Category: Section 2 Around the Net

"I believe they will. But listen, Toronto has set the stage. Their fans are incredibly passionate. Toronto FC fans have proven to the MLS family that you can create a dynamic, exciting environment in your stadium for a home game and it's what soccer ought to be. We didn't necessarily have that in many of […]

"A formal retraction from Pele will be requested, if what he said was not misinterpreted by the media that published it. And if Pele does not come forward, he will have to deal with his very unfortunate comment in court. Robinho is upset and disappointed at Pele, who seems to have forgotten the great idol […]

"These reactions are stupid and do not make a difference. When the crowd whistles Karim [Benzema] or coach [Raymond] Domenech, they must know that it's the whole French team that they are hissing." French playmaker Franck Ribery, commenting on the recent reaction from home fans during a 2-0 loss to Argentina. But in reference to […]

"I've never been happier than I am at the moment throughout my career. I'm playing in a top team, I'm playing with world-class players and I believe in the manager that, going forward, we can be successful … I've got two years left on my contract and if there was a chance to extend that, […]

"I still have hope because I am a bit crazy. Realistically, we will not win the league, but it doesn't matter what our chances are – we have to give everything to go as close as possible to the top teams. [Manchester] United still have the quality to finish it off, but they had a […]

World powers from three different countries will come together in the USA this summer for the first “World Football Challenge,” which will see England’s Chelsea, Italy’s AC Milan and Inter Milan, and Mexico’s Club America face off in the six-city round robin tournament set for July 19-26. The four-team competition will take place predominantly on […]

When new players step into a new role or a new team, the transition is rarely easy, but for those given the playmaker tag, expectations are immediate. While fans might just hope new defenders “don’t screw up,” those that are “given the keys to rev the offensive engine” are saddled with the burden of producing […]

MLS isn’t the only league operating on optimism despite the economic downturn and the downsizing of practically every other industry in America, as Women’s Professional Soccer strikes out on its own with seven teams set to compete in the 2009 inaugural season that kicks off Sunday. In addition to trying to brave a financial crisis […]

Yet another coach is out at Chivas Guadalajara, with Efrain Flores the latest of eight to lose his job since upstart owner Jorge Vergara bought the team in 2002. His crime? Losing three consecutive games in the Mexican First Division. Although Chivas leads Group 6 in the prestigious Copa Libertadores, Flores’ 18-month run at the […]

Aston Villa’s appeal of a red card that was given to U.S. goalkeeper Brad Friedel in Saturday’s 5-0 shellacking from Liverpool was successful today, meaning the 37-year-old English Premier League vet will have the chance to be in the nets for the team’s next match, vs. Manchester United on April 5. That means Friedel will […]

"There's no letdown. I'm not bitter. I really had a good time there, but I'm also very excited to be here. I'm passionate about this team. It drives me crazy that we haven't been in the playoffs for three years and it's really frustrating. I see a different attitude that Bruce [Arena] has brought to […]

Speaking out for one of the first times since being tossed from Mexico's 2-0 loss to the USA in the World Cup final-round qualifying opener on Feb. 11, veteran and captain Rafael Marquez admitted to FIFA.com that the Mexican national team "has a deep-rooted problem and that's the cause of the bad patch we've been […]

The Seattle Sounders aren’t the only ones with smiled on their faces from news of strong season ticket sales, as the Vancouver Whitecaps reported on Saturday that in just three hours of being open to the public, some 4,000 of an available 5,000 had been snapped up by eager fans. "We’re absolutely ecstatic with the […]

Any worries about how Landon Donovan might be affected by another disappointing loan stint in Germany upon his return to MLS were all but put to rest on Sunday, as the league’s leading scorer in 2008 picked up where he left off last season by netting two goals in the last 10 minutes to help […]

While athletes in the NBA are being told not to engage in the increasingly popular (but let’s face it, incredibly self-indulgent) act of posting personal updates on social networking site Twitter, officials at the WPS are actually encouraging its own, with certain Sol and Freedom players set to to do so during the league’s inaugural […]

“Once considered the third [best] team in South America behind Argentina and Brazil,” writes Reuters’ Brian Homewood, the Peru national team continues to self-destruct because of the disciplinary problems and bitter grudges that find them languishing at the bottom of the final 10-team Conmebol qualifying group. Homewood points out that while Peru boasts a trio […]

"As far as the title chase is concerned, we just have to keep doing our job, we must not be concerned about United's results and how they are playing. If United does make mistakes, we must be ready, and that means carrying on doing what we are doing and winning points. We are playing well, […]

"When I mentioned coaches that lose their own dignity, what I wanted to state is that while I choose the team that goes out on the field, other coaches don't do that, and in the world of soccer it's full of them. If anyone told me what to do with my lineup, the next day […]

“My love for this sport, which has given me plenty over the years, has allowed me to feel young, not only in terms of the physical side, but also from the spiritual one. I have had the fortune of always playing in my hometown and I have always had the support of my family. These […]

A trio of recent Champions League rivalries will be revived in the 2009 edition of the competition, as UEFA announced in the quarterfinal draw today in which Chelsea will meet Liverpool for the fifth time in as many years (adding to the 22 times the two teams have met across all competitions in the last […]

The UEFA Cup quarterfinal draw also occurred on Friday, with perhaps the most intriguing match-up being Manchester City vs. Hamburg, who lost two players to the EPL team within the last transfer year and have former Tottenham coach Martin Jol at the helm. The other three pairings find the second tier competition's two French teams […]

After being rumored for a few weeks now, and just two days from making Vancouver the league’s 17th team, MLS made things official on Friday by announcing that Portland will become the second of two expansion teams set to begin play in 2011. Portland becomes the third team (including Seattle) from the United Soccer Leagues […]

Concacaf, the confederation that governs North, Central American and Caribbean soccer, announced today that it has received a $10 million grant from FIFA to fund a two-year program intended to develop the professional leagues of 11 select countries within the region. The main priority of the redundantly named "WIN in CONCACAF with CONCACAF" is to […]

The recent rift between Argentina coach Diego Maradona and veteran midfielder Juan Roman Riquelme has not surprisingly drawn strong reactions from fans of Boca Juniors, the team where both national treasures gained fame early in their respective playing careers. But that reaction has not been what one might expect, with fans displaying support for Riquelme […]

“The coolest part for me — after spending my whole career in Europe — I was very nervous about coming home and being let down. Just kind of thinking ‘why did I come home for this?’ But what was so tremendous about everything that I’ve had so far from the professionalism to the training facilities […]