The Mexican league playoffs have hit the semifinal stage. Puebla takes on UNAM and Indios face Pachuca. Catch the second legs on Saturday and Sunday. American soccer “Games of the Week” are: USL’s Cleveland-Carolina on Friday; MLS’s Kansas City-Chivas USA on Saturday; and WPS’s FC Gold Pride-Los Angeles on Sunday.
Author Archives: Soccer America
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Highs and Lows in MLS
[BY THE NUMBERS] Two U.S. World Cup veterans lead the league in scoring. The league’s highest scoring team is also its only undefeated club. Two teams have yet to earn a point on the road.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Attendance dips around the league
[MLS STATS] After nine weeks of play, only one MLS club has an attendance average higher than its attendance average for the full 2008 season, and several have seen a major drop in crowds.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Claudio Suarez off disabled list
[MLS] Chivas USA’s 40-year-old defender, Claudio Suarez, is ready for action after being removed from the club’s Disabled List. Suarez, who retired in the offseason then re-signed one day before the season kickoff, had a calf injury.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Coach for a game
[GERMANY] With one game left in the Bundesliga season, relegation-threatened Arminia Bielefeld fired their coach and appointed Joerg “The Fireman” Berger, famous for saving six clubs from relegation dating back to 1989. Bielefeld is third-from-last, in 16th place, trailing Michael Bradley‘s Borussia Moenchengladbach by three points.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, What They're Saying
What They’re Saying
“The most painful thing was the feeling that I could have got the job done. I could have led the team to the championship. … We laid the foundations for the future. I still believe the team can become champions this year.”
— Juergen Klinsmann talks about his firing for the first time since he was let go by Bayern Munich on April 27. The defending champion trails leader VfL Wolfsburg going into the last weekend of the season. Bayern hosts third-place VfB Stuttgart and Wolfsburg hosts 10th place Werder Bremen. (DPA)
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Week 7: Shot-stopping Vallow earns top honors
[USL TEAMS OF THE WEEK] Scott Vallow, who stopped 11 shots, including a penalty, to lead Rochester to a 2-1 victory at Vancouver, and Crystal Palace Baltimore’s Matthew Mbuta, who scored twice in his first two games back on loan from MLS’s New York Red Bulls, earned the USL First Division and Second Division Player of the Week honors, respectively. For the USL-1 and USL-2 Teams of the Week …
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
American Davies Faces Five-Match Ban
U.S. national team striker Charlie Davies has been tearing up the Swedish first division this season, but his recent run of goal-scoring form with Hammarby will be put on hold after the league suspended him for five matches for a malicious elbow to the face of Orebro’s Michael Almeback that left Almeback with a bloody […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Iniesta and Henry Optimistic for Champions League final
Andres Iniesta and Thierry Henry will be ready for the Champions League final against Manchester United on May 27, according to Barcelona medical staff. Both have begun running and Iniesta is expected to return to light ball work on Thursday. Although Henry's recovery still faces doubts, the club is optimistic. "They will make it [for […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Toluca Copes With Surprise Playoff Loss
Toluca won the Apertura 2008 title and lost just once during the Clausura 2009 regular season. Los Diablos Rojos entered the Liguilla (playoffs) as a heavy favorite to reach the final and fight for their second consecutive championship. Instead, Toluca was stunned by underdog Indios in the quarterfinals. Team president Fernando Corona maintains that he […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Cannavaro Returns to Old Club
Italy captain Fabio Cannavaro will return to Juventus. The Serie A club said Tuesday the 35-year-old defender, who left for Real Madrid in 2006, signed a one-year contract to rejoin the Turin side on July 1. Cannavaro, the 2006 World Player of the Year, angered Juve fans when he left for Madrid after the Italian […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Philadelphia’s New WPS Team Gets Colors
Close on the heels of their MLS brothers, the expansion Philadelphia WPS team has unveiled its colors and team name. The Philadelphia Independence will enter the league in 2010 wearing yellow, steel gray and light blue. Yellow commemorates the Swedish settlers who first came to Philadelphia in 1638. Steel Grey represents the city's rich history […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Jakovic Left Boyhood Heroes to Join United
Dejan Jakovic has made a sound transition to D.C. United this spring, adapting to a new league and fortifying a back line that sprung leaks last year. Jakovic joined United from Red Star Belgrade, the former European Cup champion that he adored while growing up in the former Yugoslavia and then as a refugee in […]
Posted inCollege Soccer Reporter, Story
Men’s Division I Coaching Changes
Three former MLS players — Kevin Anderson (Columbia), Clint Peay (Richmond) and Todd Yeagley (Wisconsin) — have accepted positions as head coaches at Division I programs. For all the Division I men’s coaching moves …
Posted inCollege Soccer Reporter, Story
Men’s Recruiting Classes
Bryant, Princeton, Quinnipiac and William & Mary have all announced their 2009 men’s recruiting classes. For all their incoming players and their club connections …
Posted inCollege Soccer Reporter, Story
Women’s Division I Coaching Changes
The head coaches at three 2008 NCAA Division I Tournament teams — Charlotte, Fresno State, Morehead State — have been lured away to other programs. For all the Division I women’s coaching moves …
Posted inCollege Soccer Reporter, Story
OBITUARY: Nnamdi Nwokocha
Nnamdi Nwokocha, one of the most prolific scorers in ACC history, died of meningitis recently at the age of 46 in his native Nigeria.
Posted inCollege Soccer Reporter, Story
Azusa Pacific’s Wolf takes job at SMU
Phil Wolf, the 2007 NAIA Coach of the Year, resigned his position as men’s head coach at NAIA power Azusa Pacific to to accept a position as assistant coach at SMU.
Posted inCollege Soccer Reporter, Story
Plans for Michigan stadium get approval
The University of Michigan’s Board of Regents has approved plans for a new soccer stadium, allowing work to begin immediately on the $6 million project. The goal is to add European-style grandstand seating for 2,200 fans at the soccer field, which has only temporary bleachers.
Posted inCollege Soccer Reporter, Story
Men’s Attendance Leaders
UC Santa Barbara led the nation in average attendance in 2008 for NCAA Division I men’s programs, beating out Connecticut, Big West rival Cal Poly, Creighton and Maryland. For the top 50 men’s programs in average attendance …
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
DiCicco criticizes officiating in new league
[REF WATCH] After his team’s 1-1 tie with the Washington Freedom on Sunday, Boston Breakers coach Tony DiCicco said officiating in the new Women’s Professional Soccer League is “getting scary now.”
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Hahnemann’s long Reading stint ends
[AMERICANS ABROAD] Goalkeeper Marcus Hahnemann was among a group of players released by Reading after it was knocked out of the playoffs for promotion to the English Premier League. The 36-year-old played 282 games for Reading, including 38 English Premier League games during the Royals’ one season in the top flight, in 2007-08.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Northern Ireland holds on for 0-0 tie
[U.S. UNDER-23 WOMEN] The U.S. under-23 women’s national team dominated Northern Ireland’s national team but had to settle for a 0-0 tie in Belfast.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
For $45 million, Man City gets ‘United’
[OFF THE POST] Manchester City will earn $45 million in a multi-year shirt sponsorship deal with Etihad Airways, the carrier airline of Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. But the deal might offend its fans.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, What They're Saying
What They’re Saying
“I spoke with Tevez on the phone and the first thing he said to me was ‘That old man doesn’t like me. He’s not playing me and he is lowering my value.'”
— Argentina coach Diego Maradona relays what striker Carlos Tevez told him about Manchester United boss Alex Ferguson. Tevez had 18 starts and came off the bench 11 times, scoring five goals for EPL champ Man U this season. (The Sun)