U.S. Goalies' Reach Extends Across Atlantic
by Jack Bell (Profile/Interview | New York Times - May 24)
When Tim Howard was 6 or 8, his career path was already being MapQuested by a coach who perhaps did not know about tactics but did understand proportion. more details | go to article

Altidore And Life In The Fast Lane
by Jack Bell (Profile/Interview | New York Times - May 21)
Jozy Altidore will be wearing the same new, flashy, lightweight soccer cleats, his in garish yellow, as Lionel Messi and David Villa in next month’s World Cup. He has joined a worldwide advertising campaign for Adidas with two of the game’s big stars. It is fast company. more details | go to article

Browsing Bookshelves Until The Games Begin
by Jack Bell (Blog Entry | New York Times - May 11)
Every four years, there are certain unassailable commercial indications that the World Cup is near: sporting goods companies unveil new national team jerseys, companies offer promotions to try to cash in on World Cup fever, and desks begin to groan under an avalanche of (mostly) new soccer books. more details | go to article

The Netherlands vs. U.S.
by Jack Bell (Blog Entry | New York Times - March 2)
The United States on Wednesday will be decked out in its new threads, courtesy of Nike, for its friendly match against the Netherlands at the Amsterdam Arena. The day before, the calendar clicked below 100 days until the start of the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. more details | go to article

Dynamo's Cruz: A Curious Route To M.L.S.
by Jack Bell (Profile/Interview | New York Times - February 28)
For most young American soccer players, the road to the pros — whether in Major League Soccer or abroad — usually begins as a precocious sprout, jersey reaching past his knees in the beehives of youth soccer. more details | go to article

Time Running Out For Some U.S. Players
by Jack Bell (Preview | New York Times - February 23)
For a majority of the 20 players on the roster, Wednesday night’s international friendly match against El Salvador is likely to be their last opportunity to wear the red, white and blue for a while. more details | go to article

M.L.S. Labor Talks Get Hot
by Jack Bell (Blog Entry | New York Times - February 22)
The protracted labor negotiations between Major League Soccer and the union that represents the league’s players over a new collective bargaining agreement, conducted under a cone of silence and extended twice since the original Jan. 31 deadline, burst into public view over the weekend. more details | go to article

RBNY To Use RFID At The Turnstiles
by Jack Bell (Blog Entry | New York Times - February 22)
Thousands of soccer fans passing through the turnstiles at Red Bull Arena will never hear these words: “Tickets, please.” more details | go to article

In 'Pelada,' Pickup Games Around The World
by Jack Bell (Blog Entry | New York Times - February 15)
If the director Martin Scorsese can do a horror flick, then next month’s South by Southwest film festival can serve as the world premiere for a soccer film, “Pelada.” Right? more details | go to article

Champions League Final On Fox…in Hd
by Jack Bell (Blog Entry | New York Times - February 10)
The UEFA Champions League final: Same day, same time, different channel. more details | go to article

In Midst Of Recession, Bundesliga Thrives
by Jack Bell (Blog Entry | New York Times - February 9)
The German Bundesliga wants the world to know that even in these trying economic times, it is solvent and competitive — a soccer island in Central Europe that exudes diligence, steady growth and smart management. more details | go to article

Altidore: "a Tremendously Well-Taken Goal"
by Jack Bell (Profile/Interview | New York Times - February 7)
With one well-timed swing of his right foot, Jozy Altidore on Saturday helped to ease the pain in his personal life and the pressure in his professional. more details | go to article

It's Official: FIFA Selects Gang Of 30 For World Cup
by Jack Bell (Blog Entry | New York Times - February 6)
The Seychelles has one. So does Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Saudi Arabia, Mali, Algeria, Malaysia and Hungary. And New Zealand has two. The United States? None. Zero. Zip. more details | go to article

St. Louis Bulks Up In W.P.S.
by Jack Bell (Blog Entry | New York Times - February 4)
St. Louis Athletica of Women’s Professional Soccer waltzed away with three quality players on Thursday in the dispersal draft of talent from the defunct Los Angeles Sol. more details | go to article

Knowledge Is Good. But Is Technology?
by Jack Bell (Blog Entry | New York Times - January 27)
The timing was simply too delicious to pass without comment. After digging in his heels the past several years in opposition to the prospect of using new technologies in soccer, Sepp Blatter, the president of FIFA, has apparently had a change of heart. more details | go to article