San Jose Earthquake - Fatai Alashe : 2015

 

New England Revolution - Jay Heaps : 2015

 

2015 MLS digital cards

Howler magazine and Topps have designed digital trading cards for the 2015 MLS All-Star Game to be played in Denver on July 29.. The series of digital trading card become available on Sunday July 26 on iTunes and Goggle Play. The cards feature the artwork of Meen Choi, Chris Moran and Kyle Stecker...

These cards will also be available in physical form and are being distributed by Howler at the MLS All-Satr Game in Denver...

Topps Kick ASG checklist
Benny Feilhaber
Clint Dempsey
David Villa
Frank Lampard
Kaka
Matt Besler
Michael Bradley
Omar Gonzalez
Steven Gerrard

updated 2016.07.22

1999 - Kristine Lilly - Adidas promo card

reverse of the 5x7 card features a grey-tone photo with biographical information. In the lower left hand corner it shows 2 white square with the wording "1999 US Women's World Cup Team, place this card 2nd in the position shown"..

Looks like there might be at least 6 cards issued by Adidas, but I have not seen any others with this design...

1994 Zealot - Collector's Sportslook

Collector's Sportslook was a sport card magazine published by Wizard Entertainment, publishers of Wizard Guide to Comic, ToyFare, and other titles as well as producing Wizard World conventions...

Wizard Guide to Comics usually featured a comic/entertainment related promo card, and they continued the feature with Collector's Sportslook.. Three cards were produced for the magazine featuring Savage Dragon boxing, Spawn playing ice hockey ( a beautiful card) and Zealot playing soccer...

Zealot is a member of the team WildC.A.T.S. created by Jim Lee and Brandon Choi

New York Cosmos - Pele : 2015

May 23, 2015 the Cosmos offered a Pele bobble-head during a game against the San Antonio Scorpions at Shuart Stadium...  I have seen a few of these on ebay for under $50.00...

Nabisco - US Soccer - Pass the Love

Nabisco and Ritz Crackers are again teaming up with US Soccer to show support for the US Women's team in the 2015 World Cup through their #Pass the Love program. Participants can receive prizes, which include a soccer ball, keychain, US team jersey and digital coupons (to buy more stuff)...

The side panel on the Soccer Ritz features Alex Morgan, as does the ad campaign...

2015 - Soccer at the Reading Fighting Phils

2015.06.14 Reading, Pa

The Reading Fighting Phils, AA affiliate of the Philadelphia Phillies, held a soccer afternoon featuring a soccer ball giveaway (which was designed to look like a baseball) to kids 12 and under and an on field soccer clinic with Michael Lahoud of the Philadelphia Union. The clinic was well attended with lots of soccer kids taking the field. Baseball is trying to regain some of it's following, which has younger fans switching to soccer. This is one way to bring the kids out to the park...

Michael Lahoud autograph. He had a nice line of people obtaining his signature.

Union 2015 schedule

2007.07.25 Paul Combs editorial cartoon on modern youth switching from baseball to soccer...

Steve Benson editorial cartoon on the NFL losing some of it's fan base...

To be honest, there are a lot of good kids out there and a lot of fans. I follow many sports, I just don't get fanatical about any one team.. There is plenty to go around, but soccer is certainly making headway into the US sport scene...

2015 Women's World Cup

Google banner 2015.06.08

2015 US National Team cover

Abby Wambach cover

Alex Morgan cover

Carli Lloyd cover

Sydney Leroux cover

Sports Illustrated offers 5 collectors covers for the 2015 Women's World Cup

2015 NYCFC v Sporting Kansas City, Yankee Stadium, Bronx, NY

2015.03.28 Yankee Stadium, Bronx, NY

NYCFC played their 3rd game of their inaugural season, and their second home game to sell-out crowd of 27,545. The weather was cold and snowing, which left a few empty seats as some fans stayed home to watch the game. Although Yankee Stadium is a beautiful facility, I am not in favor of watching a soccer game on a baseball field.

I love the headlines of  the New York Post "Shorthanded NYCFC suffers first loss in Franchise History"..it's only the game game, did they expect the team to go without a loss?!  short-handed meant David Villa did not play.

Kansas City went up early in the game when Ike Opara headed in a throw-in from Matt Besler. The narrow dimensions of the field created a corner-kick environment for the throw-in, which KC took full advantage. NYCFC could not score and had few good efforts. The play of the team was lack-luster giving away many passes. One fan in our section took to shouting "Attack, Attack, Kill, Kill!!!" in hopes of motivating the team, but we were too far away to be heard...

Although the game was uninspired, the fans were clearly behind their team throughout the game. One of the slogans NYCFC uses is "our city, our club" while mentioning the five New York boroughs. A clear jab at the New York pretender Red Bulls who market themselves as a New York team, but play their games in New Jersey...

To commemorate the home games NYCFC has produced posters for each of their first two games. For the KC game the above poster from artist Conor Nolan, which features NYFC players as knights anticipating their opponent spewing from "the cauldron". These were available for purchase in the gift shop for $10.00

The poster for the inaugural home game by NYC artist Michael Marsicano utilizes the five boroughs of the city. The game day posters can also be seen along with some great soccer/football art at Football Artist Network

Debbie Keller - USA

Debbie Keller

Team USA 1995-1995

Fortuna Hjorring (Denmark) - 1999

North Carolina Tar Heels 1993-1996

High School Parade All-American (x2)

Chicago Tribune Top-20 Scholar Athlete