Author Archives: Soccer America

English second-tier club Queens Park Rangers, recently taken over by a consortium of wealthy businessmen, has shocked fans by increasing ticket prices to as high as $91 for games against teams like last year’s Premier League failures Derby County.

Australia’s chances of hosting the 2018 World Cup have been given a boost by the appointment of Football Federation Australia chairman Frank Lowy to the World Cup Organizing Committee. The committee will decide where the 2018 event is held. Not that anyone’s suggesting Mr. Lowy will be anything but objective.

The South African tourist industry has refuted claims by FIFA President Sepp Blatter that the country has insufficient tourist accommodation for the 2010 World Cup.

EPL side Arsenal announced a rise in profits last season to $64.4 million, but also a 12 percent rise in its debt level to $580 million. The club also confirmed the appointment of Denver Nuggets and Colorado Rapids owner Stan Kroenke as a non-executive director.

Brazilian striker and three-time World Player of the Year Ronaldo, 31, will be ready to play again by the end of this year, he told the French sports daily. He is recovering from a ruptured knee ligament suffered in February.   Ronaldo has been linked with English Premier League side Manchester City, but the club […]

Toronto FC’s GM Mo Johnston recently went to South America and liked what he saw, and is planning to sign some fresh young talent from the continent to bolster the side’s roster for next season. What, no more aging Brits?   “I’m not looking at guys who are 33 or 34,” Johnston said, no doubt […]

The Colorado Rapids’ home record has deteriorated since it moved to its soccer specific stadium in Commerce City from Invesco Field at Mile High two seasons ago. Whisper it quietly so you’re not heard above the murmur of the home fans, but it might be down to a lack of atmosphere.   The Rapids’ English […]

As the Seattle Sounders shape up to play their final regular season game in the United Soccer Leagues this weekend, its players have one eye on the move to Major League Soccer in 2009, reports Matt Massey. And they can’t help but notice that so far only two of their players — Sebastien Le Toux […]

There’s an old soccer cliché that there’s no worse time to concede a goal than just before half-time. RB New York coach Juan Carlos Osorio would beg to differ. Conceding a goal just after halftime is much worse, just as his side did 19 seconds after the interval to go 2-1 down to the Columbus […]

Arsenal is interested in American “teen phenom” Charles Renken (originally from Zambia), according to “unconfirmed reports.” The 14-year-old has apparently reciprocated the interest, and “it is understood that the hype surrounding Renken is so intense that the player will forgo his chance of playing in the MLS for the hopes of signing with a European […]

“Those set pieces, along with the long throw-ins for Oguchi Onyewu to head, which are so threatening against Mexico and others, simply cannot be relied on against sophisticated opponents.” Frank Dell’Apa analyzes what the U.S. needs to do to make its attack more potent.

“Since he [Juan Pietravallo] joined MLS in July from Veria F.C. of the Greek league, the Red Bulls have been a team transformed — tougher, more confident and an emerging contender for the league title, something that could be seldom said during the club’s inglorious and unfocused history.” Jack Bell profiles RB New York’s Argentine […]