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
The Hidden, Ugly Side of Youth Soccer, Part 2: Nightmare Parents, Feeble Leadership, and Dirty Politics
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
Lionel Messi’s Eighth Ballon d’Or Will Finally Catapult MLS Onto the World Stage
There have been a few defining moments during the 29-year history of MLS. Development of soccer-specific stadiums, implementation of the designated player rule to facilitate the signing of David...
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 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...
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
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
The LA Galaxy Boycott Has Begun to Unravel and Fold — What Happens Next?
After enduring a decade of on-field failures and tumultuous leadership under Chris Klein's presidency, five LA Galaxy supporters’ groups released a joint statement of their intention to boycott matches...
Naked Truth
Major League Soccer Should Learn From the NBA’s Documented History of Great Moves and Horrible Mistakes
I have a desire to see Major League Soccer grow and become a popular, entertaining league where the players are millionaires along with its games being displayed in abundance...
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
LA Galaxy Supporters Are United in Their Boycott — But Will It Ultimately Work?
The news that Chris Klein would return for an 11th season as president of the LA Galaxy was quietly announced on a Thursday evening in a two-sentence statement to...
Naked Truth
With a Triumphant World Cup Victory at Last, Lionel Messi Makes a Convincing Case for Being the GOAT
The otherworldy achievements by Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo have been so effective in surpassing everyone else that throughout their careers, for better or worse, their names have been...
Naked Truth
Klein is Finally Out – So What Now for LA Galaxy?
The LA Galaxy finally announced the firing of president Chris Klein on Tuesday. Amid a disastrous 2-9-3 start that had them sitting in last place in the MLS table,...
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...
Anonymous Mailbag
Anonymous Mailbag No. 2: Twitter Wars and Youth Soccer Ethics
Welcome to the 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 today.
These...
Naked Truth
Started From The Wire Now We’re Creed: Is MLS Finally Past Being “Corny?”
While making an appearance for the premiere of Creed III, actor-director Michael B. Jordan had a rather interesting interaction on the red carpet with The Morning Hustle host Lore'l....
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
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
Pay-to-Play is Good for Soccer and the Harshest Critics are Hypocrites
I'll begin by saying that I am not arguing that there aren't certain issues, unscrupulous practices, or problematic cracks within the pay-to-play model — there are. However, I am...
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...
