The 23-year-old Longview, Texas, native Jose Francisco Torres has the tools to revolutionize the U.S. national team, says Sports Illustrated’s Jonah Freedman. But that doesn’t mean Coach Bob Bradley will take him off the bench on Wednesday against Mexico, where Torres plays for Pachuca, the club he joined while in high school. “The young midfielder […]
Author Archives: Soccer America
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Bradley: Important Not To Get Stretched Out
Mexico's higher seeding than the USA at the 2006 World Cup resulted in the USA's placement in more difficult group (Italy, Czech Republic, Ghana), from which it exited in the first round while Mexico advanced from a group with Iran, Angola and Portugal. U.S. coach Bob Bradley addressed whether he believed the result of Wednesday's […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
More Evidence of Home-Team Edge
In an attempt to discover whether refs favor the home team, researchers showed one group of refs videotapes of tackles in the English Premier League with the sound off while another group of refs viewed the tackles with the sound on. The group that watched with the sound off called 15.5 percent fewer fouls against […]
Posted inSoccer America Classifieds, Story
Soccer America Classifieds
Welcome to Soccer America Classifieds, Soccer America’s email newsletter connecting soccer companies and organizations to Soccer America members each week. Soccer America Classifieds feature soccer classified advertisements on the latest soccer job openings, soccer products and soccer opportunities. Read Soccer America Classifieds each Wednesday.
Posted inSoccer on TV., Story
Soccer on TV
World Cup 2010 Qualifying takes center stage in the midweek. The USA takes on Mexico on Wednesday. The English Premier League season kicks off this weekend. WPS playoffs start on Saturday when Sky Blue takes on Washington. Look for updates in Wednesday’s and Friday’s Soccer on TV
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Hottest ticket in town
[MEXICO-USA] The 105,000-seat Azteca Stadium sold out two weeks ago for the World Cup qualifying game Wednesday. Proceso reports that lower-section tickets with a face value of 600 pesos ($46) are on the market for 5,000 pesos ($380). General admission tickets that originally sold for 120 pesos ($9.20) are reselling at up to 1,200 pesos ($93), according to Medio Tiempo.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Only three have struck at Azteca
[MEXICO-USA] The USA has faced Mexico eight times at Azteca Stadium. Only three Americans – not counting an own goal – have scored at Azteca.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, What They're Saying
What They’re Saying
“We have worked for a long time with different people, different experts, on altitude training, including many from the U.S. Olympic Committee. The research we have stuck with is one that says if you don’t have enough time to acclimatize, which can take 10 days or so, then going in late is your best bet.”
— U.S. coach Bob Bradley explains why his team isn’t arriving in Mexico City, which lies more than 7,000 feet above sea level, until Tuesday for Wednesday’s World Cup qualifier against El Tri at Azteca Stadium. (USSoccer.com)
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Miami FC signs Brazilian Junior Baiano
[USL-1] The latest Brazilian star acquired by Miami FC is 39-year-old defender Junior Baiano, a starter on Brazil’s 1998 World Cup runner-up team.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Hair-puller keeps captaincy
[OFF THE POST] Swiss club Basel fined its goalkeeper Franco Costanzo for grabbing a teammate by the hair on the field but allowed Argentine to keep the captain’s band.
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
D.C. United Open Letter: ‘We Win Trophies’
Part cocky declaration and part call-to-action, an open letter from team president and CEO Kevin Payne that was placed in the pages of Monday's Washington Post attempts to serve the dual purpose of reminding the city that, simply put, "we win trophies," as well as imploring fans to come out as they "try to add […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Capello: ‘Back to Europe or Bust’ for Beckham
Just in case we the American soccer fans were getting comfortable seeing David Beckham standing over free kicks and lifting his club back to the top tier in MLS, England manager Fabio Capello offered up a matter-of-fact threat to the 34-year-old. "Beckham knows well that if he doesn't return to a big European league in […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
TFC Shocked and Awed at Real Madrid Movement
Despite being familiar with signature styles of almost all of Real Madrid's other-worldly individuals, turns out they're a lot easier to defend when you're watching them on the tube. "You see them on TV all the time and you know their moves, but when they do it, they do it so well that it's almost […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Maradona Living Dream
In part one of a rare but extensive and forthright FIFA.com interview with the Argentine living legend, Diego Maradona opens up about a host of topics, from the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to coach La Albiceleste ("I've been through some difficult times but I managed to pull myself together, and here I am in charge of the […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Howard: ‘Bold’ U.S. Team Can Make History
"Like Tony Meola, Brad Friedel and Kasey Keller before him, (Tim) Howard is preparing to accept one of the toughest assignments in all of world soccer: Mexico at their Estadio Azteca," reads the introduction to an exclusive interview on FIFA.com, but the Top Goalkeeper recipient from the Confederations Cup is confident and cautiously optimistic about […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Soccer Haunted By Unexplained Deaths
"There is no escape, nor should there be, from the shocking news that the heart of a top sportsman in the prime of his life has ceased beating for no detectable reason," writes Rob Hughes of the abrupt, and seemingly unexplainable, death of 26-year-old Espanyol captain Dani Jarque on Saturday. The abrupt death marks "the […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
USA Taking Risks With Team’s Late Arrival?
I’m glad I’m not the only U.S. soccer fan out there wondering why the U.S. men’s national team won’t be spending more than 24 hours’ time in Mexico City to get accustomed to the exhausting altitude before Wednesday’s match at Estadio Azteca, as SI.com writer Grant Wahl investigates the reasoning behind and the potential detriments […]
Posted inSoccer on TV., Story
Soccer on TV
World Cup 2010 Qualifying takes center stage in the midweek. The USA takes on Mexico on Wednesday. The English Premier League season kicks off with a full slate of matches on the weekend. WPS playoffs start on Sunday. Look for updates in Wednesday’s and Friday’s Soccer on TV.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
International Results
League play began in Germany, where defending champion Wolfsburg opened with a 2-0 win over VfB Stuttgart, and France, where titleholder Bordeaux crushed promoted Lens, 4-1. For all the results in Belgium, France, Germany, Mexico, Netherlands and Turkey …
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
MLS Results
The Los Angeles Galaxy moved closer to returning to the MLS playoffs after a three-year absence, winning, 2-1, at New England and moving into second place in the Western Conference. For all the MLS results, standings and leading scorers …
Posted inSoccer America Daily, What They're Saying
What They’re Saying
“Of course we will win, 3-0.”
— Mexico midfielder Andres Guardado makes a prediction for Wednesday’s World Cup qualifier against the USA at Azteca Stadium. (ESTO)
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Largest U.S. soccer crowds (Summer 2009)
[MAKING A LIST] D.C. United-Real Madrid and Barcelona-Guadalajara weekend exhibitions drew crowds of 72,368 and 61,572, respectively. They make it six crowds over 70,000, nine over 60,000 and 13 over 50,000 this summer.
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
USA names roster for Azteca showdown
U.S. national team coach Bob Bradley named the 20 players — 13 based abroad and seven in MLS — whom he will take to Mexico City for Wednesday’s much-anticipated showdown with Mexico in World Cup 2010 qualifying (TV: 4 pm ET, mun2 & Telemundo). GOALKEEPERS (2): Brad Guzan (Aston Villa: 5/-), Tim Howard (Everton FC: […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Buoyant Beckham on Galaxy: Better, Deeper, More Confident
Somewhere in all the drama, tension and backlash surrounding "the book," "the handshake" and "the other handshake," David Beckham's mid-season arrival, while "still a circus" (according to the man himself), has been less of an off-field distraction and more of an on-field boon to the previously stagnant Galaxy, boosting them not just in spirit but […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Sounders Providing Some Boom to Seattle Economy
Honestly, is there anything the Sounders can't do this year? As if leading the league with average crowds of around 30,000 (almost twice the overall MLS mark), and serving up a second coming of expansion team-turned-overnight success (doing their best to following in the footsteps of the 1998 Chicago Fire) wasn't enough to make them […]