[WORLD CUP 2010 QUALIFYING] With not much at stake other than for a few players to get their first taste of World Cup qualifying, albeit a Caribbean stadium basking in a crowd of picnic proportions and mellow mood, the USA beat Barbados, 1-0, in Bridgetown to complete a 9-0 aggregate win in the two-match series.
Category: Soccer America Daily
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Freddy Adu heads class
[USA-BARBADOS REPORT CARD] Soccer America’s Ridge Mahoney grades the U.S. players’ performance in their 1-0 win over Barbados on Sunday. …
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MLS Results
New England lost at Salt Lake and Los Angeles was held to a 3-3 tie at home by Columbus, but the Revs and the Galaxy remain atop the Eastern and Western Conferences, respectively. For the up-to-date MLS standings and leading scorers, all the weekend summaries and this week’s schedule. …
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D.C. United rolls on; Donovan strikes twice
[MLS NAMES & NUMBERS] D.C. United is making up for its slow start to the season. It has scored 14 goals in a five-game unbeaten streak, which includes Sunday’s win over the struggling Earthquakes. The Los Angeles Galaxy remains the league’s highest scoring team – its 31 goals seven more than the next most prolific team, D.C. United – but it couldn’t get the win this weekend despite hitting three goals for the third game in a row.
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USA extends streak with Peace Queen Cup triumph
[OLYMPIC COUNTDOWN] The U.S. women’s national team won its fourth tournament of the year and improved to 17-0-1 under first-year coach Pia Sundhage with a 1-0 victory over Canada in the final of the 2008 Peace Queen Cup.
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EURO ’08: Germans storm past Portugal
[GERMANY-PORTUGAL REPORT CARD] Germany regained its favorite status by downing Portugal, 3-2, in the first quarterfinal of Euro 2008. The Germans came out on all cylinders and took a 2-0 lead on goals Bastian Schweinsteiger and Miroslav Klose before the Portuguese scored five minutes before the break. Despite taking better charge of the game in the second half, Portugal fell further behind on Michael Ballack‘s 62nd minute header and didn’t strike back until the 87th minute. Soccer America’s Mike Woitalla grades the players.
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Tampa greets Rowdies IV
[USL-1] The USL First Division will launch an expansion franchise in Tampa in 2010, marking the fourth time Rowdies soccer has been introduced.
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Slammers FC sends six girls teams to Far West quarterfinals
[YOUTH REGIONALS] Slammers FC had six teams — including the defending age-group champions in the U-15 and U-19 divisions — still alive at the US Youth Soccer Region IV championships in Honolulu. For all the matchups in the quarterfinals …
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Euro ’08 TV Schedule
The quarterfinal action at Euro ’08 continues through Sunday with one game each day. Two games, including Friday’s Croatia-Turkey match, will be broadcast on ESPN, and the third, Sunday’s Spain-Italy game, will air on ABC. For the complete television schedule …
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Wambach closes in on century goal mark
[OLYMPIC COUNTDOWN] The USA completed a sweep of group play at the Peace Queen Cup in Suwon, South Korea, with a 2-0 win over Italy Thursday thanks to two goals by Abby Wambach, who increased her career total to 98 international goals.
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Chivas USA finds its form
More than a few preseason predictions tabbed Chivas USA as a possible MLS Cup finalist, but seldom in 2008 has it showed the stuff of a worthy contender. Last night at Home Depot Center, the red-and-while looked the part.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, What They're Saying
What They’re Saying
“For everyone who loves us and has enjoyed our victories I would like to tell them that our success should not become someone else’s sorrow. We shouldn’t be firing shots to celebrate a victory.”
— Turkey coach Fatih Terim, whose team reached the Euro 2008 quarterfinals with a 3-2 comeback win over the Czech Republic. During celebrations in Turkey, gunfire from fans wounded two people, one seriously. (AFP)
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MLS TV Schedule
Toronto FC forward Jeff Cunningham aims for his 100th career goal in Kansas City. … New York hosts FC Dallas and its new coach, Schellas Hyndman. … Houston, whose Brian Ching scored four goals in his last five games, visits Colorado. … Real Salt Lake protects its undefeated 2008 home record against New England. …Los Angeles, the league’s highest scoring team, hosts Columbus. … D.C. United, whose Luciano Emilio has tallied six goals in the last four games, welcomes San Jose, which has mustered a league-low nine goals in 12 games. … For all the MLS action and the television schedule …
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Jeers for Brazil coach after 0-0 tie
[WORLD CUP 2010 QUALIFYING] Brazil’s troubles continued as it was held scoreless for the third straight game and had to settle for a 0-0 tie with archrival Argentina in South America’s World Cup 2010 qualifying tournament on Wednesday.
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Bradley excuses 10 players for second leg of qualifying
[USA-BARBADOS] With his team comfortably ahead in their 2010 World Cup qualifying series, U.S national team head coach Bob Bradley has excused 10 players from the second leg with Barbados Sunday at the Kensington Oval outside Bridgetown (TV: ESPN Classic, live, 3 pm ET).
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French star Ribery out up to two months
[EURO ’08] French star Franck Ribery, stretchered off early in the Bleus’ 2-0 loss to Italy on Tuesday, could miss up to two months with a torn ligament in his left ankle. He also twisted his knee in the clumsy challenge on Gianluca Zambrotta.
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MLS TV Schedule
Chivas USA hosts the Chicago Fire in MLS action on Thursday, kicking off “The Year of the Emperor,” its series of activities to honor the 20-year career of star Claudio Suarez. For all the MLS action and the television schedule …
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New England and San Jose earn points
[MLS] The New England Revolution extended its MLS-high unbeaten streak to seven games on Wednesday when it earned with a 1-1 tie against the Red Bulls. Despite losing Jason Hernandez to a red card shortly before halftime, the visiting San Jose Earthquakes held on for a 0-0 tie at Real Salt Lake, where fans booed the home team.
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Best of Euro ’08
[RATINGS LEADERS] After group play at the 2008 European Championship, Spain’s David Villa (a hat trick in his first game and stoppage-time winner in his second) is the top-rated player, based on the daily Soccer America Report Cards. Two other Spaniards — Fernando Torres and Brazilian-born Marcos Serna — and two Dutchmen — Wesley Sneijder and Giovanni van Bronckhorst — round out the top five. For all the ratings leaders …
Posted inSoccer America Daily, What They're Saying
What They’re Saying
“Now, Dutch, you tremble!”
— Russian newspaper Rossiyskaya Gazeta‘s headline after Russia rolled over Sweden, 2-0, with a sensational display of soccer that sets up a showdown with the Netherlands, the darling of Euro ’08 with nine goals in three wins. (AFP)
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Euro ’08 TV Schedule
The quarterfinals begin on Thursday and continue through Sunday with one game each day. Three games, including Thursday’s Portugal-Germany match, will be broadcast on ESPN, and the fourth, Sunday’s Spain-Italy game, will air on ABC.
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Hat trick highlights U.S. win at under-20 women’s qualifying
[YOUTH] The University of Portland’s Michelle Enyeart scored a hat trick to lead the USA to a 4-0 victory over Trinidad & Tobago Wednesday in the first game of the Concacaf qualifying tournament for the 2008 Under-20 Women’s World Cup at Estadio Cuauhtemoc in Puebla, Mexico.
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Russia dazzles in ousting Sweden
[RUSSIA-SWEDEN REPORT CARD] Guus Hiddink did it again, taking an underdog team and leading it to the knockout phase of a major championship. Russia moved into the quarterfinals of Euro ’08 with a thoroughly deserved 2-0 win over Sweden on Wednesday. Soccer America’s Paul Kennedy grades the players.
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Spain remains perfect
[SPAIN-GREECE REPORT CARD] Defending European champion Greece exited Euro 2008 as the only team unable to earn a point in its three games after it fell, 2-1, to Spain, which is perfect at the tournament. The Spaniards also extended their win streak to nine games and their unbeaten run to 19 while fielding second-stringers. Soccer America’s Mike Woitalla grades the players.
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U.S. women win rematch against Brazil
[OLYMPIC COUNTDOWN] In a rematch of their 2007 Women’s World Cup semifinal, the USA got revenge with a 1-0 win over Brazil on Tuesday at the 2008 Peace Queen Cup in Suwon, South Korea.