Category: Soccer America Daily

“We are delighted to be able to accept the offer to play in Copa America. The tournament offers the dual advantage of quality opponents and a challenging environment that will provide long-term benefits for our team. In order to continue our progress at the international level, it is critical that we are able to expose […]

German newspaper Bild am Sonntag reported on Sunday that Juergen Klinsmann is close to signing a contract with U.S. Soccer through 2010 that the tabloid speculated would be worth $3.18 million per year. The report claimed that Klinsmann would employ as assistant coach Columbus Crew coach Sigi Schmid. Bild am Sontag also said Klinsmann, besides […]

In the space of 24 hours, AC Milan’s Serie A title hopes went up in smoke. On Friday, Milan’s appeal of its eight-point penalty for its involvement in Italian soccer’s match-fixing scandal was rejected. The next day, it lost to archrival Inter Milan, 4-3, to fall 14 points behind Inter and Palermo, tied for first […]

Newly married Kristine Lilly scored in the 73rd minute to earn the USA a 1-1 tie with Denmark before 8,200 fans Sunday in the opening game of the Peace Quenn Cup in Gimhae, South Korea. The USA dominated the first half, but the Danes who scored first when Camilla Anderson hammered her left-footed first-time shot […]

Juergen Klinsmann, who left his post as Germany head coach shortly after last summer’s World Cup, has told the Associated Press he’s been discussing the U.S. national team job with U.S. Soccer President Sunil Gulati and said that, “Sooner or later, I have to get back into coaching.” Klinsmann said he’s had a “couple of […]

AMERICANS ABROAD. Newly promoted Watford, with American defender Jay DeMerit in defense, finally won its first game of the season – a 2-1 League Cup win over second-tier Hull on Tuesday. It will aim for its first league win against Tottenham on Saturday (TV, delay, 2:15 pm ET.) Keeper Tim Howard and Everton face Arsenal […]

MLS’s 2006 semifinalists will be determined this weekend with the second-leg games of the quarterfinal series, which are decided on aggregate goals. Here’s Soccer America Senior Editor Ridge Mahoney‘s take on the four clashes this Saturday and Sunday. New England-Chicago (Chicago leads, 1-0) Saturday, 7:30 pm ET. TV: Fox Soccer Channel, Direct Kick. The Revs […]

“I told him to be quiet. I don’t like what he does. … He’s sometimes too much. He’s got to calm down a little bit. When he coached me in D.C., we didn’t get along very well. I always respect him as a player. … Otherwise, I don’t want to have anything to do with […]

SPAIN. Four days after beating archrival and defending champ Barcelona in league play, Real Madrid was held to an embarrassing 1-1 tie at Third Division Ecija in their first-leg game of the Spanish Cup round of 32. Real, which hosts the second leg, rested several regulars. GERMANY. In the German Cup, two-time defending double winner […]

Here’s how MLS’s goals-per-game average in the 2006 regular season compares to leagues around the world: GOALS PER GAME LEAGUE (previous year’s average) 3.13 Brazilian First Division (2.78) 2.81 German Bundesliga (2.91) 2.80 Mexican First Division (3.03) 2.62 Major League Soccer (2.87) 2.61 Italian Serie A (2.53) 2.48 Argentine First Division (2.45) 2.48 English Premier […]

GERMAN CUP. With American keeper Kasey Keller resting, German First Division club Borussia Monechengladbach was eliminated in the second round of the German Cup at Third Division VfL Osnabrueck, for whom Californian defensive midfielder Joe Enochs played the full 90 minutes in midfield in front of a sellout crowd of 18,500. The 35-year-old Enochs, who […]

"We all know what happened. I don’t think if you are married and you got divorced you are going to bring the divorce all the way back. You cannot live with the bad memories." — D.C. United coach Peter Nowak explains that his team isn’t thinking about the 4-0 home loss to Chicago that eliminated […]

“Fifty-eight percent of the players who were treated on the field during the 2006 World Cup eventually turned out not to be injured.” — From a FIFA referee committee statement using analysis from Jiri Dvorak, FIFA’s chief medical officer. (Times of London)

It keeps getting worse for Eddie Lewis and Leeds, which last season nearly won promotion to the Premier League but is now in the second tier’s relegation zone. In English League Cup third round play, Lewis played 69 minutes as his team was eliminated with a 3-1 loss at home to Southend, another second-tier struggler. […]

In Peru, Universitario was trailing its host, Sport Ancash, when with about 30 minutes remaining all the ball boys left the sidelines, forcing players to retrieve the ball by themselves as the visitors fought to comeback. When Universitario coach Jorge Amado Nunes spotted one of the ball boys who had retreated, he kicked a ball […]

By Ridge Mahoney The rumors swirl anew about David Beckham joining MLS sooner rather than later, and more than a few journalists and such have jumped on the bandwagon, insisting a Pele-like publicity tsunami will sweep MLS from the niche netherworld into a pantheon of glory. Crock, pure and simple. Pele, just a few years […]

It happened during Tottenham’s 1-0 win over West Ham at Hotspurs’ White Hart Lane stadium, which one English newspaper has redubbed, “Bite Hart Lane.” Tottenham forward Jermain Defoe, after getting fouled by West Ham’s Javier Mascherano, bit the Argentine in the arm. Because referee Steve Bennett yellow-carded the biter, the English FA’s initial reaction was […]

The U.S. Soccer Foundation has established the Mooch Myernick Fund to honor the life, career and years of distinguished service Glenn “Mooch” Myernick dedicated to the sport of soccer. Proceeds from the Mooch Myernick Fund will be distributed through grants by the Foundation, in partnership with the U.S. Soccer Federation, to soccer clubs and organizations […]

“If [Jose Mourinho] was made of chocolate, he’d lick himself, but I don’t mind that bit of arrogance. Jose speaks his mind and he’s great for the game. Totally different from that pain in the a*** Fergie [Alex Ferguson].” — Former Chelsea manager Tommy Docherty on current Blues’ boss Jose Mourinho – and Manchester United’s […]

By Ridge Mahoney Four MLS playoff games last weekend featured eight goals, many dramatic moments, and several outstanding performances. Here are the top performers for the conference semifinals, first legs: GOALKEEPER. Dario Sala (FC Dallas). Sala stoned Thiago Martins and Nicolas Hernandez several times in a superb display. Coach Colin Clark wisely chose Sala over […]

A week after he made his Bundesliga debut as a halftime sub, 21-year-old Californian Benny Feilhaber got his first start and went the full 90 minutes in a 2-1 win at Bayer Leverkusen, which marked Hamburg’s first win of the season. Also in Germany, Hannover 96 (Steve Cherundolo) suffered its first loss in five games […]

“They didn’t show a lot here. I don’t really feel [they were] a strong team like last year, the same confidence on this team. After the game, everybody was happy to beat us 1-0. I was very surprised. It means maybe something for us. They did not show [much].” — New York Red Bulls attacker […]

By Ridge Mahoney Two home teams held serve and two didn’t in the first leg of the MLS conference semifinals, and the two that didn’t need monumental efforts to overturn their series next weekend. Yet the performances of Colorado, a 2-1 loser to FC Dallas, and the New York Red Bulls, toppled 1-0 by D.C. […]

Real Madrid handed Barcelona its first defeat of La Liga season with a 2-0 victory Sunday in the Spanish clasico. Real captain Raul scored on a header off a ball served into the box by Sergio Ramos after only three minutes. Dutch striker Ruud Van Nistelrooy hit the second goal in the 51st minute, poking […]

“Bruce isn’t going to be on the field. If the two head coaches played, I think we’d have a pretty significant advantage.” — D.C. United president Kevin Payne downplays the significance of New York coach Bruce Arena facing D.C. United, the team Arena turned into MLS’s top club a decade ago. Peter Nowak, who won […]