Category: Section 2 Around the Net

“At the beginning of the season, I didn’t even recognize him. He’d lost like 20 pounds. I told him, ‘Listen, you look good. It’s a good sign. Your reactions will be faster.’ You can tell now. Hopefully, he’ll continue to make good saves.” Chivas USA goalkeeper coach Zak Abdel, on veteran keeper Zach Thornton, who […]

Former Toronto FC coach John Carver said that one of the reasons he quit was because MLS ordered him to return to the sidelines after spending a game coaching from a private box, but Toronto FC general manager Mo Johnston said it was Toronto management who made the request. “John wanted to sit upstairs, we […]

As part of an ongoing series, FIFA.com delves into some of oddest, goofiest and most manic superstitions of players around the world – present and past. About his slew of habits, Chelsea captain John Terry says: “I always sit in the same seat on the team bus, I always wrap tape round my socks three […]

In Chivas USA’s first seven matches this season, Coach Preki has used seven different starting lineups as his team compiled the league’s best record (5-1-1). Whether because of injury, national team duty, or suspension, the Red-and-White has had a different look every time its played. The rotating lineup hasn’t hampered Chivas USA’s success, as the […]

When former World Cup star Juergen Klinsmann first settled in Southern California he lived in almost blissful anonymity. Many of his neighbors considered him a German tourist or businessman. At 39, the retired striker played "undercover" for local club Orange County Blue Star under the psuedonym of Jay Goppingen (his birthplace in Germany), scoring a […]

AC Milan believes it can pull off mission impossible and overhaul Serie A leader Inter Milan to win the league. "While it is mathematically possible, we have to believe," AC Milan playmaker Kaka said earlier this week. Last month, Inter looked a lock for their fourth straight league title. But AC Milan has made up […]

Arsene Wenger boldly predicted Arsenal would make Manchester United regret not turning their superiority into more goals on Wednesday, suggesting that United would see a different Arsenal on Tuesday when the clubs meet again at Arsenal's home Emirates Stadium. "It was a difficult game for us and when you look at the number of clear-cut […]

Nineteen of the 20 Serie A clubs have voted to form their own governing body and break away from the Lega Calcio, which also runs Serie B, ending the 63-year union between the two leagues. Similar to the formation of the English Premier League in 1992, the move would mean that an autonomous Lega Serie […]

Palmeiras of Brazil and Mexican club Chivas of Guadalajara got thrilling results Wednesday to join the growing list of teams qualified for the knockout round of the Copa Libertadores. Palmeiras scored a last-minute goal to beat Colo Colo of Chile in Santiago and claim second spot in Group 1, while Chivas held on for a […]

Referee Jair Marrufo and Fire star Cuauhtemoc Blanco are currently under investigation by the U.S. Soccer Federation and the league for their conduct during the 2-2 tie between Columbus and Chicago on Saturday. Multiple witnesses reported seeing Blanco broach the entrance to the referees’ locker room following the game with a Fire jersey in his […]

This weekend, all nine Mexican first division games will be played behind closed doors, a move aimed at stemming the spread of swine flu. “This decision was made … in full awareness of the health emergency confronting Mexico,” the Mexican soccer federation announced. Mexico’s 18 first-division clubs will take a significant financial hit. Matches draw […]

A study by a professor at the University of Barcelona published last week showed the combined debt of the 20 clubs in Spain’s top league rose by more than 650 million euros to at least 3.5 billion ($4.6 billion) in the year through June 2008. The author of the study, Jose Maria Gay, has warned […]

FIFA set out its plans Tuesday for drug-testing top-level soccer players in 2009 in a program agreed to with the World Anti-Doping Agency. FIFA declared the program a "soccer-specific" one, more "efficient" than previous efforts. Tests will target players classed in three high-risk categories: those sidelined for long periods through injury or suspension, players with […]

Romania appointed Razvan Lucescu as national team coach on Wednesday, replacing Victor Piturca, whose contract was mutually terminated after poor results in 2010 World Cup qualifiers. Lucescu, 40, a former goalkeeper, coached Rapid Bucharest for three years, winning two Romanian Cups and reaching the quarterfinals of the UEFA Cup. Local media said Lucescu’s father, Mircea, […]

AC Milan will go in search of an emerging coach rather than an established name if Carlo Ancelotti leaves at the end of the season, club owner Silvio Berlusconi, who is also Italy's Prime Minister, said on Wednesday. Berlusconi, who still thinks Ancelotti may stay, has fond memories of the success of inexperienced coaches at […]

The top players in Major League Soccer will face English Premier League team Everton in the July 29 MLS All-Star game at Rio Tinto Stadium in Salt Lake City. Everton, whose goalkeeper is American Tim Howard, recently advanced to the FA Cup final against Chelsea on May 30 and is in sixth place in the […]

Reading kept alive its hopes of an immediate return to the Premier League when two headers from Shane Long gave them a 2-0 win at Norwich City in the English Championship on Monday. With Wolverhampton Wanderers promoted as champion, Reading can leapfrog Birmingham City and Sheffield United into the second automatic promotion spot if it […]

"You know, it was a gutsy performance. We still have a lot of young guys and I think we learned a little bit in the second half. These are turning points when you win games like this. These are things that make you stronger as a team." D.C. United coach Tom Soehn relishes his team's […]

The Chicago Fire and Club America of Mexico announced a partnership on Monday that will help both organizations pursue shared objectives and business growth. Fire president Dave Greeley explained that both clubs, central to the history of their respective leagues, share a passion for the sport, their fans, and developing the game. "This collaboration with […]

Ghana coach Milovan Rajevac attended Saturday’s Fire-Columbus game to watch and meet with Patrick Nyarko, the Fire’s 23-year-old forward. “This was his first opportunity to see Patrick,” Fire technical director Frank Klopas said. “He wants to bring him in for friendlies to take a closer look. Obviously Patrick is very excited. The good thing about […]

Red Star Belgrade's executive board stepped down Monday amid pressure from fans and a growing financial crisis. This came after Club president Dobrivoje Tanasijevic quit last week when the 1991 European Cup winners revealed it owed around 23 million euros ($30 million) to creditors. Many players have not been paid for months. Last week, the […]

Manchester United central defender Nemanja Vidic has pointed to his club’s most obvious weakness ahead of Wednesday’s clash with Arsenal in the Champions League semifinal. “In the first half [against Tottenham] we didn’t defend very well,” Vidic said. “In the second half we came back much stronger, and that is how we need to play […]

The Italian soccer federation has upheld a ruling ordering Juventus to play its next Serie A home match, on May 3, in an empty stadium. The punishment comes for racist insults hurled by fans at Inter Milan striker Mario Balotelli earlier this month.

Juergen Klinsmann, who had been unsuccessfully courted by U.S. Soccer to replace Bruce Arena in 2006, has been sacked from his first coaching job since guiding host Germany to third place of 2006 World Cup. Bayern Munich dismissed Klinsmann on Monday following the latest disappointing result — a 1-0 loss to Schalke 04. The loss […]

"We sat down with the coaches the other night after [John Carver] had handed in his resignation and it was difficult," said Mo Johnston, TFC's manager and director of soccer. "We weren't happy campers but it's started to sink in. It's started to settle in. … We need to put the era of John Carver […]