Fire Will Rely On Pappa For Creative Spark
by Jeff Carlisle (Profile/Interview | ESPN - February 28)
Breaking up may be hard to do, but you'd never know it by the way the Chicago Fire have moved on after the offseason departure of Cuauhtemoc Blanco. more details | go to article

U.S. Duo Helps Lead Everton Over United
by Jeff Carlisle (Profile/Interview | ESPN - February 21)
When Everton defeated Chelsea 2-1 10 days ago, manager David Moyes lamented that he didn't think he could prevent Landon Donovan from heading back to the United States when his loan expires in mid-March. But after watching Donovan help the Toffees slay another giant on Saturday, this time in a 3-1 win over Manchester United, Moyes may be tempted to resort to nefarious means to keep the U.S. international in Everton blue. more details | go to article

MLS Labor Stoppage Looms As CBA Talks Stall
by Jeff Carlisle (Analysis | ESPN - February 20)
So much for the spirit of cooperation. The radio silence that has characterized negotiations on a new collective bargaining agreement between Major League Soccer and the MLS players union ended abruptly Friday, with the MLSPU alleging that the league has shown little inclination to compromise on the issues the union holds dear. more details | go to article

Last Chance To Impress Bob Bradley
by Jeff Carlisle (Analysis | ESPN - February 14)
Time is a measurement that has an oddly elastic quality. There are moments when 10 seconds can seem like an eternity. more details | go to article

CBA Negotiations Still In A Delicate Position
by Jeff Carlisle (Article | ESPN - January 31)
When Major League Soccer and the MLS Players Union announced they would continue negotiations on a new collective bargaining agreement through Feb. 12, it was followed by a huge sigh of relief. The proverbial two-footed tackle that is a work stoppage had been dodged, at least for the moment. more details | go to article

Dynamo Could Prosper Even Without Clark And Holden
by Jeff Carlisle (Preview | ESPN - January 24)
MLS has long been a league that punishes success. Expansion constantly chips away at a team's depth, while the added burden of international competition stretches a club's roster to the breaking point. more details | go to article

U.S. Won't Overlook Its Opponents
by Jeff Carlisle (Preview | ESPN - December 8)
Remember the old adage, "Be careful what you wish for, you may get it?" The U.S. men's national team should. more details | go to article

U.S. Team Hopes For Favorable Draw
by Jeff Carlisle (Analysis | ESPN - December 1)
Will the U.S. reach the knockout stages of the 2010 World Cup? It's a question that has been on the minds of U.S. soccer observers since the team clinched qualification back in October. more details | go to article

Perez Was The U.S. Team's First Genuine Playmaker
by Jeff Carlisle (Profile/Interview | ESPN - October 3)
As Hugo Perez sits down at his kitchen table, he looks like a contented man. And why not? He lives in a beautiful two-story house in the sun-splashed Northern California town of Vallejo. He's happily married, has five children, and earns a comfortable living as a full-time scout and technical advisor for the U.S. Soccer Federation's Development Academy. more details | go to article

U.S. Team Taught A Painful Lesson By Brazil
by Jeff Carlisle (Analysis | ESPN - June 18)
It has been said that a bad rehearsal leads to a good performance. The U.S. men's national team can only hope that is the case, as its 3-0 loss to Brazil all but eliminated it from the Confederations Cup and raised even more doubts about the team's chances at the World Cup next summer. more details | go to article

Short-Handed U.S. Runs Out Of Steam Against Italy
by Jeff Carlisle (Result | ESPN - June 15)
It's safe to say that angst, hand-wringing, and gnashing of teeth weren't originally on the itinerary of the U.S. men's national team when the squad left for the Confederations Cup last week. more details | go to article

A Chance For The U.S. To Measure Up Against Top-Class Opposition
by Jeff Carlisle (Preview | ESPN - June 12)
Practically from the moment Bob Bradley took over as head coach of the U.S. men's national team, it was evident what players would comprise the core of his squad. more details | go to article

U.S. Shows Grit In Comeback Against Honduras
by Jeff Carlisle (Analysis | ESPN - June 6)
World Cup qualifying was supposed to be a mere formality for the United States, but reality is proving to be something very different. The Americans continued to make life hard for themselves in Saturday's match against Honduras, yet they took a major step toward qualification with a vital 2-1 victory over the Catrachos. more details | go to article

U.S. Regroups Before Critical Clash Against Honduras
by Jeff Carlisle (Preview | ESPN - June 5)
Ever since Bob Bradley took over as head coach of the U.S. men's national team, his mantra has been, "Be tough to play against." For the most part, Bradley has succeeded in imparting that mindset. Yet in Wednesday's 3-1 humbling at the hands of Costa Rica, the Americans were weak and timid, and recapturing that intense edge will be paramount in winning this Saturday's critical World Cup qualifier against Honduras. more details | go to article

U.S. Enters Critical Phase Of Qualifying Campaign
by Jeff Carlisle (Preview | ESPN - May 28)
Every successful World Cup qualifying campaign goes through a critical stretch where a team can look back and say, "That was where qualification was won." Such a period usually involves difficult opponents, tough away environments or a compressed schedule. As luck would have it, the United States will encounter all of these factors next week when it plays Costa Rica away on June 3, and then returns home to play Honduras in Chicago three days later. more details | go to article