INTRODUCING: View From the Front Row
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Hello everyone. This is Michael Lewis, the editor of FrontRowSoccer.com, and I'm excited to share a special announcement for you.
Starting this month, we are going to add a special section to the FrontRowSoccer.com family - View From the Front Row. It will be offered on Substack for a small price, but I feel it will be worth it and it will go beyond the daily news that you read on this website.
You will be able to enjoy stories, opinion pieces and information about the beautiful game that cannot be found anywhere else.
And FrontRowSoccer.com isn’t going anywhere. The award-winning website still will continue to give readers the latest news, whether it is national, international or local.
This will be a huge summer for soccer in the United States and Europe, especially with Copa America, European Championship and the Summer Olympics.
View from the Front Row will provide analysis of the men's and women's national teams, opinion pieces about the world of soccer, from MLS to international to the World Cup.
With the Olympics only weeks away, we'll focus on that, both the men's and women's tournaments. I have had the privilege of covering seven Olympic soccer tournaments and 10 gold medal matches. I have done extensive research on the Summer Games and can put the tournament and its history into proper perspective and context. And there's plans for a special feature about the 1924 Summer Games with some unique information.
Plus, there will be regular monthly features:
Adventures in Concacaf
I have covered World Cup qualifying matches for almost four decades in Central America, the Caribbean and North America. What is it like at Estadio Nacional or Estadio Saprissa in Costa Rica? Beyond the usual suspects, what was it like for the USMNT to play in Cuba, Trinidad & Tobago. Jamaica, Mexico and Canada. Plus, a look at the game in some more out of the way venues such as Dominican Republic, Dominica, Barbados, Suriname and Monserrat.
Reporters notebook
What a writer goes through to get a story. A behind the scenes look at my profession, whether it has been sitting in the press box, working a locker room or mixed zone, writing in some unusual places and the challenges of traveling the globe and in the USA. And I'll explain to you what off the record is and what deep background is.
The history of World Cup qualifying
Qualifying for the 2026 World Cup has begun. You can't believe some of the stories of the players, coaches and teams that have strived to reach soccer's promised land from every continent on the planet through the decades. I will share some of the mundane and unusual tales with you, which will include the U.S., Mexico, Canada, and of course, and the rest of the world.
Taking a pass
As in a press pass. When you've covered sports as long as I have, you hundreds of press passes, from local soccer to professional to the world's game. There is a story behind just about everyone, and I would love to share some of those tales with you.
Mailbag
And I'll be happy to take questions from you about the beautiful game with regular ask me anything events.
We would love to have you as a regular subscriber. I don't think you will be disappointed.
Yours in soccer,
Michael Lewis
Michael Lewis is one of the pre-eminent soccer writers in the United States, having written about the sport for five decades. He has covered 13 World Cups - eight men and five women. He also has attended and written about seven Olympics and 10 gold-medal matches. Lewis also has covered every level of soccer, from youth to high school to college to amateur, professional and international.
Lewis has authored nine books, including four on the World Cup, Soccer For Dummies, Football for Dummies (Australia), and ALIVE AND KICKING The incredible but true story of the Rochester Lancers. He is working on his 10th book, about the rollercoaster ride of Mattituck High School soccer team's quest to win a New York state championship.
He also is a member of two Halls of Fame - Eastern New York and Long Island Soccer Football League - and a pair of Walls of Fame - Rochester Lancers outdoor and indoor.
