Senior reporter for @TheAthleticSCCR ⚽️ . Author of The Messi Effect @StMartinsPress. AVAILABLE NOW! 🇺🇸🇨🇷
Chicago, IL
Joined July 2009
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I'm thrilled to announce my book, The Messi Effect, comes out June 9 and is available now for preorder.
It takes you behind the scenes of Messi in Miami and into the MLS boardroom as owners debate how to grow in a fast-evolving American soccer landscape.
read.macmillan.com/lp/the-me…
Sources: Pep Guardiola is expected to be a top USMNT target if Manchester United snares Pochettino.
Guardiola already turned Italy down, but U.S. interest in Pep has been there dating back a long, long time.
With @tombogert and @HenryBushnell:
nytimes.com/athletic/7773820…
#USMNT coach Mauricio Pochettino is expected to be in charge for Concacaf Nations League games against Haiti on Saturday and Tuesday despite ManU talks, per sources.
With @HenryBushnell, @tombogert and @AdamCrafton_:
nytimes.com/athletic/7773683…
For a coach whose life philosophy has been to "dream without limits," the gargantuan task of turning around Manchester United might be too much to pass up.
On Poch, ManU and the #USMNT. My column:
nytimes.com/athletic/7769416…
CF Montreal owner Joey Saputo announces club is for sale, quite forcefully does not rule out relocation.
"If the club doesn’t find a local buyer and I get an offer where the club needs to be relocated, then I have no choice."
With @tombogert:
nytimes.com/athletic/7768367…
CF Montreal owner Joey Saputo announces he will initiate "a structured sale process" for the club.
"We believe this is the proper time to identify new ownership for CF Montreal," he says.
Says goal is to "ensure continuity, preserve stability" for building next phase of club.
I know there's Messi fatigue, but if you're an MLS fan wondering where the league is going in 2027 and beyond, this book explores the business of soccer in America and what's influencing MLS owners and execs as they weigh the league's evolution.
us.macmillan.com/books/97812…
If you ever enjoyed an episode of Allocation Disorder or you want an inside look into how Larry Berg thought about MLS before being named the next commissioner, it's all in The Messi Effect.
us.macmillan.com/books/97812…
I'll be in Austin next week for the Texas Book Festival talking The Messi Effect, the future of MLS and the U.S. men's national team. I'll stick around to sign books after the event.
Come listen and chat with me after!
#USMNT manager Mauricio Pochettino talks about building chemistry, trying different combos and adding players to find the right "balance" for the U.S.
"It’s important always to try to add new ideas, new ways to try to perform."
nytimes.com/athletic/7753621…
Mauricio Pochettino has summoned a squad with top World Cup veterans and some of the best young prospects in the USMNT pool.
Could we see Pulisic-Cavan in the lineup together? A couple *new* debutants?
With @tombogert:
nytimes.com/athletic/7751252…
"The Roots have demonstrated that a community can build a compelling professional soccer brand. What they have yet to prove is that such a club can sustain itself without the financial resources traditionally required to compete in American professional sports."
The Oakland Roots have been a model for sports franchises that center community. But does America have a space for such anymore?
On this critical moment for Oakland’s pro soccer team and what their predicament conveys about modern sports
nytimes.com/athletic/7737640…
Recruiting dual nationals is a complicated process. For players, they are emotional decisions tied into national and cultural identity.
For one potential #USMNT dual-nat, it could be even bigger. Not every process is as simple as "come play for the U.S."
nytimes.com/athletic/7729960…
Lewy: "Olise for me is like: ‘Wow.’ He’s the game-changer player. ... His decisions are perfect. He knows timing, he know when he should shoot to score a goal, he knows when to play the pass, what kind of pass. I love to watch Lamine, but also Olise.”
nytimes.com/athletic/7709528…
“Of course I have that fear (of after football). Because I can plan something ... but in the end, I don’t know what my heart tells me.
"It’s a fear because I have so many questions that I don’t have the answer to yet."
1-on-1 with Robert Lewandowski.
nytimes.com/athletic/7709528…
An exclusive sitdown with Robert Lewandowski:
🏆 The Ballon d'Or and Lamine
🏴 Kane's "amazing" production
🇫🇷 Loves watching Olise: "Wow. He's the game-changer."
⚽️ Adjusting to life in MLS and Chicago.
🕰️ "Fear" of what life looks like after football.
nytimes.com/athletic/7709528…
@TheIDPGuru Does To'o-To'o back mean Jake Hansen totally devalued for this week?
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#USMNT guts out 1-0 win over Canada. Finishes window a perfect 4-0, with 13 players getting their first caps.
With @joshuakloke:
nytimes.com/athletic/7667086…
Mauricio Pochettino pulled Seb Berhalter aside in 2025 and encouraged him to believe in himself.
“Look how much closer you are already,” he told him a year later.
Then, during the World Cup, he met with Mathis Albert.
On building trust and culture:
nytimes.com/athletic/7645326…
Tim Ream, 2026 World Cup captain, announces his retirement from the #USMNT.
"I know I’ve said in the past that I won’t retire from the (USMNT) until I retire completely from the game. But the kids are getting younger ... and I don’t mean my own kids."
nytimes.com/athletic/7644580…
