Author Archives: Mike Woitalla

[MLS NAMES & NUMBERS] The two teams with the league’s most potent attacks provided an exciting display in Sunday’s ABC-televised game as host D.C. United romped past the Los Angeles Galaxy. For this weekend’s MLS highlights. …

[GERMANY-TURKEY REPORT CARD] With a squad depleted by injuries and suspensions, Turkey managed to outshoot Germany, 20-9 and had more possession. But the Germans prevailed, 3-2, in the Euro 2008 semifinal. Left back Philipp Lahm scorched a shot past Turkish keeper in the 90th minute to send the Germans into the final against the winner of Thursday’s Spain-Russia semifinal. Soccer America’s Mike Woitalla grades the players.

[AMERICANS ABROAD] U.S. national team captain Carlos Bocanegra has signed with French First Division club Rennes. The defender underwent a physical Tuesday and inked a three-year contract. Bocanegra, whose pro career started with the Chicago Fire in 2000, leaves English Premier League club Fulham, for which he played 116 EPL games since January 2004.

[SPAIN-GREECE REPORT CARD] Defending European champion Greece exited Euro 2008 as the only team unable to earn a point in its three games after it fell, 2-1, to Spain, which is perfect at the tournament. The Spaniards also extended their win streak to nine games and their unbeaten run to 19 while fielding second-stringers. Soccer America’s Mike Woitalla grades the players.

[AUSTRIA-GERMANY REPORT CARD] Needing just a tie against co-host Austria, which required a victory to advance, to reach the quarterfinals, Germany prevailed, 1-0, in the scrappy affair thanks to Michael Ballack‘s 25-yard free kick early in the second half. Soccer America’s Mike Woitalla grades the players.

The USA had prepared with friendlies against England, Spain and Argentina – three matches in which the Americans failed to score. Meeting Barbados on Sunday, for their first game of 2010 World Cup qualifying, must have felt like a clash against a Sunday league pub team – and it sure looked like it. Within a minute, Clint Dempsey scored the first goal of a 8-0 rout. A walk in the park next Sunday in the second leg will send the USA into the semifinal group stage of Concacaf qualifying for South Africa 2010. The first-leg win set a couple of U.S. records and included some unique moments. …

Soccer America’s Mike Woitalla grades the U.S. players’ performance in their 8-0 win over Barbados on Sunday. …

[GROUP C REPORT CARDS] The Netherlands, 3-0 winner over Italy in its opening game, outdid itself with a 4-1 win over France. Romania moved into second place in Group C and has a shot at reaching the quarterfinals after it held Italy to a 1-1 tie. Soccer America’s Mike Woitalla and Paul Kennedy grade the players.

[GROUP D REPORT CARDS] Spain recorded a 2-1 victory over Sweden on a dramatic stoppage-time goal to move into the quarterfinals. Russia eliminated defending champion Greece with a 1-0 win. Soccer America’s Mike Woitalla and Paul Kennedy grade the players.

[GROUP A REPORT CARDS] Turkey came back from two goals down with three goals in the last 15 minutes to beat the Czech Republic and move into the quarterfinals at Euro ’08 along with Portugal, which had already clinched a berth in the final eight and fielded a weakened team in its 2-0 loss to Switzerland. Soccer America’s Mike Woitalla and Paul Kennedy grade the players.

[SPAIN-RUSSIA REPORT CARD] David Villa became the first player to score a European Championship hat trick since 2000 when he led Spain to a 4-1 win over Russia. Villa also set up Cesc Fabregas‘ first goal for Spain – its fourth of the game – when he dribbled downfield before chipping a sublime pass to Xavi, whose shot was parried by Russian Igor Akinfeyev for Fabregas to hit home with a diving header. Soccer America’s Mike Woitalla grades the players.

[SWITZERLAND-CZECH REP. REPORT CARD] Alexander Frei, Switzerland’s captain and leading scorer, forced two saves from Czech keeper Petr Cech before suffering a first-half knee injury that takes him out of the tournament. Substitute Vaclav Sverkos latched on to a pass over the Swiss defense to volley low into the goal for the 1-0 gamewinner in the 70th minute. Soccer America’s Mike Woitalla grades the players.

[GERMANY-POLAND REPORT CARD]Germany won its first European Championship game since its victory in the 1996 final when in its Group B opener it downed Poland, 2-0. German striker Lukas Podalski, who was born in Poland, scored in the 20th and 72nd minutes. Each was set up by Miroslav Klose, another Polish-born German. The Germans dominated the first half but the Poles picked up steam after the halftime entry of Roger Guerreiro. Soccer America’s Mike Woitalla grades the players.

[AMERICANS ABROAD] Neven Subotic, who was born in Bosnia before moving to Florida and representing the USA at the 2005 U-17 World Cup, has signed a five-year contract with German First Division club Borussia Dortmund. Subotic, who was discovered by the U.S. U-17 coaching staff while playing pickup games, spent his early childhood in Germany before his family immigrated to the USA.

[SPAIN-USA GRADES] Soccer America’s Mike Woitalla grades the U.S. players’ performance in their 1-0 loss to Spain on Wednesday.

On Wednesday in Spain, the USA matched the performances of 2006 World Cup champ Italy and runner-up France when they went to Spain earlier this year for friendly games. The USA lost, 1-0. The game extended Spain’s undefeated streak to 16 games, but the Americans played an impressive first half in which teenager Freddy Adu demonstrated that he’s ready to become a force on the national team.

The USA begins its quest to qualify for the 2010 World Cup June 15 against a team ranked 117th in the FIFA World Rankings. Today, the USA faces No. 4-ranked Spain. A poor showing in Santander won’t set off any alarm bells regarding the USA’s qualifying chances, but an impressive performance is what it needs to repair its reputation after its poor effort last week in England. A Guardian reporter, for example, belittled the 2-0 England win by claiming “a set of traffic cones would have put up more resistance” than the American players.

[MLS NAMES & NUMBERS] From the penalty spot, Landon Donovan scored his league-leading ninth goal of the season and David Beckham struck from inside his own half as the Galaxy moved into first place in the West. D.C. United ended its losing streak as last year’s leading scorer, Luciano Emilio, finally found the net again. For the weekend’s MLS highlights …