Monthly Archives: February 2007

Fernando Gago of Real Madrid may not be having the smoothest of transitions from the Argentine league to Spain’s La Liga, but one thing the 20-year old possesses in spades is a maturity on the field that belies his age. Widely tipped as the successor to Fernando Redondo, the Merengues’ midfield maestro in the mid […]

Riquelme Happier at Home than in Spain

For many, Argentine wizard Juan Roman Riquelme was one the outstanding players of the 2006 World Cup. It seemed as though everything Argentina did ran through Riquelme, whose performance in the 6-0 thrashing of Serbia & Montenegro will live long in World Cup memory. Things have changed dramatically for Riquelme since then. Injury and poor […]

OFF THE POST: Jesus saves in 'Mexican' win at Vatican

The 16-team Clericus Cup kicked off at the Vatican last weekend as Mater Ecclesiae (Mother of the Church College), a team comprised mainly of Mexican priest trainees, defeated the all-Brazilian students of the Pontifical Gregorian University, 6-0. The game opened the 16-team tournament in which 311 priests and seminarians — from countries including Italy, the […]

MLS: World Cup vet Jimmy Conrad opts for home

By Ridge Mahoney Kansas City defender Jimmy Conrad has agreed to terms of a four-year deal to stay in MLS after drawing some interest from foreign teams. Swedish club Lillestrom FC tendered a transfer offer of $550,000 last month that was rejected by the league, and agent Lyle Yorks said there was also interest from […]

DATEBOOK: USA to meet China in San Jose

The USA's fifth friendly of the year and final warmup before this summer's Gold Cup and Copa America will be against China at Spartan Stadium in San Jose, Calif., June 2 (8 pm ET/5 pm PT, live on ESPN2 and Galavision. The USA and China have met seven times. The USA has won four of […]

U.S. SOCCER: Cordeiro appointed first independent director

Carlos Cordeiro is the first independent director appointed to U.S. Soccer's Board of Directors. The three ''independent director'' positions were created at last year's AGM, when the organization's Board of Directors was reduced from 40 to 15. Cordeiro was appointed in a vote of U.S. Soccer's membership at its Annual General Meeting held last weekend […]

REF WATCH: Brazilian official gets holiday for misdirected red

Brazilian Rodrigo Martins Cintra has been banned indefinitely for ejecting the wrong player in a Corinthians-Rio Branco game. In the first half, Rio Branco's Josias tripped a Corinthians player but Cintra showed a yellow card to Felipe, who, because he had already been cautioned, was red-carded. ''He thought it was one player but it was […]

YOUTH: U.S. girls teams to face Germany

The U.S. under-17 and under-16 girls national teams are assembling at the Home Depot Center in Carson, Calif., where they will host Germany's under-17 national team. The U.S. U-17s and U-16s will meet March 2 before each facing Germany's U-17s twice March 4-7. Illinois powerhouse Eclipse Select leads all clubs five five players among the […]

U-20 WORLD CUP: Mexico and Costa Rica complete the field

Mexico and Costa Rica clinched the final spots in the 2007 U-20 World Cup (July 1-22 in Canada) last weekend to complete the 24-team field. The USA qualified from Concacaf's Group A along with Panama. Mexico hosted and topped Group B play with 2-0 wins over Jamaica and St. Kitts & Nevis, before tying Costa […]

WORLD CUP: USSF board approves bid effort for 2018 World Cup

The U.S. Soccer Federation board unanimously approved a quest to bid for the 2018 World Cup during the federation AGM in Los Angeles. The USA hosted the 1994 World Cup, which remains the best attended finals ever. Also aiming to host the 2018 finals is England. The 2010 World Cup is set for South Africa. […]

7. U-20 WORLD CUP: Mexico and Costa Rica complete the field

Mexico and Costa Rica clinched the final spots in the 2007 U-20 World Cup (July 1-22 in Canada) last weekend to complete the 24-team field. The USA qualified from Concacaf’s Group A along with Panama. Mexico hosted and topped Group B play with 2-0 wins over Jamaica and St. Kitts & Nevis, before tying Costa […]

8. REF WATCH: Brazilian official gets holiday for misdirected red

Brazilian Rodrigo Martins Cintra has been banned indefinitely for ejecting the wrong player in a Corinthians-Rio Branco game. In the first half, Rio Branco’s Josias tripped a Corinthians player but Cintra showed a yellow card to Felipe, who, because he had already been cautioned, was red-carded. “He thought it was one player but it was […]

6. DATEBOOK: USA to meet China in San Jose

The USA’s fifth friendly of the year and final warmup before this summer’s Gold Cup and Copa America will be against China at Spartan Stadium in San Jose, Calif., June 2 (8 pm ET/5 pm PT, live on ESPN2 and Galavision. The USA and China have met seven times. The USA has won four of […]

4. WORLD CUP: USSF board approves bid effort for 2018 World Cup

3. OFF THE POST: Jesus saves in ‘Mexican’ win at Vatican

2. MLS: World Cup vet Jimmy Conrad opts for home

1. WHAT THEY’RE SAYING

"I had the idea to phone all our season-ticket holders. I didn’t actually realize we had quite so many.” — Bob Gunton, director of English fifth-tier team Gravesend & Northfleet FC, who called the club’s 210 season-ticket holders to inform them the team’s game against Morcambe FC would kick off 30 minutes earlier because of […]

5. U.S. SOCCER: Cordeiro appointed first independent director

Carlos Cordeiro is the first independent director appointed to U.S. Soccer’s Board of Directors. The three “independent director” positions were created at last year’s AGM, when the organization’s Board of Directors was reduced from 40 to 15. Cordeiro was appointed in a vote of U.S. Soccer’s membership at its Annual General Meeting held last weekend […]

9. YOUTH: U.S. girls teams to face Germany

The U.S. under-17 and under-16 girls national teams are assembling at the Home Depot Center in Carson, Calif., where they will host Germany’s under-17 national team. The U.S. U-17s and U-16s will meet March 2 before each facing Germany’s U-17s twice March 4-7. Illinois powerhouse Eclipse Select leads all clubs five five players among the […]

Why Zidane isn’t Coming

You can’t blame anybody with a vested interest in the soccer business for allowing themselves to believe that former France and Real Madrid legend Zinedine Zidane might actually come out of retirement to play in MLS alongside David Beckham next season. It wasn’t too long ago that we didn’t believe Becks would ever arrive, either. […]

FIFA Squashes Bulls Delgado Move

It turns out that New York Red Bulls coach Bruce Arena was talking about Agustin Delgado, the fiery Ecuadorian striker, when he said last week that the team was poised to use its second designated player slot. Unfortunately, FIFA nixed the move, after ruling that it would uphold the striker’s yearlong suspension for inciting a […]

Injuries, Ejections Overshadow Carling Final

A cynic might say that predictably, Sunday’s fantastic Carling Cup final between Arsenal and Chelsea in Cardiff was overshadowed by off-field incidents. However, the first one no one could have predicted. Chelsea’s luckless, fearless captain John Terry was once again forced off the field, this time by a horrific, crunching kick to the side of […]

USA Could Build Credibility at Copa America

If the USA wants to gain respect in the international community, writes Simon Simano of the North County Times, it will have to expand its horizons past continental dominance. While we certainly enjoy our record against Mexico in the last several years, when it comes to earning that respect, besting El Tri over and over […]

In Need of a Win, Sanchez Returns to San Diego

Before his second match in charge of the Mexican national team, Hugo Sanchez and others spoke with Mark Ziegler of the San Diego Union-Tribune about the Tri legend’s storied career, which included a pit stop in the American city where his team will play Venezuela on Wednesday. Indeed, prior to becoming the most famous export […]

AMERICANS ABROAD: McBride scores in loss; Watford looks doomed