Monthly Archives: August 2008

Two MLS teams with different approaches met in the semifinals of the U.S. Open Cup. Playing at full strength, D.C. United beat the defending champion New England Revolution, which started only three players who have started at least half of their MLS games, 3-1, on Tuesday to advance to the final.

[TRANSFER TALK] Chelsea manager Luiz Felipe Scolari has a plethora of options available to him in the midfield. At his disposal are Frank Lampard, Michael Ballack, Michael Essien, Deco, Shaun Wright-Phillips, Florent Malouda and John Obi Mikel. That embarrassment of riches is leaving Joe Cole feeling a little nervous about his role in the team.

[OLYMPICS/VIDEO] Cristiane might just do it better than Ronaldinho. The Brazilian forward scored all three goals in her country’s 3-1 victory over Nigeria Tuesday to win their group in the Olympic women’s soccer competition.

[RECAP] All’s well that ends well. The USA, which began the Olympic women’s competition with a 2-0 loss to Norway, ended up winning the group. The USA’s 4-0 win over New Zealand combined with Japan’s 5-1 victory over Norway moved the Americans into Friday’s quarterfinal against Canada. Instead of facing the possibility that they would have to face Brazil and Germany in the next two rounds, Pia Sundhage‘s women avoid the 2007 Women’s World Cup champions and runners-up before the gold-medal game.

[WPS] Women’s pro soccer will be returning to Atlanta in 2010 when an Women’s Professional Soccer expansion team will begin play.

MEMBERSHIP ALERT: A special edition will appear later Wednesday with coverage of the USA- Nigeria men’s match, so look for this e-newsletter from Soccer America’s editors. For fans not wishing to read our coverage until after they have watched the game, the subject line of these e-letters will begin “Special Olympic Edition.”

[TRANSFER TALK] Desperately thin up front with just days to go before the start of the EPL, Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson is turning his attention to an unlikely target — former Arsenal forward Thierry Henry. Ferguson is rumored to be preparing a $40 million bid for the French international, who has spent just one season at Barcelona since moving from the Gunners. Throughout his career, Henry has been vocal about his love for Arsenal, but it’s hard to think of a more traitorous act than moving to Manchester United.

[USA-GUATEMALA] Guatemala national team coach Ramon Maradiaga will welcome three foreign-based players — the Los Angeles Galaxy’s Carlos Ruiz, Jose Contreras of Argentina’s Arsenal and Gustavo Cabrera of Danish club Aarhus — who will join 16 player currently in training for the Aug. 20 World Cup 2010 qualifier against the USA at Guatemala City’s Mateo Flores Stadium. Recent Chicago Fire signing Marco Pappa could also get a call-up.

[MAKING A LIST] Ruud Gullit is the fifth Los Angeles Galaxy coach to be fired or resign in mid-season. Only two other MLS teams (New York and Columbus) have had as many as three coaches leave in mid-season.

Make no mistake, Anschutz Entertainment Group czar Tim Leiweke knows success from failure, how to turn loss into profit, and how to move product and sell tickets. But pick a coach for the Galaxy? The naming of Cobi Jones as interim coach following Ruud Gullit‘s resignation makes it five Galaxy coaches in five years.