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...
Naked Truth
LAFC’s Carlos Vela is a Prime Example of Why the Designated Player Rule is Broken
The MLS Designated Player Rule allows clubs the ability to sign expensive players without exceeding the team salary budget. First introduced in 2007, the same year as the original...
Naked Truth
Allowing Zlatan Ibrahimovic to Leave Has Been MLS’ Worst Mistake
Prior to his arrival there were months of tabloid speculation. Although the league had moved away from the practice of signing aging stars past their prime, rumors of Zlatan...
Naked Truth
Championship-or-Bust Expectations Led to the Downfall of Bob Bradley
In a big city like Los Angeles, with its siren-like call of glitzy Hollywood and seductive promises that seem just within reach, it has always been championship or bust...
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
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
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...
Naked Truth
Lorenzo Insigne’s $100M Record Contract is a Clear Signal That MLS’ Salary Cap No Longer Works
It has been widely reported that Napoli's Lorenzo Insigne has agreed to join Toronto FC in July after finishing out the 2021-22 season in Italy. The 30-year-old Italian winger notched a...
Naked Truth
How The Embarrassing Feud Within the Washington Spirit Organization is Actually a Huge Win For All NWSL Players
There’s been a long and publicly drawn out battle occurring within the Washington Spirit organization. Amidst accusations of abusive behavior and a toxic club culture, this is a situation the National Women's...
Naked Truth
The NCAA’s Recent NIL Policy is a Treasure Trove for College Athletes But Represents Only Fool’s Gold for Soccer Players
After decades of the NCAA resisting the ever-increasing demands for its athletes to receive financial compensation, a combination of various state laws and NCAA rules changes went into effect...
Naked Truth
Why 2022 is a Make-or-Break Year for Both LAFC and Carlos Vela
In February, LAFC unveiled their "Five Years Strong" slogan to kick off their 2022 MLS season. While intended to signify a milestone in their short history, a five-year mark...
Naked Truth
Why ‘The Sopranos’ is the Greatest TV Show of All Time and What MLS Can Learn From It
There have been plenty of masterful TV shows over the years including Mad Men, Game of Thrones, Breaking Bad, The Wire and many others. But with all due respect, the...
Naked Truth
The Biggest Hurdle in This Year’s World Cup for the USMNT ‘Golden Generation’ is Their Youth
The level of excitement around the United States men's national team has reached a fever pitch now that it is going back to the World Cup for the first...
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...
Naked Truth
Will Kyrie Irving’s COVID-19 Vaccine Stance Affect MLS and Other Major Sports?
Kyrie Irving, NBA star of the Brooklyn Nets, has been indefinitely barred from playing or practicing with the team as a result of his decision to not get the...
Naked Truth
Boom or Bust: Gareth Bale and LAFC’s Desperate Moment of Truth
Gareth Bale's relationship with Real Madrid and its fans may have been doomed from the start. While his €100 million ($132 million) transfer from Tottenham in 2013 made him...
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...
Naked Truth
Corruption, Exploitation, and Death: The Dark Road to the 2022 World Cup in Qatar
The controversy began from the onset when Qatar was announced as winning the right to host the 2022 World Cup. In December 2010, former FIFA president Sepp Blatter made the...
Naked Truth
Cristiano Ronaldo Reminds Us That Aging with Grace is Almost Impossible for the World’s Best Athletes
On August 27, 2021 when Manchester United announced they had agreed to terms with Juventus to sign Cristiano Ronaldo, it was heralded as a triumphant return of their long...
Naked Truth
There’s a Palpable Sense of Urgency for Neymar in What is Likely His Last World Cup
It's difficult to decide whether Neymar Junior has met or fallen short of the grandiose expectations that were laid on his young shoulders so many years ago. Making his...
