[ROSTER] Coach Thomas Rongen has named a 21-man roster for the U.S. U-20 men’s national team’s trip to Portugal, where it will play three games in Campos Verdes International Tournament April 13-19. The Americans will face Northern Ireland, the Cape Verde Islands and Portugal. The U.S. squad includes six European-based players.
Author Archives: Soccer America
Posted inSoccer America Daily, What They're Saying
What They’re Saying
“I really appreciate the apology published in the Daily Star. The truth is now coming out – finally. I am looking forward to a quick and positive conclusion to my claims against the other newspapers who published lies about me.”
— Italy defender Marco Materazzi after the settlement of a libel suit against British tabloid The Daily Star, which printed an apology to Materazzi and agreed to pay him undisclosed damages for having reported that he goaded Zinedine Zidane with racial abuse before the French captain head-butted him during the 2006 World Cup final. The Daily Star also agreed to pay the Materazzi’s legal costs (AP)
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Oguchi goal helps Standard Liege close in on title
[AMERICANS ABROAD] Defender Oguchi Onyewu‘s headed goal with four minutes left gave Standard Liege a 1-0 win over Excelsior Mouscron to solidify its lead at the top of the Belgian Jupiler League to nine points. In the Netherlands last weekend, Heerenveen, with Michael Bradley, helped its chances to qualify for the UEFA Champions League qualification playoffs.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Germany’s last hope in uphill battle
[IN THE SPOTLIGHT] A German team hasn’t lifted the European Champions League title since Bayern Munich’s victory in 2001. Schalke 04, the lone German club among this year’s quarterfinalists, faces an uphill battle, going to Barcelona Wednesday after falling, 1-0, at home last week in the first leg of their quarterfinal series. But Schalke’s strong run in Bundesliga play has lifted its confidence.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Game-fixer must pay
[REF WATCH] Robert Hoyzer, the key figure in Germany’s 2004 game-fixing scandal, must pay the German soccer federation $1,086 per month for 15 years as compensation for damages the DFB incurred.
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Henry-Seattle Rumors Heat Up
For the past several days, speculation has been mounting that France World Cup winner Thierry Henry will join MLS expansion club Seattle for its inaugural 2009 season.
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Billionaire Soros Eyes AS Roma
Italian paper La Gazzetta dello Sport has been reporting for several weeks now that American billionaire George Soros is inching closer to a takeover of Serie A giant AS Roma. Regardless, the paper points out that the club’s parent company, Italpetroli, has accumulated debts in the region of $555 million and looks likely to sell. […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Cameron Cracker on MLS Debut
After being blasted by New England in their MLS opener, drawing 0-0 at home to Costa Rican club Saprissa in the Champions Cup semifinals, and staring at a 3-2 loss to FC Dallas in their home opener, the Houston Dynamo fans, reminded of last year’s slow start, must have been thinking: “here we go again.” […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Goals From Unlikely Places as KC Moves Top
The Kansas City Star’s Bob Luder points out that the Wizards may have added a new dimension to their attack, as two of the team’s three goals against Colorado on Saturday came from set pieces, which had been a glaring hole on the team stat sheet in 2007. Perhaps even rarer was the fact that […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Platini Offers Cardiff UEFA Cup Lifeline
Cardiff City fans are still rejoicing following the Welsh club’s 1-0 FA Cup semifinal win over Barnsley on Sunday. The Bluebirds have become the third Welsh club in competition history to reach the FA Cup final, and the first to do so in 81 years. Cardiff City last reached the final in 1925, when it […]
Posted inSoccer on TV., Story
Soccer on TV
Midweek action includes European Champions League action and the quests of two MLS teams to reach the Concacaf Champions Cup final.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
MLS Game Summaries, Standings, Stats, Schedule
With the season barely underway, only the Kansas City Wizards, which won their second straight game, and New York, which opened play last weekend, are MLS’s only perfect teams.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
U.S. women down Mexico in front of 22,280
[OLYMPIC QUALIFYING] The U.S. women’s national team beat host Mexico, 3-1, in front of a record crowd of 22,280, to come within a game of qualifying for the 2008 Olympic Games. The victory in Ciudad Juarez came two days after the USA’s 6-0 win over Jamaica and puts the Americans in a semifinal against Costa Rica – the winner of which earns a ticket to China.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Fulham slips closer to relegation
[AMERICANS ABROAD] Three of Fulham’s five Americans saw action as the Cottagers fell, 3-1, at home to Sunderland. Fulham is six points deep in the drop zone and will likely join Derby, which has two Americans — Eddie Lewis and Benny Feilhaber – among EPL relegation teams this season.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Scoring spree continues in Week 2
[MLS NAMES & NUMBERS] A six-goal Texas shootout, a winning start for the Red Bulls, and D.C. United’s emphatic rebound from its season-opening loss highlighted MLS Week 2 action.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Joy in Wales; woes in Barcelona
[WINNERS & LOSERS] “I cannot overestimate how much Cardiff City’s appearance at the FA Cup final on 17 May is going to mean to Wales and Cardiff’s profile all over the world,” said Rhodri Morgan, the First Minister of Wales after the finalists in the world’s oldest soccer competition were set last weekend.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, What They're Saying
What They’re Saying
“Thierry Henry is one of my favorite players of all time. He has spoken in the past about coming to MLS to play soccer. I am now in a position with the Seattle franchise to consider such a player. It would be irresponsible of me not to explore and consider a possibility like this.”
— Adrian Hanauer, part owner and general manager of the Seattle franchise that will enter MLS in 2009, on rumors that the club is pursuing French striker Thierry Henry, currently with Barcelona. (Seattle P-I)
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Parkhurst Takes Blame for Chicago Rout
Reigning MLS Defender of the Year Michael Parkhurst was the first to hold up his hands and say “my bad” after the Chicago Fire took the New England Revolution defense apart on Thursday night, winning 4-0 at Toyota Park. “I was awful, I let the team down on the first two goals,” Parkhurst told the […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Underdogs Prepare for ‘Greatest’ Semifinal
Some are already calling it the greatest FA Cup competition in history. Why, because Manchester United, Liverpool, Arsenal and Chelsea — which comprise half of this year’s UEFA Champions League quarterfinal list — have failed to reach the semifinals for the first time in what seems like all of FA Cup history. And for those […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Ronaldinho Ruled Out for the Season
It’s a sad day for Barcelona fans, as Ronaldinho has more than likely played his last match for the club, a 2-1 loss to Villarreal at the Camp Nou. According to a statement on the club’s Web site, the Brazilian World Cup winner tore muscle in training on Thursday and will now miss the rest […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Marcelo Gallardo and D.C. United’s High-Paid Foreigners
The MLS Player’s Union on Thursday once again released information about how much money each of its players make. To no one’s surprise, David Beckham tops that list, earning a guaranteed $6.5 million per year. Behind him is the Chicago Fire’s Cuauhtemoc Blanco, $2.67 million, while D.C. United newcomer Marcelo Gallardo is third, earning $1.87 […]
Posted inSoccer on TV., Story
Soccer on TV
The New York Red Bulls finally start their season on Saturday when they face Columbus. There’s FA Cup action in England, and GolTV provides the action from Barcelona’s chase of Real Madrid in Spain.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
MLS SALARIES: From Beckham to Cannon
[MAKING A LIST] Compare what each MLS club pays its highest earning player.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
MLS Salaries Revealed: Millionaires and Paupers
2008 MLS players salaries made available by the MLS Players Union reveal that Los Angeles’ David Beckham ($6.5 million guaranteed), Chicago’s Cuauhtemoc Blanco ($2.67 million) and D.C. United’s Marcelo Gallardo ($1.87 million) are the league’s top earners, while the highest earning Americans are New York midfielder Claudio Reyna ($1.26 million) and Los Angeles attacker Landon Donovan ($900,000). MLS’s minimum senior salary is $33,000 while players on developmental contracts earn between $12,900 and $17,700.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Home teams rule, so far
[BY THE NUMBERS] With Chicago’s 4-0 win over New England and Los Angeles’ 2-0 victory over San Jose, home teams remain undefeated in the MLS season’s first eight games. The Los Angeles Galaxy’s attendance of 27,000 was the highest of the season so far.