Category: Section 2 Around the Net

Stan Kroenke, the billionaire owner of both the Colorado Rapids and the Denver Nuggets, is “in advanced talks” with English Premier League giant Arsenal that would put him in a strong position for a future takeover of the team, writes Nick Harris. Kroenke, who currently owns 12 per cent of the London club’s shares, “will […]

Germany’s hero of Thursday’s riveting 3-2 quarter-final win over Portugal at the European Championships has a secret adviser. Sebastian Schweinsteiger (or ‘Swinesteiger’, as the ESPN commentators insist on calling him) received a few words of wisdom from German chancellor Angela Merkel while sitting out a suspension in the stands at Germany’s final group game against […]

After starting the tournament as one of the favorites, Germany beat Poland with competence, played miserably against Croatia, then ground out the necessary result against Austria. Few gave the Germans a chance against in-form Portugal, but “this was a victory for size, power and some smart strategy,” writes Duncan Castles.   The Portuguese “succumbed to […]

Soccer’s all the craze in Canada these days, so it’s no surprise to see Ottawa added to the list of Canadian cities considering a bid for a Major League Soccer franchise. In the light of Toronto FC’s popularity and the healthy attendances at last year’s U-20 World Cup, Ottawa Senators’ owner Eugene Melnyk “is exploring […]

For every one of Major League Soccer’s South American signings heralded as a harbinger of technique and quality to MLS, there seems to be a corresponding failure. Argentine midfielder Eloy Colombano left the Kansas City Wizards Thursday “by mutual consent.”   “He’s very homesick,” technical director Peter Vermes said. “He got married this past offseason, […]

Two Major League Soccer games Wednesday yielded just two goals, but plenty more controversy involving the league’s referees. In Utah, Real Salt Lake’s Kyle Beckerman had a goal against San Jose overturned for offside even though the assistant referee initially failed to raise his flag. In Boston, New England Revolution coach Steve Nicol had some […]

Eight years after the Tampa Bay Mutiny folded and 16 years after the demise of the Tampa Bay Rowdies, professional soccer is expected to return to Tampa next spring with the arrival of a United Soccer Leagues First Division club, write Bill Ward and Mike Salinero.   They quote the team’s spokeswoman Lisa Brock as […]

It was a much more enterprising Russian team than we’ve seen so far that beat Sweden, 2-0, Wednesday to qualify for the quarterfinals of the European Championships. And it was all down to the return of “a wonderfully elusive and subtle playmaker in Andrei Arshavin,” writes Barney Ronay from Innsbruck.   Arshavin, who had been […]

Spare a thought for the poor players of Brazil’s national team. Not only were they unable to overcome Argentina during Wednesday’s World Cup home qualifying fixture in Belo Horizonte, they also had to endure the jeers of their own fans, who ended up applauding Argentina’s Lionel Messi instead when he was subbed out during stoppage […]

Lopsided victories are the norm in the early rounds of World Cup qualifying, as FIFA seeks to eliminate the tiny nations as quickly and as painlessly as possible. But the players of Bermuda didn’t get the memo from Zurich inviting them to roll over and die, and this Sunday find themselves at home defending a […]

A much younger U.S. prospect up front is Real Salt Lake’s Robbie Findley who, following a moribund start to the current season, is finding the form that earned him a national team call-up last year. Ever since being substituted into the game against San Jose two weeks ago by Coach Jason Kreis, Findley has been […]

It’s often asked why more coaches don’t leave college soccer for MLS, and there are usually two easy answers — better money and job security. New FC Dallas coach Schellas Hyndman, however, has opted to leave what he admits is “the comfort zone” of the college game after more than two decades at Southern Methodist […]

Thanks to the excitement of the soccer at Euro 2008, many England fans have come to the realization that the tournament is better off without them, writes Oliver Holt. Who knew?   “Being rubbish never felt so good,” he writes. “Maybe it’s because England aren’t there in Austria and Switzerland that it seems to be […]

France was unable to surmount the three major setbacks in its final Group C game against Italy Tuesday, writes Cedric Rouquette at lequipe.fr. The 10th-minute injury to Franck Ribery, the red card to Eric Abidal, and the deflected shot for Italy’s second goal all reflected “a sort of inevitability that designated them losers at this […]

When Chivas USA striker Ante Razov left the Chicago Fire more than three years ago, some Fire fans thought the team made a big mistake letting him go. Others still chastise him “for sulking his way out the door” when the team didn’t meet his increased contract demands, writes Nick Firchau. “Looking back, I don’t […]

One of Austria’s main newspapers was realistic in its assessment of the co-host nation’s performance at Euro 2008. “In three appearances on its own soil, Austria could not manage a single goal from open play,” writes Michael Robausch. “A lack of imagination in front of the opponent’s goal was the cardinal deficit in all of […]

U.S. midfielder Jared Jeffrey has signed a three-year contract with Club Bruges of the Belgian Jupiter League. The U.S.U-17 residency product signed after turning 18 over the weekend, the age at which non-European Union players can legally join European clubs as professionals. “Yes, he signed for Club Bruges for three years,” said a spokeswoman for […]