Monthly Archives: January 2009

[WPS] A-Rod could be headed to Boston. Yankee fans, don’t fret. Alex Rodriguez isn’t about the join the Red Sox. U.S. Olympic gold-medalist Amy Rodriguez of USC is expected to be the No. 1 pick in the inaugural Women’s Professional Soccer college draft, which will take place Friday at the NSCAA Convention in St. Louis. There is much intrigue surrounding Rodriguez’s expected selection as the No. 1 pick. There’s speculation of a possible trade with her hometown Los Angeles Sol, coached by her former youth coach Abner Rogers. Rodriguez talks with Soccer America about  Boston and Los Angeles and hopes for WPS …

“[Manchester] United are the champions right now, they are the favorites. They have shown in the last few years that they’re a very strong side. Look at the great players they have, and they have played two matches fewer, so they could catch up and even go top.” Liverpool’s Spanish striker Fernando Torres tries to […]

Eleven people, including four teenagers, have been charged with “indecent chanting” following an inquiry into suspected abuse aimed at Portsmouth defender Sol Campbell during a game against Tottenham Hotspur Sept. 28. The English Football Association has said it will impose life bans on any fans proven to have been chanting abuse.

“I saw Manchester United win without Tevez. This isn’t good for him. Certain episodes are certainly bringing closer his exit. Italy and Inter in particular would be excellent solutions. What’s more, his contract is running out, which makes it easier to change team.” Argentina national team coach Diego Maradona advises striker Carlos Tevez, 24, to […]

“I didn’t see Chelsea. I saw people from Chelsea before the match, at half-time and after the match. But I didn’t see Chelsea on the pitch. I only saw Manchester United.” Inter Milan and former Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho snipes at his former club after watching it lose 3-0 to Manchester United at the weekend.

“An unexpected playoff run and a trip to MLS Cup can mask a lot of problems, but the fact is the [New York] Red Bulls are in the same place they were a year ago at draft time,” writes Frank Giase. When coach Juan Carlos Osorio was hired a year ago, he said the team […]

[WPS] The The Los Angeles Sol signed the one player Women’s Professional Soccer needed to achieve international credibility when it  reached an agreement with three-time FIFA World Female Player of the Year Marta. The Brazilian had played for Swedish powerhouse Umea since 2004, and her signing is a signal that WPS has the clout to compete with Europe’s major women’s leagues that have grown in prominence since the days of the WUSA.

[FIFA AWARDS] Portugal international Cristiano Ronaldo is the first English Premier League player to win FIFA Men’s World Player award since its inception in 1991. Brazil’s Marta is the second player to win three straight FIFA Women’s World Player awards. For past winners.

[FIFA AWARDS] The FIFA World Player Gala 2008 that unveiled last year’s top players also included the awarding of the inaugural Development Award, the Fair Play Award and the Presidential Award, which U.S. national team forward Heather O’Reilly accepted  on behalf of the “women’s game.”

[FIFA AWARDS] Cristiano Ronaldo, the 23-year-old Portuguese Manchester United star who scored 42 goals in all competitions as his club won 2007-08 English Premier League and UEFA Champions League titles, won the 2008 FIFA Men’s World Player. Marta, who dazzled for Brazil as it won the 2008 Olympic Silver medal, won her third straight FIFA Women’s World Player award. The USA, despite winning Olympic gold, did not place a woman among the top 5.

[MLS] There’s time enough to get serious before the season starts, even though January in MLS is much like the summer everywhere else, the so-called “silly season,” when groundless rumors and “done deals” that aren’t (done) dominate cyberspace. This January, though, is a bit sad, because one of the truly good guys has called it quits, a man whose love of the game always shone on his face and gleamed in his smile, a player who could look clumsy and graceful and labored and smooth all at the same time, a fierce fighter on the field and a genial giant off it.

“A few of them let out a big scream, which is a bit embarrassing because it is a man’s game.” Bolton Wanderers striker Kevin Davies criticizes Arsenal’s players for overreacting to tackles in an attempt to con referees into giving yellow cards. Arsenal beat Bolton, 1-0, on Saturday.

“Although I won’t be able to perform on the field this season, it is my intention to do everything I can off the field to help the Red Stars succeed.” Chicago Red Stars defender Kate Markgraf, 32, announces she will miss the opening Women’s Professional Soccer season as she is pregnant with her second child.