Good Soccer/Bad Soccer Vol. 6: Selling The World Cup

Good Soccer/Bad Soccer makes a triumphant return this week following a brief intermission for work and personal reasons.

The former involved Morning Kickaround's trip to Pawtucket, Rhode Island for a live broadcast that was unfortunately beset by a) poor weather (match day in Pawtucket was the only rainy day of the trip) and b) technical snafus.

Nevertheless, it was a blast to see first hand Rhode Island's brewing professional soccer culture and to get a close up look the stage that is Centreville Bank Stadium. We talked to people involved with the scene from across the spectrum, from owners to supporters club presidents (QUE TAL, PRESIDENTE?) and everything in between.

Centreville Bank Stadium represents a step forward in the growth of American soccer than is enough to make this old American soccer journo tear up. Just a little. Let's make more of those.

Beyond the matchday experience, the tour of the sites of historic American soccer moments, like the field where the first-ever US Open Cup final was held, was particularly special. Shoutout to the Blackstone Valley Tourism Council for bringing us to Rhode Island.

Here's a portion of our live matchday show featuring the general manager of Centreville Bank Stadium, Paul Byrne:

The latter reason for missing an week of GS/BS was down to a brief vacation to la Republica Domincana to celebrate a birthday in the family. As per usual, eyes were peeled for any soccer to be spotted. Turns out Brazilians like all-inclusive resorts almost as much as Americans. Also, did you know Lamine Yamal is popular among the youth?

Let's get into the soccer to see what's bad and what's good.

Dame Mas Sarve..ca

FC Dallas's Sam Sarver pulled of that big of magic that is an MLS player breaking out of the MLS bubble for doing something incredible/interesting/entertaining when he crushed a beer thrown from the stands after scoring a game-winning goal against San Jose last weekend. It was a spontaneous moment of genius that followed Sarver's initial choreographed celebration, the always fun "Group Scuba Plunge" that made him the talk of soccer.

Here's the plunge, a celebration we're pretty sure was originated by Seattle Sounders legend Roger Levesque:

FC Dallas' Sam Sarver, bringing the Crazy White Boy energy every time out Shot:

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— Charles Boehm ⚽️ (@cboehm.bsky.social) May 17, 2026 at 12:45 AM

And the Modelo moment that elevated it:

Chaser (literally):

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— Charles Boehm ⚽️ (@cboehm.bsky.social) May 17, 2026 at 12:46 AM

Sarver isn't just an impact sub with a penchant for showmanship; he's also a college soccer product whose arrival in MLS followed a developmental path many in American soccer are anxious to toss in the trash bin of history.

An Ohio native who played with the Columbus Crew academy, Sarver wasn't ready to sign a homegrown contract and burst into the pros at 18. He instead went to Indiana University, won the Big Ten tournament with the Hoosiers in 2023, and got drafted by FC Dallas in the second round of the 2025 MLS SuperDraft.

We heard one college soccer scout recently describe Sarver as a "one-dimensional player" in college who took dramatic steps during his run in Bloomington and with North Texas SC last year. College soccer (and the summer soccer college players play) isn't the best environment for development—here's the hoping the two-semester plan for the NCAA game gets final approval to give college players more time to train and grow—but it still has value for helping the late-blooming American player realize his potential.

Look at it this way: In a lot of places, a player like Sarver might have quit at 18, or at best, latched on with a team way down the pyramid where improving as a player is secondary to cobbling together a living wage. In the United States he can find a school, work towards a degree, and play the kind of competitive soccer that one day could turn him into a pro prospect.

Okay, so all of that is nice, but what's the most important thing to come out of Sarver's beer-soaked game-winner?

Clearly this:

Not to be hyperbolic, but this is the greatest thing I’ve ever done. I’ll have it in the shop soon. If you don’t get the reference: https://youtube.com/shorts/tG3NSUNGKe4?si=Uf7t535cy-tLck8a #MLS #FcDallas #FediFc

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— 1996 NY Designs (@1996ny.graphics.social.ap.brid.gy) May 19, 2026 at 9:43 PM

GOOD SOCCER

College Soccer Is Massive

As if you needed any more reason to love college soccer than the fact that it produced Sam Sarver, here's Clive Tyldsley shouting out Aston Villa set piece coach Austin MacPhee's connections to UNC Wilmington, where he played around the turn of the century.

Commentator shouted out Wilmington, NC and the UNC Wilmington Seahawks in the middle of the Europa League Final thanks to UNCW Alum and Aston Villa set piece coach Austin MacPhee en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Austin_...

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— Douglas Reyes-Ceron (@dreyesceron.bsky.social) May 20, 2026 at 4:20 PM

GOOD SOCCER

The World Cup of Making Money Off of The World Cup

With the biggest event in sports practically here, it's time to take a tour of the many, many companies that are pushing World Cup tie-ins to cash in on the soccermania that is undoubtedly going to sweep the nation this summer.

It is going to sweep the nation this summer, right? RIGHT? Sorry, my desperate-for-validation-American-soccer-fan side came out a little bit there. I'm okay now.

First up, Miller Lite, that institution of American light beers that remains a fixture at summer cookouts every summer and retains a special place in the hearts of many who would nevertheless never deign to drink one again.

Miller Lite is not a brand we associate with soccer typically, but look at this beaut of a promotional product they created to capitalize on soccer in 2026:

The "Miller Time MVP Match Ball" holds 12 cans of Miller Lite (or another canned beverage of your choice) and includes a stand. The description doesn't say if the ball cools your cans while placed in the ball, but we can dream. And at $20, the price point is almost unbelievable.

Sadly, the ball is a limited edition item and the first batch is already sold out. There's a second drop happens on June 3, so make sure to set a reminder. Otherwide, you might have to pay a 250% premium on the resale market.

GOOD SOCCER

If you do get your hands on a Miller Lite match ball, invite us over and we'll show up wearing this stylish World Cup 2026 logo straw hat. When you can't decide who to support in tournament but you want convey a "GO SOCCER" attitude.

BAD SOCCER

Throw on your WE ARE 26 straw hat, grab a Miller Lite from your MVP Match Ball, and wolf down a slice of Domino's pizza you can get for free if the USMNT receives a red card at the World Cup.

Domino's plans to give away $1 million of free pizza if an American sees red at the tournament.

Gotta love the explainer of what a red card is included on the promotion page.

We're torn. Red cards for the USMNT? Bad. Free pizza? Good.

But Domino's will also give away the free pie if the Americans win the World Cup on home soil, a fantastical idea that is nevertheless something worth rooting for.

GOOD SOCCER/BAD SOCCER

If you're a sicko for how other brands are "activating" around the World Cup, there's a near-comprehensive rundown at the website Brand Innovators. Dive in.

Zohran > Zlatan

Thanks to the rampant price-gouging enacted by FIFA around the World Cup in North America, particularly for tickets to games in the United States, the narrative about what should be a transformative moment for the game here is almost universally sour.

And while news that New York City mayor Zohran Mamdani negotiated a deal with Gianni Infantino for 1000 tickets priced at $50 each for New Yorkers to attend games at Met Life Stadium in New Jersey can't possibly un-sour the story, it does cut down on the negative vibes just a little bit.

As do the stories of cities like Philadelphia, Kansas City, and Atlanta finding ways to make attending games more affordable for fans visiting this summer.

FIFA's official fan fest don't look all that attractive, so events like Atlanta's free Beltline Fest could be the main way soccer (and non-soccer) fans across the country engage with the tournament out in their communities.

Let's be on the lookout for more events like that one because this summer's World Cup is much more likely to impact the sport's future in the United States through free community gatherings than it is through the wallet draining in-stadium experience.

GOOD SOCCER

More GS/BS next week. Other newsletter content likely as well in the very near future, especially with the World Cup almost here. The plan at Soccer Eagle is to cover the tournament from an alternative angle: Meaning, not so much game analysis as commentary on how the tournament is covered, how its being received, and what impact it's having on American soccer culture.

Check out last week's episode of The Best Soccer Show, an interview with soccer writer Leander Schaerlaekens. Leander just dropped his incredible book "The Long Game" on the history of the USMNT (buy it) and we dive into a number of topics spinning off his deep dive in the history and culture of the quest to bring a men's World Cup title to America.