Posted inSoccer America Confidential, Story

Three biggies in three days

The big game – MLS Cup 2008 – is Sunday, but the big meeting is Friday and the big draw is set for Saturday. On Friday, the MLS Board of Governors will vote on many competition and scheduling issues for the 2009 season, and late in the afternoon Commissioner Don Garber will make many of those decisions public. On Saturday is the draw for the final round of Concacaf World Cup 2010 qualifying – the Hexagonal – in Johannesburg, South Africa.

Posted inStory, Youth Soccer Reporter

Arsenal FC cleans up in CSL Premier

Arsenal FC, the Southern California team that produced U.S. national team captain Carlos Bocanegra, cleaned up in the 2008 CSL Premier League, winning two boys and one girls championship. The boys won the U-19 and U-16 divisions in the Southern California superleague, while the U-16 girls were the only team with a perfect record, finishing 11-0-0. For all the U-19, U-17 and U-16 boys and girls final standings …

Posted inStory, Youth Soccer Reporter

OBITUARY: Jonathan Manzo Chavez

Jonathan Manzo Chavez, 10, was on his way home from Santa Clara Sporting Club’s NorCal State Cup qualifier in Manteca, Calif., last Saturday when the mini-van his mother was driving was struck head-on by a car attempting to pass another car on Highway 84, a two-lane road. When rescue workers tried to take off Manzo’s Sporting green jersey and shorts and tend to his injuries, he pleaded, “Don’t cut them, don’t cut them, I have a game tomorrow.” Manzo later died of injuries suffered in the crash.

Posted inStory, Youth Soccer Reporter

U.S. U-17 World Cup players are off to Thanksgiving Interregional

Two members of the U.S. national team that finished second at the Under-17 Women’s World Cup in New Zealand are headed to U.S. Youth Soccer ODP Girls Thanksgiving Interregional. Maddy Laddish will represent Region II in the 1992 division, while Morgan Brian is on the U.S. under-15 national team competing at the Interregional to be played at the North Community Park and Coral Glades High School Sportsplex in Coral Springs, Fla. Teams arrive Saturday for two days of training. The competition runs through next Friday. For all the 1992, 1993 and 1994 regional teams and U.S. under-15 national team …

Posted inCollege Soccer Reporter, Story

MORNING BRIEFING: For LA bragging rights

The biggest third-round match in the NCAA Division I Women’s Tournament pits a pair of Olympic gold-medalists in action when Lauren Cheney’s UCLA hosts Amy Rodriguez‘s USC Saturday in Westwood. Last year, they met in the Women’s College Cup semifinals, where the Women of Troy prevailed, 2-1. The Bruins were crushed, having had their hopes of a title after five straight College Cup appearances dashed. USC went on to win the national championship two days later.

Posted inCollege Soccer Reporter, Story

MORNING BRIEFING: Newcomers offer firepower

Columbus Crew coach Sigi Schmid will face a dilemma if the Crew wins the MLS Cup on Sunday at the Home Depot Center. Does he return with the Crew for its celebrations back home or does he stay in Southern California to watch his son, Kyle, play for Big West champion UC Irvine on Tuesday in the second round of the NCAA Division I Men’s Tournament? The Anteaters are one of three teams making their first appearance in the NCAA Division I Men’s Tournament. Atlantic-10 champ Dayton also earned an automatic berth, while Missouri Valley regular-season runner-up Drake took an at-large bid.

Posted inCollege Soccer Reporter, Story

SCOREBOARD: NAIA Men & Women

The NAIA has introduced an opening round to its national championships for men’s and women’s soccer. Play gets underway Saturday with 15 first-round games for both the men and women. The men’s winners will advance the 50th annual NAIA National Men’s Championship Dec. 1-6 at Fresno Pacific. Winners of the opening-round women’s games will play at Embry-Riddle, the site of the National Women’s Championship Dec. 1-6 in Daytona Beach, Fla.

Posted inCollege Soccer Reporter, Story

SCOREBOARD: NJCAA Division I Men and Women

Defending champion Yavapai improved to 24-0-0 with a 3-1 win over Schoolcraft that moved it into the semifinals of the NJCAA Division I Men’s Tournament in Phoenix. Francis Khamis, Justin Meram and Gabriel Okito scored for the Roadrunners, who play Garden City of Kansas in Friday’s semifinals. The other semifinal pits Mercer County against San Jacinto. In the NJCAA Division I Women’s Tournament being played in nearby Chandler, Ariz., host Chandler-Gilbert faces top-seed Darton and Lewis & Clark of Illinois meets North Idaho in Friday’s semifinals.

Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story

Donovan and Blanco strike loan deals

[MLS] After David Beckham, Landon Donovan and Cuauhtemoc Blanco will spend the offseason playing on loan to foreign teams. German champion Bayern Munich will have Donovan from Jan. 1 until the start of the MLS season in mid-March. Blanco will join Santos only for the Mexican league playoffs, which start this weekend with the first leg of the quarterfinals.

Posted inSoccer America Daily, What They're Saying

What They’re Saying

“I was sort of unemployed, so that probably helped.”

— Sigi Schmid on why left his home in Southern California to take over the Columbus Crew in 2006. He led the Los Angeles Galaxy to three MLS Cup finals and had the team in first place in the Western Conference when he was fired in 2004. He returns to the Home Depot Center Sunday to lead the Crew against the New York Red Bulls in MLS Cup ’08. (San Diego Union-Tribune)

Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story

Under-20 Women’s World Cup Scoreboard

Play continued Thursday at the Under-20 Women’s World Cup in Chile, where Brazil knocked off defending champion North Korea, 3-2, in a thrilling match. Japan was a comfortable 2-0 winner over Canada’s team of U.S. collegians, while Norway beat Mexico, 2-1. In the tournament’s first route, Germany beat the Democratic Republic of Congo, 5-0. The USA resumes play Saturday when it faces Argentina in Chillan. For all the results and schedules …

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