This is some pretty amazing insights on a training session with a world-class team like Manchester United. The crispness and intensity makes it look for like a rehearsed concert than a soccer training session. I wonder what Sir Alex’s training notes looked like to run this proper training session. (Photo: 99 James Kieran Nguyen)

When you’re in the soccer business, you kiss your family goodbye in July and explain that you’ll re-emerge around October 1. We’re an insanely busy seasonal business and it takes extreme focus and concentration for an extended period of time. It’s not often that I take my eye off the ball. Today, I took my eye off the ball for about twenty minutes. And, it’s all Joe Ehrmann’s fault.

At the end of April, Claudio Reyna, the US Youth Technical Director, unveiled the national soccer curriculum. Claudio’s plan is to develop a unified approach to soccer in the United States, at all levels of the game, so we can compete on the world stage. While the theory behind this concept is brilliant, I wonder if the United States is ready for a unified soccer curriculum.

In this year’s Champion’s League Final, Manchester United faced Barcelona. Barca was the eventual winner in a barnburner of a match where their style of play and skill were simply too much for ManU.

As with any match, there is a tremendous amount of scouting that goes on to prepare for the level and caliber of play. Have you ever wanted to see the type of scouting reports that float around for a game like this analyzing every minute detail to exploit opportunities? Robert Rowan decided to make his Barcelona Scouting Report available for you to review. It’s a breakdown of how to beat Barcelona.

The United States Women’s National Team brought a lot of excitement to the game in the 2011 World Cup. What does the future hold for the women’s game in the United States? Were the fans watching fans of the game or just USA fans?

Insanity – doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result. When things aren’t going right, make a change! We use Chelsea’s English Premier League season as an example of when a coach needs to make a change.

There is a drastic difference between the styles of play of American soccer and English football. What are these differences and what style is more effective?

Sometimes getting out of work and to the pub is a necessity. After the US Women’s National Team’s performance on Sunday, I could think of no better time where getting out of work is a priority. Due to the short timeline, there are a handful of fail-safe excuses that will ensure you’ll be out of the cubicle and onto a bar stool.

Hope Solo. Right now Hope Solo can arguably be called the best women’s goalkeeper in the world.  Her mastery of goal keeping is very apparent on the world stage.  She joined the USWNT in 2000, made the trip to the Olympics in 2004 and became their regular starting goal keeper for the USWNT in 2005.  [...]

Over the holiday weekend, while everyone was shooting off fireworks, eating hot dogs and celebrating our Nation’s birthday, I was providing my first online interview about Soccer Classroom. Yikes! Personally, it was both extremely humbling to be interviewed and extremely exhilarating to speak with Bob. He did an awesome job of pulling the “What we’re doing” and “Why we’re doing it” out of me during the interview. For all those contributing to the vibrancy of Soccer Classroom, I thank you.