U.S. Roster Soap Opera Settled On Daytime TV
by George Vecsey (Commentary | New York Times - May 27)
The call came after 2 in the morning, but DaMarcus Beasley was not asleep. His roommate, Oguchi Onyewu, gave him hugs and handshakes, and that was how Beasley knew he was going to the World Cup again. more details | go to article

Bradley Logs Miles Before World Cup
by George Vecsey (Profile/Interview | New York Times - February 25)
To keep track of the vast diaspora of American soccer players, Bob Bradley sometimes slips into Europe. He doesn’t use a James Bond disguise kit; sometimes he even lets the players know he is coming. more details | go to article

World Cup Draw Is Kind To The U.S.
by George Vecsey (Commentary | New York Times - December 4)
The World Cup draw for the United States was not even so bad when England popped out first from the magician’s hat. Then the draw kept getting better for the Yanks as Algeria and Slovenia materialized. more details | go to article

U.S. Victory Was A Miracle On Grass
by George Vecsey (Commentary | New York Times - June 25)
The stunning 2-0 victory by the United States over Spain — the best team in the world — is probably the greatest victory by the men’s national soccer team. more details | go to article

Last Line Of U.S. Defense Is First To Face Critics
by George Vecsey (Commentary | New York Times - June 6)
Ever since the United States’ dreadful 3-1 loss in Costa Rica on Wednesday night, soccer fans have been saying it was reminiscent of some of the worst losses by the American men’s team in the past quarter-century — to Czechoslovakia in the 1990 World Cup, to Iran in the 1998 World Cup, and some horror shows in qualifying matches, for that matter. more details | go to article

U.S. Soccer Keeps Searching For A True Home Game
by George Vecsey (Commentary | New York Times - June 6)
The common wisdom is that the United States does not like to schedule — is afraid to schedule — World Cup qualifiers in major Latino cities. But the Americans dared to play in front of a crowd of 55,647 fans at Soldier Field that was 60 percent in favor of Honduras on Saturday night, and the United States survived. more details | go to article

Nothing Ever Seems Easy For U.S. Soccer Team
by George Vecsey (Analysis | New York Times - June 5)
Now it gets interesting. Having taken no points in the 3-1 loss in Costa Rica on Wednesday night, the United States must work deeper into the qualifying round to advance to the World Cup in South Africa next June. more details | go to article

M.L.S. Opener Touches On Deep-Rooted Soccer Nostalgia
by George Vecsey (Commentary | New York Times - March 19)
Is it just me, or does anybody else feel a wave of nostalgia about New York opening the Major League Soccer season at Seattle on Thursday night? more details | go to article

Brisk Wind Infuses The U.S. With Zip And Zing
by George Vecsey (Commentary | New York Times - February 12)
When Mexico and the United States meet, the heavens always rumble — although not necessarily like the nasty storm that blew in Wednesday night before the home team defeated the Mexicans, 2-0, in a World Cup qualifying match. more details | go to article

A World Cup Qualifier. In Ohio. In February. Cool.
by George Vecsey (Commentary | New York Times - February 10)
The weather forecast for Wednesday’s Mexico-United States soccer match includes thunderstorms, wind gusts, and temperature dropping from the 50s. more details | go to article

U.S. Travel Plans: Heartland To China
by George Vecsey (Commentary | New York Times - March 21)
The only player on the field wearing a long-sleeve jersey, Freddy Adu distinguished himself in much more important ways Thursday night, spinning a pair of goals as the United States beat Canada, 3-0, to qualify for the Summer Games in China. more details | go to article

Secret Of World Cup Success: Teamwork
by George Vecsey (Commentary | New York Times - July 3)
The ritual is held before every World Cup match: Eleven players blend together for a group photograph, some crouching, some standing, a digital moment in time — just like the World Cup itself. more details | go to article

U.S. Needs An Invisibility Cloak
by George Vecsey (Preview | International Herald Tribune - June 16)
KAISERSLAUTERN, Germany The other day, a few Italian players were asked to identify the members of the American soccer team but could not get very far past Claudio Reyna, the captain, who has been playing in Europe for a decade. more details | go to article

No Longer Innocents Abroad
by George Vecsey (Analysis | New York Times - June 3)
THEY are no longer a novelty act. The Americans who arrived at the World Cup with sleepy faces and lethargic motions yesterday have been this way before. As soon as they get over the first stupefying blast of jet lag, they will be in a familiar place. more details | go to article

For A Day, Giants Stadium Is A Friendly Pub
by George Vecsey (Commentary | New York Times - June 1)
WELCOME to the quaint English village of Beckham-on-Hackensack. The New Jersey swampland was converted to a local pub yesterday, with banners of favored English teams draped from the lower stands. more details | go to article