Author Archives: Soccer America

The Bethesda (Md.) Soccer Club held its 25th annual Thanksgiving Tournament, one of the oldest and most prestigious late fall tournaments in the country. For the champions in the under-14 to under-19 boys and girls groups …

U.S. Youth Soccer Region III Premier League Champions

Regional play was held across the South this fall in the U.S. Youth Soccer Region III Premier League. Teams played in three geographic regions. Big winners were Alabama’s BUSA Elite, the Dallas Texans and Sting with three age group championships. For all the Premier League champions …

U.S. Youth Soccer Girls ODP Thanksgiving Interregional Results

Play began at the U.S. Youth Soccer Girls ODP Thanksgiving Interregionals in Coral Springs, Fla. It continues through Friday in the 1992, 1993 and 1994 age groups. For all the results and goal scorers …

POLLS: NSCAA/adidas High School Rankings

Brentwood (N.Y.) High School (boys) and New Jersey’s Pennington School (girls) are No. 1 in the final NSCAA/adidas High School fall national rankings.

U.S. U-20s drop third game in Madrid

The U.S. under-20 national team concluded its eight-day camp in Madrid with a 2-0 loss to a team of players from Rayo Vallecano and Rayo Vallecano B, which play in the third and fourth levels of Spanish soccer, respectively.

Young player’s funeral draws 1,000

The funeral of 10-year-old youth player Jonathan Manzo Chavez, killed in a car crash on his way home from a NorCal qualifying tournament in Manteca, Calif., on Nov. 15, drew 1,000 family and friends at St. Maria Goretti Catholic Church in South San Jose.

Chelsea expands super club network

English club Chelsea, which previously announced partnerships with North Carolina’s CASL and New Jersey’s Match Fit Academy, is expanding its U.S. super youth club network by teaming up with Los Angeles Futbol Club, the 2008 U.S. Soccer Development Academy U-17/18 runner-up.

California teams clean up in Tampa

California teams won four titles at the Super Y-League’s North Americans Finals, which concluded Tuesday in Tampa. West Coast FC, Cal Odyssey and Diablo FC won boys titles, while Arsenal FC won its second girls title, winning the U-15 championship. On the boys side, New Jersey teams took one first place and four second places. Two teams affiliated with ’08 USL-1 clubs won girls titles. For a look at the finals …

Youth Soccer Reporter, Youth What They're Saying

What They’re Saying

“Without a pro team in Arizona, youth teams are missing something, a relationship that helps them unite. Without that there’s an unhealthy competition fostered among clubs, partly because of the lack of a pro team. Kids then become second. There’s an unhealthy competition over the kids and there’s a small pool of talent compared to California. On the boys side, there are no opportunities college-wise in Arizona other than Grand Canyon. More youth clubs need to come to together. A good, solid and positive philosophy needs to prevail and we all need to buy into that.”

— Former U.S. international Gregg Vanney, who has retired from the Los Angeles to return to his native Arizona, where he will serve as director of coaching of the Sereno Soccer Club. (Arizona Republic)

OBITUARY: Whitey Burnham

Former Delaware and Dartmouth head coach Alden H. “Whitey” Burnham, died on Nov. 18 after a brief illness in Hanover, N.H., at the age of 85.

COACHING MOVES: Changes in the works

Four Division I men’s programs are looking for new head coaches. Three of the teams — Wisconsin, Navy and Columbia — have won an NCAA Division I title or reached the title game.

SCOREBOARD: NCAA Division I Men

Two second-round games — Akron-Ohio State and Dartmouth-Boston College — in the NCAA Division I Men’s Tournament will be played Wednesday after bad weather forced their postponement. For the second- and third-round schedule …

TOURNAMENT CENTRAL: Five seeds fall

Five seeds lost on Tuesday in the second round of the NCAA Division I Men’s Tournament. No. 4 Michigan State fell to UIC in a shootout. No. 9 Loyola (Md.), No. 10 Virginia, No. 12 Notre Dame and No. 15 UC Santa Barbara also fell. For reports on all the second-round games …

Soccer America Daily, Story

Robinho takes the bus

[OFF THE POST] Manchester commuters were reportedly stunned to see Manchester City’s Brazilian star, Robinho, who earns $250,000 a week, take public transportation. Robinho spent $9 on bus tickets for him and his girlfriend for a central Manchester-Trafford Centre roundtrip.

Soccer America Daily, What They're Saying

What They’re Saying

“I guess you have to go back to youth soccer. We won a few State Cups with the [La Jolla] Nomads.”

— Frankie Hejduk, 34, who scored Columbus’ third goal in its 3-1 MLS Cup win over the New York Red Bulls, upon being asked to recall his previous club titles. Hejduk has played nine years of MLS ball, spent four years in the German Bundesliga, one year in the Swiss league, and he played three seasons at UCLA. (San Diego Union-Tribune)

Soccer America Daily, Story

Soccer Job Openings

[EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES] Soccer America provides the latest on employment opportunities for soccer-related positions. They include college coaching opportunities, as well as jobs in pro soccer, youth soccer, the soccer industry and television.

Higher UK Taxes Could Deter Top Players

Increased tax rates for high earners, announced by the U.K. ruling Labour Party Monday, could deter soccer stars from playing in the English Premier League, writes Matt Scott. "England has traditionally been one of the most attractive football destinations," he writes, "where big incomes have been buoyed by one of Europe's softer tax regimes and […]

More Prawn Sandwiches On Merseyside

Liverpool will make more money from corporate boxes than from regular supporters when it eventually moves into a new 60,000-seater stadium in Stanley Park, the club's commercial director said Tuesday. Ian Ayre said the club estimated that more than 50 percent of game-day income would come from the sale of seats in corporate boxes. The […]

Negotiating Angel’s Worth

The MLS Cup losers' medals are already losing their transient shine, and RB New York is already looking ahead to next season. One of the biggest issues facing the club in the offseason is the renegotiation of Juan Pablo Angel's contract, writes Jack Bell. Angel, NY's designated player who has just completed his second season […]

FIFA Bans Peru From International Competition

FIFA has banned Peru from international competition due to a long-running dispute between the Peruvian government and the country's football federation (FPF). Unless the dispute is resolved, Peru will be prematurely eliminated from World Cup qualifying (its next game is in March), and its clubs will not be able to take part in the 2009 […]

Didier’s Dinner With Jose’s Peeps

"A report in Italy's Gazzetta dello Sport claims [Didier] Drogba and one of his representatives had dinner at a Fulham restaurant with [Jose] Mourinho's agent Jorge Mendes and Inter general manager Marco Branca." Drogba, the Telegraph helpfully reminds us, reportedly burst into tears when it was announced that Mourinho was leaving his current team, Chelsea. […]

Seattle Jersey Colors Leaked

Get a glimpse of what Kasey Keller will see tenfold before him next season — the Seattle Sounders FC jerseys have been leaked prior to their official unveiling December 4. Green with navy blue shorts. Very nice.

Schelotto The Diplomat

"I think it's a competitive league that's growing. It's as easy or as hard as any other league. You have to understand the style of play. I can't define whether it's an easier or difficult league." League MVP Guillermo Barros Schelotto sidesteps a request to compare MLS with the Argentine league.

Van Den Bergh Unsure Of NY Future

"There have been some talks. Up to now, they have not culminated in anything. I have to keep my options open just in case I do not come to an agreement with New York and MLS. So I have to make sure I do have a job on January 1. I do have to look […]

Crew Fan Unsure How To Celebrate