Inspiring

Paul Caligiuri is often credited with scoring the most important goal in U.S. men’s soccer history, the “shot heard ’round the world” in 1989. Four years prior, he took part in another legendary moment: the longest soccer match in NCAA history, one that didn’t end until nearly four hours after kickoff. 

As any soccer fanatic knows — be it a player, a spectator or even a parent — the game is more than just a game, it’s a lifestyle. 

My lifestyle started when I was five, but I can’t say that I myself initiated it. Like any other terrible toddler, my parents put me in an array of sports, hoping one would stick and get me out of their hair.

Soccer just so happened to be the answer. The best sport in the world chose me, and I chose it.

With the Bundesliga taking center stage around the planet this past weekend, millions tuned in on Sunday to watch league-leader Bayern Munich go through the paces in a 2-0 win over Union Berlin. While the two-month break obviously took its toll on the standard of play, Bayern relied on the unshakeable midfield brilliance of Thiago Alcântara to establish the rhythm of play and control 62 percent of possession.

When thinking of heroines and heroes on the pitch, the referee isn’t typically too high on the list, but American ref Katja Koroleva is proving to be one of the sport’s biggest heroines during the pandemic.

In an interview with Los Angeles Times writer Kevin Baxter, Koroleva shared her experiences while battling the novel coronavirus as a physician assistant.

A quick guide to who's who in the Bundesliga as the season is set to resume this weekend (in order of league standings). 

2019-20 Bundesliga Club Guide

#1. BAYERN MUNICH 

Manager: Hans-Dieter Flick 

Player to watch: Robert Lewandowski  

The Bundesliga is ready to go this weekend with TV schedules and a plan. Meanwhile, the Premier League has been given tentative clearance from the UK government to possibly resume on June 1 behind closed doors.

That awkward feeling of meeting people on the first day of a new job or in a new classroom still exists in professional soccer. When Christian Pulisic made the move from Borussia Dortmund to Chelsea last summer, the transition wasn’t the easiest.

The USMNT star experienced some speedbumps with his new club, but he's since made tremendous progress from his first day at Chelsea.