Last weekend’s six MLS games averaged nearly 26,000 fans, upping the leaguewide attendance average to 15,836. The highest regular-season attendance since the inaugural season’s 17,406 was 15,822 in 2002. Last weekend’s biggest crowd was the 66,237 at the Beckham game at New York Red Bull, but games at Toronto, Columbus, Salt Lake and Houston had announced attendance of more than 18,000. … Luciano Emilio‘s goal against Columbus upped his league-leading total to 14. … New York’s five goals against L.A. upped its goal-per-game production to a league-leading 1.70.
Category: Soccer America Daily
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Central issues for West-leading Dynamo
Houston keeper Pat Onstad earned his eighth shutout and the Dynamo regained first place in the Western Conference by beating in-state rival FC Dallas, 1-0, Sunday, yet a few times the Dynamo escaped despite soft defending in the middle.
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Stoking the Fire
Chicago coach Juan Carlos Osorio has brought a new player who should shore up one of the team’s weak spots. Colombian international defender Wilman Conde, 24, comes to MLS from Colombia’s Millonarios, which Osorio coached for 18 months prior to joining the Fire in late June. Conde takes a senior international slot on the team’s roster and in exchange, a youth international slot has opened up with the release of Brazilian Willian Oliveira.
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Wings of an Angel
Here’s Kansas City coach Curt Onalfo‘s take on New York’s Juan Pablo Angel: “He’s been an unbelievably great addition to the league.” Angel earned the Red Bulls three points in their incredible 5-4 win over the Galaxy Saturday with hustle, desire and skill.
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New York’s goal rush
[VIDEO] The New York Red Bulls’ 5-4 win over Los Angeles on Saturday marked the 10th MLS game in league history in which nine or more goals were scored. The Red Bulls (nee MetroStars) were involved in five of those games – four victories and one tie. For highlights of New York’s 5-4 win over Beckham and the Galaxy, click HERE.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, What They're Saying
What They’re Saying
“When they insult you, you put up with it, but when they spit at a linesman, they’ve gone over the limits and that cannot be tolerated.”
— Referee Olivier Viera, who abandoned the Uruguayan league game between Progreso and Miramar Misiones in the 83rd minute after Progreso’s visiting fans spat on the linesman. In the first half, Viera stopped the game for five minutes after Progreso fans spat at a Miramar player. (Reuters)
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USA stunned at U-17 World Cup
[VIDEO] The USA got off to a bad start at the U-17 World Cup when it fell, 4-3, to Tajikistan, the former Soviet republic making its world championship debut. The loss came despite U.S. leads of 1-0 and 3-2. “For us, we feel like we let the game slip away,” said U.S. coach John Hackworth
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Mexico calls up 20-year-old U.S.-born Castillo
Edgar Castillo, who was born and raised in Las Cruces, N.M., has been named to Mexico’s roster by Coach Hugo Sanchez for its friendly against Colombia in Commerce City, Colo., on Wednesday. Castillo, who has dual citizenship, has not been called into U.S. national team or Olympic (U-23) camps despite starting at left back for Santos Laguna of the Mexican First Division since January.
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EPL leader’s international squad
[MAKING A LIST] Manchester City, the English Premier leader and the only team with a perfect 3-0-0 record, includes players of 17 nationalities in its revamped squad.
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Man City rolls on, downs Man U
[ENGLAND SCOREBOARD] Former English coach Sven-Goran Eriksson celebrated his straight third shutout as new coach of Manchester City in a 1-0 derby win over Manchester United. Last week, Eriksson lauded his Brazilian midfielder — “I never had a player like Elano with England.” On Sunday, Elano fed fellow Brazilian Geovanni, who scored the winner on a long-distance deflected shot for the win that means defending champion Manchester united has only two points from its first three games.
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Eddie Lewis signs with EPL’s Derby
U.S. winger Eddie Lewis has left third-tier Leeds United for Derby County of the English Premier League, where he’ll join 22-year-old American midfielder Benny Feilhaber, who arrived in the offseason from Hamburg SV. Lewis has been playing in England since 2000, but made only one Premier League appearance, in 2002 with Fulham. The 33-year-old made 111 appearances for Preston Northend (2002-05) and 85 for Leeds (2005-07) in the League Championship (second tier).
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Brian McBride injured bad after scoring
[AMERICANS IN ENGLAND] Brian McBride, who entered the season as Fulham’s captain, scored for the Cottagers in the 2-1 loss to Middlesbrough and then collapsed to the ground with dislocated knee cap. “It was a freak injury to Brian, with minimal contact really,” said Fulham coach Lawrie Sanchez. The injury will sideline McBride for several months, according to the BBC. For more on Americans in England …
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USA qualifies for 2007 FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup
The U.S. Beach Soccer team won all three of its games in the 2007 CONCACAF Beach Soccer Tournament in Acapulco to qualify for the FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup 2007 in Rio de Janeiro Nov. 1-11. The USA beat El Salvador (9-5), Costa Rica (5-3) and Mexico (5-4). Jevin Albuquerque (5 goals), Brendon Taguinod (4) and Yuri Morales (3) led the USA in scoring. Morales scored a hat trick in the clinching win over host Mexico.
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Gregg Berhalter strikes twice for 1860 Munich
[AMERICANS IN GERMANY] Defender Gregg Berhalter scored with a 55th minute header and an 87th minute penalty kick to lead 1860 Munich to a 3-1 win over Kaiserslautern. His American teammate, Josh Wolff, assisted on Berkant Goektan’s goal. Two Americans saw action in the German First Division.
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Beckham, Blanco and Angel deliver
[MLS WEEKEND REPORT] David Beckham, Cuauhtemoc Blanco and Juan Pablo Angel deliver on a great day for the Designated Players: The Red Bulls outlast the Galaxy in a nine-goalapalooza; Houston beats Dallas to regain top spot in the West; New England widens its Eastern lead by beating Kansas City again; Chicago wins in Utah to tighten up the playoff race; D.C. dumps the Crew; and Chivas USA extends Toronto’s drought.
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Brazil romps in U-17 World Cup opener; Argentina stifled
Brazil routed New Zealand, 7-0; Peru beat host South Korea, 1-0; and Spain downed Honduras in opening games of the 2007 U-17 World Cup. Costa Rica and Togo tied, 1-1, while Argentina and Syria played to a scoreless tie. Nigeria beat France , 2-1; and Japan celebrated a 3-1 win over Haiti.
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USL-2 final set; four clinch USL-1 playoff spots
Portland, Seattle, Rochester and Montreal clinched USL First Division playoff spots. Harrisburg and Richmond will meet in the USL Second Division final.
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Only Bayern and Hamburg SV perfect in Bundesliga
[GERMANY SCOREBOARD] After two weeks of action, only Bayern Munich and Hamburg SV boast perfect records in the Bundesliga. HSV won its second game of the young season 1-0 over Bayer Leverkusen on Rafael van der Vaart penalty kick. Bayern, which opened the season with a 3-0 win over Hansa Rostock, followed up with a 4-0 thumping of Werder Bremen.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, What They're Saying
What They’re Saying
“It’s our job when people show up to give them a reason to come back. Hopefully we converted a few people tonight.”
— New York Red Bulls coach Bruce Arena, whose team beat the Los Angeles Galaxy and David Beckham, 5-4, in front of 66,237 fans at Giants Stadium. The Red Bulls had averaged 11,573 fans for their previous 10 home games of the season. (Newsday)
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Under-17 World Cup Preview
[VIDEO] The U.S. U-17 boys national team looks to advance to the knockout phase of the Under-17 World Cup for the third straight time when it competes at the 2007 Under-17 World Cup that begins Saturday in South Korea. The USA, which opens play against Tajikistan in Changwon on Monday (TV: ESPNU, live, 6:45 am ET), is the only country to have qualified for every U-17 world championship since FIFA’s youngest boys championship was launched as a U-16 championship in 1985.
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USL-2 All-League Teams announced
Former MLS players Nelson Akwari, Mark Schulte and Mike Burke are among those players selected to the USL Second Division’s all-league first team. Former No. 1 SuperDraft pick Steve Shak was named to the second team.
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UEFA Cup Qualifying Results
Americans Brad Friedel, Danny Califf, Charlie Davies and Brian West were in action in UEFA Cup qualifying play on Thursday. For complete results …
Posted inSoccer America Daily, What They're Saying
What They’re Saying
“I know it seems almost silly to keep talking about him because he’s only one player but he makes a big difference in there and it’s not just the goal. It’s his leadership, his ability to get us out of pressure situations. If the ball comes to him and he can’t make the right pass or the right play, he puts the ball in a spot where it gets us out of pressure and puts them under pressure.”
— The Galaxy’s Landon Donovan on David Beckham, who scored and set up Donovan for a goal in Los Angeles’ SuperLiga win Wednesday over D.C. United. (Reuters)
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The Rapids rip Revs
Don’t write off the Rapids just yet. Jovan Kirovksi scored twice and Colin Clark sliced up New England in a 3-0 romp that pushed Colorado to within two points of a playoff spot. Kirovksi smashed home a rebound in the 10th minute and later in the first half tucked away a penalty resulting from a Jay Heaps foul on Clark, who in the second half hit a long ball that Omar Cummings blasted into the net for his first MLS goal.
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Beckham aims for Red Bulls
[MLS WEEKEND PREVIEW] The top two teams in the Western Conference square off; two matches pair up tightly bunched Eastern Conference foes; Beckham does Jersey, RSL may unveil a more South American look for a visit by the Fire and Cuauhtemoc Blanco, and Toronto hosts the second meeting of the USA’s border neighbors.