Category: Section 2 Around the Net

Sunil Gulati also reiterated that he’s not opposed to the idea of the Premier League playing a 39th game abroad if the plan is ever approved by FIFA, UEFA and the FA. One man firmly opposed is Brian Glanville, who groans at the prospect of the matter being “exhumed” next week at the Premier League […]

Five months into the job, England coach Fabio Capello conducted his first press conference in English Tuesday, with some interesting results. According to Jim White, he may already have introduced a new phrase into the language.   When Capello was asked who his captain would be for Wednesday’s game against the U.S., he replied, “John […]

Throwing streamers on to the field started as a fad to add some color to Major League Soccer’s fanscape, but it may be getting out of hand, writes Frank Dell’Apa, who feels that policing may be needed to prevent a player from getting hurt.   At the Columbus Crew this past Saturday, New England’s Steve […]

In the wake of Chelsea’s dismissal of manager Avram Grant, talk surfaced over the long weekend about a dramatic return to Chelsea for Jose Mourinho. In the words of Kevin McCarra, this is a man who “is already among the elite, with his peak years possibly still before him [and]… nicely rested after an eight-month […]

FIFA’s congress, which opens in Sydney on Thursday, “will make North Korea’s politburo look like a hothouse of democratic debate and dissent,” reports investigative journalist Andrew Jennings. Furthermore, one crucial member will be missing — Lord Sebastian Coe, the chairman of FIFA’s Ethics Committee. “I can’t see his name on the guest list,” writes Jennings, […]

The highlight appeal of David Beckham’s 70-yard goal against Kansas City at the weekend add one more reason why the Designated Player rule is working so well for Major League Soccer, writes Greg Lalas.   “Beckham’s goal will be shown all over the world,” he says, “which, as a colleague pointed out, ‘is why he’s […]

The U.S. national team begins Wednesday “perhaps the most daunting stretch of friendly games” it has ever undertaken, writes Jeff Carlisle. Playing England at Wembley is followed by a trip to Spain June 4, then the home game against Argentina at Giants Stadium four days later. The three encounters “should reveal much about the team’s […]

After missing the Major League Soccer playoffs for three consecutive seasons, the Columbus Crew is happy to be on the receiving end of scathing attacks from opposition coaches. It means that it’s finally being taken seriously again.   After last weekend’s scoreless tie at Toronto FC, the TFC coach John Carver said that Columbus came […]

Almost every MLS team has exploited the new rule allowing an increased number of senior international players on rosters by quickly signing up numerous seasoned South and Central Americans. So far the results have been mixed. Meanwhile, the New England Revolution bucked the trend by taking in two young Gambians, yielding quick returns from the […]

It’s not just last year’s league MVP Luciano Emilio who’s struggling to recapture the form of his MLS debut season. New York’s Juan Pablo Angel, who ran Emilio close for the MVP award, has also tallied just one goal in 2008, while fighting off injuries and coping with a change in coaching philosophy.   “I […]

On Thursday, Glasgow Celtic won the Scottish Premier League title for the third successive year, and as usual its only serious competitor was Glasgow Rangers. Third-place Motherwell was 26 points adrift of the top two, and no team besides Celtic or Rangers has lifted the Scottish title since 1985.   That’s why the presence of […]

Asian champion Iraqs face suspension from FIFA after the Iraqi government dissolved the country’s soccer federation. The Asian Football Confederation demanded the body’s immediate reinstatement, while AFC president Mohamed bin Hamman said Iraq’s government had no right to dismiss democratically elected officials, and that the AFC would recognize no other body.   Iraq is set […]

There are two schools of thought when it comes to concluding a match by penalty shootout. The majority opinion says that it’s an unsatisfactory way to decide a game, especially one as big as the Champions League final. The other school says that taking penalties is an art requiring both soccer skill and mental stamina, […]

Despite his 21 years of unparalleled success as manager of Manchester United, Sir Alex Ferguson has contended with the criticism that his side has been relatively unsuccessful in Europe. There was victory in the now defunct European Cup Winners’ Cup in 1991, and the famous last-gasp Champions League win over Bayern Munich eight years later, […]

Wednesday night’s sole Major League Soccer game was by no means a classic, but Toronto FC’s narrow home victory (1-0) over bottom-placed D.C. United proved one thing for the Canadian franchise, says Cathal Kelly: “We’re not afraid of you, or anyone, any more.”   Toronto’s new attitude was embodied by striker Danny Dichio standing up […]

U.S. midfielder Michael Bradley was set for a transfer from Heerenveen to English side Birmingham City until the team were relegated from the Premier League last week. The newspaper reports that Bradley, along with Swiss international Valon Behrami, were “all set to” join Birmingham, but only if the team maintained its top-flight status.   Bradley […]

Barely a day goes by without CONCACAF president Jack Warner being involved in a dispute — either on the political front in his native Trinidad & Tobago, or on the international soccer scene. His latest fracas manages to involve both local politics and international soccer, and as usual, there’s money involved.   Earlier this year, […]

The dispute over World Cup bonus money between the Trinidad and Tobago Football Federation and the T&T players was settled in London Tuesday, with arbitrator Ian Mills QC ruling in favor of the players. The exact amount of money they will receive from the Federation will be ruled on next month, but it is expected […]

Newcastle United midfielder Joey Barton isn’t the first English national team player to get drunk, end up in jail, and then come out to renew both his career and his life. Former Arsenal and England defender Tony Adams used a jail conviction for drunk driving to recover from alcoholism and continue to play at the […]

On the day when Dallas dismissed Steve Morrow just two months into the season, it was antidotal to read that Steve Coppell would be staying as manager of Reading, despite their relegation from the Premier League earlier this month. According to his agent Athole Still, “he wanted to show the real Steve — and how […]

Speaking of Mr. Arena, he went on the record at the weekend about his tenure at New York, saying that Red Bull had been “essentially an expansion team” when he took over, and that it had lacked the experience to succeed. “I probably was surrounded by too many young and inexperienced people,” he told Frank […]

When New York fired Bruce Arena as coach last year, owner Red Bull said its expectation for the team was nothing less than the MLS Cup title. On Tuesday, FC Dallas sprung an early-season surprise by dumping Steve Morrow with the Major League Soccer season just eight games old. Apparently, they don’t feel like championship […]

Manchester United’s owners, the Glazer family, would still not win any popularity contests in the city, but they are at least “coming to be regarded as the least worst owners of the top four clubs” in England, says Matt Dickinson. Although that might sound like damning them with faint praise, “it is a whole lot […]

Is Manchester United really such a thriving company? David Conn lays out the amount of debt that the two English teams will be carrying into Wednesday’s final. He says that the accounts of Chelsea Limited show that the club owes £736 million ($1.472 billion) to its creditors, while United’s recently filed accounts show total creditors […]

This week’s soccer headlines in Germany have been dominated by the southwestern village of Hoffenheim (population: 3,200), bankrolled by its hometown billionaire Dietmar Hopp, and newly promoted to the Bundesliga after a 5-0 home win over Greuther Fuerth on the last day of the season. Heading the other way are Heath Pearce’s Hansa Rostock, the […]