Author Archives: Ridge Mahoney

[RECAP] All’s well that ends well. The USA, which began the Olympic women’s competition with a 2-0 loss to Norway, ended up winning the group. The USA’s 4-0 win over New Zealand combined with Japan’s 5-1 victory over Norway moved the Americans into Friday’s quarterfinal against Canada. Instead of facing the possibility that they would have to face Brazil and Germany in the next two rounds, Pia Sundhage‘s women avoid the 2007 Women’s World Cup champions and runners-up before the gold-medal game.

Make no mistake, Anschutz Entertainment Group czar Tim Leiweke knows success from failure, how to turn loss into profit, and how to move product and sell tickets. But pick a coach for the Galaxy? The naming of Cobi Jones as interim coach following Ruud Gullit‘s resignation makes it five Galaxy coaches in five years.

[RECAP] The USA was denied of one of its greatest victories in Olympic men’s soccer history when a stoppage-time goal by Gerald Sibon spared the European U-21 champion Netherlands the embarrassment of losing to the Americans. Sunday’s 2-2 tie left the Americans in first place, ahead of Nigeria on total goals, in Group B, but instead of being assured a berth in the quarterfinals, they will probably need a result against Nigeria on Wednesday to advance. A task made all the more difficult because Freddy Adu, excellent against the Oranje, and Michael Bradley will be suspended.

[RECAP] The days of the USA’s total dominance in women’s soccer are over. In its second game at the Olympics, the USA eked out a 1-0 victory over Japan — a scenario that would have been heretofore unimaginable. But after the 2-0 loss to Norway in its opening game, the Americans will take it. With New Zealand on tap for Tuesday, the U.S. women are in good shape to advance to the quarterfinals, but the damage of the Norway loss has been done. They’ll probably have to play Germany or Brazil in the quarterfinals.

[RECAP] With a spirited effort, the U.S. Olympic men’s team beat Japan, 1-0, Thursday in Tianjin, and thanks to good fortune landed in first place in Group B.

[SUPERLIGA] Maybe the second year of SuperLiga didn’t quite match the first edition, which ended when Pachuca edged the Galaxy on penalties at a raucous Home Depot Center, but a few MLS participants are certainly in favor of seeing a third version, at least

[RECAP] New U.S. coach Pia Sundhage asked that her players be more unpredictable, and unpredictable they were. After three wins over Norway by the margin of 12-1 in the last 10 months, who would have predicted the outcome of Wednesday’s Olympic opener in Qinhuangdao? For a recap of the game, Soccer America’s player ratings, reaction from the American press and more …

The USA opens play in the Olympic men’s soccer tournament on Thursday against Japan. With the Netherlands, which won the European U-21 title, and Nigeria, the 1996 gold-medal winner, still to come, both teams regard Thursday’s game as one they can’t afford to lose.

The ultimate tests for an Abby Wambach-less U.S. women won’t come until later in the Olympic soccer tournament, but starting out against traditional rival Norway in Qinhuangdao on Wednesday may be a stiff enough challenge to a team abruptly deprived of its most potent weapon.