Monthly Archives: January 2009

Steven Goff has “an unsubstantiated hunch … that something is brewing” at D.C. United involving its current and past Argentine playmakers, Marcelo Gallardo, 33, and Christian Gomez, 34, now at the Colorado Rapids.   United’s investors, he writes, “would love to dump Gallardo’s bloated contract” because they realize the player’s “past his prime, underwent additional […]

Soccer’s world governing body FIFA has said it may have to ditch Nigeria as host to this fall’s Under-17 World Cup due to a serious lack of preparation.   “FIFA’s executive committee will have to decide next month if it wishes to carry on with Nigeria or move the tournament elsewhere,” spokesman Emmanuel Marades told […]

Banned RB New York goalkeeper Jon Conway has been joining in with preseason practice sessions, even though he still has to serve four games of a 10-game suspension, reports Frank Giase.   The team did its homework and found out that Conway, who was punished along with now departed defender Jeff Parke for violating Major […]

AC Milan is ready to buy midfielder David Beckham if he can get out of his contract with the L.A. Galaxy, Milan CEO Adriano Galliani said Tuesday. “If the player were free, we’d buy him,” Galliani said. Beckham, he added, “would be overjoyed as well, because he’s back playing with a great club.” Milan, Galliani […]

"With sports you never know what is going to happen. One thing I know I'll always have is my degree." Santa Clara's Jide Ogunbiyi, selected at No. 18 in the 2009 SuperDraft by RB New York, faces the choice of either reporting for training camp immediately, or finishing his final year at college to earn […]

"We were so close, 45 minutes away from being in [MLS] Cup. We just couldn't quite get over the hump. It's just more motivation for this year. With the same guys returning, we're looking forward to more good times." Chicago Fire midfielder Justin Mapp signals the official opening of Preseason Optimism.  

"They saw me as that [a leader] in August when they signed me. I wouldn't know any other way to do it, but obviously I'll take as big a role as they want me to take." Seattle Sounder FC goalkeeper Kasey Keller on talk that he's the obvious choice for team captain.  

“The season hasn’t gone the way everyone expected it to, and it hasn’t gone the way I expected it to. But I came to another very good team with good players. The guys I’ve been competing with have been scoring goals, and when I got my opportunity, I didn’t put the ball in the net […]

"I do like to take chances and be aggressive. I like to score goals. But I like to stay within a system, too. I want every player to have responsibility. I'm not going to be one of these coaches talking about how he's going to play aggressive, attractive soccer and use three or four forwards, […]

The English Football Association has called for "the strongest possible sanctions" against Millwall fans found guilty of violence and vandalism during Saturday’s fourth round FA Cup defeat at Hull City. A section of the visiting support ripped out 50 seats, threw missiles, and destroyed toilets before, during and after the game. Police made 12 arrests. […]

Retired French referee Bruno Derrien has published a memoir, “Down With The Referee,” telling how managers and coaches cultivate their relationships with match officials. According to the book, “the canniest coaches manage their relationships with referees as studiously as they do with their players,” writes Ian Hawkey. Derrien tells, for example, how Manchester United manager […]

At Toronto FC’s press conference to introduce midfielder Dwayne De Rosario, the P-word was being thrown around by club officials "with reckless abandon," reports Gareth Wheeler. That stands for Playoffs, but Wheeler says that while such confidence is refreshing, another P-word could also be used about expectations: Premature.

AC Milan coach Carlo Ancelotti said Monday that he wants on-loan L.A. Galaxy midfielder David Beckham to stay on at the club, and that he will be disappointed when, or if, he returns to California in March. Speaking on Italian radio the day after Beckham scored his first goal for Milan goal in a 4-1 […]

U.S. midfielder Sacha Kljestan‘s hat trick for the national team against Sweden at the weekend may have actually harmed his chances of moving to Scottish champions Glasgow Celtic, writes Ronnie Cully. In short, the higher the player’s value, the less likely that Celtic can afford him. Kljestan “impressed everyone” during his six-day trial at Celtic […]