Category: Soccer America Daily

MLS’s lowest crowd of the season, 3,805, watched one of the flukiest goals of the season give struggling Colorado a 1-0 win over streaking Chicago. Jim Curtin struck an own goal after he slid into his keeper Matt Pickens while they converged on a Nicolas Hernandez cross. The Colorado win extends its lead over L.A. […]

“I was clearly a leader and spokesman for the game in this country.” — Bruce Arena reflects on his years as national team boss. (New York Times).

Hometown star Abby Wambach scored twice in the first half to lead the USA to a 3-1 win over Mexico in a women’s friendly Wednesday night at the new PAETEC Park in Rochester, N.Y., Lindsay Tarpley also scored for the USA, which improved its 2006 record to 11-0-3. “I thought that [Wambach] just gave so […]

Brazilian great Romario heads the 2006 All-USL First Division Team. The Miami FC forward tied Seattle rookie Cam Weaver for the league lead in goals (18) and points (39). Midfielder Zinho, a teammate on Brazil’s 1994 World Cup championship team at at Miami FC, joined Romario and Weaver on the first team. Montreal defender Gabriel […]

Five-time French champion began its 2006-07 UEFA Champions League campaign as it did last season with a big win over Real Madrid. OL beat Real Madrid, 2-0, on Wednesday — a year to the day after inflicting a 3-0 defeat on the nine-time European champions in last season’s opener. Brazilian Fred and Portuguese midfielder Tiago […]

FC Dallas could join D.C. United as the second team to clinch one of the eight playoff spots when it faces Chivas USA on Wednesday. A win would give Dallas 49 points; the maximum points that Real Salt Lake and Los Angeles can get from their last five games is 48 and 47 points, respectively. […]

“There is no doubt in my mind about it. This notion that you need a foreign coach — I’ll be very honest, our coaching staff prepared our team as well as it can be prepared. There is no foreign coach that could have done it any better. I know [U.S. Soccer president] Sunil [Gulati] likes […]

The inaugural CONCACAF Beach Soccer championship kicks off on Wednesday at Punta Leona in Puntarenas, Costa Rica. The tournament, which will last through Sept. 17, serving as qualification for the 2006 FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup Nov. 2-12 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The top two CONCACAF finishers will earn a berth at the Beach […]

Defending champion Barcelona crushed Levski Sofia, 5-0, in the most lopsided result of the first day of the UEFA Champions League. Despite heavy rain, Barca played superbly and was rewarded with goals from Andres Iniesta, Ludovic Giuly, Carles Puyol, Samuel Eto’o and Ronaldinho, who scored in stoppage time. Levski Sofia was playing its first game […]

For this week’s national televised games, including European Champions League, MLS and college action: https://www.socceramerica.com/article.asp?Art_ID=562137624

“We normally play in blue but were wearing our new red away jerseys and the referee was in dark green. I simply got them mixed up, because I can’t distinquich between red and green.” — Ralf Rangnick, the color blind coach of German lower division club TSG Hoffenheim, explaining why he yelled at the referee […]

The U.S. under-17 boys national team recovered from a 3-0 loss to Brazil in its first game to defeat Mexico, 2-0, and Portugal, 4-2, at the Nike National Team Friendlies on the Nike Campus in Beaverton, Ore. A pair of defenders, Mykell Bates and Sheanon Williams, combined for five goals against Mexico and Portugal. Williams […]

History isn’t on Barcelona’s side. No team has won back-to-back European Cup titles since the great AC Milan teams with Dutchmen Marco Van Basten, Ruud Gullit and Frank Rijkaard did in 1989 and 1990. Rijkaard is now coach of Barcelona, which begins the defense of its UEFA Champions League title against Levski Sofia on Tuesday. […]

For this week’s national televised games, including European Champions League, MLS and college action: https://www.socceramerica.com/article.asp?Art_ID=562137624

FREDDY ADU scored on a curling 24-yeard free kick in D.C. United’s 1-1 tie with Real Salt Lake. It was the 17-year-old’s second goal of the season and 11th career MLS goal, and is a MLS Goal of the Week nominee. … NATE JAQUA and C.J. BROWN got Chicago’s goals in a 2-1 win over […]

"I have no problems with anything that’s been said of me. It’s been said all my career. I think people fancy me. They can’t figure me out. I’m an attractive guy. I make good money and I score goals. I’m the kind of guy I believe people love. And, at the same time, they can’t […]

The expansion Miami FC and the Puerto Rico Islanders both survived a two-game head-to-head showdown on the weekend to clinch the USL First Division’s final two playoff berths and leave the defending champion Seattle Sounders and Atlanta Silverbacks on the outside. The Rochester Rhinos, meanwhile, grabbed the second playoff bye, but came up short in […]

For this weekend’s nationally televised games: https://www.socceramerica.com/article.asp?Art_ID=562137584

Brazilian 1994 World Cup champion Romario will try to take the USL-1 scoring lead when his Miami FC takes on the Puerto Rico Islanders on Friday in a game aired live by Fox Soccer Channel and Fox en Espanol (8 pm ET/5 pm PT). FC Miami needs just a tie to clinch a playoff spot […]

On Monday in the English Premier League, newly promoted Reading, with Marcus Hahnemann in goal and Bobby Convey in midfield, hosts Manchester City, where DaMarcus Beasley has joined Claudio Reyna in the midfield. Three games into the season, ninth-place Manchester City has already played two title favorites, beating Arsenal, 1-0, after falling to Chelsea, 3-0, […]

Octavio Zambrano, who compiled one of the highest winning percentages in MLS history (.587) while at the helm of Los Angeles (1997-99) and the MetroStars (2000-02), is the new head coach of Moldova First Division club FC Tiligul. Zambrano, an Ecuador native who immigrated to the USA to play college ball, was a successful youth […]

“I talked with Claudio Suarez [of Chivas USA] and he warned me not to think that this would be easy because they are very rough and they play a very fast football, European style.” — Mexican forward Jose Manuel Abundis, who appears set to sign with the New England Revolution. The 33-year-old won three Mexican […]

In the wake of the match-fixing scandal that resulted in mighty Juventus being relegated to Serie B and four other teams, including traditional contenders AC Milan, Fiorentina and Lazio, being penalized points in the standings, Inter Milan begins the 2006-07 season as the clear favorite to win the Italian league, which opens this weekend. Inter […]

For this week’s nationally televised games: https://www.socceramerica.com/article.asp?Art_ID=562137584

American Tim Hankinson, who coached in MLS for seven seasons, has been the head coach of the Guatemalan U-17 national team since March. In mid-September, Hankinson brings his squad to Bradenton, Fla., to face the U.S. U-17s following Guatemala’s tour of Mexico. “This preparation is the biggest commitment the Guatemalan federation has made to any […]