Category: Soccer America Daily

A pair of Portuguese photographers alleged that they were punched and kicked by two members of the Belgian national team delegation as they tried to take photos of the Belgian players at the Lisbon airport, where the Belgian team arrived for Saturday’s European Championship qualifier. The trouble reportedly started when Portuguese journalists tried to approach […]

Norm Jackson helped found AYSO in the mid-1960s and was its Director of Coaching for more than a decade. He became the California Youth Soccer Association-South’s first Director of Coaching in 1976 and held the position through 1993. He continued to volunteer for Cal South afterward. Jackson, a member of the Cal South Hall of […]

Mexico’s Necaxa beat Sao Paulo, 2-1, on Wednesday in Libertadores Cup play to end the Brazilian champion’s 29-game undefeated streak, which included 13 games in last year’s Brazilian league play, 14 in this year’s Paulista championship and two in Libertadores Cup play. Sao Paulo goalkeeper Rogerio Ceni missed a penalty kick in the loss at […]

Mexico’s March 28 friendly in Oakland, Calif., at McAfee Coliseum has already sold out. All 47,416 tickets, priced from $25 to $200, were sold by March 14. "We probably could have sold another 50,000 tickets," David Alioto, executive vice president for Earthquakes Soccer, which is hosting the game, told the Sacramento Bee. "We had to […]

Ecuador’s roster for its friendly against the USA on Sunday (noon ET on ESPN2 & Galavision) includes 11 players from its 2006 World Cup team, which reached the second round with wins over Poland and Costa Rica and lost, 1-0, to England in the round of 16. The USA squad also includes 11 players from […]

"My goal is to help this team qualify for the World Cup and play in the World Cup. That’s four years down the line. What happens in between — I hope that I’m the guy doing the business, but we’ll see." — Goalkeeper Kasey Keller, 37, who’s in the U.S. camp for Sunday’s friendly against […]

Qualifying for the 2008 European Championship in Austria and Switzerland continues with games Saturday and next Wednesday, the first of five double dates in 2007. Here’s a look at Groups 4 and 5: GROUP 4. Germany travels to Prague for its showdown with the Czech Republic for first place without a full squad. Striker Miroslav […]

By Ridge Mahoney What is the end product of adding a three-time MLS All-Star to a midfield the coach had already had rated as one of the best in the league? Richard Mulrooney, Coach Mo Johnston, and the fans of Toronto FC are about to find out. As it prepared for three games at the […]

“It had to be you, of all people,” Watford goalkeeper Ben Foster told Tottenham Hotspur goalkeeper Paul Robinson, who scored on Foster with a 95-yard free kick in last Saturday’s 3-1 Spurs victory. Foster is challenging Robinson for the starting keeper position on the English national team. “I think I might have to mention it […]

Univision’s prime-time coverage of Mexico’s SuperClásico between Club America of Mexico City and Guadalajara Sunday in Mexico City drew 4.3 million viewers ages 2 and over, making it the largest audience for a club soccer game on American television in the past 13 years. The viewership of the America-Chivas game surpassed the U.S. viewership of […]

Brazilian great Romario goes for his 1,000th career goal when Vasco da Gama plays at Gama in the capital Brasilia on Wednesday in a Copa Brasil game. According to Vasco da Gama, Romario enters the game with 998 goals, though many came early in his career at the youth level or others more recently in […]

Qualifying for the 2008 European Championship in Austria and Switzerland continues with games Saturday and next Wednesday, the first of five double dates in 2007. Here’s a look at Groups 1-3. GROUP 1. Portugal, currently tied for fourth place in Group 1, faces two critical Euro 2008 qualifiers in the next week. The Euro 2004 […]

(Soccer America begins its countdown to the 2007 MLS season, which starts on April 7 with a look at the Colorado Rapids. The Rapids open with a nationally televised game against D.C. United, the first played at their Dick’s Sporting Goods Park.) By Ridge Mahoney Senior Editor Soccer America The next MLS team to play […]

I would walk back from the United States to play for England again. I am sure if I am doing well over there, it will not go unnoticed. I will always be available to play for my country if I am needed.” — David Beckham (ITV)

As expected, Toronto FC will welcome legendary rock band Genesis to BMO Field in early September. Tony Banks, Phil Collins and Mike Rutherford will be accompanied by longtime sidemen Chester Thompson and Daryl Stuermer. The team also confirmed that season-ticket sales have been stopped at 14,000, and it will soon begin selling mini packages of […]

Man U and Chelsea won their quarterfinal replays to advance to the FA Cup semifinals. Chelsea downed Tottenham Hotspur, 2-1, thanks to long-range shots from Andriy Shevchenko and Shaun Wright-Phillips. Chelsea will face Blackburn. Cristiano Ronaldo drew a penalty kick and converted it himself for Manchester United’s goal in a 1-0 win over Middlesbrough. Man […]

By Ridge Mahoney There will be pressure on Chad Barrett this season to score goals for the Fire, which lost Andy Herron (Crew) and Nate Jaqua (Galaxy) during the offseason. They ranked first and second, respectively, on the team in goalscoring last year with nine and eight goals. Barrett notched five goals in 2006, his […]

“I hope that people remember me, not only for the accomplishments that I’ve had, but also how I’ve conducted myself on and off the field. I want to pass the legacy that I have created of supporting the game of soccer as well as being an advocate of the game onto younger players who come […]

The U.S. under-20 national team will conduct its first camp since qualifying for this summer’s U-20 World Cup in Canada when it trains in Frisco, Texas, from March 22-29. U-20 head coach Thomas Rongen has invited 16 players in for the camp. Nine players play in Major League Soccer, two play professionally in Europe, four […]

"It’s an honor and a privilege to be named captain of any team, especially the Revolution. But I wouldn’t be able to lead these guys. I have been patient and I have been the good boy they wanted me to be, but I can’t wait any more." — New England Revolution midfielder Shalrie Joseph on […]

Goalkeeper Tim Howard and Everton celebrated a 1-0 win over Arsenal and moved into sixth-place, within the UEFA Cup qualification zone. But keeper Brad Friedel and Blackburn went down, 2-1, against 19th place West Ham, whose American defender Jonathan Spector stayed on the bench. Manchester City’s 2-0 win at Middlesbrough eases its relegation fears; it’s […]

German Villa‘s goal in the 24th minute gave Club America a 1-0 victory over Guadalajara in the 196th edition of Mexico’s SuperClásico. America has a 70-61 edge over Guadalajara in series wins, but Chivas came into the game as the favorite. It won the Torneo Apertura in December and had lost only one of its […]

The first- and second-place teams in England, Germany and Spain all won this weekend. In England, Manchester United and Chelsea both won easily to maintain the six-point gap between them with eight games remaining. Cristiano Ronaldo was involved in all three goals — two by Park Ji-sung and and the first of two by Wayne […]

Teams from North Carolina (’89 boys), Eastern Pennsylvania (’89 girls), Illinois (’91 boys) and New Jersey (’91 girls) were crowned Sunday at the US Youth Soccer ODP National Championships in Frisco, Texas. Three Cal South teams reached the finals, where they all lost. Michigan was the only other state association to send three teams to […]

“Didn’t we just do it?” — D.C. United captain Ben Olsen, after a 1-1 tie with Chivas Guadalajara at Washington’s RFK Stadium, upon being asked to imagine what it will be like playing in front of a Mexican audience. (Washington Post)