Category: Section 2 Around the Net

The 2007 season, now three weeks old, has been rightly tipped as the year for MLS, now in its 12th year. New sponsors, new stadiums, new TV deals and new stars have raised the bar of expectation. In light of all the hype, Adam Spangler of This is American Soccer asks the pointed question, so […]

David Beckham, who never seems to take a PR step wrong, this season has proven to be “almost a supermodel pro” in the way he handled both his exile from Real Madrid and the criticism surrounding his impending departure from the Spanish giant to the L.A. Galaxy, writes Ian Plenderleith of USSoccerPlayers. However, as much […]

Ahead of a crucial weekend in the English Premiership, Manchester United’s Cristiano Ronaldo, the Professional Footballer’s Association Player of the Year, Thursday spoke out publicly against his compatriot Jose Mourinho, telling Portuguese television the Chelsea manager “doesn’t know how to admit his own failures.” The 22-year-old Ronaldo’s comments came after Mourinho complained on Sunday that […]

In retrospect, it’s not all that great being the “Next Big Thing” in American soccer, Freddy Adu tells Luis Arroyave of the Chicago Tribune. At 14, Adu was already drawing comparisons with Pele. He quickly became MLS’ highest paid player, and was labeled as the boy who would one-day deliver the World Cup to the […]

Ken Pendleton at USSoccerPlayers.com takes a look at the much-hyped arrival of Juan Pablo Angel at the New York Red Bulls. In his post-acquisition comments, Arena makes it clear that Angel is a player he desperately wanted, but, as Pendleton warns, Angel has flattered to deceive in the past. Just ask Aston Villa, which paid […]

Josmer Altidore’s first full season in MLS is just three games old, but following an excellent performance against defending MLS champ Houston Dynamo in which he scored the only goal of the game, the Red Bulls striker is already being dressed up as U.S. soccer’s next big export. As Ives Galarcep of the North Jersey […]

DaMarcus Beasley tells Yanks Abroad that his PSV Eindhoven days are over-or so he hopes. The 24-year old U.S. international, on loan with Manchester City all season, said he hopes to close out that chapter of his life by signing a long-term deal with City, which has yet to offer him a contract. “PSV is […]

There were no losers Tuesday night at Old Trafford, writes Richard Williams of the Guardian, as Manchester United and AC Milan contested a UEFA Champions League semifinal “that lived up to the finest traditions of the two clubs and of the tournament on which both have engraved their names.” In particular, Williams serves up glowing […]

It may be hard to believe for some, but not all professional soccer players loved their jobs. A special Guardian report, “Footballers That Don’t Really Like Football,” finds there are plenty, in fact, and a few famous ones at that. Take Tottenham and Watford’s former American goalkeeper Espen Baardson: he was once heralded as Norway’s […]

Jose Mourinho is playing mind games again, after singling out Liverpool, Chelsea’s Champions League semifinal opponent, as the favorite to win the title. “If you push me to give a favorite, then I think Liverpool should be favorite,” Mourinho told reporters before Wednesday’s first leg at Stamford Bridge. He cited a lack of rest for […]

The times have a-changed in England’s Premier League. Americans in the league are no longer a novelty and no longer just goalkeepers. Indeed, as EPL strengthens its claim to being the world’s best league, the USA continues to extend its influence. As Chuck Culpepper of the Los Angeles Times points out, these days if you […]

Under different circumstances, AC Milan’s Gennaro Gattuso, pegged by the English press as the danger-man before Manchester United’s UEFA Champions League semifinal, could have been a Red Devil. In fact, in a press conference on Monday, Sir Alex Ferguson made his admiration for Milan’s entire squad abundantly clear. The United coach tried to sign Gattuso […]

Three 2007 season is three weeks old and the New York Red Bulls have yet to concede a goal. After two wins in a row, Bruce Arena’s Bulls have played some good stuff, but their defense has been most impressive, shutting out some of the league’s top goal scorers last year: Carlos Ruiz and Kenny […]

Phil Ball of ESPN Soccernet takes his usual look back at the week that was in Spain, dominated, he points out, by two stunning goals of very different quality. And they just so happened to be produced by the two most dominant teams in the land: Barcelona and Real Madrid. By now-nearly a week after […]

Cristiano Ronald on Monday became the first player since Andy Gray to take home both the Professional Footballer’s Association Player of the Year and Young Player of the Year awards. The 22-year-old Portuguese winger has had a remarkable season for Manchester United, recording 16 goals and 14 assists with still four games to play. Didier […]

This year’s Spanish Primera Liga title race has been absolutely amazing. Not, perhaps, for the quality of the soccer (although at times that has been very high), but more for Barcelona’s astonishing inability to pull away from the rest of the pack. After wasting an untold number of chances at Villarreal on Sunday, Barca finally […]

As part of a series of interviews of international soccer stars, Simon Kuper of the Financial Times profiles AC Milan and Italy’s indefatigable holding midfielder Gennaro Gattuso. Kuper points out that Gattuso is a force in and of himself, the spiritual leader of both Milan and Italy, a role he will certainly play as the […]

Twenty years ago, you wouldn’t have thought oil tycoon Phil Anschutz would get into the entertainment business, says Tim Leiweke, the head of the billionaire’s sports and media company, Anschutz Entertainment Group. Not only has Anschutz moved into Hollywood, he moved into the soccer business as well-and is linking the two, because in David Beckham […]

South Africa is already facing a race against time in preparation for the 2010 World Cup. Stadiums still need to be built or renovated in nine cities, while airports need to be upgraded, train lines need to be built, thousands of new police officers need to be hired and hotels need to be erected. Indeed, […]

It was an emotional goodbye for Guillermo Barros Schelotto, who bid his beloved Boca Juniors farewell on Thursday before joining the Columbus Crew of MLS. In his 10 years at the Buenos Aires club, the 33-year-old Argentine helped the team win 15 major titles, including the Copa Libertadores on three occasions and the Toyota Cup […]

This may be a first: Serie A’s disciplinary commission banned Inter Milan striker Adriano for diving over Roma keeper Alexander Doni in order to win a penalty that was later converted. The commission must have used television evidence to make its ruling, because TV replays show that Adriano, realizing he had no angle to score […]

Zinedine Zidane to the Galaxy? The rumors now are just too numerous to ignore: according to reports in Italy and the U.S., the France national team legend is in talks with Major League Soccer over a possible move to L.A. to play alongside David Beckham. Pending Zidane’s decision to return to professional soccer, of course-the […]

David Beckham has already helped the Los Angeles Galaxy recoup nearly three times the value of his annual salary-and he won’t even kick a ball in MLS until July. “We were never worried about our financial commitment,” said Tim Leiweke, chief executive of Galaxy owner Anschutz Entertainment Group. “We’ve already made our money back.”   […]

The stadium deal involving San Jose State University and a revived San Jose Earthquakes is officially not going to happen, university executives told the San Jose Mercury News on Thursday, citing a dispute over how the school would be compensated for co-ownership of the stadium. SJSU President Don Kassing wanted a guaranteed $6 million per […]

With the Copa Italia final still months away, the Scudetto out of reach, and a Champions League thumping at the hands of Manchester United still fresh in its memory, Roma’s players could be forgiven for feeling they have little to play for in Serie A, but Wednesday night at the San Siro, Roma put together […]