USMNT

Players like Bryan Ruiz, Clint Dempsey, Javier Hernandez and Dwayne De Rosario (recently retired) have been leading their respective countries attacks for years now. With the 2018 World Cup qualifiers underway, these young forwards, aged 24 and under, will be looking to make massive contributions on the road to Russia.

So, how do the forwards stack up against each other? Which CONCACAF nation has the most promising goal scorer? Don't let your allegiance and bias cloud your judgement...or do. We won't stop you.

Let’s get this out of the way: there was absolutely nothing Tim Howard could do about this second goal from Stoke City’s Xherdan Shaqiri on Monday. The ball over the top is sublime and Shaqiri’s first touch is even more sensational, lobbing the ball over Howard and into the top corner with zero hesitancy.

Prior to her final game, Abby Wambach drummed up her best Donald Trump impersonation, including both his political xenophobia and TV-like firings. By now you know what she said. If not, listen to the podcast here.

Initial reactions criticised Wambach almost for taking any sort of position on the matter rather than the appropriateness of her comments. Wambach has never been a quiet leader. She notoriously drops the F-bomb to fire up her team.

Pachuca unveiled their latest signing Tuesday with a timely, yet bizarre, pop culture reference. Clad in Darth Vader’s getup and stepping to “The Imperial March,” Pachuca’s new arrival, Darth Omar, made his way to the podium along with a Sith Lord, Stormtrooper and an undersized Chewbacca.

With Star Wars fever firmly gripping the planet, who can blame Pachuca for catching the bug? It makes for an oddly captivating viewing experience.  

United States international Fabian Johnson is in the form of his life for club team Borussia Monchengladbach. If Johnson consistently performs at this level for the Foals over the course of the campaign, it could well represent the greatest season ever for a US soccer player in a top European league. 

It’s an accomplishment any time a player can score for her country. Abby Wambach has done it 184 times, more than any other player (male or female) in the world. While that feat is amazing, Abby didn’t score her first goal until her second game.

As a tool to build flexibility and rehab from injuries, Jermaine Jones sometimes takes to yoga. He's become so enmeshed in the yoga world that he has become the host of a yoga DVD called "Yoga for Conditioning" by yoga company Gaiam.

The USMNT exoerienced a heart-wrenching defeat earlier this month at the hands of Mexico in the Confederations Cup playoff. We caught up with USMNT midfielder Jermaine Jones to get his thoughts on the game and the immediate future of the USMNT.

Jermaine Jones played soccer in Germany, Turkey and England before he played in the country he represents as an international. 

An old-school defensive midfielder for both the New England Revolution and the U.S. Men's National Team, Jones will knock you to the ground whenever he damn well pleases. He plays with an edge, and he might be on edge because he misses home.

Despite the current turmoil and many (MANY!) calls for his dismissal, Jürgen Klinsmann isn’t going anywhere. United States Soccer President Sunil Gulati intends for his coach/technical director to stay on board for the 2018 World Cup in Russia. So with a job approval rating similar to Herbert Hoover’s after the stock market crash in 1929, how can Klinsmann salvage his second World Cup cycle? Here are 5 players that can save Klinsmann and give the USMNT a chance at making it to Russia 2018.