Category: Soccer America Daily

WEDNESDAY: UEFA Champions League Quarterfinal, 2nd Leg BAYERN MUNICH-AC MILAN (ESPN2 2:30 pm ET, live) Bayern Munich aims to return to the semifinals for the first time since lifting its fourth European Cup in 2001. Having managed a 2-2 tie, on two goals by defender Daniel van Buyten, in the first leg in Milan, a […]

Manchester United coach Alex Ferguson called his team’s 7-1 thumping of Roma its greatest performance among the more than 200 European games in which he’s coached the team in his two decades at the helm. The home rout gave Manchester United an 8-3 aggregate win in the quarterfinal series. “It was an unexpected scoreline,” Ferguson […]

Fulham coach Chris Coleman, who brought a trio of Americans to the English Premier League club, has been fired and replaced by Northern Ireland’s Lawrie Sanchez. Coleman, at the helm since 2003, signed forward Brian McBride and defender Carlos Bocanegra in 2004, and Clint Dempsey early this year. But Fulham has dropped to 15th place […]

"I had to kiss myself." — Real Salt Lake striker Jeff Cunningham, who, after scoring against FC Dallas last weekend, ran over to a giant banner of his face and planted a kiss. (Salt Lake Tribune)

LAFC (boys) and San Juan (girls) were victorious in U.S. Club Soccer’s Champions Cup competition at Disney’s Wide World of Sports Complex in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. Eight boys clubs and eight girls clubs sent teams in the U-13, U-15 and U-17/U18 divisions and earned points toward their placement at the 2007 Champions Cup. Competing […]

TUESDAY: UEFA Champions League Quarterfinal, 2nd leg VALENCIA-CHELSEA (TV: ESPN Deportes & Setanta Sports USA, live, 2:30 pm; delay ESPN Classic, 5 pm.) Valencia managed a 1-1 tie at Chelsea in the first leg and despite being in the Spanish La Liga title race rested six starters in its league game on Saturday at Athletic […]

TUESDAY: UEFA Champions League Quarterfinal, 2nd Leg MANCHESTER UNITED-ROMA (TV: ESPN2, live, 2:30 pm; delay ESPN Deportes, 4:45.) Manchester United fell 2-1 at Roma in the first leg and will be without suspended Paul Scholes, who was ejected in the first half in Rome. Although Manchester United picked up a valuable away goal Roma won […]

U.S. women’s coach Greg Ryan has named the 18-player roster for its April 14 friendly against Mexico April 14 at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Mass., as the USA begins the stretch run to the 2007 FIFA Women’s World Cup. The match will be the opening game of a doubleheader with the New England Revolution vs. […]

Thiago Dos Santos scored the gamewinner as Brazil’s Sao Paulo won the Dallas Cup Super Group with a 1-0 win over Chelsea – marking the eighth time a Brazilian club has won the tournament’s elite division. American clubs won four of the seven divisions. DR PEPPER DALLAS CUP XXVIII FINALS SUPER GROUP Sao Paulo (Brazil) […]

The Associated Press reports that a federal appeals court has ruled a jury should hear the sexual harassment lawsuit filed by a former North Carolina player Melissa Jennings against her coach, Anson Dorrance. Jennings accused Dorrance of sexually harassing team members by asking about their sexual activity. The decision, described as “rare” by AP, from […]

The Colorado Rapids acquired Uruguayan midfielder Jose Cancela from Toronto FC in exchange for a Youth Development roster spot secured until 2009. Cancela, 30, joined Toronto in the offseason from New England, where he notched seven goals and 31 assists in 94 regular-season and playoff games since joining the Revs in the middle of the […]

On Monday, defender Carlos Bocanegra headed home his second goal in four days, but again it was the consolation goal in a Fulham loss. Fulham’s 3-1 loss on Monday to Manchester City extended the Cottagers’ winless streak to six games as they slip toward the relegation zone. Arsenal and Liverpool are among Fulham’s opponents it […]

"It is only results that are important now and it doesn’t matter how we get them. I will take being booed for being boring or whatever, but we know we have good players. Now they have all got to become scrappers as well. We’ve got to believe we can stay in the Premiership this season.” […]

Soccer America erred in reporting that Chivas USA’s attendance decreased in 2006 from its inaugural season in 2005. In fact, Chivas USA’s home attendance average increased to 19,840 in 2006 from 17,080 in 2005. Chivas USA’s 2006 attendance average was the second highest in the league behind the Los Angeles Galaxy’s 20,814.

By Ridge Mahoney Colorado won a season opener for the first time in its history, Chicago coach Dave Sarachan got his first victory on opening day, Dallas tied its first season opener on the road, and two matches ended goalless as the 12th MLS campaign kicked off. RAPIDS 2, D.C. UNITED 1. Colorado christened Dick’s […]

"When the goalkeeper thinks he can get it, he has to go get it." — Real Salt Lake coach John Ellinger on his goalkeeper Nick Rimando, whose unsuccessful attempt to punch away a high ball led to Carlos Ruiz‘s stoppage time goal in a 2-2 tie. (Salt Lake Tribune)

It was a weekend of mostly losses for the English Premier League Americans, but defender Jonathan Spector was a 46th minute sub for West Ham during its 1-0 upset of Arsenal on a 45th minute goal by Bobby Zamora. Blackburn keeper Brad Friedel saved a penalty kick, but Rovers lost, 2-1, to Aston Villa. Watford […]

Julie Foudy replaced Eric Wynalda as color commentator in ABC’s booth for its season-opening MLS broadcast on Saturday, Colorado’s 2-1 win over D.C. United. Wynalda was serving a suspension for using obscene language about ESPN’s Jim Rome on the blog Fulham USA, according to USA Today. Wynalda, in a long interview that was posted on […]

An own goal by Rio Ferdinand proved the decider as English Premier League leader Manchester United’s seven-game win streak ended with a 2-1 loss at Portsmouth. Second-place Chelsea took advantage, beating Tottenham Hotspur, 1-0, on a long-range goal from Ricardo Carvalho to move within three points of Manchester United. It was Chelsea’s eight straight win […]

Colorado 2 D.C. United 1. Goals: Gomez (Cooke) 19, Brown (Cooke, Beckerman) 35; Emilio (Casal, Olsen) 80. Att.: 18,086. Real Salt Lake 2 FC Dallas 2. Goals: Cunningham (Klein) 29, Cunningham 51; Cooper (Ruiz) 19, Ruiz (Goodson) 94+. Att.: 18,678. Columbus 0 New York 0. Att.: 13,782. Chicago 1 New England 0. Goal: Pause (Mapp, […]

The Kansas City Wizards, which had a bye during the first weekend of 2007 MLS play, travel to D.C. United on Saturday for their season opener. By Ridge Mahoney The Wizards could be recruited as poster children for the ups and downs of MLS parity. Three years ago, they were at Home Depot Center for […]

US Youth Soccer’s girls ODP program will send combination U-14/U-15 regional teams to their first international tournament April 9-18 in San Jose, Cost Rica. The four regional team will compete against U-20 national teams from Costa Rica, Panama, Chile and Mexico. They are preparing for CONCACAF qualifying for the 2008 FIFA Under-20 World Cup in […]

Colorado real estate developer Stan Kroenke, whose sports company owns MLS’s Rapids among other Denver area sports teams, bought a 9.99 percent stake in English Premier League club Arsenal from the British television network ITV. Kroenke, who also owns the NBA’s Denver Nuggets and the NHL’s Colorado Avalanche and is co-owner of the NFL’s St. […]

After disappointing showings in the UEFA Champions League, Manchester United and Chelsea return to action in the English Premier League, where they have both won their last seven games but face potentially tricky matches. United, which takes a six-point lead into play on Saturday, travel to Portsmouth (TV: Fox Soccer Channel, live, noon ET), while […]

By Ridge Mahoney Senior Editor The underachievers of 2006 will be the glamor boys of 2007 when David Beckham arrives, but how much the Galaxy improves this season will depend on the grunts, not the glitterati. Goalkeeper Joe Cannon, defender Shavar Thomas and attacker Nate Jaqua were acquired by Coach Frank Yallop during the offseason […]