Monthly Archives: June 2009

[MLS PREDICTIONS] With four teams participating in SuperLiga play, only five weekend league games are scheduled. (Toronto takes the week off from league play.) California Clascio rivals Los Angeles and San Jose square off in the Oakland Coliseum for the second time this season, Seattle crosses the country to play New York, Houston gets a chance to separate itself from Western co-leader Chivas USA when it hosts Real Salt Lake, and Eastern leader D.C. United continues its road trip in Colorado. For all of Soccer America’s predictions, as well as TV viewing information, and to see how we’ve fared so far this season. …

[BRAZIL-USA REPORT CARD] Soccer America’s Ridge Mahoney grades the U.S. players and comments on their performance in Thursday’s 3-0 loss to Brazil at the Confederations Cup.

[CONFEDERATIONS CUP] The USA concludes play in Group B at the 2009 Confederations Cup in South Africa against Egypt on Sunday. For the tournament’s complete television schedule …

[CONFEDERATIONS CUP] In beating Italy, 1-0, on Thursday, Egypt produced a performance one would have hoped from the USA — plenty of good soccer, spirited play and spectacular goalkeeping. The result kept all four teams contending for Group B’s two spots in the semifinals — though the USA is a longshot even if it beats the Pharaohs on Sunday.

[WPS] Atlanta was confirmed as Women’s Professional Soccer ‘s ninth team. The Beat — named after the WUSA team of the same name — will begin play in 2010 along with the Philadelphia Independence as expansion teams. The Beat, owned by Atlanta businessman Fitz Johnson, named former FC Dallas front-office executive and SMU associate athletic director Shawn McGee its general manager.

[WPS] The first Saint Louis-Washington match remains the most-discussed game in WPS’s short history, producing six goals, two suspensions and a season-ending injury to Athletica’s Brazilian midfielder Daniela on a foul from the Freedom’s Abby Wambach. The rematch takes place Saturday at the Soccer Park. For a look at all the weekend action …

[CONFEDERATIONS CUP] He went with his veterans against two of the best teams in the world and they let him, and the country, down with a crashing thud. All along, we can surmise, Coach Bob Bradley‘s plan was to take his strongest squad to the Confederations Cup and tinker at the Gold Cup, assuming he could juggle the schedules and commitments of domestic and international players without too many complications by injuries.

[DATEBOOK] European champion Barcelona will play Mexican club Chivas Aug. 8 at San Francisco’s Candlestick Park on the third and final game of its August tour of the West Coast.

[WPS] Sky Blue FC escaped from the Women’s Professional Soccer cellar  with a 1-0 win over the Chicago Red Stars on Wednesday. The loss, combined with FC Gold Pride’s 1-1 tie at Boston, left the Red Stars, winless in their last seven games, in last place.

[WORLD CUP 2010 QUALIFYING] One of the most dramatic World Cup games in recent memory ended in heartbreak for Iran Wednesday. For Iran’s deciding Group B qualifier against South Korea in Seoul, seven Iranian starters wore green tape in support of opposition leader Mir Hossain Mousavi, a symbolic protest to the controversial presidential election visible on Iranian television. Coached by Iranian-American Afshin Qotbi, Iran was nine minutes away from qualifying for the World Cup 2010 finals when …

[MLS] Thrills, suspense, wild emotional swings, and comic relief are all elements of great entertainment, the field in which Seattle Sounders FC majority investor Joe Roth and minority partner Drew Carey impart their real jobs.

[CONFEDERATIONS CUP] The USA resumes play in Group B at the 2009 Confederations Cup in South Africa against Brazil. For the tournament’s complete television schedule …

[CONFEDERATIONS CUP] Everyone seemed to come out of Wednesday’s Spain-Iraq match a winner. Spain won, 1-0, to move into the Confederations Cup semifinals and it extended its streaks to 14 straight wins and 34 games without a defeat. Iraq coach Bora Milutinovic could also claim personal victory, saying he was delighted Iraq held the heavily favored Spaniards to one goal — a feat that should impress teams looking for an emergency coach at World Cup, where he has already taken five different teams.

[CONFEDERATIONS CUP] To keep alive its slim hopes of advancing to the Confederations Cup semifinals, the USA must at least accomplish something it has never done at this level when it faces Brazil Thursday (9:55 a.m. ET, ESPN2, TeleFutura) in Tshwane/Pretoria.