Category: Section 2 Around the Net

Gone are the days of attention-grabbing Mohawk haircuts in the days leading up to the World Cup (there’s not enough hair there anymore, for starters). And gone are the days of a short fuse and hot temper that would results in regular red cards (both time and the presence of a wife and son have […]

Citing irreconcilable differences with Argentina head coach Diego Maradona that would appear to outside parties as simple communication breakdowns, veteran playmaker Juan Ramon Riquelme announced to Canal 13 on Tuesday that he quit the Argentina national team. Speaking to Canal 13, the Boca Juniors star reasoned, “we did not agree on much. We do not […]

"If he becomes the Ronaldo of old, why not? He has the will to become the great player that he once was. He feels pleasure playing soccer." Current Brazil coach and former World Cup teammate Dunga, speaking to Cultura TV about the chance of 32-year-old to play for his country again.  

"Will I ever play in Italy? Never say never in life. I do gladly travel there, like I did last summer, because there are the most beautiful and sexiest girls in the world … ?All jokes aside, I truly admire your brand of soccer and you are world champions." ManU superstar Cristiano Ronaldo, showing what […]

"Pulverized. There is no other word for it. Fittingly, for a team nicknamed The Meringues [Los Merengues], Real Madrid were splattered and dispersed over a wide area of Anfield in the manner of an airy fairy dessert. One that has been run over by a steamroller. Then another one. Then a herd of rampaging elephants. […]

No doubt because of the success the Sounders had in selling some 20,000 season-ticket packages long before the expansion team played a game, Seattle’s Qwest Field was named the site for the 2009 MLS Cup. Scheduled for Sunday, Nov. 22 at 8:30 p.m. ET and to be broadcast live on ESPN, MLS Cup will mark […]

Facing pressure from media and fans alike, and now amid controversial comments made about Mexican players (not playing) overseas, embattled coach Sven-Goran Eriksson is out to get El Tricolor back to winning ways in a friendly against Bolivia at Dick’s Sporting Goods Stadium in Denver, Colo., on Wednesday (TV: 9 pm ET/7 pm MT live […]

After three years at Chivas USA and a total of 21 years as a professional, legendary Mexican international Claudio “El Emperador” Suarez confirmed speculation in the offseason that he would retire, but said he’s “satisfied because I know that I always gave everything I had on the field." The 40-year-old defender made his debut in […]

"If you travel to the stadium independently, please be aware you are at risk. Do not take trains to the Piazza Flaminio or attempt to use the Ponte Duca D’Aosta bridge as these are habitual routes taken by the Ultras. Please stay away from the Campo De Fiori." According to The Times, these are the […]

UK Sports Minister Gerry Sutcliffe said an all-British representative at the 2012 Olympic soccer tournament could comprise just of English players if Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales don’t cooperate. “[An all-English team] is the sad fact of what is going to happen unless we can try and resolve this issue," Sutcliffe said. Opposition of a […]

The idea that Mexican power Club America “unraveled” upon the departure of Cuauhtemoc Blanco to that other America following a loss in the final to close out the 2007 Clausura season “is no coincidence,” according to goal.com’s Andrea Martinez. The team has been in a “downwards spiral since the Apertura 2008,” writes Martinez, who maintains […]

The process to pick a host for what will be a beefed up European Championship in 2016 is down to four finalists, with bids from France, Italy, Turkey and a joint proposal from Sweden-Norway accepted by Monday night’s midnight deadline, according to an AP report from Geneva. UEFA will analyze each bid before confirming an […]

“I can tell you now that Inter will just try and get to a penalty shootout at Old Trafford. The Italian mentality is always there, despite the presence of Argentines and others. The concept is always the same, they will try to stifle our game for 120 minutes to preserve the 0-0 draw.” Man U […]

"If you want me to rule out ever being Manchester United manager, I can't. Special clubs need special managers so in theory it could work, but nobody knows what the future is in football." Inter Milan coach Jose Mourinho, as quoted by UK paper News of the World talking about possibly replacing Alex Ferguson if […]

"I think the European [soccer] community continues to underestimate the resolve that our ownership has to ensure that we're managing the league in a way that will help grow the sport and establish it solidly for the future. We were not just going to give into Milan's demands or David's desire to leave the league […]

According to Portland TV station KGW, negotiations to bring an MLS team to the city “hit a snag” last week, with City Commissioner Randy Leonard claiming that Portland Timbers owner Merritt Paulson was “behaving poorly” and “stormed out” of a meetings between the two on Thursday. Paulson downplayed the reported conflict and insisted negotiations are […]

Although the agreement between AC Milan and the LA Galaxy that was announced on Saturday night wasn’t much different from original reports, there were a couple new twists, the first being that Beckham had to bankroll part of the deal to make it happen. According to the AP, “he and AC Milan are jointly paying […]

As the second division in a country that finds its professional soccer only second best in the continent, the USL-1 gets few chances to shine on the North American soccer scene. Until now, that is, as they placed a surprising two teams (one more than MLS) in the Concacaf Champions League quarterfinals, where the Puerto […]

“I have an option to own a franchise as soon as I finish playing and I will start that immediately. It is something I’m really excited about.” David Beckham on his professional soccer afterlife and commitment to MLS by having a stake in one of its teams.

“I couldn’t contain my emotion. It was a great feeling. I feel that I can’t go wrong in these situations. When I’m in front of goal, finishing is what I know how to do best.” An ever-confident Ronaldo, who although not know for his aerial game, scored his first goal since knee surgery more than […]

"I had a great time at the Galaxy but it's just a different atmosphere in the locker room [here]. Basically it's like a blue collar team. A lot of guys just bring their lunch pails and work hard at work, whereas in the Galaxy it's more ritzy. I've got lots of friends there, but I'm […]

The 2009 edition of the Concacaf Gold Cup is set to be played in a record 13 different U.S. cities, kicking off at the Home Depot Center in Carson, Calif., on July 3 and concluding with the championship on July 26 at Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J. The goal of the ambitious Coast-to-Coast plan, […]

According to The Globe and Mail, “barring a last-minute snag, the owner of the Vancouver Whitecaps Football Club will be awarded a Major League Soccer expansion franchise by the end of this month,” reports Matthew Sekeres, citing two unnamed sources that have current team owner Greg Kerfoot in final negotiations with MLS Commissioner Don Garber. […]

With a nod to “American Idol,” USA Today’s Beau Dure details the MLS expansion team selection process that has become a “months-long saga in which contenders are slowly but steadily eliminated” and breaks down the final four city bids that remain eligible for teams in 2011. With the recent removal of a Miami bid, and […]

With his stint in Germany coming to a rather unceremonious end, Landon Donovan looks to be back in the USA by early next week, giving him just under two weeks to get re-acclimated to L.A. life (although that may only take lunch at Rubio’s and a walk down the Redondo Beach pier) before the Galaxy’s […]