ones it’s only a point. Players can run with the ball but must bounce it to themselves or touch it to the ground every 15 meters. Gameplay-wise it’s very similar to Gaelic football and the two nations compete in the intermittently played “International Rules Football Series.” The one critique of Aussie Rules is that the actual scoring can be anticlimactic. In basketball or football the actual score, like LeBron’s Game 6 alley-oop or ODB’s one-handed TD catch while falling backwards in the end zone, is the highlight. In Aussie Rules it’s all about the relentless sprinting, precise passing in traffic, and the spectacular marks (catches) that put a team in good field position to end up kicking what is often just a gimme.

This year’s final features the Sydney Swans, who finished first in the regular season but only two wins better than their opponents, the Western Bulldogs of Melbourne. The Doggies are Australia’s least successful historical club, having only appeared in two grand finals since their 1925 league entry. They last won it in 1954 when they were known by their inner suburb’s name, Footscray. Sydney are the firm favorites at 1.5/1 versus 2.5/1 for the Bulldogs.

Fox has done right by Aussie Rules. They’ve showed at least one live game a week this season with numerous replays. They’ve even put games on their flagship, FS1. According to the USAFL and sportstvratings.com the games average around 40,000 viewers, which is on par with numbers for the Bundesliga and the NWSL.

This year’s Grand Final will be on Fox Soccer Plus and available to stream on Fox Sports Go and FOX Soccer 2GO. A number of American Aussie Rules clubs will be hosting viewing parties, like the New York Magpies, who will be at the 5th & Mad Bar and the LA Dragons, who will be at Busby’s West. A full list of pub parties is available here.

The National Rugby League
(NRL) Grand Final
When: (very late) Saturday, Oct. 1, 3:30AM EST/12:30AM PST
(Replay Monday, Oct. 3, 2PM EST/11AM EST)
Where: Stadium Australia (ANZ Stadium), Sydney
Who: Melbourne Storm vs. Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks
How: Fox Soccer Plus, Fox Sports Go and FOX Soccer 2GO
Why:

All the bone-crushing tackles of American football with none of the forward passing! Rugby is often tipped as the sport that could replace the NFL should concussion lawsuits and frowning moms kill off America’s most popular sport. Sports Illustrated even laid out such a scenario in their NFL preview issue last month. Almost a million viewers tuned in to watch global heavyweights New Zealand demolish the US on NBC two years ago, and rugby sevens was a big hit at the Rio Olympics. Sevens is definitely entertaining but a little one-note. Rugby Union is the glamorous international standard but, especially as played by Europe’s Six Nations, its gameplay has lately been focused on back-and-forth kicking to establish field position (punting) and then hoping for an often-invisible infraction to earn a penalty kick for three points. Tries (touchdowns) are on the decline. Or as The Guardian’s Richard Williams puts it, “…compared with what the game used to be, the excitement now comes in a very debased form.”

Rugby League offers three appealing factors for Americans. First, there’s the familiar comfort of a fixed set of tackles (downs) per offensive possession. Second, there are fewer scrums in League. Finally, there’s the exciting chip kick where teams will try to kick the ball slightly forward and then sprint to recover it behind the defense.

The game itself was born in working class Northern England and is now the dominant sport in the Australian states of New South Wales and Queensland. Much like how in America college football rules the South while baseball rules the Northeast, geography divides sports in Australia to an extent. The “Barassi Line” refers to how Aussie Rules, well, rules in Melbourne, Adelaide, and Perth while Rugby League is king in Sydney, Canberra, and Brisbane.

This year’s Grand Final features the first rugby league team to cross the Barassi Line, the Melbourne Storm, against the Cronulla Sharks of southern Sydney. Since their founding in 1997 the Storm have been one of the most successful clubs in the competition with four Grand Final wins (two were subsequently stripped for salary cap abuses). On the other hand, the Sharks joined the league in 1967 and have never won a title. The Storm are the slight faves at 1.85/1 versus 2/1 for the Sharks.

Fox’ coverage of the NRL isn’t as robust as its Aussie Rules slate but most weeks there’s a game to stream on the app. The NRL’s audience in America is about half that of the AFL’s. The late Saturday night/early Sunday morning start time means that few cities will have bars that will be open to show the game outside of New York. But Fox’ replay is lunchtime Monday – perfect for sitting down with a beet-and-fried-egg-topped burger washed down with an ice-cold XXXX.

The Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) All-Ireland Senior Football Championship
When: Saturday, Oct. 1, Noon EST, 9AM PST
Where: Croke Park, Dublin
Who: Dublin vs Mayo
How: GAA Go PPV streaming ($25 or $16 for the highlights)
Why:

If you’ve ever imagined what soccer would be like if you could use your hands look no further. But Gaelic Football is so much more than that. It’s the perfect TV sport because it combines Aussie Rules’ breathless end-to-end kicking and hand-passing action with the possibility of a dramatic soccer-style goal all in a tidy 70 minutes.

But its governing body, the Gaelic Athletic Association, has done its very best to keep Gaelic football, and its lacrosse-esque cousin hurling, a well-kept secret. For years the GAA made sure that games weren’t available outside of Ireland and Great Britain. Even radio streams were blocked. Highlights wouldn’t be made available to US-based viewers on RTÉ’s website for weeks. Finally, in 2014, RTÉ and the GAA teamed up to offer GAA GO, a pay-per-view streaming service. Prices are exorbitant, $25 for the final and $16 just for the highlights, but at least the games are available. A season pass at $135 is certainly reasonable, but the whole scheme ensures that the game will spread no further than its dedicated Irish-American fanbase.

And it’s truly a shame. Saturday’s final is a replay because two weeks ago, in the original final, County Mayo kicked a point (a ball hit through the uprights above the goal) in the dying seconds to tie the game against Dublin, the mighty defending champions. This dramatic ending came despite Mayo conceding two own goals. The replay, under the floodlights at historic Croke Park promises to be a corker. Dublin are slight faves. A fair amount of pubs will be showing the game as well, albeit with a cover charge. Otherwise, the match and its highlights are sure to hit YouTube in the coming days.

It was a night when history trumped beauty in a European Final that didn’t come to life until late. In time, few will remember the torpid tenor that preceded the late-stage drama. This was a night to join in Portugal’s jubilation at finally breaking through after so many close calls while marveling at France’s missed chances. Let’s see how the world’s papers reacted to it all:

Portugal’s O Jogo captures how this team is now forever part of the nation’s fabric with “Eternal”

A Bola declares “We are the European Champions” and gives props to “The Pride of Portugal”

Before last night Portugal could rightly claim to be the best nation in the world to never have won a major trophy. No longer, Jornal de Notícias announces “It’s ours!”

April 25th is Portugal’s “Freedom Day,” commemorating the 1975 Carnation Revolution that swept the authoritarian dictatorship Estado Novo out of power. Público proclaims a new day for Portugal to canonize, the 10th of July, with this powerful back page.

Portugal’s Informação one-ups Spain’s Marca back page from Friday that hailed “Griezmannix el Galo” as it show’s France’s cartoon hero Asterix forced to hoist the Portuguese flag.

A decidedly more somber mood hangs over France today. 20 Minutes captures the sense that France should have played more aggressively with “Eternal Regret”

Libération, like the pictured Antoine Griezmann, can only hold its head and mutter that the result feels “Like the Blues”

France couldn’t overcome Portugal’s stout defense and its own bad luck. Add it all up, and it feels “overwhelming” as L’Equipe explains.

In England it was all about celebrating Andy Murray and Lewis Hamilton. The Daily Star was one of the few papers to apportion front or back page real estate to the Final with its tame and lame Éder reference ,“Glovely”

Mexico’s Cancha boisterously hails the team that “Took Paris.” Couldn’t Cancha have been cleverer still by referencing Casablanca’s famous line “We’ll always have Paris”?

Spain’s Marca slyly makes it all about Real Madrid with its headline “Portugal, it’s not a dream, it’s real!”

No translation needed as Italy’s Corriere dello Sport hails Euro 16’s surprise winners.

The appropriately named l’Humanité provides the day’s most poignant cover as it says “Portugal 1 – France 0 but thanks for the moment”

Germany vs. France. The rare marquee matchup that delivered on its massive potential. How would Europe react to such an epic night and rare result? Let’s take a look.

Germany’s Bild forlornly shouts the name “Weini!” as one of its most accomplished players failed his country. The subheadline incredulously exclaims, “Of all people Schweinsteiger, of all people our captain! A handball, a penalty, IN THE SEMIFINAL AGAINST FRANCE! Schweini, we suffer with you!”

The Neue Westfälische sadly proclaims “The End of the Title Dream”

The Rheinische Post soberly runs a stark picture of a solo Manuel Neuer with the words “Germany says goodbye”

L’Equipe succinctly captures France’s jubilant mood with “Ecstasy”

La Dépêche showcases hero Antoine Griezmann flashing Winston Churchill’s famous “V for Victory” as the paper hails a “Beautiful Win”

Even Libération, a leftist paper co-founded by Jean-Paul Satre, got in on the fun as it describes Griezmann destroying Germany.

England’s Daily Star goes with the easy “Nice ‘n Griezy”

The Daily Mirror dances all the way back to John Travolta with its headline.

Italy’s La Gazzetta dello Sport is one of the few outlets to praise Paul Pogba’s absolutely essential play in the win as it hails “Pogba’s Party.” Extra props for using the German word “kaputt” to encapsulate their exit.

Poland is a country long tormented by their German neighbors. So it’s no surprise that Katowicki Sport delights in the French victory with “In the Rhythm of The Marseillaise!”

Finally, Spain’s Marca wins the day with its clever back page referencing the wee French cartoon hero “Asterix The Gaul,” while explaining how Griezmann’s “goalscoring potion” thundered Germany and propelled France to the final.

Both Wales and Portugal are relatively small coastal nations that have spent much of their history tangled up with their larger and more powerful neighbors to the east. But whereas rugby-mad Wales has accomplished little as a team in football despite producing world-class footballers like John Charles, Ian Rush, Ryan Giggs, and now Gareth Bale, football-mad Portugal has traditionally ridden stars like Eusébio, Rui Jordão, Luis Figo, and now Cristiano Ronaldo to the very brink of glory at international tournaments. Each country came into yesterday’s semi-final with different expectations. For Portugal it was pure nerves over whether their team would finally cash in on its talent, for Wales it was profound respect and gratitude for an unprecedented adventure. Let’s take a look at how the papers reacted:

Portugal’s O Jogo celebrates the team reaching its 2nd Euro Final in 12 years with “Beautiful.” The quotes reflect a country already looking past the result to think about the final as Ronaldo says, “I believe that we can go win in Paris” while manager Fernando Santos tells the paper “With this team spirit, anything is possible!”

The Jornal de Notícias emphasizes a euphoric Ronaldo by referencing Walt Whitman (via Robin Williams) with “Yesssssss, my captain!” Below, Fernando Santos is quoted even more decisively than in O Jogo as he says, “The Finals are not to play in, they are to win!”

The best Portuguese cover of the day is Record’s two-page wraparound splash showcasing Ronaldo’s epic header with the words “An Immortal Flight”

A Bola expresses how its nation feels about its team on the verge of a Paris final with the French phrase that needs no translation. Ronaldo is then quoted as saying, “These players deserve it, I deserve it, Portugal deserves it!”

Spain’s AS honors the star that made Real Madrid a power again, recognizing that he carried his country to the final while surpassing France’s Michel Platini’s goal-scoring record.

England’s The Sun tries to glom onto Wales’ glory with its hyped “Pride of Britain” insert while showing sympathy with a clever headline.

The Daily Express goes the stereotypical route.

In Wales it was all about the wrap-around cover wrapping up a historic journey that ended in honor rather than heartbreak. The Western Mail references the Manic Street Preachers’ Welsh summer anthem “Together Stronger” in honoring its heroes.

The South Wales Echo reflected an entire nation holding its head high despite the loss.

It’s appropriate to end with Tuesday’s Western Mail edition from before the match. It leads with Chris Coleman’s quote that defines what following football is all about, “Don’t be afraid to have dreams.”

Wonder in Wales, awe in England, bitterness in Belgium, and shock across the Continent, these were the reactions across Europe after the legendary result in Lille. Let’s take a look at how European papers covered footballing history.

Wales’ Western Mail leads with a euphoric photo and a headline that perfectly sums up the national mood:

Hal Robson-Kanu has a name made for headlines and his Cruyff-ian goal inspired many to play off of his name, starting with The Times:

The Mirror did the Times one better by slyly referencing the late Phife Dawg of A Tribe Called Quest:

The mood was more incredulous across the pond.

France’s L’Equipe spoke for many neutral observers by declaring “What Madness!”

Belgium’s Le Soir, a French language paper, asked for “consolation” as its “Devils leave with their heads hung low.”

The Gazet Van Antwerpen, one of Belgium’s Dutch papers, summed up the nation’s mood about its underachievers succinctly with “FLOP!”

The Het Laatste Nieuws, another Belgian Dutch paper, has seen enough of Marc Wilmots and declares that now is the time for a “real coach”

De Morgen, a Belgian Dutch language paper, glumly references four prior losses to Wales, including two in Euro qualifying and one in World Cup qualifying with, “again we cannot beat Wales.”

Belgium’s neighbors in The Netherlands were equally shocked with De Telegraaf exclaiming “Wales Rampage while Belgium is in Tears!”

Spain’s Marca cheekily announces “The Princes of Wales and the Kings of Football!”

Finally, O Jogo, of Wales’ semifinals opponent Portugal, has a lot to say. First it expresses shock that Belgium, the highest ranking European side, could lose to “rookies.” Then it announces the result as “another Welsh miracle,” and finally it teases Cristiano Ronaldo/Gareth Bale as the “posterboys for attacking midfielders!”

The aftermath of England’s devastating and deplorable loss to Iceland is no time for quiet reflection and understated contemplation. A ruinous result like this one deserves the height of hyperbolic reaction found only in England’s titillating tabloids and brilliant broadsheets.

The Sun’s back page plays on the Iceland supermarket chain’s one-time slogan “Mum’s gone to Iceland,” accompanied by a picture of Wayne Rooney’s sobbing son Kai.

The Daily Star appeals to a fishier power:

The Daily Mail speaks for many who were uninspired by the Roy Hodgson hire in the first place:

The Daily Mirror went the easy route:

The Daily Express captures what Hodgson’s strategy was in one word:

The Independent runs with a sober picture of a solo Hodgson while referencing England’s infamous 1-0 defeat to the United States in 1950:

The Telegraph respects photography’s “rule of thirds” with this perfectly-framed pic:

Iceland’s papers were jubilant yet displayed Scandinavian reserve with their choice of words.

The Morgunbladid’s front page reads “The Adventure Continues”

The Fréttabladid (which translates literally as “Newspaper”) speaks for a nation enjoying an unprecedented thrill ride by asking “Where will it end?”

Iceland’s Danish cousins joined in the fun as BT says “Iceland have done the impossible, now England is also out of the Euros!”

England’s ancient enemies across the Channel also delighted in the upset. L’Equipe blared “Awesome” on its cover as it hailed “magnificent” Iceland.

But in a shocking upset worthy of the game itself, the best cover comes from an American paper, the beleaguered-but-still-battling New York Daily News.

And if their headline is a little too lowbrow for you perhaps you’ll prefer their Eugene O’Neill-referencing recap title:

Unlike other Euro 2016 brackets, we’ve created one that is printer-friendly (formatted in PDF). It’s easy to read, and includes the TV listings for all of the games.

The bracket features all of the teams participating in Euro 2016 including Spain, Germany, Italy, England, France, Belgium and many more.

Euro 2016 bracket

Here’s how to get the Euro 2016 bracket designed by Aram Gyan:

Download the Euro 2016 bracket, save it to your desktop and then print it out and stick it to your wall or office.

Then throughout the tournament, stay updated on Euro 2016 with the latest Euro 2016 news. Plus, we have the Euro 2016 previews for every team including rosters. And Euro 2016 jerseys for all of the teams.

Euro 2016 is arguably the most prestigious and competitive international soccer tournament in the world — even better than the World Cup. The tournament brings together the best teams in Europe featuring World Cup winners Germany, Spain (winners of the World Cup in 2010 and Euro 2012) as well as perennial giants Italy and France plus dark horse Belgium. With such a great tournament to look forward to, we’ve compiled Euro 2016 team previews, schedules and other helpful resources.

All 24 national teams in Euro 2016 are ranked among the top 45 teams in the FIFA World Rankings.

The last three FIFA World Cup champions – Italy (2006), Spain (2010) and Germany (2014) – join other 21 Union of European Football Associations’ (UEFA) national teams to vie to become the footballing champions of Europe. Two-time defending champion Spain seeks to be the first country to win four European titles, after becoming the first to repeat in 2008 and 2012.

Here’s the TV schedule for Euro 2016:

Euro 2016 TV schedule

All times are Eastern USA

Euro 2016 TV schedule: Group Stage

Friday, June 10

France vs. Romania, 3pm, ESPN2, ESPN Deportes, Sling TV, Sling Latino and WatchESPN (tickets)

Saturday, June 11

Albania vs. Switzerland, 9am, ESPN, ESPN Deportes, Sling TV, Sling Latino and WatchESPN (tickets)

Wales vs. Slovakia, Noon, ESPN, ESPN Deportes, Sling TV, Sling Latino and WatchESPN (tickets)

England vs. Russia, 3pm, ESPN, ESPN Deportes, Sling TV, Sling Latino and WatchESPN (tickets)

Sunday, June 12

Turkey vs. Croatia, 9am, ESPN, ESPN Deportes, Sling TV, Sling Latino and WatchESPN (tickets)

Poland vs. Northern Ireland, Noon, ESPN, ESPN Deportes, Sling TV, Sling Latino and WatchESPN (tickets)

Germany vs. Ukraine, 3pm, ESPN, ESPN Deportes, Sling TV, Sling Latino and WatchESPN (tickets)

Monday, June 13

Spain vs. Czech Republic, 9am, ESPN, ESPN Deportes, Sling TV, Sling Latino and WatchESPN (tickets)

Ireland vs. Sweden, Noon, ESPN, ESPN Deportes, Sling TV, Sling Latino and WatchESPN (tickets)

Belgium vs. Italy, 3pm, ESPN, ESPN Deportes, Sling TV, Sling Latino and WatchESPN (tickets)

Tuesday, June 14

Austria vs. Hungary, Noon, ESPN, ESPN Deportes, Sling TV, Sling Latino and WatchESPN (tickets)

Portugal vs. Iceland, 3pm, ESPN, ESPN Deportes, Sling TV, Sling Latino and WatchESPN (tickets)

Wednesday, June 15

Russia vs. Slovakia, 9am, ESPN, ESPN Deportes, Sling TV, Sling Latino and WatchESPN (tickets)

Romania vs. Switzerland, Noon, ESPN, ESPN Deportes, Sling TV, Sling Latino and WatchESPN (tickets)

France vs. Albania, 3pm, ESPN, ESPN Deportes, Sling TV, Sling Latino and WatchESPN (tickets)

Thursday, June 16

England vs. Wales, 9am, ESPN, ESPN Deportes, Sling TV, Sling Latino and WatchESPN (tickets)

Ukraine vs. Northern Ireland, Noon, ESPN, ESPN Deportes, Sling TV, Sling Latino and WatchESPN (tickets)

Germany vs. Poland, 3pm, ESPN, ESPN Deportes, Sling TV, Sling Latino and WatchESPN (tickets)

Friday, June 17

Italy vs. Sweden, 9am, ESPN, ESPN Deportes, Sling TV, Sling Latino and WatchESPN (tickets)

Czech Republic vs. Croatia, Noon, ESPN, ESPN Deportes, Sling TV, Sling Latino and WatchESPN (tickets)

Spain vs. Turkey, 3pm, ESPN, ESPN Deportes, Sling TV, Sling Latino and WatchESPN (tickets)

Saturday, June 18

Belgium vs. Ireland, 9am, ESPN, ESPN Deportes, Sling TV, Sling Latino and WatchESPN (tickets)

Iceland vs. Hungary, Noon, ESPN, ESPN Deportes, Sling TV, Sling Latino and WatchESPN (tickets)

Portugal vs. Austria, 3pm, ESPN, ESPN Deportes, Sling TV, Sling Latino and WatchESPN (tickets)

Sunday, June 19

Switzerland vs. France, 3pm, ESPN, ESPN Deportes, Sling TV, Sling Latino and WatchESPN (tickets)

Romania vs. Albania, 3pm, ESPN2, Sling TV, Sling Latino and WatchESPN (tickets)

Monday, June 20

Slovakia vs. England, 3pm, ESPN, ESPN Deportes, Sling TV, Sling Latino and WatchESPN (tickets)

Russia vs. Wales, 3pm, ESPN2, Sling TV, Sling Latino and WatchESPN (tickets)

Tuesday, June 21

Northern Ireland vs. Germany, Noon, ESPN, ESPN Deportes, Sling TV, Sling Latino and WatchESPN (tickets)

Ukraine vs. Poland, Noon, ESPN2, Sling TV, Sling Latino and WatchESPN (tickets)

Croatia vs. Spain, 3pm, ESPN, ESPN Deportes, Sling TV, Sling Latino and WatchESPN (tickets)

Czech Republic vs. Turkey, 3pm, ESPN2, Sling TV, Sling Latino and WatchESPN (tickets)

Wednesday, June 22

Hungary vs. Portugal, Noon, ESPN, ESPN Deportes, Sling TV, Sling Latino and WatchESPN (tickets)

Iceland vs. Austria, Noon, ESPN2, Sling TV, Sling Latino and WatchESPN (tickets)

Italy vs. Ireland, 3pm, ESPN, ESPN Deportes, Sling TV, Sling Latino and WatchESPN (tickets)

Sweden vs. Belgium, 3pm, ESPN2, Sling TV, Sling Latino and WatchESPN (tickets)

Euro 2016 TV schedule: Second Round

Saturday, June 25

Runner-up Group A vs. Runner-up C, 9am, ESPN, ESPN Deportes, Sling TV, Sling Latino and WatchESPN (tickets)

Euro 2016 Winner B vs. Third-place A/C/D, ESPN, ESPN Deportes, Sling TV, Sling Latino and WatchESPN (tickets)

Euro 2016 Winner D v Third-place B/E/F, 3pm, ESPN, ESPN Deportes, Sling TV, Sling Latino and WatchESPN (tickets)

Sunday, June 26

Euro 2016 Winner A v Third-place C/D/E, 9am, ESPN, ESPN Deportes, Sling TV, Sling Latino and WatchESPN (tickets)

Euro 2016 Winner C v Third-place A/B/F, Noon, ESPN, ESPN Deportes, Sling TV, Sling Latino and WatchESPN (tickets)

Euro 2016 Winner F v Runner-up E, 3pm, ESPN, ESPN Deportes, Sling TV, Sling Latino and WatchESPN (tickets)

Monday, June 27

Euro 2016 Winner E v Runner-up D, Noon, ESPN2, ESPN Deportes, Sling TV, Sling Latino and WatchESPN (tickets)

Euro 2016 Runner-up B v Runner-up F, 3pm, ESPN2, ESPN Deportes, Sling TV, Sling Latino and WatchESPN (tickets)

Euro 2016 TV schedule: Quarterfinals

Thursday, June 30

Euro 2016 Quarterfinal 1, 3pm, ESPN2, ESPN Deportes, Sling TV, Sling Latino and WatchESPN (tickets)

Friday, July 1

Euro 2016 Quarterfinal 2, 3pm, ESPN2, ESPN Deportes, Sling TV, Sling Latino and WatchESPN (tickets)

Saturday, July 2

Euro 2016 Quarterfinal 3, 3pm, ESPN2, ESPN Deportes, Sling TV, Sling Latino and WatchESPN (tickets)

Sunday, July 3

Euro 2016 Quarterfinal 4, 3pm, ESPN, ESPN Deportes, Sling TV, Sling Latino and WatchESPN (tickets)

Euro 2016 TV schedule: Semi-finals

Wednesday, July 6

Euro 2016 Semifinal 1, 3pm, ESPN, ESPN Deportes, Sling TV, Sling Latino and WatchESPN (tickets)

Thursday, July 7

Euro 2016 Semifinal 2, 3pm, ESPN, ESPN Deportes, Sling TV, Sling Latino and WatchESPN (tickets)

Euro 2016 TV schedule: Final

Sunday, July 10

Euro 2016 Final, 3pm, ESPN, ESPN Deportes, Sling TV, Sling Latino and WatchESPN (tickets)

As a frustrated and forlorn John Terry soaks in the Chelsea faithful’s appreciative applause while the club closes out its annus horribils, it’d be befitting to hear the Stamford Bridge tannoy play The Beatles’ “Two of Us.” Because at age 35 and with a possible summer departure looming, Terry and the club have, as Paul McCartney put it, “memories longer than the road that stretches out ahead.”

If Chelsea and England’s Brave JT do indeed part ways then it will slam The Shed door shut on an era in which the club transformer from fashionably roguish underachievers to coldly corporate global giants. When a 17-year old Terry made his blue debut in 1998 the club hadn’t won the league since 1955 and were only nine years removed from rubbing elbows with the likes of Walsall, Plymouth Argyle, and Brighton & Hove Albion in the second division. He’d leave barely looking a day older but having won nearly 2/3rds of all the major trophies in Chelsea’s cabinet, including the club’s first Champions League win, four league titles, and five FA Cups.

Now, the most decorated captain in the club’s history must decide whether he wants to fight for his place with the Pensioners or pursue one last payday elsewhere. He’s been linked with clubs all over the globe since news of his exit broke. Let’s take a deeper into the options on Terry’s table.

1. West Ham United:

As a young lad Terry played for West Ham’s fabled “Academy of Football” that produced dominant players such as Bobby Moore, Geoff Hurst, Trevor Brooking, Rio Ferdinand and Frank Lampard. Harry Redknapp, former Hammers and Seattle Sounders midfield legend and manager for nearly half of all the clubs in England, recently proclaimed “West Ham would be a good move for [both the club] and John.”

But Terry has vowed, “I couldn’t play for another Premier League club. I couldn’t do that to the Chelsea fans.” And even with the club’s resurgence under Steve McClaren-tormentor Slavan Bilić it’s hard to see the merit in making the crosstown move just to play in Chelsea’s shadow. 

2. Manchester United:

But would Terry break his vow for his childhood favorite? That’s right, as a little Barking lad he supported a pre-“Sir” Alex Ferguson, Mark Hughes, Steve Bruce, and Gary Pallister; revealing to the Guardian that “I was Man United growing up…I think it was hard for my dad to take that I was going to sign for Chelsea.”

United haven’t had a world-class man on the back line since Nemanja Vidic, and they could use Terry’s veteran voice to shepherd still-learning defenders like Chris Smalling, Matteo Darmian, and Cameron Borthwick-Jackson.

But could even a man as thick-skinned as Terry make such a betrayal? It would rank up there with Ashley Cole’s crosstown skip from Arsenal to Chelsea, Sol Campbell’s switch from Spurs to Arsenal, and even Figo’s infamous Barca-to-Real Madrid transfer as the most traitorous of all time. Sir Alex welcoming the Special One to Old Trafford with a glass of buttery Bordeaux and a slim-cut manager’s blazer changes things though. If Mourinho does indeed end up in red then Terry could craft a more emotional reunion with The Boss than Bruce joining up with the E Street Band again on The Rising.

3. Foreign Fields:

Like Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon, Terry could be beckoned by Europe’s warmer climes. He could follow in Ashley Cole’s footsteps by pulling an Italian job with Roma. Or he could follow the British hordes down to Spain’s Costa del Sol and work on achieving a Ray Winstone-level tan with Malaga or Granada. Another option is taking up Danish side Brøndby’s offer of becoming their player-manager.

Or he could go even further afield. Terry could take a permanent vacation in Qatar, Europe’s holiday destination for the nouveau riche. There he has an open invitation to join Al-Arabi, the Qatari side currently managed by his beloved former Chelsea teammate Gianfranco Zola. Further east there are Chinese riches to plunder in the Super League. He’d have his choice of two ex-bosses to reunite with, Sven-Goran Eriksson and “Big Phil” Scolari.

But the history of footballers from the home nations of England, Scotland, and Wales playing in foreign lands is more checkered than Croatia’s shirts. Some have thrived, such as Gareth Bale, Steve McManaman, and David Beckham at Real Madrid, Paul Lambert at Borussia Dortmund, Gary Lineker at Barcelona, and, of course, John Charles at Juventus.

Then there are the misses. Welshman and Liverpool legend Ian Rush may or may not have said “living in Italy is like living in a foreign country,” but the apocryphal quote is emblematic of the tough time many endure abroad.

One of the earliest examples was Denis Law’s move to Torino in 1961. The Scottish striker was frustrated from the outset by Serie A’s fiercely defensive mindset. He’d spend his spare money flying home to Aberdeen whenever he could. The breaking point that caused his departure and eventual arrival into Manchester United’s history books was when his own manager, Benjamino Santos, asked the referee to give Law a red card in an Italian Cup tie.

Jimmie Greaves had it worse, revealing in his autobiography that, “I can pinpoint the day, the hour, the minute, the second that I doomed myself to life as an alcoholic. It was the moment I signed my name on a contract that tied me head and foot to A.C. Milan.”

Jonathan Woodgate earned the title of Real Madrid’s worst 21st Century signing for his nine-appearances-in-three-years spell in the Spanish capitol. Te souviens Joey Barton’s French accent press conference? Mark Hughes spoke eloquently of his one bummer of a Barcelona year, telling FourFourTwo that, “I was talking to one of the greatest clubs in the world and I was thinking ‘I really don’t want to be here.’ Even up to getting on the plane to move out there, I was thinking maybe something will change and I won’t actually go.”

Like many British players Hughes struggled with a foreign tongue and foreign style of play. “I didn’t speak the language. I didn’t have a car so I ended up hiring one for three months because I didn’t know where to buy one. It was shambolic…[M]y game was physical and the referees didn’t like it. I was an aggressive player, but by the time I left Barcelona I wasn’t playing as aggressively as I knew I should be, so I was less of a player.” Paul Gascoigne endured similar homesickness at Lazio, revealing upon a reunion with the English national team ahead of Euro ’92 that “I’ve missed it all so much. English voices, the banter, the jokes. Yes, I have been lonely.

Luther Blissett, who spent an infamous year at AC Milan after a wondrous spell at Watford, put the struggles of playing abroad rather more succinctly in wryly observing that “[no] matter how much money you have here you can’t seem to get Rice Krispies.”

Of course, a player of Terry’s stature and means may not face such problems but why should he endure a drastic cultural adjustment at his age when he can make easy money in America with none of the acclimatization hassle? As for Qatar, Terry, like many Premier League footballers, may vacation in the Gulf but he’s got too much left in the tank to set up shop there. That won’t stop those clubs from offering Bugattis bulging with petrodollars to lure him. Yet he may have already may have already turned down as much as £20 million pounds from Chinese Super League clubs to become the first English player of note to make the march to the Middle Kingdom. It’s doubtful that any of the European giants will be blowing up his phone, so why slum it for a second-rate side in an obscure continental city if he can enjoy the well-known good life in America?

4. MLS:

Major League Soccer has long been the Premier League’s preferred retirement community. Frank Lampard, Ashley Cole, Steven Gerrard, Thierry Henry, Robbie Keane, Didier Drogba, Freddie Ljungberg, Tim Cahill, David Beckham, Jermain Defoe, and Shaun Wright-Phillips – if your prime came in the Prem then there’s one last payday in the sun waiting for you.

The league is no longer an unknown quantity. As Drogba observed, “MLS is good league, with some good teams, and you can see that there’s some good football players here.” With the path from the Prem to North America so well worn it’s easy to envision Terry shepherding some major squad’s D. The Daily Mail, Sky Bet and Paddy Power have all placed MLS as Terry’s odds-on destination.

And a reunion with Lamps at NYFC could be his natural landing spot. For his part Lampard sounds like he’d love to craft a new Bronx Tale with Terry, telling Shortlist that “purely from a football perspective and from what he’s done on the pitch, I think he’s been their (Chelsea’s) best defender this year.”

Going further, he added, “He’s the best defender I ever played with, quite comfortably. If Chelsea let him go and John’s sitting there, I’ll get his plane ticket and get him over here.”

NYCFC allowed a staggering 58 goals in 34 matches last year, tied for the most in MLS. And they’re been similarly profligate on defense again this season as evidenced by Andoni Iraola and Khiry Shelton allowing a headed howler against Orlando last Friday. Terry would have either stopped it or made damn sure his defense never allowed its like again.

That’s not to say that other MLS clubs wouldn’t savor Terry’s still-stalwart skills. Most clubs focus on offense for splashy signings but Terry would immediately bolster some of the league’s bleaker backlines such as in Montreal, Chicago, or Philadelphia.

Terry remains a top-flight titanic centre-back. He’s averaging one tackle and 1.5 interceptions all while only committing .3 fouls and only getting dribbled past .4 times per match. The Telegraph ranked him as the Premier League’s best defender as recently as last season.

But as tremendous as Terry would be in MLS, he and Chelsea still need and deserve each other. As Lampard put it, “[t]hose are the sorts of players you need at the club.” Redknapp agrees, stating bluntly, “I’d keep John personally”

5. Chelsea:

Terry certainly has good reasons to flee. This has easily been the club’s worst season in his 18 years there. Painful back-to-back eliminations from the FA Cup via Everton’s lukakukilling and the Champions League via PSG’s zlatassassination punctuated their putrid performance in the Premier League. There’ll be no Champions League football at the Bridge next season and the path back into the Top 4 is now not only clogged by the usual suspects of Manchester United, Manchester City, Arsenal and Liverpool but also by upstarts like Leicester City, Tottenham Hotspur, and West Ham United. Italy’s Antonio Conte might well be the club’s new gaffer and he’d supposedly like to acquire Juventus’ Leonardo Bonucci, ranked by FourFourTwo as the 10th best defender in the world, as Terry’s replacement. Whether it’s Conte or another mystery man, if Terry stays he’d be playing for his 14th different manager entering his 19th season at Stamford Bridge.

But don’t count on the Shed door slamming on Terry Time just yet. Speaking at the London Football Awards in early March he said, “I’m still very hopeful. I’ve been there for 21 years and I will never give up until it finally happens.”

He could further cement his legacy by finishing his career at the Bridge to join an exclusive list of legends who spent their entire professional careers at one English club, legends such as Ryan Giggs and Paul Scholes at Man United, Matt Le Tissier at Southampton, Tony Adams at Arsenal, Ledley King at Tottenham, Jack Charlton at Leeds United, and Bob Paisley and Jamie Carragher at Liverpool. Terry is simply, as Lampard said recently, “Mr. Chelsea.”

Recently, he reflected on becoming just the third man ever to make 700 appearances for the Blues. He told the club’s website that “To be up there with Ron Harris and Peter Bonetti is incredible. I think it’s a rarity now, you don’t get too many players coming through and staying at one club.”

Burnishing his reputation may mean more to him at this point than chasing less-important trophies on foreign shores. Revealingly he brought up his fellow modern Chelsea icon in discussing his legacy, saying, “Me and Lamps…we’d set ourselves targets: keep playing, stay fit, look after ourselves and get there. We have done, we have surpassed so many players on the way and we did it together which makes it even more special. I am hoping in years to come we aren’t forgotten. That’s what everyone wants. I really hope we’re not and I don’t think we will be.”

In turn, the club may decide that they still need their captain as a rock for the players and fans to hang onto during a turbulent transition to yet another post-Mourinho era. Lampard agrees, saying “[w]hat John offers is a link with the fans and an appreciation of the young players who he would want to help come through.” For their part a Chelsea spokesperson told ESPN that, “the club will keep the channels of dialogue open.”

Thus, what makes the most sense is for Terry to defy Thomas Wolfe’s words by going home again.

Andrea Pirlo and Steven Gerrard, the greatest Italian (definitively) and English (arguably) players of the 21st century, are coming to America. Their paths famously crossed on that 2005 night in Istanbul, back when Gerrard looked exactly the same but Pirlo hadn’t yet birthed the beard that gives him his >brooding il professore look. Two year’s later Pirlo’s Milan would exact their revenge on Gerrard’s Liverpool in Athens.

Their paths will cross again on August 23 when NYCFC bring their baby blues to the best coast to battle the Galaxy. But both men will have a lot of acclimating to do before then. Neither one has played club football outside of his respective home country before. It’s more than just getting used to turf pitches, strip malls, hot dogs, and far-flung flights. The cities, clubs, and cultures Pirlo and Gerrard are leaving behind are nothing like what they’ll find in the self-proclaimed “Greatest City in the World” and in La-La Land. Here now, a comparison of all that Pirlo has left behind versus his new home.

SEE MORE — How Steven Gerrard’s life in LA compares to Liverpool.

Arguably the greatest English footballer of the 21st century, Steven Gerrard has invaded America.

After making his LA Galaxy debut in the International Champions Cup followed by a second half outing in the US Open Cup earlier this week, Gerrard scored his first goal in MLS after his team thrashed San Jose on Friday night.

Before making his first three appearances for the Galaxy in the past week, he had never played club football outside of his respective home country before. It’s more than just getting used to turf pitches, strip malls, hot dogs, and far-flung flights. The cities, clubs, and cultures Gerrard is leaving behind are nothing like what he’ll find in La-La Land.

Here’s a comparison of what Gerrard has left behind versus his new home in southern California:

Despite scheduling that saw the U.S. Women’s National Team play every World Cup knockout match on a weekday evening, record numbers of Americans have tuned in to support their squad on the team’s march to today’s final.

But has the women’s game finally broken through to the mainstream? Last summer the men’s team was often front and center during their inspiring World Cup journey. It’s a bit of a different story for the women as we take a tour of Sunday’s papers.

The New York Times iconic slogan is “All the News that’s Fit to Print,” yet their front page is dominated by coverage of a presidential election that’s 18 months away featuring candidates who will be forgotten by the first primary. The Grey Lady’s editors did find some space for soccer coverage on A1 – but it’s for an esoteric story on the beautiful game in Canada’s Arctic region.

Boston Herald

New York Daily News

The NY tabloids aren’t far behind, and the Daily News deserves props for being one of the few papers to feature multiple stars from the team. Of course, the Post couldn’t resist giving more front-page real estate to a tawdry high school sex scandal.

Rochester Democrat and Chronicle

LA Times

Its West Coast wannabe – the Los Angeles Times found space for a nice photo and story on the USWNT but cheesy advertising for the new Minions movie cheapens its front page.

Supposed-soccer hotbed Portland finds its paper The Oregonian obsessed with LaMarcus Aldridge’s abandonment at the cost of any prominent final coverage.

In smaller towns, parochial interests hold sway. The Buffalo News covers the Sabres’ #2 pick Jack Eichel while the Laramie Boomerang talks about the “Big Game,” but don’t be fooled, it’s the University of Wyoming’s October 17th homecoming game.

Bergen Record

Akron Beacon-Journal

The Akron Beacon-Journal and the Oakland Tribune were just two of many newspapers that led with the 1999 Brandi Chastain sports bra photo. It’s an iconic image to be sure but it’s slightly unseemly to go with the sexy shot from 16 years ago over coverage of today’s inspiring stars.

Chicago Tribune

ESPN

ESPN’s front page as of this morning has a great Arthur Ashe story but the USWNT doesn’t even show up among the top headlines that include yesterday’s hot dog eating competition and four NBA free agent stories. Does this reflect the fact that ESPN has both NBA and Wimbledon broadcast rights but lost out on the Women’s World Cup to FOX? We report, you decide.

La Opinion

The USWNT has been accused of ignoring Hispanic Americans, and it appears that the feeling is mutual as the nation’s Spanish-language papers ignored today’s Final in favor of featuring Chile’s Copa America triumph from yesterday.

Nishi Nippon

For those times when you’re bored and you end up watching the pre-game, half-time or post-match soccer analysis on FOX Sports, we have a solution to make their analysis more enjoyable — a drinking game.

For readers 21 and older, print out the Warren Barton bingo card below. And every time Warren Barton mentions one of his choice words, have a shot or drink of your favorite beverage.

By the time the second half kicks off, you’ll be three sheets to the wind. Trust us!

There are also a few bonus squares (see below). Have a drink whenever Barton mentions Newcastle, or laughs too hard at a joke that Eric Wynalda or Alexi Lalas makes.

Given FOX Sports’ propensity for mediocrity, the good news is that Warren Barton will continue to be around FOX Sports for a long time, which means that you can use the drinking game over and over again by yourself or with your friends for years to come.

Please drink responsibly!

For 75 years Batman has deftly defended Gotham City from the mass-murderous schemes of such villains as the Joker, the Penguin, the Riddler, Two-Face, Bane, and Poison Ivy. Now, the Dark Knight must tackle his most terrifying threat yet  – an attack on his $11 billion merchandise empire. DC Comics is now battling La Liga’s Valencia C.F. over the latter’s attempt to trademark a new version of its bold bat-logo in Europe.

Valencia’s crest has been crowned by a bat since the club’s birth in 1919, twenty years before Bill Finger and Bob Kane (who were paid pennies) introduced the Caped Crusader in May 1939’s Detective Comics #27. Moreover, Valencia’s bat-logo comes from its home city’s coat of arms, which dates back to the medieval crown of Aragon.

The bat that adorns the city’s coat of arms more closely resembles Batman’s chest insignia than the football club’s proposed design. But, generally speaking, coats of arms can’t be trademarked. And modern intellectual property law dictates that trademark owners be vigilant in defending their brands, no matter how slight the chance of confusion may be. To that end, DC, which is owned by Warner Bros., has filed hundreds of “Batman”-related trademarks with the European Union’s Office for Harmonization in the Internal Market.

As comical as the case may be, there’s nothing lawyers love more than a cash-generating precedent. If DC prevails in its argument could other football clubs come under attack from other superhero rights holders bearing similarly silly suits?

1. Manchester United’s Red Devil versus Hot Stuff the Little Devil

Manchester United has been bedeviling its rivals for decades, but the “Red Devils” nickname only dates to the days of Matt Busby in the 60s. Until the 70s, its official crest didn’t feature the imp at all; instead it used just the ship from the city’s coat of arms. The devil is truly in the details. Hot Stuff was created in 1957 by Warren Kremer but he’s no dated firebrand. Dreamsworks Animation is teaming up with the creators of “Bob’s Burgers” to develop a “Hot Stuff” movie. Could Dreamworks argue that Hot Stuff is a more famous devil than the one representing an anonymous mid-table side that doesn’t even play European football?

2. LA Galaxy’s Quasar versus Quasar

The LA Galaxy finally ditched their 90’s era look when David Beckham arrived, but the club logo’s four-pointed star arguably owes a debt to Marvel Comics’ Quasar, who enjoyed a goofy resurgence in that decade. Staring down the likes of Landon Donovan and Robbie Keane is nothing for a Cosmic Avenger who has tussled with the likes of Ego the Living Planet, Annihilus, and Galactus. 

3. West Ham United’s Hammer versus Thor’s Hammer

The mighty hammers of West Ham might not be a match for the mighty hammer of Thor. The club has played off heavy metal imagery since it was founded as Thames Ironworks FC in 1895, but Thor has been swinging his magical hammer named Mjölnir since time immemorial.

4. Portland Timbers’ Axe versus Bloodaxe

Portland, Oregon is the legendary locus of the lumbersexual movement, likewise the axe is central to the Timbers’ identity. Except Marvel Comics could force a rethink in the Rose City if it brings up Bloodaxe,whose deadly weapon once sent Thor’s ally Thunderstrike to Valhalla’s enteral rest.

5. Southampton’s Halo versus Angel’s Halo

If you know anything about the Uncanny X-Men’s Warren Worthington III it’s that he’d rather laugh with the sinners than cry with the saints. But before his life turned dark he was an original student of Professor Charles Xavier who sported a halo on his duds as he soared through the air. Southampton have been known as the Saints since their days as the St. Mary’s Church squad in the late 19th century. But that could be little defense against avaricious lawyers repping the most lucrative comic franchise in the biz.

6. Portsmouth’s crescent moon versus Moon Knight

Southampton’s neighbors Portsmouth share a logo element with one of Marvel Comics’ lesser lights Moon Knight. Despite seven different chances at sustaining his own series since his 1975 debut, Moon Knight has never been a franchise property. Of course, that history pales in comparison to the city of Portsmouth’s, which traces its symbols to Richard the Lionheart’s return to England from the Byzantine Empire.

7. Brazil’s Portuguese Cross versus He-Man

Brazil is the greatest footballing country in the world, but He-Man is the Master of the Universe. But both wear a square Portuguese cross on their chests and He-Man is no stranger to litigation. Mattel has fended off claims that the character rips off Conan the Barbarian and ownership claims from the writer who invented the hero’s world; so challenging the use of the Military Order of Christ’s symbol, created in Portugal in 1318, shouldn’t be too much of a hassle. 

8. St. Pauli Supporters’ Skull and Bones versus Crossbones

St. Pauli may only be a second-division German side but it has millions of supporters worldwide who unite under its skull and bones flag to stand against racism, fascism, sexism, and homophobia. In that St. Pauli’s supporters share the same ideals as Captain America. They also share the same enemy, Crossbones, a killer merc whose terrifying threads strongly resemble the St. Pauli supporters’ flag. 

9. The Rampant Lion of Aston Villa, Rangers, Scotland, and countless others versus Captain Britain

The heraldic rampant lion, used in England and Scotland since at least the 12th century, would be no match for rampaging lawyers pointing to Captain Britain’s puffy piece.

When Jurgen Klinsmann was hired to be the new coach of the US Men’s National Team in 2011, there was much excitement over the appointment of a successful innovator that would help propel America forward in the world of soccer. Transforming the United States into an elite soccer powerhouse would not be easy but it seemed more possible than ever before under Klinsmann’s tutelage.

Three years have passed and it is obvious that the challenges set forth by Klinsmann have resulted in players and officials struggling to be on the same page with the German. Between expecting players to adapt to new positions and having them be regularly tested in foreign leagues, Klinsmann is testing just how committed the players are to taking America further than ever before on the international stage.

Whether the USMNT actually does succeed may be based off the amount of belief there is in what Klinsmann feels is necessary to take the US even further in the World Cup.

Ever since Brazil, Klinsmann has experimented with players in terms of what they are capable of. We have seen the likes of Jermaine Jones, Mix Diskerud, Michael Bradley and others demanded to become more versatile by accepting new responsibilities. Based off their last two matches, the transition for many of these players has been a mixed bag.

After excelling in Brazil as a holding midfielder who proved adept at making key contributions on both ends of the pitch, Jones was surprisingly called upon to line up at as a center-back against Honduras. Outside of being badly beaten in the air from a well-taken set piece, Jones impressed both at defending and distributing the ball from the back.

In terms of Jones’ evolving role with the USMNT, becoming a center-back may be the best solution for the German-American to prolong his international career. Having played in the heart of the defense for both Schalke and Besiktas, Jones is familiar with the position which may serve as his best chance to still be in contention for Russia in 2018. He didn’t seem unfamiliar with his role as he withstood plenty of pressure from Honduras especially in the second half.

A fantastic diving tackle he made on the Honduran attacker Romell Quioto highlighted his strong athleticism in terms of physicality and agility. He worked well with Matt Besler, especially in the first half before the US made a number of substitutions that unsurprisingly affected the team’s chemistry.

As Klinsmann praised the leadership Jones brought to the team at halftime, it was clear that he had already left a good impression. It should serve as a challenge to the likes of Omar Gonzalez, John-Anthony Brooks, Geoff Cameron, and others that they are going to have to contend with Jones in order to maintain their position. If Jones were to solidify himself in the back, he would become the best center-back on the team with the ball at his feet. Jones would incorporate Klinsmann’s desire for a higher defensive line which helps keep possession. Being able to hold onto the ball better further up the field would help avoid inviting too much pressure from opposing teams as the defense wouldn’t be pushed too far back. Jones still needs to be tested in more competitive matches and has to improve with contending balls in the air, but make no mistake the possibility of a 36-year-old Jones starting for the US at the 2018 World Cup doesn’t seem very far-fetched.

The other note-worthy aspect of the starting XI against Honduras was Mix Diskerud starting as a defensive midfielder behind Michael Bradley. After not playing at all in Brazil, despite traveling with the team Diskerud looks more motivated to play defensively and work harder at improving that aspect of his game. As a defensive midfielder that is fit enough to cover plenty of ground, Diskerud allows Bradley to play more forward.

Yet, while Diskerud did play well in regards to winning the ball and bringing it up the field, the partnership between him and Bradley needs to improve. Getting Bradley and Diskerud on the same page proved to be tough because Bradley is a box-to-box midfielder who naturally reverts back. In the second half against Honduras, both Bradley and Diskerud tracked back which provided Honduras with too much of the ball. As a result, neither did enough to cut out the Honduran attack from further up the field.

While Diskerud had to get accustomed with his new position, Bradley’s issues perhaps indicate he is not confident with what Klinsmann expects from him. He struggled in Brazil being more forward and seems more assured being further back. Yet, obviously Kilnsmann believes Bradley is talented enough creating chances further up the field as shown with the assist he created for Jozy Altidore after Diskerud had won the ball. Diskerud is a talented attacking midfielder but few can produce the piercing aerial ball Bradley delivered to set up Altidore.

Along with new responsibilities when playing for country, Klinsmann has consistently expected that his players would challenge themselves in the best leagues in the world. Klinsmann believes it is vital that senior members of the USMNT play abroad in order to compete against the best countries in the world.

In Klinsmann’s eyes, MLS is not one of those leagues.

Much scrutiny has been made over the defensive rant Don Garber made against Klinsmann, after the former German international expressed disappointment that the likes of Bradley and Clint Dempsey chose to return to MLS when they could have stayed in Europe. The fallout from Garber’s heated words in regards to the competitive quality of MLS has given American soccer fans the opportunity to question what the best direction is going forward for US Soccer.

Garber of course represents the best interests of a soccer league trying to capitalize on the increased popularity and media coverage of the sport over the last few years. The MLS commissioner is the spokesperson for angry MLS owners who took offense to Klinsmann’s critical comments about the competitive difficulty of MLS because it damages the league’s brand.

Yet, Klinsmann does not work for MLS. He works for US Soccer, which is a separate entity (but joined at the hip by Soccer United Marketing).  He is also a pragmatic realist who is being paid handsomely to get the best out of the USMNT. And in order to get the best out of the USMNT, there is no denying that American players would be better prepared to take on the best players in the world if they participated in the same leagues as they were in.

Garber’s defense of MLS was well-intentioned but an overly sensitive response that highlighted the inferiority complex many Americans share about the quality of soccer produced in the United States. As soccer writer and commentator Juan Arango put it on Twitter, “Only in the US would people ask for a coach to get sacked…over telling the absolute truth.”

That “absolute truth” is that while MLS has grown exponentially since its inception, which Garber deserves credit for. But he over-stepped his authority by stating Klinsmann has to uphold a responsibility for MLS. Klinsmann’s only responsibility is to transform the USMNT into a squad that is realistically capable of winning more than just the Gold Cup.

When Klinsmann was hired, it should have been expected that the German was going to have priorities and interests that would conflict with those shared by the established figures of American soccer. As seen during his tenure managing the German national team, it’s also in Klinsmann’s nature to irk leading players and executives with his methods and opinions. As a result of his contract extension, Klinsmann has been afforded the security to be honest and candid regardless of whom he offends.

Through expressing disappointment over how Bradley and Dempsey chose to return to America where they would be virtually guaranteed starting places, Klinsmann is questioning the ambition, professionalism and drive of his star players. His comments may also deter players who have been linked to moves back to MLS such as Altidore, Diskerud or Juan Agudelo from actually coming back to America (it’s interesting to note that the expansion side New York City FC has made it known that they want their 3rd Designated Player to be an American returning from abroad).

For years, I have always felt like MLS and US Soccer had similar interests and vision in regards to the growth of American soccer. Yet, after the tenures of former MLS coaches Bruce Arena and Bob Bradley, the USMNT is now under an outsider of American soccer who has inspired the country to question its priorities. Former US international Alexi  Lalas astutely pointed out that if nothing else, Klinsmann is providing the American soccer community the opportunity to ask the questions needed for future growth.

Frankly, Klinsmann isn’t even the first USMNT coach to question competitive quality of MLS.  Klinsmann’s predecessor, Bob Bradley, had his doubts over whether MLS could fully challenge his players. According to Taylor Twellman, Bradley encouraged the former USMNT striker to go to the English club Preston North End even though he preferred to stay with the New England Revolution.

So between the USMNT coach, who voices disapproval over how the best Americans are returning to MLS and a league that is trying to enhance its profile through countering the perception that it’s a lower league, it begs a very big question for American soccer fans – what’s more important, the growth of MLS or the USMNT?

Is it more important to have the likes of Dempsey, Bradley and others challenge themselves and stay abroad for most of their careers or for them to be the renowned figures of America’s own soccer league?

From the MLS perspective, the league can’t become on par with those in Europe competitively speaking if it can’t hold onto its best players. While it’s proven to be great for extending the careers of older players, Major League Soccer will need to get international players in their prime in order to further grow on a competitive level. Unfortunately, that won’t happen if the league can’t even hold onto its own native stars.

Yet, as American soccer grows, demand for the USMNT to improve will increase while patience decreases. Many may decry that Klinsmann has the attitude of a “Eurosnob” after playing in Germany, England, Italy, and France, but his experience and knowledge gained from the most competitive leagues should still inspire trust in his guidance.

Overall, it’s a tricky balance. Klinsmann wants to satisfy demand for US Soccer but his pursuit seems to be at the detriment of the growth of MLS on a competitive and business level.

However, there is no denying that Klinsmann cares about results and challenging American players to go further than ever before.

As England struggled to break down Estonia’s defense on Sunday, Wayne Rooney was once again a central figure for all the good and bad moments.

Like many other games with England, Rooney struggled in the final third. He missed chances, wasted crosses, showed a poor first touch and lacked control in crucial moments. Yet, just when everyone was ready to criticize him for a lackluster performance, he curled in a great free kick that snuck past the Estonian keeper and gave England three valuable points.

One could call it business as usual in regards to Rooney. He has struggled to score in open play but his dead ball skills proved to be the difference. In what was another unmemorable performance for England, Rooney once again provided the key moment of class that sets him apart from anyone else.

Jack Wilshere was unlucky to not have at least one assist after unlocking the Estonian defense on multiple occasions (that’s something he could blame Rooney for). Raheem Sterling and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain were valuable substitutions that brought pace and attacking verve in the final minutes. Yet, despite England having the majority of the possession and chances against an inferior Estonian squad, it was an unconvincing team performance.

While Rooney deserves criticism for not putting away the game at the end after missing a series of chances, he should be lauded for providing the difference between a frustrating draw and a serviceable victory. Rooney can be frustrating to watch, but he can quickly undo everything he messes up with a moment of brilliance which serves as a reminder for why he must start.

With Steven Gerrard gone, Rooney is England’s best dead ball specialist alongside Leighton Baines. Rooney’s goal against Estonia was only the second he’s ever had from a free kick playing for England. Yet, along with his consistent ability to convert penalties, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see Rooney become England’s primary free kick taker.

Along with dead ball skill, Rooney plays well outside the final third. His work rate is top notch as he covers plenty of ground. It’s true that he’s not clinical with his chances but Rooney is great at many aspects of the game including shooting, getting assists, tracking back on defense, holding onto the ball, and building up attacks. Yet, because he’s not a world class player in the final third, he is a source of pessimism and skepticism.

The Guardian’s Jamie Jackson showed a cynical outlook that many journalists and fans share towards Rooney when tweeting “Rooney proves again he’s a class above…” Other fans and journalists were quick to point out that as he had against San Marino, he should have had multiple goals and already be closer to breaking Bobby Charlton’s all-time scoring record for England at 49 goals.

In life, one can look at things with the glass half full vs. half empty. Negative perceptions of Rooney seem to be more common (especially on Twitter) as they represent the notion that Rooney has failed to meet the lofty expectations most had for him years ago. In the end, Rooney will always be a failure to those who wanted him to the next Maradona or the “white Pele”.

While Rooney does disappoint in the final third, I find it hard to overly criticize someone for not burying every chance he gets or failing to score a hat-trick every time England plays an inferior team. It was fitting it that a prolific goal-scorer, Thierry Henry, rightfully pointed out during the World Cup that as frustrating as Rooney can be in terms of missing his chances, bashing him for not being a world class finisher like Suarez, Messi, or Ronaldo does no good.

Rooney’s overall statistics for club and country prove that he’s a great player even if he’s not on the same level as those who are considered the best in the world. While failing to constantly amaze as often as others, he has shown the ability to provide inspirational moments. While only scoring once in eleven World Cup matches is a disappointing statistic, 33 of his 43 goals have been scored in competitive matches.  It’s unfortunate that Rooney has failed to score often during some of the most crucial matches but it shouldn’t define his legacy.

Detractors spend their time speculating on why Rooney never exceeded their lofty expectations. Because he has lost some of the pace he showed at a younger age, many believe that England would play more quickly without him. Yet, based off Roy Hodgson’s conservative approach and the quality of the roster, England would not play any better without Rooney. Due to Rooney’s overall prowess and longevity, his place in the starting eleven should be warranted. Ultimately, many take what Rooney brings for granted.

As ESPN’s John Brewin put it, “Rooney often scores when playing badly. Not a bad knack to have, is it?”

Overall, there are times where Rooney hasn’t always been at his best and looked out of place. However, he consistently plays well more often and always has the potential to make a key contribution. He should also be celebrated as an England legend once he’s long gone from football.

In regards to the scoring record and Rooney’s legacy, The Mirror’s John Cross put everything in perspective by stating, “Rooney will break this record and go down as an all time England great. It’s an individual record and the holder deserves legendary status.”

NBC’s Hollywood Game Night. Pleated Dockers khakis. The Chevy Tahoe. Maroon 5’s music. David Cameron’s hair. People magazine. The new Wembley Stadium. Each the pinnacle of blandness in its field, and to these we can now add Major League Soccer’s new logo.

MLS can call upon graphic design’s best and brightest, yet the chosen logo looks like Don Garber ignored them in favor of fishing one from a $5-a-pop site. For all of MLS’ greatly debated strengths and weaknesses its logo was a non-issue. Yet MLS aggressively attacked its non-problem but delivered the equivalent of a mug of room temperature green tea.

Just why is it so bad? Let’s take a look at the logo itself and then its context.

The Logo:

The late, great Billy Mays hustled everything from Mighty Putty to the Big City Slider Station on his infomercials. Like any good huckster he never stopped talking; the words came pouring out of his mouth at such a breathtaking clip that you forgot about the actual piece of junk being sold.

MLS pulls the same trick here with their impressively overwrought and hyperbolic press release. Isn’t the point of a visual brand the fact that it’s, well, visual? Did Caravaggio strut around Renaissance Rome explaining the symbolism in his paintings? Don’t the most respected logos, like the Yankees’ interlocking “NY,” the Cowboys’ star, the Red Wings’ winged wheel, and MLB’s batter silhouette, speak for themselves?

Trust what you see, not what you read. You and I look at the crest and see a giant white space; MLS tells you that it’s a force that “brings you in and out of the MLS world.” No, that’s what my TV remote does when I land on Los Angeles’ KDOC and turn off a Chivas USA match after a few minutes. You and I see the crest’s three stars and think of Jake Locker throwing another pick in his Tennessee state flag-inspired Titans helmet; MLS tells you that they represent the hollow words “For Club, For Country, For Community.” You and I see an overuse of Photoshop’s gradient tool in the line forming the perimeter of the generically shaped crest; MLS tells you that the crest’s border represents the lines that mark off the field of play. Even Bradley-Wright Phillips would have a hard time scoring on a concave crest-shaped field.

You and I see a diagonal line resembling the pestle in the classic pharmacy symbol. Here MLS unloads its most powerful verbal diarrhea to tell you that this innocuous slash “refers to soccer’s speed and energy. The slash begins outside the perimeter and drives upward at a 45-degree angle to illustrate both the nonstop nature of our game and the rising trajectory of our league. It bisects the crest to create a ‘first half’ and ‘second half.’”

Looking at in totality it’s plain that MLS has been trumped by that other MLS again. That other MLS is the Multiple Listings Service put together by real estate brokers to sell houses. That other MLS owns the domain MLS.com, which forces Major League Soccer to use MLSsoccer.com. This logo would be absolutely perfect for the real estate site with its assertive-but-plain sans serif slab lettering, patriotic colors, and its “energetic slash” representing a key opening up the door to your brand new home and fulfillment of the American dream.

The Context:

Modern sports design isn’t a field brimming with originality, just think of all the side-profile angry animal NFL logos, or all the monochrome kits at this year’s World Cup. Back when there was no money in sports merchandise there was more freedom for left-field logos like the Detroit Tigers’ suspiciously amped-up cat, Tampa Bay’s Errol Flynn-esque winking Swashbuckler, the Knicks’ morbidly obese but dandily-dressed ‘bocker, the NASL Oakland Stompers’ grape blob, or the Expos’ mind-tripping “M.”

But now any marginally different design idea is immediately ctrl c’d and ctrl v’d ad infinitum into dullness until another trend pops up to change the herd’s direction. The Charlotte Hornets introduced their distinctive teal-and-purple color scheme in 1988, unofficially ushering the day-glo phunky phresh 90s fashion trend that’s currently undergoing its inevitable next generation revival. Soon enough, teams like the San Jose Sharks, Detroit Pistons, Florida Marlins, Utah Jazz, Carolina Panthers, Jacksonville Jaguars, Seattle Mariners, and Vancouver Grizzlies swiftly lifted the Hornets’ colors. Then, in the late 90s/early 00s, teams like the Knicks, Mets, Blue Jays, Royals, Celtics, Eagles, and Lions realized they could move a lot more merch by ditching their time-tested colors to, as the venerable uniwatch.com calls it, “black for black’s sake.”

Today, there are two concurrent and overlapping trends; super-simplistic streamlined logos like those of the Brooklyn Nets and Tampa Bay Rays, and nostalgic rebrands like those of the Houston Astros, Washington Capitals, and Philadelphia 76ers. The new MLS logo’s closest kin is the Nets; they’re the visual equivalent of Aubrey Plaza’s voice – monotonous and devoid of emotion. Except Plaza’s voice is a put-on, but the Nets and MLS logos were purposefully designed to announce nothing to the world.

The MLS admits as much in their press release, saying that “[t]he new brand’s design is intended to say “soccer” without the literal ball and cleat.” This, despite Major League Baseball’s iconic “literal” batter facing a pitch silhouette, the NBA’s Jerry West dribbling a ball silhouette, and the NFL shield’s “literal” football. Moreover, the MLB, NBA, NFL, and NHL logos can’t be confused with any of their respective teams. Not so for this crest; its shape resembles that of Red Bull New York, FC Dallas, Columbus Crew, Real Salt Lake, Montreal Impact, and Sporting KC.

Abroad, we find the Bundesliga perfectly content with an MLS-esque silhouette of a player kicking a ball. England’s Premier League uses literal symbols of its country and sport to create a supreme brand. Spain’s La Liga proves that simple can also be beautiful with its ball ringed by a rainbow of colors. Mexico’s Liga MX, with its fisheye red-and-green “X’, and Japan’s J.League logo with its striking juxtaposition of the rising sun and a ball set against a modernist “J” show how to do abstraction without being boring.

MLS stated goal was a new logo that said soccer without using the old one’s literal ball and cleat. MLS missed like Roberto Baggio in the ’94 World Cup Final. The constant rebranding of its clubs and of itself speaks to a lack of confidence in its own product. Worse, its brand schizophrenia has the potential to alienate both current and future fans who are familiar with the relative stability and history of the MLB, NBA, NFL, NHL, and foreign soccer league brands. For the diehard and casual fan alike, the MLS has little brand identity as the league and its clubs routinely chuck any history built up over 20 years in favor of changing its look more often than David Beckham does his hair.

For Premier League fans, like James Bond in The World is Not Enough, Christmas comes twice a year. First, when August brings a three-week tease of action, and then again when the Prem triumphantly returns replete with new transfers after a torpid international break. Before Saturday’s slate, let The Sweeper fill you in on some of this week’s scintillating stories.

1. “But how do you pronounce Cymru?”

World Soccer Talk founder Christopher Harris take you to the land of Rob Brydon and Catherine Zeta-Jones in his entertaining second travel essay on his journey home to Wales. Part one is available here.

2. “A Royal Pain”

NBC ushered in a golden age for American Premier League fans when it began broadcasting every single match. But imagine the nightmare if your club were to be relegated and duly cut off from regular television coverage. Jacob Sundstrom, in a wonderful piece for The Classical, describes what it’s been like to support a club like Reading with passages such as, “[t]his is what a typical Saturday morning looks like during football season: get up at 6am, make a pot of coffee, shower, and put on my Reading shirt. I may be sitting on an Ikea couch with a cup of store-brand coffee — I am, as it turns out — but it’s the little things that make the experience more authentic. Or as authentic as listening to a football game on the Internet at 7am from 5,426 miles away can be, anyway.”

3. “Team America: Rush’n Attack”

Younger fans accustomed to soccer as a mainstream sport and automatic US qualification for the World Cup should read up on the dark days that engulfed the game only 30 years ago. In 1983 the NASL was on the verge of collapsing due to overexpansion. America hadn’t qualified for the World Cup in 33 years and wouldn’t qualify for another 7 more. In a desperate attempt to revive NASL interest while improving the national team, the league launched “Team America.” Playing out of D.C.’s RFK Stadium, the national team would compete as a club against the likes of the Cosmos. Coached by Greek-American hero Alkis Panagoulias, the team was an utter disaster and folded after just one season. Its legacy is a logo that served as the inspiration for the 1994 World Cup and current USMNT brands.

Now Russia may be drawing up a gameplan from that failure’s ashes. The Guardian reports that Russia may buy out its national team players from their clubs to form a fearsome “Team Russia” to compete in their domestic league ahead of their World Cup 2018 hosting duties.

4. “Does Anyone Care About England Anymore?” asks FourFourTwo magazine.

“Nope.”

5. “Lifestyles of the Rich and Footballers”

What’s more impressive, the landscaping of Graeme Souness’ lawn or mustache?
The Guardian presents another fascinating flashback slideshow, this time of the home lives of 1980s footballers. I was disappointed not to see Trevor Francis not sporting the tracksuits lovingly referenced in the classic “Only Fools and Horses” outro theme song.

6. “The Feel of the Printed Page Between your Fingers”

Howler is one of several new magazines coupling beautiful design with intelligent writing. You can pre-order their new issue here and marvel at Peter Diamond’s epic Tim Howard portrait.

7. Longshanks: “The Trouble with Scotland is that it’s full of Scots!”

Next week, Scotland will vote on an independence referendum that could end up dissolving the union of two kingdoms that has endured since 1707. When Saturday Comes’ Gordon Cairns delivers a timely review of “Born Under a Union Flag,” which explores the unionist Rangers club’s complicated relationship with its country. Tangentially, if the Scottish vote “Yes,” making the “United Kingdom” name obsolete, should the country comprising England, Wales, and Northern Ireland be renamed Nando’s Premier League of Nations?

8. “Shine a Light”

Pele, on behalf of a British tech startup, unveiled a new community soccer pitch in Rio that lets its users power the field’s by playing. World Soccer Talk’s Peter Quinn explains how. Of course, a lack of playing space, whether at night or during the day, is hardly just a Brazilian problem. Look around your community. Do you see a place to play at night? Communities complain of the cost without considering the heavy price of sedentary citizens.

9. “Washing, wearing Wranglers, I think that I’m in love / Straight leg or a bootcut, legging, darling, please / Stay with me forever, don’t take off those jeans”

Riff Raff and Katy Perry, America’s new royal couple, made a resplendent appearance at the VMAs last month with their matching Canadian tuxedos. The look has flown from the award show runway to on-field fashion as MLSsoccer.com reports on Napoli’s new denim-look kit. It’s far too subdued, and moreover, the USMNT wore it first, and far better, back in 1994.

10. “Watching all our friends fall / In and out of Old Paul’s / This is my idea of fun / Playing video games”

FIFA 15 drops September 23rd, and in advance of your life becoming utterly consumed and completely ruined. Like any good drug dealer they’ve given the fiends a taste via their playable demo. Kotaku and the Daily Mirror rate it highly for its intelligent and beautifully rendered gameplay.

Exhale. Savor summer’s few remaining days. Fire up the grill. Slither down a slip n slide. Lay back in a hammock while cradling a watery beer. It’s the September international break, and with options like Finland v Faroe Islands, Denmark v Armenia, and Bolivia v Ecuador, the emphasis is on “break.” But before you take a well-deserved weekend off football, let World Soccer Talk’s Sweeper bring you some of the stories you may have missed.

1. “I don’t want to change the world, I’m not looking for a new England”

England nullified Norway in a listless friendly played before the smallest crowd in the brief history of New Wembley. The less said about it the better, but the Guardian’s Barney Ronay delivers exactly what you need to know with gems like “this post-tournament belch of an autumn friendly.”

2. “Keep the Dodgers in Brooklyn”

In just the past 20 years alone, 12 North American franchises have changed cities. But in England, Wimbledon remains the only professional club to have relocated. Even in that case, they moved 60 miles north to Milton Keynes – – or only 20 miles more than the 49ers just moved away from San Francisco. Twohundredpercent returns with a strong piece examining former Premier League/First Division stalwart Coventry City’s return home from nearby Northampton.

3. “Why are you wearing that stupid man suit?”

Buried in the Guardian’s roundup of terrifying vintage football mascots is this shot of Aston Villa’s dusty pitch in the early 1980s. Reminiscent of the Raiders scuffling on the A’s infield, it’s a far cry from today’s verdant fields.

4. “Speaking of Bumpy Pitches”

The Original Winger’s been running a fantastic series of “Soccer in America” photographs. These shots are a helpful reminder that you don’t need a pristine pitch to play. Many communities have been lazily replacing grass fields with turf ones consisting of materials like ground-up tires. Plastic pitches don’t absorb sweat and rain as well as natural ones so they smell terrible in the summertime and only a little less so the rest of the year. Personally I’d rather play on dirt, but no community making efficient use of its tax revenue should have to resort to plastic.

5. “Falcao to Real Madrid”

World Soccer Talk’s Robert Hay offers three great ideas to improve on deadline day. At the very least, let’s try to prevent the scenario so cleverly laid out by cartoonist David Squires.

6. “Remember when I used to eat sardines for dinner”

British Overseas Territory Gibraltar is now the 54th UEFA member and yet another minnow for other countries to feast on during qualifying. The Guardian’s Sid Lowe reports on The Rock ahead of its first European qualifier against Poland on Sunday. With so many members, UEFA really needs to follow the AFC’s lead and have tiered qualifying. For established countries, playing sides like Gibraltar amounts to an at-bat in slowpitch softball – – there’s no pride or congratulations in hitting it out of the park, only shame if you feebly hit it for a ground out.

7. “The Globe and Fail”

Here at World Soccer Talk, Abe Asher ably analyses the many problems affecting Toronto FC. While depressing for residents of North America’s fourth largest city, Asher points out why the Reds may not dwell in mediocrity alongside the Leafs and Jays for much longer.

8. “Standing on the Shoulders of Giants”

25 million people watched the United States draw Portugal in the World Cup this summer. But just a generation ago the squad was known as Team America and playing before bewildered fans like Michael Agovino. Deadspin’s Screamer subsite provides an excerpt from his new book “The Soccer Diaries: An American’s Thirty-Year Pursuit of the International Game”, and in it you’ll read of a distant time when fans like Agovino had “…never seen any fan wearing a team’s jersey.”

9. “The Lottery”

Helen of Troy’s face launched a thousand ships while penalty shootouts have inspired a thousand and one more screeds. But 8by8 magazine’s Corley Miller stands out from the madding crowd with this eloquent piece on why it’s ok that soccer is an inherently unfair sport. “What are penalty kicks but an admission of comparative failure? A confession that, whatever difference does exist between a pair of teams, playing more football is such an inefficient method that it may never be able to determine it—and that the basically random determination of penalties is preferable at least in that it promises an end…We’re beginning to get, generation by generation, disillusioned Occupier by unemployed esquire, that the way things end up may not be the way they ought to be.”

10. “Una Entrevista”

Pep Guardiola’s biographer, Spanish Reporter, and Sky Sports contributor Guillem Balague recently spoke to World Soccer Talk’s Matt Jones for an insightful interview. In it you’ll learn things like “King and Scholes” is an excellent name for a band.

Before we throttle into another action-packed weekend, let The Sweeper, a new World Soccer Talk feature, take you back through the week that was for some of the stories from around the web that you may have missed.

1. “Christmas in August.”

The transfers are flying fast and furious as the September 1st deadline nears which means plenty of opportunities for players to awkwardly hold up new shirts and scarves. Revel in the Telegraph’s round-up of this summer’s goofiest signing photos.

2. “You Never Give Me Your Money.”

Italy’s Bufala News captured this exclusive pic of Mario Balotelli arriving in England.

3. “Heating up in Hotlanta”

Atlanta, deep in the heart of SEC country, has a rep for not supporting its pro teams. But on Wednesday, Home Depot honcho Arthur Blank announced that his new ATL MLS club, which won’t even begin play until 2017, has already sold 14,000 season tickets. That’s already as good as the Atlanta Hawks’ average home crowd last season.

4. “The Aussies Rule.”

When Saturday Comes reports on the encouraging success of Australia’s all-tiers, nationwide FFA Cup competition.

5. “The World Class Wreckin’ Cru.”

Ominous news out of the heart of Ohio, as Columbus announced that they’ll unveil a new brand on October 8th.  Hank, Bruce, and Alphonse, as I like to call the three hard-hat wearing tough guys in the Crew’s logo, could soon be trading their blue collars for pink slips in yet another sign of America’s manufacturing class decline. If the club must don a new look then they should look no further than graphic designer M. Willis’ slick proposal.

6. “When Men Were Men.”

Travel back to a time of feathered hair, mutton chops, flared trousers, and Beatle boots in this Guardian collection of Awkward football family photos from the 1970s.

7. “Don’t tell Edward Snowden.” 

On this site, Chris Moore walks you through how to use a VPN to access the BBC’s Match of the Day, which is simply the best highlight show of any sport.

8. “Know the Ledge.”

Don’t be Gus Johnson, step up your understanding of what’s happening on the pitch with Alex Fairchild’s Premier League tactical review

9. “I did not care for the Godfather.”

Find the Criterion Collection pretentious and bloated? Try the Michael Owen Anthology. The England and Liverpool legend admits that he’s seen only five films in his entire life; Rocky, Jurassic Park, Cool Runnings, Ghost, and Heat. In fairness, those five flicks efficiently run the entire gamut of human emotions. After all, when you’re the artist behind such works as St. Etienne ’98, all free time must be devoted to honing your craft. Owen’s admission, along with his fascinating insights on cheese, can be found in this revealing Guardian interview.

10. “Are you Ready for Some Football!!! (Explosion Sound).”

“Monday Night Football” means something very different across the pond as Peter Quinn explains in this WST piece.

11. Finally, a tip for those Time Warner Cable customers and Mac users finally getting to enjoy NBC Sports Live Extra.

Use Google’s Chrome instead of Safari. I had to endure endless repeats of that “Hi there, I’m J.J. Watt. SHUT YOU DOWN!” ad as I was forced to reload the crashing stream every other minute before it dawned on me to try a different browser.