Soccer Banter

Off The Ball

1. Clint Dempsey might have been better served taking a Dononvan-like sabbatical after the Sounders season ended. Or maybe that was his thinking when he went on loan to Fulham as no one has seen him play a match since February 4th. The Dempsey of 2012 needs to return to the field soon or his place in the starting lineup for the USMNT will be in jeopardy.
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2013 Soccer Banter in Review

Just a few more games left in Europe this weekend and then it will be a wrap on soccer in 2013. And what a year it's been. In March, Klinsmann was left for dead by his own players, but in December (and after a summer of winning) he signs a new 4-year contract. Sporting KC is crowned MLS Champion while becoming the model franchise for the league. NWSL survives year one and in a dash, added a new club for 2014. Tom Sermanni, possibly the nicest national coach in all of soccer, picked up where Pia left off, but is adding new players into the mix. The World Cup draw has been announced and it doesn't look kind for the red, white, and blue. Sir Alex retired, Mourinho returned, Messi & Ronaldo scored goals, and Bayern Munich landed Pep and are best in the world. There were plenty of other intriguing stories in 2013 and along the way, Soccer Banter tried to share a few of them. Below are the top seven viewed articles of 2013.

To Sir, With Love - Eoin O'Callaghan

Why I Love the Premier League - Gary Curneen

Q&A with Andres Deza - Brendan Faherty

Soccer Night in Newtown - Eric Da Costa

The Football Sartorialist - Allan Lewis

#SoccerParentProblems - Michael Shaw

Criticism for LeRoux Celebration Actually Sexist, Eh - Therese Smith

MLS Cup Preview

When I was asked to write an article with a prediction for the winner of MLS CUP 2013, and to back it up with a few key reasons to support my audacious claim…I figured why not? I start out with a 50% shot at being right so I can't ask for better odds of looking smart than that! In 2006, prior to winning my third MLS Cup with the Houston Dynamo, I was on ESPN radio three days before the game and guaranteed a victory over the New England Revolution in Pizza Hut Park. Thanks to a great goal from Brian Ching and about three unbelievable saves by Pat Onstad, my prediction came true. The truth of the matter is I just chose us because it was the only option and the smart thing to do…I was standing up for the club and maybe trying to endear myself to the fans a bit more….and oh yeah…again I like those 50% odds! Continue Reading

If You Know Your History

In a sinister way, many Manchester United fans appear to be enjoying David Moyes' fraught beginning as manager of their club. His failure to capture a creative midfielder during the summer and appearing to have to settle for his former beau Maroune Fellaini, has seen many supporters spit venom from their soapbox towards the new coach after just four games, that's four. FOUR! Continue Reading

2014 MLS Preview

After one of the busiest off-seasons in the history of the league, the 19th season of Major League Soccer kicks off this weekend. Two clubs that have been at the bottom of MLS in the past, both received major facelifts this winter. Toronto FC added Michael Bradley and Jermain Defoe, while MLS bought Chivas USA from Jorge Vergara with the idea that a new owner will rebrand the club following the 2014 season. A host of clubs hired new head coaches with Jeff Cassar having the biggest shoes to fill after New York City FC stole away Jason Kreis. With plenty of other story lines occurring as the season kicks off, Soccer Banter spoke with a few experienced Major League supporters to get their opinions on the upcoming season. The guest panel for the 2014 MLS preview includes - Jamie Clark (University of Washington Head Men's Soccer Coach), Marc Connolly (Chief Researcher & Editorial Consultant for ESPN's MLS & U. S. National Team soccer broadcasts), Eric Da Costa (Quinnipiac Univeristy Head Men's Soccer Coach), and Sam Lopes (University of New Hampshire Head Women's Soccer Coach). Continue Reading

Five for Friday with Gary Curneen

To kick off the New Year, we spoke with University of Cincinnati Assistant Women's Soccer Coach, Gary Curneen, about his new book, The Modern Soccer Coach 2014. Curneen shares with us the reason behind writing the book, the changes he sees in the modern game, and his own coaching influences. Follow Curneen on twitter @GaryCurneen

Soccer Banter: Why did you decide to write Modern Soccer Coach 2014? Continue Reading

Arsenal FC: My Club, My Passion

In the summer of 1996 my roommate, Matt Micros, and I were asked by a group of parents to take the members of my summer district team and create a premier team. I was only two years out of college and had no idea what that entailed. Neither of us did. The first question was….were we really equipped to coach 14 year old girls for an entire year? I had recently completed my first season coaching high school girls as a favor to my former AD and, while I enjoyed the experience, I wasn’t certain that coaching girls year round was the road I wanted to travel. After some thought and some nudging from a couple of persuasive parents, we agreed to take the plunge and, with that, our journey into the premier world had begun. Little did we know that eighteen years later this would become our passion. Continue Reading

Q & A with Rachel Daly

The NCAA Division I women's leading scorer hails from Harrogate, England and spent 2012 watching from the sidelines due to NCAA eligibility rules. A year later, Rachel Daly, is clearly in the spotlight, her 23 goals have helped lead St. John's to the NCAA tournament and a first round upset of Central Florida. Daly spoke to Soccer Banter about St. John's, a goal scorer's mentality, Leeds United, and more. Follow Daly on twitter @RachelDaly3

Soccer Banter: For those that haven’t seen you play, describe yourself as player? What are the strengths of the current side that has made this campaign so successful? Continue Reading

August 2013 Archives

Quote of the Day

March 7, 2014

"You see individuals a lot in these type of matches, so it’s understandable that collectively, it’s not clicking. It would be a miracle if we had played well, still we need these games."

- Jurgen Klinsmann

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