Oh, how quickly the fortunes of West Ham United have changed: two months ago, manager Alan Pardew and his Hammers had started the season with a respectable 4 points from 3 games. It didn’t help that record-signing Dean Ashton managed to break his leg while training with England for a friendly against Greece, but then […]
Monthly Archives: October 2006
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Ruiz Dreams of Taking MLS Title at Home
FC Dallas forward Carlos Ruiz, winner of Major League Soccer’s Most Valuable Player award in 2002 when he won the title with the Los Angeles Galaxy, lifted the Hoops to victory with a first-half goal against the Colorado Rapids in the first-leg of the Eastern Conference semifinal. The New York Times spoke with the talented […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
MLS Loses Credibility with Joseph Suspension
Major League Soccer lost credibility in soccer columnist Frank Dell’Apa’s eyes following the suspension of New England’s holding midfielder Shalrie Joseph for the home leg of the Revolution’s Eastern Conference semifinal against the Chicago Fire. Dell’Apa says referee Tim Weyland handled the situation correctly when he allowed play to proceed after Ivan Guerrero had held […]
Posted inSoccer America Confidential, Story
Ref Watch
Much ado has been made of the apparent handball by which Carlos Ruiz controlled a pass before scoring the first goal in FC Dallas’s 2-1 playoff win over Colorado, yet a similar play earlier in the match hasn’t received nearly as much attention. On that occasion, Thiago Martins appeared to settle a ball with his […]
Posted inSoccer America Site, Story
Creighton rounds into form
Creighton is coming on strong just at the right time. The No. 15 Bluejays beat UMKC 3-1 Tuesday afternoon in Kansas City to extend their winning streak to five games and unbeaten streak to eight games. All three Bluejay scores came from seniors playing in the final regular-season week of their careers: Ryan Junge, Michael […]
Posted inSoccer America Site, Story
TV PREVIEW: Lots at stake for 49ers at Fullerton
Two teams priming themselves for the Big West Tournament and coming off important wins meet Wednesday in the NSCAA Match of the Week (Fox Soccer Channel, live, 11 pm ET) when Cal State Fullerton (8-6-2) hosts Long Beach State (11-3-1). Cal State Fullerton beat UC Davis, 1-0, Sunday with a goal by sophomore Leslie Munoz […]
Posted inSoccer America Site, Story
COLLEGE MEN'S AWARDS: Cav Cristman takes weekly honors
Adam Cristman, who registered the first hat trick by a Virginia player since 2000, is this week's recipient of the Soccer America Men's Player of the Week award. The senior forward's three goals led No. 3 Virginia to a 3-1 win at Virginia Tech in an ACC match on Friday night. All three goals came […]
Posted inSoccer America Site, Story
MY VIEW: Becks would be a bust in MLS
The rumors swirl anew about David Beckham joining MLS sooner rather than later, and more than a few journalists and such have jumped on the bandwagon, insisting a Pele-like publicity tsunami will sweep MLS from the niche netherworld into a pantheon of glory. Crock, pure and simple. Pele, just a few years removed from winning […]
Posted inSoccer America Site, Story
U.S. ABROAD: Cherundolo in German Cup win; Convey nurses knee
It keeps getting worse for Eddie Lewis and Leeds, which last season nearly won promotion to the Premier League but is now in the second tier's relegation zone. In English League Cup third round play, Lewis played 69 minutes as his team was eliminated with a 3-1 loss at home to Southend, another second-tier struggler. […]
Posted inSoccer America Site, Story
OFF THE POST: AWOL ball boys spark riot
In Peru, Universitario was trailing its host, Sport Ancash, when with about 30 minutes remaining all the ball boys left the sidelines, forcing players to retrieve the ball by themselves as the visitors fought to comeback. When Universitario coach Jorge Amado Nunes spotted one of the ball boys who had retreated, he kicked a ball […]
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
1. WHAT THEY’RE SAYING
“Fifty-eight percent of the players who were treated on the field during the 2006 World Cup eventually turned out not to be injured.” — From a FIFA referee committee statement using analysis from Jiri Dvorak, FIFA’s chief medical officer. (Times of London)
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
3. U.S. ABROAD: Cherundolo in German Cup win; Convey nurses knee
It keeps getting worse for Eddie Lewis and Leeds, which last season nearly won promotion to the Premier League but is now in the second tier’s relegation zone. In English League Cup third round play, Lewis played 69 minutes as his team was eliminated with a 3-1 loss at home to Southend, another second-tier struggler. […]
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
4. OFF THE POST: AWOL ball boys spark riot
In Peru, Universitario was trailing its host, Sport Ancash, when with about 30 minutes remaining all the ball boys left the sidelines, forcing players to retrieve the ball by themselves as the visitors fought to comeback. When Universitario coach Jorge Amado Nunes spotted one of the ball boys who had retreated, he kicked a ball […]
Posted inCollege Soccer Reporter, Story
3. TV PREVIEW: Lots at stake for 49ers at Fullerton
Two teams priming themselves for the Big West Tournament and coming off important wins meet Wednesday in the NSCAA Match of the Week (Fox Soccer Channel, live, 11 pm ET) when Cal State Fullerton (8-6-2) hosts Long Beach State (11-3-1). Cal State Fullerton beat UC Davis, 1-0, Sunday with a goal by sophomore Leslie Munoz […]
Posted inCollege Soccer Reporter, Story
1. Creighton rounds into form
Creighton is coming on strong just at the right time. The No. 15 Bluejays beat UMKC 3-1 Tuesday afternoon in Kansas City to extend their winning streak to five games and unbeaten streak to eight games. All three Bluejay scores came from seniors playing in the final regular-season week of their careers: Ryan Junge, Michael […]
Posted inCollege Soccer Reporter, Story
4. WOMEN’S AWARDS: UConn’s Tegeler honored
Connecticut sophomore Brittany Tegeler is the Soccer America Women’s Player of the Week. She notched the gamewinner in a 1-0 win at No. 6 West Virginia on Friday night. The Mountaineers had been unbeaten in its last 15 games at Dick Dlesk Soccer Stadium. Tegeler also tied a career high with five points — two […]
Posted inCollege Soccer Reporter, Story
2. MEN’S AWARDS: Cav Cristman takes weekly honors
Adam Cristman, who registered the first hat trick by a Virginia player since 2000, is this week’s recipient of the Soccer America Men’s Player of the Week award. The senior forward’s three goals led No. 3 Virginia to a 3-1 win at Virginia Tech in an ACC match on Friday night. All three goals came […]
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
2. MY VIEW: Becks would be a bust in MLS
By Ridge Mahoney The rumors swirl anew about David Beckham joining MLS sooner rather than later, and more than a few journalists and such have jumped on the bandwagon, insisting a Pele-like publicity tsunami will sweep MLS from the niche netherworld into a pantheon of glory. Crock, pure and simple. Pele, just a few years […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Serie A: AC, Inter Milan Strikers Struggle, Roma Unworried
In Italy’s Serie A, the big guys are stumbling. Inter Milan, the favorite for this year’s Scudetto, is managing good results without ever having looked like a champion, AS Roma looks at times unbeatable and absolutely indifferent at others, and AC Milan can’t score, while still needing to compensate for an 8-point match-fixing penalty. As […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Milan’s Scoring Crisis
Former AC Milan striker Andriy Shevchenko may be struggling to find goals in his first season at Chelsea, but his struggles are nothing compared to the problems his old club is collectively having in front of goal. Milan, consistently regarded as one of the world’s top clubs, has scored just 10 goals in ten matches […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Raul Almost Quit Madrid After Getafe
Much has been made in the Spanish press about the instant turnaround of Real Madrid after its Oct. 14 loss to Getafe. Since then, Los Merengues have recorded emphatic wins against Steaua Bucharest in the Champions League and then Barcelona in the La Liga clasico. There were whisperings prior to those matches that coach Fabio […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Weak Attendances Mar MLS Cup Opening Weekend
Paul Gardner isn’t the only pundit who wasn’t impressed by the opening weekend of the Major League Soccer Playoffs. Grahame L. Jones, a columnist for the Los Angeles Times, writes: “Major League Soccer received the clearest of possible signals over the weekend that its playoff format needs rethinking as a total of only 38,133 fans […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Lack of Goals, Missed Calls Mark Opening of MLS Playoffs
Soccer columnist Paul Gardner laments that the 2006 Major League Soccer playoffs opened with poor officiating and few goals. The four nationally televised first-leg games produced just eight goals, or 2.0 per game, which he said is even fewer, expectedly, than the 2.62 goals per game the league averaged this regular season (the second lowest […]
Posted inSoccer America Site, Story
Maryland leads way with big ACC crowds
ACC men's soccer has drawn unprecedented fan interest in 2006. Defending national champion Maryland has twice broken its home attendance record this season and averaged 5,100 fans for its seven ACC contests. With still two matches left in the regular season, Maryland has already set the school's season attendance record as 34,235 spectators have flowed […]
Posted inSoccer America Site, Story
SMALL COLLEGES: Roundup
Dowling, No. 1 in the the NSCAA/adidas NCAA Men's Division II rankings, had its 16-game winning streak snapped when it was held to a 0-0 tie by Dominican in its regular-season finale. Dowling (16-0-1) and No. 2 Carson-Newman (12-0-2) are the only unbeaten D2 men's teams. Spaniard Dario Carrasco scored four goals in the Eagles' […]