Primary Sidebar
Follow Steve On Twitter
About Steve Davis
I started writing about soccer in the early 1990s at The Dallas Morning News — when covering the sport for a major U.S. daily was a career killer in the eyes of baseball-centric editors. But such parochial attitudes helped crush the newspaper industry, I’ve moved on and, well, here we are.
In a fabulously lucky life, I’ve written about four World Cups, countless U.S. qualifiers, more MLS matches than I can possibly remember and everything else attached to domestic soccer.
Now I write for SI.com and MLSSoccer.com in addition to doting on this blog. And I stay attached to the rest of the world with regular work for several national (non-soccer) magazines.
Contact me directly at BigTexSoccer [at] yahoo [dot] com
Cheers, y’all
Talking Thierry Henry, stadiums and U.S. players abroad
by Steve Davis on Sep 2, 2010 1:35 PM EDT
0 comments
I usually leave the soccer aggregating up to this guy. How he finds the time while doting on that epic beard, I’ll never know – but he does.
But I wanted to call attention to a couple of Jim Dandies.
A lot of sites dish the dime on
Since some of you have written to say they enjoy my tactical columns, and since there’s so much content on MLSSoccer these days that looking for any one, single piece is harder than looking for a virgin in biker bar, I’ll make it easy for you. Here is yesterday’s piece on Thierry Henry and his positioning with Red Bull
I keep telling people that
MLS Award projections: MVP, Coach of the Year and more
by Steve Davis on Sep 1, 2010 10:54 AM EDT
13 comments
All the smart patooties around SB Nation’s soccer family have started a Major League Soccer awards tracker. The initial voting will be available soon. Meanwhile, you can check out my selections at this point.
(FYI, if you haven’t checked out the SB Nation soccer offerings lately, do yourself a solid and look ‘em over. SB Nation soccer editor Richard “Fingers of Fury” Farley continues to fill up the site’s soccer front page with great content. Meanwhile, we recently added blogs dedicated to EPL leaders Chelsea and, just to prove we’re not frontrunners, the struggling Houston Dynamo in MLS. You’ll get ‘em next year, guys. And there’s more to come as SB Nations continues to fill out its burgeoning roster of soccer blogs.)
But I digress. Back to morning topic … While enjoying an icy, limey Pacifico last night, here’s the list I put together. Feel free to tell me where I went wrong. (About the MLS list, that is; there is no wrong when it comes to icy limey Pacifico.)
MLS MVP
1. Fredy Montero
2. David Ferreira
3. Javier Morales
(More, including Defender of the Year and Goalkeeper of the Year)
What Bob Bradley, Sunil Gulati had to say Tuesday
by Steve Davis on Aug 31, 2010 12:56 PM EDT
11 comments
“We certainly believe that the work that went into past four years, the experience we’ve had, will really work for us as we put one cycle behind us and begin the cycle of the next four years,” Bradley said.
You can hear the entire hour-long news conference on U.S. Soccer’s podcast later … or you can scan the highlights here.
Among them:
Gulati allowed that, yes, he did think long and hard about the tendency for managers to do worse on their second World Cup go-round. It was a significant consideration and a concern… but not much more than that, he said.
“I came to the conclusion that the experience and the record, the work over the last four years, overcome any issues over the last four years of staleness,” Gulati said.
(Much more … read on)
Bob Bradley to Aston Villa? Not gonna happen
by Steve Davis on Aug 30, 2010 6:36 PM EDT
7 comments
If there were any wheels to this Bradley to Villa Park thingy, well, the suits in
Club officials, communicating through the official website, pretty much said “Bob Bradley need not apply.” In speaking publicly for the first time, they listed some of the requirements. Dig, if you will, this picture of a job that is not for someone without a Premiership background.
Two of the traits we believe are of crucial importance are that candidates have experience of managing in the Premier League and a strategy for building on the existing strengths in our current squad.
You can read the rest of it here. Or you can just take my word for it.
I said it here last week that this wouldn’t happen. It’s another great reminder that just because some media site “links” someone with a job, that does not put someone on the fast track to employment there.
Justin Braun: great young U.S. player you may not know about
by Steve Davis on Aug 30, 2010 10:19 AM EDT
5 comments
There are some pretty good U.S. Soccer supporters out there who know their ins and out of the domestic game; they know their Eddie Johnsons from their Eddie Lewises. But even those armed with a tall stack of knowledge may not know much about Justin Braun.
I thought a lot about that dude last night as I watched Chivas should be posted later today is up now. I’m not above that kind of thing, stealing zingers and such. You’ve been warned.)
If it weren’t for Braun, Chivas
That dude was an absolute horse. With very, very little help around him, Braun created a few chances for others, provided a consistent target with lively, well-timed runs and hit for the game’s only goal. And what a goal it was! Far as I can remember, the last I saw someone score on a 17-hard header was Thomas Dooley against
Here’s the other thought I had regarding Chivas
I mean, are they even trying to establish a brand there? (Read on for more about Braun and Chivas USA)
MLS reserve league en route for 2011; details still being sorted
by Steve Davis on Aug 27, 2010 11:17 AM EDT
12 comments
Significant momentum is rising to resurrect Major League Soccer’s reserve league in 2011. I really believe it will happen, and the league really will be better for it.
The form that league takes, however, is still anyone’s guess. It’s all being sorted out now by the league’s technical and competition committees. Major League Soccer’s board of directors will vote on proposals in November in
Here’s what they are trying to reconcile, according to one MLS manager I spoke to earlier this week:
There’s a lot of talk over regionalizing the league, possibly into East, West and Central. There is some pleasant symmetry behind that concept: 18 teams divided into three regions creates a double-round robin schedule of 10 matches each.
But the relatively light volume of contests is the first point of debate; Some officials are pushing for more than 10 games. Of course, each reserve league match adds to the cost, mostly in travel. These aren’t necessarily hard times in MLS (despite the struggling economy) but teams aren’t flush with cash, either.
Playing more than 10 matches probably would require movement beyond the regional concept. After all, how many times would the Chicago Fire reserves want to face the Columbus Crew reserves?
All these looming decisions are also tied into roster sizes and player availability. No one wants to see a repeat of the reserve league follies past, as staff members, assistant coaches and local semi-pros were recruited just to fill out some matches. Much eye-rolling ensued. “This is our ‘reserve league’ ”?
So, all that needs to be hashed out.
Meanwhile, here’s something else the coach told me, and it’s pretty interesting: (click forward for more …)
Amazing night in Mexico City: RSL, ridiculous rain, implausible comebacks
by Steve Davis on Aug 26, 2010 2:34 PM EDT
9 comments
Also file under: You had to see it to believe it
You may not care about CONCACAF Champions League. We chewed up that ground last week.
And you may not care about
But if you just want to hear about a fascinating night, you should know about the crazy-whack events last night down in
This contest was instantly ridiculous due to the volume of rain. Huge puddles on the field made actual soccer impossible. RSL’s usual tidy passing game was back in the locker room, safe and dry. This match was unrecognizable as real professional soccer – no pun intended.
Someone call that funny Daniel Tosh fellow. He needs to show this madcap scene on Tosh.0.
But soon enough RSL was ahead 3-1 and I see the night for what it is. The story here isn’t the weather – the story here is historical achievement.
“This is huge,” I’m thinking! No MLS team has ever won in
In praise of the streaking striker
by Steve Davis on Aug 25, 2010 12:29 PM EDT
6 comments
One immutable truth to the global game is that strikers reap the most handsome paydays.
Oh, the blue ribbon goalkeepers and center backs of the world don’t exactly need to pick up cans along the side of the road for extra spending cash, but those paychecks generally just aren’t as hefty.
Here’s one of the reasons why: a hot striker can absolutely carry a team.
I’ve read a couple of stories in the last couple of days about the Los Angeles Galaxy about what’s gone wrong at
On the other hand, what might the Galaxy’s last month or so look like if Edson Buddle was striking at the prodigious rate we saw earlier this year?
Buddle hit for No. 10 on July 4 as the soaring Galaxy topped
Secondary Sidebar
User Tools
FanPosts
Community blog posts and discussion.
Recent FanPosts
FanShots
Quick hits of video, photos, quotes, chats, links and lists that you find around the web.
Recent FanShots
Certain photos copyright © 2010 by Associated Press or Getty Images. Any commercial use or distribution without the express written consent of Associated Press and Getty Images is strictly prohibited.
