Southern Soccer Scene

By Ray Alley After struggling for several years to get a foothold in Major League Soccer’s pecking order for an expansion team, Charlotte has apparently shot to the front of the line. Several potential owners/investor groups floated proposals, all requesting financial support from City and Mecklenburg County coffers. Included was the issue of a new […]

Chattanooga Football Club has announced the on-field leadership for its first fully professional season. Long-time Chattanooga FC head coach Bill Elliott will move into a Technical Director role with the club, and Peter Fuller, last season’s Associate Head Coach, will be taking the reins as Head Coach for 2020. “We are blessed to have such […]

By Randy Vogt Most of the games I ref are under the U.S. Soccer umbrella, so official time is kept by the match referee. If time needs to be added, I announce, “A minimum of three minutes of stoppage time,” just as is done in professional games. I cannot remember the last time anybody has […]

The USL championship was won by Real Monarchs, the second-division club of MLS Real Salt Lake.  The Monarchs beat the New York Red Bulls II, 3-1.  The Red Bulls are also owned by a MLS club, and like the Monarchs, serves as a reserve team for the parent club. Down the stretch, Real Monarchs, launched […]

Some say that missing the 2018 FIFA World Cup was a wake-up call for U.S. Soccer!  Unfortunately, the federation only hit the snooze button! Since being eliminated in CONCACAF qualifying, and missing the FIFA Men’s World Cup in Russia, Gregg Berhalter was named the new Men’s National Team Coach. He has been on the sidelines […]

There will be no honeymoon period for new U.S. Women’s National Team head coach Vlatko Andonovski, who has been appointed to replace Jill Ellis. The competition comes quickly as he will be on the sidelines for the USA’s final two matches of the year, against Sweden on Nov. 7 at MAPFRE Stadium in Columbus, Ohio […]

Darren Powell is out as head coach of ULS Championship San Antonio FC.  He had held that  job since 2016 when the club was launched. The team failed this past season to make the playoffs for the third time in four years, dropping to 11th in the standings in the final week of the regular […]

Christmas came early for US Soccer, when teenager Sergino Dest announced that he would commit his international career to the United States. The 18-year-old defender, who plays for Dutch pro giant Ajax, was also eligible to play internationally with the Netherlands.  Dest has represented the U.S. at the 2017 Under-17 World Cup and 2019 Under-20 […]

The 2019 NWSL championship game between the North Carolina Courage and the Chicago Red Stars was settled by halftime.  The Courage held a 3-0 halftime lead on goals by Debinha, Jessica McDonald and Crystal Dunn.  Samantha Mewis made it 4-0 with a second-half goal. The final was the third straight for the Courage, which has […]

By Ray Alley It was around the noon hour back on the East Coast of the USA. Seven time zones away on a very hot Sunday evening in Lyon, France a young 24-year old midfielder carved up the The Netherlands’ defensive back line.  She saw the space in front of her and she took it. […]