With the Bundesliga still on break, the USMNT abroad roundup is once again headlining Monday's soccer news. It's not just the English leagues this time, with Ligue 1 back from break, Spain playing the Copa del Rey, and Liga MX kicking off the 2020 Clausura over the weekend. We start in England's Championship with Duane Holmes equalizing in stoppage time in Derby County's 2-2 draw at Middlesbrough. . . .
Brian McBride named USMNT general manager
Former USMNT player Brian McBride became the second general manager of the US Men's National Team the US Soccer Federation announced on January 10, 2020. With original general manager Earnie Stewart named sporting director in charge of both the men's and women's programs, McBride steps into the job solely focused on the men's team. McBride, Stewart, and USMNT coach Gregg Berhalter were members of . . .
USA faces a tough Olympic qualifying scenario
The soccer news starts with an interesting scenario for the USMNT U-23s as they try to qualify for this summer's Olympics in Tokyo. Concacaf has two spots in the Olympics, running the qualifying tournament from March 20 through April 1 at Guadalajara's Jalisco and Akron stadiums. The eight-team field is split into two groups of four, with the top two from each group advancing to the semifinals. . . .
Preview: 2020 Liga MX Clausura
The soccer news starts with the return of Liga MX on Friday and the start of the 2020 Clausura. The Apertura didn't end until late last month due to Monterrey's Club World Cup commitments, and the reigning Liga MX champions are the likeliest choice to repeat. Not at all surprising is that the team they beat on penalties on December 29 is right there with them. Club America is always the team to . . .
Manchester City takes the schedule seriously
The soccer news starts with Manchester City beating Manchester United 3-1 first-leg loss to Manchester City at Old Trafford in the first-leg of the League Cup semifinals. While it's tough to consider the League Cup as anything other than an obligation at this point in the season, Manchester City is a team that takes all of their competitions seriously. They showed this last season when they won . . .
5th through 10th in the Premier League table
The soccer news starts with a look at the Premier League table after the run of holiday games. Liverpool now has a 13-point lead over Leicester City at the top, with Manchester City a point behind Leicester. There's no flattering to deceive that there's much of a chance of a title race. Liverpool is currently walking away with the season. Chelsea in 4th has the final Champions League spot, 8 . . .
Inter Miami surprises by hiring Diego Alonso
By Clemente Lisi – NEW YORK, NY (Jan 6, 2020) US Soccer Players – The end of 2019 made waves with Inter Miami hiring Diego Alonso as their first coach. Alonso built his reputation in Liga MX. He wasn't the big name some had expected the MLS expansion side to sign, but he is an interesting choice. The 44-year-old Alonso, a former journeyman striker, is a two-time Concacaf Champions League winner . . .
Gooch scores two in the FA Cup
The soccer news starts with a standout performance for Lynden Gooch in the Third Round of the FA Cup. Sunderland beat Lincoln City 3-1 at home with Gooch scoring twice. Tom Flanagan put Sunderland up in the 19th minute with Gooch adding goals in the 23rd and 29th. Lincoln scored in the 66th minute. "We've played well the past three or four games, Gooch said, and picked up some good points. . . .
The USMNT January Camp in 2020
By Jason Davis – WASHINGTON, DC (Jan 3, 2020) US Soccer Players - Gregg Berhalter's roster for the 2020 edition of the USMNT January camp tells the story of what he hopes to achieve with the month-long exercise as a decisive year for the team and the coach himself gets underway. Berhalter's list of 25 names includes a few players with years of national team experience and the requisite cap numbers . . .
Switching from league to Cup in England
The soccer news starts with another part of the fixture congestion over England's holiday calendar. After multiple league games from Boxing Day through New Years, the Premier League and Championship clubs have another obligation on Sunday. It's the Third Round of the 2019-20 FA Cup with no break for the top two divisions as they enter the tournament at this point. Sunday's schedule has DeAndre . . .
