Category: Soccer America Daily

[SWEDEN-GREECE REPORT CARD] Defending champion Greece and Sweden appeared to be headed to a 0-0 tie when Zlatan Ibrahimovic scored his first international goal for more than two and a half years with a brilliant individual effort and minutes later Petter Hansson added a second goal on a scramble on the Greek goal line to give the Swedes a 2-0 win. Soccer America’s Paul Kennedy grades the players.

First-round play began Tuesday in the U.S. Open Cup. For all the results and goal scorers …

[SPAIN-RUSSIA REPORT CARD] David Villa became the first player to score a European Championship hat trick since 2000 when he led Spain to a 4-1 win over Russia. Villa also set up Cesc Fabregas‘ first goal for Spain – its fourth of the game – when he dribbled downfield before chipping a sublime pass to Xavi, whose shot was parried by Russian Igor Akinfeyev for Fabregas to hit home with a diving header. Soccer America’s Mike Woitalla grades the players.

In the eyes of most American soccer fans, playing Barbados in a qualifying round is a formality, yet U.S. Soccer has named a 21-man roster stocked with players who’ve just faced England, Spain and Argentina in preparation games. The U.S. hosts Barbados Sunday (5 p.m. ET, ESPN2 & Galavision) at Home Depot Center in Carson, Calif., in the first leg, with the second leg scheduled for June 22.

Brentwood, winner of the Tennessee Class AAA, is the top-ranked boys team in the Final NSCAA/adidas High School Boys Spring Rankings. Parkview, which repeated as Georgia’s Class 5A state champion, is No. 1 in the Final NSCAA/adidas High School Girls Spring Rankings. For all the boys and girls rankings …

[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.

[OFF THE POST] After European Championship host Austria opened with a 1-0 loss to Croatia, Vienna brewery Ottakringer offered a life-time supply of beer to any Austria player who scores in its next two group games, against Poland and Germany.

[FRANCE-ROMANIA REPORT CARD] Group C, the requisite “Group of Death,” kicked off with a barely a heart murmur, as a resilient Romanian eight-man phalanx blunted just about everything the French could muster. Romanian catalyst Cristian Chivu played a cagier game than counterpart Franck Ribery, and left back Razvan Rat highlighted an excellent match for the back line with a few daring runs. Soccer America’s Ridge Mahoney grades the players.

[MAKING A LIST] Landon Donovan, 26, made his 100th appearance for the U.S. national team when he played against Argentina in Sunday’s scoreless tie. Donovan debuted for the USA in October of 2000. For the USA’s 100-cap men …

[NETHERLANDS-ITALY REPORT CARD] Spurred by a controversial Ruud van Nistelrooy goal scored while opposing defender Christian Panucci lay just off the field after a collision, the Netherlands added breathtaking counterattack goals by Wesley Sneijder and Giovanni van Bronckhorst while thrashing four-time world champion Italy, 3-0. The Dutch thus take control of Group C. The Italians must climb out of the basement with no points and a minus-3 goal difference. Soccer America’s Ridge Mahoney grades the players.

[EURO ’08 PREVIEW] The first day of group play concludes on Tuesday with two games in Group D. Spain is the favorite in the group that also includes defending champion Greece, Russia and Sweden. For a look at the Group D teams and their rosters …

[REF WATCH] Did Swedish referee Peter Frojdfeldt and his officiating crew blow it Monday night in Berne by not disallowing Ruud van Nistelrooy‘s goal for offside in a spectacular 3-0 Dutch defeat of Italy, or did he properly interpret the nuances of what he should do when a defending player, in this case Christian Panucci, leaves the field of play?

[ARGENTINA] River Plate clinched the Argentine Clausura championship last weekend on the penultimate game day with 2-1 win over Olimpo on two goals by 20-year-old midfielder Diego Buonanotte. It gives River Plate its first title after an eight-season drought, during which archrival Boca Juniors lifted two titles.

Goalkeeper Oswaldo Sanchez, the captain of the Mexican national team, was arrested and detained for two hours after guests at the Chicago hotel where the Mexican players stayed after their 4-0 win on Sunday complained about noise, according to media reports.

Iran and Iraq captured must-win games in Asia’s World Cup 2010 qualifying, while China dropped to last place in its group with a 1-0 loss at home to Qatar. In African qualifying, The Ivory Coast was held to a disappointing goalless draw at Madagascar and Togo suffered an embarrassing 2-1 defeat at tiny Swaziland. For all the results …

[SWITZERLAND-CZECH REP. REPORT CARD] Alexander Frei, Switzerland’s captain and leading scorer, forced two saves from Czech keeper Petr Cech before suffering a first-half knee injury that takes him out of the tournament. Substitute Vaclav Sverkos latched on to a pass over the Swiss defense to volley low into the goal for the 1-0 gamewinner in the 70th minute. Soccer America’s Mike Woitalla grades the players.

Vancouver and Charleston remained 1-2 in the USL First Division with 3-1 wins over Portland and Montreal, respectively, on Saturday. For the slumping Impact, the goal was its first in six games. Defending champion Seattle moved into a tie for third place with Portland thanks to a 3-1 win of its own over Minnesota. For all the results and goal scorers …

[PORTUGAL-TURKEY REPORT CARD] Portugal showed that it is more than a one-man team in beating Turkey, 2-0, in their Group A opener in Geneva on Saturday. Cristiano Ronaldo was excellent for Portugal, but it was his supporting cast that did the damage. Brazilian-born Pepe (on a brilliant one-two with Nuno Gomes) and substitute Raul Meireles (fed by young Joao Moutinho) scored second-half goals to put away the disappointing Turks. Soccer America’s Paul Kennedy grades the players. …

[GERMANY-POLAND REPORT CARD]Germany won its first European Championship game since its victory in the 1996 final when in its Group B opener it downed Poland, 2-0. German striker Lukas Podalski, who was born in Poland, scored in the 20th and 72nd minutes. Each was set up by Miroslav Klose, another Polish-born German. The Germans dominated the first half but the Poles picked up steam after the halftime entry of Roger Guerreiro. Soccer America’s Mike Woitalla grades the players.

[AUSTRIA-CROATIA REPORT CARD] After a fourth-minute penalty kick converted by Luka Modric, it looked like it would be a blowout for Croatia, but it had to hang on for a 1-0 win over host Austria that was scrappy but ultimately lacking in ideas. Soccer America’s Paul Kennedy grades the players.

Officially, American keeper Tim Howard earned Man of the Match honors for his superb work in a 0-0 tie with Argentina at the Meadowlands Sunday night, but truth be told he really rated nothing more than second-best. In just 45 minutes of work, Lionel Messi dazzled the sellout crowd and befuddled the USA. By escaping the kicks and tackles of Pablo Mastroeni and Michael Bradley and clipping balls over and through central defenders Oguchi Onyewu and Danny Califf, Messi repeatedly unhinged the Americans. Only some desperation tackles by Onyewu, Califf and Steve Cherundolo, and the amazing work of Howard kept Argentine forwards Julio Cruz and Sergio Aguero from scoring.

[USA-ARGENTINA GRADES] Soccer America’s Ridge Mahoney grades the U.S. players’ performance in their 0-0 tie with Argentina on Sunday.