American soccer endured its share of obstacles in 2021—some resulting from the pandemic and others self-inflicted. The coronavirus ruined another U.S. Open Cup, as well as the Philadelphia Union’s playoff campaign. A U.S. women’s national team in transition struggled at an awkward, closed-door Olympic tournament, while MLS teams flailed and froze yet again on the Concacaf Champions League stage. Casting a sad shadow over all of it was the relentless series of gut-punch scandals that rocked the NWSL, highlighting the fact that this country still hasn’t learned how to get some of the most basic, foundational things right.
But in a year that kicked off with an insurrection and is ending with omicron, we thought it might be beneficial to put more focus on the positive.