[OLYMPIC COUNTDOWN] U.S. Women’s National Team head coach Pia Sundhage called in 27 players to a two-week training camp at The Home Depot Center in Carson, Calif., starting Monday to prepare for the 2008 Peace Queen Cup June 15-21 in Suwon, South Korea.
Monthly Archives: May 2008
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Inter’s Third The One That Counts
Inter Milan may have won its third successive Serie A title Sunday, but for many of its fans this was the first one to truly count. Two years ago, it was awarded the scudetto by default after Juventus was stripped of its title in the wake of the match-fixing scandal. Last year Inter won while […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Keegan’s Right, The EPL’s Dull
While Cardiff and Portsmouth slugged it out at Wembley, and just one week after Manchester United were crowned Premier League champions (again), England’s biggest teams are already splashing out the money in time for next season. “Chelsea have already acquired £16.1 million [approximately $32 million] of defender in Jose Bosingwa,” writes Nick Townsend. “United […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
FA Cup Final Emotional, If Not Epic
Saturday’s English FA Cup Final was probably not a great cup final, but it was an emotional one, writes Paul Wilson. After last year’s “bore-fest” between Chelsea and Manchester United, it was refreshing just to see two sets of fans who actually wanted to be there as the Premier League’s Portsmouth edged second-tier Cardiff City […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Two Cultures Clash In Canada
The setting was neutral Canada, and although the game was between Toronto FC and the Columbus Crew, Saturday’s game ended up being all about two old adversaries on the international soccer stage — England and Argentina. It was not so much a Falklands-style war (thankfully), but a cultural difference in approach to the concept of […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
‘Welcome Baby, Welcome’
FC Dallas fans on Sunday watched history repeated as farce when, for the second season running, their team fell behind by four first-half goals to the LA Galaxy. Last year in the SuperLiga they turned things around to a face-saving 6-5 defeat, but this time the home side failed to launch a comeback and ended […]
Posted inSoccer on TV., Story
Soccer on TV
Midweek matches include the European Champions League final, the second legs of the Copa Libertadores quarterfinals and the start of the Toulon International tournament. In MLS’s Thursday night game, San Jose hosts Houston.
Posted inSoccer America Confidential, Story
L.A. teams rebound; D.C. doesn’t
This isn’t yet another diatribe in what is fast becoming a weekly recurrence: to dump on D.C. United. But in yet two more ways D.C. deflated its fans and embarrassed its crest yet again last Saturday by squandering a 1-0 lead and losing, 3-1, to Chivas USA at Home Depot Center.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
MLS Results
Columbus could muster only a scoreless tie with Toronto but kept its lead in the East. For the up-to-date MLS standings and leading scorers, all the weekend summaries and this week’s schedule. …
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
The Galaxy keeps scoring
[NAMES & NUMBERS] The Los Angeles Galaxy is doing its share to keep MLS scoring on the upswing. After its win in Dallas, the Galaxy has scored a league high 19 goals while conceding 16. Only D.C. United, which got spanked by Chivas USA, has given up more goals (17). For the weekend’s MLS highlights. …
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Cherundolo sets up three goals
[AMERICANS ABROAD] Bundesliga veteran Steve Cherundolo set up three goals in Hannover 96’s 4-0 win over Energie Cottbus on the last day of German First Division play. Cherundolo’s American teammate, 21-year-old Sal Zizzo, was a halftime sub, marking his second appearance for Hannover 96, which he joined this season. Hannover finished eighth. Defender Heath Pearce made his 19th appearance of the season for Hansa Rostock and notched an assist in a 2-1 win over VfL Bochum, but Rostock is relegated to the Second Division along with FC Nuremberg and MSV Duisburg.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
USL First Division Results
Charleston moved into first place in the USL First Division with 1-0 wins over Montreal and Rochester. Former UNC Greensboro star Randi Patterson, who played briefly for the U.S. U-20 national team and now plays for Trinidad & Tobago, had the goals in both games. For all the weekend results and goalscorers …
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Redknapp has Portsmouth job for as long as he wants
[ENGLISH FA CUP] Embattled manager Harry Redknapp received the biggest cheer Sunday when Portsmouth paraded the English FA Cup trophy in an open-top bus through the southern English city a day after it won the FA Cup for the first time since 1939 with a 1-0 win over Cardiff City at Wembley Stadium. The trophy was the first of Redknapp’s career and qualified Pompey for Europe for the first time.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Fiorentina edges AC Milan for Champions League spot
[EUROPEAN LEAGUES] League play has concluded in Europe’s big five leagues. On the final day of play, Fiorentina claimed the final UEFA Champions League spot in Italy ahead of AC Milan thanks to a 1-0 win on a spectacular volley by Pablo Osvaldo. In France, a tense relegation battle ended with Lens going down on the final day of the season and its fans rioting. In Germany, tiny 1899 Hoffenheim, whose stadium holds 5,000 fans, gained promotion after its first season ever in the Second Division. For season-end wrapups of Europe’s “Big Five” leagues …
Posted inSoccerTalk with Paul Gardner, Story
Bravo Pupi!
Inter Milan, as usual making things just about as difficult as possible, captured the scudetto, the Italian league title, yesterday. It should have made sure last weekend, but that customary brewer of trouble, Marco Materazzi, pushed his way, quite literally, into the action — shoving his teammates out of the way as he insisted on taking a crucial penalty kick, the one that should have given Inter a win over Siena, and decided the title.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Ibrahimovic rescues Inter
[CHAMPIONS] Swedish star Zlatan Ibrahimovic returned to action for the first time since March 29 and scored both goals to give Inter Milan a 2-0 win at Parma on the final day of the Italian season that clinched its third straight Serie A title and 16th overall.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, What They're Saying
What They’re Saying
“They threw things at me for the whole game. It was a reaction, and I apologize.”
— San Lorenzo coach Ramon Diaz, who was ejected from an Argentine league game for throwing back into the crowd one of the objects that was thrown at him during a 0-0 tie at Huracan. (Reuters)
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Lyon makes it seven in a row
[CHAMPIONS] Lyon added to its legend when it won its seventh straight French league title, beating Auxerre, 3-1, on Saturday to finish four points ahead of Bordeaux, which tied, 2-2, at Lens. No other team from a big five European league has won six straight titles, let alone seven.
Posted inSoccer America Confidential, Story
Goin’ North
When the USL Montreal Impact opens its new stadium Monday night, MLS Commissioner Don Garber and President Mark Abbott will be in attendance. Has Montreal lapped its rivals in the MLS expansion race?
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Ibrahimovic Could Return for Inter’s Sunday Decider
Italy’s Serie A championship will be decided on Sunday, and Inter Milan star Zlatan Ibrahimovic hopes to be available — at least from the bench — for the thrilling season finale. A win at relegation-threatened Parma would hand Inter its third straight Serie A title. Second-place Roma, a point behind the defending champions, will claim […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
MLS Welcomes News of Soccer’s Return to BC Place
The USL-1 Vancouver Whitecaps announced Friday that they will move to BC Place, which will undergo major renovations. The announcement triggered a statement from MLS Commissioner Don Garber, who said Vancouver is a potential MLS expansion city. “There is no doubt the market for professional soccer exists in Vancouver,” he said, “as we saw last […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Cristiano Ronaldo’s Madrid Bombshell
Will Cristiano Ronaldo really leave Manchester United for Real Madrid? Only days before the Champions League final between United and Chelsea, Ronaldo dropped a bombshell when he told a Madrid-based television channel that he would not rule out a move to Spain. Ronaldo has four years left on a five-year contract at Old Trafford that […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Preview: Portsmouth and Cardiff Break Mold
For the first time since 1991, that none of England’s “big four” — Manchester United, Liverpool, Chelsea or Arsenal — reached the English FA Cup final, which will be contested by Portsmouth and Cardiff City (second division) on Saturday (TV: Setanta pay-per-view, live, 10 am ET). You have to go all the way back to […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
MLS MVP Luciano Emilio Could Land on D.C. Bench
With only one goal and one assist in seven games for D.C. United, Brazilian striker Luciano Emilio has been the disappointment of the 2008 MLS season. Emilio’s poor start is one of the reasons why D.C. is 2-5-0 entering its game at Chivas USA Saturday night. The Washington Post Steven Goff reports that D.C. United […]
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
International Weekend TV Schedule
Portsmouth and Cardiff City, two unlikely teams, meet in Saturday’s English FA Cup at Wembley Stadium. Italy’s Scudetto will be decided on Sunday when leader Inter Milan and second-place Roma, one point back, travel to Parma and Catania, respectively. Mexico’s playoffs continue with the second leg of the quarterfinals, while league play concludes in Germany and Spain. For all the weekend international action on television …