[AMERICANS IN MEXICO] Defender Edgar Castillo has played the full 90 in all of Santos’ five Apertura 2008 games this season, including Sunday’s 5-3 win over Chivas Guadalajara.
Author Archives: Soccer America
Soccer breaks attendance record at 2008 Games
[OLYMPICS] Men’s and women’s soccer games at the 2008 Olympic Games drew a total attendance of 2.14 million, making soccer the biggest draw at the Games and setting a record for soccer attendance at the Olympics. USA-hosted Olympics in 1984 and 1996 held previous soccer attendance records. For Olympic soccer attendance history. …
What They’re Saying
“You know how to make yogurt, but you don’t know anything about soccer.”
— What Al-Zawraa fans chanted during the Iraqi Cup final, which the Baghdad club lost, 1-0, to Irbil, the club from the capital of the Kurdish region in Northern Iraq that is known for its dairy. The sellout crowd of 50,000 was largest Baghdad crowd for a sporting event since the U.S. occupation of Iraq began in 2003. (AP)
Small Will Be Raucous In Philadelphia
Two busloads of Philadelphia soccer fans made the trip to RFK Stadium Saturday to taste the MLS atmosphere ahead of the 2010 season, when its own team will start play. John Smallwood was impressed by the D.C. United fans and the noise they made, but not by the old stadium, looking forward instead to the […]
Shaping Up For The Eredivisie
Leander Schaerlaeckens looks forward to the Dutch season and rounds up the multitude of off-season coaching changes.
A Champions League Of Our Own
Steve Davis previews the CONCACAF Champions League, kicking off this week.
Canadian Coach Unhappy With BMO Field
Following last week’s disappointing 1-1 home tie with Jamaica, Canada coach Dale Mitchell is pleased his side will not be playing on the artificial surface at Toronto’s BMO Field again this year.
Top Teams Must Move Before Deadline
After just two game days in the English Premier League, it’s already clear to Paul Doyle which clubs need to do some hasty recruitment before the transfer window closes. “Without significant movement over the next seven days,” he writes, “the transfer window will come down like a guillotine on the ambitions of sides such as […]
Toronto Latest Team Waiting For Ruiz Return
Toronto FC is not the first MLS team to have been kept waiting for Guatemalan striker Carlos Ruiz’s return from international duty. Its new signing from L.A., rumored to be less than happy at being placed with a team that plays its home games on artificial turf, is taking care of some business in Los […]
Bullish New York Brimming With Self Belief
The New York Red Bulls played reigning MLS champion Houston on Sunday “like a team on a mission,” writes Angela Daidone, and the Dynamo “could do nothing to stop them” as they powered to a 3-0 win. A new confidence on the team was evident from the players she spoke to after its third successive […]
Team GB Has Simple Lesson For English Soccer
The success of the British Olympic team in Beijing serves up a simple lesson for English soccer, writes Sam Wallace. If you want to create a sporting elite, you have to root out the underperformers and let the country’s best athletes train together. Chelsea and Manchester United both boast impressive youth academies, but because […]
SMALL COLLEGE: NSCAA/adidas Preseason Women’s Polls
Tampa (NCAA Division II), Wheaton of Illinois (NCAA Division III) and Martin Methodist (NAIA) are ranked No. 1 in the NSCAA/adidas Preseason Women’s Polls. For all the rankings …
SMALL COLLEGE: NSCAA/adidas Preseason Men’s Polls
Franklin Pierce (NCAA Division II), Middlebury (NCAA Division III) and Azusa Pacific (NAIA) are ranked No. 1 in the NSCAA/adidas Preseason Men’s Polls. For all the rankings …
POLLS: Soccer American Women’s Top 25
There was little movement in the Soccer America Women’s Top 25 following an opening weekend of play during which most teams played one game. No. 1 USC got a scare at San Diego but prevailed, 1-0, thanks to junior Marihelen Tomer‘s overtime goal. No. 5 Florida State, which the Trojans beat in last year’s Women’s College Cup final, has twice postponed its game against UCF — now scheduled for Monday — because of nearly 10.5 inches of rain Tropical Storm Fay dumped on the Tallahassee area since early Friday afternoon. For this week’s Soccer American Women’s Top 25 rankings and last week’s Soccer American Women’s Top 25 results …
College Soccer Reporter resumes daily frequency
MEMBER ALERT. Soccer America’s College Soccer Reporter has resumed its daily (Monday-Friday) frequency during the college season. The Soccer America Men’s Preseason Top 25 will appear Tuesday, while the Men’s Preseason All-American selections will appear Wednesday.
Soccer on TV
CONCACAF Champions League begins on Tuesday. Italian Serie A kicks off this weekend. There is a full slate of MLS action this weekend starting on Friday. Fox Soccer Channel’s men’s college coverage starts with a UCLA-Maryland clash.
U.S. keepers beaten from spot; Fulham upsets Gunners
[AMERICANS IN ENGLAND] For the second week in a row, Aston Villa goalkeeper Brad Friedel was beaten from the penalty spot. Last week, Villa still managed a 4-2 win over Man City but on Saturday it fell, 3-2, to newly promoted Stoke City, whose last top-tier win came 23 years ago. Everton’s Tim Howard was beaten from the spot late in a 2-1 win over West Brom. Clint Dempsey was a 77th minute sub in Fulham’s 1-0 upset of Arsenal.
Beasley denied winner; Adu makes French debut
[AMERICANS IN EUROPE] Freddy Adu, fresh off Olympic duty, made his French Ligue 1 debut as a 86th minute sub for Monaco in its 1-1 tie with Caen. DaMarcus Beasley, who played in Wednesday’s World Cup qualifier, appeared to have scored a stoppage-time winner for Glasgow Rangers but the effort was called offside (TV replays suggest the call was a bad one) in a 1-1 tie with Aberdeen. Steve Cherundolo, ejected in midweek action for the USA, took little time to get another card when he returned to Germany. Borussia Dortmund defender Neven Subotic helped keep Bayern Munich winless after two games in a 1-1 tie in Dortmund. For more on American performances in Europe. …
MLS Results
San Jose’s tie with Chivas USA tightened the race in the West while Columbus took a share of the East lead. For MLS game summaries, scoring leaders and this week’s TV schedule. …
USL-1 Results
Puerto Rico got a pair of goals from former Florida prep star Fabrice Noel to rally for a 2-1 win over Charleston and maintain its lead in the USL First Division. For all the USL-1 results, goal scorers and standings …
Cleveland wins its first USL-2 title
An own goal by former MLS SuperDraft No. 1 pick Steve Shak gave the Cleveland City Stars the early lead and they went on to defeat the Charlotte Eagles, 2-1, and win the 2008 USL Second Division championship. For more on the USL-2 and all its 2008 award winners …
What They’re Saying
“I have seen a lot of [shots] go to the corner flags or over the goals, so it’s nice to see one that finally goes into the goal.”
— D.C. United midfielder Joe Vide, a third-year MLS player who scored his first league goal in a 3-0 win over Colorado. Vide, who was waived by San Jose last month and picked up by injury-depleted United, had only four shots on goal in his previous 32 MLS games before connecting on Saturday. (Washington Post).
You Are The Ref
Think you know the laws of soccer? Test yourself here at the tricky comic strip which poses weird but plausible on-field conundrums for game officials.
Beckham’s England Role A Mystery
Some grumbling British hack wonders what tactical use England still has for David Beckham.
FIFA Clarifies ‘Numbers On Jersey’ Rule
Some national teams have been going all retro, wearing jerseys numbered one to 11 with no names on the back, apparently misinterpreting a FIFA rule.
