The US is in EPL

The growth of the game of soccer in the USA is undeniable. From the youth ranks to Major League Soccer and national team levels, the sport has grown tremendously since the 1994 FIFA World Cup.

The legacy of that growth is starting to reap its benefits worldwide.

For proof of that growth, one needs to look no further than this Saturday's EPL match between heated cross-town rivals Everton and Liverpool.

Everton features two of the United States' most prominent national team members — Midfielder Landon Donovan and Goalkeeper Tim Howard.

Howard joined Everton in 2006 and Donovan is currently on a ten-week loan from the LA Galaxy. They aren't the only Americans with a vested interest in the outcome of the match; Tom Hicks and George Gillett - both Americans - own Liverpool.

The match promises to be a good one, pitting a red hot Everton vs. 5th place Liverpool. Everton has been on tear lately, winning five of their last seven matches. Donovan scored his first Premiere League goal in a two nil shutout against Sunderland on January 27.

We're glad to see a rise in the number of Americans playing abroad at top international clubs as the legacy of a US Soccer program that was revitalized after the 1994 World Cup. Of the forty-nine players in the USMNT player pool, there are currently twenty Americans playing in Europe.

One can only imagine how the number of American players abroad and international starts in Major League Soccer would look like if we had the honor to host a FIFA World Cup in 8 to 12 years.

You can catch the match on ESPN2 live at 7:45am EST on Saturday February 6...although we understand if you want to record it and watch it later.