Tony Meola Exclusive: Former Star Talks MLS, USMNT and Life After Tim Howard

In his United States men's national team career, which spanned nearly two decades, Tony Meola earned 100 caps for the Americans and represented the team in three World Cups. These days, in addition to his work as a commentator and as a coach with the U.S. youth national team setup, Meola works with Allstate to promote youth soccer in underserved communities. This week, as part of that work, he's in Portland where Major League Soccer will be hosting its All-Star game against Bayern Munich on Wednesday. While there, Meola and Allstate will surprise a local youth team and supply the team with new uniforms, warm-ups, bags, balls and tickets to the All-Star game. "Basically, we outfit an entire team," Meola told Bleacher Report. "And, in the end, we give them tickets to the [All-Star] game. The fact that they get to go to these big events...that's the coolest part for me." For the All-Star game itself, Meola expects a wide-open game—the type he wouldn't want to be in the net for. "From a goalkeeper's standpoint, they're not always fun," Meola said laughing. "[It's] always an open game, always a lot of goals, it seems, in the All-Star game. Guys are willing to take risks a ...

5 Things We Learned from MLS Matches from August 1-3

The big story this coming week in Major League Soccer will be the MLS All-Star Game against German champions Bayern Munich. But before the All-Star break began, the league had a full slate of games on tap this past weekend that, once again, didn't disappoint. With just a third of the season remaining, the playoff races in both the Eastern and the Western Conferences are getting tighter by the day, and heading into the home stretch, some teams are just beginning to turn it on, while others are starting to fade away. Here are five things we learned from this weekend in MLS.Begin Slideshow

10 Key Battles for MLS Week 23

Major League Soccer's Week 23 will feature a full schedule of nine weekend matchups, many of which have serious playoff implications on the line as the league heads into the final third of the season. Starting on Friday night when Sporting Kansas City hosts the Philadelphia Union, and finishing up with FC Dallas' trip to Chivas USA on Sunday night, there will be plenty of action. Here are 10 key battles for MLS Week 23.Begin Slideshow

Breaking Down MLS’ Attendances and TV Viewing Figures Following US World Cup Run

Following the United States men's national team's exciting run in the 2014 World Cup, many turned their attention to how that enthusiasm could be transformed into larger support for North America's domestic professional league, Major League Soccer. While much of the media focused on inane questions, such as "Has soccer in America finally made it?" or "Will the U.S.'s World Cup run finally make soccer in America popular?", the reality is that no single event will ever be a watershed moment in the growth of the game in America. From the glory days of the North American Soccer League, inspired by Pele and a host international stars, to the U.S.'s 1994 World Cup run, the inaugural season of MLS in 1996 and the league's signing of David Beckham in 2007, soccer's growth in America has always occurred incrementally. And the numbers show 2014 is no different. According to the blog MLS Attendance, the league in 2014 is slightly above its 2013 attendance numbers with a 0.58 percent increase. The average attendance at an MLS game in 2014 is currently within 100 fans per game of its record average attendance year, 2012. The numbers on television are up significantly, according to Sports Media Watch, with ESPN ...

10 Things We Learned from MLS Week 20

There was plenty to see in Major League Soccer's Week 20, headlined by action on and off the field. Vancouver Whitecaps and United States men's national team fan favorite Jay DeMerit called time on his career early in the week, announcing his retirement. DeMerit's rise from obscurity and English pub league games to the Premier League and eventually a starting spot for the USMNT in the World Cup was chronicled in the documentary Rise & Shine: The Jay DeMerit Story. On the field, Sporting KC kept things rolling, while the New England Revolution and the Montreal Impact continued their respective slides. There were also a number of beautiful goals, highlighted by Gaby Torres', Nick LaBrocca's, Federico Higuain's and Maxi Urruti's tallies. Check out all the action in 10 Things We Learned from MLS Week 20.Begin Slideshow

5 Key Battles for MLS Week 21

Major League Soccer's Week 21 should be an exciting one for fans with eight games spread over six days of action. On Wednesday night, the San Jose Earthquakes drew first blood, beating up on the Chicago Fire 5-1. The rest of MLS Week 21 action will be spread over a game on Thursday night, a game on Friday night, two matches each on Saturday and Sunday and culminating in a great Western Conference battle on Monday night. Here are five of the key games and the battles to watch in each match.Begin Slideshow

10 Things We Learned from MLS Week 20

Major League Soccer had a full slate of action-packed games this weekend in MLS Week 20, but the biggest news of the week came off the field with the league re-signing stars Matt Besler and Graham Zusi. On the field, MLS Week 20 had plenty of highlights, including three separate goals that could end up as Goal of the Year candidates. Here are 10 things we learned.Begin Slideshow

10 Things We Learned from MLS Week 19

With a slate of four midweek matches, Major League Soccer fans had plenty to watch on Wednesday night. Sporting Kansas City went top of the table in the Eastern Conference with a late win, while the Philadelphia Union took three points off the New York Red Bulls. In the all-Canada battle, the Vancouver Whitecaps and Toronto FC split the points and finally, in the late game, the LA Galaxy defeated the New England Revolution. Here are 10 things we learned from the action in MLS Week 19.Begin Slideshow

10 Things We Learned from MLS Week 18

With the 2014 World Cup coming to an end, the attention of many American soccer fans is starting to return home to Major League Soccer. With the league now back in full swing after a brief hiatus during the tournament in Brazil, fans were treated to a number of fantastic highlights this past weekend. Here are 10 things we learned from Week 18 in MLS.Begin Slideshow

Can MLS Develop USMNT Players Capable of Making a Deep World Cup Run?

As exciting as the 2014 World Cup was for United States's national team fans, the harsh reality is that the team advanced no further than it did in 2010. Even more depressingly, the team's 2-1 loss to Belgium in the round of 16 in 2014 was eerily similar to the 1-0 loss the team suffered at the hands of Brazil 20 years ago at the exact same stage in the tournament. There are, of course, exceptions. In 2014, the team advanced out of the "group of death" and was a Chris Wondolowski finish away from a quarterfinal appearance. But "what ifs" don't count for much in football and some have asked why the U.S. hasn't progressed further. As attention now transitions to the next World Cup cycle, there has been a renewed focus on the team's next batch of young prospects and how they can be developed to help the U.S. make a deep World Cup run and compete with the giants of the game. Among U.S. fans, there's a fervent debate about whether these young players are better served heading abroad, or whether their development can be trusted to Major League Soccer. Looking at the U.S.'s 2014 roster, one can't draw any definitive conclusions. While ...