USMNT

Ahh soccer. Yes, soccer. Not football, but soccer. American soccer. 

Americans who follow the world’s game have it tougher than footie fans just about anywhere else on the planet. In the U.S., soccer isn’t the most popular sport — it’s not even in the top four — providing unique challenges to those who love the beautiful game.

But American soccer fans persist, because our love for the game is greater than any annoyance.

Here are 11 most annoying things about being an American soccer fan:

I’ll never forget the buildup to Chipotle’s first restaurant in London. I was studying there at the time and the “COMING SOON” signage on Charing Cross Road would hit hard around lunchtime on a Saturday afternoon. A cohort of Americans would stand outside the scaffolding and strain to see inside the darkened edifice for any signs of that spar, industrial interior design coming together. It’s hard to tell how much progress is being made when the piping is always exposed.  

Disgraced former USMNT manager Jürgen Klinsmann has doubled down on his belief that he had the nation “in a good place” and on track for “the final four” at the 2018 World Cup despite his final game in charge — a 4-0 defeat to Costa Rica in San José — echoing through time as the second-most abject, clueless performance in the history of the program (the nadir being that night in Couva).

Rewind about five years and you'll find a name on the USMNT that most people have forgotten about: Aron Johannsson. People were excited about his potential and what the then 24-year-old could bring to the national team after scoring 17 goals and picking up 16 assists for AZ Alkmaar in the Eredivisie.

Since that season, Johannsson has struggled with injuries and has barely seen the field, not only taking him off the pitch but also off the USMNT, where he scored four goals in 19 appearances.

Recently named the USMNT Young Male Player of the Year, Sergiño Dest has had quite an impressive 2019-20 season already. He's logged major minutes for Ajax in the Eredivisie and chose to represent the USMNT over the Netherlands (still trying to figure out why, to be honest).

Sports and politics have long been intertwined. For as long as athletes have had a platform, they’ve used it to speak up for their beliefs and ideals, from Muhammad Ali and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to Tom Brady and LeBron James.

But when it comes to American politics, soccer players have long been on the periphery, too obscure for anyone to really notice come election day. That began to change somewhat in 2016, and based on an announcement on Friday, 2020 could be a big year for American soccer players in politics.