Author Archives: Soccer America

Due to international call-ups, both New England and Houston fielded makeshift teams for Thursday’s MLS game in Texas. But it was the Revs who showed greater depth in their 2-0 win thanks to the continued good form of supplemental draft pick and stand-in striker Kheli Dube.   “He’s holding it. He’s moving well,” Revs’ coach […]

U.S. national team striker Jozy Altidore has confirmed in his column that he signed a six-year contract with his new club Villarreal, and that he will be earning significantly more than he did in Major League Soccer with New York. No need to hold the Times’ front page with the latter revelation.   Altidore writes […]

No one dares to underestimate an opponent any more in international soccer, not even when that team is Barbados and you get to play them over two games. As U.S. captain Landon Donovan warned ahead of the first leg of this weekend’s World Cup Qualifying Round game against the Caribbean nation in LA: “We could […]

Germany was declared tournament favorite for Euro 2008, but anyone who’s been watching the team this past year won’t have been too surprised by Thursday’s capitulation to Croatia. Among several good performances have been games where shoddy defense, lackluster attack, a captain unable to take command and questionable tactics have been the overwhelming features of […]

Another day at the European Championship, and another ground-breaking decision by a referee that will prompt several days of discussion. Earlier in the week it was Ruud Van Nistelrooy’s goal against Italy, incorrectly deemed offside by many observers. Thursday it was Austria’s last=minute penalty kick against Poland, awarded for shirt-pulling in the penalty area.   […]

From the farcical to the tragic. Former Polish international Adam Ledwon, aged 34, was found dead Wednesday at his home in the southern Austrian city of Klagenfurt, one of the Euro 2008 venues.   Ledwon was capped 18 times by his country and was under contract with Nate Jaqua’s last team, Austria Kaernten. “We are […]

England may not have made it to Euro 2008, having failed to qualify ahead of the so far unimpressive Russians and Croats, but that doesn’t mean their players can’t find ways to make it into the news during the offseason. Take Chelsea’s Ashley Cole, for instance, the player whose marriage to Girls Aloud singer Cheryl […]

You may have spent sleepless nights wondering what 1990s Dutch Euro-pop star Haddaway has to do with soccer. UEFA and the Austrian tourist broad have finally provided the answer, and Barney Ronay enjoyed the free beer at a strange promotional event at the European Championships featuring the man who once scored a huge hit with […]

Are you sick yet of swooning commentators at Euro 2008 grandly pronouncing that Cristiano Ronaldo is The Best Player In The World? Bored with all the media speculation about his possible multi-zillion dollar transfer from Manchester United to Real Madrid? At least Czech coach Karel Brueckner offered a more sensible perspective after Ronaldo helped to […]

It seems there’s no getting away from the big rich clubs of the Premier League, even during an international tournament without England’s participation. Just hours after Portugal had impressively beaten the Czech Republic and become the first team to qualify for the Euro 2008 quarterfinals, Chelsea announced that it had lured the team’s coach, Luiz […]