No. 1 Wake Forest and No. 8 Loyola (Md.) put their unbeaten records on the line this weekend. The Demon Deacons travel to No. 7 North Carolina on Saturday, while the Greyhounds host St. Peter’s and Manhattan in MAAC action. For this week’s Soccer America Men’s Top 25 results and schedules …
Monthly Archives: October 2008
AWARDS: Winners & losers, comebacks & setbacks
There are three weekends left in the men’s season before the NCAA Tournament bids are announced. Here’s a look at the winners and losers and comebacks and setbacks so far …
Fire scrapes a 0-0 tie at Gillette
[MLS PLAYOFFS] A small crowd (5,221), a frosty night, a rough game, and no goals does not a playoff showcase on national television make. The 2008 MLS postseason kicked off with a New England-Chicago game fans couldn’t be blamed for turning off (or even nodding off), a 0-0 tie at Gillette Stadium rife with emotion and spirit but nearly bereft of flair. The series shifts to Toyota Park next Thursday for the second leg.
Adding injury to insult
[OFF THE POST] Diego Simeone, coach of Argentine defending champ River Plate, reportedly injured himself punching the subs’ bench after a 1-1 tie with Newell’s Old Boys dropped his team to the bottom of the standings.
Regular-season champ Crew eyes MLS Cup
[MLS PLAYOFF PREVIEW] If the 2008 Crew, winner of the Supporters’ Shield, isn’t all that different than the 2007 version that missed the playoffs, how can it be so much better?
Playoff era dawns in Salt Lake
[MLS PLAYOFF PREVIEW] For the past two years, former expansion doormat Chivas USA has reached the playoffs and both times it failed to advance out of the first round.
What They’re Saying
“We’re all agreed in principle and everybody’s happy. A short-term loan works. … He’s going to be back in March and we believe it’s going to be around March 1 and he will be available for our opening game.”
— Los Angeles Galaxy coach Bruce Arena on David Beckham‘s loan to AC Milan that was finalized on Thursday. (ESPNsoccernet)
New York must exorcise defensive demons
[MLS PLAYOFF PREVIEW] On paper, the Red Bulls look completely spooked against two-time defending champion Houston, and even with game-changers Juan Pablo Angel and Dave van den Bergh they’re frightfully overmatched on artificial turf or grass as well.
Award Finalists
[MLS] For 2008 awards finalists, including league MVP and Rookie of the Year …
Real Madrid stunner in Copa del Rey
[SPAIN] First Jozy Altidore‘s Villarreal, now league champion Real Madrid. It was not a good week for Spain’s top clubs in the Copa del Rey.
Boxx and Solo nominated for FIFA award
[2008 WOMEN’S WORLD PLAYER] U.S. gold-medalists Shannon Boxx and Hope Solo are among the 10 players nominated for the 2008 Women’s Player of the Year award.
MLS TV Playoff Schedule
MLS quarterfinal series, which kicked off Thursday with New England’s 0-0 tie with Chicago, continue on Saturday. For the complete TV schedule of MLS quarterfinal games. …
Girls & Boys: Taking Gender Into Account
My daughter comes bursting through the door after soccer practice and exclaims, “Mom! We had so much fun! Maya and Natalie and I got to be on the same team!” “Did you win?” I ask. She replies, “I have no idea.”
Tottenham’s Big Stadium Plan
Tottenham Hotspur refuses to let small matters like $24 million of debt and a lack of local infrastructure prevent it from announcing plans to build a new 60,000-seater stadium close to its current ground, White Hart Lane.
Beckham-Milan Talks Start Thursday
Hold the front page — David Beckham’s lawyers have landed in Italy and AC Milan has “confirmed that talks regarding a proposed loan deal for David Beckham will begin on Thursday.” There’s no mention of any L.A. Galaxy representatives.
United’s Season Mercifully Put Out Of Its Misery
“D.C. United’s dreary season ended last night with two red cards and crippling defensive breakdowns, with sufficient effort but insufficient execution and, on a chilly evening before a sparse crowd at RFK Stadium, with yet another defeat. In other words, it was like so many of its previous 46 matches this year.” Steven Goff hails […]
McBride The Warrior
“He’s just a warrior. You almost never worried. He would get hurt, and you just knew some way he would find his way back and be better and stronger than ever.” Landon Donovan, among others, in another eulogy of Brian McBride. When he retires we get to read them all again.
Kinnear Prefers Superliga
“I think SuperLiga is a fantastic tournament. Maybe because we had a lot of home games during that stretch, and our fans and the stadium are so excellent. I like playing those top Mexican teams and I think the format is excellent. The atmosphere, and the buildup to the games, it’s great.” Dominic Kinnear is […]
Al Ahly-Coton Sport Face Off In African Title Game
The first leg of the African Champions League final takes place Sunday, with Egypt’s Al Ahly hosting Coton Sport of Cameroon. Al Ahly has already taken the title a record five times, a feat matched only by compatriots El Zamalek, while Coton Sport is making its first appearance in the final. Al Ahly, which won […]
Asian Champions League Reformed
The Asian Football Confederation has cut Jordan, Syria and Kuwait from its list of nations eligible to enter clubs in the remodeled Asian Champions League in 2009 because they did not submit full documentation. Meanwhile, the United Arab Emirates is bidding to have the AFC's headquarters, currently in Malaysia, moved to Abu Dhabi. The AFC's […]
Mourinho Taking Flack For Inter’s Flat Form
While Inter Milan’s 0-0 tie at Fiorentina Wednesday was hardly a disaster, writes Richard Aikman, Inter coach Jose Mourinho faces a problem after his team’s second successive goalless draw because “over the last three years Inter supporters have got used to winning. Mourinho’s arrival was expected to hail a new all-conquering era in which a […]
Boxx: It’s Not All About Marta
Two-time Olympic gold medalist Shannon Boxx likes the look and the name of the Los Angeles Sol that she’ll be playing for when Women’s Professional Soccer kicks off next spring. “It’s very exciting to finally say that we have a league,” the midfielder told Grahame L Jones. “I think we have a great team. I […]
Quakes Set To Lose Lima, Sealy
San Jose revived its relaunch year in midseason when it made a number of new signings, but two of those players — Trinidad & Tobago forward Scott Sealy, 27, and veteran Brazilian midfielder Francisco Lima — look set to leave, reports Elliott Almond. Sealy, who is out of contract at the end of the year […]
TOURNAMENT CENTRAL: Women’s Conferences
Conference tournament play began Wednesday with a play-in game in the Horizon League. Valparaiso held a 29-6 advantage in shots but fell to Youngstown State, 5-4, in shootout after they played to a 0-0 tie following 100 minutes of action. For all of this week’s conference tournament schedules …
NAIA: Men’s & Women’s Rankings
For the second week in a row, Lindsey Wilson is No. 1 in both the NSCAA/adidas NAIA men’s and women’s rankings. Oklahoma City is No. 2 behind the men, while Lee is ranked second among the women. For all the NAIA rankings …
