[MLS NAMES & NUMBERS] The Kansas City Wizards held runaway Western Conference leader Chivas USA to a 1-1 tie Saturday at CommunityAmerica Ballpark despite finishing with just nine players. Seattle’s injury woes continued, while Houston came out ahead of the Earthquakes in the increasingly bitter series between former and current San Jose teams. For the weekend MLS highlights …
Monthly Archives: May 2009
Posted inSoccer America Daily, What They're Saying
What They’re Saying
“He came up to me … and said: ‘Listen, you better start learning Spanish’ because I ain’t got a clue.”
— Toronto FC coach Chris Cummins after Honduran Amado Guevara scored twice in TFC’s 3-1 win over New England. The Englishman told Guevara before the game that if he scored two goals his next pre-game talk would be in Spanish.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
First-place RailHawks ride road string to three
[USL-1] The Carolina RailHawks won a pair of games on the road and remained first place in the USL First Division, three points ahead of Charleston, which was also victorious in both of its games last week. For all the USL-1 action …
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Americans romp in Toronto
[U.S. WOMEN] The USA made easy work of Canada in its first women’s international since the launch of Women’s Professional Soccer. The Americans got goals from Shannon Boxx (just 93 seconds into the match), Megan Rapinoe, Lindsay Tarpley and Lauren Cheney to defeat Canada 4-0 in front of 10,255 fans at Toronto’s BMO Field.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Bradley awaits arrival of half of World Cup qualifying callups
[USA] Only half of the 24-player squad will be available Tuesday when the U.S. national team gathers in Miami to prepare for its fourth and fifth games of the Concacaf Hexagonal, to be played in San Jose, Costa Rica, and Chicago next week. For a look at the squad and who’s committed elsewhere for the next week …
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
First-place Sol doubles lead
[WPS] The Los Angeles Sol defeated FC Gold Pride, 2-0, in front of a sell-out crowd of 6,280 fans at the downsized Buck Shaw Stadium and opened up a six-point lead at the top of the Women’s Professional Soccer standings.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
International Results
Two major European titles remained up for grabs. Bordeaux takes a three-point lead over Marseille into the final day of play in France, while Besiktas leads Sivas by two points in Turkey. For all the weekend results in the major European leagues and Mexico …
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
MLS Results
The weekend was again dominated by ties — in four out of seven games. Los Angeles took its tally to eight ties in 10 games, while D.C. United has seven draws in 10 games. For all the game summaries, standings, leading scorers and this week’s schedule …
Posted inSoccerTalk with Paul Gardner, Story
Diagnosing the Champions League final
The UEFA Champions League final has come to stand for a good deal more than just a climactic game. It represents a yearly check on the health of the soccer body, a temperature reading, a diagnosis. How goes our sport? Healthy? Feverish? Sick? Strong? Weak?
Posted inSoccer on TV., Story
Soccer on TV
The first leg of the Mexican League final is on Thursday as UNAM Pumas takes on Pachuca. Catch the second leg on Sunday. It’s a full week of American soccer, as well. In MLS, Chivas USA takes on Chicago on Thursday. In USL action, Carolina hosts Cleveland on Friday. On Sunday, WPS takes center stage as Sky Blue FC meet the Boston Breakers. Weekend international action is highlighted by the FA Cup Final, Chelsea vs. Everton.
Posted inStory, Youth Soccer Reporter
Region IV State Cup championship results
State Cup finals were recently held in Arizona, Colorado, Nevada and Oregon. Among the big winners were Sereno White with six boys and girls titles in U-14 to U-18 Arizona age groups and LV Premier, which took four championships in the U-14 to U-18 Nevada age groups. For the results of all the U-14 to U-18 finals …
Posted inStory, Youth Soccer Reporter
West Coast and Slammers take two in Cal South
Cal South, which has produced 17 U.S. Youth Soccer national champions over the last five years, recently concluded in State Cup competition for the U-14 to U-18 age groups in which West Coast FC and Slammers FC won two boys and girls titles, respectively. For all the U-14 to U-18 final results …
Posted inStory, Youth Soccer Reporter
Best of the Development Academy
The Derby County Wolves (Michigan) and Crossfire Premier (Washington) are the only clubs averaging 2.00 or more points per game in both age groups of the U.S. Soccer Development Academy, which moved into the final month of the regular season with the Spring Showcase kicking off on Friday and continuing through Tuesday at the Sarasota Polo Grounds in Sarasota, Fla.
Posted inStory, Youth Soccer Reporter
U-17s face Academy selects
Thirty-six players were selected by U.S. Soccer staff coaches to represent the U.S. Soccer Development Academy in matches against the U.S. U-17 national team as part of the U.S. Soccer Development Academy Spring Showcase in Sarasota, Fla. The Chicago Fire, currently undefeated in the Academy’s Frontier Division, and FC Delco had three players apiece selected. For the complete rosters …
Posted inStory, Youth Soccer Reporter
BEST OF THE WEB: ‘Scholarships with a cost’
The Washington Post examines youth soccer in Northern Virginia, where players chase college scholarships dreams, playing year-round soccer. It’s particularly difficult in the spring when Virginia sponsors high school soccer. Players juggle games with two teams, playing a heavy prep schedule and showcase club events. As Notre Dame women’s coach Randy Waldrum, the president of the National Soccer Coaches Association of America, tells B.J. Koubaroulis, “We’ve really created an animal here. It’s just way too much soccer.”
Posted inYouth Soccer Reporter, Youth What They're Saying
What They’re Saying
“The silence was deafening. I felt the sun on my face, brushed a tick off my lower leg, and listened to the highway traffic on I-94. I felt sick to my stomach. I’m actually excited you are doing a story. I won’t try to justify anything. I hope if my girls learned anything, it’s that everyone is human, everyone makes a mistake. I hope they do not judge me by one act.”
— Mark Abboud, coach of the U-12 Minnesota Thunder Academy. He ordered his players to miss their penalty kicks on purpose so their opponents, the favored U-13 Minnesota Thunder Academy, could win, which happened. Abboud, who has said before the game he would do what he did if the game was decided on penalties, added that if he was reprimanded, “Maybe that’s a sign I should try something else after 15 years.” (Minneapolis Star-Tribune)
Posted inSoccer America Confidential, Story
Only one extra game for Rojas is a bad joke
I’m disappointed that MLS has tacked on just one match to the automatic suspension meted out to Red Bulls midfielder Jorge Rojas for deliberately slamming his elbow into Brian Mullan‘s face in a league match last week.
Posted inSoccer on TV., Story
Soccer on TV
American soccer Games of the Week are: USL’s Cleveland-Carolina on Friday; MLS’s Kansas City-Chivas USA on Saturday; and WPS’s FC Gold Pride-Los Angeles on Sunday. Second-leg semifinal gaames will determine the Mexican Clausura 2009 finalists. A German Bundesliga champ will be crowned this weekend.
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Drogba and Bosingwa Face Misconduct Charges
UEFA has charged Chelsea’s Didier Drogba and Jose Bosingwa with misconduct for insulting the referee after Chelsea’s elimination from the Champions League. UEFA has also charged the club with failing to control the players and fans, who threw objects. UEFA said Drogba and Bosingwa breached sportsmanship by making offensive comments about Norwegian referee Tom Henning […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Great Britain Will Field Squads in 2012, Says Lord Treisman
The Football Association chairman, Lord Triesman, announced that he is close to confirming an agreement with the FAs of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland to field both a Great Britain men’s and women’s team at the London Olympics in 2012. Speaking at the Annual Women’s Football Awards ceremony in London, Lord Triesman said: “I am […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Mourinho Supports Ancelotti Move to Chelsea
Former Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho claims he has been told by friends at Stamford Bridge that Carlo Ancelotti will be in charge of the Blues next season. “My friends at Chelsea tell me it will be Carlo,” he told Sky Italia. “Some players are asking me the typical question: ‘Gaffer, will he be good for […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Boca Shocked by Defensor in Copa Libertadores
Pre-tournament favorite Boca Juniors crashed out of the Copa Libertadores in a surprise 1-0 loss to Uruguay visitor Defensor Sporting on Thursday. Diego De Souza scored with a fierce shot in the 28th minute in the Bombonera to lift Defensor into the quarterfinals, 3-2 on aggregate. That set up quarterfinals of Cruzeiro vs. Sao Paulo, […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Shearer Confident Ahead of Crucial Relegation Battle
Alan Shearer‘s Newcastle needs at least a point against Aston Villa on Sunday. But even a win might not ensure survival in the Premier League if Hull City beast Manchester City and Sunderland upends Chelsea. “It’s bigger than a cup final, a hell of a lot bigger than a cup final,” said Shearer. “The question […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Red Bulls Test Sea Legs Aboard USS Intrepid
On Thursday, members of the New York Red Bulls got a chance play a six-on-six game on the flight deck of the USS Intrepid against the crew of the USS Roosevelt, stationed in town for New York Fleet Week 2009. Originally built to serve during WWII, the Navy decommissioned the Intrepid in 1974. It is […]
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Tough road tests for Seattle and RSL
[MLS PREDICTIONS] Seattle and Real Salt Lake have flattened out after quick starts, and are on the road to play Colorado and D.C. United, respectively. The Galaxy has tied all four of its road games. Can it get at least a point again in Dallas? The matchup of San Jose with the former Quakes of Houston may be a mismatch, and the Revs play Toronto at BMO Field, where TFC has won only two of six games in 2009. Soccer America’s Ridge Mahoney breaks down all the weekend action.