U.S. Soccer teamed up with the You Can Play Project to celebrate LGBTQ Pride Month in early June's international friendlies. The You Can Play Project is centered on securing equality, respect and safety for all athletes, coaches and fans of any sexual orientation or gender identity.
On Saturday, during halftime of the USMNT’s 1-1 draw with Venezuela, the preliminary 40-man roster for the 2017 Gold Cup was revealed. Manager Bruce Arena now has about three weeks to narrow that list down to the final cut of 23 players. The United States will open the tournament on July 8 against Panama.
This 40-player pool came with several surprises. MLS dominates the list with 32 of the selections being domestically-based. Here are a few of the more interesting decisions from Arena for the 2017 Gold Cup.
It shouldn't have to be like this, USMNT. Christian Pulisic is only 18 years old, but suddenly everyone is looking to him to be the catalyst of the offense. It's true that Pulisic is the best player on the team, but it's also true that he's an 18-year-old on a team with other very good players on it, players who need to carry their shares of the load.
As far as friendlies go, this was about as productive as they come for both Mexico and the Republic of Ireland. El Tri will now return to Mexico City for two key World Cup qualifiers (against Honduras and the United States) at the Azteca brimming with confidence after thrashing Ireland 3-1.
For Ireland, manager Martin O’Neill got a good hard look at his fringe players before a crucial World Cup qualifier against Austria in Dublin — not many of them would’ve passed this difficult litmus test.
The United States matched their biggest-ever triumph on the U-20 World Cup stage, and Mexico scored a game-winner in the 89th minute as North America sent two representatives into the 2017 FIFA U-20 World Cup quarterfinals — just as many as South America and one less than Europe.
Rumors of John Brooks’ transfer from Hertha Berlin to Wolfsburg in the Bundesliga have been confirmed, and the reported fee of $22.4 million makes the USMNT defender the most expensive American player of all-time.
Brooks is currently in Denver with the U.S. squad ahead of a friendly against Venezuela and two key World Cup qualifiers against Trinidad & Tobago at home and Mexico at the Azteca. The fee paid for Brooks is roughly twice as much as the previous record, the $11 million Sunderland paid AZ Alkmaar for Jozy Altidore back in 2013.
Over 62,000 Mexico supporters bore witness to a bit of El Tri history on Saturday night at the Los Angeles Coliseum as Javier “Chicharito” Hernandez moved clear of Jared Borgetti as the national team’s all-time leading goal scorer with 47.
Remarkably, Chicharito and Borgetti share the same strike rate for Mexico. The Santos Laguna legend scored 46 in 89 matches, and the Bayer Leverkusen striker has scored 47 in 91 — both make for an average of 0.52 goals per game.
Juan Carlos Osorio has announced the preliminary 32-player squad, which will later be reduced to 23, that will battle for Mexico throughout June in two crucial World Cup qualifiers, including one against the United States at the Azteca, and the 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup in Russia.
This group of predominantly foreign-based players will not receive any break following the end of their European club seasons as Mexico will face Croatia in Los Angeles on May 27 and Ireland in New Jersey on June 1 in friendly matches.
Fans yelling at players, making obscene gestures and just being overall ridiculous in the stands...it's all a part of the culture of professional sports. It's the jelly to a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, and it's just something that professionals and spectators have to accept.