Category: Soccer America Daily

“My decision is not about the popularity of soccer. It’s about how we spend taxpayers’ dollars. This is an unsafe investment for the public.” — Salt Lake City Mayor Peter Corroon on not supporting $30 million in taxes toward a soccer stadium for Real Salt Lake. (Associated Press)

U.S. defender Oguchi Onyewu, 24, is headed to Newcastle United, which is 11th place in the English Premier League. Onyewu, who played in all three games for the USA at last summer’s World Cup, has been with Belgium First Division’s Standard Liege since 2004, after stints with French club Metz and Belgium’s La Louviere. He […]

David Beckham will appear in Disney’s “Where Dreams Come True,” ad campaign. Beckham played the role of dragon-slaying, Sleeping Beauty character Prince Phillip. "I’m the prince, and I’m sort of slaying a dragon, which is something I’ve never done before, obviously,” said Beckham. (Click here for video of Beckham posing for Annie Leibovitz on horseback.)

Los Angeles Galaxy president Alexi Lalas appeared on Indie 103.1FM and played a few tunes aside from discussing his club’s latest acquisition. (click here for Video of Lalas’ performance)

By Ridge Mahoney Senior Editor, Soccer America Already D.C. United and Houston are in the news, both for long-term reasons as well as the here-and-now. Because of their qualification for the CONCACAF Champions’ Cup, they petitioned the MLS Players’ Union for permission to open preseason camp early. Permission was so granted and both teams start […]

In his second game and first start German Second Division club Munich 1860, Josh Wolff scored his first goal for the club in a 2-1 loss to Kickers Offenbach. Californian Kamani Hill, 21, made his German First Division debut for VfL Wolfsburg in a 2-1 loss to Hertha Berlin. Hill was a 68th minute sub. […]

"So what if maybe they can’t act? Neither can our governor [Arnold Schwarzenegger], and it didn’t stop him." — Peter Sealey, former marketing chief at Columbia Pictures, on the movie star potential of David Beckham and his wife, Victoria, who both recently signed with Creative Artists Agency, which represents their pal, Tom Cruise. (USA Today)

Brazil won the South American Under-20 Championship in Paraguay. For the first time, the tournament served as qualifying for both the 2007 Under-20 World Cup and 2008 Olympics. The top four teams — Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay and Chile — qualified for Canada ’07, and Brazil and Argentina will play in the under-23 men’s soccer competition […]

The fourth round of the English FA Cup was devoid of upsets. Substitute Wayne Rooney scored two goals — including a deft chip over goalie Paul James (video) — to give English Premier League leader Manchester United a 2-1 win over Portsmouth. Arsenal snatched a 1-1 draw against fellow EPL club Bolton Wanderers, while Watford […]

The USA was forced to settle for a pair of ties in its first two games at the Four Nations Women’s Tournament in Guangzhou, China. After opening with a 0-0 tie against reigning world champion Germany on Friday, Greg Ryan‘s Americans tied England, 1-1, on Sunday. The USA got its lone goal against England on […]

The MLS All-Stars will face Glasgow Celtic at the Colorado Rapids’ Dick’s Sporting Goods Park in the 2007 Sierra Mist MLS All-Star Game on July 19. Last year, the MLS All-Stars defeated EPL champ Chelsea, 1-0, in Bridgeview, Ill. The Columbus Crew re-signed defender Frankie Hejduk, 32, to a two-year contract. Hejduk, a U.S. veteran […]

Fadi Afash, a former star of the USL’s Portland Timbers, pleaded guilty to stealing an estimated $137,000 from a retired couple and faces 17 months in prison time after pleading guilty to four counts of identity theft, forgery, theft and unlawful use of a check. The Columbian reported that Afash, 32, met the couple in […]

By Ridge Mahoney Senior Editor, Soccer America By coming to MLS after more than dozen years overseas, Claudio Reyna has begun not only the final chapter of his playing career, but also closed out his tenure as the American who accomplished the most overseas. There are others with impressive resumes. John Harkes won trophies and […]

"I’ve had them, but what people never knew was some of them have been big mistakes by [doctors] in England. Playing six games with a broken ankle when no one knew didn’t help, playing with a torn muscle [the German team doctor] said was the biggest he’d ever seen. These are the things I never […]

The Bundesliga resumes Friday after its six-week winter break but not before winter weather finally hit Germany. Snow and ice struck this week after unseasonably warm weather over the holiday season. Defending champion Bayern Munich opens the weekend slate Friday at Borussia Dortmund (TV: GolTV, live, 2:30 pm ET). Bayern finished the fall campaign in […]

U.S. coach Bob Bradley has called in 26 players to a training camp that will begin on Thursday at The Home Depot Center in Carson, Calif., to prepare for the showdown with archrival Mexico on Feb. 7 at the University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Ariz. In addition to the 26 players arriving in California […]

“[Claudio Reyna] will be as reliable a center midfielder as you can have in this league, that’s a real plus, and something I think we can build our team around. He is a player who gives players on the field a lot of confidence. He will be able to communicate and help develop the young […]

The USA opens play against defending world champion Germany Friday (kickoff: 3 am ET) at the Four Nations Tournament in Guangzhou, China. U.S. Four Nations Tournament Roster Both teams will be without key players. U.S. coach Greg Ryan is without his strike force of Abby Wambach and Kristine Lilly. Germany coach Silvia Neid didn’t bring […]

The following clubs will compete in U.S. Club Soccer’s 2007 Champions Cup April 5-8, at Disney’s Wide World of Sports Complex in Lake Buena Vista, Fla.: Boys: Concorde Fire; CASL Elite; Colorado Rush; Internationals; Los Angeles FC; PA Classics; San Juan SC; Scott Gallagher. Girls: Albertson SA; CASL Spartan Elite; Colorado Rush; FC Delco; Internationals; […]

Expansion team Carolina took Sola Abolaji of the University of Buffalo with the No. 1 pick in the USL First Division’s 2007 College Draft. California, the league’s other new team in 2007, picked UCLA goalie Eric Reed with the No. 2 pick. Among the players taken were former PDL star Freddy Moojen, the Brazilian who […]

Watford’s American defender Jay DeMerit entered the game in the 34th minute and scored the gamewinner – heading past American keeper Brad Friedel – in the 70th minute for a 2-1 win as the English Premier League’s last-place team notched its second win of the season. It was DeMerit’s second EPL goal of the season. […]

Claudio Reyna, 33, the former U.S. captain who has played professionally in the top tier leagues of England, Scotland and Germany since 1994, and in three World Cups, has completed his transfer from Manchester City to the New York Red Bulls. 1 Reyna was the first and only American named to the FIFA World Cup […]

“I listen to 50 Cent, Jay-Z, Stereophonics, Arctic Monkeys; also the musical ‘Oliver’ – I can sing every tune.” — Wayne Rooney, revealing his musical tastes. (BBC)

For the third straight year, the Chicago Magic is first in the Soccer America Top 20 boys rankings, edging the Dallas Texans. Arsenal FC of Southern California is the third team on the podium. 2007 Soccer America Top 20 Boys Clubs RANK/TEAM (STATE) 1 Chicago Magic (Ill.) 2 Dallas Texans (Texas) 3 Arsenal FC (Calif.) […]

Thanks to a record-setting 2006 season, the Eclipse Select emerged as the top team in the Soccer America Top 20 girls rankings, taking over the top spot from the Dallas Texans. 2007 Soccer America Top 20 Girls Clubs RANK/TEAM (STATE) 1 Eclipse Select (Ill.) 2 Dallas Texans (Texas) 3 PDA (N.J.) 4 Michigan Hawks (Mich.) […]