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Dear America: Start Following MLS Now, Because World Cup
Are you ready to play the World Cup Game again, America? It's that one that comes around every four years, when so many of us get super duper excited for a glorious sporting month, start saying words like "match," use the word "football" all out of context and feel so much emotion about this amazing game.
And yet it's also the one where so few of us can match a single United States Men's National Team (USMNT) face to name without help from a numerical roster.
Soccer's tide is rising Stateside, and there are plenty of people here whose passion for and knowledge of the beautiful game rivals that of fans anywhere else. But for the rest of us, perhaps it's time to step up our soccer fandom. That way, by the time the World Cup begins on June 12, we will have already graduated from n00b status when it comes to supporting the USMNT.
Doing that starts now, and this year we're presented with a special opportunity: Roughly half of the 23-man American roster this summer is expected to come from the United States' domestic pro league, Major League Soccer. Contrast that to 2010, when just four MLS players wore the red, white and blue for the USMNT; the rest of the team was composed of guys who played pro ball in foreign leagues.
See also: World Cup Draw: What You Need to Know
Why the change? In part, Americans face a tough market for their services in the top European leagues. But MLS has also boomed in quality since 2006, making it a more viable option now for American players who want to play against solid competition while collecting decent paychecks.
That's great for all those pro soccer players. But it's even better for casual soccer fans. This year it's easier than ever to get to know the USMNT players who will play in Brazil come summer — before the World Cup actually starts.
So with all due respect to Jozy Altidore, Aron Jóhannsson, Tim Howard and the others plying their trade overseas, consider this a layman's guide to MLS for the USMNT fan, a pre-summer World Cup bootcamp for the American soccer supporter. For help, we called up two experts who know the space as well as anyone: Noah Davis, a deputy editor for American Soccer Now, and Kyle McCarthy, Fox Soccer's MLS editor.
First, some quick background
Sporting Kansas City goalkeeper Eric Kronberg, upper right, leaps to make a stop against host Seattle on March. Sporting defender Matt Besler, bottom right, looks on,
Image: Ted S. Warren/Associated Press
The 2014 MLS season began March 8 in Seattle, where the host Sounders beat Sporting Kansas City before the league's most legendary home crowd. Things are already well under way, but you still have plenty of time to get up to speed.
USMNT coach Jürgen Klinsmann has to submit his 30-man preliminary World Cup roster to FIFA (the sport's global governing body) by May 13. Training camp will likely start a couple days after that, then Klinsmann has to name his final roster by June 2. So the upshot is you've got about six weeks to watch MLS soccer before USMNT training camp opens.
Teams typically play about one MLS match per week. Saturdays are the busiest MLS days, followed by Sundays, with the occasional Wednesday match thrown in as well. You can see a full MLS schedule here.
5 MLS players to watch
We're leaving out Landon Donovan of the Los Angeles Galaxy, Michael Bradley from Toronto FC and Clint Dempsey of the Seattle Sounders. Arguably the USMNT's three most recognizable players, they're already somewhat familiar to most fans.
So here are five more MLS players who haven't reached that level of fame, but will nonetheless be needed for the Americans to find success in Brazil this summer.
Omar Gonzalez: Gonzales plays defender for the Los Angeles Galaxy, stands an imposing 6-feet-5-inches and should be a key anchor for the American defense in Brazil this summer. McCarthy says he "had options to go overseas" last year, but the Galaxy enticed him to stay Stateside with a new contract and a pay raise.
Image: Moises Castillo/Associated Press
Graham Zusi: Sporting Kansas City's star midfielder is creative in the attack and adept at setting up teammates for goals. He's on the roster for the USMNT's April 2 friendly match against Mexico, and will likely be a key role player for the team in Brazil.
Eddie Johnson: Johnson often came up huge for the USMNT during qualifying play by scoring some big goals. But, as Davis says, "he has the highest of highs and the lowest of lows — when he's playing well he's great, but when he's bad he's not a national team-quality player." Johnson plays for the D.C. United after a disappointing stint trying to crack the European pro scene.
Matt Besler: A Sporting Kansas City defender, Besler has become trusted by Klinsmann since getting his first national team call-up in August 2012. He and Gonzalez may well be the USMNT's center defensive pairing this summer, according to McCarthy.
Kyle Beckerman: Beckerman is a scrappy midfielder who plays for Real Salt Lake. More talented midfielders will likely eat up the bulk of playing time in Brazil, as that's probably the team's deepest position. But Davis says Beckerman's heart and hustle mean he's unlikely to get completely pushed out. Either way, he's fun to watch with Real Salt Lake — and just look at those natty dreads!
Real Salt Lake midfielder Kyle Beckerman is shown prior to the start of the second game of the Western Conference finals against the Portland Timbers in the MLS Cup soccer playoffs, Sunday, Nov. 24, 2013, in Portland, Ore.
Image: Ted S. Warren/Associated Press
More MLS names to remember: Clarence Goodson, defender, San Jose Earthquakes; Brad Evans, midfielder, Seattle Sounders; Mike Magee, forward, Chicago Fire; Chris Wondolowski, forward, San Jose Earthquakes. Can't get enough? American Soccer Now's "ASN 100" ranks the top 100 American players worldwide and updates every couple months.
4 MLS teams to follow
If you'd rather track some MLS teams than specific players to get World Cup-ready, these four are a great place to start.
Los Angeles Galaxy: The Galaxy are perhaps the most recognizable team in MLS, and they're led longtime USMNT mainstay Landon Donovan. Between him and defender Omar Gonzalez, the Galaxy have two players who will be crucial to the American's chances in Brazil.
Seattle Sounders: The Sounders made major noise last August when they signed USMNT star Clint Dempsey away from the English Premier League. He's the biggest deal here, but the Sounders also have USMNT hopeful Brad Evans. An added bonus: Seattle's home crowd is wild, raucous and one of the funnest in American sports.
Sporting Kansas City: Led by Zusi and Besler, two players whose USMNT stars are on the rise, Sporting plays an entertaining style that's relatively accessible to the casual soccer fan. Oh, and the club won last year's MLS title.
Toronto FC: We're recommending Toronto here for one reason and that reason is named Michael Bradley. "He's the engine that makes the U.S. team go," Davis says. "He doesn't do anything great, but he's just one of those guys who's always in the right place at the right time." Led by Bradley, Toronto has recently ascended to MLS respectability from the league's cellar, and watching them can give you a sense of what the midfielder Bradley brings to the USMNT.
7 key American soccer dates
United States manager Jurgen Klinsmann, right, talks with Landon Donovan during a World Cup qualifying soccer match against Mexico in Columbus, Ohio, on Sept. 10, 2013.
Image: Jay LaPrete/Associated Press
May 13: Along with the other 31 countries in Brazil this summer, the USNMT must submit its initial 30-man roster pool to FIFA by this date.
June 2: FIFA's final roster deadline and the date by which we'll know the 23 Americans playing in the World Cup.
June 16, 22 and 26: The U.S. was unfortunate to land in this year's "Group of Death," as each World Cup's toughest group is called. The USMNT takes on Ghana on June 16, Portugal on June 22 and Germany on June 26. If the Americans can finish in the top two of this challenging group, they advance to the World Cup's elimination round. If they don't finish in the top two, it's pack the bags and fly home.
June 28: The start of the World Cup's single-game elimination Round of 16 tournament — which, with some luck, will include the USMNT.
July 13: The 2014 World Cup final, to be held at the Maracanã, Rio de Janeiro's iconic soccer stadium. It would take a miracle of epic proportions for the USMNT to reach this stage.
But hey, that's why they play the games — er, matches — right?
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