[U.S. CLUB SOCCER CHAMPIONS] Regional champions were crowned in U.S. Club Soccer’s boys and girls U-12-U-17 age groups on Memorial Day in LaGrangeville, N.Y. and Jacksonville, Fla., respectively. For a complete list of the winners …
Author Archives: Soccer America
Posted inSoccer on TV., Story
Soccer On TV
Get an early start to your weekend soccer viewing with England’s friendly against Brazil (3 pm ET on Fox). Friday night’s USL’s game (Fox) is an all-Canadian affair. MLS action on Saturday overlaps with the USA’s friendly against China. Setanta USA and Fox Soccer Channel provide broadcasts of European Championship qualifying on Saturday.
Posted inStory, Youth Soccer Insider
Intelligent Crossing
One reason so many crosses don’t end up producing a scoring chance is because players too often send them in blindly. They figure that if they’re on the wing, just whip the ball into the middle. Even in the pros, you see this time after time. A player moves down the wing and launches a cross even if there are no teammates in front of the goal. If you haven’t got a forward waiting for the cross, then you’ve got to look for other options, like turning back and looking for a midfielder.
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Richer EPL Sinks Further into Debt
BBC News takes a comprehensive look at the English Premier League’s finances as outlined by new report from the financial firm Deloitte. Expect league salaries and spending on players to increase next season as the EPL benefits from a new $5.34 billion television deal. Rises in international and domestic TV revenues mean the league will […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
EPL Broadcast Deal to Lift Second-Tier Clubs
Top Premier League clubs might be sinking further and further into financial debt, but the Guardian says the Deloitte report also indicates that second-tier clubs like Tottenham, Aston Villa, Newcastle and Everton also stand to benefit from the increased purchasing power brought in by inflated broadcasting revenues. The 50 percent increase in broadcast revenue over […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Fire Expects Blanco Windfall
The Chicago Fire isn’t quite expecting the Beckham-bounce from Cuauhtemoc Blanco the L.A. Galaxy and MLS will receive once David Beckham takes to the field in July, but club GM John Guppy expects Blanco’s presence to greatly increase the team’s visibility once the Mexico international takes the field for the first time this weekend. Corporate […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Donovan Wants Out of Copa
In separate interviews with U.S. national team star Landon Donovan and coach Bob Bradley, Andrea Canales of L.A. Soccer News reveals that Bradley and his star player have very different views about his plans for the summer, which is proving to be an especially tricky one given that the CONCACAF Gold Cup is immediately followed […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
TFC in for Radzinski?
Is Toronto FC on the lookout for a designated player? If so, the club might want to take a second look at the sky-high prices its already paying the likes of Andy Welsh, Carl Robinson, Danny Dichio and now, Jeff Cunningham, the Toronto Star says. With the likes of Luis Figo, Rivaldo and Robbie Fowler […]
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
U.S. Soccer plans nationwide youth academy program
The U.S. Soccer Federation is creating a national youth league and academy program for teenage boys that will involve up to 2,400 players at both the U-15 and U-18 age groups, according to Washington Post reporter Steven Goff . “The federation plans to identify 60 to 80 youth clubs across the country,” reports Goff. “Those clubs will then select players from the under-15 and under-18 age groups to participate in the academy.”
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Manchester United signs phenoms Nani and Anderson
Four years after signing 18-year-old Cristiano Ronaldo, then a relatively unknown winger at Portuguese club Sporting, Manchester United has spent big money on two young prospects from Portuguese clubs. United agreed to sign Sporting winger Nani, who has been compared to Cristiano Ronaldo, for $35 million and Porto’s Brazilian playmaker, Anderson, dubbed the new Ronaldinho, for a similar amount.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
W-League’s Sunwaves peak in Rockies
[W-LEAGUE RESULTS] The San Diego Sunwaves became the first team to record three wins when they improved to 3-0-0 with wins at Ft. Collins (3-2) and Mile High (4-0). Rebekah Patrick and Holly Grogan scored in both games. Mexican international Sophia Perez in goal got tremendous support from Mariette Boyce, Beth McNamara, Lisa Gomez, Ana Gutierrez and Patrick. For complete results and goalscorers …
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Kansas City and Ocean City remain perfect in PDL
[PDL RESULTS] The Kansas City Brass improved to 4-0-0 with a 1-0 win over Springfield and 3-1 victory at St. Louis. Joshua White had the lone goal in the win over the Demize, while he had the second goal against the Lions, who had a run of 15 games without a defeat going into the game. The Ocean City Barons are the only other unbeaten and untied team in the PDL. They improved to 4-0-0 with a 1-0 win over the Richmond Kickers Future on a goal by Byron Carmichael with a header off Sean Boyle‘s free kick in the second minute. For complete results and goalscorers …
Posted inSoccer America Daily, What They're Saying
What They’re Saying
“If Rafa said he wanted to buy ‘Snoogy Doogy,’ we would back him.”
— Liverpool’s American owner George Gillett, trying to demonstrate his support of Coach Rafael Benitez‘s offseason player shopping, creates a new rapper moniker. (BBC)
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Lalas: We Could Loan Becks
In an interview with Sky Sports, L.A. Galaxy general manager Alexi Lalas revealed that the club would be willing to release David Beckham on loan once the MLS season ends in November. The Daily Mail says several English clubs have already expressed interest, including Newcastle United, Arsenal, Tottenham, Blackburn and Everton. A loan return to […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
The Other Copa Libertadores Semifinalist
Because South America’s biggest clubs are constantly forced to export their best players to Europe, there is almost always one surprise package that makes it to the semifinals of the South America’s championship, the Copa Libertadores, writes SI.com’s Tim Vickery. Colombian club Cucuta is the team that fits that bill this year, he says. It […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
International Break Draws Ire in Spain
As ever, the action in La Liga has overshadowed the goings-on of the Spanish national team. And given the nail-biting finish to one of the most exciting La Liga seasons in years, this year’s June international break is being met with downright derision, says ESPN Soccernet’s Phil Ball. Why? On the one hand, Spain is […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Reborn Johnson Bags Second POW Award
The Kansas City Wizards have come out of the gate on fire in this early stage of the MLS season, thanks in large part to the vastly improved play of young Eddie Johnson. He rightly earned Player of the Week honors for scoring three goals including the winner against then-league leader New England Revolution in […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Israeli Phenom Leads Euro 2008 Charge
Israeli striker Ben Sahar of Chelsea barely stepped foot on the field for the Blues last season; the talented 17-year-old striker made his debut on Jan. 6 against Macclesfield Town in an FA Cup match. He played in his first Premier League game against Wigan Athletic one week later. As the English season entered crunch […]
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
MLS STATISTICS: Who’s to blame for the goal dearth?
Kansas City’s 4-3 win over New England last Saturday was the highest scoring game of the 2007 season, but MLS goalscoring so far this year remains just barely over 2.5 goals per game. In fact, five teams have scored fewer than one goal per game. The lowest-scoring team in the league is none other than defending champ Houston, which has mustered just five goals in eight games. Just slightly worse in futility in front of the net are Columbus, Toronto, Real Salt Lake and Chicago. New England and Kansas City are tops, scoring at a rate of two goals per game. For up-to-date MLS standings, schedules, leading scorers, attendance and goalscoring averages …
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
OFF THE POST: Worst free kick ever?
[VIDEO] The British Web site “Who ate all the pies” hailed this free kick by New England’s Khano Smith against Kansas City as the worst ever taken by a pro – and Revs coach Steve Nicol seemed to agree.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Four newcomers included in U.S. roster for China game
[ROSTER] U.S. coach Bob Bradley‘s 19-man roster for Saturday’s friendly against China includes 11 European-based players who are also on the USA’s Gold Cup roster and four national team newcomers: Lee Nguyen (PSV Eindhoven/Netherlands), Kamani Hill (Wolfsburg/Germany), Charlie Davies (Hammarby/Sweden), Sacha Kljestan (Chivas USA). The contingent of MLS players for the China game is limited to Chivas USA players because Chivas does not have a game this weekend. The squad’s most experienced players are Kasey Keller, DaMarcus Beasley, Carlos Bocanegra, Clint Dempsey, Tim Howard, Oguchi Onyewu and Ante Razov
Posted inSoccer America Daily, What They're Saying
What They’re Saying
"He is the anti-Beckham. He is not handsome. He is not a millionaire. He is not married to a Hollywood star. He has a hunchback. He has a strange hairdo. But he is arriving in the perfect city at the perfect time for him. When he takes the field, the Mexicans aren’t going to say, ‘Look at the goal Temoc Blanco scored.’ They will say, ‘Look at the goal we scored.'”
— Jose Ramon Fernandez, a sports commentator for Grupo Monitor radio, on Mexican star Cuauhtemoc Blanco, who will join the Chicago Fire and is MLS’s second-highest paid “designated player” after Los Angeles-bound David Beckham. (Chicago Tribune)
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
U.S. Open Cup first-round draw released
[DRAW] The 2007 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup begins June 12-16 with 16 first-round matches involving teams from the USL-1, USL-2, PDL and USASA. The winners face off in the second round on June 26. The eight survivors meet the eight MLS entrants in the third round. For first-round matchups …
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
CONCACAF releases Gold Cup rosters
[GOLD CUP ROSTERS] CONCACAF released the final rosters for all 12 teams that will compete in the 2007 Gold Cup June 6-24 at six U.S. venues. The roster for each team consists of 23 players. A player may only be substituted in the event of a serious injury up until 24 hours before the team’s first match. For complete rosters …
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Gold Cup teams to take 22 MLS players
[MAKING A LIST] Twenty-two MLS players were called up for the 2007 Gold Cup. Expansion Toronto FC led all teams with four players (including Chris Pozniak whom Canada is listing as a “reserve.”). New York (which shares the overall MLS lead with New England), D.C. United (last year’s regular-season champion, D.C. United) and Real Salt Lake were the only MLS teams not to have anyone called up for the Gold Cup. The list of 22 players includes Amado Guevara, who is persona non grata at Chivas USA, but not Mexican Cuauhtemoc Blanco, who will later join Chicago from Club America. In addition, six Gold Cup players play in the USL-1.