This weekend, all nine Mexican first division games will be played behind closed doors, a move aimed at stemming the spread of swine flu. “This decision was made … in full awareness of the health emergency confronting Mexico,” the Mexican soccer federation announced. Mexico’s 18 first-division clubs will take a significant financial hit. Matches draw […]
Monthly Archives: April 2009
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Fire’s Blanco and MLS Referee Under Investigation
Referee Jair Marrufo and Fire star Cuauhtemoc Blanco are currently under investigation by the U.S. Soccer Federation and the league for their conduct during the 2-2 tie between Columbus and Chicago on Saturday. Multiple witnesses reported seeing Blanco broach the entrance to the referees’ locker room following the game with a Fire jersey in his […]
Posted inSoccer America Classifieds, Story
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Posted inSoccer on TV., Story
Soccer on TV
Catch the USL Game of the Week on Friday as the Cleveland City Stars meet the Rochester Rhinos. The weekend includes a full slate of MLS action and a WPS match between Washington and St. Louis. Look for Mexican league and other updates in Friday’s Soccer on TV.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, What They're Saying
What They’re Saying
“We are aware of the issue and are working closely with U.S. Soccer and their review of the matter.”
— MLS executive vice president Todd Durbin on a U.S. Soccer-MLS investigation into Chicago Fire star Cuauhtemoc Blanco allegedly giving his jersey to referee Jair Marrufo after last weekend’s game against Columbus in which Marrufo red-carded Gino Padula for a foul on Blanco. The Columbus Dispatch reported that Blanco “tossed the jersey into the room occupied by Jair Marrufo and his assistant referees,” that Blanco was seen chatting with Marrufo before the game, and that Blanco yelled at the referee outside the locker rooms at halftime. (Columbus Dispatch)
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Two from Le Toux Sounders oust Salt Lake
[U.S. OPEN CUP] Seattle Sounders FC has yet to enter its third month of official competition, yet already it has twice beaten its nearest league rival. Sebastian Le Toux, the leading U.S. Open Cup scorer the past two seasons as a USL-1 Sounder, scored two goals and assisted on two others in a 4-1 drilling of Real Salt Lake, which Seattle had beaten, 2-0, in MLS play a month ago. LeToux, normally a midfielder this season, moved up front as Seattle dismantled a RSL team featuring many regulars at the Starfire Sports Complex, the team’s training site.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
FC Dallas lands another U.S. U-20
[MLS] Real Salt Lake has parlayed its five percent chance of landing U-20 midfielder Kyle Davies in a weighted lottery into a future draft pick. Davies, captain of the U.S. U-20 team that will compete for the world championship in Egypt later this year, is now a member of FC Dallas, which traded one of its three second-round picks in the 2010 SuperDraft.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Orozco’s San Luis advances in Libertadores Cup
[AMERICANS ABROAD] U.S. national team defender Michael Orozco started for Mexican club San Luis, which earned an unlikely place in the in the knockout round of the Copa Libertadores thanks to the results on the last day of group play.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Attack-minded Arsenal takes on Man. United
[UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE] Arsenal will be less than full strength up front, but Manager Arsene Wenger says the Gunners will be out to attack Manchester United when they meet at Old Trafford on Wednesday in the first leg of their UEFA Champions League semifinal series (TV: ESPN2, ESPN Deportes, 2:30 pm ET).
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Subdued Barcelona held scoreless
[UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE] Barcelona promised much but delivered little against a packed Chelsea defense in the first leg of their UEFA Champions League semifinal series at the Camp Nou on Tuesday. Despite a huge edge in possession, Barca had to settle for a 0-0 tie. To make matters worse, Mexican star Rafael Marquez injured his knee and was lost for the season.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Week 3: The English Eddie Johnson claims honors
[USL] Englishman Eddie Johnson of the expansion Austin Aztex and Harrisburg’s Chad Severs are the USL First Division and Second Division Players of the Week. For the teams of the week …
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Soehn Delighted with D.C. Comeback
"You know, it was a gutsy performance. We still have a lot of young guys and I think we learned a little bit in the second half. These are turning points when you win games like this. These are things that make you stronger as a team." D.C. United coach Tom Soehn relishes his team's […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
EPL Promotion in Sight for Reading
Reading kept alive its hopes of an immediate return to the Premier League when two headers from Shane Long gave them a 2-0 win at Norwich City in the English Championship on Monday. With Wolverhampton Wanderers promoted as champion, Reading can leapfrog Birmingham City and Sheffield United into the second automatic promotion spot if it […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Juve Punished for Fan Slurs
The Italian soccer federation has upheld a ruling ordering Juventus to play its next Serie A home match, on May 3, in an empty stadium. The punishment comes for racist insults hurled by fans at Inter Milan striker Mario Balotelli earlier this month.
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Vidic Says Defense Is Key Against Arsenal
Manchester United central defender Nemanja Vidic has pointed to his club’s most obvious weakness ahead of Wednesday’s clash with Arsenal in the Champions League semifinal. “In the first half [against Tottenham] we didn’t defend very well,” Vidic said. “In the second half we came back much stronger, and that is how we need to play […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Red Star Falls Further
Red Star Belgrade's executive board stepped down Monday amid pressure from fans and a growing financial crisis. This came after Club president Dobrivoje Tanasijevic quit last week when the 1991 European Cup winners revealed it owed around 23 million euros ($30 million) to creditors. Many players have not been paid for months. Last week, the […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Nyarko could get Ghana Call-Up
Ghana coach Milovan Rajevac attended Saturday’s Fire-Columbus game to watch and meet with Patrick Nyarko, the Fire’s 23-year-old forward. “This was his first opportunity to see Patrick,” Fire technical director Frank Klopas said. “He wants to bring him in for friendlies to take a closer look. Obviously Patrick is very excited. The good thing about […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Chicago Fire Partners with Club America
The Chicago Fire and Club America of Mexico announced a partnership on Monday that will help both organizations pursue shared objectives and business growth. Fire president Dave Greeley explained that both clubs, central to the history of their respective leagues, share a passion for the sport, their fans, and developing the game. "This collaboration with […]
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
The Fall of Klinsmann
[GERMANY] European club coaches get fired all the time, but Bayern Munich’s sacking of Juergen Klinsmann is of particular interest this side of the Atlantic because of his American connections. A California resident since his playing days ended in 1998 until he took the Bayern job last summer, Klinsmann brought two American assistant coaches to Munich, tried unsuccessfully to incorporate Landon Donovan into the Bayern squad, and was, in 2006, courted to coach the U.S. national team.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Salt Lake & Chicago on target most often
[MLS] After its 6-0 rout of New England on Saturday, Real Salt Lake leads the league in scoring. It is one of only two teams that is averaging at least two goals per game. Four teams are mustering one goal or less per match. For team-by-team scoring averages. …
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Toronto draws big any day of the week
[MLS] Toronto drew 19,915 fans for last Wednesday’s 1-0 win over Chivas USA and 20,056 for 1-0 win over Kansas City on Sunday. Only league newcomers Seattle Sounders are drawing better, with an average of nearly 30,000 after 28,838 attended their fourth home game, a 2-0 win over San Jose on Saturday.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Ball boy strife in Argentina [VIDEO]
[OFF THE POST] Earlier this month, ball boys for Argentine club Gimnasia-La Plata were busted for hiding balls behind the substitutes’ benches to delay the game while the team was ahead 1-0 in the second half. Last weekend, a ball boy and a goalkeeper were sent off by the referee in Gimnasia-Jujuy vs. River Plate game after the keeper lashed out at the ball boy he believed was delaying the game.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, What They're Saying
What They’re Saying
“We’ve lost all the important games – in Hamburg, Berlin, Wolfsburg, at home to Schalke and against Leverkusen in the cup. We’ve reacted to this negative trend, and acted because we’re afraid of failing to hit our targets.”
— Bayern Munich general manager Uli Hoeness on why the club fired Coach Juergen Klinsmann with five games left in the Bundesliga season. Bayern is in third place, three points behind leader VfL Wolfsburg, and ahead of fourth-place Stuttgart and fifth-place Hamburg only thanks to goal difference. (fcbayern.de)
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Concacaf cancels remainder of U-17 tournament
[MEXICO] In response to the concerns about the outbreak of swine flu in Mexico, Concacaf canceled the knockout phase of the Under-17 Championship in Tijuana to safeguard the health of players, officials and fans. In addition, the second leg of the Concacaf Champions League final between Atlante and Cruz Azul has been postponed from Wednesday to May 12.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
More mature Mathis a key figure for RSL [VIDEO]
[MLS] Jason Kreis called the strike a “wonder goal,” and while it conjured up memories of a colorful, swashbuckling, occasionally troublesome goalscorer, that player no longer exists. Clint Mathis hammered a left-footed volley off a corner kick past New England keeper Brad Knighton during a record-setting 6-0 romp at Rio Tinto Stadium Saturday night.