The Gold Cup begins Wednsday with two games at Miami’s Orange Bowl: Canada-Costa Rica and Haiti-Guadeloupe. Both games will be broadcast on Galavision. For the complete Gold Cup television schedule …
Monthly Archives: June 2007
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Medford sets sights on Costa Rica’s first Gold Cup title
[GOLD CUP PREVIEW] Costa Rica is a team in transition. Gone is Coach Alexandre Guimaraes, who led the Ticos at the 2002 and 2006 World Cup and will coach Panama at the 2007 Gold Cup. Star Paulo Wanchope announced his international retirement after the 2006 World Cup and is now playing for FC Tokyo in Japan.
Former Costa Rica star Hernan Medford leads the Ticos in his first major international tournament as national team coach. For the Gold Cup, Costa Rica will be at close to full strength with 11 holdovers from the 2006 World Cup and four players based overseas, including former Los Angeles Galaxy defender Pablo Chinchilla, who now plays in Austria.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Canada has strong MLS flavor
[GOLD CUP PREVIEW] The Gold Cup was the scene of Canada’s greatest achievement of the last 20 years. Indeed, its 2000 Gold Cup victory stands as the only bright spot for a program that has languished and fallen far behind its North American rivals, the United States and Mexico. The national team program is in transition. It hasn’t had a full-time head coach since Frank Yallop left a year ago to return to MLS as the coach of the Los Angeles Galaxy. Dale Mitchell won’t take over as his replacement until after the U-20 World Cup in Canada. Interim coach Stephen Hart will coach Canada at the Gold Cup. Canada has a considerable pool of talent to draw upon from overseas and now in MLS
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Estonian Soccer Still on the Mend
Soccer as a symbol of oppression: it’s not a common theme across the globe, but nevertheless, the game that’s usually synonymous national and regional identity inevitably manages to get mixed up in domestic politics somehow. Jonathan Wilson says that soccer and ice hockey became “outsider” sports in Estonia once the Baltic nation lost its independence […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Wynne at Home in Toronto
Mo Johnston had big things in mind when he drafted Marvell Wynne to the then-MetroStars as the No. 1 overall pick in the 2006 MLS SuperDraft. He thought: this is a guy you could build your defense around. Wynne, too, was excited — but then several things happened. First, the MetroStars were bought by Red […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Fairy Tale Ends Ugly for T&T
A year ago, the Soca Warriors of Trinidad & Tobago were heroes. After snubbing Sweden with a 0-0 draw and nearly achieving the same result against England, the tiny Caribbean nation-the smallest ever to qualify for the World Cup-stamped itself on the world soccer map. A hero’s welcome awaited the players as they returned from […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Interview: Clarence Seedorf
FIFA.com has an interview with AC Milan midfielder Clarence Seedorf, the only man to have won the UEFA Champions League with three different teams. He’s won the prestigious competition four times, first with Ajax Amsterdam in 1995, then Real Madrid in 1998 and now twice with AC Milan, in 2003 and 2007. Club teammate Paolo […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Transfer Truths and (Mostly) Rumors
The summer transfer season is certainly underway. Fresh speculation is in the air, as players, coaches and agents alike all make suggestions about their futures and the futures of their clients and teammates. The most interesting U.S.-related news of the day was Chelsea midfielder Claude Makelele’s suggestion that MLS could be in his future. “The […]
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
U.S. Soccer Development Academy: The Impetus
Shortly after being elected U.S. Soccer President in March of 2006, Sunil Gulati launched a complete review of all the Federation’s technical areas. The Technical Committee, headed by Kevin Payne, concluded that on the youth player development front, at ages 13 to 17, elite players needed an increase in the quality and quantity of training; an increase in the number of quality games, but a reduction in the overall amount of games. Between the myriad state, regional and national competitions, showcase tournaments and ODP events, a typical young American elite player was “stretched too thin.” Said U.S. U-15 boys national team coach Jim Barlow, “It was never more clear to me that things in our youth soccer structure needed to change than at our first U-15 camp last summer when about half of the players, on the very first day of national team camp, told their coaches that they were tired of soccer. Too many games, too many leagues, too many tournaments and camps, too much structured soccer had already taken its toll on this group of talented young players.” And thus came the launch of the U.S. Soccer Development Academy.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
USSF shakes up youth landscape
The U.S. Soccer Federation is launching the U.S. Soccer Development Academy, which promises to dramatically decrease the men’s national team program’s dependence on the Olympic Development Program to identify players. The Federation has started accepting applications from the nation’s elite youth clubs to run academy teams for U-16 and U-18 boys to compete in the academy’s regional leagues. Up to 80 clubs will be chosen by U.S. Soccer’s national team coaches to run academy teams. Players in the academy program will not take part in ODP. To counter the “growing trend of clubs playing an excessive quantity of games in lieu of consistent training patterns,” academy teams will not play in any other leagues, tournaments or State Cup competitions. Players will only be allowed to compete on their designated academy team (with exceptions for high school soccer and national team duty). The Federation says ODP, which is run by U.S. Youth Soccer and state associations, will continue “unimpeded” because the spots opened up academy players who won’t take part will be filled by additional players.
The Federation released several documents pertaining to the new program that will provide opportunities for more than 2,000 players:
Academy Overview, On the Field Details, Academy Presentation, Membership Application for clubs.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Ryan cuts women’s residency squad to 24 players
With the countdown to the Women’s World Cup on, U.S. national team head coach Greg Ryan has reduced the residency training camp roster to 24 players. Ryan released forwards Lauren Cheney and Megan Rapinoe and goalkeepers Kristin Luckenbill and Kim Bingham, while injured players Heather Mitts and Amy LePeilbet, both defenders, and goalkeeper Jenni Branam will not be healthy in time for the Women’s World Cup.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Tiny Liechtenstein is on a roll
With a population of 33,000, Liechtenstein does not even have its own pro league — its top club, FC Vaduz, was tied for eighth in the Swiss Second Division — and has never finished anywhere other than last in its group of a major qualifying tournament, but it finds itself on a roll going into Wednesday’s Euro ’08 qualifier against Spain in Vaduz. Liechtenstein has earned four points in its last two games: a 1-0 win over Latvia — only its second win in European Championship qualifying — followed up by a 1-1 draw away to Iceland on Saturday that left Latvia last in the group.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, What They're Saying
What They’re Saying
“After completing an extensive review and discussion across the country, we feel that it is the right time for U.S. Soccer to lead a change in the sport at the youth level. We need to shift the focus of our young elite players from an ‘overburdened, game emphasis’ model to a ‘meaningful training and competition’ model.”
— U.S. Soccer President Sunil Gulati on the U.S. Soccer Development Academy, which will launch in the fall of 2007 for U-16 and U-18 boys.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Lady Lynx remain perfect in the W-League
[W-LEAGUE RESULTS] The Toronto Lady Lynx are the only W-League team to open with four straight wins. They won at Vermont (3-0) and Rochester (2-0) to win their third and fourth games, all by shutouts. For complete W-League results and goalscorers …
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Brazilian Campos on fire for PDL’s Fuego
[PDL RESULTS] Brazilian Pablo Campos scored two goals for the Fresno Fuego in a 4-2 win over the Lancaster Rattlers to give him a league-high 10 goals in seven games. Only seven teams remain unbeaten: the defending champion Michigan Bucks (4-0-2) and Indiana Invaders (2-0-2) in the Great Lakes Division; Kansas City Brass (4-0-0) and Thunder Bay Chill (1-0-1) in Heartland Division; Hampton Roads Piranhas (4-0-1) and Ocean City Barons (4-0-0) in Mid Atlantic Division; and Cape Cod Crusaders (3-0-3) in Northeast Division. For complete PDL results and goalscorers …
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Ranieri Succeeds Deschamps at Juve
Ex-Parma coach Claudio Ranieri was named head coach of Juventus on Monday. It had been rumored that the former Chelsea manager would start his next job at Manchester City, but few would argue that Juve is a better opportunity. Despite the club’s dramatic fall from grace last season, the head post at Juventus is still […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Liverpool Fights Back at UEFA Condemnation
UEFA issued a damning report on the behavior of Liverpool’s fans during the Champions League final in Athens nearly two weeks ago, saying Reds fans have consistently been the worst supporters in European soccer. “We know what happened in Athens, and Liverpool fans were the cause of most of the trouble there,” said William Gaillard, […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Becks too Good for U.S., Ronny too Fat to be Best
David Beckham is playing too well to be heading toward Hollywood and should have never been dropped from the England squad in the first place, while Ronaldinho is out of shape and has lost his best-player-in-the-world status to compatriot Kaka — these were among the reactions to England’s 1-1 draw with Brazil at Wembley Stadium […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Brazilian Sparks Fire to First Win in Five
Forget the hoopla surrounding the Fire’s courtship of Marcelo Salas, says the Daily Southtown’s Nick Firchau, the best move Chicago coach Dave Sarachan made last week was the introduction of the young Brazilian William Oliveira, who scored one and assisted one in a 3-2 home win against the Columbus Crew. On the heels of a […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Bad Luck, Poor Finishing Plague Galaxy
The L.A. Galaxy failed to score again Saturday night, drawing 0-0 at home against D.C. United. And to make matters worse, Landon Donovan, the team’s best player, now reports for international duty and may not return for more than six weeks. Frank Yallop’s men have now gone a dismal 220 minutes without scoring (310 minutes […]
Posted inSoccer on TV., Story
Games on TV
This week’s live televised soccer action kicks off on Tuesday with Brazil‘s friendly against Turkey (Fox) and Mexico‘s friendly against Paraguay (Telemundo). Then there’s European Championship qualifying, Libertadores Cup semifinal action, the Gold Cup kickoff (the USA opens on Thursday) and MLS’s Wednesday & Thursday night games. Montreal takes on Portland in USL’s Friday night game. The weekend brings more Gold Cup and MLS action, and the Spanish La Liga title race, with Gol TV providing Barcelona and Real Madrid games.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
U.S. newbies and vets shine against China
This one can be encapsulated rather easily: effective and at times dominant, the USA pasted an inferior Chinese team, 4-1, Saturday and scraped away some rust in its only run-up match for the Gold Cup. No Landon Donovan, no Taylor Twellman, no Brian Ching, no Eddie Johnson, yet still the U.S. scored four goals by four different players. A sloppy equalizing goal blasted high into the net by Zhang Yaokun in the 15th minute sprinkled some nervousness onto a starting 11 featuring debutant Sacha Kljestan and four other players with five or fewer caps. Yet two of those with just a few caps, Michael Bradley (his fifth) and Benny Feilhaber (third), controlled much of the match in midfield, and Kljestan set up Feilhaber for the go-ahead goal with a lobbed ball Feilhaber looped over keeper Chen Dong and over the goalline just before charging Chinese defenders could reach it. Ridge Mahoney reports from San Jose, Calif., on the U.S. rout of China …
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
REPORT CARD: Feilhaber shines in U.S. rout of China
Soccer America’s Ridge Mahoney grades the U.S. players’ performance in their 4-1 win over China …
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Eddie ‘Hat Trick’ Johnson lights up MLS
Eddie Johnson downed New York with his second consecutive hat trick, Houston rallied to take the Texas shootout against Dallas, Chicago stopped a five-game winless skid by beating Columbus, and the cross-country clasico between D.C. and LA ended goalless. Ridge Mahoney recaps all this weekend’s MLS action …
Posted inSoccer America Daily, What They're Saying
What They’re Saying
“David Beckham‘s return to form, first for Real Madrid and now for England, has inevitably led to people questioning the wisdom of him signing to play not-so-major-league football in the home of Mickey Mouse.”
— Former England star Gary Lineker chimes in from the home of Benny Hill and Mr. Bean. (Sunday Telegraph)