In what will surely go down as one of the least surprising decisions in World Cup history, FIFA on Tuesday confirmed that five-time world champion Brazil would host the 2014 finals. The result was never in doubt, really, as Brazil was the only country bidding to host a tournament that soccer’s world governing body had […]
Monthly Archives: October 2007
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Valencia Pursues Mourinho
Former Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho has become the hot favorite to succeed Quique Sanchez Flores at Valencia following the latter’s dismissal on Monday, according to reports. Ironically, the move would bring the Portuguese tactician back to Stamford Bridge, as Valencia travels to London to play Chelsea in the Champions League on Dec. 11. Valencia […]
Posted inCollege Soccer Reporter, Story
North Carolina women receive $1 million gift
The rich get richer: North Carolina, winner of 18 NCAA Division I women’s championships, is the recipient of a $1 million gift honoring its most diehard fan to help endow scholarships and its operating budget.
Posted inCollege Soccer Reporter, Story
CROWD COUNT: Women’s Soccer’s Largest Crowds
Four of the 15 largest women’s crowds this season were at games played last weekend, including a sellout crowd at Portland for the Pilots’ game against Santa Clara, the second largest crowd in UCLA history for the Bruins’ showdown with USC and two 3,000-plus crowds at Texas A&M.
Posted inCollege Soccer Reporter, Story
Maryland’s Cirovski issues warning
Maryland coach Sasho Cirovski has issued a warning: “We’re a lot better than some people think out there right now.” He likes the progress his young team has made in recent weeks. The Terrapins, 3-4-1 at one point in the season, have quietly run off an eight-game unbeaten streak and slipped this week to the Soccer America Men’s Top 25 at No. 21.
Posted inCollege Soccer Reporter, Story
Soccer America Women’s Team of the Week
Tennessee junior Kylee Rossi, who scored three goals in wins over Auburn and Alabama, was named to the Soccer America Women’s Team of the Week for the second straight week, for the third time this season and the sixth time in her career. For the complete Team of the Week for games played Oct. 22-28 …
Posted inCollege Soccer Reporter, Story
Soccer America Women’s Player of the Week
Portland sophomore Michelle Enyeart, who scored the first goal in a pair of shutout victories over ranked WCC opponents, is the Soccer America Women’s Player of the Week for games played Oct. 22-28.
Posted inCollege Soccer Reporter, Story
Soccer America Men’s Team of the Week
Connecticut’s O’Brian White, who was selected to the Soccer America Men’s Team of the Week for the fourth time this season, was one of seven juniors named to the Soccer America Men’s Team of the Week for games played Oct. 22-28. For the complete Team of the Week …
Posted inCollege Soccer Reporter, Story
Soccer America Men’s Player of the Week
Boston College’s Alejandro Bedoya, whose first-half goal gave the Eagles a 1-0 victory over previously unbeaten Wake Forest on Saturday, is the Soccer America Men’s Player of the Week for games played Oct. 22-28.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Ramiro Corrales celebrates Norwegian title
[AMERICANS ABROAD] Californian Ramiro Corrales, who played nine seasons in MLS and won two titles with San Jose, helped Brann win its first Norwegian title in 44 years. Brann clinched the 2007 championship by taking a nine-point lead with one game to play and qualifies for the UEFA Champions League, which as already drawn an influx of investment in the club.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Referee swears back
Referee Danny McDermid has been charged by the English FA “with using abusive and/or insulting words” toward Leeds United coach Dennis Wise, who claimed that McDermid told him to “f*** off” after Wise cursed at McDermid, who ejected Wise at halftime of a 1-1 tie with Gillingham. McDermid has until Nov. 13 to respond to the charge. The FA suspended Wise for three games and fined him $10,000 protesting the ejection Tresor Kandol, who had received two yellows for dissent. The second was for sarcastically applauding the ref.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
MLS attendance second best in history
The MLS 2007 regular-season attendance average of 16,770 is the highest since the inaugural season of 1996, when attendance averaged 17,406. The 2007 season also marked the first time attendance average broke the 16,000-mark since the inaugural season. And for the first time in MLS history, three teams averaged more than 20,000: Los Angeles (24,252) D.C. United (20,967) and Toronto FC (20,130). Total attendance for the season’s 195 games was 3,270,210.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
MLS scoring up just a tiny bit; D.C. is tops again
2007 MLS regular-season games averaged 2.66 goals, compared to 2.62 in 2006. But the 2007 season was the third lowest-scoring year in the league’s 12-year history. MLS averaged more than three goals per game in six of its first seven seasons but hasn’t hit the 3.0 mark since 2002. For the third straight season, D.C. United was the league’s highest scoring team, notching 56 goals in 30 games for 1.87 per game strike rate. Two teams, Colorado (0.97) and Toronto (0.83) mustered less than a goal per game. For year-by-year scoring averages and this year’s team-by-team breakdown …
Posted inSoccer America Daily, What They're Saying
What They’re Saying
“Here in the United States, more kids than in any other country in the world are playing soccer. In my opinion, they play soccer because of the freedom of the game, because they feel freedom to be creative on the field. They can express themselves on the field and freedom is something the kids love. We have to take advantage of that, and guide them to use that freedom in the best way.”
— New U.S. U-17 national team coach Wilmer Cabrera.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Toronto’s Dichio with three Goal of the Year nominations
[VIDEO] Toronto may have finished with the worst MLS 2007 record while scoring the fewest goals, but its striker Danny Dichio has three goals among the 34 that are in the running for 2007 Sierra Mist Goal of the Year. Voting to pare the nominees down to five finalists concludes on Oct. 31. Two other players, New England’s Taylor Twellman and Chicago’s Cuauhtemoc Blanco each have a pair of goals in the running.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
American Blazer laments change in World Cup bid policy
Chuck Blazer, the only American on FIFA’s executive committee, says it’s disappointing that FIFA has dropped the rotation policy for determining the host of the World Cup, thus preventing a CONCACAF nation from automatically hosting the 2018 World Cup. The USA would have had to outbid Mexico and Canada, but these CONCACAF countries will now surely face competition from heavyweights England and China.
Posted inSoccer on TV., Story
Soccer on TV
On Thursday, D.C. United aims to overcome a 1-0 deficit when it hosts Chicago in the first of the week’s four conference semifinal second-leg games.
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
FIFA Drops World Cup Rotation Policy
FIFA, soccer’s world governing body, on Monday dropped its World Cup rotation policy and will accept applications from any country outside South America or Africa wishing to bid on the 2018 tournament. The new rule is that countries belonging to confederations that hosted the two previous tournaments may not bid; South Africa will host the […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Benitez Gambles and Loses — Twice
No one likes to gamble and lose, but professional coaches often have to weigh the risk-reward with their star players. Unfortunately for Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez, it was he who gambled and lost in a big way on Sunday, losing two of his regular starters to recurring injuries. Never mind that it was a thrilling […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Ramos’ Tale of Presidential Power and its Misuse
Phil Ball of ESPN Soccernet offers up his take on the Juande Ramos-Martin Jol saga, which came to its long and drawn out end last Friday after the Spaniard accepted Tottenham’s offer of 6 million euros (approximately $7.5 million) per year for three years. The most unfortunate aspect of the tale is that most Tottenham […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Milan Unbothered By Poor Start
It’s been another awful start to the domestic season for European champion AC Milan. Sunday’s 1-0 loss to AS Roma capped a second successive league loss at the San Siro; the club has yet to win on home soil in Serie A this season. Now 13th in the league, the Rossoneri sit just three points […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Which MLS Coaches Should Go?
The off-season is time for club presidents and general managers to reflect on why their teams didn’t make the playoffs, a fault which often comes down to the coaching staff. So far, none of the five coaches have resigned or been fired, but as Ives Galarcep of the North Jersey Herald points out, it’s a long […]
Posted inCollege Soccer Reporter, Story
Portland women roll before sell-out crowd
[WCC] Portland followed up on its 4-0 win over No. 11 San Diego before a nationally televised audience on Thursday night with a 2-0 victory over longtime WCC nemesis Santa Clara Sunday before a sell-out crowd of 4,892 at Merlo Field.
Posted inCollege Soccer Reporter, Story
UCLA women continue mastery of USC
[PAC-10] UCLA continued its recent domination of USC, knocking off the Women of Troy, 2-0, before 3,345 fans in Westwood on Friday in a battle of No. 1 and No. 5 teams.
Posted inCollege Soccer Reporter, Story
Notre Dame rolls off 11 straight conference wins
[BIG EAST] Notre Dame went 2-4-1 in non-conference play, but there was no stopping the Irish when they hit Big East women’s action. The Irish concluded regular-season play with a pair of 3-1 wins at Seton Hall and Rutgers to finish 11-0-0 in conference play and claim first place in the National Division.