Monthly Archives: May 2009

[AMERICANS ABROAD] A 0-0 tie with Tottenham clinched a Europa League (formerly UEFA Cup) spot for Everton and marked keeper Tim Howard‘s 16th shutout of the season, a club record. Carlos Bocanegra scored in the French Cup final and Oguchi Onyewu hit the net in Belgium. Three U.S. products are headed to the playoffs in Mexico. Michael Bradley celebrated a crucial win in Germany. …

[EUROPEAN RACES] It was not a good evening for Barcelona. It had a chance to wrap up La Liga title Sunday, but it blew a 3-1 lead late in the game against Villarreal and had to settle for a 3-3 tie, meaning Barca needs one more point to clinch. But there was worse news for Barca. In England, Chelsea took out the frustrations of its Champions League exit out on Arsenal. In Germany, four goals by VfB Stuttgart’s Mario Gomez threw the Bundesliga race wide open with three matches left. Races were decided in Portugal and Ukraine, while there was a lead change in Scotland.

[USL-1] Journeyman Charles Gbeke did it again. The 31-year-old Ivorian-born Canada international, who was the MVP in Vancouver’s 2-1 win over Puerto Rico in the 2008 USL First Division final, scored in the 82nd minute to give the Whitecaps a 1-0 win over the Islanders Sunday night and move them into first place.

[MLS NAMES & NUMBERS] The defending champion Columbus Crew finally got its first win of the season, joining three other teams that have mustered only one victory. Chivas USA continues to rule at the Depot, while Chicago remains undefeated. New York had its most productive outing of the year. …

Rangers took over the lead in Scotland after beating archrival Celtic, 1-0. Besiktas moved ahead of Sivas in Turkey. For all the results in Europe’s major leagues and Mexico …

In the Eastern Conference, last-place Columbus beat Kansas City for its first win of the season. In the Western Conference, San Jose and FC Dallas trail the pack after they both lost on the road. For all the game summaries, standings, leading scorers and this week’s schedule …

[WPS] Parity finally arrived to Women’s Professional Soccer in the form of victories for Sky Blue FC and the Saint Louis Athletica, the first wins for both teams six weeks into the league’s first season. Sky Blue’s 2-0 win at Chicago resulted in the Red Stars’ first loss of the season.

[MEXICO] The final weekend of play in the Torneo Clausura first phase, which saw longtime First Division club Necaxa be relegated when it lost to sister club Club America, was overshadowed by the decision by the Mexican soccer federation (FMF) to sever ties with Conmebol, South America’s confederation, the latest fallout from the flu epidemic that impacted Mexico.

[WORLD CUP 2018/22 BID] In an interview with Univision news anchor Jorge Ramos, President Barack Obama reiterated his support for the USA’s effort to win the right to host the 2018 or 2022 World Cup. For Obama’s response to Ramos’ soccer question …

Leo Weinstein, a Stanford University professor who coached the Stanford soccer team and later was a soccer journalist for such publications as Soccer America, died on Monday at John Muir Hospital in Walnut Creek, Calif., from cancer. He would have been 87 on May 15.

[REF WATCH] Tom Henning Ovrebo, who refereed Champions League semifinal on Wednesday in which Barcelona ousted Chelsea, needed police protection after the game and has been receiving death threats. The hate campaign against the Norwegian included a Facebook group titled “Kill Tom Henning Ovrebo.”