With keeper Brad Guzan back in Southern California tending to an MCL sprain, Chivas USA lost to Houston, 1-0, on Friday and Toronto FC, 3-2, on Sunday in its last two matches of the Texas Pro Soccer Festival.
Category: Soccer America Daily
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
No rooms at the inn for UAE
[OFF THE POST] Lack of lodging for its World Cup qualifying game at Syria has become an issue for the United Arab Emirates national team because all Damascus hotels have been booked up by delegates attending the Arab Summit, which overlaps with the March 26 game.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, What They're Saying
What They’re Saying
“There are gay footballers but they don’t declare it because they think it will not be accepted in these macho organizations. Look at women’s football: homosexuality is more popular there.”
— FIFA President Sepp Blatter. (Telegraph)
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Red card for bumping ball boy
[OFF THE POST] Flamengo midfielder Toro was ejected in the Brazilian club’s 3-0 loss to Uruguay’s Nacional in Libertadores Cup play for pushing a ball boy down as he chased the out-of-bounds ball in the 43rd minute. The 13-year-old was cheered by the home crowd for the rest of the game.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
International Soccer Weekend TV Schedule
The English FA Cup moves into the quarterfinals with two matches on Saturday and two more on Sunday. In the only game involving Premier League teams, Manchester United hosts Portsmouth on Saturday. Spanish title contenders Barcelona and Villarreal meet on Sunday. French soccer fans can watch Sunday’s top-of-the-table clash between Lyon and Bordeaux. For televised weekend international action …
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Dzajic and Serbian soccer chief accused of massive embezzlement
[SERBIA] With millions of dollars exchanging hands on the international transfer market, there’s all kind of opportunities for fraud and embezzlement, as recent cases in Serbia demonstrate.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
UEFA Cup Results
Despite a series of strong saves by American goalkeeper Tim Howard, Everton fell at Italian club Fiorentina, 2-0, on a pair of late goals in the first leg of their round-of-16 series on Thursday. Freddy Adu, who is with the U.S. U-23s for the upcoming Olympic qualifying competition, was unavailable for Benfica, which fell at home to Spanish club Getafe, 2-1. The other teams to lose at home were Anderlecht (5-0 to Bayern Munich) and Tottenham (1-0 to PSV). For all the results and goal scorers …
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Guzan injury concern for Chivas USA
[MLS] Chivas USA and D.C. United met twice, fielding different squads, in Texas, but the two losses won’t be Chivas USA coach Preki’s main concern.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
FIFA President wants life-time ban for dangerous tackles
[REF WATCH] In the wake of the horrific foul by Birmingham defender Martin Taylor that shattered the leg of Arsenal’s Eduardo, which earned Taylor a three-game suspension, FIFA president Sepp Blatter said that players guilty of deliberately dangerous tackles should be banned from the game.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
U.S. product starting for Mexico
[OLYMPIC QUALIFYING] New Mexico product Edgar Castillo went the full 90 minutes for Mexico’s U-23 national team in its final two warm-up games for CONCACAF Olympic qualifying, which starts next week. On Thursday, Mexico tied Finland, 0-0, in front of 11,780 fans in Frisco, Texas. On Sunday, Castillo hit the cross that Australian Adam D’Apuzzo knocked into his own goal in a 1-1 tie in Oakland, Calif., in front of 47,416 fans.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Crew wins in England
[MLS] Adam Moffat scored the lone goal as Columbus beat the Blackburn reserve team, 1-0, at the Blackburn training grounds on Thursday while Crew coach Sigi Schmid continues the search for reinforcements.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Dallas Brazilians sting the club that loaned them
[MLS] Players on loan are usually forbidden to play against the clubs that have loaned them out, but for the annual USA-Brazil Challenge between FC Dallas and Clube Atletico Paranaense an exception was made.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
U.S. Youth Soccer ODP National Championship Rosters
Play begins Friday in the U.S. Youth Soccer ODP National Championships at Pizza Hut Park in Frisco, Texas. Regional champions will compete in four competitions — 1991 and 1992 boys and girls. Cal South leads all state associations with teams represented in all four competitions. North Texas has three teams entered in the competition. For all rosters …
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
U.S. women stomp on Steel Roses
[ALGARVE CUP] The U.S. women’s national team handed China the worst defeat in their storied rivalry when it opened play at the Algarve Cup with a 4-0 victory Wednesday in Albufeira, Portugal.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, What They're Saying
What They’re Saying
“I don’t believe any decision will be made on the basis of one game. He may not have had full control of the game but I haven’t heard any complaints about specific decisions.”
— Japanese soccer federation official Hideto Teshima says there won’t be repercussions after referee Masaaki Iemoto‘s performance in the J-League opener between Kashima Antlers and Sanfrecce Hiroshima. Iemoto allowed Hiroshima to retake two missed penalty kicks, showed three red cards and 11 yellow cards, and disallowed two Kashima goals in the Hiroshima win. (Reuters)
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Lineker vs. Gandhi
[OFF THE POST] Controversy has surrounded plans to erect a 12-foot tall statue of Mahatma Gandhi in the British city of Leicester after a “No Gandhi” campaign was launched by residents who prefer a statue of former England forward Gary Lineker. Now a TV soccer commentator, Lineker began his career at Leicester City, for which he scored 95 goals. Gandhi, who died in 1948, is known as the Father of the Nation of India and the world’s most famous pacifist.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Another Champions League shocker
[WINNERS & LOSERS] A day after defending champion AC Milan went out at home, nine-time champion Real Madrid was upset by Roma, 2-1, to fall in the round of 16 of the UEFA Champions League for the fourth straight year. Chelsea made it 3-for-3 for English clubs when it disposed of Olympiakos, while Schalke 04 had 21-year-old goalie Manuel Neuer to thank for its series victory over favored Porto.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Winter Transfer Moves
[AMERICANS ABROAD] Former Kansas City Wizards reserve keeper Chris Konopka signed with Bohemians of the eircom League, Ireland’s top flight that plays a spring-fall season. For all the winter overseas transfers involving Americans …
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
USA to face heavyweights
[U.S. SOCCER] The U.S. men’s national team, which is already scheduled to play Spain June 4, is close to finalizing friendlies against England at Wembley May 28 and Argentina June 8 at Giants Stadium.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Champ struggling on D
[MLS] It’s preseason, yes, but what’s going on with the Houston defense? Gamba Osaka lit up the Dynamo with a 6-1 thumping in the Pan Pacific Championship final a week and a half ago; on Wednesday, the first day of play in the Texas Pro Soccer Festival, Houston conceded three while beating Toronto FC, 4-3.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Ruiz hits hat trick; Beckham takes a knock
Nowhere, it seems, can MLS teams in preseason training escape the specter of bad fields. Soccer America’s Ridge Mahoney explains.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Spanish master leads Arsenal resurgence
[UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE] In a golden generation of young stars led by Kaka, Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, it’s easy to overlook Spaniard Cesc Fabregas, but he has been just as influential, leading Arsenal to first place in the English Premier League and past defending champion AC Milan in the UEFA Champions League.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
UEFA Champions League TV Schedule
UEFA Champions League play continues Wednesday with four more games. For all the TV coverage of the midweek action …
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
MLS Offseason Player Moves
Nine MLS teams passed on players in Wednesday’s Waiver Draft before D.C. United picked up the rights to Jeff Curtin. Taken later were Brandon Prideaux (Chicago Fire) and Kyle Brown (Houston Dynamo). For all the team-by-team offseason player moves …
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Dealing may not be done
[MLS WAIVER DRAFT] Only three players were claimed in the MLS waiver draft Tuesday, but at least a few more of the players placed on waivers may find their way onto rosters.