“We were two minutes away from accomplishing what we set out to do when you come on the road. It’s unfortunate and we’re disappointed, upset. But it’s halftime and we’re going home. We’d have to score a goal to advance anyway.” Chivas USA veteran midfielder Jesse Marsch looks ahead to his side’s Western Conference semifinal […]
Monthly Archives: November 2008
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
TV Camera Catches Messi ‘Spitting At Opponent’
A TV camera reportedly caught Barcelona’s Lionel Messi spitting at Malaga player Duda during Barcelona’s 4-1 weekend win.
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Materazzi Wins Damages Over Racism Claim
Italy’s World Cup-winning defender Marco Materazzi has won undisclosed damages from U.K. tabloid The Daily Mail over its claim that the player racially insulted Zinedine Zidane during the 2006 World Cup final.
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Chelsea’s Owner Is Exceedingly Rich
It's always been clear that Chelsea FC owner Roman Abramovich has been an exceedingly wealthy man ever since he bought formerly state-owned Russian oil company Sibneft for peanuts in 1995, then sold it 10 years later for $12 billion. A ruling by the Royal Courts of Justice in London, however, has outlined in detail the […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Al-Ahly Takes 2-0 Lead In African Champions Cup Final
Egyptian champion Al-Ahly took a two-goal lead in the first leg of the African Champions Cup final Sunday against Cotonsport of Cameroon in front of 70,000 fans in Cairo. The second leg will be played November 16 in Cotonsport’s home city, Garoua. Al-Ahly struck twice early on through a header from defender Wael Gomaa in […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Toronto Ponders The DP Plunge
Gareth Wheeler addresses the dilemma facing Toronto FC in the offseason. Does the team follow the lead of the newest MLS franchise, Seattle Sounders FC, and try to sign a Designated Player? Wheeler lauds the Sounders’ boldness in signing former Arsenal midfielder and Swedish international Freddie Ljungberg, 31, and says that signing a DP is […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Score Even, Houston In The Driving Seat
New York could have enjoyed the same advantage as Salt Lake if it had held on to its one-goal lead at home to the Houston Dynamo Saturday in what Joshua Robinson describes as a "messy, physical game." Houston's late equalizer, though, means the Texan team would certainly argue that playing at home second is best. […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Salt Lake Travels With Lead And Confidence
When the Major League Soccer postseason begins, the debate about home advantage kicks off too. Whichever team plays home first claims that this is the better deal. The team playing home second argues otherwise. For Real Salt Lake players traveling to L.A. next weekend to face Chivas USA with a one-goal lead in its pocket, […]
Posted inSoccer America Confidential, Story
League should ponder ‘reverse’ format
The best format for the MLS playoffs isn’t yet feasible, simply because not every team has its own stadium, and to truly reward the best regular-season teams, the entire format would have to be reworked.
Posted inSoccer on TV., Story
Soccer on TV
European Champions League highlights the midweek. MLS playoffs continue Thursday as Chicago hosts New England and kick into high gear on the weekend with three other second-leg, quarterfinal matchups. The Mexican league’s weekend matches will be updated in Friday’s Soccer on TV e-letter.
Posted inCollege Soccer Reporter, Story
POLLS: Soccer America Women’s Top 25
Notre Dame remained No. 1 in the Soccer America Women’s Top 25 for the eighth straight week. UCLA moved up to No. 2, ahead of Stanford, thanks to its 1-0 win over the Cardinal on Friday. For this week’s Soccer America Women’s Top 25 and last week’s results …
Posted inCollege Soccer Reporter, Story
TOURNAMENT CENTRAL: Women’s Conferences
Connecticut pulled an upset when it knocked off ranked Georgetown, 2-1, and joined Notre Dame, West Virginia and Marquette in the Big East semifinals. Boston University moved into the America East final with a 1-0 win over Maine, its eighth straight victory. For all the weekend conference tournament results …
Posted inCollege Soccer Reporter, Story
MORNING BRIEFING: Conference play goes down to wire
UCLA moved into first place in the Pac-10 with a 1-0 win over Stanford in a battle of undefeated teams. The WCC will go down to the wire as Portland and San Diego, both 6-0-0, meet next Saturday for the WCC title. Play wrapped up this weekend in other major conferences, where North Carolina (ACC) and Oklahoma State (Big 12) were crowned regular-season champions. Penn State and Minnesota shared the Big Ten title, while Florida and LSU claimed divisional crowns in the SEC.
Posted inCollege Soccer Reporter, Story
POLLS: Soccer America Men’s Top 25
Wake Forest remained No. 1 in the Soccer America Men’s Top 25 for the 11th straight week. Creighton and Akron exchanged places at No. 2 and No. 3. For this week’s Soccer America Men’s Top 25 and last week’s results …
Posted inCollege Soccer Reporter, Story
MORNING BRIEFING: UCLA clinches Pac-10 title
UCLA became the first team to clinch a berth in the 2008 NCAA Division I Men’s Tournament when it won the Pac-10 title Sunday a 2-0 win over Stanford. Top 10 teams Wake Forest, St. John’s, Loyola (Md.) and UIC all clinched their respective conference regular-season titles, while the Big Ten title when to Michigan State in outgoing coach Joe Baum‘s last regular-season game.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Jozy scores in cameo (VIDEO)
[AMERICANS ABROAD] Jozy Altidore scored his first La Liga goal. Steve Cherundolo celebrated a big win in the Bundesliga, where Michael Bradley and Gladbach suffered another loss and Neven Subotic notched an assist for Borussia Dortmund. For more on how Americans fared with foreign clubs last weekend. …
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Late goals provide playoff drama
[MLS] The goals may have been scarce in the three MLS quarterfinal first-leg games played Saturday, but their timing couldn’t be topped. Houston pulled out a 1-1 tie against New York on a Kei Kamara goal in the 85th minute, Real Salt Lake stunned Chivas USA when Yura Movsisyan struck the only goal with just seconds remaining in regulation; and Columbus shocked Kansas City with a Stephan Lenhart equalizer in the 92nd minute to tie the Wizards, 1-1.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, What They're Saying
What They’re Saying
“We are restructuring our scouting network and we are refocusing our attention on key targets rather than the existing wider approach.”
— A Chelsea spokesman after the club released 15 members of its 25-man scouting department. The club has been disappointed at the relatively small number of youngsters recruited from abroad who have made an impact with the English Premier League club. (The Guardian)
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Valencia stunned by Santander, Real held by Almeria
[SPAIN] Barcelona moved to the top of the Spanish Liga after Valencia fell at home to Racing Santander. Real Madrid was held 1-1 at Almeria.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Milan goes top, Roma in crisis
[ITALY] AC Milan took over top spot in Serie A after winning the day’s big game against Napoli. A 2-0 win by Juventus over Roma sent the Champions League participant down to 17th place.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Hoffenheim and Leverkusen keep setting the pace
[GERMANY] Bayern Munich continued its rise up the Bundesliga to third, but Hoffenheim and Leverkusen are still in the top two spots after home wins this weekend. Bremen hit Hertha for five.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Rampant Chelsea moves top as Liverpool loses
[ENGLAND] Liverpool lost at last, and Chelsea made up the difference at the top by hammering Sunderland. Stoke surprised Arsenal, while Hull gave Manchester United a run for its money.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Americans down South Korea in series opener
[U.S. WOMEN] The U.S. women’s national team opened a three-game series against South Korea with a 3-1 win on Saturday in Richmond, Va.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
USA stays alive with comeback win
[UNDER-17 WOMEN’S WORLD CUP] The USA recovered from its 3-2 loss to Japan in its opening game at the Under-17 Women’s World Cup in New Zealand and defeated Paraguay, 3-1, on Sunday. In a game that saw Coach Kazbek Tambi make eight changes in his starting lineup from the opening game, the Americans fell behind at halftime but recovered to win with three second-half goals.
Posted inSoccerTalk with Paul Gardner, Story
Playoff Soccer: More Pros than Cons
The first good thing about the MLS playoffs was that the Colorado Rapids didn’t qualify. I say that intending no disrespect for their players, but as a harsh criticism of the style and tactics adopted by their interim coach Gary Smith — the dreaded survival soccer that I excoriated here a couple of weeks back.