For the second year in a row, Eclipse Select and the Dallas Texans are 1-2 in Soccer America’s rankings of the Best Girls Clubs. Southern California’s Slammers moved up two spots to No. 3.
Monthly Archives: February 2008
Posted inSoccer America Magazine, Story
2008 Best Boys Clubs
For the first time since Soccer America began its annual rankings of the Best Boys Clubs, the Dallas Texans are No. 1. They edged the Chicago Magic, first the last three years. Arsenal FC of Southern California again completed the podium.
Posted inSoccer America Magazine, Story
Euro 2008 Countdown: The New Wave
A new generation of stars is set to take over European soccer. Here’s a look at some of the young players who could play key roles at the 2008 European Championship.
Posted inSoccer America Magazine, Story
Youth Beat: A Different Approach
A replica of the French federation’s youth development program may not be feasible in the USA, but some key aspects of the system are worth considering.
Posted inSoccer America Magazine, Story
MLS Preseason Prospectus
A strong crop of defenders marked the 2008 MLS SuperDraft but none went in the first five picks, kicking off a day of surprises and disappointments.
Posted inSoccer America Magazine, Story
Maurice Edu: Fast Track to Stardom
Maurice Edu was hardly noticed when he was being recruited out of high school in California, but the midfielder made a quick transition from the University of Maryland to MLS’s Toronto FC and an even quicker adjustment to the international game with three wins, all shutouts, in his first three starts for the U.S. national team.
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Mascherano Close to Permanent Liverpool Deal
Javier Mascherano expects to be made a permanent Liverpool player by the end of the week, the Argentine told reporters on Monday. The 23-year-old has been playing at Anfield for over a year on a long-term loan from rights holder, Media Sport Investment. Because he’s owned by an agency and not a club, the deal […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Barca Eyes La Liga Comeback
Barcelona left it very late on Sunday, beating Osasuna 1-0 with an 88th-minute strike from midfielder Xavi. The win helped the Catalans gain three crucial points on league leader Real Madrid, which lost, 2-0, to Almeria on Saturday. Real is now six points ahead of Barca at the top of the La Liga standings. The […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Ferguson Uncovers Manucho
Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson is once again looking like a genius for signing one of the world’s best young talents. Manucho, the 24-year-old Angola striker Manucho terrorized defenses at the African Nations Cup, scoring four goals in four games in an impressive quarterfinal finish for outsider Angola, who on Monday lost, 2-1, to […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Transfers Underscore MLS Evolution
MLS is no longer on the outside looking in at the European transfer window, says Yahoo Sports’ Martin Rogers. In fact, no longer will MLS clubs be allowed to look at it from that vantage point, he says. Indeed, MLS-related news has died down now that the transfer window has been closed shut, as barely […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
The Pressure’s on Mexico’s Sanchez
Will it be three strikes and out for Mexico coach Hugo Sanchez? The Tricolores have already played the United States in the United States twice during Sanchez’s short tenure, yet for all his talk about how Mexico is the better team with the better players, the USA bested Sanchez’s Mexico in both meetings last year. […]
Posted inSoccer on TV., Story
Soccer on TV
The slew of midweek national team friendlies includes the USA’s clash with Mexico, Ireland-Brazil and England-Switzerland.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
European-based Americans ready for Mexico?
After a squad of mainly MLS players trained in California for Wednesday’s friendly against Mexico, Coach Bob Bradley called in 10 European-based players for the 22-man roster than convenes in Houston. Soccer America’s Mike Woitalla looks at the form of Bradley’s foreign legion.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Michael Bradley rockets home another goal
[AMERICANS ABROAD] Michael Bradley scored his 12th goal of the season for Dutch club Heerenveen as it thumped Vitesse, 7-0. The strike adds to the 20-year-old midfielder’s record for most goals by an American-born and -bred player in a European first division. It also marked the fifth straight game in which he has scored for Heerenveen.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Bryan Arguez is youngest Bundesliga American
[AMERICANS ABROAD] Florida product Bryan Arguez became the youngest U.S. product to play in the German First Division when the 19-year-old entered Hertha Berlin’s game against Eintracht Frankfurt as a 63rd minute sub. Arguez spent last season at D.C. United but did not see action. He was an unused member of the USA’s 2007 U-20 World Cup team.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Want a Brazilian name?
[OFF THE POST] If you’d like to know what your name would be if you played for the Brazilian national team, go to the Web site: http://www.minimalsworld.net/BrazilName/brazilian.shtml.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, What They're Saying
What They’re Saying
“Now luckily we have other possibilities with Brian McBride back and [Diomansy] Kamara back from the African Nations Cup and Eddie Johnson, we will now have even more options in our attacking play.”
— Roy Hodgson, coach of relegation-threatened Fulham, says the future looks bright for the second-to-last place EPL team, which on Sunday won its first game since he took over on Dec. 30. American Brian McBride, making his first appearance since suffering a knee injury in August, was a 70th minute sub in the 2-1 win over Aston Villa. American Eddie Johnson joined the team Jan. 31. (Sky Sports)
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Real Madrid winning streak ended at eight games
[EUROPEAN RACES] Real Madrid’s eight-game winning streak in Spain ended, while Bayern Munich broke the deadlock at the top of the Bundesliga standings.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Arsenal regains Premier League lead
[ENGLAND] Who needs Thierry Henry? Emmanuel Adebayor is thriving as the main threat in the Arsenal attack since Henry’s departure to Barcelona. The Togolese striker scored twice to lift his league tally to 18 goals and extend his scoring streak to eight straight games as the Gunners regained the lead in the English Premier League when they beat Manchester City, 3-1.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
USA captures New Zealand U-17 girls tournament
[YOUTH] The United States won the the Future Stars Tournament for under-17 girls in New Zealand Saturday when it beat Germany, 3-2. Captain Kristen Mewis scored her second goal of the game to break a 2-2 tie in the 81st minute for the Americans, who had earlier in the week had beaten Australia, 6-0, and host New Zealand, 5-0, in Auckland.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Ghana and Ivory Coast move into semifinals
[AFRICAN NATIONS CUP] Former MLS player Junior Agogo scored with just eight minutes remaining to give host Ghana a 2-1 victory over Nigeria Sunday in the quarterfinals of the African Nations Cup. Ivory Coast also advanced to Thursday’s semifinals with a 5-0 victory over Guinea.
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Wynalda Booted from ESPN’s MLS Lineup
Eric Wynalda’s name was conspicuous by its absence from ESPN’s MLS coverage lineup, released on Thursday. He has been replaced as analyst of “MLS Primetime Thursday” by former U.S. national team teammate John Harkes. Veteran announcer J.P. Dellacamera will join Harkes as the play-by-play man, as Dave O’Brien, Wynalda’s former partner, returns to ESPN’s coverage […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
South American Strategy is the Right One
Last season proved that MLS is on the right track by bringing in more players from South America. There can be no doubt that the likes of Luciano Emilio, Juan Pablo Angel and Guillermo Barros Schelotto improved the quality of the league, and SI.com’s Gregory Sica says that it serves as a testament to the […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Wenger: England Still Needs Becks
David Beckham’s name was in headlines again Thursday as the big omission from Coach Fabio Capello’s first England squad. However/as usual/once again, the door was not completely shut on Beckham’s England career, as Capello said he didn’t choose the former England captain because he hadn’t played a competitive match since November. Even so, Arsenal manager […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
CONCACAF Champions League Raises Questions
The CONCACAF Champions Cup has been rebranded the CONCACAF Champions League and been given a new format, but SI.com’s Luis Bueno wonders how effective those changes will be. While the Champions Cup has produced some good games in recent years, Bueno says the tournament always follows the same pattern: Mexican teams win it, Costa Rican […]