“Oh how it hurts. … Even Los Machos cry, especially when they lose to the USA.”
— Mexican daily Esto on El Tri’s Gold Cup final loss to the USA.
The Univision broadcast of the USA-Mexico Gold Cup final was third most-viewed Spanish-language sports telecast of all time with 5,340,000 viewers, according to the “fast national” ratings of U.S. households from Nielsen. Only last summer’s Mexico-Argentina match at the World Cup and February’s Mexico-USA game in Arizona had a larger audience on Univision. Last Thursday’s Mexico-Guadeloupe in the Gold Cup semifinals was viewed by 4,024,000 persons age 2+ on TeleFutura, making the most-viewed program of any kind on that network.
[TRANSFER TALK] While Thierry Henry completed his $32 million transfer from Arsenal to Barcelona on Monday when he passed a physical and was introduced to a Barca crowd of 20,000, David Trezeguet, with whom he broke into the professional ranks at French club Monaco in the 1990s, has made an about-turn and extended his contract with Juventus until 2011.
[W-LEAGUE RESULTS] The Ottawa Fury improved to 7-0-0 in W-League play with a 4-1 win over Toronto and 3-0 victory over Rochester. In the win over the Rhinos, Englishwoman Jodie Taylor, who plays for Oregon State, scored all three goals for Toronto. Minnesota (5-0-0) is the only other unbeaten and untied team in the W-League. For complete W-League results and goalscorers …
[PDL RESULTS] Long-time PDL powerhouse Cape Cod remained unbeaten in the Northeast Division with a 5-2 win over Rhode Island and 2-2 tie with Westchester. Ricardo Pierre-Louis, who played for Haiti at the Gold Cup, led the Crusaders with a second-half hat rick against Rhode Island. Cape Cod is one of four teams still unbeaten in PDL play along with the Hampton Roads Piranhas, Michigan Bucks and Kansas City Brass. For complete PDL results and goalscorers …
[PREVIEW] Venezuela’s record in the Copa America isn’t just bad. It’s horrible — only one win in 12 appearances dating back to 1967. Still, the pressure will be on the hosts on Tuesday when they open the 12-team South American championship against Bolivia. President Hugo Chavez has spent $1 billion on the construction and renovation of the tournament’ nine stadiums and infrastructure aimed at putting his government in a positive light abroad.
[REGION II YOUTH SEMIFINAL PAIRINGS] FC Milwaukee led all clubs with seven teams advancing to the semifinals of the U.S. Youth Soccer Region II Championships on Monday in Des Moines, Iowa. Six teams from the Michigan Wolves-Hawks and four from Eclipse Select — including the defending national champion girls teams in the U-16 and U-16 divisions — also reached the final four. Cedar Rapids Soccer Association’s U-18 boys, winners of all three group games, represent the host state of Iowa. For the complete semifinal pairings to take place Tuesday at James W. Cownie Soccer Park …
The 2007 Copa America, which kicks off on Tuesday, will be broadcast in ts entirety in Spanish on Univision (11 games) and TeleFutura (15 games) and in English on GolTV. For the complete Copa America TV schedule …
It’s a well known fact to non-U.S. supporters that Mexico plays better against international powers like Argentina and Brazil than it does against the Americans, which is to say the U.S. is something of a bogey side to the superior Mexicans. Well, by the looks of their head-to-head record in the last dozen games, that’s […]
Adidas this week is launching a new advertising campaign featuring Reggie Bush of the NFL’s New Orleans Saints alongside Major League Soccer’s monster signing, David Beckham. Bush and Beckham swap sports in the campaign, “Futbol vs. Football.” Beckham finally joins the Los Angeles Galaxy next month after helping Real Madrid win its first La Liga […]
Thierry Henry’s high-profile departure from Arsenal to Barcelona hasn’t exactly been the best thing for the Gunners’ brand image. Henry repeatedly stated before his departure that the club needed to spend money on world-class talent or he would leave. Now that he has moved on, Henry says he will be “an Arsenal fan for life,” […]
It was a first Major League Soccer start and a first goal for Houston Dynamo center back Patrick Ianni against Kansas City Sunday. Before a tiny crowd of just over 8,000, two of MLS’s top teams met in a match that looked destined for a 0-0 stalemate until the second-year defender rose to meet Stuart […]
Four-time UEFA Champions League winner Clarence Seedorf made a stop in New York last week as part of a tour to gather information on the world’s game. Having already visited the Middle East and Southern Africa, the AC Milan midfielder arrived in New York ready to “meet the people, talk a little about the reality […]
Gol TV, TeleFutura and Univision provide live game coverage of the Copa America. The USA takes part as a guest team in the South American championship for the first time since finishing fourth in 1995. The Americans’ first game is Thursday — four days after lifting the Gold Cup title — against Argentina. The U-20 World Cup, which will air live on ESPNU, TeleFutura and Galavision kicks off on Saturday. The U.S. U-20s face South Korea on Saturday at 5 pm ET.
[ROSTER] The USA, participating as a guest team in the Copa America, the South American championship, for the first time since finishing fourth in 1995, is sending a young, inexperienced squad to Venezuela, where it opens on Thursday against Argentina. Sixteen players on the 22-man squad have 10 caps or fewer and 14 are under age 25. Uncapped players on the roster are Herculez Gomez, Drew Moor and Marvell Wynne. For the roster …
[WEEKEND WRAP]. It took 12 games, but Real Salt Lake finally won its first game of the season, victimizing D.C. United. Andy Dorman’s two goals helped New England thump Toronto FC to move the Revs into first place in the East. Young Colombia Juan Toja was again the hero in a win for FC Dallas, which downed struggling Colorado. Los Angeles fell to Columbus despite playing a man up for an hour in a game that saw each team fail from the penalty spot. Houston eked past Kansas City, shut out for the first time this season.
Soccer America’s Ridge Mahoney grades the U.S. players’ performance in their 2-1 Gold Cup final win over Mexico …
Add a comeback 2-1 win against its archrival and another Gold Cup title to the USA ledger. Add a squandered 1-0 halftime lead to Mexico’s record of futility north of the border. Add another feather to the headdress of Bob Bradley, whose unbeaten record as U.S. head coach is 10-0-1 heading into the Copa America. Add Benny Feilhaber’s searing winner to the list of best U.S. goals, and the landmark occasion of Landon Donovan tying Eric Wynalda atop the all-time goalscoring list at 34. Soccer America’s Ridge Mahoney reports from Chicago …
[USL RESULTS] The defending champion Vancouver Whitecaps regained first place in the USL First Division with a 1-0 win at Miami and 0-0 tie at Puerto Rico. Minnesota moved out of last place Sunday with a 1-0 win over California. In the USL-2, Cleveland fell for the first time when it lost at first-place Charlotte, 1-0, on Sunday. Richmond (8-0-2) is the lone unbeaten team left in the USL-2. For complete USL results and goalscorers …
Thierry Henry arrived at FC Barcelona on Sunday to be introduced as the Spanish club’s new signing after it agreed to pay Arsenal $32 million for the 29-year-old France striker. “Nothing has been signed yet but both sides reached an agreement on Friday,” Henry told French sports newspaper L’Equipe on Saturday. “I have chosen Barcelona for the soccer they play, for their history and their stadium.” For more behind Henry’s shock decision to leave Arsenal a year after he signed a four-year contract extension …
[REGION IV YOUTH CHAMPIONS] Arsenal FC, winner of three straight national championships in its age group, won its fourth straight US Youth Soccer Region IV Championship by beating Colorado Rush Nike, 2-0, in Sunday’s U-18 boys final. Two other former national champions will return to the US Youth Soccer National Championships July 24-29 at Pizza Hut Park in Frisco, Texas: U-16 boys Real So Cal and the U-17 girls Eagles. Cal South won 10 titles. FC Slammers won two girls titles and lost to the Eagles on penalties in the U-17 girls division. Arizona power Sereno White won one boys and one girls title. A new addition to the US Youth Soccer Region IV Championships is the first girls team from Nevada to ever win a regional championship, the U-12 Neusport FC Green. For results and goalscorers of the Region IV finals …
The U.S. women’s national team got early goals from Kristine Lilly — the 123rd of her career coming after just 58 seconds — and Abby Wambach — the 74th of her international career on a glancing header off Cat Whitehill‘s free kick — to beat Brazil, 2-0, in the first meeting between the teams since the 2004 Olympic gold-medal game that the USA won.
Freddy Adu scored one goal and set up another to lead the U.S. under-20 national team to a 2-1 win over Chile Saturday at Giants Stadium in the team’s final international friendly before leaving for the Under-20 World Cup, which starts Saturday in Canada. Adu scored the opening goal in the 34th minute off a pass from Josmer Altidore and then feed Robbie Rogers in the second half to give the U.S. a 2-0 lead. Alexis Sanchez scored for Chile from the penalty spot three minutes after Rogers put the USA two goals up.
“They deserve to be the No. 1 team in CONCACAF. They played well, but we had a number of chances. We just didn’t take advantage of our opportunities.”
— Mexico striker striker Cuauhtemoc Blanco after the USA’s 2-1 win in the Gold Cup final. (AP)
All kinds of interesting Real Madrid tidbits have been revealed in the days since the Merengues’ lifted the Spanish League title. First, came the allegation that Real had signed an illegal contract with Getafe coach Bernd Schuster, the man who President Ramon Calderon wanted to see installed as coach when he became president last year. […]
