US Soccer Still Making Familiar Mistakes Before Its Biggest Moment

Poor scheduling, overpriced tickets, and half-empty stadiums are undermining US Soccer’s momentum just when the sport needs to capture America’s attention.

When the United States Men’s National Team took the field against Panama at LA’s SoFi Stadium, there were more empty seats than fans. The 70,000-capacity arena, set to host two US World Cup games next year, felt like a cavernous reminder that, despite progress, US Soccer still hasn’t fully grasped how to market the game in its own backyard.

Kick-off was …