Category: Section 2 Around the Net

Wake Forest forward Cody Arnoux is set to join the American revolution at Everton. The Premier League team, whose starting keeper is Tim Howard, was impressed by the American youngster during his trial at Everton in March. Arnoux looks poised to sign a contract with the Liverpool-based club, making him the second American player to […]

Pele, perhaps the greatest player ever in the world's most popular sport, is still hustling to make a living at the age of 68. The Brazilian legend recently signed a merchandising deal with Nomis, a little-known Swiss cleats manufacturer, in his latest effort to establish himself as a branded empire. During the 32 years since […]

Oguchi Onyewu, the first U.S.-born player to sign with prestigious Italian club AC Milan, will get his first chance to prove he belongs at the highest level when AC Milan plays Mexico’s Club America in a friendly at the Georgia Dome on Wednesday (TV: ESPN2, 7 pm ET). “Obviously in sports, there’s no guarantees,” Onyewu […]

When Rodrigo Kenton took hold of the reins 13 months ago, Costa Rica's World Cup hopes looked grim. But Kenton has sparked a turnaround, guiding the Ticos to top spot in the final round of qualifying, unearthing exciting talent and re-capturing the imagination of a soccer-crazy Central American nation. Fifa.com interviewed Kenton before Costa Rica's […]

Ivory Coast has been fined and told by FIFA to cut capacity at Abidjan’s Felix Houphouet-Boigny stadium after at least 19 people were killed during a stampede there before a World Cup qualifier against Malawi in March. FIFA’s disciplinary committee also ordered extra crowd control measures outside the stadium for next month’s game at home […]

Sven-Goran Eriksson has insisted he joined fourth division Notts County for "the biggest football challenge in my life," not for money – and plans to take the club all the way to the Premier League. Eriksson, who has signed a five-year contract at Meadow Lane and will work alongside current manager Ian McParland and former […]

Interim Newcastle boss Chris Hughton has insisted that an ugly mass brawl during a friendly at Huddersfield on Tuesday night showed his players care about the club. The match at the Galpharm Stadium erupted at the break after a confrontation between Senegal international Habib Beye and Huddersfield skipper Peter Clarke sparked a 20-man melée. A […]

Samir Nasri fractured his fibula in preseason training and will be out of action for three months, say reports confirmed by Arsenal's web site. This comes as a blow to the Gunners as the French international had cemented himself as a key player for Arsenal, and will miss the opening months of the Premier League […]

Chelsea midfielder Michael Ballack's preseason preparations suffered a setback. The Germany international has flown back to England for treatment after suffering a break in his toe. Ballack, who featured in Chelsea's 2-0 win over the Seattle Sounders last Saturday, will miss the remaininggames of the Blues' tour of America. He could be back in action […]

In its last game, a quarterfinal against the rough-and-tumble Panamanians, the USA needed some grit and a calm old head. It got both in the form of 31-year-old striker Brian Ching. Though he did not score the crucial overtimetime winner – that distinction fell to young Kenny Cooper – the Hawaiian-born big man, always a […]

The USA-Mexico World Cup qualifier on Aug. 12 in Mexico City is going to be broadcast in English. You're just going to have to work a bit harder to see it. Telemundo announced on Monday that it will broadcast the match in Spanish on Telemundo and on English on mun2, an English-language channel geared toward […]

David Beckham has fanned the flames in his row with LA Galaxy's fans by admitting he is confident he'll be back at AC Milan next season. "I hope to return to play for Milan," Beckham said. "They have remained in my heart and honestly I am confident I will greet them again in November." The […]

D.C. United has a busy month. The club will jet across multiple time zones for two demanding Western Conference road matches, open international competition with a tricky Concacaf game, visit the daunting confines of BMO Field for a crucial Eastern clash, and welcome one of the world's most illustrious clubs in a high-profile friendly. But […]

It isn't exactly Qwest field. But the compact Starfire Sports Complex stadium has one up on its giant neighbor to the north: When the Seatlle Sounders FC have played there, They haven't lost. Undefeated in three U.S. Open Cup matches at Starfire, Seattle hopes to keep the streak alive at its second home with a […]

Villarreal has begun its Spanish league preparations with a 27-0 victory over third division club Navata in a preseason friendly. New arrival Jonathan Pereiro scored seven goals while strikers Joseba Llorente and Marcos Ruben notched four each. Villarreal finished fifth in La Liga last season and will play in the Europa League – the former […]

David Beckham didn’t receive a heartwarming homecoming, but he did what he does best in helping the Los Angeles Galaxy tie his former team, AC Milan, 2-2, in Sunday’s spirited exhibition at The Home Depot Center. The 34-year-old Englishman, playing in his first home game since returning from a five-month loan with the Italian powerhouse, […]

With suspended coach Javier Aguirre sitting in the stands, Mexico advanced to the Concacaf Gold Cup semifinals by defeating Haiti 4-0 Sunday night. Controversial callup Miguel Sabah scored two goals. And Giovani Dos Santos had a goal and two assists for Mexico (3-0-1), which has won the Gold Cup four times since its inception in […]

Alvaro Saborio scored two goals and Costa Rica advanced to the Gold Cup semifinals for the first time since 2003, beating Guadeloupe 5-1 Sunday in the first sporting event played at the new Cowboys Stadium. Costa Rica (2-1-1) will face Mexico in the semifinals. To open the scoring, startlet Celso Borges scored a reverse bicycle […]

Missing half of its starting lineup and most of its goalscoring power because of injury, national team duty or suspension, the Columbus Crew relied on reserves against Real Salt Lake. Forwards Jason Garey and Steven Lenhart combined for three goals in a 3-1 win over Real Salt Lake that extended the Crew’s home-unbeaten streak to […]

Lyon has signed French defender Aly Cissokho from FC Porto on a five-year contract worth $24.3 million. Earlier this month, Lyon signed striker Lisandro Lopez from Porto for about $39 million, which could rise to $46 million with performance bonuses. The seven-time French champion has also signed winger Michel Bastos from Lille. Cissokho will likely […]

La Liga champion Barcelona has reportedly agreed to pay Inter Milan $56 million for striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic in a deal that will also send striker Samuel Eto'o and midfielder Aleksandr Hleb to the Serie A champion. According to reports in the Spanish media on Friday the deal was agreed during a dinner meeting between Barcelona […]

David Beckham made his 2009 MLS debut with the Los Angeles Galaxy on Thursday at Giants Stadium. Two years ago, he made his wildly celebrated debut in the league, but this time there was no carnival atmosphere, no breathless promotion, none of the hysteria of 2007, when Beckham was portrayed as MLS’s savior. Compared to […]

Eric Frimpong left his native Ghana in 2005 to play soccer for UC Santa Barbara; a year later he became a campus hero while leading the Gauchos to their first-ever national championship. But in 2007, just weeks after being selected by the Kansas City Wizards in the MLS draft, he was accused of raping another […]

Archbishop Desmond Tutu believes the 2010 World Cup is a good chance to demonstrate the gains South Africa has made since the end of apartheid. "This thing is as important as Obama getting into the White House," he told reporters Friday at the South African Embassy in the German capital. "For people of color everywhere, […]

FIFA rejected calls to ban the noisy vuvuzela, a plastic trumpet, from the 2010 World Cup. The instrument's incessant drone drew protests at last month's Confederations Cup in South Africa, with broadcasters complaining it was drowning out their commentary and some players saying they could not communicate over it. "That would mean one would have […]