Author Archives: Soccer America

FREE! 1,000 mini-balls at the Silver XI unveiling 4pm at the Ukrops Main Stage. MLS coaches Bruce Arena (D.C. United) and Ron Newman (Kansas City Wizards) will be at FanZone today in Richmond, Va. to present College Soccer’s top award (the Hermann Trophy) and to announce the winners of the Soccer America Silver XI. The […]

First Team Pos. Name Year College GK Jon Busch Junior UNC Charlotte D Tahj Jakins Senior UCLA D Pete Santora Senior Furman D John Stratton Senior Air Force MF Mike Fisher Senior Virginia MF Steve Klein Senior Bowling Green MF Mike Mekelburg Senior South Florida F Tony Kuhn Junior Vanderbilt F Ignace Moleka Senior Florida […]

Group 5 Dec. 14 in Nicosia Cyprus 1 Bulgaria 3. Goals: Pittas 29; Balakov 23, 34, Iliev 70. Att.: n/a. Standings Team GP W T L GF GA P Russia 3 2 1 0 9 1 7 Bulgaria 3 2 0 1 6 4 3 Israel 3 1 1 1 3 4 4 Cyprus 3 […]

Costa Rica’s all-out attack dazzles while its fans shower American players. By Mike Woitalla in San Jose, Costa Rica When Christopher Columbus landed in Costa Rica, he thought he’d found the Garden of Eden. For the U.S. national team, this place turned hellish. “The worst place I ever played,” striker Eric Wynalda said. More than […]

The U.S. Youth Boys Olympic Development Program held its annual national trials over thanksgiving weekend in Cocoa, Fla. Two hundred players from across the country trained and competed in the five-day interregional event. USSF national staff coaches were in attendance, and they selected the following players for the U-15, U-16 and U-17 national pools. U-17 […]

The following members of the U.S. national team are the three finalists for the 1996 Honda Player of the Year Award: Goalie Kasey Keller (Leicester City, England); Striker Roy Lassiter (Tampa Bay Mutiny & Genoa, Italy); and Striker Eric Wynalda (San Jose Clash). This is the second final-three nomination for Wynalda, the 1992 winner, and […]

The Mexican soccer federation (FMF) national council has ended weeks of speculation by deciding to keep former U.S. national team coach Bora Milutinovic as national team coach through World Cup ’98 qualifying. It rejected a contingency plan to keep Milutinovic through U.S. Cup ’97 before deciding on a replacement. He plans on taking a team […]

Ignace Moleka scored in the 65th minute to extend FIU’s lead to 3-0. The goal was the results of a beautiful combination of passes between Moleka, Alen Kozic, and Danny Vargas. The latter finally latched onto a pass from Kozic and took the ball into the penalty area. Vargas then beat Charlotte defender Jim Kunevicius […]

Alen Kozic scored in the 41st minute to give FIU a 1-0 lead over UNC Charlotte. The game has just reached halftime. It has been a scrappy, rushed game thus far, with both teams creating good chances in the first few minutes. The goal came late in the half, when FIU’s Mario Pino sent a […]

Jorge Del Corral scored in the 82nd minute to put FIU ahead 4-0. He beat Busch one-on-one from about ten yards out with a right-footed shot to the right corner.

Tyrone Marshall scored in the 56th minute to put Florida International up 2-0 over UNC Charlotte. After an FIU corner kick, a UNC Charlotte defender attempted to head the ball out, but it went towards Marshall, whose brilliant bicycle kick from 14 yards out beat Charlotte keeper Busch to the left corner.

Dec. 13 in Richmond, Va. Florida International 4 UNC Charlotte 0. Goals: Kozic (Pino, Marshall) 40:42, Marshall (Cain) 56:14, Moleka (Vargas) 63:37, Del Corral 83:12. Florida International — Fontana, Birusingh, Cain, Steele, Fajardo, Pino, Vargas, Carroll, Kozic, Marshall, Moleka. Subs: Arriaza, Del Corral, Leefah, Andersen, Munero, Henriquez. UNC Charlotte — Busch, Daughtry, Routhier, Kunevicius, Parry, […]

Jesse Van Saun scored in the 63rd minute to give St. John’s a 2-1 lead over Creighton in their semifinal match. Creighton defender Geoff Huber lost the ball in his own half to Ricardo Joseph of St. John’s. Joseph quickly passed the ball into the penalty area to Jimmy Buscemi, who faked out a defender […]

St. John’s and Creighton are tied 1-1 after 45 minutes of play in Richmond, Va. Despite persistent drizzle after a large rainstorm this morning, the match has been well-played. St. John’s had the better of play in the early going, with Wojtek Krakowiak causing problems for Creighton’s defense. However, as the half progressed, Johnny Torres […]

Ross Paule equalized for Creighton in the 33rd minute. Bluejay forward Johnny Torres made a long run from midfield to the edge of the penalty area, where he laid the ball off to his teammate. Paule then lifted the ball over the keeper from about ten yards out for the tying score.

Dec. 13 in Richmond, Va. St. John’s 2 Creighton 1. Goals: W. Krakowiak (Hickey) 26:50, Van Saun (Acquista, Buscemi) 63:58; Paule (Torres) 31:51. St. John’s — Braga, Daly, Wile, Miglioranzi, P. Krakowiak, Champagnie, Joseph, Hickey, Van Saun, Buscemi, W. Krakowiak. Subs: Acquista, Kulego, Cusano. Creighton — Epperson, Wright, Madeley, Renfurm, Mulrooney, Paule, Bernal, Deist, Martin, […]

Wojtek Krakowiak scored in the 27th minute to give St. John’s a 1-0 lead over Creighton in the first NCAA men’s semifinal in Richmond, Va. The Red Storm scored when English midfielder Ben Hickey’s shot from the edge of the penalty area was deflected by Creighton defender Marc Madeley into the path of the unmarked […]

St. John’s has defeated Creighton 2-1 in the first of two NCAA men’s semifinal matches in Richmond, Va. The Red Storm controlled the play for most of the second half, with Jesse Van Saun’s 64th minute strike proving to be the gamewinner. A last-ditch effort by Creighton produced a couple of good chances, but the […]

Creighton No. Name Pos. Yr. Hometown 00 Jon Epperson GK Jr. Denver, Colo. 0 Nick Abbott GK Fr. Santa Rosa, Calif. 1 Tom Zawislan GK Fr. Brampton, Ontario 2 David Wright D/MF Fr. Louisville, Ky. 4 Brad McTighe F Sr. Overland Park, Ks. 6 Marc Madeley D Jr. Austin, Texas 7 Zion Renfurm F Jr. […]

D.C. United’s Argentine defender Mario Gori has signed a lengthy contract extension with Major League Soccer, team GM Kevin Payne announced Dec. 11. The 23-year-old Gori was an integral part of D.C.’s championship run, starting all six post-season games and limiting Washington’s opponents to just seven goals. “We are very excited that Mario will be […]

Group A Dec. 10 in Abu Dhabi UAE 2 Indonesia 0. Goals: H. Ahmed 14, Al Talyani 65. Att.: 10,000. South Korea 0 Kuwait 2. Goals: Al-Houwaidi 60, Abdulaziz 87. Att.: 3,000. Final Standings Team GP W T L GF GA P *UAE 3 2 1 0 6 3 7 *Kuwait 3 1 1 1 […]

U.S. Soccer has announced that Mexico, Denmark, and Peru will join the USA in vying for U.S. Cup ’97. Here is the schedule for the tournament Date Match Venue Kickoff Jan. 17 USA vs. Peru Jack Murphy Stadium 7:00 p.m. (PT) Jan. 17 Mexico vs. Denmark Jack Murphy Stadium 9:15 p.m. (PT) Jan. 19 Peru […]

Antony De Avila, the diminutive Colombian international striker who made a successful late-season MLS debut in 1996, will be back with the MetroStars after signing a new two-year contract, team GM Charlie Stillitano announced. De Avila, known as “Pitufo” or “the Smurf”, was obtained by the club on Aug. 14, and proceeded to score six […]

FIFA has announced that the three finalists for its 1996 Player of the Year award are Ronaldo (Barcelona and Brazil), Alan Shearer (Newcastle and England), and George Weah (AC Milan and Liberia). A record 120 national team coaches chose their top three players in this year’s voting. Weah won the honor in 1995. The winner […]

Features The Rapid Rise Of Eddie Pope By Duncan Irving Does MLS Help Sell U.S. Teams? By Ridge Mahoney UNC Charlotte Leads Surprise Final Four Field By Steve Goldberg Norwegians Oust AC Milan From Champions League North Carolina Women Return To Top By Dean Caparaz Trapattoni Causes Klinsmann’s Discontent at Bayern Columns Soccer Talk — […]