Category: Section 2 Around the Net

Former England goalkeeper Ian Walker, 37, has canceled his contract with Premier League club Bolton Wanderers by mutual consent. Walker, capped four times by England, has "been linked with a move to Major League Soccer." A league that so desperately needs has-been Europeans. Do we hear Toronto calling?    

"Although specifically developed for football [soccer], the '11+' study has already attracted the attention of other sports. In his editorial in the British Medical Journal, John Brooks, an injury expert for the Rugby Football Union, states that this warm-up program should be adopted at all levels in all sports." Soccer's world governing body FIFA reports […]

Michael Arace ponders Sigi Schmid's departure form the Columbus Crew and, after listening to both Schmid and Crew GM Mark McCullers, is still not clear on "how the first major professional team title in Columbus history was followed, in short order, by uncomely divorce." "I wish it hadn't come to this, but it was unavoidable," […]

The Champions League group stage "has become such a tiresome, irrelevant farce that it is threatening to bring this once-great competition to its knees," writes Scott Murray. He compares the lack of surprises in this year's group stage with the 1979 European Cup, when it was a straight knockout competition featuring only actual league champions, […]

Burglars broke into a U.K. residence in the small English town of Chineham, Hampshire, earlier this month and took a television, a games console, a cash box, a handbag and a wallet. But they left behind the World Cup. Satyam Computer Services Marketing Director Sandeep Thawani was looking after one of a handful of gold-plated […]

Following Wednesday's draw for the quarterfinal stage of the Concacaf Champions League starting late February, Houston has a shorter than usual offseason in which to plan for its home-and-away game against Atalante of Mexico. Bernardo Fallas lists several things the club must get done over the winter. Re-signing defenders Wade Barrett and Bobby Boswell and […]

Pay attention, folks, the Club World Cup in Tokyo has kicked off. Australia's Adelaide United won a preliminary round clash against New Zealand's Waitakere United 2-1 on Thursday, and will now face Japan's Gamba Osaka in the quarterfinal. Travis Dodd scored the gamewinner in the 82nd minute as Adelaide dominated, but found the New Zealand […]

"We can do what we do with these issues: study the hell out of them, consult the neighborhoods, worry about parking and park space, and make sure the stadiums and offices are green and no birds or worms will be harmed in the name of athletic progress. And when we're done, we still won't know […]

Portland Timbers owner Merritt Paulson and Major League Soccer Commissioner Don Garber faced “skeptical questioning” Tuesday at the first meeting of a city task force set up to examine Paulson’s idea of using $85 million in city-backed bonds to upgrade PGE Park to an MLS-grade venue and build a new baseball stadium. Group member Mark […]

An English FA Cup second round game Tuesday between fourth-tier Chesterfield and non-league Droylesden "witnessed one the most bizarre passages of play in its 137-year history," according to The Times. With the score at 1-1 after 79 minutes, Droylesden put the ball out of play after an injury to its striker Carl Lamb. When Chesterfield […]

The Hero Global Football Fund sounds like a noble endeavor, but in fact it is a group investing in young soccer players with a view to making a profit on their future sales, as David Conn explains. Although FIFA and the English Football Association have tightened their rules on third-party ownership of players in the […]

The Spanish media has greeted Real Madrid's replacement of Bernd Schuster with Juande Ramos with generally critical commentaries in the wake of the new coach's recent failed stint at Tottenham Hotspur. Daily sports paper Marca called out Real's president Ramon Calderon and sporting director Predrag Mijatovic, citing "the Kafkaesque sacking of Schuster" as "nothing more […]

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"We want to send a clear message that abuse of this kind will not be tolerated and that we are taking robust action. I'd urge anyone who recognizes these people to contact us as soon as possible." Superintendent Neil Sherrington on 16 photographs the police has made public of Tottenham Hotspur supporters who were allegedly […]

"To me, Juan Pablo [Angel] is the gold standard of the designated player slot. We look for a player who is going to be a leader and have an impact on and off the field. Juan Pablo is that person. Throughout the league there's been a debate about how effective the designated player has been. […]

"I think the way things left off after the win in L.A. when Sigi brought us together seemed like a goodbye speech. It was very heartfelt and we all got the message." Columbus Crew forward Alejandro Moreno after his team officially confirmed that MLS Coach of the Year Sigi Schmid has parted ways with the […]

"I'm proud of myself. This was never an easy fight at any moment and I'm winning. Corinthians believed in me, they have a fantastic project for 2009 and I'm very confident it will be a great year, although I know I will have a lot of difficulties at the start." Brazilian striker Ronaldo, 32, lauds […]

Mining company and Real Salt Lake stadium sponsor Rio Tinto is cutting 14,000 jobs globally to try and reduce its debt of $38.9 billion. The company announced Wednesday a 15 percent cut in its workforce, a halt to its expansion plans, and the sale of some assets.

Real Madrid sacked German coach Bernd Schuster Tuesday and appointed recently fired Tottenham Hotspur manager Juande Ramos in his place. Injury-hit Real lost its third league game in four outings Sunday, and Schuster said afterward that it would be “impossible” for the reigning Spanish champion to beat Barcelona in this weekend’s superclasico. Fifth-place Real trails […]

Former New England Revolution defender Michael Parkhurst, 24, thinks that now is the ideal time for a move to Europe, writes Monique Walker ahead of Tuesday’s expected announcement that the player has joined FC Nordsjaelland of Denmark. "I just felt like with me being the age I am, and being out of contract, that if […]

The San Jose Quakes and Joe Cannon are in contract talks after the team declined to pick up the goalkeeper’s contract option for the 2009 season, writes Elliott Almond. Cannon, 33, said he’s cautiously optimistic about the negotiations. "My heart has always been in San Jose no matter where I’ve played," he said. "It’s a […]

The stronger dollar could be good news for any MLS team planning to import players from Europe, writes Greg Lalas. At the same time, it may make European clubs think twice about importing U.S. talent. Jozy Altidore cost Villarreal $10 million when it bought the striker from RB New York this past summer, which at […]

Despite earlier indications to the contrary, Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson has announced a full-strength, 23-man squad to fly to Japan for the World Club Cup this weekend. At least someone's taking it seriously. Ferguson had said earlier this season that he might leave some of his first-choice players behind ahead of a December 26 […]

"Many people asked us along the way what soccer has got to do with literature. The connection seemed bizarre to them, but for us the connection is natural — the creativity and the passion, the excitement and the pain, the rage and the fame: soccer is life, literature is about life." Writer Assaf Gavron, who […]

"I'm a person who must either give full gas, or nothing. When I no longer feel I can give full gas, it's sensible to say so." Norway national team coach Aage Hareide resigns after five years in charge, apparently tanked. The country is last in its World Cup qualifying group with only two points from […]