Author Archives: Soccer America

U.S. U-23 national team coach Clive Charles has announced the 20-man roster for the squad’s friendly against their German counterparts on Feb. 6. For the first time in U.S. Soccer history, the USA’s top two men’s teams — the men’s national team and U-23 national team — will play a marquee doubleheader against their counterparts […]

FEATURES U.S. Is Hooked On Bad Habit: Not Scoring By Jerry Trecker in Santa Cruz, Bolivia Brian McBride: ‘A Chance For Redemption’ Interview by Ridge Mahoney A Crucial Friendly For Germany By Mike Woitalla MLS Draft Preview By Ridge Mahoney American Soccer Is Still A Long Way Away By Paul Kennedy MLS: Front Offices Tackle […]

CONCACAF (the governing body for soccer in North and Central America) has announced that the CONCACAF Champions’ Cup will be played August, 1999, and in August of succeeding years, as part of the effort to establish a regular calendar of CONCACAF events within the complex international calendar. The winner of the CONCACAF Champions’ Cup will […]

FIFA, the world governing body of soccer, has announced the team of World Stars that will face the U.S. women’s national team in the first-ever FIFA Women’s World All-Star Game to be held Feb. 14 at Spartan Stadium in San Jose, Calif. The Women’s World Cup Final Draw will be conducted at halftime on a […]

Joe Cannon, a San Francisco Bay Area product and former Santa Clara University all-America who was one of the top goalkeepers in the A-League in 1998, will join the San Jose Clash after agreeing to a contract with MLS. Cannon, 24, was named Most Valuable Player for the A-League’s San Diego Flash last season, as […]

The U.S. men’s U-17 national team departs for Buenos Aires on Jan. 28 to play their first and only scheduled 1999 friendlies before beginning CONCACAF qualifying for the 1999 U-17 World Cup in February. The squad, led by head coach John Ellinger, will play the Boca Juniors youth team on Feb. 1 before squaring off […]

The U.S. men’s U-20s downed Denmark 1-0 on Jan. 24 in their first international match of 1999. The game was each team’s first in the Copa de Atlantico tournament being held in the Canary Islands. New England Revolution forward Jamar Beasley scored the contest’s lone goal in the 24th minute off an assist from Nick […]

The U.S. men’s national team played an entertaining, attacking brand of soccer, yet failed to crack the Bolivian goal as the teams played to a scoreless draw in Santa Cruz, Bolivia. The match, which was the second for the U.S. under new head coach Bruce Arena, was the culmination of two weeks of training and […]

Justin Lovich Pittsburgh FIFA President Sepp Blatter is considering a change in the World Cup format which would make the World Cup a biennial event. I understand that UEFA is not happy with the proposal, so much so that they are considering seceding from FIFA. Is UEFA’s stance a true possibility, or just a threat? […]

Bolivia vs. USA (International Friendly) Jan. 24 at Stadio de Tahuichi in Santa Cruz, Bolivia. (No U.S. Television.) HISTORY Bolivia has traditionally been one of the weakest countries in South America. It has qualified for only three World Cups (1930, ’50 and ’94). Its greatest feats came in 1963 when it hosted and won the […]

The 1999 MLS College Draft and the 1999 MLS Supplemental Draft will be held Feb. 7. Here is a look at the order for the two drafts. 1999 MLS College Draft FIRST ROUND 1. D.C. United (from New England) 2. Kansas City Wizards 3. San Jose Clash 4. Chicago Fire (from Tampa Bay) 5. Miami […]

U.S. Soccer has announced that the U.S. Cup ’99 will take place as doubleheaders on March 11 and 13 in Los Angeles and San Diego, respectively. The three teams joining the host United States to make up the four-team field are Bolivia, Guatemala and two-time defending champion Mexico. The U.S. national team will open the […]

Freshman of the Year Taylor Twellman (Maryland) Twellman became the go-to-guy on the forward line for the Terrapins. His 40 points — 16 goals (six gamewinners) and eight assists — led the team by a large margin. The Terrapins would not have reached the final four in Richmond without Twellman. He scored the winning goals […]

Justi Baumgardt and Samantha Baggett are the first floaters to be brought into the U.S. womenÆs national team residency camp in Florida. Baggett, a former Duke defender, impressed U.S. coach Tony DiCicco during the U.S. U-21 camp that was held concurrently with the first few days of the womenÆs camp. Baumgardt, a one-time all-America midfielder […]

The American media’s attitude to sports outside of U.S. borders reminds me of the old gag: Q: “What’s the difference between ignorance and indifference? A: “We don’t know and we don’t care.” The latest reminder came in the wake of Michael Jordan’s retirement. That wonderful player deserves the paeans. But American sports pundits who try […]

Freshman of the Year Mary-Frances Monroe (Connecticut) Mary-Frances Monroe filled the void left by the graduation of Sara Whalen, scoring 24 goals and 17 assists for 65 points. She broke the Connecticut single-season mark of 64 set by Whalen in 1997. The 5-foot Monroe set a UConn and Big East record by scoring in 15 […]

FIFA has awarded the United States the 1998 FIFA Fair Play award for the team’s promotion of FIFA’s Fair Play ideals in its 1998 World Cup match with Iran. Both Iran and Northern Ireland shared the prestigious honor with the U.S. “In the middle of the World Cup, the Iranians and Americans provided a powerful […]

Five Major League Soccer teams were involved in trades Jan. 20, including deals featuring two of the league’s top three all-time leading goal scorers and a championship goalkeeper. Raul Diaz Arce, MLS’ all-time leader in goals (56) and points (128), was traded from the New England Revolution to the MetroStars for Giovanni Savarese, who ranks […]

FEATURES Wynalda Saga Moves South Of The Border By Ridge Mahoney Is Tony Sanneh Part Of An Exodus? By Ridge Mahoney A-League: Sacramento Teams Affiliate By Poul Swain Asia Cannot Shake Reputation For Scandal Italy: Veteran Mancini Inspires Lazio England: Good Times Back To Anfield Spain: DeBoers Finally Join Barca Germany: ‘Der Bomber’ Scores COLUMNS […]

MLS teams are busy finalizing details for preseason training. Here’s a tentative look at each team’s plans, as well as their preseason rosters as of Jan. 20: Chicago Fire PRESEASON ACTIVITIES The Fire’s training camp opens Feb. 1 in Myrtle Beach, S.C. Chicago is scheduled to face D.C. United in Myrtle Beach on Feb. 13 […]

In a Jan. 13 vote, the Renton (Wash.) School District Board unanimously approved a two-year agreement allowing the A-League’s Seattle Sounders to play their regular season and playoff games at Renton Memorial Stadium. The Renton School District spent $2.5 million dollars renovating the community stadium, which replaces Seattle Memorial Stadium, the team’s home since 1994. […]

The 14-year-old United Systems of Independent Soccer Leagues, which brought professional soccer and high level amateur soccer to small and medium sized markets and serves as a major support system for Major League Soccer, has a new name: United Soccer Leagues. Commissioner Francisco Marcos, who founded the organization in 1986 as a modest five-team indoor […]

U.S. national team coach Bruce Arena has named an 18-player roster that will travel to Bolivia to face that country in a friendly Jan. 24 in Santa Cruz. The U.S. men completed their training camp in Florida by downing the Bayer Leverkusen reserves 3-1. Roy Lassiter, Brian McBride and Joe-Max Moore (on a penalty) scored […]

Two MLS teams have swapped Project-40 players, with Columbus gaining promising goalkeeper Matt Napoleon from Miami for left-footed defender Tim Sahaydak. Assigned to the Crew last week after a year and a half of rehabilitating his anterior cruciate ligament (right knee), Sahaydak joins Alen Kozic and Carlos Parra as the Fusion’s third active Project-40 player. […]

U.S. women’s national team forward Mia Hamm has won the 1998 Chevrolet/U.S. Soccer Female Athlete of the Year award. The annual award, based on competing and excelling at the highest level of soccer offered by U.S. Soccer for the calendar year, was presented today in Orlando, Fla. The awards, accolades and broken records just keep […]