[USL RESULTS] The defending champion Vancouver Whitecaps remained unbeaten in the USL First Division with 3-1 victories at California on Saturday and at home against Rochester in a rematch of last year’s playoff final on Sunday. Cuban Eduardo Sebrango scored two goals against the Victory and once against the Rhinos. Vancouver (5-0-2) leads Montreal (3-0-2) and Atlanta (3-2-2) by six points.
Author Archives: Soccer America
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Real Madrid wins another squeaker thanks to Roberto Carlos goal
For the third straight league game, Real Madrid pulled out a last-gasp victory, beating Recreativo Huelva, 3-2, on Sunday to maintain its edge over Barcelona in the race for Spain’s La Liga title. With Barcelona cruising to a shocking 6-0 win at Atletico Madrid — the worst defeat at home in Atletico history — Real Madrid looked to be in trouble when it blew a 2-0 lead at Recre. With three games left, Real and Barcelona are tied with 69 points, but Real Madrid has won the tiebreaker (better head-to-head). UEFA Cup champion Sevilla remained just two points further back with a 2-1 comeback win at Deportivo Coruna.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Stuttgart claims Bundesliga title with late-season surge
VfB Stuttgart completed a late-season surge with a 2-1 victory over Energie Cottbus on Saturday that extended its winning streak to eight games and secured the young team the 2007 German Bundesliga title. The title was the fifth for Stuttgart, which moved ahead of long-suffering Schalke 04 on the second-to-last week of the season. For a few brief moments, it looked like Schalke might get the miracle it needed to capture its first Bundesliga title. Stuttgart trailed Cottbus after Sergiu Radu‘s deflected shot beat Timo Hildebrand in the 19th minute, but goals from Thomas Hitzlsperger on a brilliant long-range shot in the 28th minute and Sami Khedira‘s goal in the second half took Stuttgart its first Bundesliga title in 15 years.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, What They're Saying
Article 21979
“I found out late in the week [that I was starting] and I just tried to make the best of the opportunity.”
— John Wolyniec, who started at forward for the New York Red Bulls against Columbus, because Jozy Altidore was attending his high school senior prom, and scored the first goal to set off a 4-0 rout in which he also notched an assist. (Herald News)
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Romario finally gets his 1,000th goal
Former Brazil striker Romario finally scored what he said was the 1,000th goal of his career by converting a penalty in Vasco da Gama’s 3-1 over Sport Recife in the Campeonato Brasileiro on Sunday. Celebrations and interviews held up the match for 16 minutes after the 41-year-old Brazilian great sent Sport goalkeeper Magrao he wrong way, Romario’s tally includes goals scored in youth team, friendly and testimonial games, but doubts about his milestone failed to dampen the celebrations.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Cruz Azul kicked out of Mexican playoffs
Pachuca reached the final of the Mexican First Division’s Torneo Clausura playoffs by forfeit when semifinal rival Cruz Azul was expelled from the competition for using Salvador Carmona in the first leg of the semifinals on Thursday after being informed Carmona had been handed a lifetime ban for doping Wednesday by the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Switzerland. Pachuca, which won the first leg, 3-1, away faces Club America in the final. With a second-half goal by Ismael Rodriguez, America beat archrival Guadalajara for its second 1-0 victory and advance to the Mexican First Division finals, 2-0, on aggregate.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Mexico calls up Blanco for summer tournaments
[GOLD CUP ROSTER] Mexico included Chicago Fire signee Cuauhtemoc Blanco in its preliminary squad of 28 players for the CONCACAF Gold Cup and the Copa America on Friday. Hugo Sanchez will take 23 players to each of the tournaments, his first major tests as national team coach. Barcelona star Rafael Marquez is expected to skip the Gold Cup but will play at he Copa America.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
EPL’s Chelsea and United plot for next season
As the FA Cup final dropped the curtain on the 2006-07 season for Chelsea and Manchester United, they began to consider plans for the 2007-08 season.Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho is looking to sign three new players — a defender, midfielder and a striker — for the coming season. In addition, he wants to tie up captain John Terry (the subject of rumors he wants to leave) and midfielder Frank Lampard (able to move to the club of his wishes — Barcelona? — for a set fee of $16 million under FIFA’s transfer guidelines) to long-term contracts. Meanwhile, Manchester United is reported to have reached a transfer agreement with Bayern Munich for Canadian-born England midfielder Owen Hargreaves, Bayern president Franz Beckenbauer said on Sunday.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Chelsea completes cup double with FA Cup victory over Man. United
Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho was left wondering what if after the Blues won the English FA Cup final with a 1-0 victory over Manchester United Saturday in overtime of the first final at the new Wembley Stadium. Didier Drogba‘s goal in the 116th minute decided the game and denied United a league and cup double. Drogba’s goal was his 33rd of the season. The Ivorian scored Chelsea’s two goals in the League Cup final victory over Arsenal and finished the Premier League season as its top scorer with 20 goals.
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Spanish Referee Protest Backfires
In protest of the Spanish soccer federation’s system for revising referee decisions on appeal, referees in Spain’s La Liga refused to detail why players were issued yellow cards in their match reports last weekend. Instead, they wrote “unsporting behavior” for each offense. As a result, 13 La Liga players will avoid suspension and compete in […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Pele: Becks Arrival Draws NASL Comparisons
Brazilian soccer legend Pele says David Beckham’s pending arrival in America is not unlike his own some 22 years ago with the New York Cosmos of the NASL. “I remember when we played at San Jose, we lost 2 to 1,” Pele recalled. “I said, ‘My God, what am I going to do here?’” But […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
No Secret to Tevez’s Late Success
When Carlos Tevez and Javier Mascherano arrived at West Ham United last fall, both were full of hope and expectation, Tevez tells The Guardian. But Tevez recounts how very un-easy the first five months of life at Upton Park proved to be. While Tevez at least saw first-team action (but no goals), Mascherano, stuck in […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Cole: FA Cup Still the One
It’s all eyes on England this weekend for the so-called “dream” FA Cup final between Premier League champion Manchester United and Chelsea, the team it dethroned. For many industry pundits, the FA Cup final has been a competition on the wane over the last several years, as bigger clubs tend to focus their attention elsewhere […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Chivas Gets a Shirt Sponsor
Chivas USA on Thursday became the fifth MLS team to have a company name adorning the front of its jersey. For an undisclosed fee, Mexican paint manufacturer Comex purchased the right to have its logo splashed across the front of the club’s red and white striped jersey. Real Salt Lake (Xango), Toronto FC (BMO), the […]
Posted inSoccer on TV., Story
Article 21962
The English FA Cup final (Chelsea vs. Manchester United, Saturday, 10 am ET) is available through Setanta Premium on pay-per-view (DirecTV, DISH Network, iNDemand, TVN residential) for $24.95 and on closed-circuit TV at selected pubs and restaurants in the US. VfB Stuttgart, which this season became the first German Bundesliga team to ever field Mexican players, can clinch the title on Saturday (Gol TV). Real Madrid and the team it’s chasing, Barcelona, play Recreativo Huelva and Atletico Madrid on Sunday (Gol TV). The Mexican league finalists will be decided on Sunday (Univision & Azteca America). And MLS has a full slate of six games (Fox Channels, MLS Direct Kick, HDNet).
Posted inCollege Soccer Reporter, Story
Prep star Angulo passes on college game for Europe
Perennial No. 1 national boys prep program St. Benedict’s has produced some of the nation’s top college players. After starring at the Newark, N.J., school, Tab Ramos (N.C. State), Claudio Reyna (Virginia) and Gregg Berhalter (North Carolina) all went on to have tremendous college careers and represent the USA at the World Cup. Now, the top Grey Bees are taking a different path — foregoing college soccer and MLS for the European pro soccer. Colombian-born forward Jose Angulo is considered one of the best forwards to ever play for the Grey Bees, and he has decided to pass on the college game — his first choice was Connecticut — to try his luck in Europe.
Posted inCollege Soccer Reporter, Story
Hartwick moves to Mid-American for men’s soccer
Hartwick will join the Mid-American Conference as an affiliate member in men’s soccer only, beginning with the 2007 season. The MAC needed to add another team to keep its automatic bid to the NCAA Division I Men’s Tournament. The NCAA mandates that at least six members of the league must sponsor the sport to receive an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. IPFW, which was an affiliate member of the MAC in 2005 and 2006, left after the 2006 season as all of its athletics programs joined the Summit League (former Mid-Continent).
Posted inCollege Soccer Reporter, Story
Buckeyes set records as Senn fund nearly reaches $100,000
Ohio State recently drew a record crowd and record sponsor support for its Sixth Annual Connor Senn Memorial Game. Approximately $23,000 was generated from corporate sponsors, patrons and the 2,053 fans who saw Crew midfielder Danny O’Rourke wear No. 22 with “SENN” on the back in honor of his seven-year club soccer teammate and former Buckeye who collapsed on the field during at game at Akron in 2001 and died later night from a congenital heart defect.
Posted inCollege Soccer Reporter, Story
UCLA ranks No. 1 in women’s recruiting classes
UCLA has SoccerBuzz’s 2007 top women’s soccer recruiting class in its annual rankings, ahead of Florida State, North Carolina, Boston College and California. Lauren Barnes and Kylie Wright head the Bruins’ 10-player class. The last two years, UCLA’s recruiting class was No. 2 in the country.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Stuttgart looks to wrap up German title; Real Madrid seeks help from Atletico in Spain
[TV PREVIEWS] VfB Stuttgart looks set to clinch its fifth German league title when it takes a two-point lead over Schalke 04 and a seven-game winning streak into its final game against Energie Cottbus on Saturday (TV: GolTV, live, 9:30 am ET). in Spain, Real Madrid will look to continue its hot form when it travels to Recreativo Huelva on Sunday (TV: GolTV, live, 1 pm ET). Madrid, which shares La Liga lead with Barcelona, has the best away record in La Liga — in sharp contrast to Barca, which goes into its game at Atletico Madrid on Sunday (TV: GolTV, live, 3 pm ET) with only two wins in its last 11 away games.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, What They're Saying
What They’re Saying
“Your dad is a cucumber!”
— What Crystal Palace fans chanted at Colchester United goalkeeper Dean Gerken, who was treated with “You should have stayed in a burger!” after giving up two goals. (BBC)
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Boca pays for blunders at home in Libertadores Cup stunner
[COPA LIBERTADORES RESULTS] Martin Palermo scored in the 90th minute to salvage a 1-1 tie for Argentine powerhouse Boca Juniors against Paraguayan champion Libertad in the first leg of their Libertadores Cup quarterfinal series on Thursday in Buenos Aires. Boca star Roman Riquelme and keeper Mauricio Caranta were the goats for Boca. Riquelme missed a penalty kick for Boca, which fell behind when Caranta tried to tip Osvaldo Martinez‘s free kick out of play but missed the ball, which flew into the Boca goal.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Club America takes first leg of Superclasico playoff
[TV SCHEDULE] Twenty-four hours after being held by Santos of Brazil to a 0-0 tie in the Libertadores, Club America returned to Azteca Stadium, where it beat Chivas, 1-0, in the first leg of their semifinal series in Mexico’s Torneo Clausura. Regular-season leader Pachuca looked set to return to the Clausura final with a 3-1 win at Cruz Azul on Wednesday night.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
USA draws untested teams for Under-17 World Cup
[HACKWORTH PODCAST] The USA faces first-time finalists Belgium and Tajikstan and Tunisia in Group E at the 2007 FIFA U-17 World Cup in South Korea, which will take place Aug. 18-Sept. 9 in seven venues. The U.S. U-17s, one of the seeded teams in Thursday’s draw in Seoul, open against Tajikistan on Aug. 20 in Changwon, then face Tunisia three days later and conclude group play on Aug. 26 against Belgium in Cheonan.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
U.S. opponent Guatemala names Carlos Ruiz to Gold Cup roster
[GOLD CUP ROSTER] Colombian Hernan Gomez, coach of Guatemala’s national team, named his 23-player squad for the Gold Cup, where the Chapines will face the USA, as well as El Salvador and Trinidad & Tobago, in Group B. MLS star Carlos Ruiz and Pablo Melgar of Chilean club Antofagasta are the only foreign-based players.