Eastern Conference teams will look to continue their dominance of Western opponents in three East-West clashes on Saturday: New England-San Jose, Chicago-Houston and Chivas USA-D.C. United. For all the MLS weekend action on television …
Monthly Archives: May 2008
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Playoff wins for Hernandez and Castillo
[AMERICANS ABROAD] U.S. defenders Daniel Hernandez and Edgar Castillo started in wins for Chiapas and Santos, respectively, in the first leg of their quarterfinal series in Mexico’s Torneo Clausura.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Rapids are best in the West
By beating Real Salt Lake, 2-0, Thursday night with two second-half goals, the Colorado Rapids confirmed their status as best team in the Western Conference. coff if you will at their 4-4-0 record, good for a three-point lead over FC Dallas (2-2-3). The Rapids aren’t scintillating enough to scare people, but they’re good enough to win.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Bradley calls out the troops
U.S. national team head coach Bob Bradley has named a pool of 33 players who have been called for friendlies against England, Spain and Argentina, beginning with a game against England May 28 at Wembley Stadium. For a look at who’s invited …
Posted inSoccer America Daily, What They're Saying
What They’re Saying
“Without the Brazilian, Barcelona would be another club. It bothers me that certain members of the press have insisted that Ronaldinho no longer is anybody, that he is a former player. Without him rivals do not fear Barca. I don’t think ‘Dinho’ should apologize, as many people think. On the contrary. It is the Barcelona leaders who should thank Ronaldinho for what he has done for the club. I think that if they let him go, it will be the biggest mistake in the history of the club.”
— Former Argentina great Diego Maradona, criticizing his former club Barcelona’s efforts to unload maligned Brazilian superstar Ronaldinho. (Marca)
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Ronaldinho to miss games in USA
[BRAZIL TOUR] Ronaldinho is out but Kaka, Alexandre Pato and Robinho will be the headliners for Brazil’s two-game tour of the United States. For the complete Brazil roster …
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Chicago turns to Arsenal (Ladies) for head coach
[WPS] The Chicago entrant in the new Women’s Professional Soccer has named Englishwoman Emma Hayes, a coach at the top-ranked Arsenal Ladies Football Club in London, as its head coach and director of soccer operations.
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
LaBrocca, Rapids’ ‘Silent Sponge,’ Earns Spot
One of the surprises of the 2008 MLS season has been Colorado Rapids midfielder Nick LaBrocca, who played only two games in his rookie season but he’s started every game for the Western Conference co-leaders going into Thursday’s match against Real Salt Lake. Dubbed the “Silent Sponge” for his ability to take advice and put […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
British Review Police Powers After UEFA Cup Mess
Prime Minister Gordon Brown says the British government will review measures to stop violent public drunkenness after clashes broke out before and after Wednesday’s UEFA Cup final between Rangers and Zenit St. Petersburg in Manchester. The fear is that more trouble like that which took place Wednesday could hurt England’s 2018 World Cup bid. Fighting […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Kahn Bids Farewell
The final day of the 2008 Bundesliga season will mark the last game for Bayern Munich goalie Oliver Kahn, who is retiring Saturday after winning his eighth Bundesliga championship and sixth German Cup. Saturday’s match against Karlsruhe — his hometown team — will be the 557th Bundesliga game for the 38-year-old Kahn, who is as […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Barcelona Deal First Step to Its Own MLS Club?
Barcelona will be returning to the United States this summer as part of a long-term agreement signed Thursday with Major League Soccer. Barca will play a minimum of six games over the term of the five-year agreement that could lead to the Spanish club having a permanent presence in the form of a team in […]
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Zenit too strong for Rangers
[UEFA CUP] Nothing — not a midnight prank that robbed them of a good night’s sleep, the specter of Glasgow Rangers’ manager Walter Smith‘s past close calls or the relatively unknown reputation of their club – could prevent Zenit St. Petersburg players from completing a remarkable run in the UEFA Cup by lifting the trophy.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
MLS TV Schedule
Play in Week 7 of Major League Soccer kicks off Thursday at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park, where the Colorado Rapids meet Real Salt Lake in the Rocky Mountain Cup series. For all this week’s MLS games on television …
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Atlas creates surprise at Boca Juniors
[LIBERTADORES CUP] Mexican club Atlas held defending Libertadores Cup champion Boca Juniors to a 2-2 tie in the first leg of their quarterfinal series on Wednesday.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Czechs will be without Rosicky and Nedved
[EURO ’08 COUNTDOWN] The Czech Republic will head to the European Championship next month without captain Tomas Rosicky and former European Player of the Year Pavel Nedved. For the Czech roster …
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Format set for Champions League
[DATEBOOK] The CONCACAF version, that is. Modeled after the European competition but with a dash of Libertadores Cup thrown into the mix, the confederation club championship will feature 24 teams vying for the regional title and a spot in the 2009 World Club Cup.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Sites announced for CONCACAF semifinal round
[WORLD CUP 2010 QUALIFYING] Two new venues and an old standby are destined to host the three U.S. home matches in the semifinal phase of 2010 World Cup qualifying.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, What They're Saying
What They’re Saying
“I was there dressed just lying on my bed for a couple minutes before going to another meeting and suddenly I felt the room moving left to right … mirrors were falling and I felt as though my room on the 31st floor was almost going down to road level and back up. I heard screams throughout this which lasted for about five minutes. I was dazed… I was stunned literally. Then it just subsided. I didn’t move… I just laid on the bed.”
— Concacaf president Jack Warner, who was staying at the Sheraton Hotel in Chengdu, China, for a soccer tour at the invitation of the Asian Football Confederation when a 7.8-magnitude earthquake hit. More than 12,000 people are reported to have died. (soccer365.com)
Posted inSoccerTalk with Paul Gardner, Story
Rangers’ failure was eminently deserved
I have just had the melancholy experience of watching Glasgow Rangers lose the UEFA Cup final to Zenit St.Petersburg. It has left me feeling immeasurably disappointed, and really rather sad.
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Rocky Mountain Derby: Round 1
Round one of the Rocky Mountain derby between the Colorado Rapids and Real Salt Lake is this week’s feature on “MLS Primetime Thursday” (ESPN2: 9:30 PM ET). Despite being just three years old, the rivalry is marked by “megawatt intensity,”says ESPN’s Jeff Carlisle, fondly recalling Pablo Mastroeni’s infamous on-field tirade in 2005 that drew the […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Former Revs Captain Turns the Page in L.A.
It’s been nearly a month since Joe Franchino was traded from the New England Revolution to the Los Angeles Galaxy. But more than a chance to return to his roots — Franchino grew up in Southern California and started his MLS career with the Galaxy — he says the trade gave him the opportunity to […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Rock-Bottom Barcelona
FC Barcelona hit rock bottom on Sunday, surrendering a 2-0 lead in its last home game of the season in front of a nearly-empty Estadio Camp Nou, to lose, 3-2, to Real Mallorca. Even the usually expressionless coach Frank Rijkaard couldn’t suppress a look of utter helplessness as the Barca supporters threw projectiles onto the […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Twellman Injury: How Bad This Time?
After being sidelined for seven games with a knee injury, it took barely 14 minutes for New England Revolution striker Taylor Twellman to score his first goal of the MLS season. But then, four minutes later, he got injured again, his ankle this time. Revs coach Steve Nicol was prepared to have Twellman replaced before […]
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
U.S. under-20 women’s national team roster
[YOUTH] The U.S. under-20 women’s national team is in Clemson, S.C. for a two-week training camp as Coach Tony DiCicco puts the team through some final preparations before next month’s CONCACAF Qualifying in Puebla, Mexico. For the complete under-20 women’s roster …
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Beasley ready for Rangers’ duty
[UEFA CUP] American DaMarcus Beasley traveled with Rangers to Manchester, but he is not expected to be included in the Scottish club’s squad for Wednesday’s UEFA Cup final against Zenit St. Petersburg (TV: Fox Soccer Channel, live, 2:30 pm ET) that would make him the first American to play in a European cup final.