Category: Soccer America Daily

David Beckham announced Thursday that he will join MLS’s Los Angeles Galaxy in August, signing a five-year deal with the club. The former England international will leave Real Madrid at the end of the season. ”This week, Real Madrid asked me to make a decision regarding my future and the offer to extend my contract […]

“I’ve played now for two of the biggest clubs in the world. I’ve played at the highest level for 15 years, and now I think I need another challenge.” — David Beckham, who will join the Los Angeles Galaxy in August. (ABC News)

By Ridge Mahoney Senior Editor, Soccer America The good news is the 2007 MLS SuperDraft is being televised live on ESPN2 for the first time (noon ET on Friday). The bad news is, despite the high-gloss treatment, it’s not nearly as sexy as its NFL and NBA counterparts and never will be. With myriad methods […]

Club America beat Jaguares, 1-0, on Nelson Cuevas‘ goal in the final game of group in the InterLiga Wednesday night at the Home Depot Center, but both teams had already clinched berths in Saturday’s finals by virtue of Morelia’s 3-1 victory over UAG in the first game. Club America, the winner of Group B, meets […]

Italian psychiatrist Mauro Raffaeli has been prescribing healthy doses of soccer to patients suffering from schizophrenia and depression with successful results. Eighty patients, many of whom are on psychiatric medication and cannot work, have gone through Raffaeli’s soccer therapy since he initiated twice-a-week play in 1993. Half of the 80 have decreased their drug intake […]

For the second time in three days, Arsenal knocked Liverpool out of a cup competition with an overwhelming victory. On Saturday, it was Czech Thomas Rosicky who scored twice to lead the Gunners to a 3-1 win in the fourth round of the English FA Cup. On Tuesday, Brazilian forward Julio Baptista was the hero, […]

By Ridge Mahoney Senior Editor, Soccer America EIGHT ON BOARD. As of Tuesday, eight players had been signed by MLS to Generation adidas contracts. More signings are possible prior to the SuperDraft, which is scheduled to begin at noon Eastern on Friday, but none are pending at this time. None of the eight are surprises, […]

The U.S. under-14 boys national team will travel to Guadalajara, Mexico, Jan. 14-21 to face youth squads from Mexican clubs Chivas and Tecos. U-14 head coach Manfred Shellscheidt has called in 36 players for the camp. U.S. U-14 Boys Roster

The U.S. under-16 girls national team opens its 2007 schedule with a training camp Jan. 14-19 at The Home Depot Center in Carson, Calif. U.S. coach Kazbek Tambi will bring 25 players to camp, many of whom got their first national team experience last year with the U.S. U-15s. This camp begins the run to […]

"For his personal reasons, we are in talks with him and his representatives due to that he might want to go back to the States. That’s purely a family scenario, until anything is resolved on that he stays a Manchester City player." — In a statement on the club’s official Web site, Manchester City manager […]

By Ridge Mahoney Senior Editor, Soccer America Less than a month after the death of Lamar Hunt, who pioneered the building of stadiums for MLS teams, the league’s flagship franchise has been bought by a consortium fronted by real estate developers. Somewhat ironic is the fact Anschutz Entertainment Group, which sold D.C. United for a […]

“To find a job in management in soccer where I’m needed. That’s what I’ve groomed myself for for a long time. I think it’s pretty much known throughout Major League Soccer that I’ve been waiting for the right soccer job. I may end up coaching a little, but I enjoy managing people, and for me […]

Arsenal and Bolton Wanderers will meet for the third successive season in the English FA Cup after being paired in the fourth-round draw. Arsenal beat Bolton 1-0 in the quarterfinals en route to winning the FA Cup in 2005, but Bolton won, 1-0, in the fourth round last year. The loss in the 2005 FA […]

The U.S. U-18 boys national team finished up a week-long camp Jan. 2-8 at The Home Depot Center in Carson, Calif. UCLA’s David Estrada, the 2006 Soccer America Freshman of the Year, was among the 20 players in camp. Most of the players in Bob Jenkins‘ squad were college freshmen or high school seniors. During […]

U.S. under-20 national team coach Thomas Rongen called up 20 players to participate in this month’s CONCACAF qualifying tournament in Panama City, Panama. Missing will be midfielder Michael Bradley, son of U.S. national team coach Bob Bradley. U.S. Soccer and Dutch club Heerenveen were unable to come to an agreement on Michael Bradley’s release for […]

He’s only 37, has no head coaching experience, and was named as Kansas City’s new head coach barely more than a month ago. Yet Curt Onalfo spent the last three years as Bruce Arena‘s assistant with the U.S. national team and interviewed for the Toronto FC job before being picked by the new Wizards’ management […]

The Washington Post has reported that the Anschutz Entertainment Group will receive an estimated $33 million for the sale of D.C. United to an ownership group that includes San Francisco real estate developer Victor MacFarlane, former Duke basketball star Brian Davis and Discovery Communications founder John Hendricks, who founded the short-lived Women’s United Soccer Association […]

Brian McBride, Fulham’s leading scorer in English Premier League play with six strikes, scored in the Cottagers’ third-round FA Cup clash with second-tier Leicester. McBride opened the scoring in the 69th minute after running onto a through ball. Leicester, however, scored a last-minute goal for a 2-2 tie to set up a replay. Defender Carlos […]

"For the most part, we’ve created a generation of players who are unwilling or unable to show any personality. At times it’s mind-numbing. Somebody do something. Grow some Valderrama hair! Date a supermodel! Clint Dempsey isn’t everyone’s poster boy just ’cause he scored in the World Cup. He made a rap video and plays with […]

With one game remaining, Necaxa was the only club to have clinched a spot in Saturday’s finals of the 2007 InterLiga, Mexico’s Pre-Libertadores competition to decide the two teams to join 2006 Torneo Clausura champion Toluca in this year’s South American club championship. InterLiga Results Necaxa beat Cruz Azul, 3-2, and Monterrey, 3-2, to top […]

Defending champion Liverpool was knocked out of the English FA Cup on Saturday when the Reds fell at home to Arsenal, 3-1, in the third round, the entry level for England’s top-tier clubs. Czech Tomas Rosicky scored two first-half goals, and Frenchman Thierry Henry added a third goal on a breakaway to secure the big […]

The Chinese sports ministry, hoping to inspire its men’s and women’s national team, sent the players to a two-and-a-half hour lecture on Communist philosophy and patriotism. Reuters reported that the session focused on "using philosophical methods to widen perspective and enhance creativity during matches.” Li Jianhua, a senior professor at China’s Central Communist Party School, […]

SPAIN. Real Madrid, whose last game of 2006 was a embarrassing 3-0 loss Recreativo Huelva, begins the New Year at a venue where it hasn’t won for 15 years. The Merengues, with new Argentine signings Fernando Gago and Gonzalo Higuain, travel to Deportivo Coruna’s Riazor, where they last won in 1991. Real needs a win […]

"That was a good first session, something that’s going to set the tone early. It was a very intense session, and I guess that’s the way it’s going to be." — U.S. midfielder Pablo Mastroeni on the first national team training session under interim head coach Bob Bradley, who’s preparing the team for a friendly […]

“I saw him about two years ago and then saw him playing at the World Cup for the U.S. Then I went out to watched him playing a few times in the States for New England and have always liked him.” — Fulham coach Chris Coleman on New England’s Clint Dempsey. The English Premier League […]