Category: Soccer America Daily

The USA’s fifth friendly of the year and final warmup before this summer’s Gold Cup and Copa America will be against China at Spartan Stadium in San Jose, Calif., June 2 (8 pm ET/5 pm PT, live on ESPN2 and Galavision. The USA and China have met seven times. The USA has won four of […]

The U.S. Soccer Federation board unanimously approved a quest to bid for the 2018 World Cup during the federation AGM in Los Angeles. The USA hosted the 1994 World Cup, which remains the best attended finals ever. Also aiming to host the 2018 finals is England. The 2010 World Cup is set for South Africa. […]

The 16-team Clericus Cup kicked off at the Vatican last weekend as Mater Ecclesiae (Mother of the Church College), a team comprised mainly of Mexican priest trainees, defeated the all-Brazilian students of the Pontifical Gregorian University, 6-0. The game opened the 16-team tournament in which 311 priests and seminarians — from countries including Italy, the […]

By Ridge Mahoney Kansas City defender Jimmy Conrad has agreed to terms of a four-year deal to stay in MLS after drawing some interest from foreign teams. Swedish club Lillestrom FC tendered a transfer offer of $550,000 last month that was rejected by the league, and agent Lyle Yorks said there was also interest from […]

"I had the idea to phone all our season-ticket holders. I didn’t actually realize we had quite so many.” — Bob Gunton, director of English fifth-tier team Gravesend & Northfleet FC, who called the club’s 210 season-ticket holders to inform them the team’s game against Morcambe FC would kick off 30 minutes earlier because of […]

Carlos Cordeiro is the first independent director appointed to U.S. Soccer’s Board of Directors. The three “independent director” positions were created at last year’s AGM, when the organization’s Board of Directors was reduced from 40 to 15. Cordeiro was appointed in a vote of U.S. Soccer’s membership at its Annual General Meeting held last weekend […]

The U.S. under-17 and under-16 girls national teams are assembling at the Home Depot Center in Carson, Calif., where they will host Germany’s under-17 national team. The U.S. U-17s and U-16s will meet March 2 before each facing Germany’s U-17s twice March 4-7. Illinois powerhouse Eclipse Select leads all clubs five five players among the […]

USL founder and president Francisco Marcos was awarded the U.S. Soccer Werner Fricker Builder Award, which is presented annually to an individual who has worked tirelessly in furthering the interest of the sport of soccer. The award is designed to honor those who have created or fostered programs that will outlast their own active involvement […]

Before playing a game for the New York Red Bulls, goalkeeper Nick Rimando was traded to Real Salt Lake in exchange for future considerations. Rimando, who had played two seasons with the Miami Fusions and five with D.C. United, came to the Red Bulls by way of Salt Lake, which needed him back after keeper […]

Brian McBride scored his 9th goal of the season, but Fulham fell, 2-1, to Manchester United, for which Cristiano Ronaldo‘s scored the late gamewinner. McBride played 79 minutes, Carlos Bocanegra went the distance in central defense; and Clint Dempsey, a 71st minute sub, was one of the Cottagers Ronaldo evaded on the way to scoring […]

"I wasn’t waving at anyone. It was five fingers for five trophies we have won in two and a half years; Premiership, Premiership, Carling Cup, Carling Cup and Community Shield. Next time, maybe I will use another hand." — Chelsea coach Jose Mourinho on his five-finger salute following Chelsea’s 2-1 League Cup final win over […]

The U.S. under-23 national team tied Japanese club Rosso Kumamoto in the second and final game of the team’s stay in japan. UCLA’s Sal Zizzo set up New England Revolution draft pick Adam Cristman for a pair of goals before Rosso Kumamoto, which is a third-tier JFL team, came back with goals in the 82nd […]

Chelsea won the first trophy of the English season when it beat London rival Arsenal, 2-1, in Sunday’s League Cup final marred by an ugly brawl that saw three players sent off near the end of the game. Teenager Theo Walcott put Arsenal ahead in the 12th minute, but Chelsea star Didier Drogba responded with […]

By Ridge Mahoney Senior Editor Less than a month into preseason, Real Salt Lake coach John Ellinger is questioning his latest experiment with a 3-5-2 formation, and Toronto supremo Mo Johnston axed three trialists for stinking up the place while mentioning more than a few of the bodies still on the roster weren’t doing much […]

“To discuss whether referees take money or not is the same as discussing a woman who gives herself with no love. … A woman cheats herself and nature if she gives herself without love. If a referee officiates a game based on his personal love, he commits a cynical crime. … I respect those referees […]

Reading’s 23-year-old American midfielder Bobby Convey will miss the remainder of the English Premier League season in order to undergo surgery on a knee that has bothered him since last summer’s World Cup. “[Convey] doesn’t feel right with it,” Reading coach Steve Coppell said. “I have no doubt that he could have played on to […]

Using the same philosophy that allowed Americans Frankie Simek and Danny Karbassiyoon to get first-team appearances with the Gunners two years ago, Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger plans on sticking with youngsters against Chelsea in the first all-London League Cup final on Sunday at Cardiff’s Millennium Stadium (TV: Setanta Sports USA, live, 9 am ET). Wenger […]

The last American left in European action was knocked out on Thursday when Brad Friedel‘s Blackburn Rovers could only tie Bayer Leverkusen, 0-0, and fell, 3-2, on aggregate in the round of 32 of the UEFA Cup. Defending champion Sevilla advanced to the final 16 with a 1-0 win over Steaua Bucharest thanks to Alexander […]

The USL and Turner Broadcasting will provide exclusive online video streaming of USL First Division matches for the next three seasons. The matches, unavailable on traditional broadcast or cable television stations, will be available on the new broadband channel USL Live at www.USLLive.com, launching early April. Fans will be able to watch USL First Division […]

The British public can post petitions directly on Prime Minister Tony Blair‘s official Web site thanks to a program established three months ago. More than 4,000 petitions have been posted, drawing 3 million e-mailed protest signatures. The petitions have ranged from objections to new taxes on drivers (1.8 million signed) to a request that Blair, […]

U.S. women’s national team head coach Greg Ryan named 20 players to the roster for the 2007 Algarve Cup, being held March 7-14 in the Algarve region of Portugal. Shannon Boxx, a 2004 Olympic gold medalist, will return to international competition for the first time in 10 months. She had major knee surgery last July. […]

By Ridge Mahoney Facing Central American opposition on the road, be it World Cup qualifying or club competition, is pocked with pitfalls, as both D.C. United and Houston found out in the first legs of the CONCACAF Champions Cup quarterfinals Wednesday. D.C. won and Houston lost as both teams showed considerable grit and spirit despite […]

There will still be school teachers, accountants and truck drivers refereeing MLS and international games in the USA, but now there will also be full-time professional referees in the middle. U.S. Soccer has launched a program to employ refs full-time, which exists in only a few nations, including England, France, the Netherlands, Italy and Spain. […]

"If I give you a good wine, you will see how it tastes and after you ask where it comes from." — Arsenal coach Arsene Wenger on the English Premier League club’s predilection for foreign players. The Gunners frequently field no Englishmen. (BBC)

The U.S. U-23 men’s national team played to a 0-0 tie with Japan’s under-23 national team in the Kirin Challenge Cup, its first international match under new head coach Bob Bradley. The Japanese were twice denied on shots by Sota Hirayama and Koki Mizuno off the woodwork. Chris Seitz, signed by Real Salt Lake out […]