The return of David Beckham nears. Far from being a return in triumph, this is not even an occasion for celebration. Beckham, apparently, understands nothing of this. Guilty of deserting his post with the Galaxy, he hopes that the team’s fans “realize by now the reasons why I made this move. I’m sure they do deep down. I’m sure they’ll be supportive when I come back.”
Monthly Archives: May 2009
Posted inYouth Soccer Reporter, Youth What They're Saying
What They’re Saying
“Any environment where our residency players can improve and continue to develop their skills and their knowledge about the game [is positive].”
— U.S. U-17 national team coach Wilmer Cabrera on midfield star Sebastian Lletget‘s signing with West Ham United. Lletget, whose parents are Argentine but who holds an Italian passport that qualifies him to sign with an English club, only recently joined the Bradenton residency program but started for the USA at the Under-17 Concacaf Championship. He will shuttle back and forth between London and Bradenton before next fall’s Under-17 World Cup, slated to be held in Nigeria. (goal.com)
Posted inStory, Youth Soccer Reporter
Mishalow named McLean’s academy director
Gene Mishalow, who played in goal for five NASL teams, has been named the academy director of the McLean (Va.) Youth Soccer, one of six clubs joining the U.S. Youth Soccer for the 2009-10 season.
Posted inStory, Youth Soccer Reporter
Haimes & Tucker inducted into AYSO Hall of Fame
Longtime AYSO leader Burton Haimes, who served seven years as national president and 12 years as chairman of the board, and Cherie Tucker, who has been active at all levels of AYSO for more than 35 years, were inducted into the AYSO Hall of Fame.
Posted inStory, Youth Soccer Reporter
AYSO adds a sixth tenet
The American Youth Soccer Organization (AYSO) added a sixth philosophy, “Player Development,” to its foundation tenets during an executive membership vote at its AGM last weekend in Dallas, where President Mike Wade was reelected and three members for the National Board of Directors were elected.
Posted inStory, Youth Soccer Reporter
REGION 4: Les Blois girls dominate in Idaho
Les Bois Soccer Association swept all five girls divisions in the U-14 to U-18 age groups at the Idaho State Cup. In New Mexico, Rio Vista FC won six titles in the U-14 to U-19 age groups. in Montana, top honors went to Magic City SC White with four U-14 to U-19 age group titles. For the results of the Idaho, Montana and New Mexico finals …
Posted inStory, Youth Soccer Reporter
REGION 3: Texans’ champions claim state titles
The Dallas Texans Red and Dallas Texans Red Dallas, last year’s U.S. Youth Soccer national champions in the under-16 and under-15 age groups, won their respective age groups at the North Texas State Cup. They were among 10 Texans boys and girls teams to win North Texas state championships. For the results of the Florida, North Carolina, North Texas and Oklahoma finals …
Posted inStory, Youth Soccer Reporter
REGION 2: CUP runneth over in Ohio South
The Cincinnati United Premier Crew Juniors Gold won three Ohio South championships in the boys and girls U-14 to U-18 boys and girls divisions. Overall, CUP placed the most teams in Ohio South into the state finals, winning six championships and taking second place in three other divisions. For the results of the Ohio South U-14 to U-18 finals …
Posted inStory, Youth Soccer Reporter
REGION 1: Ramos’ NJSA Gunners upset
The defending U.S. Youth Soccer national champion NJSA Gunners 04, coached by Tab Ramos, fell to PDA Ronaldo, 1-0, in the final of the New Jersey State Cup under-15 boys competition. The YMS Xplosion revenged its loss to U.S. Youth Soccer National League champion YMS Xplosion in the Eastern Pennsylvania U-17 boys final. For the results of the New Jersey, Eastern Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and West Virginia finals …
Posted inStory, Youth Soccer Reporter
Development Academy Top 10s
The Derby County Wolves (U-17/18) and Chicago Fire (U-15/16) remained No. 1 in their respective age groups in the U.S. Soccer Development Academy’s overall standings following play in the Spring Showcase at the Sarasota, Fla., Polo Club. The Wolves (25-2-1) won all three games, while the Fire (16-2-4) won two games and tied the No. 6 New York Red Bulls, 0-0. For the Top 10 teams in each age group …
Posted inStory, Youth Soccer Reporter
Academy showcase’s perfect club
Albertson Soccer Club was the big winner of the U.S. Soccer Development Academy Spring Showcase, the Memorial Day weekend event in Sarasota, Fla. The New York club was the only one of 73 Academy clubs taking part in the five-day event to win all six games, three each in the under-17/18 and under-15/16 age groups.
Posted inSoccer America Confidential, Story
Did the Bleeding Make a Difference?
Are too many MLS games being decided by bizarre, or outright bad, disciplinary decisions on and off the field?
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Pumas Take 1-0 Edge in Clausura
In wet conditions, Pumas took a 1-0 lead over Pachuca in the first leg of the Clausura championship. In the first half, Dante Lopez collected an errant clearance from the Pachuca goalkeeper and slotted home to give Pumas a 1-0 lead that it preserved in the second half. The two rivals will face off again […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Real to Make ‘Spectacular’ Push for Cristiano Ronaldo
After Cristiano Ronaldo admitted uncertainty about his future at Manchester United, Real Madrid's likely future president Florentino Perez has suggested that the club will make a strong push for the superstar. "He's a player that would be very good if he came to Real Madrid," Perez is quoted as saying by Sky Sports. "What I […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Everton Boss Angry With FA Cup Ticket Distribution
Everton manager David Moyes has criticized the English FA for what he feels is an uneven allocation of tickets for the FA Cup final. On Saturday Everton will face Chelsea at Wembley, which seats 90,000 spectators. Supporters of the two clubs have been issued with 50,000 tickets, 25,000 apiece, while the remaining 40,000 tickets belong […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
League Will Investigate Portsmouth Takeover
The Premier League is preparing to use Sulaiman Al-Fahim's takeover of Portsmouth as a test case for its strengthened fit-and-proper-persons rule, a policy due for introduction next week. Al-Fahim, a charismatic Dubai property investor, declared that he would conduct the takeover using his "Al Fahim Asia Associates" instrument, which he described as being "structured like […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
D.C. United to Play Real Madrid
D.C. United announced Thursday that it will play a friendly match against Real Madrid on Aug. 9 at FedEx Field in Maryland. The match represents a rematch for the two squads, who played out a compelling 1-1 draw at Qwest Field in Seattle three years ago, entertaining a record-breaking crowd of 66,830. “A capacity crowd […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Tim Howard Aims for Second FA Cup win
Goalkeeper Tim Howard thinks an FA Cup final win with Everton on Saturday would feel even better than the one he enjoyed with Manchester United five years ago. Howard became the first American to win the FA Cup when his United team routed lower-league Millwall 3-0 in the 2004 final. But that was just one […]
Posted inSoccer on TV., Story
Soccer on TV
American goalkeeper Tim Howard lines up for Everton against Chelsea on Saturday in the FA Cup final. In USL action, Carolina hosts Cleveland on Friday. On Sunday, WPS takes center stage as Sky Blue FC meet the Boston Breakers. The weekend’s seven MLS games include defending champion Columbus’ clash with Seattle, now led by Sigi Schmid, the Crew’s title-winning coach. The second-leg of the Mexican league final is on Sunday, when Pachuca, with American Jose Francisco Torres, tries to overcome a 1-0 deficit against UNAM Pumas.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
MLS’s best serve up a thriller
[MLS] A clasico turned into a bit of a fiasco Thursday night at Home Depot Center, where amid a blizzard of yellow cards and penalty kicks, Chivas USA squandered a 2-1 lead and lost to Chicago, 3-2, in a showdown of conference leaders.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Schmid leads Sounders against former team
[MLS PREDICTIONS] Former Crew coach Sigi Schmid leads the Sounders against Columbus in a match to be presented on Fox Soccer Channel (Saturday, 10:30 p.m. ET), and is just one of five interconference tussles to be played on Weekend 11. Chicago (21 points) has widened its Eastern Conference lead and hosts Dallas Sunday on TeleFutura (3 p.m. ET), Kansas City travels to Los Angeles, Toronto is in Houston, and cellar-dweller New York winds up a four-game homestand against Colorado. The all-Western Conference matchup is in San Jose, where the last-place Quakes take on RSL, whose own playoff quest has stalled. This weekend’s Eastern showdown is at Gillette Stadium, where the Revs host a D.C. United team it led at RFK last month until a miraculous header by Ben Olsen in stoppage time pulled out a 1-1 tie. Soccer America’s Ridge Mahoney breaks down all the weekend action.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Pachuca falls in first leg
[AMERICANS ABROAD] U.S. midfielder Jose Francisco Torres went the full 90 for Pachuca in a 1-0 loss to UNAM Pumas in the first-leg of the Mexican Clausura 2009 final. Pachuca hosts the second leg on Sunday (TV: 8 pm ET, Telefutura).
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Tim Howard eyes second FA Cup title
[AMERICANS ABROAD] U.S. keeper Tim Howard hopes to win a second FA Cup when he lines up for Everton on Saturday (TV: 10 am ET, Setanta Sports USA) against Chelsea. In 2004, Howard became the first American to win the FA Cup when he helped Manchester United beat Millwall, 3-0.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Big guns available for Chicago game
[HONDURAS] Former Los Angeles Galaxy striker Carlos Pavon and Carlos Costly, who combined for the three goals that neat Mexico, 3-1, in March and cost Tri coach Sven Goran Eriksson his job, will lead Honduras when the Catrachos face the USA June 6 in World Cup qualifying. MLS players in the Catrachos’ squad are Roger Espinoza and Amado Guevara.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Ticos call up Segares for U.S. match
[COSTA RICA] Gonzalo Segares of the Chicago Fire and former MLS players Andy Herron and Michael Umana are among the players who have called up for Costa Rica’s World Cup 2010 qualifier against the USA Wednesday at Saprissa Stadium in San Jose.