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
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...
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
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
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 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
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
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
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
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...
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
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
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...
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...
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
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
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
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 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
The Columbus Crew Rebrand Fiasco Exposes the Disconnect Between MLS Owners and the Common Fan
After unveiling a new crest and changing its name from “Columbus Crew SC” to “Columbus SC,” there was an outpouring of negative reaction from the club's vocal supporters. A...
