A fan vote on the worst ever Premier League team has revealed a surprising number of Manchester United players in the losers’ lineup. Less surprisingly, former L.A. Galaxy defender Abel Xavier also made the cut. In goal for ‘Relegation United’ is United’s former shot-stopper Massimo Taibi, who polled a third of the vote. The defence […]
Author Archives: Soccer America
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Silvestre A Rare Mover From Manchester To Arsenal
Manchester United’s long-serving defender Mikaël Silvestre, 31, is reportedly moving to Arsenal, becoming the first player to move from Old Trafford to the north London side for 34 years. Brian Kidd was the last player to head south from United to Arsenal, back in 1974. Arsenal coach Arsène Wenger set up the Silvestre deal after […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
What Happened To The Beautiful Game?
“Two red cards, defensive play, zero goals,” Grant Wahl helpfully pointed out to Brazilian coach Dunga after his side’s 3-0 Olympic semifinal defeat at the hands of Argentina Tuesday. “What happened to the Beautiful Game of Brazil?” His reward from the curator of what Wahl calls O Jogo Feio (the Ugly Game), was “the old […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Busy Times In Toronto As Robert Leaves, Ruiz Arrives
Toronto FC kept quiet during the past week’s press reports about midfielder Maurice Edu’s $5 million move to Glasgow Rangers. But on Tuesday the team made a flurry of announcements, waiving midfielder Laurent Robert, and signing L.A.’s much-traveled Guatemalan striker Carlos Ruiz. Edu’s move, meanwhile, will become official when the player receives a U.K. work […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Fire-Galaxy Game A Missed Opportunity For MLS
Thursday’s matchup between the Chicago Fire and the L.A. Galaxy in California should have been a flagship game for Major League Soccer, writes Luis Arroyave. Bruce Arena makes his debut as Galaxy coach, pitching the western conference divas in desperate need of a win against the eastern high-fliers, with the league’s most prominent designated players […]
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
MLS TV Schedule
Two MLS games take place on Wednesday. D.C. United travels to New England eight days after United beat the Revs, 3-1, to reach the U.S. Open Cup final. D.C. United, fourth place in the East, trails second-place New England by five points. Houston, which moved into first place in the West with its third-straight win last weekend, hosts sixth place Chivas USA, which is six points back of the two-time defending champion Dynamo. On Thursday, Bruce Arena makes his debut as Los Angeles coach when the Galaxy hosts Chicago. For all of this week’s MLS action on TV and the standings and leading scorers. …
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Irreconcilable Differences
[OFF THE POST] A women blaming her husband’s affection for English club Aston Villa for the deterioration of their marriage, hung a large banner off the bridge of a busy street in Birmingham that read, “Jack, are the Villa really more important than our marriage? It’s over, Jess.”
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Concacaf’s long path to South Africa
[WORLD CUP 2010] With twelve teams divided into three groups, the Concacaf region (North and Central America and the Caribbean) begins the semifinal round of World Cup qualifying on Wednesday. Marquee games on Wednesday include the USA’s clash with Guatemala and Mexico’s hosting of Honduras (TV: Telemundo, 9 pm ET). For a group-by-group look at the Concacaf semifinal round. …
Posted inSoccer America Daily, What They're Saying
What They’re Saying
“Hopefully we can make it a nice week for the family. I’ve talked to her family and everybody is excited and hopefully we can top off the week with a win [Wednesday]. I’m feeling the pride myself that my cousin came third.”
— Houston Dynamo midfielder Dwayne De Rosario, whose cousin, Priscilla Lopes-Schliep, won an Olympic bronze medal for Canada in the women’s 100-meter hurdles on Tuesday. On Wednesday, De Rosario lines up for Canada in its World Cup qualifying game against Jamaica. (Globe and Mail)
Posted inSoccer 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 opportunities in pro soccer, youth soccer, the soccer industry and television.
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Seattle’s Le Toux Would Rather Be A Yank
The Seattle Sounders’ striker Sebastien Le Toux, 24, was the club’s first player to be signed for the MLS franchise-in-waiting’s roster for next year’s jump to the top flight. He would also rather play for the U.S. national team than for his native France because, he told Jon Naito, “I would want to play for […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
England’s Downing Happy With Capello’s Meritocracy
As England shapes up for an international friendly against the Czech Republic Wednesday, Middlesbrough winger Stewart Downing has praised new manager Fabio Capello for turning the England squad into a meritocracy. That is, he’s more confident that he’ll be picked under Capello than he would have been under predecessor Steve McClaren. Downing, who also played […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Galaxy Must Build For Long Term Results
New L.A. Galaxy head coach and GM Bruce Arena took over at the New York Red Bulls two years ago and almost turned the team’s season around, taking them into the playoffs where they narrowly lost to D.C. United. In the short term, can Arena repeat that feat with L.A., asks Nick Green? The team […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Optimistic Guatemala Ready For World Cup Challenge
Guatemala has never qualified for the World Cup, but it only just missed out on making it to the 2006 tournament in Germany. As the team prepares for its semifinal round opening game against the U.S. Wednesday, Steven Goff in Guatemala City discovers that hopes are higher than ever before in a country of 13 […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Mutu To Appeal ‘Inhumane’ FIFA Fine
Romanian striker Adrian Mutu will appeal the $27 million fine he has been ordered to pay his former club Chelsea, calling FIFA’s ruling “unjust” and “inhumane.” The world soccer governing body last week ruled that the player must make the compensation payment after testing positive for cocaine while at Chelsea in 2004. The club sacked […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
AEG Playing The Name Game Again
“When I previously suggested Leiweke and AEG stick to arenas, I didn’t mean for him to take me quite so literally.” Columnist Steve Dilbeck on Bruce Arena’s appointment at the Galaxy.
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Arena’s Record ‘Deceptive’
Luis Bueno takes the ‘glass half empty’ view of Arena’s coaching record.
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
George Best’s Boyhood House Up For Sale
The modest terrace house in Belfast where Northern Ireland’s soccer legend George Best grew up is on the market at just over $300,000.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Padilla ejected in Chivas tie
[AMERICANS IN MEXICO] In the fourth game day of Mexican First Division Apertura 2008 action, 21-year-old California Jesus Padilla made his second appearance of the season for Chivas Guadalajara as a halftime sub but was red-carded in the 87th minute of of a 2-2 tie with Necaxa.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
The Bruce Arena File
[BY THE NUMBERS] Why is Bruce Arena, the Los Angeles Galaxy’s new head coach, considered the USA’s best coach ever?
Posted inSoccer America Daily, What They're Saying
What They’re Saying
“When you have Landon Donovan and David Beckham, you’re not that bad off. We have some good players to build this team around. We can get better and we’re capable of getting enough points and qualifying for the playoffs. … This year you can’t do anything [with the roster]. That’s basically a fact. Down the road, we’re going to use this year to evaluate the team on the field and off and see what kind of things we can do to make it better.”
— New Los Angeles Galaxy coach Bruce Arena. (MLSnet.com)
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
USL-1 Results
It was a successful road trip for the Puerto Rico Islanders, who beat the defending champion Seattle Sounders, 3-0, and tied the Vancouver Whitecaps, 0-0, to take over first place in the USL First Division. For all the results, goalscorers and standings …
Posted inSpecial Edition, Story
Postgame from Beijing
[REACTION] Coach Pia Sundhage and the U.S. women look back on their win over Japan and ahead to the gold-medal clash with Brazil.
Posted inSpecial Edition, Story
What They’re Saying
“We’re pumped. Bring it on. We’ve played Brazil before and we know they’re a pretty awesome team with a lot of great personalities. But this team player for player is unified and strong, and we’re together. We’re looking forward to [playing Brazil].”
— U.S. midfielder Heather O’Reilly on the USA’s gold medal game on Thursday against Brazil, which eliminated the Americans from the 2007 Women’s World Cup with a 4-0 semifinal win.
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Row Highlights Need Of Canada’s Men
A verbal fight has broken out between the men and the women in Canadian soccer, writes Gareth Wheeler. When TV color commentator Jason de Vos questioned the kick and rush tactics of women's team coach Even Pellerud in the Olympic quarterfinal loss to the U.S. last week, Canadian women's team captain Christine Sinclair responded by […]