Currently soccer editor at the Guardian, formerly soccer editor at the Athletic & Sports Illustrated, still drummer in @secretcitiesss, rarely on here anymore.
Brooklyn via Kansas City & DC
Joined March 2009
- Tweets28.3K
- Following1.8K
- Followers4.8K
- Likes15.9K
Pinned Tweet
If you want to share info with me (or any Guardian journalist) but you're nervous about doing so for some reason, take note: theguardian.com/membership/2…
Alexander Abnos retweeted
Harry Kane going from football’s most famous trophyless player to a Ballon d’Or winner might be the greatest example of why changing employers can improve your life.
Alexander Abnos retweeted
Sat down with Jesse Marsch this week. It was lively.
On Mark Carney: “Could a US president ever be an Everton fan? No chance”
On Balogun affair: “This is why everyone around the world hates America”
On Man City: “They should have to go down. Everyone knew”
theguardian.com/football/202…
If you want to read the original article this is pulled from, it can be found here with no paywall (just like everything we do): theguardian.com/football/202…
Canada national team coach Jesse Marsch has said that FIFA’s decision to suspend a ban for United States forward Folarin Balogun is one that would “never happen in any other country” in the world and an example of Americans believing the country deserves to be “treated differently”.
Marsch, speaking ahead of Canada’s exhibition game against the U.S. on Tuesday night in Minnesota, told The Guardian: “As Americans, we have been inundated with propaganda since we were young.
“We’re the No 1 country in the world, we deserve everything, No 1 in every aspect of life — this is what we’ve been told. So, when things happen and we don’t feel like we’re in control of it … we feel like we deserve to be treated differently because we’re Americans. That is one of the things that infuriates the rest of the world about Americans.”
He said he felt it would not have happened in any other country, claiming “this is why everyone around the world hates America.”
Marsch added: “The U.S. had had a good World Cup, was doing well. All that switched in one moment.”
More from @AdamCrafton_
nyti.ms/47zpkoD
Alexander Abnos retweeted
USMNT & former Spurs coach Mauricio Pochettino says fans "lived through an era of deception" due to Man City's financial malfeasance, telling me it's "impossible to turn back time - how do you repair everything that's damaged?"
Much more on the Guardian:
theguardian.com/football/202…
Alexander Abnos retweeted
From Orlando, my Guardian match report from the USMNT's 4-1 thrashing of Peru:
theguardian.com/football/202…
Alexander Abnos retweeted
In 1991, a trio of unheralded high schoolers - two of them younger than Cavan Sullivan is today - appeared for the USMNT. Two of them would never do so again. Their story has been lost to time.
I spoke to all three of them, on the Guardian:
theguardian.com/football/202…
Alexander Abnos retweeted
Confirming @JeffreyCarlisle's earlier reporting: 16-year-old Cavan Sullivan is set to join USMNT camp for four upcoming friendlies. Official announcement expected tomorrow.
On the Guardian: theguardian.com/football/202…
Alexander Abnos retweeted
Lionel Messi needs no promotion, but given his international retirement - and the fact that he could hang them up for good at Miami whenever he chooses to - go see him now if you can.
Me, on the Guardian:
theguardian.com/football/202…
Alexander Abnos retweeted
Paul's bylines & work have been a part of my life since I was in the single digits - growing up in Nashville in the 80s, the only access I had to soccer was a SA subscription & the EuroSport catalog.
PK leaves behind an incredibly important body of work. Deeply grateful for it.
Today is my last day as Soccer America’s Editor in Chief & General Manager. I have been editing SA for almost 41 years. I began writing for SA in 1974 and for France Football in 1978. A long time ago! I’ve loved just about every minute of it (and just about all of you!) but the job is hard work and I look forward to cutting back. (I’ll continue to write.) SA will be in great hands as my dear friend Mike Woitalla takes over as Editor in Chief. 🙏
Alexander Abnos retweeted
Want a quick education on how the football world sees the ongoing @FIFAcom crisis? Read this @guardian explainer of which I am a part, in conjunction with @NickAmes82, @AnAbnos, @JohnnyDuerden and @marc_cart. theguardian.com/football/202…
Alexander Abnos retweeted
Important to note that, so far as we can tell from our reporting, this investigation is centered on the players, not necessarily Austin FC Academy itself or the broader organization.
Alexander Abnos retweeted
New, on the Guardian: Austin FC’s academy is under investigation by Austin police and the FBI for allegations of sexual abuse amongst its players.
Reporting w/@AnAbnos: theguardian.com/football/202…
It happened again!
Me on Trump going 2-for-2 in crashing world championship trophy lifts in East Rutherford, New Jersey:
theguardian.com/football/202…
Alexander Abnos retweeted
THIS is an example of losing in the World Cup and still having a massive impact on the future of football/soccer in your country. An opportunity the US missed with its performance against Belgium.
“This is a rule that in my opinion has nothing to do with football ... The fact that they introduced such a rule is just unnecessary ... I know that they will protect their referee but this rule destroyed the game today.”
On "Mistaken Identity": theguardian.com/football/202…
Wild thing about the way “mistaken identity” works now is that it puts managers in the position of having to argue that an *opponent* should not have gotten a yellow card, because then that allows mistaken identity to reverse it on to his guy. theguardian.com/football/202…
I’m no Landon Donovan but I can still encourage you not to use a certain airline if you can avoid it, and that airline is @Delta.
Alexander Abnos retweeted
New on the Guardian:
The charter airline & aircraft used by the French national team for their travel during this summer's World Cup has flown dozens of deportation flights for ICE.
More details: theguardian.com/us-news/2026…
My piece on the huge, gigantic, big time missed opportunity for the #USMNT: theguardian.com/football/202…
Alexander Abnos retweeted
FULL timeline of the campaign to bring Balogun back, according to a half dozen U.S. government & soccer officials:
- Wednesday after U.S.-Bosnia match: Andrew Giuliani alerted Trump to the red card (Trump & Giuliani had been talking multiple times/week since start of World Cup and regularly before that.)
- Wed night: Giuliani, Lutnick and U.S. Soccer officials began activating on plans to challenge red card
- That kicked off 4 days of coordinated lobbying, legal maneuvering & diplomacy that stretched from Oval Office to Zurich
- On *Thursday* Trump dialed Gianni Infantino and asked abt FIFA’s rules around the red card decision and grounds for suspension. (They’ve known each other for 8 yrs.)
- FIFA declined to confirm any specific discussions but reiterated to POLITICO that the decision to suspend the one-match ban was made by an independent disciplinary committee.
- As U.S. Soccer’s legal team formally prepared & submitted its appeal to FIFA, Giuliani + Lutnick offered to make White House attorneys available to assist
- At the same time, Giuliani and Scott Goodwin — a hedge-fund manager who had helped pay the salary of Mauricio Pochettino — zeroed in on the officiating history of referee Raphael Claus
-Articles examining previous controversies involving Claus circulated among senior gov officials as they evaluated every argument that could bolster the appeal
- On FIFA side, Emilio García, who oversees the legal affairs of FIFA, advised Infantino on the available procedural options
- García + other FIFA officials worked to determine whether the circumstances of Balogun’s tackle met the narrow standards that would allow the disciplinary decision to be revisited
- By Sunday, FIFA announced that Balogun’s one-match suspension would be suspended
- FIFA insists that the decision was an independent one made by its 18-person disciplinary committee, but it would not say whether the decision was decided through a vote, and it has not published a report on the decision.
politico.com/live-updates/20…
