Monthly Archives: April 2003

2002 record: 11-4-6 (semifinalist) SCOUTING REPORT No WUSA team has upgraded its attack quite so deftly as the Charge, which already was fairly explosive, especially with Kelly Smith back on the field. Philly's got extraordinary depth, a sensational defensive scheme and – with Smith and 2002 MVP Marinette Pichon – players who can take over […]

One by one, the list of teams that haven't played in an MLS Cup is shortening. In 2000, the Wizards reached their first final and won it. Ditto the Quakes in 2001. Last year, the Revs played in the final as hosts. One of the three remaining teams is Dallas, which fired Coach Dave Dir […]

Not since the national team stints of Roy Lassiter and Preki have so many Wizards been in the running for U.S. playing time. Josh Wolff joins Kansas City from Chicago, Nick Garcia and Chris Klein have been called up regularly by Coach Bruce Arena, and Tony Meola remains in the picture. A rather heavy slate […]

John O'Brien became the first American to play at the quarterfinal stage of the UEFA Champions League. He started at left back and played the full 90 minutes for Ajax in a 0-0 tie with AC Milan in the first-leg encounter in Amsterdam before a crowd of 51,000. ''It was a good result,'' said Ajax […]

ENGLAND * Brad Friedel (Blackburn, PL) at Fulham 4-0. Started: 90 minutes. The Sun rating (10=high; 1=low): 6. Turkish striker Hakan Suker, back in action after having broken his leg upon arrival to Blackburn in December, scored his first two Premier League goals. Friedel's diving safe in the first half on Steed Malbranque's shot snuffed […]

2002 record: 12-5-4 (WUSA champion). SCOUTING REPORT The defending champion got better during the offseason, although that's no guarantee of a repeat. Last year's was a magical campaign, and – as San Jose learned – coming up with a second act isn't so simple. New coach Jay Entlich won't have to worry about offense. Hege […]

2002 record: 6-8-7 (didn't qualify for playoffs) SCOUTING REPORT Defense has been the undoing of the Breakers the first two seasons, with the presence in attack of Maren Meinert, Dagny Mellgren, Kristine Lilly and Bettina Wiegmann adding to nothing more than a pair of sixth-place finishes. Swedish legend Pia Sundhage was the architect of the […]

It's difficult to look at the new Chicago Fire and not focus on who is no longer there: Peter Nowak, Dema Kovalenko, Hristo Stoitchkov, Josh Wolff. That quartet scored 40 percent of the team's goals during the past two seasons. But the team's most influential newcomer is Coach Dave Sarachan, who likes what he sees […]

What qualifies as an overhaul? How about shipping out 11 players who played at least five games last season: Richie Williams, Ivan McKinley, Petter Villegas, Eddie Pope, Lazo Alavanja, Jaime Moreno, Roy Lassiter, Orlando Perez, Mark Lisi, Henry Zambrano and Abdul Thompson Conteh. It is actually becoming routine. United ditched 10 players with at least […]

By Scott French, Senior Editor WINNING DEBUT: Four WUSA coaches made their debuts on Saturday, but only one — Boston's Pia Sundhage — emerged victorious. Her Breakers, with goals by Dagny Mellgren and Maren Meinert and superb play from Monica Gonzalez in the back and French newcomer Stephanie Mugneret-Beghe on the right flank, took advantage […]

By Ridge Mahoney HERO: Galaxy keeper Kevin Hartman pulled off several excellent saves to help the defending champion escape Columbus Crew Stadium with a 1-1 tie in the MLS 2003 opener on Saturday. Galaxy fans nicknamed him ''El Gato'' for his lightning-quick reflexes. In catlike fashion he robbed Freddy Garcia on a point-blank chance and […]

Goalkeeper Kasey Keller's ''monstrous clearance,'' according to The Sun, set up Gustavo Poyet's volley that lifted Tottenham over Birmingham. ENGLAND * Brad Friedel (Blackburn, PL) at Blackburn, Monday. * Kasey Keller (Tottenham, PL) vs. Birmingham, 2-1. Keller made two excellent saves on Christophe Dugarry before sending a punt upfield that Gustavo Poyet volleyed home for […]

2002 record: 11-9-1 (semifinalist) SCOUTING REPORT Atlanta was favored, almost universally, to win the second WUSA title, so last season was a tad disappointing. Except that the Beat a) won more games (11) than the squad that finished on top of the standings in Year 1, and b) was moments from its second title game […]

The whispers floating around MetroStars' games during spring training in South Florida were skeptical: ''Where is their midfield?'' ''Who is that guy and what is he doing here?'' ''They just need players.'' And no wonder. Just seven players in the MetroStars' training camp had as many as 25 MLS starts: Joe Addo, Tim Howard, Steve […]

Preseason training is something for players to groan about, not coaches. Twice-a-day sessions full of fitness work and no meaningful games try a competitor's patience. Yet in Costa Rica, where the Revolution made its second extended trip abroad and concluded its spring with the CONCACAF Champions Cup series against Alajuela, it was Coach Steve Nicol […]

April 5 at Cary, N.C. Carolina 1 Washington 2. Goals: Prinz (Riise, Fotopoulos) 6; Wambach (Hamm) 44, Hamm 59. Carolina — Burke; Burt, Fettig, Boyd, Slaton; Roberts, Lehn (James, 74), Riise, Carlson (O'Hanley, 37); Prinz, Fotopoulos. Washington — Mullinix; S. Little, Moore, Grubb, Barr; Stoecker, Jones; Lindsey (Zimny, 92), Hamm; J. Little (Gerardo, 79), Wambach. […]

April 5 at Columbus Columbus 1 Los Angeles 1 (OT). Goals: Buddle (Garcia) 36; Ruiz 64. Columbus — Busch, Hejduk, Clark, Dunseth, Torres, Paule (Cunningham, 77), Maisonneuve (Oughton, 91), Martino, Garcia (Denton, 63), Buddle, McBride. Los Angeles — Hartman, Califf, Lalas, Marshall, Albright (Bardales Jr., 79), Elliott, Hong, Vagenas, Victorine, Jones, Ruiz. Yellow Cards: Columbus […]

Mia Hamm set up one goal and scored a sensational follow-up as the visiting Washington Freedom rallied for a 2-1 victory Saturday over the Carolina Courage in the opener to the WUSA's third season. Abby Wambach got credit for a goal just before halftime and Hamm blasted into the upper-right corner in the 59th minute […]

The Columbus Crew and its fans could not ask for a more inspiring start to the 2003 season than Brian McBride provided. By ending his loan with Everton early, passing up the chance to play against Arsenal at Highbury and helping the Crew advance in the CONCACAF Champions Cup, McBride made a bold statement of […]

Not always are the top teams in MLS waylaid by the salary cap. Defending champion Los Angeles won't need to worry about tearing up its squad for at least two seasons. Most of its squad is under contract until 2004. If anything, the Galaxy looks stronger through the additions of former South Korean captain Hong […]

The Philadelphia Charge, even without Kelly Smith, was the best team in the WUSA most of the 2002 season, just not at the end. The Charge could make amends this summer. That's our guess, and it's very much a guess. The parity of talent in the league is astonishing, and the gang lofting the Founders […]

The 2003 MLS season will end as it began with a clash between Los Angeles and Columbus, only this time on the GalaxyÆs home turf, where we predict Los Angeles will become only the second team to defend its title. How We See It Soccer America Editors Predict Bryan Alvarez Scott French Paul Kennedy Will […]

By Ridge Mahoney, Senior Editor Colorado Rapids general manager Dan Counce said Thursday no resolution has been found for the Gilles Grimandi situation. The Rapids' French newcomer, a former Arsenal midfielder, was reportedly reconsidering his future in MLS. Grimandi has returned to Colorado from his native France troubled by ''personal issues, family issues,'' said Counce. […]

There will be no U.S. teams participating in the 2003 Pan-American Games soccer competitions Aug. 2-16 in the Dominican Republic. The United States has had a history of success in the tournament, winning the 1991 men's gold and 1999 women's gold, but changes in the format precluded U.S. participation. Four CONCACAF teams (Cuba, Guatemala, Mexico […]

WUSA ROSTERS (With college and age on opening day) ATLANTA BEAT Herndon Stadium (15,011): 110×68 (yards) 2001: 10-4-7 (first; beat Philadelphia in semifinals, lost on penalty kicks to Bay Area in Founders Cup I) 2002: 11-9-1 (fourth; lost to Carolina in semifinals) Goalkeepers 1 Briana Scurry (U.S.) Massachusetts 31 24 Melanie Wilson Texas A&M 24 […]