Author Archives: Soccer America

The English Football Association has handed Manchester City midfielder Ben Thatcher an eight-match suspension for his horrific high elbow to the face of Portsmouth’s Pedro Mendes last month. In addition to the suspension, Thatcher faces a 15-match ban if he commits a similar offense in the next two years. Interestingly enough, the 30-year-old defender was […]

A Closer Look at FIFA’s New Rankings

After the wave of international fixtures last week, FIFA published the latest version of its revised international rankings, which in the past have been much-maligned for rewarding those teams with weaker schedules. For those who care to see just how FIFA compiles its rankings, the Guardian provides an in-depth walkthrough. Despite a particularly lackluster performance […]

Q&A with Bruce Arena

Red Bull New York coach Bruce Arena sat down with the New York Times to discuss his new job and the state of Major League Soccer. The former U.S. national team coach expressed certain frustrations with the team he inherited as well as hope for the future. Asked whether the last 10 years have been […]

3. TUESDAY ACTION: No. 4 Blue Devils held to 0-0 draw

No. 4 Duke fell from the ranks of the unbeaten and untied men’s teams Tuesday night when the Blue Devils were held to a 0-0 tie by No. 15 Virginia Tech in ACC action. “That’s a part of the nature of the game — sometimes the goals don’t come,” said Duke coach John Rennie. “[Virginia […]

4. INTERNATIONAL: UP stars called up for Mexico game

Two Portland stars have been named to the U.S. women’s national team squad for Wednesday’s match against Mexico in Rochester, N.Y. (TV: ESPN2, 8 pm ET). Sophomore Megan Rapinoe replaced North Carolina forward Heather O’Reilly, who suffered a minor ankle injury when Portland and UNC played on Sunday. Rapinoe joins UP junior Stephanie Lopez as […]

2. AWARDS: UCLA’s Adams takes women’s honors

U.S. U-20 star Danesha Adams is the Soccer America Women’s Player of the Week. Playing her first matches of the season after returning from the Under-20 Women’s World Championships in Russia, Adams led UCLA to wins over No. 4 Texas A&M, 2-1, and No. 12 Connecticut, 3-0, at the UCLA Women’s Cup. Adams, who won the […]

1. Duke’s Grella takes weekly honors

Sophomore Mike Grella, whose brilliant second-half goals lifted Duke to a 4-3 victory over Wake Forest in a battle of unbeaten and untied ACC teams last Friday night before a record crowd of 4,323 at Wake’s Spry Stadium, is the Soccer America Men’s Player of the Week. Grella tied the score at 2-2 in the […]

BEACH SOCCER: Ibsen leads USA in CONCACAF championship

The 2006 inaugural CONCACAF Beach Soccer championship kicks off on Wednesday at Punta Leona in Puntarenas, Costa Rica. The tournament, which will last through Sept. 17, serving as qualification for the 2006 FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup Nov. 2-12 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The top two CONCACAF finishers will earn a berth at the […]

TUESDAY ACTION: No. 4 Duke held to scoreless tie

No. 4 Duke fell from the ranks of the unbeaten and untied men's teams Tuesday night when the Blue Devils were held to a 0-0 tie by No. 15 Virginia Tech in ACC action. “That’s a part of the nature of the game — sometimes the goals don’t come,” said Duke coach John Rennie. ''[Virginia […]

INTERNATIONAL: UP stars called up for Mexico game

Two Portland stars have been named to the U.S. women's national team squad for Wednesday's match against Mexico in Rochester, N.Y. (TV: ESPN2, 8 pm ET). Sophomore Megan Rapinoe replaced North Carolina forward Heather O’Reilly, who suffered a minor ankle injury when Portland and UNC played on Sunday. Rapinoe joins UP junior Stephanie Lopez as […]

COLLEGE: SOCCER AMERICA WOMEN'S PLAYER OF THE WEEK (Week 3)

WOMEN'S PLAYER OF THE WEEK F Danesha Adams (UCLA) WOMEN'S TEAM OF THE WEEK G Jaime Souza (Pacific) D Natalie Cocchi (West Virginia) D Emily Zurrer (Illinois) M Veronica Ambort (San Diego) M Samantha Conn (Rice) M Diane Matheson (Princeton) F Danesha Adams (UCLA) F Holly Gault (Kansas) F Nikki Marshall (Colorado) F Casey Nogueira […]

COLLEGE: UCLA's Adams takes women's honors

U.S. U-20 star Danesha Adams is the Soccer America Women's Player of the Week. Playing her first matches of the season after returning from the Under-20 Women's World Championships in Russia, Adams led UCLA to wins over No. 4 Texas A&M, 2-1, and No. 12 Connecticut, 3-0, at the UCLA Women's Cup. Adams, who won the […]

COLLEGE: MEN'S PLAYER & TEAM OF THE WEEK (Week 3)

MEN'S PLAYER OF THE WEEK F Mike Grella (Duke) MEN'S TEAM OF THE WEEK G Dane Brenner (South Florida) D Jon Leathers (Furman) M Fabio Assumpcao (Drexel) M Will Mason (Elon) M David Roth (Northwestern) F Mike Grella (Duke) F Maxwell Griffin (UCLA) F George Josten (Gonzaga) F Michael Kraus (Creighton) F Yannick Reyering (Virginia) […]

COLLEGE MEN: Duke's Grella takes weekly honors

Sophomore Mike Grella, whose brilliant second-half goals lifted Duke to a 4-3 victory over Wake Forest in a battle of unbeaten and untied ACC teams last Friday night before a record crowd of 4,323 at Wake's Spry Stadium, is the Soccer America Men's Player of the Week. Grella tied the score at 2-2 in the […]

3. MLS: FC Dallas aims to clinch playoff spot on Wednesday

FC Dallas could join D.C. United as the second team to clinch one of the eight playoff spots when it faces Chivas USA on Wednesday. A win would give Dallas 49 points; the maximum points that Real Salt Lake and Los Angeles can get from their last five games is 48 and 47 points, respectively. […]

1. WHAT THEY’RE SAYING

“There is no doubt in my mind about it. This notion that you need a foreign coach — I’ll be very honest, our coaching staff prepared our team as well as it can be prepared. There is no foreign coach that could have done it any better. I know [U.S. Soccer president] Sunil [Gulati] likes […]

4. BEACH SOCCER: Ibsen leads USA in CONCACAF tourney

The inaugural CONCACAF Beach Soccer championship kicks off on Wednesday at Punta Leona in Puntarenas, Costa Rica. The tournament, which will last through Sept. 17, serving as qualification for the 2006 FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup Nov. 2-12 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The top two CONCACAF finishers will earn a berth at the Beach […]

2. EUROPE: Barca opens with convincing victory

Defending champion Barcelona crushed Levski Sofia, 5-0, in the most lopsided result of the first day of the UEFA Champions League. Despite heavy rain, Barca played superbly and was rewarded with goals from Andres Iniesta, Ludovic Giuly, Carles Puyol, Samuel Eto’o and Ronaldinho, who scored in stoppage time. Levski Sofia was playing its first game […]

FIFA Chief in World Cup Ticket Probe

FIFA’s disgraced vice-president Jack Warner faces a fight to avoid expulsion from soccer’s world governing body after a report from accounting firm Ernst & Young identified the Trinidad and Tobago official as having sold World Cup tickets at three times their face value. The E&Y report can be viewed at www.transparencyinsport.org. In a report to […]

Reading Wins First “American Derby”

You could have called yesterday’s English Premier League clash between Reading and Manchester City the first of several “American” derbies this season. Sort of. Reading and Man City are two of three EPL clubs with at least two Americans on its roster. Winger Bobby Convey and goalkeeper Marcus Hahnemann play for Reading, midfielders Claudio Reyna […]

Galaxy on Fire Under Yallop

It’s been a new year for the Los Angeles Galaxy since Frank Yallop took the helm on June 7. At that time the Galaxy was the worst team in MLS, but under Yallop they’ve evolved into something else, says LA Daily News columnist Scott French. LA still has the worst record in the Western Conference, […]

Mourinho: We’re Not Favorite’s for CL Title

Either something has transformed Jose Mourinho in the last 12 months, or the Chelsea manager is purposefully trying to take some of the pressure off his squad ahead of today’s Champions League opener. The draw might have something to do with that, as the English champion has once again landed in the competition’s “Group of […]

Champions League Preview

It’s all about the Champions League today, which today begins its 14th year as Europe’s most important tournament. Defending champion Barcelona is among the teams that open the competition today, along with 2005 winner Liverpool, English Champion Chelsea and Serie A Champion Inter Milan. The Independent points out that no team in the competition’s short […]

USL-1: Romario's Miami FC clinches playoff berth

The expansion Miami FC and the Puerto Rico Islanders both survived a two-game head-to-head showdown on the weekend to clinch the USL First Division's final two playoff berths and leave the defending champion Seattle Sounders and Atlanta Silverbacks on the outside. The Rochester Rhinos, meanwhile, grabbed the second playoff bye, but came up short in […]

SMALL COLLEGES: Messiah's winning streak snapped