Author Archives: Soccer America

The United States fell to Australia, 7-6, on penalty kicks in the semifinals of the U-17 World Cup after the two teams tied, 2-2, in Christchurch. It was a heart-breaking loss for the U.S. U-17s, who recovered from a 2-0 first-half deficit to tie the score. Landon Donovan and Oguchi Onyewu scored for the United […]

Gregg Norton Los Osos, Calif. What is the acrobatic soccer move where a player can strike a ball over his head with his foot in mid-air while the body is upside down? Mike Woitalla: Gregg, it sounds like you’re referring to the bicycle kick. Here’s are the appropriate excerpts from the glossary of “The Simplest […]

The U.S. U-17s take on Australia Tuesday Nov. 23, 10 pm (U.S. Eastern Time) in the U-17 World Cup semifinals. The following are quotes from the Nov. 22 media teleconference from New Zealand that featured Coach John Ellinger and Landon Donovan, DaMarcus Beasley and Kyle Beckerman. Ellinger’s opening comments about how the U.S. got to […]

Scores from first-round NCAA menÆs Division I playoff action: St. John’s 1, Maryland 0 Connecticut 2, Hartford 1 (OT) Wake Forest 2, VCU 1 Duke 4, UMBC 3 (OT) Brown 2, Rhode Island 1 (OT) Virginia 2, Princeton 1 (OT) Furman 2 North Carolina 1 (OT) Indiana 1, Kentucky 0 (OT) UAB 2, Southwest Missouri […]

Soccer America MagazineÆs Team of the Year is based on SA Team of the Week Selections during the regular season. In parentheses is the number of times a player was named to the Team of the Week. Goalkeeper Kevin Hartman (5) Los Angeles Defenders Lubos Kubik (6) Chicago Mauricio Wright (11) San Jose Jeff Agoos […]

Scores from third-round NCAA womenÆs Division I playoff action: Penn State 5, SMU 0 Notre Dame 1, Stanford 0 Connecticut 5, Boston College 0 Hartford 3, Virginia 2 (OT) Santa Clara 7, UCLA 0 UNC 5, William & Mary 1 Nebraska 1, Texas A&M 0 Clemson 0, Wake Forest 0 (Clemson wins, 3-1, on PKs.)

Individual Awards Honda MVP: Jason Kreis (Dallas). Kreis, the first American-born player to garner Honda MVP honors in the league’s four seasons, also captured the league’s scoring title with 18 goals and 15 assists for 51 points. The Duke University product led the Burn to a club-best 19-13 finish (second in the Western Conference) and […]

D.C. United won the MLS final, 2-0, over the Los Angeles Galaxy to claim its third league title in MLSÆs four-year history. D.C. United , which won titles in 1996 and 1997 before losing the 1998 final to the Chicago Fire, overcame Los Angeles on first-half goals by Jaime Moreno and Ben Olsen. Look for […]

Monday, the day before we go to press, is our late night. Usually, IÆm the last one to leave, shortly after midnight, but last night when I left at my usual time, the TV room was filled with staffers, many of whom returned from home, watching the U.S. U-17s play Uruguay in New Zealand. I […]

Cobi Jones may have left the wrong impression. The phenomenal numbers he posted as the point man in the Los Angeles Galaxy’s explosive attack last season suggested the emergence of a new, improved Cobi, one who offered all the advantages of the old Cobi ù the speed, the abilities to combine and exploit space, the […]

The following are quotes from the Nov. 19 MLS Cup press conference from Dallas Burn forward and 1999 Honda Most Valuable Player Jason Kreis, D.C. United coach Thomas Rongen, Los Angeles Galaxy coach Sigi Schmid, D.C. United defender Jeff Agoos and Los Angeles Galaxy defender Robin Fraser. MLS MVP Jason Kreis: “My biggest comment is […]

The United States reached the semifinals of the U-17 World Cup with a 3-2 win over Mexico in a quarterfinal clash in Auckland, New Zealand. The USA plays the winner of the Australia-Qatar quarterfinal. Mexico opened the scoring in the third minute through a close-range blast from Hector Vallejo after a low cross found its […]

Brian Breslin Philadelphia, Pa. How good is this young kid named Bobby Convey. Obviously he must be a star to be on the U.S. under-17 national team at such a young age. However, is he really capable of turning pro within a year some rumors are saying? Also, are they referring to the MLS or […]

Depth emerges as crucial factor as Europe’s top club competition has been turned into marathon The Champions League has, in its 45th season, been turned into an endurance contest. No longer do talent and experience- with a modicum of luck – suffice to win Europe’s top competition. Teams must be loaded to endure two games […]

Goalkeepers — Danielle Dion, Hope Solo. Defenders — Thori Bryan, Kristen Eaton, Michelle French, Nandi Pryce, Catherine Reddick, Staci Wilson. Midfielders — Justi Baumgardt, Emily Brown, Aleisha Cramer, Kim Clark, Sherrill Kester, Kim Stiles, Stacey Tullock, Kelly Walbert, Kim Yankowski, Veronica Zepeda. Strikers — Robin Confer, Alyssa Ramsey.

The Kansas City Wizards have hired Curt Johnson as the club’s new general manager in charge of player personnel matters, team-related issues and will be involved with the sales and marketing aspect for the organization. His first obligations are to prepare for the 2000 MLS draft, which takes place on February 6, and to finalize […]

Lucy (California) What is a hat trick? Will Kuhns: The term hat trick is used when a player scores three goals in one game. According to the Wordsworth Dictionary of Idioms, the term originated in cricket because a bowler who put out three batsmen on three consecutive balls was given a new hat by his […]

The summary of the Morocco-USA friendly, in which Eric Wynalda celebrated his return to the national team, having last played for the USA on June 25, 1998, and scored his USA-leading 33rd international goal: Nov 17 in Marrakesh Morocco 2, USA 1 Goals: Bassir 15, Hadji, pen. 27; Wynalda 19. Morocco — Fouhami, Abrami, Mariana, […]

Foreign players and coaches dominate discussions In several parts of the country, on battle grounds great and small, the tussles have been waged for more than a month. MLS ’99 is building to a climax wrought by conflict, controversy and confrontation. Debate has been heated, the passions fierce, the gamemanship intense. There’s been a lot […]

MENÆS NCAA DIVISION I SCHOOL RECORD PTS. 1 Duke 15-0-3 479 2 Indiana 16-3-0 447 3 UCLA 16-2-0 406 4 SW Missouri 17-0-3 377 5 Furman 19-1-1 364 6 Connecticut 16-4-0 332 6 Penn State 17-3-1 332 8 Saint Louis 16-3-2 300 9 Maryland 14-5-0 271 10 Wake Forest 12-2-5 254 11 Washington 14-4-2 236 […]

As expected, MLS has banned the shootout, beginning with the league’s fifth season, slated to begin in mid-March 2000. The bold move to eliminate the controversial tiebreaker was one of many new competition-related initiatives unveiled today. “As part of the most popular sport in the world, Major League Soccer has decided to bring our rules […]

POSITION/PLAYER G Jason White (Princeton) (1) Clutch saves against Yale to win Ivy D Cristoffer Hartmann (Hartford) (1) Most Outstanding Player of America East tourney D Matt Goldsmith (Furman) (1) Scored winner in play-in against Radford M Jarod Bertrand (SW Missouri) (2) MVC tournament MVP M Jake Sagare (Washington) (1) Goal and assist in play-in […]

Game summaries with SA player ratings from the deciding Games 3 of the MLS semifinals. LOS ANGELES 3 DALLAS 1 Nov. 11. Att.: 25,703. Goals Los Angeles: Vanney (pen) 3, Hermosillo (Mathis, Myers) 20, Cienfuegos (Hendrickson, Myers) 68. Dallas: Kreis (pen.) 89. SA Report Card Los Angeles: Hartman 6, Hendrickson 6, Fraser 6, Vanney 6, […]

MENÆS NCAA DIVISION I Far West Region 1 UCLA 16-2-0 LA Washington 1-2 2 Washington 14-4-2 DH UCLA 2-1, DH Oral Roberts 2-1 3 San Diego 14-3-0 No activity 4 Santa Clara 13-3-2 TA Loyola Marymount 1-1 5 Stanford 12-4-2 No activity 6 Portland 12-4-2 DA Gonzaga 5-2 7 Fullerton 14-5-0 No activity 8 California […]

Paul D Lux Chicago, Ill. Why is Vasco da Gama going to play in the World Club Championships in Brasil? Palmeiras is the current Libertadores Cup champion. Vasco already played in the Toyota Cup and the Interamerica Cup. Is this purely currupt politics? Mike Woitalla: The World Club Championship will be played Jan. 5-14, 2000, […]