It’s a nice feeling to say that the U.S. has a good chance against Brazil Friday night. And yes, we are talking about soccer — a World Cup, in fact. Following the U-20 national team’s 6-1 drubbing of Poland in Group D on Tuesday, the U.S. has suddenly become something of a dark horse to […]
Monthly Archives: July 2007
Posted inSoccer America Confidential, Story
Making a case for the seven pending All-Star selections
MLS’s “First XI,” determined by voting, for the July 19 All-Star Game against Celtic is a solid group. Seven more players are to be picked — five by Coach Steve Nicol and two by Commissioner Don Garber — and there are far more candidates who merit serious consideration than allotted places.
Posted inSoccer on TV., Story
Soccer on TV
This weekend’s televised action kicks off on Friday evening with the USA’s match against Brazil at the U-20 World Cup (ESPNU & Galavision) and a USL clash between Rochester and Carolina (Fox Soccer Channel). Gol TV provides Copa America quarterfinal action on Saturday and Sunday.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, What They're Saying
What They’re Saying
“In all three games, I think we had moments when we played well. We still must be more consistent over 90 minutes in order to move to the next level. As we have said over the last few weeks, it is a great challenge to play in back-to-back tournaments. You run into situations with the various clubs, and as a result we brought a younger team here. This is an excellent tournament. The atmosphere in the stadiums, the passion, is something that is very special. We greatly appreciate the opportunity to have played in the 2007 Copa America.”
— U.S. national team coach Bob Bradley after the USA exited the Copa America with its third straight loss, 1-0 to Colombia on Thursday.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Angel heads MLS First XI for All-Star Game
Colombian Juan Pablo Angel of the New York Red Bulls heads the players named to the MLS All-Star First XI for the 2007 Sierra Mist MLS All-Star Game bwteen the MLS All-Stars and Scottish Premier League champion Celtic on July 19. Angel led in total voting percentage ahead of 2006 MLS All-Star MVP Dwayne De Rosario of the Houston Dynamo. Angel and fellow Colombian Juan Toja (FC Dallas) are the only first-year players on the first XI. Second-year player Jonathan Bornstein of Chivas USA is the only other player with no pevious All-Star Game experience.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
More disappointment for Canada at U-20 World Cup
There was more bad news for host Canada at the Under-20 World Cup. Canada’s U-20s dropped their second straight match at the Under-20 World Cup, falling to Austria, 1-0, on a header by Rubin Okotie in the 47th minute. The Canada-Austria game drew 31,000 fans in Edmonton as the U-20 event continued to generate extraordinary interest in Canada. Six of the first nine dates were sellouts, including the Poland-Brazil and USA-South Korea doubleheader in Montreal that drew 55,800 fans. The U-20 World Cup in Canada is on track to break the record turnout of 1,155,160 in Mexico in 1983 — and double the turnout two years ago in the Netherlands.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
U.S. REPORT CARD: Youngsters Guzan, Kljestan and Nguyen stand out against Colombia
Soccer America’s Ridge Mahoney grades the U.S. players’ performance in their 1-0 Copa America loss to Colombia …
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
2007 Copa America TV Schedule
The Copa America moves into the quarterfinals with four games over the week. Both of Saturday’s games are repeats of group matches: Venezuela-Uruguay and Brazil-Chile. Mexico faces Paraguay in a repeat of their friendly Paragauay won last month. Argentina, a 1-0 winner over Paraguay to finish as the only team to win all three games in group play, meets Peru in Sunday’s other quarterfinal match. For the complete Copa America TV schedule …
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
U.S. exercise at the Copa America ends pointless
A tough, rugged game against Colombia in which four U.S. players made their first Copa America appearance produced promising moments but nothing more than a 1-0 defeat and an 0-3 record in the competition. Finishing pointless in the standings is also how the entire exercise of taking a young, largely inexperienced team to so prestigious a competition will be deemed: pointless.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
2007 Under-20 World Cup TV Schedule
The USA closes out group play at the Under-20 World Cup on Friday when it faces Brazil in Ottawa in a game televised on ESPNU and Galavision. Group play continues through Sunday. For the complete Under-20 World Cup schedule …
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Red-hot Houston and D.C. United meet on Sunday
[MLS WEEKEND PREVIEWS] Two hot teams collide as Houston hosts D.C. United; Chivas USA and the Revs stage a rematch; Toronto FC and Chicago square off to see who can keep pace in the East; the Crew can squeeze the standings even tighter at home against Real Salt Lake; the Rapids and Red Bulls hope to rebound after being blanked; and the revamped (again) Galaxy get a stern test against Kansas City.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
From the PDL to EPL: Colin Miller
Colin Miller, the longtime coach of the PDL’s Abbotsford Rangers, was hired as the first team assistant coach for the newly promoted English Premiership club Derby County. The former Canadian international and one-time interim head coach of the Canadian men’s national team will work under Derby manager Billy Davies, a former teammate of Miller’s with Glasgow Rangers.
Posted inStory, Youth Soccer Insider
Tryouts: The whys, why-nots and maybes
In a typical club system where parents fund their child’s experience and pretty directly the club and its employees — team formation can be the most difficult part of the year.
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Tiny Town Has a Huge Influence for Colombia
For Wednesday’s clash between the U.S. and Colombia, Jack Bell of the New York Times profiles a small Colombian town that’s having a big influence on the national team: Cúcuta, a sprawling Andean town of 600,000 people residing on Colombia’s eastern border with Venezuela. Cucuta is home to Colombian Clausura champion Cúcuta Deportivo, which won […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Chelsea to Finalize Malouda, Bring Back Alex
Chelsea chief executive Peter Kenyon said the Blues would unveil Florent Malouda at Stamford Bridge next week. The asking price for the 27-year-old Lyon winger is $34.12 million, but Kenyon would not discuss a transfer fee. He said Malouda would be the club’s final signing of the summer. Which means this will be the quietest […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Calderon Expects Schuster, Kaka at Real Next Week
Getafe coach Bernd Schuster is expected to be unveiled next week as the new coach of Real Madrid, Merengues President Ramon Calderon told Spanish radio on Thursday. “I think he [Schuster] has sorted out his contract and has to pay compensation, but the logical thing is that he will be the next coach of Real […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Man United Close to Tevez Deal
According to various reports across the Web, sought-after West Ham striker Carlos Tevez is on the verge of joining Manchester United. The fee has been pegged at around $40 million, although neither West Ham nor United is commenting on the speculation. The Argentine international has said he won’t make a decision about his future until […]
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Luciano Emilio scores 8th goal in D.C. United win
Brazilian Luciano Emilio moved to within a goal of MLS leadings scorers Juan Pablo Angel (New York) and Eddie Johnson (Kansas City) with his eighth strike, the decider in D.C. United’s 1-0 win at Kansas City. Toronto won its first road game of the season, over hapless Real Salt Lake, 2-1. Landon Donovan struck twice from the penalty spot as Los Angeles downed Chicago, 2-0, in front of the biggest Fourth of July crowd (24,333). FC Dallas notched its fourth shutout in five games with a 2-0 win over Chivas USA. Colorado and Columbus played to a scoreless tie.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, What They're Saying
What They’re Saying
“We like for the continent’s most important competition to be respected with the best players. [The USA] opted to send a team with some players who aren’t their regulars. That doesn’t please us.”
— Eduardo Deluca, the general secretary of the South American confederation [CONMEBOL] on the USA sending a “B” team to the Copa America, where the USA lost its first two games while being outscored 7-2. Deluca said CONMEBOL does hope for hopes for continued U.S. participation in the tournament. (AP)
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Dallas Texans capture four titles at Region III youth championships
[REGION III FINALS] The Dallas Texans once again dominated the US Youth Soccer Region III Championships. Last year, they captured six regional titles. This year, four Texan teams went home with trophies. The U-19 Texans boys are defending national champions in their age group. The three girls champions are the U-15 and U-16 Texans, both regional champions in 2006, and the U-17 team. Two other Texans teams finished second in Wednesday’s finals in Oklahoma City, Okla. Nine of the 12 teams advancing to the US Youth Soccer National Championships in Frisco, Texas, July 24-29 at Pizza Hut Park, hail from Texas. Rounding out the championship mix were two teams from North Carolina (CASL U-19 girls and U-14 boys) and one from Georgia (Atlanta Fire United).
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
2007 Under-20 World Cup TV Schedule
Thursday’s Portugal-Mexico game on ESPNU and Galavision shapes up as one of the best first-round games at the Under-20 World Cup. For the complete Under-20 World Cup schedule …
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Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
USA to play for pride vs. Colombia in Copa
The USA has no chance of advancing to the second round of the Copa America when it meets Colombia on Thursday in Barquisimeto, Venezuela (TeleFutura, GolTV-English, 6:30 pm ET). Yet a case can be argued that sending this pool of U.S. players, many of whom had just a handful of caps if they had any at all, has already attained something. This group is not only a feeder group to the national team, it is also the foundation of the next Olympic team. Would Drew Moor otherwise be even a candidate at right back? Hasn’t this tournament sharpened the wits and talents of Ricardo Clark? Did his dismal appearance as a sub against Argentina consign Eddie Gaven to the nether regions of the player pool? What does the promising yet maddening showing of Justin Mapp mean in the short run as well as long-term?
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Japan and Nigeria advance at Under-20 World Cup
Japan and Nigeria became the first teams to clinch berths in the round of 16 of the Under-20 World Cup when they both won their second straight Group F games with wins over Costa Rica (1-0) and Scotland (2-0 on a pair of goals by captain Ezekiel Bala), respectively, on Wednesday in Victoria, B.C. European champion Spain survived a scare to beat Zambia, 2-1, in Group B action. In other game in Burnaby, Edison Cavani of Italian club Palermo scored to give Uruguay a 1-0 win over Jordan.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Mexico-Chile tie knocks USA out of Copa America
Mexico and Chile played to a 0-0 tie Wednesday at the Copa America — a result that suited both teams nicely and had fans fuming in Puerto la Cruz, Venezuela. The tie clinched first place for Mexico in Group B and put Chile through to the quarterfinals as one of the two best third-place teams. It also eliminated the USA and Colombia, which can only finish with three points if one beats the other in their Group C finale in Thursday. Brazil finished second in Group B with a 1-0 win over Ecuador on Robinho’s fourth goal of the tournament.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
2007 Copa America TV Schedule
The USA closes out its stay a the Copa America on Thursday when it faces Colombia. For the complete Copa America TV schedule …