[CONCACAF CHAMPIONS’ LEAGUE] The Montreal Impact and the Puerto Rico Islanders of the USL-1, the USA’s second tier league after MLS, extended their unbeaten streaks and lead their respective Champions League groups. Roberto Brown scored twice for Montreal in a 2-1 win in Honduras against Olimpia and the Islanders tied Municipal, 2-2, in Guatemala.
Monthly Archives: October 2008
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Luck betrays D.C. against Cruz Azul
[CONCACAF CHAMPIONS’ LEAGUE] Bad soccer has plagued D.C. United for much of this forgettable season yet it can make a case that bad luck Wednesday at RFK Stadium just about extinguished its slim hopes of advancement in the regional championship.A bizarre carom off Cruz Azul forward Pablo Zeballos redirected a shot past United keeper Zach Wells for the only goal in a 1-0 game that all but eliminated D.C. (0-3-0) with three CCL matches still to play. The other three teams in Group A all have six points.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Jaime Moreno suspension extended
[MLS] D.C. United’s desperate quest to reach the playoffs will see it play two of its final four games without the player that has produced the most goals. The MLS Disciplinary Committee has doubled the fine and suspension incurred by Jamie Moreno for his elbow to the face of Dallas midfielder Andre Rocha during their match at Pizza Hut Park last Sunday. Moreno is second on the team in goals with 10 and leads United with nine assists.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
MLS TV Schedule
The San Jose Earthquakes travel to FC Dallas on Thursday (9 pm ET, ESPN2). Both teams are below the playoff zone and FC Dallas leads the Quakes in the West by four points. But the Quakes have a game in hand. FC Dallas striker Jeff Cunningham has five goals and two assists in seven games since arriving via trade with Toronto FC. Earthquakes attacker Arturo Alvarez pays his first visit to Frisco since being traded by FC Dallas in late July. For this weekend’s TV schedule, standings and leading goalscorers …
Posted inSoccer America Daily, What They're Saying
What They’re Saying
“Soccer players are simple fools. They only learn by being dropped or fined. They all eat crap — so now they lose the weight or they lose their money. End of story.”
— Renato Portaluppi, coach of Brazilian club Vasco da Gama, who has threatened six players he deems overweight with $150 fines if their don’t shed some pounds.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Germany 2011 will be played in summer
[WOMEN’S WORLD CUP] The 2011 Women’s World Cup in Germany will be played June 26-July 17 — which represents a switch from the last two women’s world championships, which were played in the fall.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Cluj and Anorthosis remain unlikely unbeaten
[UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE] Romanian champion Cluj held Chelsea to a draw in Wednesday’s Champions League action, while two late Lionel Messi goals earned Barcelona a win over Ukrainian side Shakhtar Donetsk.
Posted inSoccerTalk with Paul Gardner, Story
Trying to make sense of away goals
Admittedly, there was reason to wonder whether Arsenal coach Arsene Wenger was in full possession of his faculties this past weekend. His team had been sensationally upended by Hull City — at home, in Arsenal’s Emirates Stadium, no less. A result that ought to have been impossible, but there it was — Hull City, a newly promoted club, playing its first-ever season in the top league, with a bunch of players who can be politely described as non-household names — and they’d got the better of mighty Arsenal.
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
The Remarkable Rise of Cluj
“By early 2002, the club had only played nine seasons of top flight football in 90-odd years of existence, and were in the third division drawing paltry crowds of around 200. Then Árpád Pászkány arrived.” Andy Clark tells the remarkable story of Romania’s unlikely Champions League participants, CFR Cluj.
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Must-Win Game For The Quakes
“By playing like crap on Saturday we’ve put ourselves in a familiar situation where we’re forced to get a result.” Quakes goalkeeper Joe Cannon looks forward to his team’s game at FC Dallas Thursday.
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
France Goalkeeper Coupet Slates Domenech
“People aren’t happy in the France team. [Coach Raymond] Domenech plays with people but if you keep doing that, you stumble in the end. It’s ever so sad because there’s an amazing quality in that group and it’s all being wasted.” Goalkeeper Gregory Coupet burns his bridges with the French national team.
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
The Kaiser’s Advice
“If that happened to someone on a school team, you’d tell them, ‘Clear off and go play the piano or the flute’.” Franz Beckenbauer reacts to an own goal from Bayern Munich defender Martin Demichelis in Tuesday’s 1-1 Champions League draw with Olympique Lyon.
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Scots Finally Tempt Argentina
At the third attempt, Scotland has persuaded Argentina to play a friendly game at Hampden Park in Glasgow next month. The first request fell through when Argentina demanded 100 percent of the gate money and television revenue. The Scottish Football Association didn’t go for that at all. Then the SFA polled its own fans to […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Crystal Palace Owner Ready To Sell
Crystal Palace owner Simon Jordan bought the team eight years ago when he made $64 million from selling his mobile phone company. His team is close to the bottom of the Championship (England’s second tier), does not own its stadium, Selhurst Park, and is mortgaged to a hedge fund, Agilo, that caters for “distressed companies.” […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Defensive Midfielders Are The Real MVPs
Every year bar one so far, the Major League Soccer MVP award has gone to a player prolific in tallying goals and assists. Only goalkeeper Tony Meola in 2000 bucked the trend when he helped the Kansas City Wizards win MLS Cup. Pat Walsh reckons it’s time to show a little more imagination in our […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Uefa Warns Poland Over Euro 2012
Europe’s soccer governing body UEFA has warned Poland that it risks losing the 2012 European Championship if it does not reinstate the country’s suspended Football Association. The Polish FA was suspended Sunday by the government, which said the organization had failed to tackle corruption. It appointed an administrator to run the body instead. Both UEFA […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Garber: FIFA Dates Impossible To Avoid
Major League Soccer Commissioner Don Garber has admitted that the league will be hit hard by FIFA international dates next season, but said there’s not much that can be done about it, Luis Arroyave reports. “There are 13 weekends affected by international play and we have a 30-week season,” Garber said in Chicago. “To not […]
Posted inCollege Soccer Reporter, Story
MORNING BRIEFING: Revived Huskies face brutal stretch
After three consecutive losing seasons. Coach Lesle Gallimore has Washington back on the right track. The Huskies are 9-1-0 and hit the charts this week at No. 23 — their first ranking in the Soccer America Women’s Top 25 since 2004 when they reached the quarterfinals of the NCAA Tournament. UW begins a brutal stretch when it faces teams ranked No. 4, No. 5, No. 3 and No. 2 in its next four games.
Posted inCollege Soccer Reporter, Story
JUNIOR COLLEGES: NSCAA/adidas Rankings
There was no change at the top in the junior college national rankings. Yavapai (D1 men), Suffolk County (D3 men), Iowa Western (D1 women) and Broome County (D3 women) are No. 1 in this week’s NSCAA/adidas rankings . For all the rankings …
Posted inCollege Soccer Reporter, Story
SMALL COLLEGES: NSCAA/adidas Women’s Rankings
Grand Valley State, No. 1 in the NCAA Division II women’s rankings, improved to 10-0-0. Williams is the new No. 1 in the NCAA Division III women’s rankings after last week’s No. 1 Messiah and No. 2 Lynchburg both earned ties last week. For the NSCAA/adidas D2 and D3 women’s rankings …
Posted inCollege Soccer Reporter, Story
SMALL COLLEGES: NSCAA/adidas Men’s Rankings
Lynn replaced Northern Kentucky at No. 1 in the NCAA Division II men’s rankings. Trinity (Texas), one of six unbeaten and untied teams, remained the top-ranked team in the Division III rankings. For the NSCAA/adidas D2 and D3 men’s rankings …
Posted inCollege Soccer Reporter, Story
MORNING BRIEFING: Top 25 teams in close games
No. 3 Saint Louis and No. 10 Northwestern battled to a 0-0 tie in the marque match of a busy Tuesday night of men’s college action. ALSO: Freshmen gave Maryland and North Carolina narrow wins. Indiana downed Evansville in thriller. Drake gave up as many goals it had done in its first eight games.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Dynamo fireworks in Mexico City
[CONCACAF CHAMPIONS LEAGUE] Houston still must play four of its six group games, yet the Dynamo strengthened the chances of advancement in the regional championship by coming home from Mexico City with a spectacular 4-4 tie against UNAM at the Stadio Olimpico Universitario on Wednesday.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
RISING STAR PROFILE: Jorge Flores
[MLS] Jorge Flores scored three goals in his first three appearances for Chivas USA, which coincided with the club’s rise in the Western Conference after a slow start to the MLS season. The 19-year-old Flores, who earned his spot with Chivas USA through the televised open tryout, Sueno MLS, has seen action in 10 games this season and has earned U.S. U-20 national team call-ups. Get to know Flores in this profile that covers on- and off-field experiences. …