Author Archives: Soccer America

[U.S. YOUTH NATIONAL TEAMS] New U.S. under-18 men’s national team coach Mike Matkovich is taking 18 players to Sydney, Australia, where they will compete in the Australian Youth Olympic Festival. For the complete U-18 roster …

I have long been a fan of “The Family Circus” comic strip. Perhaps my favorite strip of all time features the family dog barking up a storm in the middle of the night. Dad, irritated that he’s been awakened from a much-needed sleep, clomps down the stairs to yell at Barfy, who dutifully hangs his head. Dad climbs back up the stairs while the cartoonist has a surprise for us. He pans back so we see in the far corner of the yard a burglar retreating.

“I like [David] Beckham a lot and I’m glad he’s chosen to play in our league. But let’s hope [Milan coach] Carlo Ancelotti fields all his big-name players together. I honestly think that could be an advantage for us as the team would be unbalanced.” Roma’s Francesco Totti looks forward to this coming weekend’s Roma-Milan […]

Former FC Dallas designated failure Denilson, 31, is to have a trial with Bolton Wanderers. The player is a free agent (again) after being released by Brazilian club Palmeiras.

English Premier League deal-maker Keith Harris, responsible for engineering club takeovers, has admitted that the days of billionaires bailing out clubs are over, reports David Conn. Harris cites the no-sale of Newcastle United after three and a half months as hard evidence of what the global economic crisis will mean to soccer.   “The problem […]

[MLS] Akron’s Steve Zakuani, Soccer America Men’s Collegiate Player of the Year 2008, is leaving Akron after his sophomore season to enter the 2009 MLS SuperDraft as a Generation adidas player.

[ITALY] The Los Angeles Galaxy’s David Beckham, who is on loan to AC Milan until the start of the MLS season, made his debut for the Rossoneri in a friendly against Germany’s Hamburg SV in Dubai.

[INTERLIGA] Three nights after playing a 1-1 tie in Houston, Superclasico rivals Guadalajara and Club America stayed tied in the standings by routing their opponents, 3-1, Tuesday at Pizza Hut Park in Frisco, Texas in front of 17,057 fans.

“I’m a professional. You should respect my work, respect me.”

— What Cameroonian Carlos Kameni of Spanish club Espanyol reportedly screamed at the fan he grabbed by the scruff of the neck before teammates pulled him away. The fan had told Kameni not to renew his contract. Kameni said he regretted the incident. (AFP)

Welcome to Soccer America Classifieds, Soccer America’s newest email newsletter connecting soccer companies and organizations to Soccer America members each week. Soccer America Classifieds feature soccer classified advertisements on the latest soccer job openings, soccer products and soccer opportunities. Read Soccer America Classifieds each Wednesday.

[MAKING A LIST] Manchester City is the team most often mentioned in January transfer deals and with good cause. Its new owner, Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed al Nahyan, is the richest man in British soccer with more than double the wealth of the next English Premier League owner, Russian Roman Abramovich. The Chelsea owner, who topped all five previous lists published by the British magazine Fourfourtwo, is said to have lost more than $4.5 billion since the downturn in the world economy last year.

“I didn’t like him [Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson] saying I didn’t like the offer I was made because neither my agent nor me were given one. I don’t know anything on my future. United know what they must pay if they want me to stay. I want to stay but the club have not […]

One of the less endearing aspects of the English FA Cup is when teams switch stadiums in order to make more money (or maximize revenue, as club accountants no doubt phrase it). A few years ago non-league Farnborough moved its home tie with Arsenal to Highbury in order to earn some quick cash. Not only […]

Idealistic UEFA President Michel Platini said Monday he will not challenge Sepp Blatter for the FIFA presidency, and that he expects Blatter to stay in the post for six more years following the next election in 2011, reports Yasir Abbasher.   Speaking at the Gulf Cup in Muscat, Platini said, “We have a good president […]

Manchester City’s transfer market moves over the coming month “may be the last chance to witness the spectacle of an English club spending a foreign owner’s money with unrestricted lavishness,” writes Richard Williams.   With everyone else feeling the pinch from the economic downturn (even Chelsea’s players now have to pay for their training-ground meals), […]

It’s hard to guess how the decision-making process on new players works at AC Milan these days. According to The Times, Liverpool forward Jermaine Pennant “has been given the chance to revive his career” at the Italian giant and has been offered a pre-contract agreement by the club ahead of his contract expiring at Liverpool […]

[INTERLIGA] A pair of 1-0 InterLiga Monday matches propelled Pachuca into the finals with one Group A game left to play and left Morelia, which lost to UAG (“Tecos”), seething at a goal scored with one of its players laying on the ground, apparently injured.

[MLS] The melding of the USL and MLS versions of the Seattle Sounders has added another element, that of goalkeeper Chris Eylander.

Charlie Davies, a 22-year-old New Hampshire product, was the Swedish league’s fourth leading scorer in 2008 after a rough first season. He now eyes a regular role with the U.S. national team and moving to a bigger club in Europe.