Category: Soccer America Daily

Tottenham, Fiorentina and Hamburg all won on the road in the first leg of the their UEFA Cup round-of-32 series on Thursday. Bundesliga leader Bayern Munich had to settle for a 2-2 tie at Scotland’s Aberdeen. For all the results and goal scorers …

There are fears that Ronaldo, the three-time World Player of the Year and all-time World Cup leading scorer, may have played his last game. He was carried off in tears with a ruptured ligament in his left kneecap during AC Milan’s 1-1 tie against Livorno on Wednesday. Sports daily Gazzetta dello Sport reported that the 31-year-old Ronaldo may be out of action 9-12 months and the injury end his career.

[MAKING A LIST] Real Madrid was the world’s largest revenue-generating club for the third successive season with income of $472 million in 2006-07, but three English Premier League moved up in the top five of the annual Deloitte Football Money League. Manchester United, Chelsea and Arsenal were 2-4-5 with Barcelona at No. 3. The EPL clubs should close the gap with Real Madrid this season thanks to the new EPL television deal. For the top 20 clubs in terms of 2006-07 income (excluding transfer fees) …

[MLS TEAM PREVIEWS] Less than a week before it departs for the Pan-Pacific Championship in Hawaii, the Galaxy has nearly as many questions as players. And it has a lot of players.

[MLS] According to various media reports, MLS’s D.C. United could get the new Washington, D.C., stadium it has been looking for if a plan by Mayor Adrian M. Fenty moves forward. Fenty met with the D.C. Council on Wednesday and reportedly proposed to build a $200 million soccer stadium in the Poplar Point area of D.C. and use public funds to pay for the bonds that would finance the project.

[MLS] A goal by one of many former Quakes, Ricardo Clark, downed the 2008 version, 1-0, as the revived San Jose franchise began its renaissance Wednesday night against two-time defending champion Houston.

[AMERICANS ABROAD] U.S. national team keeper Tim Howard looks to move into the final 16 of the UEFA Cup after Everton beat Norwegian club SK Brann, Ramiro Corrales‘ former club, 2-0, on Wednesday in Norway in the first leg of their round-of-32 series.

Zach Foxhoven scored four goals to lead the Colorado Rush past Washington Premier, 5-2, in U.S. Soccer Development Academy U-15/16 action. The Rush swept all four games in U-17/18 and U-15/16 play on its Pacific Northwest trip. For all the results and goal scorers …

[EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES] Soccer America provides the latest on employment opportunities for soccer-related positions: college coaching opportunities, positions in the pros, youth soccer, the soccer industry, even television.

Ante Razov needed only four minutes to score his first goal of the 2008 preseason and it stood up for Chivas USA in a 1-0 win over the New York Red Bulls on Tuesday. Among the players New York tested is 34-year-old Colombian Diego Serna, who played for five MLS clubs over five years (2001-05). For all the preseason results and schedules …

FC Dallas signed Brazilian Andre Rocha, who becomes the second player loaned to FCD from partner Atletico Paranaense of Brazil’s Serie A. The 23-year-old midfielder joins forward Ricardinho, who is entering his second season with FCD after being loaned by Atletico Paranaense in July 2007. Since joining Atletico Paranaense in 2005, Rocha has played in 47 games in all competitions, including nine appearances in the 2005 Copa Libertadores. For all the team-by-team offseason player moves …

[MLS TEAM PREVIEWS] Houston is still seeking replacements for Joseph Ngwenya and Nate Jaqua, who combined for 13 goals last season before jetting off to Austrian clubs. After two games against the new San Jose Earthquakes this week, Houston heads to Hawaii for the Pan-Pacific Challenge, with a first-round match against Australian club Sydney FC, so time is short to find reinforcements.

[WORLD CUP 2018] Barring unforeseen problems with the organization of the 2010 and 2014 World Cups, slated to be held in South Africa and Brazil, respectively, the next chance for the United States to host the World Cup will come in 2018. U.S. Soccer president Sunil Gulati recently told a media roundtable that U.S. Soccer would make a decision by June about whether to enter the 2018 bid contest that is expected to include such countries as England and Australia. Even in the face of heavyweight competition, the U.S. potential is substantial. “We have 50 stadiums that could host World Cup games two days from now,” boasted Gulati.

[YOUTH] Dave Sarachan, former Chicago Fire head coach and U.S. World Cup assistant coach, has been named Scouting Manager of the U.S. Soccer Development Academy. The appointment, along with the hiring of Tony Lepore and Raul Diaz Arce, is part of U.S. Soccer’s aim to ensure that players on the 64 clubs competing in the Academy league are being closely evaluated for national team selection. Soccer America’s Mike Woitalla spoke with Sarachan …

[AMERICANS ABROAD] Benny Feilhaber, who turned 23 in January, has already made 15 U.S. national team appearances. He scored the 2007 Gold Cup winner and has been in Europe since 2005. But he’s now struggling for playing time at English Premier League last-place club Derby. Soccer America’s Mike Woitalla spoke with Feilhaber after his 27 minutes of action against Mexico last Wednesday.

University of Central Florida freshman Matt Luzunaris became the third U.S.-based player to sign with an Austrian pro club this winter when he signed with second division SC Schwanenstadt. Luzunaris had trained with first division Rapid Vienna before accepting an offer from Schwanenstadt. The Houston Dynamo’s Nate Jaqua and Joseph Ngwenya moved to Rheindorf Altach and Austria Kaernten, respectively. For all the winter overseas transfers involving Americans …

[MLS TEAM PREVIEWS] So many players stormed through the ranks of Toronto FC’s roster last season, more than a dozen played fewer than a dozen games. Those players who survived the 6-17-7 season and interminable stretches without scoring have emerged from the rubble to train under the gaze of ex-head coach and manager/director of soccer Mo Johnston, and his appointee, John Carver, of whom little is known and much will be discovered.

[DATEBOOK] The U.S. national team will play a pair of friendlies in Europe this spring, traveling to face Poland and Spain, which are preparing for the Euro ’08 finals.

[ENGLAND] Arsenal beat Blackburn Rovers on Monday to open a five-point lead over Manchester United with 12 games to play at the top of the Premier League after beating Blackburn Rovers, 2-0, at the Emirates Stadium.

[YOUTH] The U.S. under-20 women’s national team opened play at the Four Nations Tournament in La Serena, Chile, with a 1-0 victory over England on a goal from midfielder Teresa Noyola.