[COLLEGE] Defending champion North Carolina is No. 1 in the Soccer America Women’s Preseason Top 25 rankings, as selected by its editors. The Tar Heels, who return nine starters, including 2008 Soccer America Player of the Year Casey Nogueira, from last year’s College Cup championship team and welcome back two starters — Nikki Washington and Meghan Klingenberg — who missed the postseason because of their participation at the U-20 Women’s World Cup, are seeking their 20th national title in 28 years. Pac-10 rivals Stanford and UCLA are 2-3 in the Preseason Top 25, while Portland and Notre Dame round out the top 5. For the complete Soccer America Women’s Preseason Top 25 rankings …
Monthly Archives: August 2009
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
The Crew’s Rising Star: Eric Brunner
[MLS] Eric Brunner started the 2008 season with the New York Red Bulls before a stint with the USL’s Miami FC. He’s finding his stride this season with the Columbus Crew and has contributed a goal, an assist and logged more than 1,400 minutes in 18 games. Get to know the 23-year-old in this profile by Soccer America’s Bryan Alvarez that covers on and off-field experiences.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
MLS clubs eye regional crown
[CONCACAF CHAMPIONS LEAGUE] Here comes another round of international competition for three MLS teams, all of which aspire to lift the league trophy in November. Four-time MLS champion D.C. United and defending champ Columbus Crew open Concacaf Champions’ League group play Tuesday against Honduran club Marathon and USL-1 upstart Puerto Rico Islanders , respectively. Houston, MLS Cup winner in 2006 and 2007, plays Isidro Metapan of El Salvador Wednesday.
Posted inSoccer on TV., Story
Soccer on TV
The European Champions League is back and makes a switch to the Fox Networks. Three MLS teams (Columbus, D.C. United, Houston) will see action in the Concacaf Champions League in the midweek. MLS goes prime time on Wednesday (Chicago-Los Angeles) and Thursday (Seattle-New England) on EPSN2. Look for updates, including Mexican league broadcasts, in Wednesday’s and Friday’s Soccer on TV.
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Pumas Struggling After Break
Pumas won the Clausura championship last season. But after the mid-season break the Apertura tournament has been a different story. Pumas are winless after four rounds, losing to Tigres, 2-1, on Saturday. On the bright side, Pablo Barrera scored the first goal of the season for Pumas, ending a 323-minute drought. But the team finished […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Rooney Looks Forward to Chance to Silence Critics
Wayne Rooney is looking forward to proving wrong the critics who have questioned Manchester United’s ability to win a fourth-straight league title, after the departures of two high-profile playmakers. “Obviously we’ve lost two world-class players in Cristiano [Ronaldo] and Carlos Tevez,” Rooney told the Mirror. “We want to prove to everyone that we’re worthy champions […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Wenger Defends Arsenal’s Fiscal Policy
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has suggested that his team’s performance over the last four years should be placed within context of the financial battle that the team is fighting. Arsenal owes $650 million in debt. The mortgage for the team’s new Emirates Stadium, however, accounts for most of that figure. In defending Arsenal’s seemingly […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Benitez Can’t Help Criticizing Referee
Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez displayed some theatrical humor when asked what he thought about the referee’s overall performance in Liverpool’s 2-1 loss against Tottenham on Sunday. He took off his spectacles and held them up for inspection. After Liverpool received a penalty for a foul by Tottenham goalkeeper, Heurelho Gomes, the referee ignored two other […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Chivas Ends Long Scoring Drought
Saturday’s game against the last-place New York Red Bulls came at a good time for Chivas USA. Before Saturday, Chivas hadn’t scored since June 14, in 335 minutes of play. Maykel Galindo‘s first half goal ended the dry spell for Chivas, which won, 2-0. “We found a way to get a goal after a long, […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Crew Winning With Depth
The reigning MLS champion Columbus Crew is winning no matter which players it puts on the field. The team has played its last four games without last season’s MVP, Guillermo Barros Schelotto, due to a hamstring injury. The Argentina playmaker came on in the 90th minute against FC Dallas, but the 2-0 win was already […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Another Referee Blunder Gives Support to Goal-line Tech Argument
An embarrassing refereeing decision during a Championship League game in England has reignited support for the introduction of goal-line technology. Referee Rob Shoebridge robbed Crystal Palace of a clear goal against Bristol City when he awarded a goal kick after a shot from Freddie Sears bounced back into the field of play after hitting the […]
Posted inCollege Soccer Reporter, Story
Women’s Preseason Top 25 out tomorrow
PRESEASON RANKINGS … Here’s the schedule for the release of Soccer America’s Preseason Top 25 rankings and All-Americans in Soccer America Daily:
— Women’s Preseason Top 25: Tuesday;
— Women’s Preseason All-Americans: Wednesday;
— Men’s Preseason Top 25: Aug. 25
— Men’s Preseason All-Americans: Aug. 26.
Posted inCollege Soccer Reporter, Story
ACC women’s teams rack up impressive wins
WOMEN’S NEWS … There are only four days until the women’s season kicks off. Many of the top teams were in action over the weekend.
* ACC teams racked up a string of impressive victories …
— Florida State crushed Georgia, 5-1, with goals coming from five different players. Tori Huster, Becky Edwards (penalty), Lauren Switzer, Amanda DaCosta and Breezy Hupp. (Listen to FSU coach Mark Krikorian here on what he liked about the young Seminoles.)
— Georgetown is expected to be a Big East contender, but the Hoya were no match for Virginia, which won, 5-1, Sunday night at Klockner Stadium. Junior Meghan Lenczyk had a hat trick within 33 minutes of the 110-minute contest, and senior Jess Rostedt had a pair of assists.
— West Virginia, favored to win its division in the Big East, fell to visiting Maryland, picked eighth in the ACC preseason poll, 2-0, on a pair of first-half goals.
— Clemson, picked 10th in the ACC preseason rankings, buried Alabama, 4-0,
* Despite the loss of Kerri Hanks, Brittany Bock and others, Notre Dame showed it will have plenty of firepower, scoring three times in the first 14 minutes against Virginia before the Cavs rallied late to earn a 3-3 tie in a game played Friday in Maple City, Mich. Sophomore Melissa Henderson scored twice, while junior Erica Iantorno and sophomore Jessica Schuveiller each recorded a pair of assists for the Irish.
* A few other exhibition results of note: Penn States 2-1 over Pitt … LSU 2-1 over Texas … Illinois 1-0 over Cincinnati … Michigan State 2-1 over Wisconsin-Milwaukee … South Florida 2-0 over Jacksonville … Wisconsin 2-1 over Marquette in regulation (2-2 tie after 110 minutes).
Posted inSoccer America Confidential, Story
Teams unveil new faces for stretch run
With most of the summer of soccer over, even if the real summer isn’t, it’s back to basics for MLS.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, What They're Saying
What They’re Saying
“When you throw yourself into that kind of tackle, there’s a chance you’re going to get sent off. He’s been in enough rodeos [to know that].”
— Galaxy coach Bruce Arena on the David Beckham‘s red card in a 2-0 loss to Seattle. (Los Angeles Times)
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Bad weekend for keepers; Dempsey gets good bounce
[AMERICANS ABROAD] It was a bad weekend of American goalkeepers in Europe, but Clint Dempsey created a goal for Fulham (in peculiar fashion). Besides Charlie Davies‘ two strikes in France, Michael Orozco hit the net in Mexico. In Germany, U.S. internationals were “quarantined” because of Landon Donovan‘s swine flu problem. How Americans fared in foreign leagues …
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
A new low for Beckham [VIDEO]
[MLS NAMES & NUMBERS] David Beckham followed up his lackluster performances and fan confrontations with an ejection that the Seattle Sounders took advantage of to down the Galaxy, 2-0, ending Los Angeles’ six-game undefeated streak. Beckham was just one of many who were ejected last weekend. …
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Big weekend for London clubs
[ENGLAND] The Premier League’s five London teams all won on the opening weekend of play. The biggest win was by Arsenal, which buried Tim Howard‘s Everton, 6-1, showing it hardly missed its high-scoring striker Emmanuel Adebayor sold (along with Gunner defender Kolo Toure) to Manchester City.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
First-place Timbers extend streak to 22 games
[USL-1] It was a very productive road trip for the Portland Timbers. They beat Montreal (1-0) and Rochester (4-1) to open up a four-point lead at the top of the USL First Division and extend their league record unbeaten streak to 22 games.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Charlie Davies scores twice [VIDEO]
[AMERICANS ABROAD] Three days after scoring for the USA against Mexico at Azteca Stadium, Charlie Davies scored twice for Sochaux — his first two goals in France’s Ligue 1 — in a 3-2 loss to defending champion Bordeaux. In his second appearance, Davies came off the bench at halftime.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
ESPN2 airs EPL for first time in more than a decade
[TELEVISION WATCH] Soccer fans surfing their television dial on Saturday morning were surprised to find Chelsea playing Hull City (with Jozy Altidore not suited up) in English Premier League action on ESPN2, which will air one match each Saturday and 12 Monday afternoon games as part of a package of 48 live broadcasts this season.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Rampone’s moves pay off perfectly for Sky Blue FC
[WPS] In only her third game as player-coach of Sky Blue FC, U.S. national team captain Christine Rampone showed off her coaching talent, shaking up the Sky Blue’s lineup for its first-round playoff game at Washington. She had leading scorer Natasha Kai on bench at the start of the game, but Kai and another sub, the little-used Brazilian Francielle, came on to score and lead the New Jersey team past the Freedom, 2-1.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
International Results
Dutch coach Louis Van Gaal hasn’t exactly gotten off to a great start at Bayern Munich. Bayern’s 1-1 tie with visiting Werder Bremen was its second tie in two games … Rangers and Celtic both won on opening day in Scotland … For all the weekend action abroad …
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
MLS Results
Seattle moved back into second place in the Western Conference with its 2-0 win at Los Angeles. Meanwhile, D.C. United dropped to ninth place in the overall standings, behind Toronto FC and Chivas USA when Toronto beat D.C., 2-0, and Chivas won by the same score at New York. For all the weekend summaries, standings and leading scorers …
Posted inSoccerTalk with Paul Gardner, Story
The leniency of English referees
LONDON — The first games of the new EPL season have been played. The scorelines are in, implacable and unarguable; along with them come dozens of coaches’ statements, which are anything but unarguable.