“We hosted rugby and cricket World Cups, the All Africa Games, the Athletics World Cup and a number of other events — only God can move this World Cup. Only a natural disaster could lead to it being moved elsewhere.” South Africa World Cup Local Organizing Committee Chief Executive Danny Jordaan talking to the sport […]
Monthly Archives: February 2009
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Platini Questions Ethics Of Beckham Loan
“My problem is not [David] Beckham, it’s Milan buying a player for three months. Why then could they not buy a player for one game, for the final? You buy five players for the final. We have to look at it.” UEFA President Michel Platini questions the system of loaning out players, and announces the […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Departed Given Slams Newcastle
New Manchester City goalkeeper Shay Given has said that the way his departure from Newcastle United was handled after 12 years of service to the club was “a bit disgusting.” The keeper left the club last week after becoming disillusioned at the way it was being run by owner Mike Ashley, and at the departure […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Till Becks Us Do Part
Sometimes divorce can be a messy business, where both sides end up slinging mud, writes Andrea Canales. Sometimes a divorce can be amicable, and everyone stays friends. David Beckham‘s split from Major League Soccer and the L.A. Galaxy seems to be a combination of the two. Beckham seems to be slinging mud, while the […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Platini To Man. City: Produce Your Own Kaka
UEFA President Michel Platini has told Manchester City that instead of paying up to $200 million for Brazilian playmaker Kaka, it should produce its own player of similar quality. He said the wealthy club’s attempt to sign the Milan player was “ridiculous” from a soccer social and financial point of view. “City can have […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Reading Confirms Convey’s Departure
English second division club Reading has confirmed that U.S. national team midfielder Bobby Convey, 25, has left the club. “It hasn’t worked out recently, but he will always have a place in our history,” Reading’s Director of Football Nick Hammond said. Convey’s agent, Dan Segal, said the player has “been approached by a number […]
Posted inSoccer on TV., Story
Soccer on TV
Games involving Los Angeles Galaxy players on loan are broadcast Saturday (AC Milan/David Beckham) and Sunday (Bayern Munich/Landon Donovan).
Posted inSoccer America Confidential, Story
Why not soccer telecasts for soccer fans?
A bit of a furor arose the other day when word came out that no longer will MLS coverage on the ESPN family of networks be confined to Thursdays, but rather be spread amongst several days of the week.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Concerns on U.S. foreign legion
[USA-MEXICO COUNTDOWN] While Mexico is plagued by injury problems and suspensions, many of the Americans playing abroad are struggling with their foreign clubs going into next Wednesday’s Hexagonal opener against Mexico. For an update on the U.S. foreign legion. …
Posted inSoccer America Daily, What They're Saying
What They’re Saying
“I really didn’t have the opportunity to see the full context of his comments. However, we have been evaluating the situation. We are going to do in the end whatever is best for the Galaxy. There is always a contingency plan for everything. … At the end of the day we are going to do what we think is best for our team and continue to try to build the team to be a playoff contender.”
— Los Angeles Galaxy coach Bruce Arena on David Beckham‘s comments indicating he wants to stay with AC Milan instead of returning to MLS. (AP)
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Marquez scores in Barcelona win
[USA-MEXICO COUNTDOWN] Mexico captain Rafael Marquez, who just two weeks ago was expected to miss El Tri’s World Cup qualifying against the USA in Ohio because of a muscle strain, scored on a free kick in Barcelona’s 2-0 Spanish Copa del Rey first-leg semifinal win over Mallorca. Marquez is one of seven European-based players called up by Coach Sven-Goran Eriksson for the Hexagonal opener.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Sacha Kljestan stays put
[MLS] Chivas USA confirmed that its 2008 team MVP, midfielder Sacha Kljestan, will be back for the 2009 season after testing the waters in Europe with a week-long trial at Glasgow Celtic in January.
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Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Quakes add Weaver to forward corps
[MLS] Official word came Thursday that San Jose has signed former USL-1 player Cam Weaver to its attacking contingent. Weaver, 25, is a native of Washington state who won USL-1 Rookie of the Year honors and tied for the league lead in scoring three years ago.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Women’s Professional Soccer Schedule
Women’s Professional Soccer has released the schedule for its inaugural season. Each team will play a 20-game regular-season schedule with 10 home games and 10 away games.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Soca Warriors rewarded for their efforts
[HEXAGONAL COUNTDOWN] Four years ago, Trinidad & Tobago qualified for the World Cup for the first time after finishing fourth in the Hexagonal and then beating Bahrain in a playoff. The Soca Warriors hope to do better and claim one of the three automatic berths from Concacaf to the 2010 World Cup. They hope to steal three points in San Salvador on Wednesday when they face El Salvador, a team in shambles.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Sundhage goes with all-WPS team
[U.S. WOMEN] U.S. women’s national team coach Pia Sundhage called up an all-WPS team of players, 18 in all, for the 2009 Algarve Cup, which will be played March 4-11 in southern Portugal. Five players weren’t members from last year’s Olympic gold-medalist team.
Posted inStory, Youth Soccer Insider
Own the Recruiting Process
What a week! Yesterday was National Signing Day, the day that 2009 college recruits sign for a team. This morning, college coaches woke up and trudged back to the office to start it all over again, ready to focus on their next recruiting classes.
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
English ‘Want Soccer To Fail In The U.S.’
“The English for the most part desperately want soccer to fail in the U.S., and are both appalled and dumbfounded by the fact that it’s actually doing rather well.” An interview with Philadelphia-based Guardian journalist Steven Wells.
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Soehn Eases D.C. Into Preseason
“It’s been a lot less stressful. Normally we are already worrying about set pieces and marking. The focus now is making sure we get everyone fit and physically ready. It’s a whole different mentality and it’s a lot easier this way. In the past, you were worried about picking out your first 11 right about […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
One Last Time, It’s Not ‘The MLS’
“It’s nothing against the MLS and the football over there because it’s a game that will grow, but it will take quite a few years.” Just a word, David Beckham, but before you leave for good, you’d think that after two years you would have picked up on the fact that Major League Soccer is […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Beckham’s Legacy Is Nil
“So what of the glorious legacy [David] Beckham was supposed to leave behind? Well, there really isn’t one. Attendance and television ratings, which enjoyed a level of increase, likely will revert to normal. Worse, Beckham has embarrassed the league and made it seem small-time. He goes after 30 games, five goals, 12 assists, a million […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Man. City’s Richards Arrested For Nightclub Assault
Another day, another nightclub “incident” involving a Premier League star. England and Manchester City defender Micah Richards, 20, was arrested Wednesday over an alleged assault outside a nightclub just before Christmas. A spokesman for Greater Manchester Police said: “A 20-year-old man has been arrested after an assault outside a Hale [in Greater Manchester] nightclub, at […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
ESPN Could Nudge Out Setanta For EPL Package
Subscription channel Setanta Sports, who paid $574 million for its existing two Premier League packages of live TV rights, is “in danger of losing both in the second round of bidding tomorrow [Friday] for the next three-year contract [2010-2013],” writes Charles Sale. He reports that ESPN, “who have remained highly secretive of their intentions […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Gerrard Out For Three Weeks
Bad news for those who see him as the savior of Liverpool and England — club captain Steven Gerrard is out for three weeks with a hamstring tear suffered during his team’s 1-0 defeat at Everton in the FA Cup Wednesday. He will also miss England’s friendly in Spain next week, and possibly Liverpool’s Champions […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Houston’s Kamara Has The Right Perspective
Player interviews are rarely worth highlighting, especially in the preseason phase when they’re all predicting playoffs and titles and saying what a great bunch of lads coach is putting together, and how hard everyone is working at practice. But Houston Dynamo’s Kei Kamara manages to be consistently interesting in his chat with Keith Costigan, especially […]