[MLS NAMES & NUMBERS] MLS’s 14th season kicked off with a good amount of goals and big crowds. The goals included a 60-yard effort from Dallas’ Kenny Cooper and a pair of strikes from last season’s leading scorer, Landon Donovan
Monthly Archives: March 2009
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Many newcomers make a mark
[MLS] The spectacular Fredy Montero dominated coverage of Seattle’s rousing win, yet defender Jhon Hurtado played impressively alongside veteran Tyrone Marshall in his first MLS game, as did USL-1 Sounders graduate Oswaldo Alonso
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
East vs. West
[MLS] The first weekend of play featured five interconference matchups hosted by Western teams, and of those only expansion Seattle came out on top by thrashing New York, 3-0, in the opener Thursday night.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Galaxy comes close in home opener
[MLS] Considering its lowly finish in 2008 – tied at the bottom of the Western Conference with expansion San Jose with 33 points – it’s not surprising that of the seven Western teams (in 2008), only the Galaxy had a losing record last year against the East.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Liverpool’s Benitez not satisfied after 5-0 victory
[ENGLAND] Liverpool keeps piling it on, and Manager Rafael Benitez still isn’t happy. A 4-0 win over Real Madrid in the UEFA Champions League was followed by 4-1 win at Manchester United and 5-0 victory over Aston Villa in the Premier League. Suddenly, there’s a race in the EPL, and don’t think Liverpool wasn’t thinking of goal difference — the tiebreaker — when it hammered Aston Villa. Benitez’s only regret Sunday was that the Reds didn’t add to their 5-0 margin following American goalie Brad Friedel‘s dismissal in the 64th minute.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
International Weekend Results
Anderlecht reclaimed the lead in Belgium when Oguchi Onyewu‘s Standard Liege fell, 1-0, at Charleroi. In Turkey, Sivas maintained its one-point lead over second-place Besiktas when the leaders tied 1-1. in Scotland, leaders Celtic and Rangers (three points behind) both had to settle for ties. For all the results in Europe’s major leagues and Mexico …
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
MLS Results
Chivas USA, which rallied to beat Colorado, 2-1, was the only MLS team that won at home in weekend play. For all the MLS results, lineups and standings from Week 1 …
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
USA ready to prep for El Salvador, T&T
[HEXAGONAL] Coach Bob Bradley has named a 22-man roster for the USA’s second and third games of the final round of World Cup qualifying. The USA, which opened the Hexagonal with a 2-0 home win over Mexico, plays at El Salvador March 28 and hosts Trinidad & Tobago April 1 in Nashville, Tenn. The team begins convening for training March 22 in Miami. Freddy Adu is included in the roster after being left out for the Mexico game.
Posted inSoccerTalk with Paul Gardner, Story
Floreat Fredy!
As you’d expect, the seven games of the opening weekend of MLS had a bit of everything — the good, the bad, the remarkable, the absurd and whatever else you can think of.
Posted inYouth Soccer Reporter, Youth What They're Saying
What They’re Saying
“There was a post this week on the boys side in which one dad told another the make and model of his car and the last three letters on his license plate. The dad said, ‘If you want to meet me in a parking lot, we can settle this.'”
— Dallas area soccer parent Todd Welch, on one of the posts on turf monster.com, where forums have flourished in which North Texas soccer parents bash each other over disputes such as, in this case, the breakup of an 13-year-old boys teams. (Dallas Morning News)
“It’s just nasty out there. That’s why Turf Monster exists in North Texas.”
— Matthew Shipley, founder of TurfMonster.com, which grown to 18,000 members since its launch with three members in 2004.
“It’s a new and unwelcome addition that further erodes sportsmanship in youth sports. It’s not an unexpected evolution. But it is discouraging.”
— Richard Lapchick, founder of the Center for the Study of Sport and Society at Northeastern University and currently director of the DeVos Sport Business Management program at the University of Central Florida, on “visceral” online forums like TurfMonster.com.
Posted inStory, Youth Soccer Reporter
Florida Cup Champions
IMG Soccer Academy was the only team to capture two titles at U.S. Club Soccer’s Florida Cup, earning championships in both the U-18/19 girls and U-18/19 boys Premier divisions. RSL Florida had three girls teams advance to championship games. For all the champions and runners-up …
Posted inStory, Youth Soccer Reporter
U.S. Youth Soccer ODP Championships rosters
The annual U.S. Youth Soccer ODP Championships began Friday at Pizza Hut Park in Frisco, Texas. Sixteen state association all-star teams are taking part at two boys and girls age groups (1992 and 1993). Cal North, Cal South, Indiana, North Texas and Virginia all have two teams represented in the competition that concludes Sunday. For all the rosters …
Posted inStory, Youth Soccer Reporter
U.S. U-18 girls to hold first camp
Coach Dave Chesler called in 24 players for the first U.S. under-18 women’s national team camp of the year, which will take place April 4-11 at the Home Depot Center.
Posted inStory, Youth Soccer Reporter
Dallas Texans claim U.S. Youth Soccer National League hat trick
The Dallas Texans won their third title in the U.S. Youth Soccer National League when the Texans Red-Dallas clinched the U-16 girls title without playing a game. The San Diego Surf White clinched the U-15 girls in play last weekend in Las Vegas. Play continues Friday with the final weekend of play in the U-15 boys division at the Ultimate Soccer Arenas in Pontiac, Mich. Two makeup games will decide the U-17 boys champion and runner-up.
Posted inStory, Youth Soccer Reporter
U.S. U-17s head abroad again
The U.S. under-17 boys national team is playing three games in five days, beginning Monday, against U-17 national teams in Argentina. It’s the third time this year the U-17s have played abroad. Highly touted Sebastian Lletget joins 19 players in U-17 residency on the trip.
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Hamburg-Man City Match-up Highlights UEFA Cup
The UEFA Cup quarterfinal draw also occurred on Friday, with perhaps the most intriguing match-up being Manchester City vs. Hamburg, who lost two players to the EPL team within the last transfer year and have former Tottenham coach Martin Jol at the helm. The other three pairings find the second tier competition's two French teams […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Chelsea-Liverpool, ManU-Porto Rematches
A trio of recent Champions League rivalries will be revived in the 2009 edition of the competition, as UEFA announced in the quarterfinal draw today in which Chelsea will meet Liverpool for the fifth time in as many years (adding to the 22 times the two teams have met across all competitions in the last […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Maldini’s Secrets of Longevity
“My love for this sport, which has given me plenty over the years, has allowed me to feel young, not only in terms of the physical side, but also from the spiritual one. I have had the fortune of always playing in my hometown and I have always had the support of my family. These […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Montero Admires Angel, But Looks to Make His Own Name
"We know that [Juan Pablo] Angel is amazing, but I want to create my own history." 21-year-old Colombian midfielder Fredy Montero, who was involved in all three of Seattle's scores in their season opener, on how his admiration for Red Bulls' MVP candidate and fellow countryman Juan Pablo Angel doesn't stop him from wanting to […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
The ‘Coolest Part’ of Debut Win for Keller
“The coolest part for me — after spending my whole career in Europe — I was very nervous about coming home and being let down. Just kind of thinking ‘why did I come home for this?’ But what was so tremendous about everything that I’ve had so far from the professionalism to the training facilities […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Maradona ‘Deeply Hurt’ By Traitor Tag
The recent rift between Argentina coach Diego Maradona and veteran midfielder Juan Roman Riquelme has not surprisingly drawn strong reactions from fans of Boca Juniors, the team where both national treasures gained fame early in their respective playing careers. But that reaction has not been what one might expect, with fans displaying support for Riquelme […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Concacaf Gets $10 million to Help Develop Pro Leagues
Concacaf, the confederation that governs North, Central American and Caribbean soccer, announced today that it has received a $10 million grant from FIFA to fund a two-year program intended to develop the professional leagues of 11 select countries within the region. The main priority of the redundantly named "WIN in CONCACAF with CONCACAF" is to […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
It’s Official: Portland Timbers to Join MLS in 2011
After being rumored for a few weeks now, and just two days from making Vancouver the league’s 17th team, MLS made things official on Friday by announcing that Portland will become the second of two expansion teams set to begin play in 2011. Portland becomes the third team (including Seattle) from the United Soccer Leagues […]
Posted inStory, Youth Soccer Insider
Encouraging the Pass … When the Time is Right
One of the biggest mistakes youth coaches can make is to force a passing game on children too early.
Posted inSoccer on TV., Story
GAMES: Live and same-day delay on national TV
For the first weekend of 2009 MLS action, cable outlets are offering a free preview of the MLS Direct Kick Package. In England, Clint Dempsey and Fulham have a big match on Saturday as they host Manchester United.