ICYMI: Last Week in Soccer June 26-July 2, 2017

Each week, Keith Buderus will catch us up on our Rapids, the USMNT, and anything else that might be going on in the soccer world.

Germany’s “B” Team Wins the FIFA Confederations Cup

At the Krestovsky Stadium in Saint Petersburg, Russia, the FIFA Confederation’s Cup Final matched up Chile (the champions of South America) against Germany (the 2014 World Cup champions). In a match that saw Chile hold 61% possession, it was the Germany “B” team that clinched the trophy and denied the Golden Generation of Chile a third straight summer with a championship.

Mohammed Saeid on Being Muslim in Trump’s America

The HealthONE Colorado Rapids’ Player of the Month for June, Mohammed Saeid, has displayed an exciting confidence on the pitch. Off the pitch he is an observant Muslim in Trump’s America.

USA v Ghana

Dom Dwyer scored in his debut, Brad Guzan saved an Asamoah Gyan penalty and Kellyn Acosta scored the winner on a direct free kick in a 2-1 win over Ghana. Besides Dwyer and Acosta scoring their first national team goals, I was impressed by the composure brought by Dax McCarty, his partnership with Acosta, and the bravery from Kelyn Rowe. In front of an announced crowd of 28,494 at “The Rent” in Hartford, CT the USMNT got exactly what they wanted out of the match as they get ready to begin the Gold Cup on July 8 in Nashville, TN against Panama.

Charlie’s Day with the USMNT

Here is a quick video sure to make you smile. With the help of Make-A-Wish America, the USMNT welcomed Charlie to training the day before their match with Ghana.

Welcome Kenny Saief!

Born in Panama City, FL to Israeli parents of the Druze religion, Kenny Saief is now a part of the USMNT. The CONCACAF Gold Cup offers an excellent chance for the skilled lefty to prove his worth and develop relationships. ASN’s Brian Sciaretta spoke with the KAA Gent midfielder about returning to the US after two decades away and US Soccer dives in with five things you need to know about Saief.

Photo by Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images

Gold Cup Roster Offers Chance for Experimentation

The USMNT has not won a Gold Cup since 2013 and this time the stakes are relatively high as the 2018 World Cup in Russia is 12 months away. While this is a chance for Bruce Arena to expand the player pool, ASN explains why this roster also offers the chance for experimentation.

FC Cincinnati Beats Two MLS Teams

In the fourth round of the U.S. Open Cup, the nation’s soccer fans began to take notice of FC Cincinnati after they outlasted Columbus Crew in front of an impressive home crowd. In the Round of 16, live on ESPN, they hosted another team from MLS as they toppled Chicago Fire 3-1 on penalty kicks to advance to the quarterfinals. The crowd of 32,287 at Nippert Stadium was the second-largest in U.S. Open Cup history.

The U.S. Open Cup is Worth Your Time

It was a huge week for the USL and NASL in the US Open Cup as both Miami FC (NASL) and FC Cincinnati (USL) won home matches and will play in the quarterfinals. Steven Goff of the Washington Post explains why we love the USOC (including a must-see video of FC Cincinnati supporter’s march) and Adnan Ilyas believes it’s time for the tournament to get more coverage.

Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports

Should MLS Coaches Stop the Coach Speak?

MLS has a personality problem among coaches who are often bland and boring. Our very own Pablo Mastroeni let loose a few weeks ago in the press conference after a 1-0 win over SKC and many jumped on him that his rant on “the human spirit” was anti-statistics. What Pablo did though was exactly what the fans want to see - passion and honesty.

Photo by Harry How/Getty Images