• Chicago Fire FC

    New-look Chicago Fire FC hoping ample changes equate to success

    One thing is for sure when it comes to the Chicago Fire: You can change the team name, you can change the logo, you can change the stadium, but you can’t change the past season. The Fire ended their 2019 campaign with a 10-12-12 record. There were not many...
  • Football Manager 2020

    Forward Madison offers Football Manager 2020 challenge

    In January, we told you about Soc Takes staff writer Colton Coreschi’s Football Manager 2020 database featuring a fully regionalized, four-tier American pyramid complete with pro/rel, U.S. Open Cup and league cups. Now, USL League One side Forward Madison FC as upped the ante by offering an in-game challenge:...
  • American soccer rundown

    Soc Takes Pod Ep. 62: American soccer roundup

    The Soc Takes Pod returns for the new year with co-hosts John Lenard and Colton Coreschi providing an American soccer rundown on the men’s side. Listen in as they bring you up to speed on all the significant offseason happenings in MLS, the USL, NISA and more. Support Soc...
  • Liga MX

    Which players from Liga MX will make biggest impact in MLS?

    As the MLS expansion project keeps its track, the American soccer market is gaining the attention of Liga MX assets, coaches, executives and Mexican footballers. The wages, lifestyle and multiculturalism of MLS seduce underpaid talent. One of the missions of MLS is to attract the attention of the Latino...
  • Rose Lavelle

    Jamie Smed’s Rose Lavelle photo featured on HYPE trading card

    View this post on Instagram Still can’t believe one of my photos was used for a trading card! Extra special when it’s a legend from your hometown @lavellerose 🙌🏼 A post shared by Jamie Smed (@jamiesmed) on Jan 16, 2020 at 1:28pm PST The work of Soc Takes staff...
  • MLS crests

    Illustrated history of MLS crests: Part I

    With Chicago’s recent rebrand announcement receiving a, shall we say, openly hostile reception, we’ve gotten to talking about soccer logos in the Soc Takes group chat. It’s a common pastime for us, much like any other members of #SoccerTwitter, and this got me thinking about the various brands and...
  • Football Manager

    Download our Football Manager 4-tier U.S. pyramid with pro/rel

    Link to download near bottom of story I’ve created a custom Football Manager 2020 database containing a fully regionalized, four-tier American pyramid complete with promotion and relegation, Open Cup and league cups. It contains four divisions (Premier, Championship, First and Second) each containing four conferences (Eastern, Central, Southern and...
  • origins of soccer

    The Soccer Tavern: Origins of Soccer

    The Soccer Tavern‘s Dave Knittel shares soccer’s creation story beginning in the Middle Ages, then moving to 18th-century English public schools and finally discussing the formation of the Football Association (FA) and International Football Association Board (IFAB). Follow The Soccer Tavern on Twitter: @TheSoccerTavern. Support Soc Takes on Patreon...
  • epic LIPAFC matchup - withdraw from U.S. Open Cup

    Multiple USL League Two clubs to withdraw from U.S. Open Cup

    Claim structural changes make competing impossible for college-reliant amateur clubs As a result of changes made by U.S. Soccer to the U.S. Open Cup schedule, several qualified USL League Two clubs are planning to withdraw from the competition entirely, citing a lack of available players in the early spring....
  • Front Porch Discourse

    Front Porch Discourse: How did FC Cincinnati get it so wrong?

    In the latest episode of Front Porch Discourse, co-hosts John Lenard and Ian Foster discuss the pitfalls of FC Cincinnati‘s expansion season, comparing them to the decade’s other lower-leagues-to-MLS transitions. But first, they take on how the media seemed to completely underestimate Jill Ellis and the USWNT in 2019....