Category: Section 2 Around the Net

“I’ve been in Europe for 16 years. Flamengo is my favourite, but I don’t want to play there as a favor. I want to deserve to play there.” Three-time FIFA World Player of the Year Ronaldo, 32, wants to stay and play in his native Brazil.

“Some leading managers from the Premier League are ready to revolt against the Respect campaign in the wake of a series of controversial incidents that have left them seething,” writes Matt Lawton. English managers believe that referees must earn respect if they want it in return from the players.

L.A. Galaxy coach Bruce Arena is still “simply staring at the wreckage of an 8-13-9 season,” writes Grahame L Jones, but soon it will be time for him to start sorting through the chaff. “It’s certainly a team that needs to be reconstructed,” Arena said. “We have an odd balance on our team on the […]

FC Dallas coach Schellas Hyndman made it to the NCAA tournament in 30 of his 31 seasons as a college coach, which has made his debut midseason with the pros at FC Dallas all the more difficult to stomach, reports Diego Aparicio. “I’ve never been in this position in my career where the season is […]

The Beckham to Milan story crawls on. Major League Soccer Commissioner Don Garber is perturbed that we mortals on the outside of U.S. soccer’s inner circle just do not understand what’s going on, and so he called up Jack Bell to pour his heart out. “You can tell that I’m frustrated,” Garber told Bell. “There’s […]

Soccer's world governing body FIFA has blocked a friendly game between Serbia and a Select XI from the Serb-dominated area of Bosnia-Herzegovina, Republica Srpska, citing the "complex political situation." Republika Srpska Football Association Secretary General Rodoljub Petkovic told media that he is to appeal against the ban with both FIFA and its European sister body […]

Manchester United Manager Sir Alex Ferguson has accused Real Madrid of signing Argentine defender Gabriel Heinze solely in order to lure his close friend Cristiano Ronaldo to the Bernabeu. In an interview with the U.K. monthly ‘lifestyle’ magazine GQ, Ferguson said, “Ronaldo was very close to Heinze. I knew what they [Real] were doing. I […]

Newcastle United’s bad lad Joey Barton is out of prison and back on the field, and at the weekend managed to provoke new copy and controversy by kissing the club badge on his training top as he warmed up in front of Sunderland fans for his return to action. But, writes Louise Taylor, Newcastle’s interim […]

“I am with Manchester United body and soul. Only God knows the future but I insist that I am a Manchester United player and now I think that next year I will continue here. I want to respect this club, my team-mates and the fans, and I prefer not to talk of other teams at […]

“It’s fantastic. I’m very honoured, it’s a great opportunity and one I would be mad to turn down. I’m excited and I can’t wait to get going.” Oh my lord. Former Arsenal and England defender Tony Adams has taken over from the departed Harry Redknapp as Portsmouth manager. Adams’s previous managerial post was at Wycombe […]

“The interference of the homophobic, right-wing and utterly unsavory owner Gigi Becali has prompted Steaua Bucharest to appoint their ninth manager since 2003.” Jonathan Wilson, expert on all aspects of eastern European soccer, reports on how “Romanian coaches in general tend to look on the life-span of a mayfly with a certain awed longing.”

“People will be talking about us a bit more now because we’re top of the league. But we have to live with that. It’s a different kind of pressure, but it’s what we are in it for — and we have to cope with that.” Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher follows his manager Rafa Benitez in […]

FIFA President Sepp Blatter witnessed a historic game at the weekend in the Palestinian West Bank when he saw the Palestine national team play its first ever match on home soil (although it was actually turf). The game against Jordan ended 1-1 in front of a capacity 6,500-crowd in a new stadium. “We are here […]

“This is a different season right now. Everyone has the same chance.” RB New York coach Juan Carlos Osorio welcomes his side’s back-door entry to the playoffs, ignoring his verdict Friday that the side didn’t deserve to be there.

“I will sit down with [German national team coach] Joachim Loew as soon as my injury permits and apologize for my behavior.” German captain Michael Ballack issues a statement getting ready to retract his criticisms of Loew in a newspaper interview last week (though one wonders about the location of his injury if he still […]

The proposed loan move to AC Milan from the L.A. Galaxy was “[David] Beckham’s idea,” according to Milan Vice President Adriano Galliani. “It was the player who contacted us via his lawyers, having previously stated his intention to play at Milan.” This story’s becoming as tortuous as a Posh Spice reality show.

Former Arsenal and West Ham United midfielder Freddie Ljungberg looks set to sign a two-year deal with Seattle Sounders FC. The 2009 expansion franchise is showing that it’s truly looking to become a proper Major League Soccer team by luring an aging European pro to the league who’s long past his best.

“He’s a real quality guy and I’m happy today that we were able to at least recognize him at the end there. It has to be a thrill to step on the field and be given the captain’s armband by David Beckham.” L.A. coach Bruce Arena pays tribute to defender Greg Vanney, who retired Saturday.

The late winning goal by Columbus Crew’s Brad Evans was irrelevant to D.C. United by the time it finally ended the team’s tardy but impressive final-day bid for the postseason, writes Steven Goff. “A tie would not have done United any good, and with each agonizing miss during a scoreless game, its hopes faded into […]

It’s arguable whether or not Real Salt Lake’s “perfect ten” record (10-10-10) merits a place in the postseason, but after four barren years Coach Jason Kreis believes unequivocally that that his side deserves to be there, and welcomes the little bit of luck that took them into the playoffs. “There’s been a lot of points […]

Meanwhile the side that Salt Lake eliminated with its late equalizer, the Colorado Rapids, is taking its time over whether or not to make interim head coach Gary Smith’s position a permanent one. Smith himself seems unsure of his wishes. “I think I need to sit down, take a deep breath,” he told Brian Forbes. […]

If the New England Revolution carries its current form into the playoffs, Coach Steve Nicol faces a long winter with no games and nothing to complain about. So he made sure to let off some final regular-season steam at referee Kevin Stott after the Revs lost 3-1 at home to Kansas City on Saturday. They […]

Saturday’s 3-1 win over a weakened Columbus team proved to be a false dawn for RB New York as it crashed 5-2 to Chicago Thursday, and coach Juan Carlos Osorio was under no illusions about the merits of his side’s playoff-threatening performance. “After a performance like that, I have a very big question mark as […]

The last three Chicago Fire seasons have ended “in the chilly November air at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Mass.,” writes Nick Firchau. This year, at least, with the first leg of the Eastern Conference semifinals against the New England Revolution being a road game, the Fire’s campaign can at the very worst only end in […]

The clock is ticking for a number of the Colorado Rapids’ veterans, and as they approach Saturday’s Rocky Mountain Showdown (copyright all Denver- and Utah-based media) at home to Salt Lake, they’ve come over all philosophical about the passing of time, reports Brian Forbes. “You start to feel your mortality,” said Pablo Mastroeni, 32, who […]