Join FanHouse UK's J.P. Shaw as he hosts a live chat for Monday's English Premier League match between Fulham and Hull City.
The match holds special interest for an American audience, as it features a potential meeting between U.S. national team stars Jozy Altidore (Hull City, left) and Clint Dempsey (Fulham).
The match begins at 3 PM ET and will also be broadcast live on ESPN2.
Ever since he burst onto the worldwide scene at the 1994 World Cup thanks in part to his unmistakable fiery red goatee and flowing locks, Alexi Lalas has been one of the Apostles of spreading the world on U.S. soccer.
In the 15 years since the U.S. announced its ambition on the world stage, Lalas has witnessed the gradual steps as soccer awareness in America has slowly crept from the fringes, edging closer to the mainstream.
So when his brother Greg decided to host a soccer-themed film festival -- Kicking & Screening -- earlier this year in New York, he jumped at the chance to help. And when Greg Lalas decided to host another event next week in Washington, well, Alexi Lalas was going to be there to both help his brother and help spread the gospel of soccer.
For fans of the U.S. national team clamoring for midfielder Clint Dempsey to move from the right side of midfield to the right side of the bench, well, they've gotten their wish, though the circumstances aren't exactly ideal.
Dempsey has been ruled out for Saturday's 2010 World Cup qualifier at Honduras due to a shoulder sprain. Dempsey picked up the injury in the closing minutes of Fulham's 2-2 draw Sunday vs. West Ham United. His status for next Wednesday's final qualifier vs. Costa Rica in Washington is still unknown.
It's not going to make up for Wednesday's crushing 2-1 loss in Mexico City, but American midfielder Clint Dempsey got a spot of good news Thursday when Fulham extended his contract with the English club until the end of the 2012-13 season.
The contract extension might be considered a late reward for the 26-year-old Texas native, who's goal against Liverpool late in the 2006-07 Premier League season helped keep Fulham in the top flight as his contract was set to expire at the end of this year.
So this morning when I woke up and skimmed through the seemingly never ending tide of European transfer rumors, one headline caught me eye -- "Everton to sign American midfielder." Immediately I thought it might have been U.S. International Clint Dempsey moving from Fulham, which had been talked about during last month's Confederations Cup.
Turns out, Everton's signing was hardly on the profile of Dempsey -- not even close. Instead it was 22-year-old Anton Peterlin who currently played in the American Premier Development League, the fourth tier of U.S. domestic leagues.
The ecstasy on the faces of the Brazilian players celebrating the go-ahead goal near the corner flag and the tears rolling down that of their captain, Lucio, at the final whistle, demonstrated just how much today's Confederations Cup final meant to the world's most famous soccer team.
That measure of commitment, combined with a lot of talent and the flagging energy of a U.S. side struggling to stay with a superior opponent for the second straight game, was enough to overhaul a two-goal deficit and lift the Brazilians to a 3-2 triumph and the tournament title.
David Beckham can hawk his signature cologne in our department stores, including Macy's in New York, where an employee followed me down an aisle and sprayed some of Becks' metrosexual potion on me. But soccer? He'd much rather play in Europe than in our league, which explains all you need to know about the game's place in America.
In the stateside food chain of professional sports, men's soccer has been a can of Spam. If you have absolutely nothing better to eat, you nibble. It isn't so true on the women's side, where Mia Hamm and the golden girls captivated a nation for years and Brandi Chastain gave us a landmark moment for feminism by stripping down to her sports bra.
But the men? The quality of play has been so maligned that Giuseppe Rossi, who was born and raised in New Jersey and could have been a major star for our national squad, never even considered Team USA. In his teen years, he tapped into his dual citizenship and signed up with Italy, a global football power.
Wednesday night in chilly Bloemfontein, South Africa, the U.S. national team lodged one of its greatest victories in its history, beating FIFA No. 1 Spain 2-0 in the Confederations Cup semifinals. The win snapped Spain's 35-match unbeaten run, denying them a chance to set a new record at 36.
This win almost made me pull out the thesaurus for the proper word to describe it. Stunning? Yes. Unbelievable? Pretty close. Deserved? You bet.
After what must be the most unlikely turn of events in American soccer history, the beleaguered national team with the supposedly incompetent coach and heartless, out-of-form players has survived to play another day. A surprisingly comprehensive 3-0 defeat of African champions Egypt in Rustenburg, combined with Brazil's 3-0 win over reeling Italy, has qualified the U.S. for the Confederations Cup semifinals.
Spain, the European champion juggernaut on the 35-game unbeaten streak, awaits on Wednesday. But let concern over that Herculean task wait until Monday. For the first time since the 2007 CONCACAF Gold Cup final, Bob Bradley and the U.S. national team rose to the occasion and, on this day, certainly deserve passage.
At a time when Americans have become somewhat of an endangered species in the England's Premier League, a bit of good news came down Wednesday when it was announced goal keeper Marcus Hahnemann was signed by newly promoted club Wolverhampton.
Hahnemann, who had spells at Fulham and Reading, was released by the Royals last month after a long stint at the club, helping them reach the top flight for the first time in their history due to budgetary concerns.
Join FanHouse UK's J.P. Shaw as he hosts a live chat for Monday's English Premier League match between Fulham and Hull City..jpg)
Ever since he burst onto the worldwide scene at the 1994 World Cup thanks in part to his unmistakable fiery red goatee and flowing locks, Alexi Lalas has been one of the Apostles of spreading the world on U.S. soccer..jpg)
For fans of the U.S. national team clamoring for midfielder Clint Dempsey to move from the right side of midfield to the right side of the bench, well, they've gotten their wish, though the circumstances aren't exactly ideal. .jpg)
It's not going to make up for Wednesday's crushing 2-1 loss in Mexico City, but American midfielder Clint Dempsey got a spot of good news Thursday when Fulham extended his contract with the English club until the end of the 2012-13 season. 
.jpg)
So this morning when I woke up and skimmed through the seemingly never ending tide of European transfer rumors, one headline caught me eye -- "Everton to sign American midfielder." Immediately I thought it might have been U.S. International Clint Dempsey moving from Fulham, which had been talked about during last month's Confederations Cup.
David Beckham can hawk his signature cologne in our department stores, including Macy's in New York, where an employee followed me down an aisle and sprayed some of Becks' metrosexual potion on me. But soccer? He'd much rather play in Europe than in our league, which explains all you need to know about the game's place in America..jpg)
After what must be the most unlikely turn of events in American soccer history, the beleaguered national team with the supposedly incompetent coach and heartless, out-of-form players has survived to play another day. A surprisingly comprehensive 3-0 defeat of African champions Egypt in Rustenburg, combined with Brazil's 3-0 win over reeling Italy, has qualified the U.S. for the Confederations Cup semifinals..jpg)
At a time when Americans have become somewhat of an endangered species in the England's Premier League, a bit of good news came down Wednesday when it was announced goal keeper Marcus Hahnemann was signed by newly promoted club Wolverhampton. 
