Monthly Archives: February 2008

Police in London revealed that Chelsea coach Avram Grant received anti-Semitic death threats in a package containing a mysterious powder at the club’s training ground in Surrey. A member of the club’s staff opened the package to find the powder and a note containing ethnic slurs and threats on both Grant’s life and that of […]

FIFA President Sepp Blatter’s foreigner restriction rule proposal, which would reduce the maximum number of foreigners in a club’s starting lineup to five, was dealt a near death blow on Monday when the European Commission ruled that the change goes against European Union law. “The Commission is not considering any change to allow Fifa to […]

The Guardian translates the headlines in Italy following Inter Milan's 2-0 Champions League defeat against Liverpool at Anfield. Notwithstanding the harsh sending off of Marco Materazzi after 30 minutes, the assessments of Inter's play were rather damning. "Bitter but fair," said Alberto Cerruti of the Gazzetta dello Sport. "Clinging to the alibi of the numerical […]

Sources tell Soccer By Ives that the New York Red Bulls included 2007 Rookie of the Year runner-up Dane Richards in a proposed trade for Chicago Fire defender Wilman Conde, a move that the Fire subsequently turned down. The package included Richards, a first round draft pick, cash and either Jeff Parke or Carlos Mendes […]

The Los Angeles Galaxy and other MLS teams have until March 3 to be salary cap-compliant, but thanks in large part to the designated player salaries (which count $400,000 against the cap) of David Beckham, Landon Donovan and Carlos Ruiz, the Galaxy is long way away. Galaxy GM Alexi Lalas has publicly admitted as much, […]

Rafael Benitez was forced to defend his record to reporters amid suggestions that his team’s Champions League round of 16 series with Inter Milan could represent his last stand as Liverpool manager. “I am surprised I am being asked a question about winning the Champions League to save my job,” said Benitez, who guided Liverpool […]

AC Milan striker Kaka, FIFA’s reigning World Player of the Year, believes his team will be extra motivated for Wednesday’s first-leg, second round game against Arsenal in the Champions League, because the prestigious European trophy is the last competition Milan has a chance of winning this season. “We are too far behind in Serie A, […]

Given the Los Angeles Galaxy’s lofty goals for next season, “it seems a huge risk” to make a starter out of a goalkeeper who’s played only six Major League Soccer games in three total seasons, says the L.A. Times’ Grahame L. Jones. But that’s exactly what Ruud Gullit and Co., intend to do with 24-year-old […]

For the first time in his professional career, 29-year-old Brian Ching will get the opportunity to play in front of his hometown friends and family, when the Houston Dynamo plays Sydney FC in the Pan Pacific Championship semifinal in Honolulu tomorrow night. "I'm extremely excited," Ching told the Honolulu Star Bulletin. "It's always been a […]

Major League Soccer would tell you that the traffic in and out of the league is flowing healthily in both directions, with as many or more players coming in than are going out. “That might be true in quantity,” says ESPN’s Andrew Hush, “but the quality certainly leaves something to be desired.” The MLS plan […]