[COLLEGE] No. 3 UCLA improved to 5-1-0 with a 3-0 win over visiting Air Force. The Bruins got two second-half goals from senior Kyle Nakazawa. No. 4 California and No. 5 South Florida rebounded from losses on Friday night to pick up wins on Sunday over Air Force (3-0) and Pitt (2-1), respectively. Four more Top 25 teams fell to unranked teams, bringing the weekend total to 13. Portland edged No. 14 Creighton, 2-1. No. 17 N.C. State fell at Virginia Tech, 2-0. Penn State snapped No. 18 Michigan’s winning streak at seven games with a 2-0 win, while No. 25 Wisconsin-Green Bay lost for the first time this season when it fell at Butler, 2-1. For all the Sunday action …
Author Archives: Soccer America
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Brian McBride Reflects On Europe, USA and MLS
Brian McBride, the Chicago Fire striker and former national team star, answered readers' questions for the New York Times blog "Goal." Among other things, he spoke about his time in Europe, the current national team, the state of MLS, and the strikers he admires in the Premiership. McBride on the growth of the U.S. national […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
English FA Gets Governmental Kick
The British government has told the English FA that the status quo isn't good enough. Sports minister Gerry Sutcliffe demanded that the FA work more harmoniously with the Premier League and Football League to make proper progress on issues like youth development and the delayed National Football Center in Burton. Many of these recommendations fall […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Donovan: ‘This is the Game We Need to Win’
The U.S. national team can clinch its sixth straight World Cup berth with a win over Honduras Oct. 10. Although Donovan is quick to point out that the USA can still secure a spot if it doesn’t beat Honduras, he says that he doesn’t want “to leave that to chance.” “We’ve all been in games […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Seattle Sounders: MLS’s Most Traveling Team
The Olympian gives a glimpse into Seattle Sounders FC's traveling lifestyle. Tucked away in the Northwest, the team will cover a league-high 46,898 miles this season. And like other MLS teams, it takes mostly commercial flights, which means that players must negotiate middle seats and cramped leg space like most other middle-class Americans. "It's a […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
D.C. United Pursues Twin Goals
On Thursday, D.C. United has a chance to end its dismal run of Champions League failure. United hosts Honduran club CD Marathon (8 pm ET, Fox Soccer Channel & Galavision) in a match likely to determine second place, and which team advances, in CCL Group B. After starting 0-2 in group play, including a 3-1 […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
No Columbus Comeback This Time
On Wednesday against Cruz Azul in Concacaf Champions League group play, the Columbus Crew experienced the same situation they faced on Sunday against the Chicago Fire, trailing 2-0 before the halftime break. Against Chicago, the Crew managed to scrap their way back into the game to salvage a 2-2 tie. Against Cruz Azul, however, the […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Big Brother Wins The Chivas Battle
Chivas Guadalajara beat Chivas USA, 2-0, on Wednesday night in a friendly attended by 22,879 at the Rose Bowl. Guadalajara’s Omar Arellano netted two goals in a five-minute span, the first coming in the 74th minute from a Sergio Avila cross. The second came on a breakaway in the 79th minute. Arellano beat defender Claudio […]
Posted inCollege Soccer Reporter, Story
Don’t count out Penn State yet
WOMEN’S NEWS … Penn State’s 0-0 tie with Bucknell left it with a 4-4-1 record heading into Big Ten play against No. 13 Michigan State on Sunday (TV: Big Ten Network, live, 12 pm ET). It isn’t where the Nittany Lions, ranked sixth in the Soccer America Preseason Top 25 would like to be, but they have played the toughest schedule in the country.
Penn State has already beaten two Top 25 teams, No. 14 Virginia and No. 16 Connecticut, and its two other wins are over Boston University, which won the 2008 America East title, and James Madison, which reached the final 16 in the 2008 NCAA Tournament. The Lions lost to three teams in this week’s Top 25, No. 6 Florida State, No. 17 Wake Forest and No. 20 Rutgers, and the fourth loss was to West Virginia, which had been ranked every week up and until this week.
Soccer America MVP Alyssa Naeher extended her shutout streak in goal to 334 minutes, but the Nittany Lions cannot buy a goal. They had 30 shots against Bucknell but couldn’t score. The Lions would have lost but Bucknell’s Christa Matlack hit the post after she had dribbled around the sprawling Naeher.
Scoring has been the Lions’ problem. They only have 11 goals in nine games. Katie Schoepfer, who entered the season with 34 goals for Penn State, has scored only once in nine games.
Wednesday’s Results
* LOBOS REMAIN UNBEATEN. One of the hottest teams in women’s soccer is New Mexico, which matched its win total of each of the last four seasons with its eighth victory (to go along with two ties) in a 3-1 victory over Northern Colorado on Wednesday.
Sophomore Jennifer Williams has been a big factor in the Lobos’ success. Her goal 235 seconds into Wednesday’s game was her sixth gamewinner of the season. The biggest win of the season came last Sunday when the Lobos won at Texas, 1-0, thanks to — you guessed it — another Williams goal.
Coach Kit Vela was particularly impressed how her players responded after the disappointment of tying Rice, 1-1, two days earlier when they gave up a goal in the 88th minute. “They played hard for 90 minutes,” she said, “and never let down.”
Posted inSoccer America Daily, What They're Saying
What They’re Saying
“A friend of mine told me about it on the phone and I was hurt, wounded. Will I throw it again? We’ll see …”
— Roma striker Francesco Totti after Roma fans, apparently disappointed in the team’s slow start, threw his shirt back on the field after he tossed it into the stands following a 3-1 victory over Fiorentina. (Goal.com)
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Rare action for Freddy and Eddie; Cooper scores
[AMERICANS ABROAD] Freddy Adu made his debut for Portuguese club Belenenses in the League Cup and Eddie Johnson got rare action for Fulham in the English League Cup. Kenny Cooper helped second-tier 1860 Munich oust the Bundesliga’s Hertha Berlin in the German Cup.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Under-20 World Cup TV Schedule
[TELEVISION WATCH] The USA’s three group games at the Under-20 World Cup will air live on television, beginning with Saturday’s game against Germany on ESPN Classic (9:55 am ET) and Spanish-language Galavision (9:55 am ET/PT). The ESPN networks will broadcast seven games live and Galavision will air 12 games live or delayed. In addition, all games will be available live online at espn360.com. For the complete schedule …
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Soccer America Men’s College Scoreboard
[COLLEGE] The five Top 25 teams in action on Wednesday all won. No. 6 Harvard improved to 6-0-0 with a 1-0 victory at New Hampshire. Like the other Top 25 team from the ACC on Tuesday, No. 9 Wake Forest got a scare from Elon before prevailing, 2-1. JC transfer Justin Meram scored a hat trick to lead No. 18 Michigan past Bowling Green. For all the Wednesday action …
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Soccer America Women’s College Scoreboard
[COLLEGE] Penn State’s early struggles continued as it had to settle for a 0-0 tie at Bucknell on Wednesday. New Mexico improved to 8-0-2 with a 3-1 victory over Northern Colorado. For all Wednesday’s action …
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Sol Campbell Decides Notts Not For Him
As quickly as he came to Notts County, Sol Campbell has left. After playing just one game for his new club, which Campbell joined earlier this month for a $66,000-a-week salary, the defender asked to be let go. Notts signed Campbell as part of an ambitious project to elevate the League Two team to Premier […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Portland’s PGE Park to Add 5,000, Subtract 5,000
PGE Park, the new home of Portland's expansion MLS team, is adding 5,000 new seats below street level of the Southwest side of 18th Avenue. But those seats may not increase the current capacity of the stadium, around 17,000. San Francisco designers Ellerbe Becket told the Portland Design Commission that they plan to screen off […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
MLS Delivers Suspensions, Fines
Major League Soccer’s disciplinary committee has been busy this week. First, it doubled Chivas USA midfielder Marcelo Saragosa‘s suspension for his studs-to-face challenge of Seattle striker Fredy Montero during Saturday’s 0-0 draw. Houston Dynamo assistant coach John Spencer also had his suspension doubled to two games for a confrontation with officials that resulted in his […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Brazil the Big Boys at U-20 World Cup
Brazil is a heavy favorite ahead of the Under-20 World Cup, which kicks off this Thursday in Egypt. The four-time champions, however, has watched Argentina win five of the last seven tournaments, including 2007, when Brazil failed to reach the quarterfinals. Brazil can rest a little easier knowing that Argentina failed to qualify for this […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Dynamo’s Eddie Robinson Back With A Bang
On Tuesday, the Houston Dynamo's Eddie Robinson started and played for the first time since last Nov. 26. The defender, who had offseason surgery on his left knee, didn't know if he would be able to contribute at all this season. But the Dynamo's 5-1 win over Panama's Arabe Unido in the Concacaf Champions League […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Crew Ready For Revenge Against Cruz Azul
"Four weeks adrift, the memories of a late August night in Mexico City still gnaw at a team that prides itself on being prepared to fight through adversity until the final whistle," writes MLSnet's Craig Merz. The Columbus Crew, defending MLS Champions, still feels the gutting 5-0 defeat to Mexico's Cruz Azul on Aug. 26. […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Arnoux Settling in with Everton
Former Wake Forest star Cody Arnoux is acclimating to life in England with new club Everton. Living with fellow American Anton Peterlin, who joined Everton earlier in the summer, has helped Arnoux's comfort level. "[Living with Peterlin] has helped a lot in the transition," said Arnoux, who plays for the reserve team. "Having someone you […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Politics Threaten U.S. Qualifier in Honduras
The Oct. 10 World Cup qualifying match between Honduras and the USA may not take place in Honduras. In political turmoil after the military’s ousting of President Manuel Zelaya, Honduras is cordoned off to most visitors. It has closed airports, implemented a curfew and set up roadblocks so that a roadway from El Salvador serves […]
Posted inSoccer on TV., Story
Soccer on TV
Catch D.C. United in Concacaf Champions League action on Thursday. The USA starts its U-20 World Cup campaign on Saturday. There is a full slate of MLS action this weekend. You can also watch USL playoffs on Sunday. Look for updates in Friday’s Soccer on TV.
Posted inCollege Soccer Reporter, Story
Northern Kentucky replaces Tampa atop D2 men’s rankings
SMALL COLLEGE NEWS … Top-ranked Tampa fell to fifth in the NSCAA/adidas NCAA Division II Men’s Top 25 after it was held to a 1-1 tie by West Florida in what Coach Adrian Bush termed an “ugly performance.” Northern Kentucky, which took over as No. 1, got two goals from Steven Beattie (the 40th and 41st of his career) to earn a 2-1 victory over Indianapolis in Great Lakes Valley action on Sunday.
* MEN RANKINGS:
NCAA Division II 1. Northern Kentucky, 2. Lynn, 3. Cal State Los Angeles.
NCAA Division III 1. Messiah, 2. Amherst, 3. Ohio Wesleyan
* WOMEN RANKINGS:
NCAA Division III 1. Messiah, 2. Puget Sound, 3. Williams
NCAA Division II 1. Seattle Pacific, 2. West Florida, 3. Saint Rose
* NAIA PLAYERS OF THE WEEK:
Men’s Offense: Arturo Guizar, Kansas Wesleyan (had three goals in wins over William Jewell, 3-2, and Graceland, 2-0)
Men’s Defense: Jesse Guevara-Lehker, Aquinas (notched shutouts against Concordia, Mich., 4-0, and St. Xavier, 1-0)
Women’s Offense: Kirsten Morley, SUNY-Canton (posted hat tricks against Morrisville State, 6-1 and Vermont Tech, 4-3)
Women’s Defense: Emily Evanson, Cal Baptist (earned shutouts against Simon Fraser, 0-0, and Concordia, Ore., 3-0)
Posted inCollege Soccer Reporter, Story
Newcomers lead George Mason revival
WOMEN’S NEWS … George Mason, one of the great names in women’s soccer is on the comeback trail. The Patriots defeated UMBC, 4-0, on Tuesday night and improved to 8-1-0, their best start since 1993. They need only two more wins for their first 10-win season since 1994. George Mason was the first team other than North Carolina to win an NCAA women’s national championship. It followed up on its 1985 title with a second-place finish in 1993.
First-year players have been key to the turnaround for the Patriots, who won only five games in 2008. Freshman Diana Kallenberger had two goals and an assist against UMBC to give her a team-high seven goals and four assists. Jamaican international Omolyn Davis, a transfer from NAIA power Lindsey Wilson, has six goals and three assists. Freshman Katie Frey picked up her fourth shutout of the season against UMBC.
“The girls did a great job of being professional,” said Patriots coach Diane Drake. “We told them we needed to find a way to win while still preserving players for Thursday.” That’s when GMU hosts preseason favorite James Madison in the CAA opener.
Tuesday’s Results