“I feel blessed that the Lord allowed me to fulfill my dreams [as a soccer player] before pulling me into His plans for me. Not only is His will perfect, but His time is perfect as well. The timing of my call was meant to be exactly when it happened.” Former New England Revolution Chase […]
Monthly Archives: November 2008
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Arsenal’s Walcott Out For Three Months
“How can I stop meaningless friendlies? I can talk but I cannot do a lot about it. My opinion will not change the fixtures and I am conscious of that.” Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger after learning that winger Theo Walcott will likely miss three months after dislocating his shoulder while training with the England team […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Brazil Hands Portugal Worst Defeat For 50 Years
“I think we got carried away with the first goal and thought things would be easy, but after it was 1-0 the team fell apart. Some of the goals we conceded were pathetic, as was the lack of concentration. We started to stretch ourselves, concede space and this cannot happen, especially in a game against […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
South Africa Wins Fourth Successive Game
“It was very good result with strong performances in all the key departments and a big boost for our confidence. My nightmares are now turning into sweet dreams.” South Africa coach Joel Santana after his side’s 3-2 exhibition win over Cameroon, the next World Cup host’s fourth successive victory.
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Blanco Loaned To Santos?
A Mexican paper has reported that Chicago Fire forward Cuauhtémoc Blanco will be loaned out to Mexico’s Santos Laguna for the MFL playoffs to replace injured forward and leading goal scorer Christian Benitez. But Fire Technical Director Frank Klopas says it’s not yet a done deal.
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Report: Arsenal Targets Gazidis
MLS deputy Commissioner Ivan Gazidis is the latest target in Arsenal’s long search for a new chief executive, writes Charles Sale, quoting no sources whatsoever. Sale does point out, however, that Gazidis already turned down an approach from Manchester City for the same position because he did not want to relocate from Connecticut to England. […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
England’s New Confidence Comes From Capello
The withdrawal of so many first-choice players from both rosters had lead many to declare England’s friendly in Germany on Wednesday as meaningless, writes James Lawton. But “there can be no such thing when England visit the gaunt old stadium where Hitler used to strut and pose.” Following World Cup qualifying wins in Croatia and […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Maradona’s Tentative First Step
"It is all very well creating a circus but what of the act?" asks Andy Hunter after Diego Maradona's coaching debut for Argentina in Scotland Wednesday, which ended in a 1-0 exhibition win. The answer was: a "tentative first step for a team with designs on a third World Cup in 2010, a giant leap […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Schmid Wary Of Angel, Van den Bergh
Columbus Crew coach Sigi Schmid has spotlighted New York’s experienced overseas contingent as the main obstacle between the Crew and its first MLS Cup title. Colombian striker Juan Pablo Angel, with 16 goals this season, and veteran Dutch midfielder-forward Dave Van den Bergh, with eight, are his opponent’s key players, he tells Michael Lewis. “They’re […]
Posted inCollege Soccer Reporter, Story
SCOREBOARD: NJCAA Division I Women
Top-ranked Darton College takes a 21-0-1 record into the NJCAA Division I Women’s Championship, which begins Thursday at Chandler-Gilbert Commnity College in Chandler, Ariz.
Posted inCollege Soccer Reporter, Story
ON THE WEB: collegesoccer360.com
Like fivethirtyeight.com, which brought some clarity to the polls in the presidential race, collegesoccer360.com, the newest web site to cover women’s college soccer, provides an important overview to the national women’s scene.
Posted inCollege Soccer Reporter, Story
SCOREBOARD: NCAA Division I Women
Play resumes in the NCAA Division I Women’s Tournament with eight games this weekend. It begins Friday when No. 1 regional seeds Notre Dame and Stanford host unseeded Minnesota and Rutgers, respectively. For all the results and schedules …
Posted inCollege Soccer Reporter, Story
SCOREBOARD: NCAA Division I Men
The NCAA Division I Men’s Tournament begins with first-round play Friday and Saturday. The 16 seeded teams move into action in the second round next Tuesday. The third round follows the weekend of Nov. 28-30. For the complete first- and second-round schedules …
Posted inCollege Soccer Reporter, Story
MORNING BRIEFING: USF and UNCG sneak in
San Francisco and UNC Greensboro, two legendary programs, sneaked into the NCAA Division I Men’s Tournament. USF won the WCC (9-9-1 overall), while UNCG, the Southern Conference champion, is the only team in the men’s field with a losing record (8-11-2).
Posted inCollege Soccer Reporter, Story
SOCCER AMERICA INTERVIEW: Quincy Amarikwa
SOCCER AMERICA interviews UC Davis forward Quincy Amarikwa, one of this year’s top seniors. He earned Big West Offensive Player of the Year honors. The Aggies begin play in the NCAA Division I Men’s Tournament Saturday at home against MPSF champion Denver.
Posted inCollege Soccer Reporter, Story
WPS: College stars headed to women’s pro combine
Kerri Hanks, the 2006 Hermann Trophy winner, and Notre Dame teammates Carrie Dew and Brittany Bock are among the first group of players who have accepted invitations to Women’s Professional Soccer combines to be held Dec. 11-14 (San Diego) and Dec. 18-21 (Ft. Lauderdale, Fla). Invitees included college seniors and former college players. For the complete list …
Posted inSoccer America Daily, What They're Saying
What They’re Saying
“We’re not going to gild the lily.”
— San Jose Earthquakes owner Lew Wolff on his proposal to go ahead with plans to build a soccer stadium in San Jose — but a much scaled-back facility (without luxury boxes) costing less than the $100 million that had earlier been projected because of the downturn in the economy. (San Jose Mercury-News)
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Jozy and Freddy torment Chapines
[USA-GUATEMALA REPORT CARD] Soccer America’s Ridge Mahoney grades the U.S. players’ performance in their 2-0 victory over Guatemala on Wednesday …
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Young Yanks too good for Guatemala
As he had promised, USA coach Bob Bradley called up mostly younger players for the final match of the Concacaf World Cup semifinal round, and they responded with a polished performance that blanked Guatemala, 2-0, on a brisk night at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Bay Area team headed to Buck Shaw
[WPS] FC Gold Pride, the Women’s Professional Soccer team in the Bay Area, will play its home games at Buck Shaw Stadium on the campus of Santa Clara University.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Leroux leads Americans past France
[UNDER-20 WOMEN’S WORLD CUP] Sydney Leroux came off the bench to score two goals and set up a third and lead the USA to a 3-0 win over France in its opening game at the Under-20 Women’s World Cup in Chillan, Chile.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Will Johnson takes Goal of the Year (VIDEO)
[MLS] Real Salt Lake midfielder Will Johnson won the 2008 Sierra Mist Goal of the Year for his flick and volley, which struck the inside of the near post and beat FC Dallas goalkeeper Dario Sala, in RSL’s must-win away goal on Oct. 18.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Mexico reaches Hexagonal despite another loss
[WORLD CUP 2010 QUALIFYING] Next year’s Hexagonal field is set. Honduras, Mexico and Trinidad & Tobago completed the six-team group for next year’s final round of 2010 World Cup qualifying. Mexico edged out Jamaica on a tiebreaker after the Tri fell, 1-0, at Honduras and the Reggae Boyz beat Canada, 3-0.
Posted inSoccerTalk with Paul Gardner, Story
Is Defense Really All that Matters?
Oh dear. I came to praise Juan Carlos Osorio. I really want to say all sorts of nice things about the way he’s taken the world’s worst franchise, the hopeless, hapless Red Bulls, nee the MetroStars, a.k.a. the RotMasters, a team that has been for 12 years — imagine that, 12 whole years! — the very definition of futility and stumblebum incompetence, almost state-of-the-art slapstick, and in the space of one season he’s transformed them into MLS Cup finalists.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Maradona starts with a win
[INTERNATIONAL FRIENDLIES] New Argentina coach Diego Maradona kicked off his career at the helm of the former world champion with a 1-0 win in Scotland. England and Germany fielded largely experimental teams in their Berlin match-up, but it was the experienced England captain John Terry, who scored the winner in the 2-1 game.