After two weeks of the kind of frustrating deliberations that recalled the failed signing of countryman Juan Sebastian Veron by D.C. United, the Kansas City Wizards finally signed Argentine striker Claudio Lopez as the club’s first Designated Player. Terms of the deal were not disclosed, but the contract is for one year. Lopez, a veteran […]
Author Archives: Soccer America
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
The Importance of Away Fans
ESPN Soccernet columnist Ives Galarcep weighs in on the problems facing away fans at MLS stadiums. As the league adds more teams and more stadiums, and as fan bases become more solidified, the opportunity arises for large groups of fans to travel together to an opposing stadium, just like they do in Europe. Galarcep argues […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Camacho Quits as Benfica Coach
After just seven months on the job, Benfica coach Jose Antonio Camacho resigned on Sunday, following a frustrating 2-2 draw with Leiria, the last-place club in the Portuguese Liga. That result left second-place Benfica 14 points behind leader FC Porto with eight games remaining. Three days earlier, the Lisbon club fell, 2-1, at home to […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Adu, U.S. Prepare for Olympic Quest
The United States can be considered something of a dark horse for the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, says the New York Times’ Jack Bell. For the first time ever, the U.S. U-23 team will be made up exclusively of professional players, most of whom play in MLS. It’s also a young team made up of […]
Posted inSoccer on TV., Story
Soccer On TV
Midweek action includes the final UEFA Champions League round-of-16 game; CONCACAF Olympic Qualifying, in which the USA starts its quest Tuesday against Cuba; CONCACAF Champions Cup play, featuring MLS clubs D.C. United and Houston; and Libertadores Cup clashes.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Keller & Friedel meet in EPL stalemate
[AMERICANS ABROAD] Brad Friedel and Kasey Keller, once rivals for the U.S. national team goalkeeping spot, faced off when Blackburn and Fulham met on Saturday. The result was satisfactory for neither.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
U.S. Youth Soccer ODP National Championship Results
Two Cal South teams won two titles (’91 boys and ’92 girls) at the 2008 US Youth Soccer Olympic Development Program National Championships completed on Sunday at Pizza Hut Park in Frisco, Texas. North Texas (’91 girls) and Indiana (’92 boys) also won championships. For all the results and goal scorers …
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Real Madrid widens lead over Barcelona
[EUROPEAN RACES] Real Madrid’s lead over archrival Barcelona in Spain’s La Liga is stretching like an elastic band. It went from nine points at the beginning of February to two at the end of the month and back to eight after Villarreal beat Barcelona 2-1 on Sunday.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, What They're Saying
What They’re Saying
“Refs don’t protect skillful players. I think about the Arsenal player [Eduardo] and I’m scared sometimes to do skills because some players do unbelievable fouls and the ref protects the defender, not the skilled player! It’s very disappointing and I’m thinking a lot about changing my game. When referees don’t give penalties, yellow cards or reds, it’s difficult to play.”
— Manchester United’s Cristiano Ronaldo after a 1-0 loss to Portsmouth in the FA Cup in which he suffered repeated fouls and was denied a penalty kick call on one of them. Arsenal forward Eduardo suffered multiple leg fractures two weeks ago from a foul by Birmingham’s Martin Taylor. (ManU Website)
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Lower division clubs shine in FA Cup
[ENGLAND] In one of the wildest weekends in English FA Cup history, three lower divisions clubs reached the semifinals for the first time in 100 years. Portsmouth is the only English Premier League club left in the final four that also includes Championship League (second division) clubs Barnsley, Cardiff City and West Bromwich.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
U.S. women remain perfect under Sundhage
[ALGARVE CUP] The U.S. women’s national team made it five wins in five international matches under new coach Pia Sundhage when it beat Italy, 2-0, on Friday at the Algarve Cup in Alvor, Portugal.
Posted inCollege Soccer Reporter, 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 inCollege Soccer Reporter, Story
Kallman sisters reunited at Minnesota
Krystle Kallman, a three-year starter at center back for West Virginia and key member of last year’s Big East Tournament championship squad, is joining younger sister Kylie Kallman at Minnesota for her final year of eligibility.
Posted inCollege Soccer Reporter, Story
International stars headed to Cal
California has signed Australian national team defender Clare Polkinghorne, who played for the Matildas at the 2007 Women’s World Cup, where they reached the quarterfinals. She is the second international player to sign with the Bears for the fall, joining Iceland national team midfielder Katrin Omarsdottir (9 caps).
Posted inCollege Soccer Reporter, Story
Furman inks former U-17 Klute
Chris Klute, who played for the USA at the 2007 Under-17 World Cup in South Korea, heads Furman’s seven-player recruiting class.
Posted inCollege Soccer Reporter, Story
Rutgers and New Mexico pick up ACC transfers
Rutgers and New Mexico have landed ACC players Yannick Salmon and David Murphy, respectively, in moves that should bolster both programs.
Posted inCollege Soccer Reporter, Story
Red Bull’s Kassel signs with Maryland
Maryland has landed one of the country’s top men’s prospects in Matt Kassel, but there’s a chance that the midfielder from Bridgewater, N.J., may never play a game for the Terrapins. Kassel is a member of Red Bull New York’s youth program and attended a preseason mini-camp. He’s eligible to be signed by the Red Bulls under the terms of MLS’s new policy allowing clubs to sign players they have developed in their academy programs.
Posted inCollege Soccer Reporter, Story
NCAA Division I Men’s & Women’s Coaching Changes
All seven NCAA Division I men’s coaching vacancies have been filled. All but four of the 37 women’s jobs that opened up have been filled. For all the coaching moves …
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Arena: It’s the Players, Stupid
In the second part of Goal.com’s interview with Bruce Arena, the former Red Bulls and U.S. national team coach says he “giggles” when the media talks about whoever the “hot” managers are in world soccer. Like the NBA, Arena says that having a successful soccer team is more about having quality players than good tactics. […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Galaxy Tight-Lipped on Babayaro Release
Former Chelsea and Newcastle star Celestine Babayaro arrived at the Los Angeles Galaxy in February to a certain degree of fanfare. He departed after playing just 45 minutes, as Coach Ruud Gullit, whom Babayaro played for at both Chelsea and Newcastle, placed the Nigerian on waivers little more than a month after acquiring him. The […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
New York Wins Corporate Clash
The New York Red Bulls (or Red Bull New York, rather) defeated namesake Red Bull Salzburg, 3-2, in Austria on Thursday. All the goals came in the second half, with Salzburg taking a quick 2-0 lead after the restart. New York began its comeback in the 59th minute when Juan Pablo Angel put home the […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
U-23s Focused on Cuba
Jozy Altidore and the U.S. U-23s begin Olympic qualifying against Cuba on Tuesday. The tournament hosts were placed in Group A alongside Honduras, Panama and Cuba. The top two go on to the semifinals along top two from Group B; the winners advance to the Beijing Olympics. The grueling tournament requires the finalists to play […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Cuban Galindo Recalls U.S. Defection
Maykel Galindo defected to the United States in 2005 while playing for the Cuban national team at the CONCACAF Gold Cup. The night after scoring Cuba’s only goal in a 3-1 loss to Costa Rica, Galindo snuck out of his hotel room and into the unknown streets of Seattle. The former Cuban national team star […]
Posted inSoccer on TV., Story
Soccer on TV
Relegation-threatened Fulham, the English Premier League team with five Americans in its ranks, aims for a desperately needed win when it faces Blackburn (with American keeper Brad Friedel) on Saturday.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
U.S. product starting for Mexico
[OLYMPIC QUALIFYING] New Mexico product Edgar Castillo went the full 90 minutes for Mexico’s U-23 national team in its final two warm-up games for CONCACAF Olympic qualifying, which starts next week. On Thursday, Mexico tied Finland, 0-0, in front of 11,780 fans in Frisco, Texas. On Sunday, Castillo hit the cross that Australian Adam D’Apuzzo knocked into his own goal in a 1-1 tie in Oakland, Calif., in front of 47,416 fans.