Author Archives: Soccer America

Italy striker Francesco Totti on Friday said he was retiring from international competition. The 2006 World Cup winner announced his decision during a news conference on Friday, citing “various physical reasons.” The AS Roma captain had surgery on his left ankle last year, and said it can no longer support playing for both club and […]

Barely three weeks ago, reports from Italy were linking Serie A’s biggest clubs to 21-year-old Italian-American starlet Giuseppe Rossi, who had put in a sterling loan spell at Parma in the second half of last season to help the Italian giant stave off relegation. But demand for the Manchester United striker has died down now […]

If he makes any appearance at all, David Beckham’s L.A. Galaxy debut against Chelsea, says SI.com’s Grant Wahl, will most likely be a “token appearance” because ESPN was planning a “blowout Beckham extravaganza,” featuring 19 cameras, including one just for Becks and one for his celebrity pals. Coverage on Saturday begins with a Beckham special […]

It’s a weekend of coming-out parties for Major League Soccer’s two most famous acquisitions. On the one hand, you have David Beckham, who’s listed as “doubtful” for Saturday’s clash between the L.A. Galaxy and Chelsea — you can bet that ESPN and MLS are desperate for him to get 10 minutes on national television — […]

New England Revolution coach Steve Nicol hit out at critics over the level of play in Major League Soccer Thursday night after coaching the league’s All-Stars to a 2-0 victory over Scottish champion Celtic. “First of all, if you look at the people that are probably criticizing and having a go, they probably don’t know […]

FIFA is considering amalgamating the leagues of certain countries in Eastern and Central Europe. As the Guardian’s Jonathan Wilson says, it’s a bold idea, but one fraught with difficulty. Wilson, who supports the idea, sat in on a FIFA conference about amalgamation, but was unaware of “how many problems become apparent as soon as you […]

A somewhat new-look Real Salt Lake stepped onto its new practice field for the first time on Wednesday. With the return of U.S. U-20 stars Freddy Adu, Chris Seitz and Nathan Sturgis — who’s barely had a chance to train with RSL since arriving with Robbie Findley on June 21– and the addition of defensive […]

If you ask Colorado Rapids coach Fernando Clavijo, New York Red Bulls forward Juan Pablo Angel is every bit as good as David Beckham. “Beckham brings the whole package with Hollywood fame, but you take away the goals Angel has scored and [the Red Bulls] are at the bottom of the table,” Clavijo says. “I […]

Ian Plenderleith of USSoccerPlayers says MLS is on to something in ditching the East vs West All-Star format in favor of inviting the world’s best teams to compete against its players. It’s a pro-marketing and pro-competition move in the sense that both sides have an incentive to win: MLS wants to shirk its reputation as […]