Monthly Archives: February 2007

The Houston Dynamo and D.C. United on Wednesday begin their campaign to claim the CONCACAF Champions Cup for the USA for the third time. D.C. United, under then-coach Bruce Arena, won the 1998 crown. The Los Angeles Galaxy, then guided by Coach Sigi Schmid, took the crown in 2000. Club America is the defending champ […]

5. YOUTH: Renken heads U-15 camp squad

The U.S. U-15 national team coach Jim Barlow brought 24 players to the Home Depot Center, where they are spending a week training. Among those present at the camp, which runs through Saturday, are Charles Renken, the 13-year-old striker who entered the U.S. U-17 Residency Program in January, and Sebastian Ibeagha, whose older brother Christian […]

2. EUROPE: Man. United victory marred by controversy

Manchester United was the only team to win on the road in Tuesday’s UEFA Champions League games, beating French club Lille, 1-0, in an incident-filled game played in the French city of Lens. Lille had had the better play until Ryan Giggs scored on a free kick in the 82nd minute while Lille keeper Tony […]

6. OFF THE POST: Shadow biting?

French defender Sebastien Sansoni of Dutch club Vitesse Arnhem claims it wasn’t his intention to dine on NEC’s Roy Beerens, he just wanted to “scare him off.” Still, the biting motion (click here for video) earned Sansoni a five-game ban. “Although it was never my intention to hurt Beerens, it does look offensive,” admitted Sansoni, […]

Mascherano Liverpool Loan Approved

Javier Mascherano has finally, officially gotten his second chance in the Premiership, after the league Tuesday cleared him to play at Liverpool FC for the remaining three and a half months of the season. The deal has been held up since the transfer deadline expired on Feb. 1. It has taken the league nearly three […]

Chelsea Financial Record Angers Wenger

At a press conference Monday that was supposed to be about Arsenal’s preparation for Tuesday’s second round Champions League clash with PSV Eindhoven, Manager Arsene Wenger expressed a deeper concern for the fact that Chelsea is allowed to operate at a loss of $156 million because it has a billionaire owner. Unfortunately for Wenger, this […]

U.S. Soccer Prepares 2018 World Cup Bid

U.S. Soccer on Tuesday announced that it’s forming an organizing committee to prepare a bid for the 2018 World Cup, for which England is also planning a bid. The host won’t be chosen until 2012. “We showed in 1994 that the U.S. is capable of hosting a terrific event,” U.S. Soccer Federation President Sunil Gulati […]

Red Bulls Owner: Don’t Expect Overnight Success

Don’t expect changes overnight, New York Red Bulls owner Dietrich Mateschitz tells fans in a New York Daily News interview. He takes the long view instead: “It will take a number of years to build a top team,” Mateschitz told the paper, adding that he doesn’t anticipate bringing in a top foreign player until the […]

Holes in the ‘Designated Player’ Rule

Has Major League Soccer’s “designated player” strategy already gone bust? It may be harsh to say so just a month after David Beckham signed with the Los Angeles Galaxy, but Frank Dell’Apa of ESPN Soccernet says there are signs the plan isn’t working. For one thing he says, overtures made to players like Edgar Davids, […]

1. WHAT THEY’RE SAYING

“I’m like a badger at the start of the pairing-up season.” — Ian Holloway, coach of English second-tier club Plymouth, describes how he feels about his club’s reaching the FA Cup quarterfinals. (BBC)

7. MLS: Chivas USA signs Cuban political refugee

Former Cuban national team forward Maykel Galindo, 26, who defected to the USA a day after scoring for Cuba in a 3-1 Gold Cup ’05 loss to Costa Rica in Seattle, has signed with Chivas USA. Galindo, who was granted political asylum, played a season and a half with USL First Division club Seattle Sounders, […]

6. AMERICANS ABROAD: Californian starting for Mexico’s San Luis

California-born Michael Orozco, 21, has started and played the full 90 minutes in Mexican First Division club San Luis’ last two games, a 2-1 loss to Veracruz and a 1-0 win over Atlas. Orozco, who played youth ball for the Irvine Strikers and played on U.S. U-20 national team in 2004, has U.S. and Mexican […]

5. MLS: Houston, D.C. United prep for CONCACAF Champions Cup

By Ridge Mahoney DWAYNE’S WORLD. Houston finished its preparation for its CONCACAF Champions Cup series against Puntarenas of Costa Rica by beating Chicago, 3-1, in Lake Buena Vista, Fla., Saturday. Ryan Cochrane, Alejandro Moreno and Corey Ashe scored the goals for Dynamo, which plays Puntarenas away in the first leg Wednesday. Houston will host the […]

1. WHAT THEY’RE SAYING

"These figures demonstrate that the business is moving in the right direction." — Chelsea chief executive Peter Kenyon after the English Premier League club posted an annual pre-tax loss of $156 million, its best financial performance since Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich took ownership of the club in 2003. (Reuters)

2. LIVERPOOL: Reds go wild in Algarve

Liverpool’s new American owners, George Gillett Jr. and Tom Hicks, were welcomed to the wild side of English soccer with front-page headlines of out-of-control partying during the Reds’ stay in Portugal, where Manager Rafael Benitez brought the team to prepare for Wednesday’s UEFA Champions League showdown at defending champion Barcelona. With a free weekend — […]

4. MAKING A LIST: UEFA Champions League appearances

AC Milan veteran Paolo Maldini should become the fifth player, and the first Italian, to make 100 appearances in the Champions League when he takes to the field against Celtic on Tuesday. GP PLAYER (CURRENT CLUB) 106 Raul (Real Madrid) 105 Robert Carlos (Real Madrid) 102 David Beckham (Real Madrid) 100 Oliver Kahn (Bayern Munich) […]

3. TV PREVIEWS: UEFA Champions League

The UEFA Champions League moves into the knockout phase with the first leg of the round of 16 on Tuesday and Wednesday. The good news for American fans is all eight games are available on television, including five live telecasts, and all games are available on a pay-per-view basis via the Internet on espnsoccernet.com. Tuesday’s […]

SPAIN: Beckham sees red

David Beckham continues to dominate the headlines in Spain. Last week it was for scoring on a free kick in his return to the Real Madrid starting lineup a month after being banished from the first team. On Saturday, Beckham made news for being sent off in Real Madrid's 0-0 tie with Real Betis. Beckham's […]

AUSTRALIA: Striker fulfills prediction and then some

Striker Archie Thompson needed only 40 minutes to fulfill his prediction of scoring a hat trick in the Australian A-League grand final and then added two more goals in the second half as Melbourne Victory beat Adelaide United, 6-0, to win its first A-League title in front of a sellout crowd of 55,436, a record […]

OFF THE POST: Who will guard Beckham?

Several news outlets including UPI have reported that U.S. immigration authorities have denied visas to the eight-member bodyguard crew for David and Victoria ''Posh Spice'' Beckham, who will be moving to California this summer. The inability to get work permits for the security team is based on U.S. policy not to grant them if U.S. […]

AMERICANS ABROAD: Friedel shines against Arsenal

Blackburn's Brad Friedel made spectacular late-game saves on efforts by Arsenal's Tomas Rosicky, Thierry Henry and Justin Hoyte to earn a 0-0 tie for Rovers and set up a replay of the fifth round FA Cup clash. Also earning a replay against an EPL power (Manchester United), was Reading, whose regular starter in goal, Marcus […]

WORLD: Reading forces FA Cup replay with Man. United

ENGLAND. Premier League leader Manchester United had to settle for a 1-1 tie at home with surprise Reading Saturday in the fifth round of the FA Cup at Old Trafford. Chelsea, Tottenham, Manchester City, Watford and Plymouth Argyle of the second-level League Championship were the only teams to win berths in the quarterfinals, while Premier […]

2. AMERICANS ABROAD: Friedel shines against Arsenal

Blackburn’s Brad Friedel made spectacular late-game saves on efforts by Arsenal’s Tomas Rosicky, Thierry Henry and Justin Hoyte to earn a 0-0 tie for Rovers and set up a replay of the fifth round FA Cup clash. Also earning a replay against an EPL power (Manchester United), was Reading, whose regular starter in goal, Marcus […]

1. WHAT THEY’RE SAYING

“It was a fantastic day. I gave everything I had. I was cramping up all over the place but I managed to finish the game.” — Ronaldo, who scored twice and assisted in his second game for AC Milan — a 4-3 win over Siena in Italian Serie A play. (The Guardian)