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
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
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
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
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 Undeniable Blueprint USL Should Follow to Force a Merger with MLS
Major League Soccer kicked off its 30th season last Saturday, with all 30 teams getting back to the action on the pitch. Earlier in the same week, the United...
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
CONCACAF Champions League is Still Irrelevant, But That Needs to Hurry Up and Change
In 2022, the Seattle Sounders made history by defeating Pumas UNAM of Liga MX to become the first MLS team to win a CONCACAF Champions League title. Sadly, this...
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
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...
Anonymous Mailbag
Anonymous Mailbag No. 3: The MLS Talent Pipeline
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
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
Pay-to-Play Critics Have No Defense For These Undeniable Truths
The pay-to-play model is the commonly accepted punching bag that is usually cited as the primary reason for what is wrong with U.S. Soccer. But is that really the...
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
Ready or Not, Here She Comes — A Second Women’s Professional League In the US
The USL recently made a surprise announcement that their women's Super League would push back their launch date to 2024 and apply to U.S. Soccer for Division I sanctioning....
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
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...
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.Â
These...
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...
