[EUROPEAN ROUNDUP] Sochaux twice fell behind Marseille on goals by France international Djibril Cisse but recovered to win the French Cup for the first time in 70 years, beating OM, 5-4, on penalties after their thrilling final at the Stade de France ended, 2-2, on Saturday. Anderlecht (Belgium) and Fenerbahce (Turkey) clinched league titiles, while Juventus is on the brink of returning to Italy’s Serie A.
Category: Soccer America Daily
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Despair in Steel City as Sheffield United is relegated
Four months after leaving Sheffield United, David Unsworth returned to haunt the Blades, scoring the winning goal that gave Wigan Athletic a 2-1 win at Bramall Lane Sunday and doomed Sheffield United to relegation when West Ham United upset champion Manchester United, 1-0, on the final day of the English Premier League season.
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Twellman tallies twice as Revs take top spot in the East
[MLS VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS] Early goals livened up MLS play as Toronto FC broke onto the scoresheet and into the win column with a 3-1 victory over Chicago. Landon Donovan (two assists) and Taylor Twellman (two goals) slugged it out at Home Depot Center, but TT’s supporting cast overran that of LD as the New England rallied twice to pull out a 3-2 win over Los Angeles. Colorado spoiled the debut of Juan Pablo Angel by beating the Red Bulls, 1-0, and dumping them from the unbeaten ranks. FC Dallas went to Kansas City, where it hadn’t won since 1998, and beat the Wizards, 2-1, with goals by Kenny Cooper and Juan Toja.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, What They're Saying
Article 21894
“It just shows that Ronnie on one leg is better than most players with two.”
— Toronto FC coach Mo Johnston on Irishman Ronnie O’Brien, who set up the first two Toronto goals in his first start for the MLS expansion team, which beat Chicago, 3-1, on Saturday. Toronto had previously lost all four games and didn’t score a goal. The 28-year-old O’Brien had missed the four games after suffering a partial tear to his right knee ligament.
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Victory loses USL home opener before sparse Kezar crowd
[USL RESULTS] The USL-1 expansion California Victory fell in its home opener, dropping a 3-1 decision to the Rochester Rhinos on Saturday before an announced crowd of 1,017 at Kezar Stadium. On Sunday, the Portland Timbers beat the Rhinos for the first time ever with a 2-0 victory goals by former MLS players Andrew Gregor and Leonard Griffin.
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Spector plays role in Hammers’ Old Trafford triumph
[U.S. ABROAD] Jonathan Spector came off the bench in the 26th minute for injured George McCartney and helped West Ham United upset his old club, Manchester United, 1-0, at Old Trafford on Sunday. The Hammers’ win cap a late-season comeback to remain in the English Premier League. Fulham’s three Americans — Carlos Bocanegra, Brian McBride and ,B>Clint Dempsey — all went the entire 90 minutes in a 3-1 loss to Middlesbrough that dropped Fulham to 16th place. Loan players Oguchi Onyewu and DaMarcus Beasley may have played their last games in the EPL.
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Blanco’s America and Chivas to meet in Mexican semifinals
All the favorites advanced in the quarterfinals of Mexico’s Torneo Clausura. Guadalajara and Club America, Mexico’s two most popular clubs, will meet in one semifinal, while regular-season leader Pachuca, which edged Santos on the tiebreaker (better regular-season record), meets Cruz Azul in the other semifinal.
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Baumann named Hall of Fame president and COO
Steve Baumann, a former standout player and coach at the University of Pennsylvania, has been named the new president and chief operating officer of the National Soccer Hall of Fame in Oneonta, NY.
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U.S. women shred Canadian defense in 6-2 victory
The U.S. women’s national team put on one of its most impressive displays of attacking firepower in recent years, crushing Canada, 6-2, on a steamy Saturday evening at Pizza Hut Park in Frisco, Texas. The Americans struck on six of their 12 shots, and the first four shots of the game were all goals — three for the USA and one for Canada in the first 28 minutes. The U.S. women got two goals from Abby Wambach and goals from Kristine Lilly, Lindsay Tarpley, Lori Chalupny and Heather O’Reilly.
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Stuttgart moves into Bundesliga driver’s seat
Schalke 04’s long wait for its first Bundesliga title may have to wait. VfB Stuttgart rallied to beat VfL Bochum, 3-2, on the road on Saturday to move two points ahead of Schalke, which relinquished the Bundesliga when it lost to archrival Borussia Dortmund, 2-0, in their Ruhr derby.
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U.S. women’s streak on line against Canada
[AUCTION] The U.S. women’s national team carries a 40-game unbeaten streak into Saturday’s international friendly against Canada at Pizza Hut Park in Frisco, Texas (TV: Fox Soccer Channel, live, 7 pm ET/6 pm CT).
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Pariani, starter on 1950 U.S. World Cup team, dies
[OBITUARY] Gino Pariani, the inside right for the 1950 U.S. World Cup team that produced one of the greatest upsets in World Cup history, died on Wednesday at the age of 79 after a two-year battle with bone cancer.
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Ze Roberto comes to Santos’ rescue in Libertadores Cup
Former Brazil national team midfielder Ze Roberto scored twice to lead Santos from 2-0 down to beat Caracas FC, 3-2, on Thursday and reach the Libertadores Cup quarterfinals, 5-4, on aggregate. Gremio beat Sao Paulo, 2-0, on goals by Tcheco and Diego Souza on Wednesday to win the all-Brazilian series, 2-1, on aggregate, while the Parana and Flamengo, other two Brazilian teams to reach the knockout phase, both are out.
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Road weary Club America plays to 3-3 tie at Atlas in Mexican playoffs
Two days after facing Colo Colo of Chile in Santiago for the second leg of their Libertadores Cup quarterfinal series, Club America was back in action on the road — this time in Guadalajara against Atlas. The Eagles, who traveled 15 hours (including connections) to get from Santiago to Guadalajara, blew a lead three times against Atlas and settled for a 3-3 tie in the first leg of their quarterfinal series in Mexico’s Torneo Apertura.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, What They're Saying
Article 21873
"People forget that I am still 17 years old. People criticize me and say I’m not this, I’m not that. Gosh! Come on! I’m still learning. I’m on track – I’m definitely on pace with the goals I set for myself, and hopefully I keep progressing."
— Freddy Adu (USA Today)
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New faces highlight MLS Week 6 action
[TV PREVIEW] The goal watch in Toronto continues as the Fire goes north of the border. Expected to make their MLS debuts are Pablo Richetti for FC Dallas in Kansas City and Juan Pablo Angel for the New York Red Bulls hosts Colorado. Alejandro Moreno reunites with Sigi Schmid. What’s up with Carlos Ruiz? Soccer America’s Ridge Mahoney previews all of the weekend’s MLS action.
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As much as $100 million on line in EPL finale
[TV PREVIEW] As much as $100 million could be on the line when Sheffield United hosts Wigan Athletic at Bramall Lane on Sunday on the final day of the English Premier League season. England’s three UEFA Cup spots will also be decided.
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Schalke dreams of title conquest at Ruhr rival
[TV PREVIEW] Saturday’s Ruhr derby between Schalke 04 and Borussia Dortmund in Dortmund will take on added significance as Schalke 04 has a chance of wrapping up its first Bundesliga title. Schalke is a point ahead of VfB Stuttgart and two clear of third-place Werder Bremen with two games left to play. A Stuttgart loss at Bochum and a Werder Bremen loss or tie against Eintracht Frankfurt would give Schalke the title if it beats Dortmund.
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Barcelona embarrassed in 4-0 Copa del Rey loss to Getafe
Barcelona’s season of misfortune continued as its blew a three-goal cushion against Getafe in the semifinals of the Copa del Rey and was knocked out of the Spanish cup competition after falling, 4-0, in Madrid on Thursday night. Barcelona must regroup for the stretch drive in La Liga race, where it leads with five games remaining, two points ahead of Real Madrid and four in front of Sevilla. If Real Madrid beats Espanyol on Saturday, Barcelona will need to beat Real Betis in Seville on Sunday to keep sole possession of first place.
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Still winless Salt Lake shares spoils with Rapids
Well, Freddy Adu used his touches well, but Nicolas Hernandez and Jeff Cunningham usually didn’t, and Atiba Harris treated the ball as he would a bucket of snakes: avoid it if at all possible.
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Gladbach turns down Keller’s offer to stay
Goalkeeper Kasey Keller is one of at least seven players leaving Borussia Moenchgladbach, which has been relegated to the German Second Division. Gladbach general manager Christian Ziege said he was surprised that Keller, 37, offered to stay with the relegated team, but said giving the 25-year-old Christofer Heimeroth the No. 1 keeper spot next season is part of the club’s rebuilding process.
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Bradley makes cameo in Heerenveen win over Ajax
Midfielder Michael Bradley was an 82nd minute sub for Heerenveen in its 1-0 win over Ajax Amsterdam in the semifinal first-leg of the Dutch playoffs for a spot in next years European Champions League.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, What They're Saying
Article 21865
“Two finals in three years – not bad for a little club.”
— Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard, whose team eliminated Chelsea in the European Champions League semifinals, chides Chelsea coach Jose Mourinho, who once referred to Liverpool as a “little club.” In the May 23 final, Liverpool faces AC Milan, which Liverpool beat for the 2005 crown. (BBC)
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Freddy Adu hit in head by golf ball
“I was scared — scared for him,” Real Salt Lake forward Jamie Watson told KSL TV after he witnessed teammate Freddy Adu get pegged in the head by a 300-yard drive on hole 9 at Sandy’s Old Mill golf course. “I didn’t want to be the guy who was with Freddy when he died. That’s what I was worried about mostly. I was like ‘Freddy please be all right.'” In fact, Adu continued golfing and shot 39 on the back nine.
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GOLAZO: Incredible ‘rabona’ strike by Andres Vasquez
[VIDEO ] Peruvian-born Andres Vasquez, 19, scored an unbelievable goal for Swedish club IFK Gothenburg in a 4-0 win over Oerebro on May 7. The long-range goal came with what in Spanish is called a rabona, whereby the player moves one foot behind the other to shoot. Vasquez, who moved to Sweden as a young child, has played for Sweden’s U-21 team in unofficial games but the goal has given him major publicity in his home country, prompting Peruvian coach Julio Cesar Uribe to promise him a national team call-up. “I’ve seen videos of Maradona shooting like that many times and I wanted to copy him,” said Vasquez of the goal.