The “off-season” in professional soccer in our country is a different animal anyway; so much attention here is focused on Europe, Mexico and South America that there’s plenty going on, never mind the brief domestic break.
But even here, the first six weeks of 2013 has plenty going on. Here are the highlights (and feel free to “clip and save”):
- Major League Soccer’s annual combine in Florida takes place Jan. 11-15.
- Jurgen Klinsmann’s national team gets into its early training camp on Jan. 14. The camp, mostly for MLS men and players on break in the Scandinavian leagues, goes through Jan. 31.
- Major League Soccer’s draft, held annually in conjunction with the NSCAA convention in Indianapolis, takes place on Jan. 17.
- The MLS supplemental draft is Jan. 22. Somewhere around that time, most MLS teams will begin their training camps (about two weeks earlier than usual due to the league’s earliest first kick date).
- Canada meets Denmark in a friendly in Tucson on Jan. 26. Mexico meets Denmark in nearby Glendale on Jan. 30.
- A growing slate of MLS pre-season tournament begins Jan. 29 with the Desert Friendlies in Tucson, featuring six MLS teams. (For a state with no MLS presence, Arizona sure has a lot to say about pro soccer in winter. Well done, Ariz.!)
- Also on Jan. 29, Klinsmann’s national team camp concludes with a friendly in Houston against Canada. A few days later, the team gathers in Miami to train for a day or so before …
- … A Feb. 6 date in Honduras to open final round World Cup qualifying.
- The U.S. women’s team begins its 2013 schedule with a friendly against Scotland in Jacksonville on Feb. 9.
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Jozy Altidore to the U.S. rescue! And there is a lot of that going around lately
Jun 19, 2013, 2:00 AM EDT
Feel free to ask yourself at this point: where would the United States be in World Cup qualifying without its young, in-form striker:
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How the United States men did individually in Tuesday’s 1-0 win over Honduras at Rio Tinto Stadium:
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What we learned from the U.S. World Cup qualifier win over Honduras
Jun 19, 2013, 12:26 AM EDT
Some take-aways from the he United States’ 1-0 win at Rio Tinto outside Salt Lake City:
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Jozy Altidore was the hero for the United States, cooly slotting a left-footed shot to hand the Stars & Stripes a 1-0 victory over Honduras.
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Graham Zusi? Fabian Johnson? Jozy Altidore? Who ya got?
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Is the Pablo Mastroeni trade another smooth move from that wily Bruce Arena?
Jun 18, 2013, 8:33 PM EDT
The LA Galaxy coach has taken aging players and made them useful parts of the roster before:
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Everyone loves “The Pope”
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Tim Cahill is the first Major League Soccer man to qualify for the World Cup.
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Our weekly re-ordering of Major League Soccer teams, following 16 rounds of play:
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Some of the best U.S. success in the past has come when the United States was backed into a corner. Tonight looks much different:
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There are a few choices to be made ahead of Tuesday’s match in Utah:
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About that brilliant atmosphere last week in Seattle: Rio Tinto Stadium in Utah will rock, too
Jun 18, 2013, 12:30 PM EDT
Unsaid in this narrative is this: most U.S. sites are bright and alive these days.
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Stuart Pearce has been relieved of his duties as manager of England’s U-21 squad.
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Australia join Brazil and Japan as nations that already have booked their place in next summer’s World Cup.
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Talking about what’s ahead, plus more on tonight’s match at Rio Tinto Stadium outside Salt Lake City:
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Scottish football takes another hit as Hearts prepare for administration
Jun 18, 2013, 7:56 AM EDT
Hearts have put the entire squad up for sale to raise the reported £500,000 needed to get the club to the start of the season.
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Big opportunity ahead as United States faces Honduras in World Cup qualifying action
Jun 18, 2013, 6:00 AM EDT
The teams meet tonight outside Salt Lake City as the drive for Brazil 2014 moves forward:
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Huge cost of World Cups: Did we need a protest like Brazil’s to point out the obvious?
Jun 18, 2013, 12:10 AM EDT
Reuters
Brazil has infrastructure concerns. They’ve also spent $3.3 billion on soccer stadia. No surprise, people aren’t happy.
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Christian Eriksen’s potential for Borussia Dortmund a particularly cloudy picture
Jun 17, 2013, 10:43 PM EDT
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The mythology of Ajax, Dutch soccer and one stars’ struggles outside the Dutch league make this potential transfer difficult to evaluate.
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Ancelotti may be impatient, but Real Madrid wait should prove inconsequential
Jun 17, 2013, 8:23 PM EDT
It’s only a matter of time before Ancelotti’s holding pattern’s resolved.
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Video: Police clash with protesters in Brazil
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Video: Highlights: Sounders win in final minutes
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Video: Highlights: Revolution dismantle Galaxy
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Video: What does New York FC have to do to succeed?
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Video: The Hype: Bending the screen like Beckham
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Video: Galaxy's Rogers talks about coming out to the public
