[YOUTH] Four U.S. Youth Soccer regional ODP teams are participating this week in an international festival in Barcelona, Spain. The 1992 boys went 2-2 against Catalan teams on Tuesday’s opening day. Region I and Region III beat Sanchez Llibre (3-1) and Cornella (3-0), while Region II lost to Espanyol (2-0) and Region IV fell to CF Damm (4-2). For complete rosters …
Category: Soccer America Daily
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Philly makes it sweet 16, eventually
Another major market, another sports-mad city, another enticing stadium proposal, and another well-heeled ownership group add up to another MLS expansion team. And yet another coup, at least on paper. The 14th and 15th teams haven’t played a game yet, but already MLS has announced team No. 16 will be Philadelphia, to begin play in 2010. The announcement of the entry marks a return of pro soccer to Philadelphia 28 years after the NASL Fury followed the Atoms and NPSL Spartans into oblivion.
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March Madness
February is a time for MLS teams to get fit and get acquainted. Aside from a few exceptions, the real work starts in March. Scrimmages against college teams and the U.S. under-17s give way to more rigorous tests against MLS foes and foreign opponents. More than half of the MLS teams are headed overseas this month. Broken down by destination, here are the itineraries for the 14 MLS teams in early March.
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International Soccer Weekend TV Schedule
Two key matches in the battle for the English Premier League lead the place on early Saturday when leader Arsenal hosts Aston Villa, and second-place Manchester United plays at Fulham. In Spain’s tight La Liga race, leader Real Madrid and second-place Barcelona are both on the road. For televised weekend international action …
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Fortunate looks kindly on Inter again
[ITALY] Inter Milan remained unbeaten when it tied second-place Roma, 1-1, on Wednesday to maintain its nine-point lead in Serie A. After going 17 years without a Serie A title, Inter is on course for its third in a row and 16th overall.
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The Cup Season
[EUROPEAN RACES] An own goal in overtime gave Middlesbrough a 1-0 win at Sheffield United and moved it into the quarterfinals of the English FA Cup against Cardiff. Defending Bundesliga champion VfB Stuttgart was knocked out of the German Cup by Second Division Carl Zeiss Jena on penalty kicks. In Spain’s Copa del Rey, Barcelona and Valencia tied, 1-1. For all the results and schedules of the major European cup competitions …
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MLS Offseason Player Moves
The Columbus Crew acquired Argentine forward Nico Hernandez from the Colorado Rapids in exchange for Generation adidas defender Tim Ward and the Crew’s third-round selection in the 2009 MLS Supplemental Draft. For all the team-by-team offseason player moves …
Posted inSoccer America Daily, What They're Saying
What They’re Saying
“When you look at some of the bad tackles that have been punished far less it’s completely ludicrous. This is a professional game and we need professional people making professional decisions not these silly little men.”
— Middlesbrough chairman Steve Gibson on the English FA’s regulatory commission after it reacted to the club’s appeal to reduce Jeremie Aliadiere‘s three-game ban by adding another game because the appeal was “frivolous.” The four-game ban for what has been called a minor altercation with Liverpool’s Javier Mascherano means Aliadiere’s ban is one game more than what Birmingham’s Martin Taylor received for shattering the leg of Arsenal striker Eduardo. (PA)
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A-word costs player 12 grand
[OFF THE POST] VfB Stuttgart’s German national team striker Mario Gomez was fined $12,000 for comments he made in a postgame interview about Karlsruhe defender Maik Franz, who hounded him during Stuttgart’s 3-1 win last weekend.
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Young Argentine joins defending champ
[MLS] While several MLS rivals scramble to sign pricey foreign strikers, the defending champion Houston Dynamo – whose needs in that position may be more pressing – are sticking to a low-key approach. Franco Caraccio, 21, has experience with Argentina’s under-20 team but has played only three professional seasons for Arsenal de Sarandi.
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Eduardo leaves hospital
[ENGLAND WATCH] Arsenal forward Eduardo, who suffered multiple leg fractures from a brutal foul by Birmingham’s Martin Taylor last weekend, was released from the hospital and the club said he could make a full recovery in nine months.
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Berhalter in Munich Marathon
[AMERICANS ABROAD] New Jerseyan Gregg Berhalter was part of the 1860 Munich defense that battled Bayren Munich for 120 minutes but fell on a last-minute penalty kick in the German Cup quarterfinals.
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Adu, Feilhaber head U.S. Olympic qualifying roster
[ROSTER] Ten players who have played for the full national team, including Freddy Adu and Benny Feilhaber, are in the 24-man roster Coach Peter Nowak has named to enter the U-23 national team training camp to prepare for Olympic qualifying play.
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Soccer Job Openings
[EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES] Soccer America provides the latest on employment opportunities for soccer-related positions. Besides college coaching opportunities, this week’s listings include an opening for U.S. Soccer Foundation president and three management positions at the United Soccer Leagues.
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U.S. Soccer Development Academy Results
The Chicago Fire’s youth teams and powerhouse Chicago Magic both went 3-0-1 against the Concorde Fire and AFC Lightning on their trip to Atlanta last weekend. For all the U.S. Soccer Development Academy results and goal scorers …
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Real Salt Lake gets tough(er)
[MLS] Make no mistake, no matter how much better RSL 2008 is compared to the 2007 version, it will be tougher. And more experienced. Defender Nat Borchers, midfielder Dema Kovalenko and Colombian defender Jamilson Olave are just a few examples of the players added by Coach Jason Kreis and general manager Garth Lagerwey to upgrade guile as well as tenacity.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, What They're Saying
What They’re Saying
“There are players … who aim only to stop opponents with unfair means. I see too much hacking, tripping and pushing in the Bundesliga. There should be a blacklist of players who intentionally don’t go for the ball but for the calf of their opponent. Such attacks are more damaging to the game than the outbursts of rage from those who have been fouled.”
— German national team coach Joachim Loew. (Focus)
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USA to face Mexico and Jamaica in Olympic women’s qualifying
[DATEBOOK] The USA was drawn into Group A along with Jamaica and Mexico for 2008 CONCACAF Women’s Olympic Qualifying Tournament that will take place April 2-12 at the Estadio Olimpico Benito Juarez in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico.
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MLS Offseason Player Moves
In deals already finalized, MLS clubs have signed 16 foreigners: four from Argentina and Colombia and one each from Brazil, Honduras, Mexico, Nigeria, Peru, Poland, Scotland and Switzerland. For all the team-by-team offseason player moves …
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Iraq drops Olsen after one qualifier
[IRAQ] Norwegian Egil Olsen lasted all of one World Cup qualifier as coach of Iraq’s national team, the reigning Asian champion.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, What They're Saying
What They’re Saying
“Taylor’s brutal start [to the game] destroyed the ambition of a small but great soccer nation to hope for a European title.”
— From an editorial in the Croatian daily Jutarnji List on the Martin Taylor foul that broke the leg of Brazilian-born Croatian national team striker Eduardo in last weekend’s Arsenal-Birmingham game. Arsenal striker Eduardo, who turned 25 on Monday, moved to Croatia as a 16-year-old and was instrumental in its successful qualifying campaign, during which it knocked out England, for the 2008 European Championship. (Reuters)
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‘Lion-hearted cobra’ Jaqua starts scoring streak in Austria
[AMERICANS ABROAD]. Oregon product Nate Jaqua, who joined Altach last month from the Houston Dynamo, has scored in each of his first two games for the Austrian First Division struggler. Jaqua’s second goal was an 88th minute gamewinner.
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Real gaffe against Getafe [VIDEO]
[OFF THE POST] Real Madrid’s grasp on the Spanish La Liga lead loosened with Sunday’s 1-0 loss to Getafe, which scored while Real Madrid players celebrated what they thought was a goal of their own. “They have scored a goal against us like in a match for 4-year-olds,” Real midfielder Guti said. “We can’t afford to lose games in this way.”
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Heavy-hitters join AEG in Houston
[MLS] The league is adding two heavy-hitters to its lineup of operator-investors and in one case, the pun is intended. Houston Dynamo president and general manager Oliver Luck is meeting the media Tuesday to officially announce a partnership by which two companies will purchase 50 percent of the team. Boxer Oscar De La Hoya and his company, Golden Boy Productions, and one of its shareholders, Brener International Group, LLC, are joining MLS.
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Horror foul sparks debate in England
[ENGLAND WATCH] Arsenal coach Arsene Wenger‘s initial reaction to the foul by Birmingham’s Martin Taylor that inflicted multiple fractures on Arsenal forward Eduardo‘s leg was that Taylor should be banned for life. While others came to Taylor’s defense — claiming the cleats-up lunge was unintentional and that he did not have a record of thuggish play — the incident has forced a reexamination of the English league’s attitude toward reckless tackling.