Monthly Archives: May 2007
Posted inSoccer America Daily, What They're Saying

What They’re Saying

by Soccer America

"He is the anti-Beckham. He is not handsome. He is not a millionaire. He is not married to a Hollywood star. He has a hunchback. He has a strange hairdo. But he is arriving in the perfect city at the perfect time for him. When he takes the field, the Mexicans aren’t going to say, ‘Look at the goal Temoc Blanco scored.’ They will say, ‘Look at the goal we scored.'”

— Jose Ramon Fernandez, a sports commentator for Grupo Monitor radio, on Mexican star Cuauhtemoc Blanco, who will join the Chicago Fire and is MLS’s second-highest paid “designated player” after Los Angeles-bound David Beckham. (Chicago Tribune)

Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story

CONCACAF releases Gold Cup rosters

by Soccer America

[GOLD CUP ROSTERS] CONCACAF released the final rosters for all 12 teams that will compete in the 2007 Gold Cup June 6-24 at six U.S. venues. The roster for each team consists of 23 players. A player may only be substituted in the event of a serious injury up until 24 hours before the team’s first match. For complete rosters …

Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story

Gold Cup teams to take 22 MLS players

by Soccer America

[MAKING A LIST] Twenty-two MLS players were called up for the 2007 Gold Cup. Expansion Toronto FC led all teams with four players (including Chris Pozniak whom Canada is listing as a “reserve.”). New York (which shares the overall MLS lead with New England), D.C. United (last year’s regular-season champion, D.C. United) and Real Salt Lake were the only MLS teams not to have anyone called up for the Gold Cup. The list of 22 players includes Amado Guevara, who is persona non grata at Chivas USA, but not Mexican Cuauhtemoc Blanco, who will later join Chicago from Club America. In addition, six Gold Cup players play in the USL-1.

Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story

Dispute depletes T&T squad for the Gold Cup

by Paul Kennedy

Trinidad & Tobago will send a depleted roster to the Gold Cup, where it will face the USA in the first round. All 2006 World Cup veterans playing abroad won’t be playing because of a dispute with the T&T federation over World Cup bonuses. Dwight Yorke, the T&T captain at the 2006 World Cup, turned down an offer to return to the national team. His decision not to come out of international retirement a second time was reportedly to support his World Cup teammates who are currently locked in a dispute over bonuses with the T&T federation.

Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story

Canada calls up seven MLS players for the Gold Cup

by Paul Kennedy

Canada called up 20 players and three reserves for the 2007 Gold Cup, which starts on June 6. Canada’s 20-player roster includes six players from MLS teams — three from Toronto FC two from the Los Angeles Galaxy and one from the Houston Dynamo — and three USL players — two from the Montreal Impact and Martin Nash, brother of NBA star Steve Nash, from the champion Vancouver Whitecaps. The only uncapped player is Antonio Ribeiro of the Impact. Toronto FC captain Jim Brennan turned down an invitation to play for Canada to concentrate on MLS play.

Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story

The Return of England’s Prodigal Son

by Soccer America

Sam Wallace of the Independent says David Beckham’s recall to Steve McClaren’s England, “a momentous occasion in English football history,” which comes nearly a year after he “gave up the captaincy in front of the world’s press for the most dramatic public abdication since Edward VIII,” was almost eerily low-key. And why is that? Maybe, […]

Posted inSoccer on TV., Story

Soccer On TV

by Soccer America

Libertadores Cup semifinal play (Fox Sports en Espanol) highlights the midweek television action. England takes on Brazil in a friendly on Friday (Fox Soccer Channel). On Saturday, Coach Bob Bradley, in his first game without the interim label, guides the USA in a friendly against China. Setanta USA and Fox Soccer Channel provide broadcasts of European Championship qualifying on Saturday.

Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story

Eddie Johnson hat trick highlights MLS Week 8

by Ridge Mahoney

Eddie Johnson led the Wizards back from a 2-0 deficit with a hat trick to beat the Revs, 4-3. Toronto FC earned its first road goals and initial road point of the season by tying the Crew, 2-2. Reigning league MVP Christian Gomez awoke to lead D.C. United past Houston, 2-1, with a goal and an assist. Chivas USA strikers Maykel Galindo and Ante Razov each netted once to down FC Dallas, 2-0. Colorado took advantage of a Kyle Martino ejection to edge the Galaxy, 1-0. The Fire halted its four-game losing streak but did little else by lurching to a 0-0 home tie against Real Salt Lake. Soccer America’s Ridge Mahoney recaps all the Memorial Day weekend MLS action …

Posted inSoccer America Daily, What They're Saying

What They’re Saying

by Soccer America

“We didn’t have the luck to be born anywhere else. We have to play sports wherever we are.”

— Bolivian soccer fan Ruben Cuenca reacts to FIFA’s ban on international games at venues above 8,200 feet sea level. The ban prevents Bolivia from playing World Cup qualifiers in La Paz, which lies 11,800 feet above sea level, and prohibits games in the capitals of Colombia and Ecuador and in the hometowns of major clubs in Mexico and Peru. (New York Times)

Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story

Nomads claim first Red Bull National League under-17 boys title

by Soccer America

The Nomads of La Jolla, Calif., downed Southern California rival Arsenal FC, 3-2, Monday to win the first-ever Red Bull National League under-17 boys title. Jose Torres‘ half-volley opened the scoring in the 16th minute of the final and added a second in the 63rd minute. Jeo Sandez also scored for the Nomads. Rafa Baca and Norberto Ochoa scored for Arsenal in the second half, but a penalty-kick save by Nomads goalkeeper Chris Blais in the 75th minute sealed the victory.

Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story

Carolina snaps Vancouver’s 16-game USL unbeaten streak

by Soccer America

[USL RESULTS] The expansion Carolina RailHawks handed the defending champion Vancouver Whitecaps their first loss of the season with a 1-0 win on Friday night. Carolina won on a Connally Edozien goal in the 57th minute. The loss snapped a 16-game unbeaten streak for the 4-1-2 Whitecaps. The Montreal Impact improved to 4-0-2 with a 1-0 win over Miami FC on Friday in front of 11,873 fans. Ivorian Charles Gbeke score the game’s only goal to beat Miami for the second time this season.

Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story

Chievo’s Flying Donkeys crash in Serie A finale

by Soccer America

Chievo Verona, one of the best small clubs in recent European history, was relegated from Italy’s Serie A on Sunday, the final day of the season, after a 2-0 loss to Catania and Siena’s 2-1 win over Lazio. Five sides were battling to avoid the final relegation spot on the last day, but Chievo was the only team that failed to win and was thus condemned to the drop. Siena was five minutes from going down when Paolo Negro tapped in their winner. Parma (3-1 winner over Empoli) and Reggina (2-0 winner over a depleted AC Milan) also survived.

Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story

Ronnie’s red potential blow to Barca’s title chances

by Soccer America

Real Madrid, Barcelona and Sevilla all won to remain in contention for the 2007 La Liga title. Real beat Deportivo Coruna, 3-1, to remain in control of the race with two games to play. It is tied with Barcelona, 1-0 winner over Getafe, but has won the tie-breaker (head-to-head record). Barcelona’s title chances took a blow when star Ronaldinho was sent off late in the first half against Getafe and faces the prospect of missing the last two games of the season if Barcelona’s appeal isn’t upheld

Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story

Cacho leads Pachuca to Mexican league title

by Soccer America

Juan Carlos Cacho, whose two goals gave Pachuca a 2-1 victory over Club America on Friday in the first leg of Mexico’s Torneo Clausura finals, scored in the 82nd minute of the second leg to give the Tuzos a 1-1 tie and their second straight Clausura title. Playing his last game for America before joining MLS’s Chicago Fire, Cuauhtemoc Blanco scored in the 68th minute to pull America even on aggregate, but Cacho, called up for Mexico’s team for the Gold Cup and Copa America, once again came to the rescue and tallied his third goal in two games.

Posted inCollege Soccer Reporter, Story

Collegians star for U-21 women in Germany

by Soccer America

The U.S. U-21 women’s national team opened a three-game tour of Germany on Tuesday with a 4-1 win over FC Gutersloh of the German Second Division. Bill Irwin‘s Americans broke open the close game with three goals in the last 20 minutes by Natalie Capuano (Penn), Ali Krieger (Penn State) and Angie Woznuk (Portland). Natalie Budge (Portland) evened the score in the 19th minute after Gutersloh went ahead with a penalty three minutes earlier.

Posted inCollege Soccer Reporter, Story

Duke assistant Serpone lands Amherst job

by Soccer America

Amherst named Duke men’s assistant Justin Serpone as its new men’s head coach, replacing co-coaches Peter Gooding, who is retiring, and his son, Milton, who was recently named the men’s coach at MIT. Prior to Duke, Serpone, a product of Division III Drew University, served as the assistant men’s coach at Northwestern from 2003 to 2006 and at Lafayette from 2001 to 2003.

Posted inCollege Soccer Reporter, Story

Eketebi promoted to men’s head coach at FIU

by Soccer America

As expected, Munga Eketebi was hired as Florida International’s new men’s head coach. Eketebi, who becomes the fourth head coach in the 35-year history of the program, replaces Karl Kremser under whom he worked as an assistant for almost two decades. Eketebi took a short hiatus from FIU in 1996 when he served a one-year stint as the men’s head coach at Nova Southeastern, leading the NAIA Knights to an undefeated regular-season record in the Sun Conference.

Posted inCollege Soccer Reporter, Story

Notre Dame’s Lapira debuts for Ireland national team

by Paul Kennedy

Notre Dame’s Joseph Lapira, Soccer America’s College Player of the Year and the Hermann Trophy winner in 2006, debuted for Ireland’s national team in a 1-1 tie with Ecuador on Wednesday night at Giants Stadium. Lapira, who hails from Lake Charles, La,, and qualified to represent Ireland through his mother, Kate , became the first amateur player to play for Ireland in 43 years. Lapira replaced Sunderland’s Daryl Murphy four minutes from the end of the game, the first of two on Ireland’s U.S. tour.

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