“Sometimes players go out on the pitch and we receive stick from everywhere. That’s football, I love it. I love it when the whole stadium shouts against you but the problem comes afterwards when the match is finished and you are trying to live and enjoy a normal life with your family.” Glasgow Rangers striker […]
Monthly Archives: November 2008
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Ferguson Welcomes Extra Security At Arsenal
“Last year was pretty unsavoury. In fact, I think it was nasty. It is too open for my liking. It should not happen when you build a modern stadium. You need tin helmets.” Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson welcomes increased security around the dugout area for Saturday’s EPL game at Arsenal.
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Spanish Ref: Fine The Divers
“I am convinced that if we put fines of $64,000 and two or three-game bans for diving in the area then it would make people think.” Experienced Spanish referee Manuel Enrique Mejuto Gonzalez calls for tough measures on divers after the controversial late penalty awarded to Liverpool against Atletico Madrid in Champions League play Tuesday.
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Beckham May Be Dropped For Germany Game
“David Beckham looks set to be axed for England’s clash with Germany on November 19,” claims Shaun Custis. “The former skipper, one cap short of Bobby Moore’s outfield player record of 108, is about to pay the price for LA Galaxy’s failure to reach the MLS playoffs.” But this is The Sun, so no actual […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Wimbledon Back In The FA Cup
The English FA Cup kicks off this weekend, and it includes a return to the fray for non-league AFC Wimbledon, 20 years after its spiritual predecessor famously beat Liverpool to lift the trophy at Wembley Stadium. AFC Wimbledon was founded in 2002 by disaffected supporters of South London club Wimbledon, which itself had climbed from […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Huckerby: MLS Is More Than Just Beckham
San Jose’s mid-summer English import Darren Huckerby is back home for the offseason and telling the Brits how much he’s enjoying life in MLS. Just because many things are different, he told a regional newspaper, doesn’t mean they’re not good. “I think they liked the way I play,” Huckerby said of his popularity with Quakes’ […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Lapira Adjusts To Norwegian Ways
Rather than sign the required four-year contract with Major League Soccer at the Superdraft, Notre Dame graduate and 2006 Hermann Trophy winner Joe Lapira opted, like so many young U.S. prospects, to try his luck in Europe instead. He ended up in a log cabin at the top of a Norwegian mountain, but he has […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Lalas Says Galaxy Team Needs Leadership
Former L.A. Galaxy General Manager Alexi Lalas spoke publicly for the first time Thursday since being fired in August, saying that the team lacked on-field leadership, and that David Beckham’s camp had shown a lack of respect for the club by not informing it in advance about his loan-move negotiations with AC Milan. Co-hosting ESPN’s […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Larentowicz Loss Killed The Revs
Losing coaches will always look for the reasons behind their team’s defeat, and often they sound like excuses. But it’s hard to argue with New England Revolution Coach Steve Nicol that the turning point in his team’s Eastern Conference semifinal second-leg game with the Chicago Fire Thursday came when the Fire’s John Thorrington took Jeff […]
Posted inSoccer America Confidential, Story
Playoff pressure on team execs, too
Nobody in the MLS offices will admit it, but smallish crowds in the conference semifinals first legs are simply pawns in a grand plan.
Posted inStory, Youth Soccer Reporter
Teams win Midwest Regional League fall title
Eclipse Select, the Michigan Hawks and KC Select Scream Red clinched Premier Division girls titles in the US Youth Soccer Midwest Regional League’s fall season. One girls title remained up for grabs.
Posted inStory, Youth Soccer Reporter
Chelsea extends U.S. reach
English club Chelsea has extended its reach into American youth soccer by partnering with New Jersey’s Match Fit Academy. As a result of the partnership, the Match Fit’s Academy teams will now be known as Match Fit Chelsea — just like North Carolina’s CASL program has adopted the name CASL Chelsea FC Academy for its academy teams (and the Chicago Magic is now Chicago Magic AS Monaco and the Michigan Wolves are Derby County Wolves)
Posted inStory, Youth Soccer Reporter
U.S. Soccer Development Academy Results
Four teams — Chivas USA U-17/18, Nomads U-17/18, Birmingham United U-15/16 and San Diego Surf U/15-16 — won two games in weekend play in the U.S. Soccer Development Academy. For all the weekend results …
Posted inStory, Youth Soccer Reporter
POLLS: NSCAA/adidas High School Girls Rankings
The Pennington School is still No. 1 in the NSCAA/adidas High School Girls Rankings. Lincoln of Portland, Ore., moved up one spot to No. 2. For the complete Top 25 …
Posted inStory, Youth Soccer Reporter
POLLS: NSCAA/adidas High School Boys Rankings
Sacramento Jesuit, St. Anthony’s of New York and Norfolk (Va.) Academy remained 1-2-3 in the NSCAA/adidas High School Boys Rankings. For the complete Top 25 …
Posted inStory, Youth Soccer Reporter
U.S. Club Soccer finals to return to Virginia Beach
U.S. Club Soccer’s National Cup Finals and National Collegiate Showcase will return to Virginia Beach, Va., in 2009.
Posted inStory, Youth Soccer Reporter
Red Bull adds former MetroStar da Silva as youth coach
Former MetroStar Cris da Silva has joined the Red Bull academy program as head coach of its U-14 team, and Andrew Sparkes has been named academy goalkeeper coach.
Posted inStory, Youth Soccer Reporter
U.S. U-17s split in France
The U.S. under-17 national team split in the first two games during its eight-day training camp in France. The U-17s beat the Bretigny U-18 team, 2-0, and then lost to France’s U-17 national team at the French national training center in Clairefontaine.
Posted inYouth Soccer Reporter, Youth What They're Saying
What They’re Saying
“I’m looking for a player who can go to the U-17 team and make a difference, make an impact. If all 40 players are good enough, then I’ll take all 40. There is no maximum.”
— U.S. Soccer staff coach Juan Carlos Michia on a scouting trip to El Paso, Texas, where he looked at 40 players from El Paso and neighboring Las Cruces, N.M. El Paso is the home of new U.S. U-17 resident Michael Ambrose, and Las Cruces is the hometown of Edgar Castillo, the Mexican international. (El Paso Times)
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Drug rehab center provides refs
[REF WATCH] Residents of Gatehouse Academy, a long-term residential drug rehab facility in Arizona, are refereeing youth soccer games for AYSO’s Wickenburg Soccer League.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Chicago too hot for depleted Revs
[MLS PLAYOFFS] Determination and pluck aren’t enough against a superior opponent, and the young, determined but undermanned Revs couldn’t keep pace Thursday night at Toyota Park in a rousing 3-0 Fire victory that earned Chicago a spot in the semifinals.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Red Bulls face ruthless Dynamo
[MLS PLAYOFF PREVIEW] Going into the second leg of a conference semifinal tied is a new experience for the two-time defending champion Houston Dynamo and bad news for its opponents from New York.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, What They're Saying
What They’re Saying
“It sounds like they’re singing when they talk.”
— Louisiana product Joseph Lapira, the 2006 Hermann Trophy winner at Notre Dame, says he’s starting to understand Norwegian but has yet to become fluent since joining Norwegian Second Division club Nybergsund in April. Lapira was drafted by Toronto FC in the 2008 MLS SuperDraft but opted for Europe. (The Observer)
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Crafty, confident RSL heads to Home Depot
[MLS PLAYOFF PREVIEW] Whether or not the Magic of Yura Movsisyan arises yet again, Chivas USA must get its house in order at Home Depot Center. After losing just once in 16 home games (counting playoffs) last year, it dropped four matches at HDC this season, including a loss to Real Salt Lake in mid-June. And all RSL needs to win this series is a tie, thanks its 1-0 lead on Movsisyan’s remarkable back-heeled goal in the final seconds of regulation at Rio Tinto Stadium last weekend.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Onus on Schelotto and favored Crew
[MLS PLAYOFF PREVIEW] Only four of 12 MLS regular-season champions have lifted MLS Cup, so whatever euphoria Columbus players may have felt last week after substitute Steven Lenhart scored a last-minute goal to tie the first leg, 1-1, against Kansas City had best be long gone.