Monthly Archives: November 2007
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story

Can ‘Mzansi’ host a safe World Cup?

by Mike Woitalla

Mike Woitalla reporting from South Africa
A picture of Nelson Mandela adorned one side of the fan’s large sign and on the other side was the message, “Tell the world that Mzansi for sho is the safe place on Earth.” The fan was among the 45,000 spectators at the Soweto Derby, the Orlando Pirates vs. Kaizer Chiefs game that took place in Durban in conjunction with the World Cup Preliminary Draw. Convincing fans that “Mzansi,” a nickname for South Africa, will be a safe destination is the critical challenge for World Cup organizers.

Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story

The Importance of Being Landon

by Soccer America

Goal.com’s Kyle McCarthy ponders the implications of Major League Soccer’s decision to allow Landon Donovan and other so-called “grandfathered” players to remain with their clubs. Because their high-paying contracts were drafted before the Designated Player Rule, MLS enabled Donovan, Eddie Johnson and Carlos Ruiz to play the 2007 season without commanding a DP slot. Now, […]

Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story

Platini Against the Grain

by Soccer America

UEFA President Michel Platini, “the highest ranking critic of the game,” lives in an entirely different world from the reality of European soccer, says USSoccerPlayers’ J. Hutcherson. Long gone are the days when soccer teams were small businesses that barely made money. Soccer today is a global business, which makes many of Platini’s proposals to […]

Posted inCollege Soccer Reporter, Story

Quick-firing Notre Dame knocks off North Carolina

by Paul Kennedy

In consecutive games on the first weekend of the NCAA Division I Women’s Tournament, Notre Dame scored back-to-back goals in 38 seconds and 75 seconds, but the Irish outdid themselves against North Carolina in Saturday’s third round. Notre Dame set an NCAA Division I Women’s Tournament record with goals 14 seconds apart in the 13th minute of its game at Chapel Hill and knocked off the defending champion Tar Heels, 3-2, to gain revenge for its loss in last year’s Women’s College Cup final.

Posted inCollege Soccer Reporter, Story

MAKING A LIST: North Carolina’s seven losses

by Soccer America

North Carolina’s 3-2 defeat to Notre Dame was only its seventh loss in the 26 years of the NCAA Women’s Tournament but it marked the third time in the last four years that the Tar Heels had lost at home in the third round or quarterfinals of the NCAA Division I Women’s Tournament. The Tar Heels, winners of 18 championships, had never previously lost before the semifinals.

Posted inCollege Soccer Reporter, Story

Sweet 16 leaves bitter taste for top seeds

by Soccer America

NCAA Division I Women’s Game Reports
Three of the four No. 1 regional seeds fell in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Division I Women’s Tournament. Besides defending champion North Carolina, which lost to Notre Dame, Penn State fell to West Virginia, and Stanford was upset by Connecticut. Top-ranked UCLA is the only No. 1 seed still alive. The Bruins will face Portland, winner of 11 straight games, in the quarterfinals. For reports on all the Sweet 16 games …

Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story

Rafa chides Liverpool’s American owners

by Paul Kennedy

[INTERNATIONAL HEADLINERS] Liverpool’s version of Family Feud continued as Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez blasted his American owners for what he perceived to be a lack of knowledge of Europe’s transfer system. Manchester United’s coaching staff tried to deflect attention for its shock loss at Bolton Wanderers, while goalie Scott Carson, the goat in England’s loss to Croatia, returned to action with a shutout win on the road for Aston Villa. In Mexico, the playoffs moved into the semifinals with American Edgar Castillo still in the hunt for the Torneo Apertura championship.

Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story

INTO AFRICA: World Cup enters new territory

by Mike Woitalla

Mike Woitalla reporting from South Africa
“Africa is ready, Africa’s time has come. Africa is calling, come to Africa in 2010,” said South Africa President Thabo Mbeki to launch the 90-minute gala that sorted out the qualifying competition for the next World Cup while celebrating the arrival of the world’s biggest sporting event to the continent for the first time.

Posted inSoccer America Daily, What They're Saying

What They’re Saying

by Soccer America

“It could happen anywhere. South Africa is trying very hard — I hope nothing else happens — but we won’t be able to move so freely as we are used to at World Cups.”

— German national team general manager Oliver Bierhoff after Friday’s shooting death of former Austrian pro Pieter Burgstaller on a golf course near Durban South Africa. Like Burgstaller, whom he met on the flight from Germany to South Africa, Bierhoff was in South Africa for soccer activities related to Sunday’s World Cup 2010 Qualifying Draw. He had his briefcase stolen from his hotel room on Sunday. (Guardian)

Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story

Durban murder is a ‘wake-up call’

by Mike Woitalla

As South Africa’s World Cup organizers made their case that the crime-ridden nation would be safe for tourists in 2010, Austrian Pieter Burgstaller was shot to death Friday at a golf resort an hour-drive from where the World Cup Preliminary Draw was held two days later in Durban — a resort Coach Bob Bradley visited last week on an inspection tour of potential World Cup 2010 facilities at which to base the U.S. national team if its qualifies

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