Monthly Archives: September 2008

[WPS] Weeks before its first player moves will be made, Women’s Professional Soccer, the new women’s league, announced Wednesday that it will add a team in the San Francisco Bay Area in 2009 and its Dallas team will start in 2010, not 2009 as planned.

German clubs cut back on spending

[TRANSFER TALK] In contrast to the wild dealing in England, German clubs spent cautiously on the summer transfer market, which closed at midnight on Monday. Bundesliga spending reached 150 million euros ($217 million) — less than a quarter of the money spent in England.

Islanders pull upset with miracle comeback

[CONCACAF CHAMPIONS LEAGUE] The Puerto Rico Islanders rallied for two goals in the last three minutes to beat former champion Alajuelense, 2-1, and give the USL First Division two teams in the group stage of the Concacaf Champions League — the same as MLS will have.

Toe injury sidelines Cristman for season

by Ridge MahoneySeptember 4, 2008

[MLS] The Revs may be the deepest team MLS but one of their more valuable role players won’t play again this season.

D.C. fends off Battery to claim 12th title

by Ridge MahoneySeptember 4, 2008

[U.S. OPEN CUP] Nothing has come easy for D.C. United this season, so its loud, boisterous celebrations after defeating Charleston in the U.S. Open Cup were entirely genuine.

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.

CUBA DIARY: What soccer game?

by Mike WoitallaSeptember 4, 2008

Mike Woitalla reports from Havana
In the hotel lobby of the Parque Central in Old Havana, the television is tuned to CNN, with coverage of the Republican Convention. Later in the evening, security guard Gustavo switches to ESPN for the Red Sox-Cleveland game. Gustavo, although a fervid baseball fan, is one of the few Cubans I’ve met so far who is aware that Cuba hosts the USA in a World Cup qualifying game on Saturday.

Production absent from U.S. frontline

by Mike WoitallaSeptember 4, 2008

For the USA’s first game in Cuba since 1947, Coach Bob Bradley has brought in players based in Britain, Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany and Mexico — in addition to seven MLS-based men. The experienced squad — half of the 20 players have more than 30 caps — aims for a second straight win in the semifinal group phase of qualifying when it faces the Cubans on Saturday. Less suspenseful than whether the USA can beat a team ranked No. 71 in the world is whether the USA’s frontline finally finds its form.

Soccer America Daily, What They're Saying

What They’re Saying

“We offered 10,000-1 as he [Barack Obama] is probably more concerned with winning a slightly higher-profile job for himself at the moment. But if he loses out on that one and the position is still up for grabs, you never know.”

— Spokesperson Graham Sharpe on the 10,000-1 odds British bookmaker William Hill gave after a London-based businessman bet 10 pounds ($17.80) that Obama will replace Alan Curbishley as West Ham United manager. Obama has been a fan of the Hammers since visiting Britain five years ago. (AP)

U.S. Climbs To 29th In FIFA World Rankings

The U.S. national team climbed three places to 29th in the September world rankings. England, meanwhile, is just one spot ahead of Scotland, in 15th place.

Soccer Agent Arrested On Fraud Charges

Yes, we know it sounds like a ‘dog bites man’ story. Ian Elliott, the former agent of England international Stewart Downing, has been arrested on charges of fraud and money-laundering. The Middlesbrough player made a formal complaint to police about the handling of his financial affairs.

Curbishley Resigns At West Ham

Jonathan Spector’s manager at West Ham United, Alan Curbishley, has resigned, reportedly unhappy at the amount of cash he had available for new players during the transfer window. He may hook up with Kevin Keegan for a beer and a mutual shoulder to cry on.

Why Keegan Fell Out With Newcastle Again

Although Kevin Keegan has not yet officially left his post as manager of Newcastle United, it seems likely that his second spell at the club is all but over. Louise Taylor chronicles the breakdown between ‘King Kev’ and the Newcastle owner Mike Ashley during Keegan’s third spell (and his second as manager) at the team. […]

‘Imperial’ FIFA Angers Cape Town Councilors

South Africa is discovering one of the joys of hosting the 2010 World Cup — dealing with soccer’s world governing body, FIFA. City councilors in Cape Town have condemned as “absolutely ridiculous” a draft of the temporary bylaw that FIFA imposes on host cities during the tournament to regulate street trading, traffic, advertising and public […]

U.S. Team Steps Into The Unknown

There’s an air of curiosity rather than tension in the U.S. national team camp as it prepares for Saturday’s World Cup qualifier in Cuba, its first visit to the island for 61 years. Eddie Lewis and Landon Donovan sound more like schoolboys about to go on their first student exchange. “Being in England for so […]

Richardson Routs the Revs

Joe Public striker Gregory Richardson went one better than Landon Donovan Tuesday night at the Gillette Stadium. On Saturday the U.S. captain grabbed two goals against the New England Revolution, but Richardson managed the full hat trick in his side’s 4-0 victory. “I can’t explain it,” Richardson, a native of Guyana, told Monique Walker after […]

Carver ‘Gobsmacked’ By MLS Refusal To Postpone Game

There are a number of scheduling reasons why Major League Soccer keeps playing through FIFA’s international calendar. But having lost nine players to World Cup qualifying duty this coming weekend, Toronto FC coach John Carver wishes that the league would be more flexible in granting him a postponement. “I’ve had some challenges in my life,” […]

MORNING BRIEFING: Hurricane Gustav hits LSU soccer complex hard

by Paul KennedySeptember 3, 2008

Enjoying its highest ranking ever at No. 17 in the Soccer America Top 25, the LSU women returned home from Chicago to discover that the LSU Soccer Complex took a hard hit in Hurricane Gustav. ALSO: Penn State regroups, and Denver wins again.

CONFERENCE WATCH: Big Ten teams start quickly

Men’s teams from the Big Ten got off to the best start of teams from any conference on the Labor Day weekend that marked the start of the 2008 season. Perhaps the biggest surprise was last year’s national runner-up Ohio State, which was hit hard by graduation losses and struggled in preseason.

MORNING BRIEFING: New program ETSU’s big win

by Paul KennedySeptember 3, 2008

ETSU, the first Division I school to add men’s soccer since 2000, won its first game on Sunday when it defeated Wofford, 2-0. ALSO: New England showdown.

SCOREBOARD: Soccer America Women’s Top 25

This week’s action in the Soccer America Women’s Top 25 begins on Wednesday with the Milwaukee derby between No. 24 Wisconsin-Milwaukee and No. 25 Marquette. For all the Top 25 results and schedules …

SMALL COLLEGES: NSCAA/adidas Women’s Rankings

Irie Dennis‘ goal gave Grand Valley State a 1-0 win over Tampa and took over the Spartans’ top spot in the NCAA Division II women’s rankings. In Division II, Wheaton (Ill.) extended its winning streak to 47 games and remained No. 1 thanks to wins over Cal Baptist (5-1) and Eastern (6-1 with four goals by All-American Taryne Lee). For all the NSCAA/adidas Women’s D2 and D3 rankings …

SMALL COLLEGES: NSCAA/adidas Men’s Rankings

Lincoln Memorial took over the top spot in the NCAA Division II rankings following defending champion Franklin Pierce’s 2-0 loss to Dominican (N.Y.). In Division III, the highest-ranked team to lose was No. 6 Washington (Mo.), which fell to University of the South, 3-1, at the Birmingham Southern Labor Day Classic. For the NSCAA/adidas Men’s D2 and D3 rankings …

Soccer America Daily, What They're Saying

What They’re Saying

“The last three months, we’ve played every four days with a roster of 18. You’re traveling, that’s what you get, you get a team that’s getting no juice. So we’ll maybe manage a training session or two in the next couple of weeks and get some strength back and get on with MLS.”

— New England coach Steve Nicol, not sounding too disappointed after a 4-0 loss to Trinidad & Tobago’s Joe Public eliminated the Revs from the Concacaf Champions League. (Boston Globe)