USA

When one wants something more than anything in the world, one has to make sacrifices. This is especially the case for professional athletes.

Newcastle United manager Rafa Benitez’s preference for the tactically astute Vernon Anita at right-back has made league minutes tough to come by for DeAndre Yedlin. However, a three-match suspension for Anita opened the door for the 23-year-old American.

Yedlin was preferred to the Spaniard Jesus Gamez on Saturday for Newcastle’s league encounter with Aston Villa. The American seized his opportunity with a man of the match display but was unfortunately subbed off due to an apparent ankle injury in the 73rd minute.

The North American Soccer League, founded in 2009 as the second tier of the American soccer league system, is in dire straits. The 12 team league is facing a significant change as it heads towards its 7th season. 

The American women’s game has been on a roller coaster of a ride over the last 14 months. From winning the World Cup to individual player scandal; failing to win an Olympic gold for a record fourth time to successfully completing a fourth season of league play for the first time. 

While all of that is happening at the highest level, the NWSL’s Seattle Reign and U.S. Soccer are quietly working to build the next generation of league and USWNT stars. 

If you haven’t turned on a television, listened to the radio, picked up a newspaper, scrolled through Twitter or checked Facebook in the last few weeks, let me get you up to speed: the national anthem is a BIG deal. 

America’s “Star-Spangled Banner” became everyone’s favorite hot-take after San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick began kneeling during the anthem in protest of racial inequality and, more specifically, the treatment of African Americans in the United States. 

After Abby Wambach was pulled over and arrested for driving under the influence of intoxicants in Portland, Oregon on April 2, 2016, she took full responsibility for her actions.

In a recent interview, Wambach admitted to abusing alcohol and prescription drugs during her soccer career.

A historic fourth season for the NWSL has been competitive down to the final week. With five matches left in the regular season, four teams still have everything to play for. We took look at the weekend ahead and the NWSL Playoff scenarios for each team. 

The NCAA has moved three college soccer events out of North Carolina because of a discriminatory law legislating who can and cannot go into certain bathrooms.

These are the events the NCAA moved from North Carolina:

2016 Division I Women’s Soccer Championship, College Cup (Cary), Dec. 2 and 4.   

2016 Division III Men’s and Women’s Soccer Championships (Greensboro), Dec. 2 and 3.

September 15, the USWNT dominated Thailand 9-0 in Columbus, Ohio. It was the first time we saw star player Megan Rapinoe kneel-down as the rest of the players and stadium admired America by standing for the national anthem. Rapinoe did not start in the game against Thailand for reasons that are unknown. This week Rapinoe continued her protest by kneeling during the national anthem before the USA beat the Netherlands 3-1.