Naked Truth
Inter Miami Brazenly Cheated MLS Rules…But Was It So Wrong?
MLS first introduced the designated player rule in 2007 in order to give clubs more flexibility to sign lucrative deals with marquee players. It was informally called the David...
Naked Truth
Championship-or-Bust Expectations Led to the Downfall of Bob Bradley
Since their auspicious beginning, it was clear to all that the bar had been set high for the upstart team. But with this year’s failure to make playoffs coupled...
Anonymous Mailbag
Anonymous Mailbag No. 4: Quitting Corporate America
Here is our latest Urban Pitch Anonymous Mailbag, where we answer your unfiltered questions and replies to our stories or any particular issues and topics in soccer and culture...
Naked Truth
The Key Takeaways From the Kylian Mbappe Saga
One of the highest profile transfer sagas in recent years finally came to an end this past Saturday when PSG announced that Kylian Mbappe would be signing a new...
Naked Truth
Cristiano Ronaldo’s Virtue Signaling Cost Coca-Cola $4 Billion While Exposing His Own Hypocrisy
During a Euro 2020 press conference on Monday, Cristiano Ronaldo purposefully moved two strategically placed Coca-Cola bottles out of view. He then picked up a water bottle and set...
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
The Crypto.com Arena Deal Shows How Much the Business of Soccer Still Lags in the US
It was recently announced that LA's iconic Staples Center would be getting a new name in time for Christmas: Crypto.com Arena. The 20-year agreement, thought to be the biggest naming...
Naked Truth
Why Promotion and Relegation is Overrated and a Closed System is Far Superior
The sentimental idea behind promotion and relegation seems fair, good-natured, and based upon a system of meritocracy. In practice, this is a complete fallacy and the stark reality is...
Naked Truth
EURO 2020 Shows That Even the Highest Levels Aren’t Exempt From Nightmare Soccer Moms
One of the surprise stories coming out from EURO 2020 is the report of the contentious behavior by Veronique Rabiot, the mother of France midfielder Adrien Rabiot, towards other...
Naked Truth
Pay-to-Play is Good for Soccer and the Harshest Critics are Hypocrites
The pay-to-play model is probably one of the most maligned and yet vastly misunderstood and mischaracterized topics regarding soccer in America today. It is often described as being detrimental...
Naked Truth
Are the USL and MLS Headed Towards an Ugly Divorce?
Major League Soccer recently announced the official launch of its third division league, MLS Next Pro. Set to begin play with 21 teams in March of 2022, 20 of...
Naked Truth
FC Barcelona Ditching Luis Suarez is a Disastrous Repeat of the Tom Brady Situation
Luis Suarez’s acrimonious departure from FC Barcelona to Atlético Madrid this past September is eerily reminiscent to what happened with Tom Brady and the New England Patriots. While Brady’s move resulted...
Naked Truth
Lionel Messi’s Historic Run at Barcelona is Over…But Who is to Blame and Where Can He Go?
Speaking at a news conference on Friday, FC Barcelona president Joan Laporta made the shock announcement that negotiations to keep Lionel Messi at the club had ended. Expressing that...
Anonymous Mailbag
Anonymous Mailbag: The Pay-to-Play Debate
We had a lot of comments come in from readers in regards to my most recent article Pay-to-Play is Good for Soccer and the Harshest Critics are Hypocrites. There...
Naked Truth
The Murky Partnership Between US Soccer and MLS is Finally Coming to an End
The United States Soccer Federation announced that it would be parting ways with MLS-owned Soccer United Marketing (SUM) and not renewing their commercial rights agreement. The nearly 20-year partnership...
Anonymous Mailbag
Anonymous Mailbag No. 5: The Suarez-Brady Connection and Zlatan vs. LeBron
Here is our latest Urban Pitch Anonymous Mailbag, where we answer your unfiltered questions and replies to our stories or any particular issues and topics in soccer and culture...
Naked Truth
American Professional Soccer is Basically That Cringeworthy, Rich, and Dysfunctional Family
Major League Soccer recently announced the launch of a third division league set to start in 2022. It is being touted as a bridge between MLS Next academies and...
Naked Truth
The Ugly, Hidden Side of Youth Soccer, Part 1: Bad Coaching, Wanton Poaching, and Jaw-Dropping Embezzlement
The fast-paced world of club soccer isn’t just about shuttling kids to practices, cheering them on at games, and traveling to high profile tournaments on weekends. Spurred on by...
Naked Truth
Lorenzo Insigne’s $100M Record Contract is a Clear Signal That MLS’ Salary Cap No Longer Works
Fifteen years ago, Major League Soccer created the Designated Player Rule and cleared the path for David Beckham and subsequent stars to join the league. Since then, MLS has...
Naked Truth
The Coddled Generation of U.S. Soccer Players Have No One to Blame But Themselves
There's a certain level of criticism regarding the state of the beautiful game in the United States that is fair. However, when unsuccessful players from Generation Y (millennials) or...
