The ubiquitous coverage of the Carlos Tevez and Arjen Robben affairs continues. The latest on Tevez is that West Ham blocked a medical exam scheduled at Manchester United early Wednesday morning, prompting both clubs to take the matter to FIFA. United CEO David Gill is hopeful FIFA will sort things out before the start of […]
Monthly Archives: July 2007
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Beckerman Trade a Positive for RSL
Earlier this week, the Colorado Rapids sent center midfielder Kyle Beckerman to Real Salt Lake in exchange for Mehdi Ballouchy, a move that Ian Plenderleith of USSoccerPlayers characterizes as a positive one for struggling RSL. The addition of Beckerman as a holding midfielder could pave the way for Freddy Adu to move back into the […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Becks Watches as Tigres Brushes Galaxy Aside
David Beckham might have experienced a hint of déjà vu in watching his teammates lose from the balcony of a luxury suite Tuesday night — with a few key differences of course: the Galaxy is not Real Madrid (despite a noticeable resemblance in the team’s new image) and this luxury suite was not situated in […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
MLS All-Star a Sellout, but Not with Brands
The 2007 MLS All-Star game, staged at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park in Denver, Colo., might be a sellout, but it still has a long way to go before it comes close to generating the same kind of hype as say, the NBA All-Star game. Hotels are reporting a small bump in business, and “jersey-clad youths” […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Altidore: U-20s ‘Opened a Lot of Eyes’
The New York Times speaks with a disappointed Josmer Altidore, who this week returned to training with the New York Red Bulls following the junior national team’s quarterfinal exit at the FIFA U-20 World Cup. The USA lost in overtime, 2-1, to Austria in a match where Altidore recorded his fourth goal of the tournament. […]
Posted inSoccer Business Insider, Story
McD’s McFest Targets Suburban Soccer
When it comes to targeting a mainstream message to an appropriate, receptive and responsive audience, how can you possibly do any better than the suburban soccer market?
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
U.S. defender signs with Bundesliga newcomer
[AMERICANS ABROAD] Heath Pearce, the 22-year-old left back who played one game for the USA at the this summer’s Copa America, has signed with newly promoted German First Division club Hansa Rostock. Pearce, a California product who played college ball at the University of Portland, previously played two years for FC Nordsjaelland in the Danish First Division.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Beasley dazzles with Glasgow Rangers
[AMERICANS ABROAD] DaMarcus Beasley, who joined Glasgow Rangers on a $1.4 million transfer from PSV Eindhoven, made a successful debut for the Scottish club in a 3-0 friendly win over German Fourth Division club Guetersloh. The Scotsman newspaper described the 25-year-old’s performance as dazzling and quoted Rangers assistant coach Ally McCoist as saying: "We were very pleased with DaMarcus Beasley. He is a great signing. He has not had a long time off, just about three weeks because he has played at international level. He is a great signing. He is very, very quick.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Earthquakes to make 2008 return
Northern California, which lost its MLS club to Houston after the 2005 season when the San Jose Earthquakes moved to Texas and became the Dynamo, will welcome back a reincarnation of the Earthquakes for the 2008 season, according to the San Jose Mercury. The Mercury and the San Francisco Chronicle reported that MLS Commissioner Don Garber will make an announcement in Wednesday’s state-of-the-league address in Denver (site of Thursday’s All-Star Game) that Oakland A’s owner and developer Lew Wolff has been awarded an expansion franchise. The new San Jose Earthquakes may play in Bay Area venues outside San Jose while Wolff and his partners negotiate with the city of San Jose to build a new stadium.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, What They're Saying
What They’re Saying
“They say money talks. This is obviously untrue, because if money were capable of speech we’d hear it shrieking ‘How much? You must be joking.'”
— Des Kelly writing in the Daily Mail about striker Darren Bent‘s recent $33 million transfer to Tottenham Hotspur. (BBC).
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Phoenix international tournament opens before sparse crowd
Four months ago, the USA and Mexico played in front of a sellout crowd at the 63,400-seat University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Ariz. The big crowd prompted speculation that the Phoenix market was ready for big-time soccer on a regular basis. But even the lure of Libertadores Cup champion Boca Juniors couldn’t help promoters of the six-team Copa PanAmericana that opened Monday night with a crowd of “a few hundred” — a fraction of the 35,000 expected.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Beckham watches as Galaxy slumps to embarrassing loss to Tigres
Just what could David Beckham have been thinking? The Los Angeles Galaxy played its first game with its newest signing on hand to watch, and it stunk up the joint. With Beckham watching from the Galaxy’s executive suite with Galaxy President Alexi Lalas, the MLS club fell to Tigres of Mexico, 3-0, in the opening game of the World Series of Football.
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
A’s Owner Wolff Says Quakes Deal Forthcoming
The San Jose Earthquakes may yet be back in business as early as next season, according to Oakland A’s owner Lew Wolff, who’s been planning to build a home stadium that would enable him to resurrect the two-time MLS champ. “We’re not 1,000 percent there and we don’t want to preempt any announcement from Major […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Report: Beckham Might Miss Chelsea, Capello Could Cross over
It’s looking quite possible that the L.A. Galaxy’s new signing David Beckham will not be making his debut against Chelsea at the Home Depot on Saturday due to an injury sustained at the end of last season while playing for Real Madrid and England. Beckham did not train with the MLS team on Monday, and […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Transfer Roundup
Sir Alex Ferguson is confident that Carlos Tevez will sign for the Red Devils soon despite a series of legal problems. The Argentina star is set to fly into Manchester Tuesday for a medical test. However, it looks like United’s current Argentine star, Gabriel Heinze, is on his way out — to either Liverpool or […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Celtic and Spurs Reportedly Might Start Freddy Bidding War
British clubs Celtic and Tottenham could start a bidding war for Real Salt Lake midfielder Freddy Adu, according to Scottish paper The People. Scottish champion Celtic had hoped to sign the U.S. U-20 national team star as early as this week for a reported $2 million, but now Tottenham manager Martin Jol is understood to […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Copa Final a Victory for Pragmatism
Tim Vickery of BBC Sport calls Brazil’s 3-0 win over Argentina in the Copa America final a resounding triumph for the pragmatists over the romantics from Argentina. “Pragmatist” is a polite way of describing an approach to the game that has seen Brazil’s press castigate Coach Dunga for a style of play many have called […]
Posted inSoccer America Daily, What They're Saying
What They’re Saying
“The players were all really pleasant, thankfully. One of them came up to me — I can’t remember who it was now — and said: ‘Nice to meet you. What’s your name?’ That really broke the ice.”
— David Beckham on his first practice with the Los Angeles Galaxy. (Reuters)
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
THOMAS RONGEN: ‘This one hurt more’
[Q&A] U.S. under-20 coach Thomas Rongen had just a few days to reflect on his team’s showing at the U-20 World Cup, in which the Americans lost in overtime to Austria, 2-1, Saturday in the quarterfinals. Before leaving Wednesday to join the U.S. teams at the Pan American Games in Rio de Janeiro, Rongen spoke with Soccer America’s Ridge Mahoney about whether any of his players are ready for the full national team, what American defenders are lacking, Freddy Adu’s progress, and how this quarterfinal elimination compared with the 2003 loss …
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Lightning strikes twice on the road
[W-LEAGUE RESULTS] The Minnesota Lightning remained unbeaten with road wins over the Chicago Gaels (2-1) and West Michigan Firewomen (1-0) over the weekend. Kelsey Hans had the winning goal in the win over West Michigan, her sixth goal in six games. For complete PDL results and goalscorers …
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
BYU has commanding lead in PDL’s Northwest Division
[PDL RESULTS] BYU, the only college team represented in the PDL, improved to 12-1-1 with a 2-1 win over Northwest Division rival Ogden on goals by Tyson Miller and William Fellows on Saturday. The Cougars lead second-place Tacoma by eight points. For complete PDL results and goalscorers …
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
U.S. U-17s open with win in Belgium
The U.S. U-17 boys national team beat Belgium’s Club Brugge, 3-1, as part of its10-day tour of Belgium and Germany. Alex Nimo, Abdusalam Ibrahim and Jared Jeffrey scored for the USA. For the complete U-17 roster …
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
U.S. men and women open with wins at the Pan-American Games
The USA beat Venezuela, 2-1, on a last-second goal from Stanford-bound Bobby Warshaw in its opening game of the men’s soccer competition at the Pan-American Games. The U.S. U-20 women’s national team has taken control of Group B in women’s soccer with a 7-1 win over Paraguay and3-1 victory over Panama.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Majority of Top 20 boys clubs in U.S. Soccer Academy
The number of clubs accepted to the U.S. Soccer Development Academy for its inaugural 2007-08 season has reached 47 with the addition of 16 clubs announced Monday. U.S. Soccer, which is launching the boys U-16 and U-18 league as an extension of its national team program, has reviewed more than 100 applications and announced “only a limited number of remaining spots are available” for the first season. Of the clubs accepted so far, 14 are ranked among Soccer America Magazine’s 2007 Top 20 Boys Clubs. The latest group of clubs to be accepted includes California’s Arsenal SC (No. 3 in Soccer America rankings) and Irvine Strikers (16), Missouri’s Scott Gallagher (8) and Florida’s Schulz Academy (19).
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Foreign clubs head en masse to the USA
The World Series of Football — the four-team tournament in which David Beckham is scheduled to debut for the Los Angeles Galaxy against Chelsea on Saturday — is just one of several tournaments involving foreign clubs being played in the United States. In the next two weeks, 30 clubs representing 14 countries are scheduled to play on U.S. soil. Mexico leads all countries with no less than 13 clubs are playing games here. Six other foreign clubs were here last week.