[MLS] The late-season signings continue. Columbus, riding a five-game winning streak in league play and a run of nine games unbeaten in all competitions, might seem well-set for the stretch run of defending its MLS title. Yet it has embarked in group play of Concacaf Champions’ League as well, and thus the signing of 24-year-old Venezuelan striker Emilio Renteria fills the last vacant spot on the 18-man roster as games are about to pile up.
Monthly Archives: August 2009
Posted inSoccer America Daily, What They're Saying
What They’re Saying
“The locker room can get heated and we bring a lot of passion to our game days. Even when this happens, a line cannot be crossed. The team has moved past this incident regarding Denis and Bakary and our focus remains on bringing the MLS Cup back to Chicago this season.”
— Frank Klopas, technical director of the Chicago Fire, which fined its coach Denis Hamlett and defender Bakary Soumare an undisclosed sum for an altercation at halftime of Chicago’s Aug. 9 loss at Houston that the Southtown Star reported was “physical” and that the pair needed to be separated by team personnel.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Feuding Fire foiled by Galaxy
[MLS] Maybe this one can be explained away by fatigue, or turmoil induced by the fining of locker room combatants Denis Hamlett and Bakary Soumare, or simply taking a shorthanded opponent too lightly. Yet championship aspirations require a solid footing, and Chicago gouged deeply into its own foundation by succumbing meekly to Los Angeles, 2-0, at Toyota Park Wednesday in front of a sellout crowd. An enthusiastic few hundred chanted to the end, but many more trudged up the steps to the exits during a depressing second half.
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
Burnley’s Robbie Blake upstages United stars
[ENGLAND] Where are you, Cristiano Ronaldo, when Manchester United needs you? Burnley produced the first upset of the 2009-10 Premier League season when it knocked off defending champion Manchester United, 1-0, for its first win over United in 41 years. The loss underscored the concerns about United’s attacking prowess following the sale of Ronaldo to Real Madrid and United’s failure to secure a deal to keep Carlos Tevez.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Trio of newcomers leads Lyon goalfest (VIDEO)
[UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE] After winning seven straight league titles, French club Lyon finished third in 2008-09, requiring it to enter the UEFA Champions League in the qualifying stage, where it crushed Belgium’s Anderlecht, 5-1, in the first leg on Wednesday. After Lyon lost Karim Benzema to Real Madrid and veteran Juninho to Qatari club Al-Gharafa, there were concerns about its attack, but a trio of new players came up big against Anderlecht.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Sky Blue FC rolls into championship game
[WPS] First, Sky Blue FC knocked off Washington on the road. Next, it won at Saint Louis. After Wednesday’s convincing 1-0 victory over the Athletica in the Super Semifinal, there appears to be no stopping the bottom-seed Sky Blue FC, which moves into Saturday’s WPS championship against the Los Angeles Sol (TV: Fox Sports Net, Comcast Sports Net, live, 4 pm ET/1 pm PT).
Posted inSoccerTalk with Paul Gardner, Story
‘Bloodgate’ takes pro sports to new low
LONDON — This time I’m talking about football. No, not soccer — but the other football that they play here, rugby football. A sport that has always maintained a rather superior attitude to soccer, a sport that has always presented itself as the sport for the middle and upper classes. A cut or two above the demonstrably working-class sport of soccer.
Posted inCollege Soccer Reporter, Story
Big 12 games to air nationally
TELEVISION … Two Big 12 women’s matches will be televised on national television. ESPNU will broadcast the game between preseason co-favorites Texas A&M and Missouri on Oct. 4. FSN will air the Big 12 championship game on Nov. 8.
Posted inCollege Soccer Reporter, Story
Teams begin where they left off
SMALL COLLEGE NEWS … The NSCAA/adidas preseason polls are out, and there are no surprises. The NCAA Division II and III preseason rankings are duplicates of the final 2008 rankings, released after postseason play. That means last year’s champions are all No. 1:
NCAA Men’s Division II Cal State Dominguez Hills
NCAA Men’s Division III Messiah (with first-year coach Brad McCarty in charge)
NCAA Women’s Division II Seattle Pacific
NCAA Women’s Division III Messiah
As for the NAIA rankings, last year’s champions — both Tennessee schools — are No. 1:
NAIA Men Bethel
NAIA Women Lee
Posted inCollege Soccer Reporter, Story
Women’s postseason will look a lot different in 2009
WOMEN’S NEWS … The Soccer America Women’s Preseason All-Americans were released today. Heading the team is Casey Nogueira, the 2008 Soccer America Women’s Player of the Year and one of three North Carolina seniors on the Preseason All-American first team along with Whitney Engen and Tobin Heath. Florida State, Notre Dame and UCLA are the only teams with two players named to the first and second teams.
Of note, seven of the Preseason All-Americans missed the 2008 postseason because they were with the U.S. under-20 national team that won last year’s world championship in Chile. UConn’s Brittany Taylor, a first-team preseason selection, was injured and missed the entire season.
* No women’s coach is more excited than Portland’s Garrett Smith that there will be no international championships during the 2009 postseason. Just about every major program lost at least one player during the NCAA Tournament to the U.S. U-20s. The Pilots, whose record 19-game winning streak ended when they fell to Stanford in the quarterfinals, were without three starters — Elli Reed, Keelin Winters and Michelle Enyeart. Throughout her career, Sophie Schmidt has missed time to represent various Canadian teams. When you consider that Reed, Winters, Enyeart and Schmidt will be available all fall, that Kendra Chandhoke returns after redshirting last season, and U-17 defender Cloee Colohan joins the backline that returns everyone, Portland will be as deep as any team in the country. “We are going to have players on the bench this year that would start in most years,” Smith told the Oregonian. “It’s a talented group.”
* Florida is picked to repeat as SEC champion for the fourth consecutive year in the preseason poll released today. The Gators return eight starters, including All-SEC performers Ashlee Elliott and Lauren Hyde, from last season’s squad that went 11-0-0 in league play. Florida is also picked to win the East, ahead of Georgia. In the West, LSU was first, ahead of Auburn.
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Universidad de Chile and Tigre Advance in Copa Sudamericana
Universidad de Chile advanced to the next round of the Copa Sudamericana, South America’s No. 2 club tournament behind the Copa Libertadores, with a 1-0 away win over Colombian club Deportivo Cali on Tuesday. Walter Montillo struck in the 69th minute to ensure advancement after Cali lost the first leg 2-1 in the Chilean capital […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Germany Keeper Lehmann to Retire
Former Germany goalkeeper Jens Lehmann announced that he will retire at the end of this season. Lehmann said that he wants to see one last year of Champions League soccer with his current club Stuttgart. “Until the end of the season and then that is it,” he said. “It will be good to move out […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Red Bulls Sign Argentine Defender Garcia
Mired in a six-game losing streak, the Red Bulls are desperate for change. On Wednesday, the club signed Walter Garcia, a 25-year-old Argentinean defender from Quilmes Atlético Club of the Argentinean Second Division. “We have been interested in bringing Walter into the club since the beginning of the year,” said New York sporting director Jeff […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Red Bulls Keeper Cepero Talks About Red Bulls’ Slide and What to Do About It
Danny Cepero, who won a starting position as the New York Red Bulls goalkeeper last season, has suffered through a dismal 2009. He communicates some of his frustration in the New York Times’ “Goal” blog. Cepero says, “While I appreciate the ability of my friends, family and even fans, to sugarcoat the current embarrassment, sometimes […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Red Bulls to Overhaul Management After Season Ends
The New York Red Bulls need change. The team hasn’t won in more than three months (14 straight games) going into Sunday’s match against FC Dallas. The average attendance has dropped to all-time low of 12,487 as the team threatens to post the worst record in MLS history. Some fans wore paper bags over their […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Lucky Goals Give Arsenal Edge in Win Over Celtic
Playing away at Celtic, Arsenal capitalized on two lucky bounces to gain a 2-0 victory in the qualifying stages of the Champions League. At the end of the first half, William Gallas accidentally deflected home a 30-meter free kick by Cesc Fabregas. In the second half Celtic defender Gary Caldwell turned a cross from Arsenal […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Innocent Abroad: ‘Sports Guy’ Gives Take On USA-Mexico Qualifier
ESPN’s Bill Simmons, also known as the “Sports Guy,” serves as the snide and opinionated voice for millions of American sports fanatics. After spending his career so far musing on mainstream American sports, he’s turning to soccer, a sport that represents a strange new world for him. Reporting from Azteca on last week’s World Cup […]
Posted inSoccer on TV., Story
Soccer on TV
Houston starts its Concacaf Champions League group play on Wednesday. In MLS midweek action, it’s Chicago-Los Angeles on Wednesday and Seattle-New England on Thursday on EPSN2.
Posted inStory, Youth Soccer Reporter
Volkswagen to send team to South Africa
Volkswagen has launched the Volkswagen Junior Masters, an international youth tournament that will take place in May 2010, prior to the World Cup in South Africa.
Posted inStory, Youth Soccer Reporter
Surf heads National League field
San Diego Surf, winner of the 2009 U.S. Youth Soccer under-15 national championship, heads the entrants in the 2009-10 U.S. Youth Soccer National League. Four runners-up at the 2009 National Championships in Lancaster, Mass., will also participate.
Posted inStory, Youth Soccer Reporter
Rush and SC del Sol romp at ECNL opener
Colorado Rush Nike and SC del Sol were the big winners at the Elite Clubs National League’s inaugural showcase with both clubs having two teams go 3-0 in weekend play.
Posted inStory, Youth Soccer Reporter
Under-15 girls training at the HDC
U.S. U-15 girls national team coach Mike Dickey is holding a week-long training camp for 24 players at the Home Depot Center in Carson, Calif.
Posted inStory, Youth Soccer Reporter
Fourth DiMartino enters girls national team program
Rosie DiMartino will become the fourth DiMartino to participate in the U.S. national team program when she participates in the U-14 national team camp, its only camp of the year, beginning Sunday at the Home Depot Center.
Posted inStory, Youth Soccer Reporter
Indiana teen headed to Argentina
Eric Ramirez-Avila, who played this past season in the Indiana Premier League with the Southern Indiana Fusion, will leave Sunday for a three-month stint with Rosario Central’s youth division team in Argentina.