With ESPN picking up the UK rights to broadcast the English Premiership for the 2009-10 season, perhaps it's only fair that we let ESPN Soccernet senior editor John Brewin and fellow "experts" to express their opinions and post their predictions about all things EPL as the eagerly-awaited campaign kicks off tomorrow. With the new season […]
Monthly Archives: August 2009
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Frei Earning Elders’ Respect in Toronto
Count 23-year-old Toronto goalkeeper Stefen Frei as one of the few athletes these days who is happy to have stayed in school. "I know it's very important to be confident in goal and I decided I wanted to stay one more year (in school) and get that confidence," said Frei, who opted out of the […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Soccer Hall of Fame to Close?
File under: say it ain't so. According to the Oneonta Daily Star, "losing the National Soccer Hall of Fame's Oneonta facility is a possibility as the organization confronts continuing financial problems." Although there isn't a timeline on any decision by the Hall's Board of Directors, president and CEO Jonathan Ullman acknowledged, "how we operate here […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Vagenas, Schmid Ready For Galaxy Reunion
No, the story about Saturday's match between the Galaxy and Sounders FC isn't all about David Beckham or Freddie Ljungberg or Landon Donovan's bout with swine flu. Part of what will be interesting to watch is the return to the Home Depot Center for veteran Seattle midfielder Pete Vagenas, a Galaxy veteran of nine years, […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
The Art of Subsitution
"Throwing on a substitute in a soccer game can be like throwing dice: You win some, you lose some," writes the New York Times' Rob Hughes, but "the gambles Wednesday in World Cup qualifiers and friendly games alike provided some career-changing benefits" as well as dramatic victories, with Mexican coach Javier Aguirre being "the biggest […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
The Good, The Bad and The Ugly of U.S. Summer
While the Summer of Soccer was a huge victory for the sport in America, unfortunately for the U.S. men’s national team and all its highs in South Africa, it ends with a pretty low low and “the bitter taste of yet another loss to Mexico at Estadio Azteca.” SI.com’s Jonah Freeman looks at what has […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Mexico Grabs Momentum Back in Border Rivalry
As much as domestic soccer fans might not want to admit it, what is clear coming out of Wednesday's wince-worthy letdown, coupled with the 5-0 Gold Cup catastrophe, is that whatever psychological edge the USA once had over its border rivals during these last several years is all but gone. "Beating the Americans in consecutive […]
Posted inCollege Soccer Reporter, Story
Rooting for Two-Boys …
MEN’S NEWS … The annual Hermann Trophy Watch List came out, and Creighton’s Byron Dacy achieved a first by earning a fourth listing. He’s a fifth-year senior, having red-shirted in 2007 with an ACL tear.
* The player we’re pulling for: UAB senior Two-Boys Gumede. Full name: Two-Boys Gladstone Gumede. South African-born. Came to the United States on an exchange program and played for Javanon in Louisville. Also missed the 2007 season … he returned home to see his ill mother and grandmother for the first time in six years and South African authorities, he says, then wouldn’t allow him to leave.
* Look for men’s conference polls next week.
Posted inCollege Soccer Reporter, Story
Stanford gets Pac-10 nod over UCLA
WOMEN’S NEWS … Soccer America’s College Soccer Reporter is back on its daily (Monday-Friday) schedule for the 2009 college season.
* The women’s conference polls are out. But before we forget …
* 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.
* Here’s how women’s coaches see things in some major conferences …
* PAC-10. UCLA won its fourth straight conference title — perfect at 9-0-0 — and advanced to the College Cup for the sixth straight year, but Stanford gets the nod (by two points) in the preseason poll.
Elsewhere, no real surprises …
* ACC. It’s unanimous: defending national champion North Carolina, winner of 20 of 22 conference titles.
* BIG EAST. Notre Dame and West Virginia get to nod to win their respective divisions.
* BIG TEN. Coaches picked Penn State (with freshman sensation Christine Nairn) to win a record 12th straight title.
* BIG 12. Texas A&M (with two goalies, Kristin Arnold and Kelly Dyer, on the preseason all-Big 12 team) and Missouri tied for first.
* WCC. Portland (with no national team conflicts — for once) is picked to repeat.
Click here for the preseason conference rankings and all-conference teams …
* For the fifth consecutive season, the NSCAA College Game of the Week will appear on Fox Soccer Channel: eight women’s and 12 men’s matches. West Coast fans will like these women’s matchups: Oct. 30 — UCLA-USC, Nov. 1 — Santa Clara-Portland, Nov. 8 — Stanford-California.
* Sad news for Duke’s Ashley Rape. The 2008 Freshman All-American re-tore the same ACL she injured last season and had surgery on Friday. She will miss the 2009 season.
* It was the Irish over the Irish Tuesday night in Indianapolis. Ellen Jantsch gave Notre Dame a 1-0 exhibition victory over the touring Ireland national team before a crowd of approximately 2,000 fans at Kuntz Stadium.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
KC’s debuts new coach; Vital home tests for TFC, RSL
[MLS PREDICTIONS] Toronto FC and D.C. United meet at BMO Field after being roughed up by Real Madrid, the surging Galaxy hosts the reeling Sounders, Real Salt Lake welcomes Houston to Rio Tinto Stadium for the first time, and Kansas City plays its first game with interim head coach Peter Vermes in charge at home against Chicago. For all of Soccer America’s predictions, as well as TV viewing information, and to see how Ridge Mahoney fared so far this season …
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Missing stars impact Freedom-Sky Blue FC opener
[WPS PLAYOFFS] . The Washington Freedom is favored against visiting Sky Blue FC Saturday when Women’s Professional Soccer kicks off its unique playoff format (TV: Fox Sports Net, live, 4 pm ET). The Freedom has beaten Sky Blue twice and tied it once this season but will be without French star Sonia Bompastor, who has joined the Bleues to prepare for the UEFA Women’s Championship. A bigger loss than Bompastor for Washington could be central defender Anita Asante for Sky Blue FC. Asante has left to join England in training for Finland ’09.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Dempsey re-signs with Fulham for big money
[AMERICANS ABROAD] Clint Dempsey, who joined the EPL club from the New England Revolution, has signed a new contract with Fulham through the summer of 2013. The 26-year-old has scored 14 goals in 81 Premier League games and was tied for the team scoring lead last season with seven.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Biggest English Premier League deals
[TRANSFER WATCH] It’s been a relatively quiet summer on the English Premier League transfer market. The spender has been Manchester City, which has been involved in five of the 10 biggest deals involving EPL buyers. City has spent $155 million on summer signings and the transfer market is not yet closed.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Arsenal player offers shirt refunds
[OFF THE POST] Arsenal’s Danish forward Nicklas Bendtner changed his number from 26 to his lucky number 52 – and is offering to reimburse fans who bought replica jerseys with his old number.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Club-by-club summer moves
[ENGLAND] Though they are not expected to see regular first-team action any time soon, a pair of U.S. collegians Anton Peterlin (Cal Poly) and Cody Arnoux (Wake Forest) signed this summer with Everton. For all the summer moves in the English Premier League …
Posted inSoccer America Daily, What They're Saying
What They’re Saying
“Judging by how I felt during other flus and colds [in the past], this doesn’t seem as bad, so maybe I got a mild strain of it. The [doctors] don’t know a ton, so I’m just trying to keep myself away from people and just go by how I feel each day.”
— U.S. midfielder Landon Donovan, who said he found out on Thursday, the day after he played 90 minutes in the USA’s 2-1 loss to Mexico, that he has been diagnosed with Swine Flu (H1N1 virus). He was tested on Sunday at the U.S. training camp in Miami because he “felt real bad.” Donovan assisted on the USA’s goal but lost the ball before Mexico’s first goal and was beaten by Efrain Juarez when he assisted on the gamewinner. (SI.com)
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Beckham’s World Cup quest
[ENGLAND] The Los Angeles Galaxy’s David Beckham started for England in its 2-2 friendly home tie with the Netherlands on Wednesday. He was subbed at halftime, when the Dutch had a two-goal lead. The Mirror said Beckham’s performance proved he deserved a spot in the 2010 World Cup squad, but other reviews weren’t quite as flattering.
Posted inSoccer on TV., Story
Soccer on TV
The English Premier League season kicks off this weekend. In USL action, Miami hosts Minnesota on Friday. WPS playoffs start on Saturday when Sky Blue takes on Washington. MLS and Mexican matches will be played throughout the weekend.
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Hey England, ‘Put a Sock In It’
Leave it to the British press to give a post-match report the headline "Time for England to just put a sock in it and play …", but so read the Daily Mail as Martin Samuel took England to task for a less than overwhelming effort in a 2-2 comeback against the Netherlands and called for […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Romario Return to Fulfill Father’s Final Desire
After he'd "hung up his boots over a year ago, after a long and distinguished career spanning 23 years and over 1,000 goals by his personal count," 43-year-old Brazilian legend Romario "has confirmed he is coming out of retirement to fulfill his late father's wishes and play for Rio de Janeiro club America," according to […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Casey Comeback Keeping Colorado Afloat
Once known only within MLS circles as "a striker who made two unremarkable appearances as a sub for Toronto FC after three seasons during which he scored only three goals for his Bundesliga club," according to Elias Sports Bureau's Peter Hirdt, Colorado Rapids forward Conor Casey has "has revived his career and with it the […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Dos Santos Rising Up to Meet Expectations
In an article leading up to the massive USA-Mexico match, the New York Times' Jere Longman wondered what many fans south of the border have: if "young forward Giovani dos Santos will again be considered the future of Mexican soccer"? Having disappointed at different points in his still young career, but recently reignited wonder boy […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Bocanegra: ‘My Bad’ on Late Mexico Gamewinner
It's tough to step up and admit a mistake in a match as meaningful as Wednesday's World Cup qualifier in Mexico City, but that's basically what U.S. defender Carlos Bocanegra did after the game, according to goal.com. "Me and Landon [Donovan] maybe got a little confused at the end. Maybe should've stayed inside and pushed […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Aguirre: ‘We Deserve a Taco After Eating …”
Tequila wasn't the only thing that the Mexican national team was likely enjoying after its emboldening 2-1 win over the USA, according to Coach Javier Aguirre. "Today we deserve a taco, because we had eaten nothing but (crap) for the last three to four months, excuse my language," said the relieved boss, who has done […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Lesson For U.S. Future: Holding Leads Means World Cup Wins
Echoing the frustration felt from dedicated footy fans to fair-weather “Sports Center” followers, the New York Times’ Michael Lewis provides perhaps the understatement of the U.S. Soccer year, saying “if the U.S. national team wants to make any sort of an impact in next year’s FIFA World Cup, it will have to find a way […]