Naked Truth
The True Reason Why American Soccer is Lagging Behind and Why Almost Everyone Gets It Wrong
There is an ongoing debate as to why U.S. men's soccer isn’t competitive with the top football countries in the world. Of all the various reasons and criticisms that...
Naked Truth
How Freddy Adu, America’s Greatest Soccer Prospect, Was Tragically Set Up to Fail
A naturalized American citizen from Ghana, Freddy Adu's skill on the pitch was recognized early on. Growing up in Maryland, he was offered a lucrative deal from Italian club...
Urban Hype
Breaking Down the Playground Cliques at the MLS Is Back Tournament
LAFC? Theater kids. Portland Timbers? Hipsters. Chicago Fire? Class clowns. We separate each MLS club into their playground cliques for the MLS Is Back Tournament.
In preparation for next week's...
Editorial
Did Luka Modric Really End the Messi-Ronaldo Ballon d’Or Era?
By hoisting the Ballon d'Or on Monday night, has Luka Modric simply borrowed the award for a year, or have the trophy cases of Messi and Ronaldo spent their final moments with the cherished golden orb?
Fashion
The Year In Review: The Best Boots of 2020
As 2020 comes to a merciful close, we once again take a look back at the best the year had to offer. We continue with the 10 best boots...
Editorial
Why the Potential USL Women’s League to Rival NWSL Is A Bad Idea
Talks of a USL women's league have gained momentum, and while it may seem like a good idea on paper, adding another first division league may do more harm...
Editorial
The Mexican Team that Reigned Supreme in American Indoor Soccer
The short-lived Monterrey Flash of Monterrey, Mexico, were an indoor professional soccer team. Despite changes in location and talent, the team went on to accomplish one of the most impressive records...
Naked Truth
USL Players Are Set to Receive Higher Pay, But How Does it Compare Against the Underground Scene of Latino Leagues?
The USL and its players association reached an agreement in principle on a collective bargaining agreement for the second-division USL Championship. It is being touted as a landmark achievement...
Naked Truth
Racial Abuse is Still Prevalent in Football, But Public Outrage is Lacking When Perpetrated Against Asian Footballers
Wolverhampton Wanderers striker Hwang Hee-chan is one of two South Korean players in the Premier League, along with Son Heung-min of Tottenham Hotspur. Last year in August, the Wanderers...
Editorial
Searching for the Perfect Street Ball: A Trio of World-Class Futsal Entries
They say all you need is a ball. True, but which ball is best? Pele would say a sock full of newspaper is just fine. A freestyler might say...
Editorial
It’s Time to Bring Back ’90s MLS Kits in Their OG Form
Forget retro-inspired. We need '90s MLS kits back in their true form, and sooner rather than later. As the league celebrates its "Jersey Week," we examine why bringing back...
Naked Truth
I Quit Corporate America to Pursue My Passion (This is What I Discovered)
In 2015, I made a life-altering decision to quit my job and leave corporate America for good. I went from a secure career that came affixed with a corporate...
Naked Truth
The Key Takeaways From the Kylian Mbappe Saga
It's Officially the Kylian Mbappe Era
We've known for quite a while now that Mbappe was the heir apparent to Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. There was a brief moment...
Editorial
Addressing the Toxic Wasteland That Is Women’s Sports Social Media
Go to any women's sports-centric posts online and you'll find a shocking amount of ignorance even by social media standards. And whether these comments are from edgelords fishing for...
Music
The Year in Review: The Best Football-Adjacent Music of 2020
As 2020 comes to a merciful close, we once again take a look back at the best the year had to offer. We begin with music, as we count...
Editorial
We Don’t Need a World Cup Every Two Years — But the Issue Isn’t as Black and White as it Seems
FIFA's push for a biennial World Cup continues to move forward despite pushback from fans, clubs, and players alike. The outrage at the idea is more or less warranted,...
Urban Hype
Neymar Jr’s Five Tournament Embodies Rise of Street Football Movement
It wasn’t something that could be seen, or heard, or even touched. But you could feel it all around you. Something in the air. Stepping foot on the parking-lot-turned-street-football-pitch...
Naked Truth
A 40-Year-Old Feud, a $5 Million Sports Rooster, and How the Unpredictable Diego Maradona Tied Them All Together
It’s serendipitously fitting in so many ways that as Diego Maradona’s infamous "Hand of God" World Cup kit goes to auction, it is accompanied by claims of falsehood and...
Editorial
International Football Is Losing Its Soul
The return of club football last weekend only made it more apparent how bland international breaks have become. Besides the major tournaments, international football has become difficult to watch...
Fashion
Controversial Kits: Arguing For and Against Liverpool’s Warrior Era
Welcome to Controversial Kits, a new series at Urban Pitch where we take a look at some of the most polarizing football shirt designs and argue both in favor...