“We have never been to Nigeria and it is an opportunity, although you could say it is partly financial of course.”
— Manchester United coach Alex Ferguson sheds light on his team’s preseason schedule, which included a 2-1 win over English FA Cup winner Portsmouth in Abuja, Nigeria. (BBC)
[OFF THE POST] When CSKA Sofia won the Bulgarian league title last season, fans eagerly anticipated a Champions League qualifying campaign. But the Bulgarian soccer federation stripped it of that right when it was revealed the club owed money to the National Social Security Institute, National Revenue Agency, and a host of other lenders.
[MLS/VIDEO] The Houston Dynamo may have to fend off a few calls from NFL teams after defender Craig Waibel put on a field-goal show at the Houston Texans’ training center.
[TRANSFER TALK] Manager Roy Hodgson had a huge task ahead of him when was hired by Fulham in late December. The club, which had four Americans on its roster at the time, was languishing in the cellar of the Premier League standings and needed a serious turnaround to help avoid relegation.
“U.S. Soccer has a well-established hearing process to consider these types of situations. We’re satisfied the hearing panel did their job and that the punishment is consistent with past, similar incidents.”
— D.C. United President Kevin Payne on the U.S. Soccer Federation banning Chicago Fire star Cuauhtemoc Blanco from U.S. Open Cup play for two years for his involvement in a scuffle with D.C. United in a U.S. Open Cup quarterfinal July 8. After being red-carded, Blanco refused to leave the field in a timely manner and allegedly headbutted a United operations official. (Washington Post)
[VIDEO] A brilliant juggler shows off his “Around the World in 1 Minute.”
It seems nothing – Mexican opposition, bad blood, scuffles, player absences, naked men running amuck on airplanes – can distract New England’s players and coaches as they strive to make their first serious foray into international competition a triumphant one.
[MLS/OLYMPICS] Last year, midfielder Dax McCarty, 21, played for the USA at the U-20 World Cup. Now the third-year MLS player, who has made 11 appearances in 2008 for FC Dallas, is headed to the Olympic Games. Get to know McCarty in this profile by Soccer America’s Bryan Alvarez that covers McCarty’s on- and off-field experiences …
[AUSTRALIA/VIDEO] Embattled Australian goalkeeper Mark Bosnich is making a comeback with the Central Coast Mariners in his country’s A-League. Bosnich previously kept goal for Manchester United, Aston Villa and Chelsea in the English Premier League before substance abuse problems and declaring bankruptcy. Bosnich’s opportunity with the Mariners opened up after keeper Danny Vukovic was suspended for violently high-fiving a referee.
[OFF THE POST] For a few glorious hours, fans of Greek side PAOK thought they would be watching Zlatan Ibrahimovic score goals for the club when the team’s official Web site inadvertently announced that the Swedish striker would be joining the side for the upcoming season. It turns out that PAOK had confused its Zlatans. The club actually signed Zlatan Muslimovic.
[OFF THE POST] Next time you want to get the attention of your favorite soccer player, try a little serenade. Breaking into song allowed 12-year-old Nishok to meet Manchester United midfielder Anderson. The 20-year-old Brazilian was in Singapore’s National Stadium with his Olympic teammates as the squad went through the paces during a public training session.
[OLYMPIC COUNTDOWN] In the first of two tuneup games before the Olympics, which begin next Japan next Thursday, the USA tied Ivory Coast, 0-0, in the opening match of the ING Cup in steamy Hong Kong on Wednesday.
[YOUTH] The U.S. under-20 national team got two goals from FC Dallas rookie Brek Shea and a goal apiece from the University of Michigan’s Peri Marosevic and UNLV’s Danny Cruz in a 4-0 win over Wales Wednesday to earn a split in its first two games at Northern Ireland’s Milk Cup, one of the world’s most prestigious summer youth tournaments.
[UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE] Action heated up in the second round of UEFA Champions League qualifying, where Rangers, runner-up in last season’s UEFA Cup, was held to a scoreless draw by FBK Kaunas at home in Wednesday’s first leg. For all the second-round results …
[EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES] Soccer America provides the latest on employment opportunities for soccer-related positions. They include college coaching opportunities, as well as opportunities in pro soccer, youth soccer, the soccer industry and television.
“Right now, with my move to Dortmund, it looks like I will first make any kind of decision regarding national teams after my first season here. It’s already tough enough to fight for a starting spot here, and I don’t need any extra baggage at this early point in my career.”
— Neven Subotic, a 19-year-old defender who was on the USA’s U-17 2005 World Cup team, on whether he’ll choose to play for the USA at the senior level or for other national teams he is eligible for. Subotic was born in what is now Bosnia and Herzegovina to a Serbian family that immigrated to Germany before moving to the USA. He joined Germany’s Borussia Dortmund from Second Division Mainz on a $5.4 million transfer in June. (ESPNsoccernet)
[FRANCE] Paris Saint-Germain has lost the right to defend its French League Cup trophy. The French soccer federation banned the team because of incidents that occurred during the club’s 2-1 final victory over Lens this past spring.
[OFF THE POST/OLYMPICS] The United States Men’s Olympic team will face a Nigerian team short on hair when the countries meet in Beijing on August 13. Samson Siasia, coach of Nigeria’s U-23 Olympic team, has issued a mandate to all of his players: cut your hair or get lost.
[REF WATCH] Referee Matt Stoneman found himself in a difficult situation when he allowed a controversial goal in a Pacific Premiership soccer match in New Zealand.
[TRANSFER TALK] The Cristiano Ronaldo transfer saga has been going on since Manchester United’s Champions League victory on May 21, and 10 weeks later it remains unresolved. Now the uncertainty over the winger’s transfer is affecting the Real Madrid players, who have grown frustrated with the ubiquity of the Ronaldo rumors.
Donna Shalala, who served eight years as the U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services under President Clinton and is currently the President of the University of Miami, is the third Independent Director named to the U.S. Soccer Federation’s Board of Directors. The three Independent Director positions were created at U.S. Soccer’s 2006 Annual General Meeting when the organization’s Board of Directors was reduced from 40 to 15.
[SUPERLIGA] For one night, at least, the two-time defending MLS Cup winner looked the part, and as a consequence, Houston has reached the SuperLiga final. Defender Bobby Boswell tucked away a flicked-on corner kick and Corey Ashe headed in a late clinching goal to carry the Dynamo past Pachuca, winner of the inaugural SuperLiga last year, 2-0, at Robertson Stadium. Houston will meet either New England or Atlante, which contest the other semifinal Wednesday night at Gillette Stadium (TV: Telefutura, 8 pm ET), in the final next week.
The U.S. U-18 boys national team opens a four-game tour of Uruguay and Paraguay against Uruguay on Thursday in Montevideo. U.S. coach Dave Sarachan named 18 players for the trip, including three players named to the 2008 U-15/16 Development Academy all-conference teams: Paul Islas (Cal Odyssey), Latif Alashe (Vardar) and Harrison Petts (champion Carmel United). For the complete roster …
U.S. U-17 boys national team coach Wilmer Cabrera has taken 24 players on a 16-day tour of Central America. The team will travel to Panama, Guatemala and Honduras, where it will play two games apiece against youth national teams. The majority of players spent the spring in the U.S. Soccer residency program in Bradenton, Fla. For the complete roster …
[MLS] FC Dallas has responded to one vexing question by deciding not to sell forward Kenny Cooper and as of Tuesday night had not come to any conclusion regarding midfielder Juan Toja
