Category: Section 2 Around the Net

Just over a week after his return was hailed by the home crowd at RFK Stadium, D.C. United midfielder Ben Olsen underwent further surgery on his left ankle Monday, reports Paul Tenorio. According to team spokesman Doug Hicks, the surgery was “to try to help the healing process. This is not expected to end his […]

Earlier this week we learned that Pablo Mastroeni, aged 31, is ready to try his luck in Europe. Josh Wolff is the same age and is already on his way back, returning to the Kansas City Wizards after two years at German second division club 1860 Munich.   “There was nothing for me in Germany,” […]

Few people are disputing that we’ve just experienced the most attacking and entertaining European Championships of modern times. Yet Europe’s soccer governing body, UEFA, has decided that even something which isn’t broken must need fixing, writes Paul Wilson. That’s why it has tabled a proposal to extend the championships from 16 to 24 teams, starting […]

Freshly crowned European champion Spain is expected to appoint Vicente del Bosque as its new coach this week, writes Ian Hawley. And the former Real Madrid boss could be just the man to lead Spain’s young and talented squad to further titles.   Del Bosque had a reputation for being docile at Real Madrid, because […]

After being knocked out of the U.S. Open Cup by third-tier Crystal Palace Baltimore, the New York Red Bulls celebrated Independence Day with a 4-0 lashing at the Colorado Rapids. Coach Juan Carlos Osorio knew exactly where to place the blame — on the players. And he warned them that once the transfer window opens […]

Outfield soccer players are generally regarded as being at the peak of their careers in their mid- to late-twenties, so it’s all the more remarkable to hear Colorado Rapids and U.S. midfielder Pablo Mastroeni, 31, announce that at the end of the current major League Soccer season he’ll be heading for Europe.   And it […]

Despite the presence of Ronaldinho and Lionel Messi, the weekend’s Free Kick Masters event at Reliant Stadium, Houston, was something of a lost opportunity, writes Jen Chang in a highly entertaining column.   The organizers, who reported a 45,000 crowd that “was more in the range of 25,000,” weren’t helped by the late withdrawals of […]

Everton’s Nigerian defender Joseph Yobo has been allowed an extended leave by the club after his brother was abducted in Port Harcourt at the weekend.

With one year left on his current contract, Chelsea’s German midfielder Michael Ballack says he’s in no rush to sign a new one.

If Alex Ferguson’s assistant Carlos Queiroz leaves Manchester United to coach Portugal, former forward and current youth academy director Brian McClair could be his replacement.

Another former MLS striker returning from a quick stay in Europe could be Nate Jaqua, reports Bernardo Fallas. According to Houston Dynamo President Oliver Luck, Jaqua has been offered a contract to re-sign for Houston, who would then pass him on to Seattle in time for its debut MLS season in 2009.   Jaqua is […]

Newcastle United’s England midfielder Joey Barton this week escaped a second prison term when a lenient court gave him a suspended sentence and 200 hours of community service for a vicious assault on French player Ousmane Dabo. Now Dabo, who was attacked by Barton at their former club Manchester City’s training ground last year, has […]

American Joe Lapira made his international debut in New York 14 months ago, playing for his mother’s Republic of Ireland against Ecuador at Giants Stadium. Now he’s turning out for Nybergsund Idrettslag Trysil in the Norwegian second division in front of home crowds of around 700, but he’s not complaining.   The former Notre Dame […]

The roster inclusion of Barcelona’s Lionel Messi and Atletico Madrid’s Sergio Aguero will make Argentina the team to watch (and beat) at next month’s Olympic Games.

But the United States has slipped nine places to number 30.

The French Football Federation has announced that national team coach Raymond Domenech will remain in charge, despite France’s mediocre performance at Euro 2008. France finished bottom of its group with one point and one goal from its three games against Romania, Holland and Italy.   “Domenech’s record is not that bad as coach. It is […]

Former New England Revolution forward Pat Noonan reportedly wants to return from Norway to Major League Soccer and sign for the Columbus Crew. The Crew would like to have him, is happy to pay a “modest” transfer fee to his current side, and can fit the U.S. international under its salary cap. But such a […]

The New York Red Bulls, a 13-year-old Major League Soccer franchise, has yet to win a title. On Tuesday, they lost to a second-year United Soccer Leagues Division II team, Crystal Palace Baltimore, in round three of the U.S. Open Cup. It wasn’t even close, with the senior side losing by two goals, despite having […]

The Seattle Sounders are warming up for MLS play in a year’s time by continuing to dump the league’s teams out of the Open Cup. They beat Chivas USA for the second successive year Tuesday on goals by Taylor Graham and Sebastien Le Toux, proving that last season’s two victories over MLS opposition were “no […]

Tuesday’s third Open Cup upset came when MLS Cup holder Houston Dynamo lost on penalty kicks to the short-handed Charleston Battery following a 1-1 tie. Houston is another team with three other competitions to balance in a busy schedule, but its defeat to a USL side using a number of second-string players further reflects a […]

Not wanting to feel left out as its MLS counterparts were beaten by lower-level opposition, Toronto FC fell, 1-0, at home to the USL’s Vancouver Whitecaps in the Canadian Championship, the country’s round-robin qualifying tournament (also including the Montreal Impact) for the CONCACAF Champions League. And it was no second-string eleven fielded by Coach John […]

The Colorado Rapids’ billionaire owner Stan Kroenke has assured Arsenal’s hierarchy that he has no intention of buying control of the London Premier League club as he prepares to take a seat on the board, according to Arsenal’s current chairman, Peter Hill-Wood.   Kroenke’s place on the board “has certainly been talked about and it […]

Boca Juniors midfielder Sebastian Nayar’s decision to leave after playing just one game to join Spain’s Recreativo Huelva leaves the Argentine side furious.

Tough luck for free-spending Chelsea — rumored transfer target David Villa says he hopes to stay at Valencia “for many years.”

Former D.C. United central defender Ryan Nelsen gets the nod from his club side Blackburn Rovers to play for New Zealand at this summer’s Olympic Games.