[DIGICEL CARIBBEAN CHAMPIONSHIP] Grenada, the surprise of this year’s Digicel Caribbean Championship, moved into Sunday’s final against host Jamaica when it beat Cuba, 6-5, on penalties after a late goal by Kithson Bain earned it a 2-2 tie. Jamaica clinched the other berth in the final with a 2-0 win over Guadeloupe.
Monthly Archives: December 2008
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
’11+’ The Best Warm-up Program, FIFA Says
"Although specifically developed for football [soccer], the '11+' study has already attracted the attention of other sports. In his editorial in the British Medical Journal, John Brooks, an injury expert for the Rugby Football Union, states that this warm-up program should be adopted at all levels in all sports." Soccer's world governing body FIFA reports […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Ex-England Keeper ‘Linked To MLS’
Former England goalkeeper Ian Walker, 37, has canceled his contract with Premier League club Bolton Wanderers by mutual consent. Walker, capped four times by England, has "been linked with a move to Major League Soccer." A league that so desperately needs has-been Europeans. Do we hear Toronto calling?
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Tea And Biscuits At The Bernabeu
"That would be a nice party wouldn't it? I look forward to tea and biscuits with Ramon Calderon." Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson anticipates a possible meeting with Real Madrid and its president in the Champions League knockout phase. The two clubs are not on the best of terms after Real's dogged pursuit of Cristiano […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
‘Repulsive’ Dad Apologizes After Assaulting Ref
"I wish to make a public apology … for my repulsive behavior at the soccer game December 6. There is no excuse or explanation that could justify my heinous display of crudeness. I'm terribly, terribly sorry that this happened. Please forgive and forget." Soccer pop Jim Gulley says sorry for assaulting a referee after his […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Will Portland Take The Plunge?
"We can do what we do with these issues: study the hell out of them, consult the neighborhoods, worry about parking and park space, and make sure the stadiums and offices are green and no birds or worms will be harmed in the name of athletic progress. And when we're done, we still won't know […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Adelaide Kicks Off Club World Cup With A Win
Pay attention, folks, the Club World Cup in Tokyo has kicked off. Australia's Adelaide United won a preliminary round clash against New Zealand's Waitakere United 2-1 on Thursday, and will now face Japan's Gamba Osaka in the quarterfinal. Travis Dodd scored the gamewinner in the 82nd minute as Adelaide dominated, but found the New Zealand […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Houston’s Must-Do List
Following Wednesday's draw for the quarterfinal stage of the Concacaf Champions League starting late February, Houston has a shorter than usual offseason in which to plan for its home-and-away game against Atalante of Mexico. Bernardo Fallas lists several things the club must get done over the winter. Re-signing defenders Wade Barrett and Bobby Boswell and […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Take the Gameboy, Leave The World Cup
Burglars broke into a U.K. residence in the small English town of Chineham, Hampshire, earlier this month and took a television, a games console, a cash box, a handbag and a wallet. But they left behind the World Cup. Satyam Computer Services Marketing Director Sandeep Thawani was looking after one of a handful of gold-plated […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Time To Scrap The Champions League Group Phase
The Champions League group stage "has become such a tiresome, irrelevant farce that it is threatening to bring this once-great competition to its knees," writes Scott Murray. He compares the lack of surprises in this year's group stage with the 1979 European Cup, when it was a straight knockout competition featuring only actual league champions, […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Sigi And Crew’s Reasons For Divorce Still Unclear
Michael Arace ponders Sigi Schmid's departure form the Columbus Crew and, after listening to both Schmid and Crew GM Mark McCullers, is still not clear on "how the first major professional team title in Columbus history was followed, in short order, by uncomely divorce." "I wish it hadn't come to this, but it was unavoidable," […]
Posted inCollege Soccer Reporter, Story
JUNIOR COLLEGE: Cerritos sweeps CCCAA championships
Cerritos College, best known as Marcelo Balboa‘s alma mater, became the first team in more than a decade to sweep the California Community College Athletic Association men’s and women’s soccer championships with wins at the final fours held in Santa Clarita.
Posted inCollege Soccer Reporter, Story
MAKING A LIST: ACC rules at the final four
For the first time, three teams from the same conference are playing in the Men’s College Cup. Defending national champion Wake Forest is joined by ACC champion Maryland and North Carolina — tied for seventh place in the regular season — at this year’s final four in Frisco, Texas. At least two ACC teams have been in the final four since 2004, and you have to go back to 2000 when there was no ACC team in the final four.
Posted inCollege Soccer Reporter, Story
MEN’S COLLEGE CUP: Transfer Central
Transfers play an increasingly important role at major college programs, in particular as they seek to fill gaps left by the early departure of stars to the pro ranks. St. John’s, Maryland and North Carolina, which aim to dethrone Wake Forest at this weekend’s Men’s College Cup at Pizza Hut Park in Frisco, Texas, all have transfers in prominent roles.
Posted inCollege Soccer Reporter, Story
REGIONAL TEAMS: NSCAA/adidas NCAA Division I Men
Top-ranked Wake Forest led all teams with five players named first-team all-regional selections. California, Loyola (Md.), Monmouth, Oakland, Tulsa and Winthrop all had three first-team picks. For all the NSCAA/adidas NCAA Division I men’s regional teams …
Posted inCollege Soccer Reporter, Story
MLS: Wake Forest stars headed to adidas combine
Five seniors on defending national champion Wake Forest — Lyle Adams, Evan Brown, Sam Cronin, Michael Lahoud and Marcus Tracy — head the initial list of 65 college seniors from 45 Division I schools who have been invited to participate in the 2009 adidas MLS Player Combine. The annual player combine will be held at Lockhart Stadium in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. Jan. 9-13, 2009. The 2009 MLS SuperDraft will take place Jan. 15 at the NSCAA Convention in St. Louis.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Edgar Castillo set to join Club America
[AMERICANS ABROAD] Edgar Castillo, a 22-year-old New Mexico product, is set to join Club America, Mexico’s most popular club along with Chivas Guadalajara, according to Mexican media, which reports the clubs are ironing out the details of his transfer. Castillo, who helped Santos Laguna win the Clausura 2008 title, arrived in Mexico at age 18.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Cruz Azul vs. Toluca in Apertura 08 final
[MEXICO] Cruz Azul, which finished runner-up to Santos last season, hosts the first leg of the Mexican Apertura 2008 final against Toluca on Thursday (TV: Azteca America, 9 pm ET).
Posted inSoccer America Daily, What They're Saying
What They’re Saying
“They just can’t do this. They put me on the floor, they got my camera and they threw it in the trash can. They can’t do this to us.”
— A paparazzo who reportedly was beaten up by David Beckham‘s bodyguards after pursing Beckham and his family through the streets of Beverly Hills. Beckham reportedly stopped his car and confronted the photographer before his bodyguards took over. (EOnline)
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Chelsea reserves beat young MLS squad
[MLS] Scott Sinclair hit a hat trick as a young MLS Select squad fell to the Chelsea reserves, 4-0, Wednesday in the second match of a three-match tour.
Posted inSoccerTalk with Paul Gardner, Story
Believing in the Beautiful Game
Juande Ramos is a pretty lucky guy. Direct from being a colossal flop with Tottenham in London, he returns to Spain and walks straight into what is arguably the top job in club soccer anywhere in the world — coach of Real Madrid.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Houston set for rematch with Atlante
[CONCACAF CHAMPIONS LEAGUE] He isn’t saying he prefers SuperLiga to the Concacaf Champions’ League, but Houston coach Dominic Kinnear can’t help but get excited about playing Mexican teams in real competition. Five months after playing Atlante in the SuperLiga, Houston was matched up with the Mexican club for the CCL quarterfinals to be played next year. Houston hosts the first leg (Feb. 24-26) and faces Atlante in Cancun a week or so later.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
United, Bayern, Porto and Juve top groups
[UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE] Porto, Bayern Munich, Juventus and Manchester United won their groups in Wednesday’s final night of action prior to the Champions League’s spring knockout phase.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Players invited to 2009 adidas MLS Player Combine
[MLS] Major League Soccer released the initial list of 65 college seniors — 55 Americans or green-card holders and 10 foreigners — from 45 Division I schools who have been invited to participate in the 2009 adidas MLS Player Combine, which will be held at Lockhart Stadium in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. Jan. 9-13, 2009. For the complete list …
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Rio Tinto Cuts 14,000 Jobs
Mining company and Real Salt Lake stadium sponsor Rio Tinto is cutting 14,000 jobs globally to try and reduce its debt of $38.9 billion. The company announced Wednesday a 15 percent cut in its workforce, a halt to its expansion plans, and the sale of some assets.