Author Archives: Paul Kennedy

[WPS] The inaugural Women’s Professional Soccer race is a runaway. The first-place Los Angeles Sol has double the point total of its closest rival after its 3-1 win over Washington left it with a 12-point lead over the second-place Freedom. The Sol, which got two goals from the league’s top scorer, Frenchwoman Camille Abily, is the only team in the league with a winning record (7-1-3) and positive goal difference (plus-11).

[USL-1] Rarer than a first-minute goal is a first-minute red card, but the Austin Aztex recovered from the rapid dismissal of Michael Callahan for a late tackle on a Charleston player and earned a 1-1 tie with the undefeated Battery on Sunday.

[HEXAGONAL] Javier Aguirre begins his second stint as Mexico’s national team coach when the Tri visits El Salvador’s Cuscatlan Stadium on Saturday (TV: Telemundo, live, 9 pm ET). Eight years ago, he turned the Tri’s foundering World Cup 2002 campaign around and led it to the finals. In its first three games of the 2009 Hexagonal, Mexico lost two of its three games, so it needs at least a point in San Salvador to reverse course.

[WPS] The first-place Los Angeles Sol hosts the second-place Washington Freedom in a battle of Women’s Professional Soccer’s two hottest teams. Both head into the Sunday game (TV: Fox Soccer Channel, live, 6 pm ET/3pm PT) with five-game unbeaten streaks. For all the weekend action …

[WORLD CUP 2010 QUALIFYING] The Netherlands will become the first European country to reach next year’s World Cup finals if it beats Iceland in Reykjavik on Saturday. For a look at the key European games and all the World Cup qualifying action on television …

[WPS] The Los Angeles Sol came from behind to tie the Chicago Red Stars, 1-1, and extend its lead at the top of Women’s Professional Soccer to nine points. The first midweek game in WPS history drew an announced crowd of only 3,832 on a cold and cloudy evening at the Home Depot Center.

[MAKING A LIST] The 3-1 loss to Costa Rica marked the fourth straight time the USA has fallen to Ticos on the road in the Hexagonal. It was arguably the worst performance by the Americans in San Jose with their participation in the World Cup not yet decided. Indeed, it was the worst performance ever by the Americans against any foe in the first half of the Hexagonal.

[AMERICANS ABROAD] Another American snapped up an English Premier League when billionaire Ellis Short took control of Sunderland. The Texan was expected to give new manager Steve Bruce more than $100 million in funds to spend on the summer transfer market.

[EGYPT] Egypt, which will face the USA in its final group game at the Confederations Cup later this month, did not include its best-known player, Mido, in its preliminary 28-player squad for a pair of World Cup qualifiers and the Confederations Cup for what was described as “tactical reasons,” but Coach Hassan Shehata said the EPL striker could be recalled.

[FIFA] On the eve of the FIFA Congress in the Bahamas, the Concacaf Ordinary Congress was held Monday and re-elected Concacaf President Jack Warner and General Secretary Chuck Blazer without opposition to the FIFA Executive Committee for another four years.

[WPS] In consecutive weeks, the Los Angeles Sol’s lead atop Women’s Professional Soccer has grown from three points to six points to eight points. The runaway leader — the only team in WPS with a positive goal difference — improved to 6-1-2 with a 2-0 win over the Saint Louis Athletica on Saturday afternoon at The Home Depot Center.

[USL-1] Carolina and Charleston remained 1-2 in the USL First Division when they both shut out visiting Cleveland, dropping the first-year USL-1 club to 1-6-1. For all the weekend USL-1 action …

[ENGLAND] With Chelsea’s 2-1 win over Everton in Saturday’s FA Cup final, Dutchman Guus Hiddink‘s stint as interim manager is over. Italian Carlo Ancelotti is headed over from AC Milan to manage the Blues. The big question will be, what reinforcements will he bring with him?

[COSTA RICA] Gonzalo Segares of the Chicago Fire and former MLS players Andy Herron and Michael Umana are among the players who have called up for Costa Rica’s World Cup 2010 qualifier against the USA Wednesday at Saprissa Stadium in San Jose.

[WPS] It’s official: Ian Sawyers is out as Sky Blue’s coach and general manager. Kelly Lindsey will be in charge for Sky Blue’s first game at Rutgers’ Yurcak Field on Sunday. Elsewhere, Saint Louis and Washington both take four-game unbeaten streaks into weekend play as the pack tries to close the gap on runaway leader Los Angeles. For a look at all the weekend action …

[HONDURAS] Former Los Angeles Galaxy striker Carlos Pavon and Carlos Costly, who combined for the three goals that neat Mexico, 3-1, in March and cost Tri coach Sven Goran Eriksson his job, will lead Honduras when the Catrachos face the USA June 6 in World Cup qualifying. MLS players in the Catrachos’ squad are Roger Espinoza and Amado Guevara.

[UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE] Will the breakup of Manchester United begin? Soon after Wednesday’s loss to Barcelona, speculation began about the future of United’s big stars. Asked if he’d be back next season, star Cristiano Ronaldo said, “I don’t know.”

[UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE] Is Barcelona the greatest club ever? Real Madrid, winner of its fifth straight European Cup with a 7-3 win over Eintracht Frankfurt in 1960, is considered the greatest club ever, but that was another era. Playing without three starters and using two other starters out of position, Barcelona made Manchester United — the defending champion and winner of the English Premier League — look quite ordinary with a 2-0 win in Wednesday’s final.

[UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE] In one of the most-awaited club matches in years, defending champion Manchester United will face Barcelona Wednesday in the final of the UEFA Champions League in Rome (TV: ESPN, live, 2:30 pm ET). Both teams are loaded with attacking stars, but the game is being billed as a battle between Cristiano Ronaldo of Manchester United and Lionel Messi of Barcelona. Who has the edge?

[USL-1] The Carolina RailHawks won a pair of games on the road and remained first place in the USL First Division, three points ahead of Charleston, which was also victorious in both of its games last week. For all the USL-1 action …

[MLS NAMES & NUMBERS] The Kansas City Wizards held runaway Western Conference leader Chivas USA to a 1-1 tie Saturday at CommunityAmerica Ballpark despite finishing with just nine players. Seattle’s injury woes continued, while Houston came out ahead of the Earthquakes in the increasingly bitter series between former and current San Jose teams. For the weekend MLS highlights …

[AMERICANS ABROAD] It was a big weekend for Americans abroad as Maurice Edu and Oguchi Onyewu, both U.S. national team players of Nigerian descent, captured European league titles, while Texan Jose Francisco Torres moved closer to winning the Mexican Clausura championship. On the final day of play in England, a pair of Americans were victorious in games that sent Northeast giants Newcastle and Middlesbrough packing from the Premier League