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Soccer Incarcerated: San Jose Earthquakes Visit San Quentin State Prison

The season of giving hasn’t ended for the San Jose Earthquakes. The staff and two players, Eric Calvillo and Paul Marie, started their new year by visiting the San Quentin State Prison to show them drills and watch them play pickup games. 

This was not a typical training session for the Earthquakes, but for the inmates of the San Quentin Soccer Association, it was a privilege to escape from their corrections facility and enjoy a little bit of freedom. 

Jonathan Gonzalez’s First Professional Goal Showcases His Immense Potential

The Liga MX 2019 Clausura season kicked off Friday, 19 days after Club América claimed its historic 13th league title in the Apertura competition. The opening night of play featured Cruz Azul — the beaten Apertura finalists — settling for a draw against Puebla, but how about this strike from La Maquina talisman Elias Hernandez. 

5 Massive Predictions For The 2019 MLS Season

January in MLS is full of combine matches, the SuperDraft, new player signings and the start of preseason. 2018 was a strong year for the league, between Atlanta's amazing run to the Cup (in front of 73,000 fans) to the arrival of Zlatan and Rooney to the expansion news for Miami, Nashville and Cincinnati, MLS made a lot of national noise. 

2019 is poised to be another year of growth as the league continues to make strides on and off the pitch. Here are five predictions for MLS in 2019. 

The MAC Hermann Trophy: How Have Winners Fared Professionally?

The MAC Hermann Trophy is soccer's equivalent of the Heisman. Started in 1967, the Missouri Atheltic Club honors the top male and female collegiate player each year. Much like the college football award, the recipients list is full of players who went on to international success and others who failed at the professional level. 

Tyler Adams’ First Press Conference With RB Leipzig Gets Awkward With Talk About His Girlfriend

Tyler Adams officially began life in Germany this week, the 19-year-old American’s move from New York Red Bulls to sister club RB Leipzig now complete. On Friday, he trained with the club for the first time. Afterword, he joined manager Ralf Rangnick at his introductory press conference, meeting the German media for the first time.

Is Christian Pulisic The Most Overpriced Transfer Of All Time?

Christian Pulisic, a 20-year-old from Hershey, Pennsylvania, is the 25th most expensive player in the history of soccer. 

Really?

As much as we here at The18 love Christian Pulisic, we were a bit blown away by the fee he garnered on his transfer from Borussia Dortmund to Chelsea this week. We understand why, but the more you look at it, the more absurd it appears. 

The Sticky Truth Behind Christian Pulisic’s Mega Transfer And U.S. Solidarity Payments

When Neymar made his record-breaking transfer from Barcelona to PSG, his former Brazilian club Santos, with which he played from the age of 11, received a windfall of nearly $16 million as a solidarity payment.

NBCSN Once Again Shows That It Gets It When Broadcasting Soccer In The U.S.

She said it, and viewers felt it, because NBCSN gets it.

“Best game of the season by a country mile,” Rebecca Lowe said as the NBCSN coverage of Manchester City’s 2-1 victory over Liverpool moved from the announcers in the booth at the Etihad back to the studio analysts stateside. 

The best match of the season, perhaps the most important match of the season, had all the gravitas expected of such an event on Thursday because NBCSN continues to show it is the best soccer broadcaster in America.

Dom Dwyer And Sydney Leroux’s Gender Reveal Gives Us More Hope For The Future Of U.S. Soccer

Just when you thought Sydney Leroux and Dom Dwyer could not exceed couple goal expectations, well, they 100 percent have. On New Year's Eve, the couple revealed the gender of their second child, and this time, Cassius was not as upset about being a big brother. 

Which Minor League Has The Best Team Names In America?

We’ve got Mad Ants, Baby Cakes and Lights. There are Isotopes, Rowdies and Skyforce. And of course Steel, Go-Go and IronPigs. 

When you’re not the best at something, you’ve got to come up with unique ways to promote yourself. I know this first hand from trying to find a romantic partner. 

Minor league sports teams also know this well. It’s why lower-division clubs often have unique nicknames you just don’t find anywhere else.

So which of America’s top three lower divisions — in soccer, baseball and basketball — have the best team nicknames? 

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