[WOMEN”S SCOUTING REPORT] The USA’s draw for the 2008 Olympic women’s soccer tournament could have been a lot worse. Compared to Group F, which features 2007 Women’s World Cup champion Germany, runner-up Brazil and quarterfinalist North Korea, as well as African powerhouse Nigeria, Group G looks like a cakewalk with Norway, Japan and New Zealand. U.S. coach Pia Sundhage looks at the three U.S. opponents …
Monthly Archives: April 2008
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
U.S. men face tough Olympic competition
[MEN’S SCOUTING REPORT] The USA was drawn with the Netherlands, the two-time defending European U-21 champion, former Olympic gold-medalist Nigeria and Japan, an Asian age-group powerhouse, in what shapes up to be a very tough test at the Olympic men’s tournament. For a look at the U.S. opponents and some of the stars whom the Americans will face in China …
Posted inSoccerTalk with Paul Gardner, Story
More Goalkeeper Baloney
I must confess: I did not know that MLS has a new ball. But I learned, during a Red Bulls telecast this weekend, that this seems to be the case. A new sideline reporter, Tina Cervasio, asked commentator Shep Messing what he thought of this new ball (which I have never heard of).
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Grant Behavior Clouds Important Chelsea Win
The English press is digging into Chelsea manager Avram Grant for the bizarre press conference he gave following Chelsea’s 1-0 win away to Everton on Thursday. Grant answered most reporters’ questions with simple “Yes” and “No” answers and refused to elaborate. The closest thing he gave to an explanation was: “Maybe [I’m] upset because it’s […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Houston Stadium Deal Simmers Amid Garber Threats
Negotiations between the Houston Dynamo and the city turned ugly earlier this week when Mayor Bob White told reporters about a threatening letter sent by MLS Commissioner Don Garber urging Dynamo officials to step up efforts to secure a stadium deal with the city soon or the league could be forced to consider relocating the […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Roma Receives Formal Investor Interest
As expected, Italian giant AS Roma received a letter from a third party interested in a potential takeover, the club’s majority shareholder revealed on Thursday. While no mention was made of the investor’s name, it is widely believed that American billionaire George Soros is the man behind the bid, preparing to make a massive investment […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Galaxy Coach Waits to Decide on Cubans’ Fate
Soccer365 writer Andrea Canales checks in on the Cuban trio who defected to the U.S. during the recent Olympic qualifying tournament and are currently on trial with the L.A. Galaxy. Yordany Alvarez, Yenier Bermudez and Jose Miranda say they do not regret the tough decision they made, nor do they regret making the four-day journey […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Sounders Begin ’08 with an Eye Toward MLS
The Seattle Sounders are embarking on their last season in the United Soccer Leagues before joining Major League Soccer as an expansion team in March 2009. As the Seattle Times reports, the Sounders would love a repeat of 2007 when they captured a league-best fourth championship. The final campaign begins Saturday away to the Charleston […]
Posted inSoccer on TV., Story
Soccer on TV
MLS action includes a New York-New England clash and Houston’s quest for its first win when it travels to Los Angeles. Bayern Munich can win the first of could be a league-cup double when it meets Borussia Dortmund Saturday in the final of the German Cup. Fighting to save itself from relegation, the American colony at Fulham hosts Liverpool in EPL action. In Spain, Barcelona hosts city rival Espanyol.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
High ratings for Mexico-China game
[TELEVISION] Mexico’s 1-0 win over China in Seattle on Wednesday drew 56,416 fans and was also a hit on TV. It was broadcast by Telemundo, which announced that according to Nielsen Media Research the game was the most-watched program among men of all age groups in Los Angeles from beginning to end. Nationally, the match was watched by more than 2 million people.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Significant expansion for U.S. Soccer Academy
[YOUTH] Clubs from youth soccer hotbed Texas balked at joining the U.S. Soccer Development Academy league in its first year, but eight of them – including the Dallas Texans, ranked the No. 1 boys club in the nation by Soccer America – are coming aboard for the 2008-09 season. Also joining for Year 2 are three more MLS clubs and two Northern California clubs, bringing the membership to 74 clubs plus the U-17 U.S. national team program. For a list of the Academy’s new members …
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Houston’s quest in L.A. overshadows ‘rivarlies’
MLS, somewhat artificially, is promoting a few of its games along the lines of “Rivalry Week.” In the case of the Red Bulls playing the Revs, OK, why not, though both teams have fiercer histories against D.C. United and Chicago, respectively. The D.C.-Crew matchup Thursday night pitted former Argentine club rivals Guillermo Barros Schelotto (Boca Juniors) and Marcelo Gallardo (River Plate) in the “Yankee Superclasico,” a term that hopefully will be buried and forgotten by the next time they play, if not sooner.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
What’s wrong with D.C. United?
Is it too soon for the fans of D.C. United to panic, given their team’s depressing 2-1 loss to Columbus at RFK Stadium Thursday night? Of course it’s too soon. But their misgivings are well-grounded. You can talk all you want about players getting to know each other and it’s still April and they’ve had a heavy load of games and all that, but this team has been together for more than two months and doesn’t show much leadership or competitive fire. Bringing back Ben Olsen will help, but he’s yet to play this season and can’t be expected to jump right in and jump-start this team.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Mobster who helped Steve Gerrard sentenced
[OFF THE POST] Liverpool mobster John Kinsella was sentenced to 14 years in prison in a trial in which his association with England and Liverpool star Steven Gerard was brought up. Kinsella, who is on the run, had intervened to prevent another gangster from harassing Gerrard. During the trial, the jury was read a letter from Gerard’s father explaining that Kinsella had protected the midfielder from another gangster, George "The Psycho" Bromley Junior
Posted inSoccer America Daily, What They're Saying
What They’re Saying
“I know all about Gazza and I feel I can help him. A lot of top sportsmen have suffered in their private lives, including me, and that is why I want to help. I still see him as a superstar and would like to meet him if he feels up for it.”
— Former heavywieght boxing champion Mike Tyson offers counseling and support to troubled Paul Gascoigne, who recently spent two weeks in a psychiatric hospital. Tyson’s own troubles included a rape conviction. (BBC)
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
MLS TV SCHEDULE
The weekend’s slate has four games on Saturday and two on Sunday, when undefeated FC Dallas travels to Chivas USA. The only other undefeated team, Chicago, hosts Kansas City on Sunday.Two teams are looking for their first win: San Jose, which travels to Colorado, and defending champ Houston, which visits Los Angeles, where Beckham and Co., will try to rebound from last week’s embrassing home home loss to Toronto FC.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
International Weekend TV Schedule
Bayern Munich can win the first of could be a league-cup double when it meets Borussia Dortmund Saturday in the final of the German Cup. Fighting to save itself from relegation, the American colony at Fulham hosts Liverpool in EPL action. In Spain, Barcelona hosts city rival Espanyol. For all the weekend international action on television …
Posted inStory, Youth Soccer Insider
Is coach doing a good job?
Proper player development leads to good match performance, which often leads to wins. But there are shortcuts to winning, particularly with players younger than high-school age. Just get the biggest, fastest kids around — then outrun and outmuscle the opposition.
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Celtic Keeps SPL Hopes Alive
Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink’s stoppage-time winner rescued Celtic’s Scottish Premier League title hopes from certain oblivion Wednesday night just as it seemed that 10-man Rangers would hold on for a point that would all but guarantee the title’s return to Ibrox. Celtic’s 2-1 win reduced the gap at the top to one point, but Rangers […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Inter, Roma Rest Stars for Coppa Semis
With their focus on the Serie A title race, both Inter Milan and AS Roma fielded largely reserve squads for last night’s Coppa Italia semifinals. At the Stadio Olimpico, a young Roma side relied on the experience of talisman Francesco Totti to lead it past Catania Calcio, 1-0. After a tepid first half, Totti took […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Mexico Chases Big Names for Sanchez Replacement
The Los Angeles Times’ Grahame L. Jones reveals Mexico’s “astonishingly unrealistic wish list” of new coaches, including Portugal’s Luiz Felipe Scolari, who coached Brazil to the 2002 World Cup title, Marcello Lippi, who coached Italy to the 2006 World Cup title, former Chelsea coach Jose Mourinho, and former Mexico and current Atletico Madrid coach Javier […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Interview: Santino Quaranta
It’s hard to believe that Santino Quaranta is just 23 years of age. The D.C. United striker has now been in the league for seven years, but as Quaranta tells Soccer365, it certainly hasn’t been a glorious seven years. Quaranta says he hit rock bottom when the New York Red Bulls waived him on Jan. […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Red Bulls Product Heads to College, Not MLS
Soccer By Ives reports that New York Red Bulls product Matt Kassel will not be making the jump to the senior team this season. Which is to say that Kassel, considered to be the most promising youngster in the Bulls’ youth academy, will not become, as many expected, the first youth academy product to sign […]
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Peguero joins Quakes on loan
San Jose Earthquakes fans who are anxiously awaiting word of a major signing to bolster the forward corps will have to wait a little longer. But the team, scoreless in its first two games, has made a move. According to a source with knowledge of the transaction, San Jose has landed former Rapids and MetroStars striker Jean-Philippe Peguero, who scored 20 goals in 58 games from 2004 to 2006 before being transferred to Danish club Brondby. He will be on loan for the MLS season.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Houston Dynamo’s ‘troubling situation’
To say the least, the first three weeks of the 2008 MLS season have not gone as the two-time defending champion Houston Dynamo would have liked. It was dumped from the Concacaf Champions Cup by Costa Rica’s Saprissa. It’s winless in its first three games of the 2008 MLS season and must play its next three games without starting center back Eddie Robinson. On top of that was Wednesday’s release of a letter from MLS Commissioner Don Garber to the Dynamo owners regarding the “troubling situation” regarding their inability to conclude a soccer stadium deal with the City of Houston. It included what in Houston was being termed a “threat” to move the Dynamo — a club with one of the best fan bases in the league.