By Paul Nicholson
December 11 – Toronto FC have created their own piece of history becoming the first Canadian team to win the MLS Cup and the first team to win the treble of domestic honours. The final also gave the opportunity for the United 2026 World Cup bid of Canada, Mexico and the US to promise a 2026 finals that will be bigger, better and more.
December 8 – Hope Solo, the United States’ World Cup-winning goalkeeper, has thrown her hat into the ring for presidency of the US Soccer Federation, taking the number of declared candidates to eight.
December 5 – After considerable reflection Sunil Gulati has ruled himself out of contesting the presidential election for the US Soccer Federation (USSF). Gulati is standing aside after the United States’ abject failure to qualify for the 2018 World Cup and having been head of the USSF for 12 years.
November 30 – The MLS has named four finalist cities for the league’s two expansion slots in 2018. Cincinnati, Detroit, Nashville and Sacramento will make formal presentation to the league’s expansion committee December 6, before being discussed at a Board of Governors meeting on December 14.
November 12 – CONCACAF has released the nominees for its 2017 awards, the fifth time the confederation has held the awards for performances based in its competitions.
November 20 – The National Women’s Soccer League in the US have announced that MLS club Real Salt Lake will launch a new women’s team in the NWSL for the 2018 season.
November 20 – Fresno FC, who debut in the second tier USL in 2018, have become the official affiliate of Major League Soccer’s Canadian franchise Vancouver Whitecaps.
November 17 – The United Soccer League (USL), the second tier of US professional football announced their third expansion team in a week for the 2018 season. North Carolina FC are exiting the under pressure North American Soccer League (NASL) – stripped of its second tier status for next season by the US Soccer Federation – to continue Division 2 play in the USL.
November 17 – UEFA launched its Nations League last month, now CONCACAF has launched its new League of Nations national team competition. Like UEFA’s new format, CONCACAF will also be based their competition on a league structure.
November 16 – Atlanta United owners, currently enjoying a successful first season in the MLS with sell out crowds and a trip to the play-offs, have made their next expansion move by entering a team in the USL, the second tier of US football, for the 2018 season.
November 13 – CONCACAF, the confederation for North, Central America and the Caribbean, will hold its third annual Women’s Football Day on Saturday, November 18.
By Paul Nicholson
November 3 – Carlos Cordeiro’s entry into the running to become the next president of the US Soccer Federation (USSF) could signify the reign of incumbent president Sunil Gulati is coming to an end after 12 years in charge.
By Paul Nicholson
November 6 – The North American Soccer League (NASL) has lost its court bid to retain its Division II status, putting the future of the league in doubt. The NASL has said it will appeal the decision.
October 19 – One of the MLS’s founding clubs, Columbus Crew, looks set to leave its Columbus, Ohio, home and relocate to Austin, Texas, and a new purpose-built stadium.
October 18 – The backlash against US Soccer federation president Sunil Gulati (pictured) after the US loss to Trinidad & Tobago that saw them fail to qualify for next year’s World Cup in Russia has continued, and if anything increased in vitriol.