The TV Star Who Somehow Got To Play in MLS

In the middle of filming one of the most popular TV shows of the '90s, a renowned actor joined MLS and played a handful of games for the LA Galaxy. This week, we look back at the sensational story of Melrose Place star Andrew Shue and his one season in Major League Soccer back in 1996. Plus, we visit the most underrated stadium in the US, unpack a huge change coming to American soccer, and more!

This week’s stories:

• 🏆 The Greatest American Goalscorer You Didn’t Know About

• 🏟️ The Most Underrated Stadium in the US

• 📺 The TV Star Who Somehow Got To Play in MLS

• 🫨 A Major League Shift

• 🗳️ Poll + Last Week’s Answers

• ➡️ And More

CLUBELEVEN
The Greatest American Goalscorer You Didn’t Know About

Emily Spreeman has the most goals, World Championships, Deaflympics titles, MVPs, and Golden Boot awards in US Women’s Deaf National Team history.

And ahead of her final tournament with the team in Tokyo, we had the chance to meet with her in Los Angeles to discover what fuels her dedication to soccer, look back at her inspiring career, and learn more about the history of the Women’s Deaf National Team program and its bright future ahead. 

Watch Episode 2 of our new series “Driven,” presented by Volkswagen, right HERE.

ARCHITECTURE
The Most Underrated Stadium in the US

Pittsburgh may have just shot up close to the top of our list of favorite soccer destinations.

The USL Eastern Conference was a super cagey affair, but getting to cover this game at Highmark Stadium was incredible—definitely a must-visit ground for any fan of American soccer. For many, many reasons.

Whether it was the gorgeous skyline view, the cliffs towering behind the main stand, being right on the banks of the Monongahela River, or having a TRAIN chugging by just mere feet away from the pitch during the middle of the game, the whole experience you get in Pittsburgh is just peak soccer.

COVER STORY
The TV Star Who Somehow Got To Play in MLS

Okay, to be honest, I wasn’t alive when Melrose Place was on TV, but I’ve been assured that it was quite the pop culture phenomenon in the ‘90s.

So, with that background in mind, I was shocked to learn that one of the main actors (who appeared in 191 Episodes) played for the LA Galaxy… while still filming the show!

The story goes that actor Andrew Shue (aka Billy Campbell) grew up playing soccer, was a Regional All-American soccer player for Dartmouth College, and even spent a winter in Glasgow playing for Queen’s Park FC.

Then, shortly after graduating, Shue moved to Zimbabwe to teach English and play soccer. There, he won the Zimbabwe Premier Soccer League and the CBZ Cup title with the Bulawayo Highlanders in 1990.

After returning to the States, Shue managed to book his now-famous role on Melrose Place, which ended up catapulting him to nationwide fame. He was even featured on the cover of Entertainment Weekly as one of the heartthrobs of the show.

Yet, despite living the glamorous life of an actor, Shue never forgot about his longtime love for the beautiful game, and in 1996, he joined and ACTUALLY PLAYED for the LA Galaxy.

It’s surely one of the most unreal stories to ever come out of MLS. And his time at the club was nothing short of incredible…

BUSINESS
A Major League Shift

So, that happened. MLS is officially switching to a summer-to-spring calendar (like the major European leagues), and it will certainly trigger a seismic shift in the soccer landscape across this country.

I mean, we’re even getting a four-month transition season to kick off 2027!

The details are insane. Check them out right here.

CLUBELEVEN
The Supporters Section

Let us know your thoughts! We’ll highlight your best answers next week.

CLUBELEVEN
Aggregates

On the Come Up: It was a promising win for the USMNT against Paraguay last week. Let’s hope for another one tonight… this time against a 2x World Champion.

Pain: Check out these reported prices for parking passes at the World Cup.

Spicy: Mexican striker Raul Jimenez made waves with his comments about why El Tri usually ends up playing in the US instead of on home soil. Things seem to have reached a boiling point between Mexican fans and their National Team.

Not An Underdog: NWSL star Jaedyn Shaw went on a podcast last week explaining why she disliked the underdog label that’s been put on Gotham since making the playoffs. On Sunday, she backed up all that talk in the most clutch way possible. Iconic.

Class of 2026: We’ve got a new set of legends being inducted into the National Soccer Hall of Fame. What do you think of this upcoming class?

CULTURE
Contributing to the Portland Hearts Book

Really proud to share this news!

From the logo and kits that garnered global headlines to a sold-out inaugural season that broke league attendance, merchandise records, and a team advancing through to the semifinals, Portland Hearts of Pine have become one of the most talked-about stories in American soccer. Now, that story is being told in full in a 250+ page book chronicling the team’s launch and inaugural season.

The club and the folks at Glory Studio trusted me with writing the closing piece for the book, and it was an absolute honor to be able to contribute a small part to such an awesome project 🙏.

You can grab a copy of the book here.

EVENTS
Celebrating 100 Years of the Oneidas

If you’re a soccer history nut living in Boston, this is your Super Bowl week.

Starting today, there will be a series of events around the 100th anniversary of the Oneida Football Club Monument (erected in honor of the first soccer club in the US) on Boston Common.

Things kick off this evening with a talk hosted by the Massachusetts Historical Society exploring the backstory of the Oneidas and some of the old artifacts in the MHS collection that have inspired recent research into the history of the club. You can also tune in online.

And on Friday, there will be a special celebration on Boston Common at the site of the monument. There might even be members of the NE Revolution and some descendants of the actual “monument men” in attendance.

For more info, see HERE. 

CLUBELEVEN
Your Takes 🗯️ 

Last week, we asked you: What league has the best playoffs in American soccer? Here are some of your answers:

• “USL Championship. MLS is stretched out and stretched out and stretched out. USL championship is much more fun, NWSL a close second.” - Steve N.

• “NWSL. It’s the league with probably the most parity so all the games end up being exciting. Just look at the Current and Pride being knocked out. The format also plays into that excitement.” - JD

In the poll, “USL” won with 50% of the vote, while “NWSL” followed with nearly 30%.

UP NEXT
Chicago?

This is a picture of what the road looked like in West Virginia at 3 am, on our way from Pittsburgh to the USL League One Final in Knoxville this past weekend! Eerily beautiful.

This coming weekend, a couple of us will be at the USL Championship Final in Tulsa, while a few of us will most likely be in Chicago. If there are any particular soccer things we should check out and cover in either city, just let us know!

Onwards!!

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Have a great Tuesday!

Pablo