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...
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
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
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
Venezia FC’s Meteoric Rise to Success Comes With Skeletons in the Closet
Venezia FC took the football world by storm this past May when they beat Cittadella in the promotion playoff final to earn a spot back in Serie A. This...
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
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
Three Simple Reasons Why Promotion and Relegation Will Never Happen in the US
One of the most common criticisms in regards to soccer in America is the lack of a promotion and relegation system that is quite common across much of Europe,...
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...
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
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
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
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
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
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
Transforming Sky Blue FC into Gotham FC: An Insider’s Deep Dive Into the Rebrand
What motivates a sports franchise to rebrand and essentially perform a complete identity overhaul? Making radical changes to its name, logo, and image is a major undertaking, but one...
