First-action action in Asia continued Monday with Asian champion Iraq knocking off Pakistan, 7-0, in Lahore. Mahdi Karim scored four goals to lead Iraq, which earned its first win under Norwegian coach Egil Olsen. For all of the Sunday and Monday results …
Monthly Archives: October 2007
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
2007 Golden Ball nominees
The 50 finalists for the 2007 Golden Ball play in 10 different leagues, including for the first time Major League Soccer. Here’s the list from Abidal to Villa …
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
BY THE NUMBERS: 2007 Golden Ball nominees
Italy leads all countries with eight players nominated for the 2007 Golden Ball, while AC Milan, Barcelona and Real Madrid lead all clubs with six players each on the list of 50 candidates.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Golden Ball goes global
The Golden Ball (“Ballon d’Or”), which has been awarded to the European Player of the Year since 1956, has gone global. For the first time, the Golden Ball will awarded without regard to the country in which a player is playing. This year’s list of nominees includes four players competing on teams outside Europe including the Los Angeles Galaxy’s David Beckham.
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
What Does ‘Brazilian Soccer’ Mean, Anyway?
Thanks to globalization, Brazilian soccer in recent years has become an increasingly “vague” term, says BBC’s Tim Vickery, a concept that’s underscored by events in Brazil last week. On Wednesday, the Brazilian national team returned home to play a match in front of its own people for the first time in two years, during which […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Villarreal, Espanyol Steal Headlines in Spain
Widely regarded as the second club of their city, Villarreal, a Valencia suburb, and Espanyol of Barcelona stole headlines in Spain this weekend by handing comprehensive defeats to FC Barcelona and Real Madrid, respectively. Villarreal routed Barcelona, 3-1, in the first half at El Madrigal and then held on to win by the same score […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Liverpool-Everton Ref Forced to Sit
It’s not often that England’s Professional Game Match Board, the organization that allocates referees for games, hands out suspensions, which means that when it does, the performance of the referee in question must have been pretty awful, indeed. For his awful performance in the Merseyside derby on Saturday — awful to anyone who doesn’t support […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Red Bulls’ Waterreus to Retire
He hasn’t been here long, but New York Red Bulls goalkeeper Ronald Waterreus has decided to retire from the game at the end of his debut season in Major League Soccer. The club made the announcement last Friday, following the Bulls’ 1-1 draw with the Los Angeles Galaxy, in which Jeff Conway was once again […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Is that it for Beckhamania?
David Beckham (and by extension, MLS, Alexi Lalas and the L.A. Galaxy) have much to prove next year following the global icon’s disappointing first season in Major League Soccer. At the end of his five total years as a player in the American league, there will no doubt be an asterisk next to 2007, the […]
Posted inSoccer on TV., Story
Soccer On TV
The European Champions League hits Game Day 3 this week and games televised in the USA include Tuesday’s clash between Barcelona and Glasgow Rangers, for which American DaMarcus Beasley could see action. MLS playoffs kick off on Thursday when Chicago hosts D.C. United
Posted inCollege Soccer Reporter, Story
West Virginia’s giant-killers strike again
West Virginia’s reputation as a giant-killer grew Friday night when the Mountaineers knocked off Connecticut, ranked No. 2 in the Soccer America Men’s Top 25, 1-0. Jason Bristol had been inserted into the starting lineup for his first collegiate start in order to help shut down the high-scoring UConn attack, but the 6-foot-4 sophomore was the scoring hero, striking his first collegiate goal for the Mountaineers, who beat a Top 5 team for the third time this season.
Posted inCollege Soccer Reporter, Story
Cheney leads No. 1 UCLA to Pac-10 sweep
U.S. international Lauren Cheney is making a strong case for Women’s Player of the Year honors. The sophomore scored one goal and set up another in a 2-0 win at No. 2 Stanford on Friday night and scored both goals two days later in another 2-0 victory at California on Sunday.
Posted inCollege Soccer Reporter, Story
Boilermakers extend unbeaten streak to 15 games
The 1-2 punch of Shauna Stapleton and Parrissa Eyorokon propelled Purdue to a 2-1 win over Illinois Sunday that extended the Boilermakers’ unbeaten streak to 15 games — the longest in the country — and moved them into first place in the Big Ten.
Posted inCollege Soccer Reporter, Story
Soccer America Women’s Top 25
The top three in the Soccer America Women’s Top 25 remained the same: UCLA, Stanford and Virginia. Purdue and USC moved into the No. 4 and No. 5 spots — the highest rankings ever for both schools — for games played through Sunday, Oct. 21. For the complete Top 25 …
Posted inCollege Soccer Reporter, Story
Soccer America Women’s Top 25 Results
Traditional powers Portland, North Carolina, Notre Dame and Florida State continued to inch their way up the Top 25 ladder with a pair of wins last week. For all the Top 25 weekend results …
Posted inCollege Soccer Reporter, Story
Soccer America Men’s Top 25 Results
No. 1 Wake Forest, SMU, Creighton and Louisville were the only Soccer America Top 25 teams to sweep both games they played last week. For all the Top 25 weekend results …
Posted inCollege Soccer Reporter, Story
Soccer America Men’s Top 25
SMU climbed to No. 2 behind No. 1 Wake Forest in the Soccer America Men’s Top 25. Connecticut, Brown and Santa Clara rounded out this week’s rankings for games played through Sunday, Oct. 21. For the complete Top 25 …
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Santos Laguna bounces back
[AMERICANS IN MEXICO] Santos Laguna, whose 11-game undefeated streak ended Oct. 12 while U.S. product Edgar Castillo was on Mexican national team duty, got back to winning ways with a 3-2 win over Morelia. Left back Castillo started and went the full 90 as Santos improved its record to 9-1-3 (win-loss-tie) in the Apertura 2007.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Beasley gets Old Firm taste
[AMERICANS ABROAD] DaMarcus Beasley, who limped off the field during the USA’s 1-0 win over Switzerland last Wednesday with a sore ankle, was a 75th minute sub for Glasgow Rangers in its 3-0 win over Glasgow Celtic. It was Beasley’s first Old Firm game. The win kept Rangers within three points of defending champ and first-place Celtic.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Subotic scores for Mainz
[AMERICANS IN GERMANY] All four goals came within 13 minutes as Steve Cherundolo and Hannover 96 tied, 2-2, with VfL Wolfsburg. Hannover remains in sixth place. In the Second Division, former U.S. U-17 international Neven Subotic, 18, scored his first pro goal in Mainz’s 3-1 win over Wehen Wiesbaden.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Fulham winless streak hits eight
[AMERICANS IN ENGLAND] Fulham settled for a scoreless tie with lowly Derby County to extend its winless streak to eight games. For Fulham, Kasey Keller was replaced in goal Antii Niemi, Clint Dempsey, who came close to scoring with a header, started and played 90 minutes; defender Carlos Bocanegra was a halftime sub. Eddie Lewis played the full 90 for Debry, but Benny Feilhaber did not suit up. Two American keepers met as Blackburn (Brad Friedel) thumped Reading (Marcus Hahnemann) 4-2. Hahnemann has conceded 22 goals in 10 games this season. Everton goalkeeper Tim Howard was beaten twice from the penalty spot by Liverpool’s Dirk Kuyt in the 2-1 derby loss
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Freddy Adu scores second goal for Benfica
[VIDEO] In the Portuguese League Cup on Saturday, Freddy Adu scored his second goal since joining Benfica. He struck from 18 yards after running on to a long pass from Benfica’s goalkeeper that was deflected into his path. The 18-year-old’s goal tied the game against Vitoria Setubal in the 71st minute and Benfica won the penalty-kick shootout to reach the third round.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
MLS Playoffs 2007
[TV SCHEDULE] The MLS 2007 playoffs begin this Thursday when Chicago hosts D.C. United …
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Greg Ryan, in or out?
U.S. Soccer has called a media conference call for Monday at 4 p.m. ET at which time President Sunil Gulati and Secretary General Dan Flynn will address the status of U.S. women’s national team coach Greg Ryan. Ryan’s absence from the conference call raises speculation that his contract will be not be renewed for 2008. The conference call comes two days after the USA tied Mexico, 1-1, in its final game of 2007.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, What They're Saying
What They’re Saying
“Being the coach of a national team is not the same as being coach of a club. It’s a job for someone who doesn’t like working much.”
— Former Chelsea coach Jose Mourinho, the British bookmakers favorite to become England coach if its fails to qualify for Euro 2008, says his next job will be coaching another club team. In the future, he said, he would consider coaching his native Portugal. (AFP)