Category: Section 2 Around the Net

Liverpool will be doing a North American tour next summer and one of its major stops may be the 2008 MLS All-Star game, according to the Daily Mail. The club’s American owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett have been approached MLS to be part of the gala event, which will be held at Toronto FC’s […]

The New York Sun’s Paul Gardner says the appointment of Fabio Capello as England coach won’t be able to mend the team’s true problem: its lack of international-class players. The money — a reported $8 million per year (a record for an international coach) — is certainly nothing to scoff at, but he’s inheriting what […]

Barcelona fans are far from understanding when one of their former players returns to the Nou Camp wearing the white of Real Madrid. The culprit this year is Javier Saviola, a man who saw little action in his final years under Frank Rijkaard and has seen comparatively few minutes so far this season under Real’s […]

Juan Sebastian Veron’s deal with Major League Soccer collapsed over the weekend after the Argentine revealed that he couldn’t leave behind his teammates and the club he supported as a boy. The Estudiantes playmaker had agreed to a multiyear contract that would have paid him nearly $4 million per year. D.C. United was so confident […]

Ballon d’Or winner Kaka also took home FIFA’s top individual prize, heralding the arrival of a new generation of stars. The 25-year-old Brazilian was competing with Manchester United’s Cristiano Ronaldo, 22, and Barcelona’s Lionel Messi, 20, for the prestigious award. “All three of us are young,” Kaka told reporters before Monday’s event. “This means that […]

Real Madrid striker Ruud Van Nistelrooy believes Los Merengues have nothing to lose when they play Barcelona in the season’s first “clasico” at the Nou Camp this weekend. An “unimpressive, though ruthlessly efficient” Real side beat Osasuna 2-0 at home on Sunday, while Barca looked more effective in a commanding 3-0 display at Valencia. “It […]

England’s new coach, Fabio Capello, was coy over the chances of Los Angeles Galaxy midfielder David Beckham’s chances of earning a spot on his squad. However, Capello, who famously dropped and then recalled Beckham as coach of Real Madrid last season, indicated that he wouldn’t rule out including the 32-year-old.   “I had a contrasting […]

They’re already calling it a two-horse race for the 2007-08 English Premiership, after Arsenal and Manchester United, first and second in the EPL standings, defeated Chelsea and Liverpool, third and fourth heading into the weekend matches, respectively, on Sunday. Classic encounters they were not, but both United and Arsenal emerged the slightly better side in […]

After a long courtship, D.C. United have finally landed Argentine midfielder Juan Sebastian Veron, who becomes Major League Soccer’s highest profile signing since David Beckham nearly one year ago, and its fifth designated player. According to SI.com, Veron and United agreed to a $3 million-$4 million deal that will be signed and announced next week […]

Perhaps more than any other professional sports league in the U.S., Major League Soccer is uniquely positioned to have its players promote the league on a grassroots level. For example, says the Houston Chronicle’s Glenn Davis, “Talk to the players on the Dynamo and you will find articulate, educated and enthusiastic players who can speak […]

U.S. soccer fans are living in an “ambitious” post-Beckham world, a time when America’s growing influence in and outside of the game means that more will be possible tomorrow than it is today. Indeed, media reports this week that former U.S. national team coach Bruce Arena was interested in being considered for the same position […]

A Turkish lawyer is suing Serie A champion Inter Milan over one of its away jerseys, which displays a thick red cross against a white background. Aside from looking suspiciously like the English flag, the red cross apparently reminded Muslims in Turkey, who saw the strip when the Inter played Fenerbahce in the Champions League, […]

Italian tactician Fabio Capello was confirmed as England manager on Friday, but at least one person wasn’t happy about the 61-year-old’s appointment—his mother. Eighty-six-year-old Evelina Tortul told the Telegraph she worries about how her son will be treated in the most high-profile sports management position in England. “I am really not very happy about this,” […]

Family had a lot to do with Juan Carlos Osorio’s decision to take the New York Red Bulls head-coaching job, says Ives Galarcep of the North Jersey Herald. Not only do the former Chicago Fire coach and his wife have family in the area, but Osorio also saw New York as the perfect opportunity to […]

Clarence Seedorf and Kaka were on form as AC Milan beat Japan’s Urawa Reds to reach the final of FIFA’s Club World Cup. The Durtchman scored the game’s only goal, driving home a fantastic cross from Kaka in the 68th minute. “We showed great patience and waited for our moment to strike,” Milan coach Carlo […]

There are just a few more motions to go through before Fabio Capello is named the new coach of the England national team, as the Football Association board has now approved his appointment. The Telegraph said there had been some concern over Capello’s preference for an all-Italian coaching staff, but the board has now been […]

Bolton striker Nicolas Anelka will be one of the most sought-after players when the transfer window opens on Jan. 1. Several clubs, including Manchester United, Chelsea and Manchester City, have expressed interest in the Frenchman, who just signed a contract extension with Bolton. Of course, contracts mean very little these days, especially to the aforementioned […]

It was a meaningless game, Wednesday’s Champions League clash between Group F qualifiers Manchester United and host Roma, but nevertheless, violence broke out before the two sides played to a 1-1 draw at the Stadio Olimpico. Five Manchester United fans were stabbed, while seven needed treatment at the hospital. This was the third time in […]

There’s a drastic change underway in youth sports in Los Angeles: “futbol” is quickly catching up to football as the most popular sport among high school kids, thanks to the influx of Latin American families in Southern California. Canoga Park High School, for example, didn’t have a soccer team 30 years ago when its student […]

Fire staff, players and coaches can feel hard done by now that former coach Juan Carlos Osorio has traded the Chicago for New York. Osorio lasted little more than six months in the Windy City before the Red Bulls gave him a more lucrative offer. You’d expect most Chicagoans to be left with a bitter […]

Steve Nicol and Paul Mariner, the New England Revolution’s No. 1 and No. 2 coaches, recently spent nearly two weeks on a recruiting trip to Argentina, seeking an impact player for next season. Mind you, “impact” doesn’t necessarily mean, “designated.” In fact, not only will the Revs’ new Argentine not take a DP slot, he’ll […]

Denilson’s short stint in MLS may have already come to a close. MLSNet reports that FC Dallas declined to pick up the Brazilian midfielder’s contract option after signing him as a designated player in August. The former World Cup winner scored just one goal — a penalty kick — and had no assists in eight […]

Steven Gerrard’s house was burglarized Tuesday night while Liverpool was in Marseilles, safely securing passage into the second round of the Champions League. According to the police report, four men broke into his house, confronted his wife and another woman at the house, and then stole some jewelry. Meanwhile, the Liverpool captain led his team […]

The Los Angeles Galaxy may be close to securing the signature of Poland captain Maciej Zurawski. Despite playing a major role in the Pole’s qualification for Euro 2008, the 31-year-old striker has been rotting on the bench at Glasgow Celtic this season. According to American Soccer Daily, his agent Jerzy Kopiec is in L.A. now […]

In the second of his three-part interview with MLS Deputy Commissioner Ivan Gazidis, Ian Plenderleith focuses on officiating in the league, its quality and the way players treat match referees. Gazidis also discusses the ongoing struggle to keep roster rules in line with the league’s growth, and the question of where to build soccer-specific stadiums, […]