Category: Soccer America Daily
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Cuba is the underdog in Group C

by Paul Kennedy

[GOLD CUP PREVIEW] Cuba returns to the Gold Cup for the fourth straight time — a record for a Caribbean team — having finished third at the 2007 Caribbean championship. Coach Raul Gonzalez’s goal is to reach the quarterfinals, though Cuba finds itself the underdog in arguably the toughest group with four-time Gold Cup champion Mexico, 2005 runner-up Panama and Honduras.

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Shaky U.S. win not much to build on

by Ridge Mahoney

Only in light of the fact the U.S. can play erratically against a regional minnow and still win can any satisfaction be derived from its 1-0 victory over Guatemala in the Group B opener of the Gold Cup at Home Depot Center Thursday night. Guatemala had scraped out a 0-0 tie when the teams met in late March and threatened a few times to do the same after falling behind to a Clint Dempsey goal in the 26th minute set up by his former New England teammate Taylor Twellman. The USA can take some credit for preserving the victory against a spunky opponent and enduring the final 17 minutes a man short, but too often it frantically scrapped and flailed, rather than using its superior class to govern the tempo.

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Depleted Dynamo still strong enough to zap Rapids

by Ridge Mahoney

Every team needs a Stuart Holden, a local lad with talent and spirit and a willingness to work his way off the reserve squad, onto the regular 18, and occasionally onto the field. Holden, who had played just 78 minutes this season prior to Houston’s game with Colorado Thursday, scored the winning goal just seconds after replacing Chris Wondolowski as Houston downed Colorado, 2-1, for its second straight victory despite missing five players because of national-team duty or injury.

Posted inSoccer America Daily, What They're Saying

WHAT THEY’RE SAYING

by Soccer America

“We adhere to FIFA’s rules and regulations regarding the release of players. If David continues to be called up we’ll drive him to the airport.”
— Los Angeles Galaxy president Alexi Lalas on future call-ups of David Beckham to the England national team, which might conflict with the Galaxy’s MLS and friendly games. Lalas added that MLS fans understand that “the bigger picture is important. (BBC Radio Five Live)

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Mexico’s Sanchez eyes Gold Cup title — and revenge

by Paul Kennedy

[GOLD CUP PREVIEW] A Gold Cup title in his first big test as Mexico’s national team coach would be a feather in the cap of Coach Hugo Sanchez. If that means beating the USA in the final in Chicago, all the better. Revenge for the 2-0 loss to the USA in his Tri coaching debut is certainly on Sanchez’s mind. Like U.S. coach Bob Bradley, Sanchez will have to have to take into account that his Tri will have to play in the Copa America right after the Gold Cup, but he has selected a full-strength squad for the CONCACAF competition in which it opens against Cuba on Friday at Giants Stadium.

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Rising star Perez leads Panama’s Canaleros

by Paul Kennedy

[GOLD CUP PREVIEW] Panama headed to the Gold Cup with one of the rising stars of CONCACAF soccer. Blas Perez scored two spectacular goals to lead Colombian champion Cucuta to a 3-1 win over Boca Juniors last week in the first leg of the Libertadores Cup semifinals, but he wasn’t with Cucuta for the second leg Thursday night in Buenos Aires. Perez, who will play next season for Spanish club Hercules, and Jose Luis Garces of Portuguese club Belenenses should give the Canaleros one of the most dangerous frontlines in the tournament.

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Absences cast doubt on Honduras’ chances

by Paul Kennedy

[GOLD CUP PREVIEW] On paper, Honduras has more talent than any team in the Gold Cup except Mexico and the United States, but absences and injuries have taken their toll. Among others, star David Suazo, rumored to be headed to Inter Milan from Cagliari, is injured and unavailable for the Gold Cup. Julio Cesar “Rambo” Leon, another Italian-based player, will miss the Bicolor’s first two games against Panama and Mexico because of Genoa’s Serie B promotion playoff against Napoli on Sunday.

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Beckham is happy to be with the lads

by Paul Kennedy

David Beckham set up two goals in his first competitive game for England since the 2006 World Cup and his 96th international appearance. Beckham’s promising comeback set the stage for more England appearances late in the summer and into the fall — just as the Galaxy moves into the stretch drive of the MLS regular season. With England still fourth in Group E, Coach Steve McClaren will be counting upon Beckham to play for England in its five remaining qualifiers.

Posted inSoccer America Daily, What They're Saying

What They’re Saying

by Soccer America

“I will take out the song … ‘We will rock you’. Why play that song? So the players kill each other? Whoever wants [to hear] devil’s music should not come to my stadium.”

— Gigi Becali, owner of Romanian club Steaua Bucharest, announces that only religious songs will be played through the loudspeakers at Steaua’s stadium, a ploy he says will combat on-field violence and hooliganism. Becali also announced he’ll fine players $3,000 to $20,000 if they make sad faces after being substituted. (Reuters)


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OFF THE POST: Owl checks out crossbars in Finland

by Mike Woitalla

[VIDEO] Finland’s European Championship qualifying game against Belgium in Helsinki was delayed for six minutes because of a field invasion – by an owl. Referee Mike Riley stopped play in 19th minute as fans cheered on the owl that soared past ducking players, perched for a while on one crossbar, then traversed the field to check the view from the opposite goal’s crossbar. The owl eventually wrapped its talons around a railing behind one of the goals and watched the Finns win, 2-0.

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Depleted Houston faces Rapids in MLS Thursday clash

by Ridge Mahoney

[TV PREVIEW] Without Dwayne DeRosario and Pat Onstad representing Canada at the Gold Cup, defending champion Houston continues its quest to shed its losing record when it hosts Colorado, which has the services of U.S. international Pablo Mastroeni, who’s serving an international suspension for the red card he received at the 2006 World Cup. Ridge Mahoney previews MLS’s Thursday Night Game …

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Trinidad & Tobago falls into chaos

by Paul Kennedy

[GOLD CUP PREVIEW] Call Trinidad & Tobago “Team Chaos.” If the Soca Warriors didn’t have enough troubles because of a dispute between members of their 2006 World Cup team and the T&T federation over World Cup bonuses, they ran into more trouble when they tried to fly to the United States from Honduras on Monday after their 3-1 loss to the Catrachos on Saturday. Eight players were delayed in Honduras on Monday due to visa problems, while another player, Andre Toussaint, was detained at George Bush Airport in Houston for having a visa that only allowed him to enter the United States from Trinidad & Tobago. The Soca Warriors have been seriously depleted. Sixteen 2006 World Cup veterans were ruled out because of their threatened lawsuit, and five others are boycotting the national team in solidarity. That left only one World Cup veteran — midfielder Densil Theobold — in the team for the Gold Cup.

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El Salvador looks for small successes

by Paul Kennedy

[GOLD CUP PREVIEW] Mexican Carlos de los Cobos is looking for small successes for El Salvador at the Gold Cup. The El Salvador coach hopes his team, which has struggled badly in recent years, earns some respect and develop a solid nucleus for World Cup qualifying, which starts next year. He also hopes some players use to the Gold Cup to get seen and sign with clubs abroad.

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USA strikers hot going into Gold Cup opener

by Ridge Mahoney

[GOLD CUP PREVIEW] The first competitive match of the Bob Bradley Era – the Gold Cup opener against Guatemala Thursday (9 p.m. ET, Fox Soccer Channel) – give him and his team a chance to redeem a goalless draw the teams played March 28. As Soccer America’s Ridge Mahoney reports, odds look good for the USA if Taylor Twellman and Eddie Johnson bring their MLS hot streaks to tonight’s game …

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Red Bulls’ rally shows they’re for real

by Ridge Mahoney

On the list of things to do for a team making its move in MLS: Coming from behind on the road to win against a conference foe? Check. The rabid fans at BMO Field can be intimidating, but they were stunned – as were their heroes – when Juan Pablo Angel scored twice in less than three minutes to overturn a 1-0 Toronto FC lead and take Red Bull New York (6-2-2) back atop the Eastern Conference with a 2-1 victory.

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Dynamo departures challenge defending champ

by Ridge Mahoney

Striker Brian Ching may be mired in a slump, yet his departure to join the U.S. team for the Gold Cup couldn’t be more poorly timed for Houston coach Dominic Kinnear. Dwayne DeRosario, who despite his struggles leads the Dynamo with three goals, is with the Canadian team, and Ching hasn’t scored since netting two – his only two goals this season – against Colorado a month ago.

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