[CHAMPIONS] Bayern Munich’s spending spree paid big dividends as its clinched its 21st German league title (and 20th since the formation of the Bundesliga in 1963) and third domestic double with a 0-0 tie at Wolfsburg on Sunday that left it 10 points ahead of Werder Bremen with three games to play.
Monthly Archives: May 2008
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Happy ending for Real Madrid’s Schuster
[CHAMPIONS] Bernd Schuster has accomplished what the six Real Madrid head coaches before him did not. He’ll keep his job for a second year. It wasn’t easy, but Schuster led Real Madrid to the 2008 Spanish La Liga title, which it clinched on Sunday when it rallied from a one-goal deficit to win, 2-1, at Osasuna, and give it a 10-point lead over second-place Villarreal with three games to play.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, What They're Saying
What They’re Saying
“In Central America, with the U.S. teams, we’d get stuff thrown at us, but not as bad as that. [Toronto fans have some] good aim. They were wrapping it around my ankles and I really had to stop. It was in the way, but it’s good. That’s great and they’ve really been a breath of fresh air in this league with the atmosphere they create.”
— New York Red Bull midfielder Claudio Reyna, who during Thursday’s 1-1 tie at Toronto FC had to untangle himself from crepe paper streamers to take a corner kick at BMO Field. (ESPNSoccerNet)
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Grant: Everyone’s Happy at Chelsea
Avram Grant may have led Chelsea to its first-ever Champions League final, but speculation continues to swirl around his future. Nevertheless, Grant maintains that his relationship with club owner Roman Abramovich is good. When asked if he had spoken to Abramovich following Chelsea’s 4-3 aggregate victory over Liverpool, Grant replied, “Yes, but it was a […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
The Costly, Confusing Trip to Moscow
The Champions League final between Chelsea and Manchester United, which will be held at the Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow on May 21, could prove to be the costliest ticket of many fans’ lives, after the Russian Foreign Ministry said that visitors from the UK would indeed need to obtain a visa in order to attend […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Dynamo Stars Need to Step Up
The Houston Dynamo, Major League Soccer’s two-time defending champion, is last place in the league with three points from its opening five matches. And yet, thanks to the weakness of the West, the Dynamo find themselves just five points outside of first place. That’s the good news. But the stat sheet doesn’t lie, says Bernardo […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Struggling to Adapt, Gomez Seeks United Revenge
On and off the field, Christian Gomez’s transition to the Colorado Rapids has been a difficult one. For one thing, injuries to the likes of Connor Casey, Jovan Kirovski and Herculez Gomez mean that the Argentine playmaker has yet to play with the Rapids’ first-choice front line, and the results — the team is 2-3-0 […]
Posted inSoccer on TV., Story
Soccer on TV
Weekend action starts Friday night when USL-1 defending champ Seattle faces Atlanta. The MLS kicks off Saturday with New England hosting Chicago — two of the four teams tied behind East leader Columbus on 10 points. Americans in England continue their fight against relegation on Saturday: Reading hosts Tottenham and Fulham hosts Birmingham.
Posted inSoccer America Confidential, Story
Choices abound for MLS expansion
Fortunately, both Vancouver and Portland are in the running for MLS expansion slots as we gaze at the horizon beyond 2009 entrant Seattle and 2010 rookie Philadelphia.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Quakes to open Buck Shaw era without injured defenders
Defenders Jay Ayers and Ryan Cochrane, injured in a collision Wednesday night playing for San Jose in the U.S. Open Cup, won’t suit up Saturday when the Quakes play their first game at Buck Shaw Stadium at Santa Clara University. Both players suffered concussions when they collided in the 15th minute and needed several minutes to recover before they were able to walk off the field.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
MLS TV: Revs to test Chicago D
Chicago, with the league’s stingiest defense (3 goals allowed), travels to New England. … Argentine stars Guillermo Barros Schelotto and Claudio Lopez face off when Columbus hosts Kansas City. … Winless defending champ Houston hosts Chivas USA, which has lost three straight. … The Galaxy‘s David Beckham makes his first Salt Lake appearance. … San Jose plays its first game at its new home on Santa Clara University’s campus when it hosts FC Dallas, the West Conference leader. … On Sunday, Colorado‘s Christian Gomez makes his first appearance against D.C. United, for which he played in 2004-07. For all the weekend’s MLS action on TV. …
Posted inSoccer America Daily, What They're Saying
What They’re Saying
“The closed-circuit cameras do not film this part of the stadium because it’s not considered an area of conflict. We know it came from this area because you don’t find ice cubes of that size in other parts of the stadium.”
— Boca Juniors president Pedro Pompilio after a linesman for its Libertadores Cup game with Cruzeiro suffered a cut on his forehead from an ice cube thrown from the “private box” section of Boca’s Bombonera stadium. Pompilio is asking fans to identify the culprit. (Reuters)
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
TFC and Red Bull weather a stormy tie
On FieldTurf whipped by wind and rain, keeping your footing can be harder than keeping the ball, and neither the Red Bulls nor Toronto FC gained much traction as they battled to a 1-1 tie Thursday night at BMO Field.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Rangers and Zenit reach UEFA Cup final
[UEFA CUP] Rangers and Zenit St. Petersburg will meet in the final of the UEFA Cup on May 14 in Manchester after pulling upsets on Thursday. Rangers, with a former U.S. college star, beat Fiorentina, 4-2, in a shootout after the second leg, like the first, ended in a 0-0 tie. Zenit beat Bayern, 4-0, at home to advance, 5-1, on aggregate.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Bradley’s Heerenveen falls in Dutch playoffs
[AMERICANS ABROAD] The bid of Michael Bradley‘s Heerenveen to reach next year’s Champions League third qualifying round suffered a blow when it fell at home to Ajax, 2-1, on Thursday in the first leg of their semifinal series.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Fight for garlic proves costly for striker
[OFF THE POST] Japan striker Kazuki Ganaha has spent about $100,000 in legal fees fighting the J-League’s ban on intravenous garlic infusions. Ganaha was suspended for six games for shooting garlic up his veins to battle the flu last year. Although the pungent onion relative isn’t a banned substance, the J-League prohibits intravenous treatment.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
International Weekend TV Schedule
UEFA Champions League finalists Manchester United and Chelsea, tied for the English Premier League, are in action on Saturday and Monday, respectively on the next-to-last-day of the season. Inter Milan can wrap up the Serie A title when it faces city rival AC Milan on Sunday. The races can also be decided in Germany and Spain. In Argentina, the Buenos Aires clasico between Boca Juniors and River Plate takes place on Saturday. For all the weekend international action on television …
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
U.S. under-20 men’s national team roster
[YOUTH] U.S. under-20 men’s national team head coach Thomas Rongen is taking 18 players to Manchester, England, for a week-long training camp. One of the assistant coaches on the trip is former MLS great Marco Etcheverry. For the U-20 roster …
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
High Stakes in Milan Derby
This weekend’s Milan derby is being touted as one of the most important in the city’s history: Milan, currently fifth in the Serie A standings, absolutely has to secure three points to maintain any hope of playing in the Champions League next season. Fiorentina is two points ahead of the Rossoneri in the coveted fourth-place […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Europe Taking Notice of ‘Mature’ Altidore Performances
Ever since Juan Pablo Angel suffered an injury in the first game of the season, 18-year-old Jozy Altidore has been leading the Red Bulls’ front line. And he’s done so admirably, says Yahoo Sports Martin Rogers, scoring two goals in three starts in addition to drawing the decisive penalty in a 2-0 win over San […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Barca Director: Expect Major Changes
Barcelona sporting director Txiki Begiristain confirmed there would be personnel changes as a result of the Catalan club’s failure to win a trophy for the second consecutive season. In an interview with Barca TV, Begiristain described Barcelona’s performances this season as “poor,” adding: “If we had got to [the Champions League final in] Moscow, almost […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Chelsea’s Terry: Questioning Grant is ‘Unbelievable’
Chelsea captain John Terry said he finds it “unbelievable” that Avram Grant’s position as head coach is still being questioned by critics after the Blues defeated Liverpool, 3-2, at Stamford Bridge and, 4-3, on aggregate to advance to the club’s first-ever Champions League final. Two goals from Didier Drogba and a penalty from Frank Lampard […]
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Drogba gives Liverpool the slip
[UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE] Didier Drogba, derided by Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez before the game for diving, got the better of the Reds, scoring two goals and leading Chelsea to a 3-2 victory Wednesday that moved the Blues into the final of the UEFA Champions League against Manchester United on May 21 in Moscow.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Real Salt Lake thumps San Jose
[U.S. OPEN CUP] Real Salt Lake won its “play-in” against San Jose, 4-0, with a pair of goals by Kyle Beckerman and one apiece from Yura Movsisyan and Andy Williams. Salt Lake faces Columbus May 27 and the winner of that game faces the Chicago Fire for a spot in the third round of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Pachuca, with Texas product, celebrates regional crown
[CONCACAF CHAMPIONS CUP] Mexico’s Pachuca successfully defended its Concacaf Champions Cup title with a 2-1 home win over Costa Rica’s Saprissa for a 3-2 aggregate victory. Pachuca’s Jose Francisco Torres, a 20-year-old Texas product,didn’t see action in the second-leg of the final on Wednesday, but started and played 62 minutes in the first leg, and saw action in both semifinals.