The English Premier League race goes down to the final day of the season on Sunday with UEFA Champions League finalists Manchester United and Chelsea still tied for the English Premier League. United travels to Wigan, while Chelsea hosts Bolton Wanderers with United holding the advantage on the tiebreaker. Italy’s Scudetto could be decided on Sunday when leader Inter Milan and second-place Roma, three points back, host Siena and Atalanta, respectively. For all the weekend international action on television …
Author Archives: Soccer America
What They’re Saying
“We want to get paid.”
— Slogan on T-shirts donned by Levante players before their Spanish La Liga game against Deportivo Coruna. Levante players, who are owed millions of dollars in back pay, staged a stand-still kickoff protest at the game’s start, remaining stationary as a Coruna player dribbled the length of the field and shot the ball out of bounds for a goal kick.
OBITUARY: Francois Sterchele
Francois Sterchele, the leading scorer in the 2006-07 Belgian First Division, was killed Thursday morning after he lost control of his Porsche and hit a tree near the city of Antwerp.
Eriksson in Benfica Talks
Various reports are linking Manchester City manager Sven Goran Eriksson with a return to Benfica, home of American teenage sensation Freddy Adu. A statement from the Portuguese club confirmed that talks had taken place. Eriksson, who has been told by Manchester City owner Thaksin Shinawatra that his job will be terminated at the end of […]
Barca Ridiculed After Clasico; Rijkaard to Leave
Headlines across Spain ridiculed FC Barcelona’s players for lying down and letting Spanish champion Real Madrid walk all over them at the Santiago Bernabeu Wednesday night. The day after the 4-1 thrashing, Sport, a Barcelona-area daily, led with a black front cover that read: “You have dishonored the Barcelona shirt”. El Mundo Deportivo, another Barcelona […]
Photo Finish in France
For the first time since 2002, the French Ligue 1 is too close to call with two games remaining. Olympique Lyon, the incumbent now for six years running, maintains a slender two-point lead over second-place Bordeaux. Among the other intriguing storylines: Bordeaux coach Laurent Blanc has a shot at the title in his first year; […]
TSU, Dynamo to Build Shared Stadium?
Texas Southern University wants to join forces with MLS champ Houston Dynamo to build a $105 million 22,000 capacity stadium just east of the city’s downtown area, TSU athletic director Charles McClelland told the Houston Chronicle. The facility would be the joint-home of both the TSU Tigers and the Dynamo. McClelland alerted the city of […]
Hamlett’s Long Road to Fire Coach
The Washington Post’s Steven Goff profiles the long and winding road taken by Denis Hamlett to become Head Coach of the Chicago Fire. Hamlett came to the U.S. from Costa Rica when he was just 10, eventually moving to the D.C. Metro area. Hamlett played college soccer at George Mason University. After college, he spent […]
What They’re Saying
“It is a basic requirement that they have some command of English.”
— Britain’s immigration minister Liam Byrne, announcing that non-Europeans who want to play in the English Premier League will not be exempt from tougher immigration rules that will require passing an English-language test covering everyday phrases and simple conversation. (AFP)
Texan starts for Pachuca in playoff loss
[AMERICANS ABROAD] Texan Juan Francisco Torres started and played the first half for Pachuca as it fell at home, 1-0, to San Luis in the first leg of their wild-card playoff game. San Luis’ U.S. U-23 defender Michael Orozco missed the game with a muscle injury.
Sounders FC sign first player, from Sounders
[MLS] Seattle Sounders FC, which begins MLS play in 2009, made its first player signing. Coming on board is French forward Sebastien Le Toux, who currently plays for USL-1 defending champion Seattle Sounders.
Real crushes slumping Barcelona
[SPAIN] What better way to celebrate your title than to pound your archrival. That’s what Real Madrid did in crushing Barcelona, 4-1, at the Bernabeu Stadium on Wednesday.
U.S. under-15 boys national team roster
[YOUTH] The U.S. under-15 boys national team is headed to Madrid Friday for 10-day camp. U-15 coach Jim Barlow, the Princeton University head coach, has named 20 players for the trip to Madrid, where they will take on, among others, youth teams from La Liga’s Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid. For the complete U-15 roster …
Blatter Seeks Foreigner Restrictions
FIFA President Sepp Blatter is once again calling for a quota system to limit the number of foreign players on each club team. His decision comes as a response to the Champions League dominance of the English Premier League over the past two seasons, during which time three of the competition’s four semifinalists have come […]
Everton Eyes $9 Million Michael Bradley
The Liverpool Echo reports that Everton manager David Moyes has been eyeing U.S. midfielder Michael Bradley. According to the paper, Moyes has had a long-standing interest in the player,and sent over a scouting delegation to watch him play in Heerenveen’s Champions league playoff clash against Ajax. Unfortunately, the U.S. international was sent off after just […]
Gallardo’s Adjustment Continues
Marcelo Gallardo, who played 44 times for Argentina and scored 14 goals, is one of the most accomplished players to play for D.C. United. Earning a guaranteed $1.9 million this season, he is the highest paid player in team history by some margin, which means the burden of expectation weighs heavily on his shoulders. “So […]
Garber: MLS to Consider Champions League Concessions
In a conversation with Washington Post blogger Steven Goff, MLS Commissioner Don Garber pledges to ease the crowded MLS fixture list for clubs that qualify for next season’s Concacaf Champions League. “But don’t read too much into it,” Goff says, because both legs of the quarterfinal (February and early March) and the first leg of […]
What They’re Saying
“There was no sex or drugs that night.”
— Police inspector Carlos Augusto Nogueira on the Ronaldo run-in with transvestite prostitutes, who recanted their accusations against the Brazilian striker. Ronaldo has lost a $4.8 million endorsement contract with a cell phone company because of the incident, although prostitution is not illegal in Brazil. (AP)
The rich get richer
[OFF THE POST] Newcastle United’s billionaire owner Mike Ashley won $2.5 million with a single spin of the roulette wheel when the ball landed on black 17 at a London casino. Ashley, ranked Britain’s 54th richest man, wears a Newcastle replica jersey with the No. 17 to his team’s games.
U.S. under-14 boys national team camp roster
[YOUTH] The U.S. under-14 boys national team is taking part in an eight-day camp at the Home Depot Center in Carson, Calif., under the supervision of Coach Manny Schellscheidt. For the complete roster …
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.
U.S. Soccer Development Academy Results
The New York Red Bulls and U.S. youth national team, the only unbeaten teams in the U.S. Soccer Development Academy’s U-17/18 Group, went 1-0-1 in weekend action. Carmel United Soccer Club, which entered the weekend with the best winning percentage of any team in the U-15/16 Group, fell to Vardar, 4-1, and was held to a 1-1 tie by the Michigan Wolves on its trip to the Detroit area. For all the weekend results and goal scorers …
RSL’s Kreis Has Harsh Words for MLS Refs
Real Salt Lake Coach Jason Kreis on Monday chastised Major League Soccer’s referees for a series of poor decisions that have cost his team valuable points. “I have a team doing their best to reward fans through a frustrating time and a frustrating few years. I feel the players are doing what they need to, […]
Landon Donovan on Fast Start and Beckhamania
In an interview with The New York Times’ Jack Bell, Landon Donovan reflects on “Beckhamania” and his burgeoning partnership with the world’s most recognizable soccer star. “It was, believe it or not, as incredible an experience to be a part of as it seemed at the time,” the L.A. Galaxy striker said. “This year, I […]
Crestfallen Ronaldo Responds to Media
By now you’ve probably heard the unfortunate story of three-time former World Player of the Year Ronaldo. Last week, the AC Milan striker invited three prostitutes back to a hotel only to find out once he got to the hotel room that they were transvestites. The media, of course, has delighted in the Brazilian legend’s […]
