The Mexican League is renowned for its flowing, attacking style, but little scoring has been on display so far as eight Mexican teams vie for two Copa Libertadores spots in the USA-hosted InterLiga. Three goals in four matches is the aggregate after Club America beat Morelia, 1-0, following a 0-0 tie between Toluca and Atlas Thursday night in the Group A Interliga openers at Robertson Stadium in Houston.
Author Archives: Ridge Mahoney
Posted inSoccer America Magazine, Story
Peter Nowak: A Mental Approach
Peter Nowak is the only man to win an MLS title as a player (Chicago, 1998) and head coach (D.C. United, 2004). The former Polish international fills a dual role as assistant coach to Bob Bradley with the national team and head coach of the U-23 team vying to qualify for the 2008 Olympics.
Posted inSoccer America Magazine, Story
Pia Sundhage: A Way of Living
For the first time, U.S. Soccer has hired a foreigner to coach its women’s team. Former Swedish star Pia Sundhage brings two decades of international experience as a player and three seasons coaching in the WUSA to her new job. Most important, she brings a passion for soccer that she hopes will rub off on her players.
Posted inSoccer America Magazine, Story
MLS: A-Team Takes on San Jose
First owned by MLS, then owned or operated by various out-of-town ownership groups, and finally shipped off to Houston, the former San Jose franchise never took root in the Bay Area. But a group fronted by Oakland A’s co-owners Lew Wolff and John Fisher is gearing up to launch the expansion Quakes this spring.
Posted inSoccer America Confidential, Story
Calendar for 2008 already getting crowded
Three major international soccer competitions are scheduled for next year, yet there won’t be a shortage of foreign opposition for MLS teams.
Posted inSoccer America Confidential, Story
MLS shouldn’t play the slots
There will be more foreign players in MLS next season, as the league has increased the limit per team from seven to eight, and removed the limitations teams can field no more than four senior (25 and older) and three youth internationals. Age designations have been eliminated. With many good American players heading overseas each year instead of signing with MLS, league officials and many coaches fear a fairly rapid rate of expansion – 13 teams in 2007, 14 teams next season, perhaps 16 teams as soon as 2009 – could markedly deplete the talent pool, and degrade the quality of play.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Nowak returns from China with some answers
Peter Nowak was almost home, back to his residence in Naples, Fla., but he had one more layover and one more flight to endure. “Almost home,” he said on his cell phone after eating dinner with U.S. head coach Bob Bradley and several U.S. Soccer staff members during the layover. “It was a long trip, 17 days, but I think some good came out of it.”
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
U.S. U-23s give up three-goal lead vs. China
Three days after tying the Chinese U-23 team 0-0, the U.S. U-23s shared six goals with the 2008 Olympic Games host to conclude a two-game tour. Robbie Rogers, Patrick Ianni and Charlie Davies scored in the first 32 minutes as the Americans built a 3-0 halftime lead, but a slew of U.S. substitutions at the break prompted a Chinese rally that left the teams tied, 3-3.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
U.S. Olympic hopefuls tie in China
They hope to be in Beijing in eight months for the Olympic Games; to that end, the U.S. under-23s played the first of their two games in the host country Thursday and tied, 0-0, in front of 30,000 fans in Changsa, China.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Wizards clear political hurdle for stadium project
Political obstacles have delayed or tripped up several stadium projects in the 13-year history of MLS, but count Kansas City among the eventual winners. Banished to a minor-league baseball park for the next two seasons because of renovations at Arrowhead Stadium, if all goes as planned the Wizards will have their own home in 2010 and might never play at Arrowhead again.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Revived Quakes sorting out stadium situation
Renovations to Buck Shaw Stadium, which operator-investor Lewis Wolff says will cost between $1 million and $2 million, won’t be completed until early spring, so the expansion San Jose Earthquakes will start their home schedule April 12 against Chicago at the Oakland Coliseum.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
MLS defender shuffle continues
Thirteen months after being honored as MLS Defender of the Year, Bobby Boswell is leaving D.C. United. Boswell, who lost and regained his starting spot several times last season and sat out the conference semifinal, first leg against Chicago (a 1-0 loss) that eventually eliminated D.C., 3-2, on aggregate, is the newest member of the two-time defending champion Houston Dynamo.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Money, other issues drove Osorio to New York
Red Bull New York will give up its No. 1 pick, the seventh choice overall, in next year’s SuperDraft as part of the compensation package for luring head coach Juan Carlos Osorio away from Chicago, according to a source.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Don Garber beefs up MLS and SUM
Since he left NFL Europe to assume the helm of Major League Soccer in 1999, Don Garber has expanded the reach of the league internally as well as among its ownership group. He has added executives from other American sports leagues, including the NFL.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Osorio leaves Chicago for Red Bulls
A gain for Red Bull New York is a loss for Chicago, and a reprieve for Chivas USA. Juan Carlos Osorio, passed over twice in previous coaching searches by the dysfunctional MLS franchise previously known as the MetroStars, is bolting from the Fire five months after leaving his native Colombia to coach in MLS. Osorio’s move to Red Bull, where he replaces Bruce Arena, leaves Preki — who had pursued the Red Bull job — still in charge of Chivas USA, and Chicago in a major lurch.
Posted inSoccer America Confidential, Story
Gansler departure leaves void in Toronto
Remember the item of a few months back referring to a “disgruntled Eastern Conference assistant coach?” He wasn’t, as some suspected, working for Red Bull New York, at which confusion or miscommunication between former head coach Bruce Arena and his assistants filtered down to the players and helped trigger Arena’s departure shortly after RBNY was eliminated in the playoffs.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Early start to test MLS drawing power
The league schedule won’t be released until January at the earliest, but the lineup for opening weekend of the 2008 season is known. And for a few games at least, heavy jackets, thick gloves, and hot chocolate are recommended. After kicking off its season the first weekend of April for the past few seasons, MLS is moving up its start date.
Posted inSoccer America Magazine, Story
MLS Playoff 2007 Best XI
Around the world, cup competitions are a volatile, unpredictable counterpart to the long grinding slog of league play. In the United States, the MLS season is condensed into a frantic burst of tense showdowns that determine the champion.
Posted inSoccer America Magazine, Story
MLS Cup 2007: Dynamo Dynasty
Houston matched D.C. United’s back-to-back championships in the first two MLS seasons by rallying to beat New England, just as it did in last year’s final. This time, it came back from a 1-0 deficit to win, 2-1, in overtime to win the fourth title in franchise history.
Posted inSoccer America Magazine, Story
The Best of MLS
An influx of new players – DPs, youth and senior internationals and drafted rookies – produced the deepest player pool in league history. That depth and quality are reflected in the annual Soccer America positional rankings.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
More South America shopping by D.C. United
The pursuit of Argentine midfielder Juan Sebastian Veron by D.C. United has reached the stage that Veron’s wife has reportedly been hunting for homes in the area. Veron, 32, has been playing in Argentina for Estudiantes while D.C. tries to work out a deal that won’t necessarily cost the club a DP slot. But it doesn’t have the big chunks of allocation money it had last winter when it acquired Brazilians Fred and Luciano Emilio, and it may or may not have additional salary cap space that would be created by the possible departures of Bolivian Jaime Moreno (unlikely) and Argentine Christian Gomez (possible).
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Pia Sundhage sets first camp for U.S. women
The first training camp conducted by recently hired U.S. women’s national team camp Pia Sundhage will be brief, but it will be important. She has just eight months to repair the effects of a goalkeeping controversy and a humiliating 4-0 loss to Brazil in the Women’s World Cup semifinals before the Americans defend their 2004 Olympic gold medal at the 2008 Games in Beijing.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
U.S. Olympic team takes shape
Aside from notable absences, including Freddy Adu, the players summoned to Home Depot Center this week by U.S. U-23/Olympic coach Peter Nowak are expected to fill a few vital slots in the squad he’ll take to Beijing in August, assuming the U.S. qualifies.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
The stark fact that England must face
‘Tis the season to dump on English soccer, so here we go, with the proviso that for about the past decade it has been my contention that the blast and dazzle of the English Premier League has so mesmerized certain fans, managers and players they believe only cheating opponents, diabolic refereeing decisions and haphazard preparations have prevented England from World Cup success.