Saturday’s Cuba-USA game is one of 15 games to be televised on cable or pay-per-view. The weekend schedule includes Day 2 of the Concacaf semifinal round and Day 1 of European group play. For all the matches …
Monthly Archives: September 2008
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Desert Foxes move into first in Africa
[WORLD CUP 2010 QUALIFYING] Algeria, once an African power but on decline for two decades, is staging a comeback in World Cup 2010 qualifying. Its 3-2 win over powerhouse Senegal before 45,000 fans in Blida on Friday moved it into first place in Africa’s Group 6 with nine points, one better than the Senegalese and four better than Gambia.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Canada faces must-win situation
[WORLD CUP 2010 QUALIFYING] Since qualifying for the 1986 World Cup, Canada has had no luck in World Cup qualifying. Once again, the Canadians find themselves in trouble thanks to a 1-1 tie against Jamaica in Toronto last month in the opening game of the semifinal round of World Cup 2010 qualifying. If it doesn’t beat Honduras Saturday in Montreal, Canada is in danger letting another World Cup slip away.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
CUBA DIARY: Four pennies to see qualifier
Cuba has two sets of currency. That’s why I accidentally paid 24 times more for a newspaper than the asking price. And why when I tried to buy a postcard with the peso bill that features Jose Marti‘s face I was told to use the one on which the 19th century Cuban hero is riding a horse. The CUC, or convertible peso, is what foreigners use. The CUP, or Cuban peso, is for locals and is the equivalent of four U.S. pennies – which is what the admission price is for Cuba’s World Cup against the USA on Saturday.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Cuba promises ‘warm welcome’
Mike Woitalla reports from Havana
The corrugated metal roof of Pedro Marrero Stadium, damaged by Hurricane Gustav, was being fixed by brave acrophobia-free men and fortunately no one was hit when one of the panels fell down. Others carried hundreds of plastic deck chairs into the stadium for the front rows. But busiest of all were the two men who cut the entire field by pushing around the kind of two-stroke engine lawnmowers more appropriate for a backyard grass. And what thanks do they get? “The grass is a little long,” said U.S. coach Bob Bradley on the eve of his team’s World Cup qualifier against Cuba.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
U.S. strategy: defend from the middle, attack from flank
Mike Woitalla reports from Havana
The USA training session the day before the game was closed so as not to reveal its starting lineup for its game against Cuba on Saturday. But most likely, Coach Bob Bradley‘s squad will closely resemble the team that won at Guatemala, 1-0, on Aug. 20. That means defensive muscle in the middle covering for attacks from the flank. The main question marks are who will replace Pablo Mastroeni in the central midfield and how much Bradley will take into account Wednesday’s qualifier against Trinidad & Tobago.
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Zimmermann Makes Austrian Move
U.S. striker Preston Zimmermann has completed a move from SV Hamburg to Austrian first division side SV Kapfenberg.
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
‘Ugly Duckling’ Bahrain Could Make World Cup
James Montague says that Bahrain, the poorest state in the Gulf, could be the region’s surprise qualifier for the World Cup.
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Bilic Cool On Hammers’ Job
Croatian coach Slaven Bilic says he’s not keen on taking the vacant managerial post at his former side West Ham United.
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Ex-Man. City Goalkeeper Gets 20 Months In Jail
“It is depressing that in a society where there is supposed to be more sexual freedom, some popular newspapers and magazines continue to dress their interest in it as some form of moral indignation when what they are actually doing is making money from their readers’ interest in sex and salacious gossip.” Part of the […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Report: Barcelona Wants Miami Sister Club
Spanish giant Barcelona is considering a sister team in Miami, according to broadcaster Univision. It reported that Barcelona’s president, Joan Laporta, has traveled to Florida to meet with MLS officials and local businessmen to discuss the “Barcelona USA” project, but there is as yet no timetable in place. Barcelona has played several preseason tours in […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
World Cup Tickets On Sale Early Next Year
Tickets for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa will go on sale early next year, tournament organizers said Thursday. They will be sold in phases, with some available when qualification for the 32-team tournament is complete in late 2009. The first batch of tickets will be sold in host cities, at airport terminals […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Youth Fails To Pay For Hyndman
The teething woes of FC Dallas coach Schellas Hyndman continued in the suburb of Frisco Thursday when his inexperienced team lost 1-0 at home to Colorado Rapids. If it’s any consolation, once you’ve lost at home to the Rapids, things usually can’t get any worse. “The one potential positive for FC Dallas could be […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Cuba Just Needs A Little Luck
Cuban national team coach Reinhold Fanz thinks his team can beat the United States in Saturday’s World Cup qualifier, but “you need a little bit of luck,” he told Doug McIntyre in Havana. Fanz added that “we had no luck against Trinidad” in the semifinal round’s opening game, and consequently they lost 3-1. True, […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
MLS To Rethink Schedule Rules
Major League Soccer is going to examine a change in its rules to avoid the schedule conflicts that have lead to several clubs missing key players for games this weekend because of international duty, reports Dean McNulty. He quotes “sources inside the MLS office in New York” as saying that the league’s competition committee […]
Posted inSoccer on TV., Story
Soccer on TV
The weekend schedule is dominated by World Cup 2010 qualifying. Games from Concacaf (notably Cuba-USA), Europe, South America and Asia will be available on cable and pay-per-view.
Posted inSoccer America Confidential, Story
Noonan eager for Revs’ reunion
A hostile environment is anticipated at Toyota Park when former Fire head coach Juan Carlos Osorio returns to Chicago to lead his Red Bulls in a crucial Eastern Conference match against the team he abandoned during the offseason. But a far more amiable reunion is also on the docket in another conference showdown between the league’s top two teams. The Revs will line up at Columbus Crew Stadium to take on the conference-leading Crew having exchanged some pleasantries during the pre-match warmup.
Posted inCollege Soccer Reporter, Story
MORNING BRIEFING: Irish look for another upset
One of the biggest women’s crowds of the season is expected at the Nike/Carolina Classic Friday night when No. 4 Notre Dame looks to knock off No. 2 North Carolina again.
Posted inCollege Soccer Reporter, Story
MORNING BRIEFING: USF draws attention
One of this year’s hot picks for men’s national champions is USF. Not the University of San Francisco but the University of South Florida. The Bulls travel to South Bend, Ind., to face No. 3 Indiana and No. 13 Notre Dame at the Mike Berticelli Memorial Tournament, where their reputation has preceded them.
Posted inCollege Soccer Reporter, Story
Rachael Rapinoe suffers another season-ending knee injury
As Rachael and Megan Rapinoe, both coming back from season-ending knee injuries, prepared for their final season at Portland, they said they were thankful they would finally be able to fulfill their dream of playing college soccer beside one other. “Fate has a funny way — life has a funny way — of working out,” Megan told Soccer America before Rachael finished the thought, “And we’re just looking forward to getting back that Rapinoe attack.” Well, the Rapinoe twins were back together for only three games. Early in the Pilots’ 1-0 win over Portland on Monday, Rachael Rapinoe suffered a season-ending knee injury, re-tearing the ACL in her left knee.
Posted inCollege Soccer Reporter, Story
SCOREBOARD: Soccer America Men’s Top 25
[FRIDAY UPDATE] No. 1 Wake Forest beat UCLA, 3-0, on Friday night. No. 3 Indiana and No. 5 USF played to a 0-0 tie. For all the Soccer America Men’s Top 25 results and schedules …
Posted inCollege Soccer Reporter, Story
SCOREBOARD: Soccer America Women’s Top 25
[FRIDAY UPDATE] Notre Dame did it again. The No. 4 Irish beat North Carolina, 1-0, at Fetzer Field Friday night. Elsewhere, No. 1 USC edged No. 12 Santa Clara, 2-1. For all the Top 25 results and schedules …
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Special Editions for Saturday’s Cuba-USA match
Soccer America Executive Editor Mike Woitalla is in Havana to cover Saturday’s Cuba-USA World Cup qualifier (kickoff: 8 pm ET). Special editions of Soccer America Daily will appear on Saturday and Sunday with coverage before and after the game.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
World Cup 2010 Qualifying TV Schedule
The first double date in World Cup 2010 qualifying begins Friday with the first three of 62 matches to be played over the weekend. Saturday’s Cuba-USA game is one of 14 games to be televised on cable or pay-per-view. The weekend schedule includes Day 2 of the Concacaf semifinal round and Day 1 of European group play. For all the matches …
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Rapids win tightens up the West
[MLS] Colorado and FC Dallas, two of the three Western Conference teams to shake up their organizations with coaching changes this season, are just noses apart in the race to reach the playoffs after Thursday night’s 1-0 Rapids victory at Pizza Hut Park.