AC Milan put on a display of attacking soccer reminiscent of the great Milan teams of the late 1980s and early 1990s and crushed Manchester United, 3-0, on Wednesday night to advance to the UEFA Champions League final. All but forgotten as a European contender after last season’s Calciopoli scandal left it reeling, Milan was far the better team over the two legs of its 5-3 aggregate victory over United, which had been the toast of Europe for its 7-1 demolition of Italian club Roma in the quarterfinals. Milan moved into the final against Liverpool on May 23 in Athens, which will be a rematch of the 2005 final in which Milan blew a 3-0 halftime lead and lost to Liverpool on penalty kicks.
Monthly Archives: May 2007
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
MLS Expansions: Northwest is Next
Where or where will MLS go next? League commissioner Don Garber is touring the nation in search of the destinations for its next set of expansion teams. Local dailies across the country are reporting talks between MLS and investors in various cities, including Philadelphia, Atlanta, the Bay Area, Cleveland, Miami, St. Louis, Portland and Seattle. […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Beasley Faces Uncertain Future
In 2005, DaMarcus Beasley became the first U.S. international to play in a Champions League semifinal with the Dutch club PSV Eindhoven; he was also the club’s leading scorer in the competition with four goals. Now, two injury-hit seasons later, Beasley is faced with the prospect of having to find a new club at season’s […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Blatter Insists South Africa Will Host in 2010
Two days after revealing FIFA’s backup plan for South Africa 2010 on BBC television, FIFA President Sepp Blatter has come out insisting that the 2010 World Cup would be staged in South Africa. “It will take place in South Africa … I have no doubts,” he said, adding, “The plan B is South Africa, plan […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Chelsea, Mourinho Deserved to Lose
If there is a consensus among British sports writers following Chelsea’s Champions League exit at Anfield Tuesday night, it’s that the better team won despite the outcome being decided by penalties. Yet after the match, a defiant, sour-faced, sore-losing Jose Mourinho accused Liverpool of playing for penalties. “Chelsea tried to win it in 90 minutes,” […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Reina Robbed During CL Semi
It was a mixed night for Liverpool hero Pepe Reina. After the 24-year-old Spanish goalkeeper guided his team to the Champions League final with two fantastic saves in a penalty kick shootout, Reina returned home to find his house had been robbed. Among the missing items, were a Bang & Olufsen entertainment system, some jewelry, […]
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Lots of bathrooms for the Beverly Hill Beckhams
[PHOTOS] Los Angeles Galaxy-bound David Beckham, who turns 32 today, and wife Victoria have reportedly purchased a six-bedroom, nine-bathroom house in Beverly Hills for $22 million. People magazine reported that the Beckhams, who have children age 8, 4, and 2, “had struggled to find a home in Los Angeles as sellers raised prices when they learned the famous couple were interested.”
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
OFF THE POST: Lights on, lights out for clubhouse thief
A burglar without the foresight to bring a flashlight broke into the stadium clubhouse of German amateur club Germania Freund at 3 am. He flipped the first light switch he could find, which turned on the stadium floodlights. Local residents, realizing a game at that hour was unlikely, called the authorities, who made the arrest.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Liverpool again overcomes Chelsea to reach Champions League final
Liverpool defeated Chelsea, 4-1, Tuesday night on penalty kicks to reach the Champions League final for the second time in three seasons. Two years ago, the Reds beat Chelsea, 1-0, at home for a 1-0 aggregate victory en route to their fifth title in Europe’s most important competition, This time, both teams won, 1-0, at home, with the Reds’ 1-0 win on Tuesday setting the stage for the decisive shootout before a vocal Anfield crowd in rare form.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, What They're Saying
What They’re Singing
“Wise, Wise, whatever have you done? You’ve taken Leeds to Division One. You won’t win a cup, you won’t win a shield, your biggest game will be Huddersfield.”
— A chant, to the tune of “Lord of the Dance,” from fans of English second-tier club Barnsley directed Leeds coach Dennis Wise. Leeds United, for which American Eddie Lewis plays in midfield, will be relegated to England’s third tier (Division One) unless it wins its last game of the season against Derby on Sunday by eight goals and Hull loses. (BBC)
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
U.S. U-17 opponents raid youth ranks for players
Three of the U.S. opponents at the CONCACAF Under-17 qualifying tournament in Jamaica have American products on their roster. Canada, which faces the USA Wednesday night at 5 pm CT in Kingston, has 16-year-old defender Drew Beckie, who took up soccer at the age of 4 after moving from Canada and plays for Real Colorado. Several other players in Canada’s U-17 pool are American-based while Trinidad & Tobago and Jamaica also have a U.S. connection.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Libertadores Cup Preview
[TV PREVIEW] Four months after quitting as Boca Juniors coach, Ricardo La Volpe returns to La Bombonera Wednesday night as coach of Velez Sarsfield for the first leg of their Libertadores Cup round-of-16 series. Mexican clubs Toluca, Necaxa and Club America have both signed reinforcements for the knockout phase. Brazilian club Santos can break the Libertadores Cup record of eight straight wins it now shares with Vasco da Gama if it beats Caracas FC in Venezuela.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Man. United looks to make European history
[TV PREVIEW] Manchester United looks to set up the first all-English final in the UEFA Champions League when it faces AC Milan Wednesday in the second leg of the semifinals at the San Siro. United carries a 3-2 lead into the game and is riding high after a 4-2 comeback win over Everton on Saturday that all but clinched the English Premier League title.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
The good, the bad and the ugly of MLS’s Month 1
The good, the bad and the ugly marked the first month of MLS play in 2007. Two new stadiums staged their first matches, harsh weather curtailed attendances in some cities, and the two teams picked by many to reach MLS Cup 2007 staggered out of the gate. So what’s wrong with preseason favorites D.C. United and Houston, and how’d the Red Bulls get hot?
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
CL Final Would Complete Milan Comeback
In the wake of what's been an awful season for Italian soccer since the national team lifted the World Cup last July, AC Milan coach Carlo Ancelotti said Tuesday that a win in Wednesday's Champions League semifinal against Manchester United would complete the club and the nation's comeback. Indeed, a place in the Champions League […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Zidane to LA? No Chance, Says Yallop
There is “no chance” of Zinedine Zidane joining David Beckham at the Los Angeles Galaxy, Coach Frank Yallop tells Andrea Canales of L.A. Soccer News. The rumors have resurfaced time and again that the former World and European Player of the Year would make his way to Major League Soccer to rejoin his former Real […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Size and Strength Send Brazilians into Libertadores Second Round
It’s no coincidence that five of the 16 teams that qualified for the Copa Libertadores second round are Brazilian, writes Tim Vickery of SI.com. Brazilian teams have dominated the South American competition over the last few years, and aside from the shock first-round exit of Internacional, last year’s champion, things have gone according to plan […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Saviola: Barca Lied to Me
It’s hard to know why Barcelona coach Franck Rijkaard has relegated little Javier Saviola to the bench — and in some cases, the stands — yet again. The Argentine striker’s goals all but carried Barcelona during its goal-scoring crisis in January and February, when both Leo Messi and Samuel Eto’o were injured. Now that they’re […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Say it Loud: Real’s a Serious Contender
Following Real Madrid’s comprehensive 4-1 victory away to Athletic Bilbao, murmurings in the Spanish press about the Merengues’ resurgence have given way to sweeping proclamations that the Spanish giant — on current form anyway — is now the favorite to win La Liga. ESPN Soccernet’s Phil Ball says the Spanish dailies, La Marca included, are […]
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Salt Lake no better on a Monday
A rare Monday night MLS game was the same old story for host Real Salt Lake, which lost to its Rocky Mountain Cup rival Colorado, 2-0. Moved out of Rice-Eccles Stadium for the weekend by the NCAA gymnastic championships being staged by the University of Utah, RSL (0-2-2) labored through a scoreless first half before Roberto Brown and Kyle Beckerman scored four minutes apart to give Colorado (2-1-1) the victory and a share of the Western Conference lead.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
USA crushes Israel for third in Ballymena
The U.S. under-16 boys national team captured third place at the Ballymena International Tournament in Northern Ireland with a 5-1 win over Israel on Friday. The Americans scored in bunches — three in five minutes in the first half and the other two in four minutes in the second half.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
U.S. U-21 women finish second in Alabama
The U.S. U-21 women’s national team finished second at the six-team Futbol Internacional Tournament in Alabama, where it fell on penalty kicks to the Canadian Olympic development team in the final after playing to a 0-0 draw in regulation.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, What They're Saying
WHAT THEY’RE SAYING
“We’re not going to start pointing fingers and let this team unravel. It’s very important for us right now to stay together because we are frustrated. It is a tough stretch we’ve gone through. It takes its toll. We’re not getting breaks but we’re also killing ourselves.”
— Midfielder Ben Olsen of D.C. United, the preseason MLS favorite that has lost its first three games of the season. (Washington Post)
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Finding Nimo, the new U-17 star
The meteoric rise of former Liberian refugee Alex Nimo continued as he scored twice on Monday night to lead the United States to a 3-0 victory over Trinidad & Tobago in its opening game at CONCACAF’s Under-17 World Cup qualifying tournament in Kingston, Jamaica.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Reds must attack in Champions League showdown
[TV PREVIEW] Liverpool will have to do something on Tuesday it didn’t have to do in the second legs of the previous two rounds of the UEFA Champions League: attack. The Reds’ chances of earning a place in the Champions League final will depend on its ability to take the initiative against depleted Chelsea in Tuesday’s second leg. Chelsea leads, 1-0, going into the second leg.