Yardbarker
Yardbarker

Alyssa Clang

Alyssa is a Boston-born Californian with a passion for global sport. She can yell about misplaced soccer passes in five languages and rattle off the turns of Silverstone in her sleep. You can find her dormant Twitter account at @alyssaclang, but honestly, you’re probably better off finding her here.

Portland eyes MLS revival after surge against Seattle

The Portland Timbers are ninth in the Western Conference -- six places below the Seattle Sounders, their chief rival. But you wouldn't know it from the way they have dominated Seattle lately.

Vintage Vela performance lifts LAFC over cross-town rivals

MLS has many great rivalries, but there's just something special about Los Angeles. With the hungry, undefeated upstarts of LAFC on one side and the fading, yet-to-win legends of the LA Galaxy on the other, LA's cross-city game--known colloquially as El Tráfico--carries real narrative heft.

Injuries threaten Manchester United's status in Premier League

Lisandro Martinez's injury is the most recent in a long list of injuries for Manchester United. From Raphaël Varane to Alejandro Garnacho to Marcus Rashford, the Red Devils are facing an injury crisis at the worst possible time.

High-flying New England, Columbus make cases for old guard in MLS

Major League Soccer is often attracted to what's shiny and new. The New England Revolution and Columbus Crew — teams that started in the MLS in the mid-1990s — are subverting that trend.

USMNT names MLS-heavy lineup for Mexico friendly

Twenty-one of coach Anthony Hudson's 23 selections play in MLS — a big change from his last lineup, which included only one domestically based player.

AC Milan roll back the years to deliver shock European victory

AC Milan used to be the undisputed kings of Europe. The team has taken home seven European championship titles, with the most recent coming in 2007. These days, only Real Madrid have won more.

Loss of striker leaves U.S. women's team pondering options at left wing

The U.S. Women's National Team won both its pre-World Cup friendlies against Ireland, but those victories came at a steep price and have left the team with some questions to answer ahead of the World Cup. 

Rodri screamer lifts Man City over Bayern Munich in Champions League

It started off as a cagey, closely run tactical battle, but it ended up being a blowout. Manchester City held their nerve and tore Bayern Munich apart to secure a 3-0 victory from the first leg of their Champions League quarterfinal.

How savvy FC Cincinnati stormed to first in the MLS standings

FC Cincinnati, which joined the MLS in 2019, is playing in true Pat Noonan style, without drama or flash. Its rise is so sneaky that even regular MLS viewers may be shocked to see FC Cincinnati in first.

While crosstown rival soars, L.A. Galaxy languish in basement

Saturday marks the 18th incarnation of Major League Soccer's El Trafico, the hotly contested Los Angeles derby. Two very different Los Angeles franchises will play against each other in 2023 — one at the top of the standings (LAFC) and another (Galaxy) languishing, hopelessly, at the bottom.

Unai Emery's high-flying Aston Villa have Europe in their sights

Aston Villa versus Leicester City was supposed to look...different. For one, it should've taken place last September, at a time when Villa were 17th in the table and Leicester were rock-bottom in 20th.

NWSL confirms 2024 Bay Area expansion

After a fourteen-year absence, division 1 women's soccer is returning to Northern California. The National Women's Soccer League (NSWL) announced Tuesday morning that the Bay Area would be home to the league's fourteenth franchise.

Graham Potter sacked by Chelsea after wild Premier League weekend

After failing to win his game against Aston Villa, coach Graham Potter of Chelsea was sacked Sunday night--leaving the London club without leadership with just 10 games remaining in the Premier League season.

F1 drivers left fuming after messy Australian Grand Prix

Lando Norris scored his first points of the season Sunday in Melbourne, but even he was left incensed after a controversial end to the Australian Grand Prix.

Unhappy with club president, L.A. Galaxy fans group to stage protest

The L.A. Galaxy has won more championships than any other MLS team, picking up five trophies from 2002-2014. But now it is languishing at the bottom of the Western Conference -- a place the Galaxy has found itself far too often in recent years.

Bundesliga team scouting Cincinnati FC striker

Cincinnati FC's Brandon Vazquez has long aspired to play in the best leagues in Europe, and it sounds like he may soon get that opportunity.

Tottenham executive receives global soccer ban

After the ignominious departure of head coach Antonio Conte, Tottenham Hotspur has lost another key leader in director of football Fabio Paratici.

Nations League preview: How U.S., Mexico, Canada, Panama stack up

After several weeks of competition, the CONCACAF Nations League has locked down its semifinal stage: the U.S. vs. Mexico and Panama vs. Canada. 

For rebuilding NWSL champ Portland, season kicks off in grand style

The Portland Thorns may have won the National Women's Soccer League title last season, but things were far from rosy in the Rose City.

What tumbling Atlanta United must do to stop its fall

Atlanta's next four games — against the two New York clubs, Toronto and Chicago — will show whether it is a title contender or a pretender. Here's what the Five Stripes must address to get back on their feet.

In drastic move, wobbling Bayern Munich fires coach

Bayern Munich has fired coach Julian Nagelsmann after a wild Bundesliga week that saw the 10-time consecutive champions fall behind Borussia Dortmund in the German season standings.

The Folarin Balogun decision: Will hyped striker choose England or U.S.?

With a clear need for his talents and a home World Cup on the horizon in 2026, the U.S. may well be the place where Balogun feels appreciated most.

NWSL's San Diego Wave bring soccer and stability to Southern California

The Wave entered the NWSL on, well, a wave of that professionalism and positivity. After signing Alex Morgan and Naomi Girma, the expansion club dominated its first season in 2022.

What to expect from Italy-England Euros rematch

A fresh European Championship cycle kicks off Thursday with a familiar fixture: Italy versus England, a rematch of the 2020 (played in 2021) tournament final. Here's where both squads are at heading into the match.

MLS confirms English power as All-Star Game opponent

Premier League powerhouse Arsenal FC will return to the United States this summer as the opponent for MLS stars in the league All-Star Game.