In his latest commentary, Bill Littlefield offers two of his favorite sports memories: one at a tiny ballpark in Pennsylvania, and the other at one of the largest soccer stadiums in the world.

Two former European stars have had very different starts to this MLS season. New York forward Thierry Henry leads the league with five goals, while David Beckham and the LA Galaxy have lost two of their first three games. Bill Littlefield discusses to beginning of the MLS season.

The United States allowed a game-tying stoppage time goal to El Salvador on Monday. The tie eliminated the U.S. from Olympic qualifying, but Bill Littlefield says that’s no reason to be discouraged about the future of American soccer.

After recently scoring five goals in a Champions League game, Lionel Messi added three more in a game against Granada Tuesday. And, as Bill Littlefield notes, Messi’s accomplishments are drawing comparisons to a famous U.S. sports figure.

Major League Soccer will begin its 17th season this weekend. The Los Angeles Galaxy came out on top last season, winning the MLS cup over the Houston Dynamo. Bill Littlefield says their title defense is looking strong.

Ciudad Juarez is one of the more dangerous places on the planet. There were 2000 murders in the city in 2009 alone. Robert Andrew Powell’s book, “This Love Is Not For Cowards,” focuses not on crime, but on a loyal group of fans that cling to a soccer team.

Bill Littlefield explores the meaning of the word “friendly” in the context of sports.

Athletes have long found themselves in legal trouble for what they do on their own time. But, as the recently abandoned case against Lance Armstrong shows, prosecuting athletes for transgressions that occur during competition is a tricky affair. Bill Littlefield has the story.

On Wednesday, large-scale riots at a soccer match in Egypt left more than 70 dead and hundreds more injured. Bill Littlefield comments on the tragedy.

The latest league to market women’s soccer is in trouble. Women’s Pro Soccer has suspended operations for 2012. Bill Littlefield talks with former WPS star Kristine Lilly about the news.