Category: Soccer America Daily

[CONFEDERATIONS CUP] Rejecting Egypt’s complaint, FIFA cleared up the matter of the awarding of Brazil’s winning penalty in its 4-3 win over Egypt on Monday in Bloemfontein, saying that referee Howard Webb awarded the penalty after consulting with his assistant referee, not the fourth referee and that the refereeing team did not consult video to make the decision.

[CONFEDERATIONS CUP] Midweek international action from the 2009 Confederations Cup in South Africa continues Wednesday with two games. For the complete television schedule …

[U.S. OPEN CUP] The Premier Development League’s Ocean City Barons are the only amateur team still alive in the 2009 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup after they knocked off the Real Maryland Monarchs, 1-0, in overtime in Tuesday’s second round. For their efforts, the Barons have a third-round date with defending champion D.C. United. For all Tuesday’s Open Cup action …

[CONFEDERATIONS CUP] The knock on Dunga‘s Brazil has been its defense-first approach, so its display in its opening game at the Confederations Cup Monday was certainly a surprise. The defending Confederations Cup champion opened up a 3-1 lead in Bloemfontein, blew that lead early in the second half and then needed a controversial decision on the awarding of a penalty kick Kaka converted to beat Egypt, 4-3.

[ITALY-USA REPORT CARD] Soccer America’s Ridge Mahoney grades the U.S. players and comments on their performance in Monday’s 3-1 loss to Italy at the Confederations Cup.

[CONFEDERATIONS CUP] The best teams are the best at punishing miscues, as the U.S. national team learned once again Monday at the Confederations Cup in South Africa. Errors of technique, positioning, and judgment enabled world champion Italy to rally from a 1-0 deficit and smack the Americans, 3-1, as the nations opened play in Group B in a rematch of the 1-1 tie they played three years ago at the World Cup.

[TV WATCH] How do you sugarcoat another in a series of games marked by some dreadful soccer? The USA’s performance in its 3-1 loss to Italy on Monday at the Confederations Cup left its commentators grasping at straws.

[CONFEDERATIONS CUP] Fernando Torres needed only 17 minutes to score a hat trick, connecting with his right foot, left foot and his head, to lead favorite Spain to a 5-0 win over hapless New Zealand in the opening game of the Confederations Cup.

[CONFEDERATIONS CUP] Host South Africa, which needs a strong Confederations Cup to build momentum for next year’s World Cup, could only manage a 0-0 tie with Iraq, coached by former U.S. national team coach Bora Milutinovic. The Bafana Bafana were stymied by a combination of Milutinovic’s ultradefensive tactics and bad luck.

[CONFEDERATIONS CUP] A big week of international action from the 2009 Confederations Cup in South Africa begins Monday with USA-Italy and Brazil-Egypt. For the complete television schedule …

[U.S. SOCCER] Jermaine Jones, a 27-year-old midfielder who has played in 96 German First Division games, has stated his desire to represent the USA and should eligible despite having played for Germany, thanks to a change in FIFA’s national team eligibility rules. If Jones plays for the USA, he will follow the footsteps of Tom Dooley, who was also the son of an American serviceman and a German mother. Dooley played for the USA at the 1994 and 1998 World Cups.

[USL-1] The USL First Division’s bottom three teams all won over the weekend, putting them within striking distance of the pack.

There was a shakeup at the top of both conferences on a weekend that produced no ties — hurray! For all the game summaries, standings, leading scorers and this week’s schedule …

[WPS] The inaugural season of Women’s Professional Soccer has seen some high-quality play, in part due to success teams has had with their foreign imports, but there has been one problem: a paucity of goals. England international Eniola Aluko‘s goal for the Saint Louis Athletica in its 1-0 win at Boston on Sunday was the only goal in three games, reducing the league’s goal-per-game average to 2.09.

[MLS WINNERS & LOSERS] D.C. United downed Chicago thanks to a fine free kick by Christian Gomez and moved into first place in the East while Houston climb atop the other conference as Chivas USA faltered again. The Red Bulls set a record for futility but Columbus, which beat the Bulls in last year’s MLS Cup, is riding high thanks to its Argentine veteran.

[CONFEDERATIONS CUP] Nearly three years after they tied, 1-1, at the 2006 World Cup, the USA and Italy meet again Monday to open their schedules at the 2009 Confederations Cup (2:25 p.m. ET, ESPN, TeleFutura). Oguchi Onyewu, Carlos Bocanegra, Clint Dempsey, DaMarcus Beasley and Landon Donovan are the only U.S. holdovers who played in that match against the eventual world champion, though keeper Tim Howard watched from the bench. The Americans are missing several regulars for the Confederations Cup, including right back Steve Cherundolo and Pablo Mastroeni, who also played in the Kaiserslautern match that featured an own goal, an equalizer by Alberto Gilardino, and three players sent off.

[CONFEDERATIONS CUP] The 2009 Confederations Cup is a dress rehearsal for the 2010 World Cup, allowing television viewers to get into next summer’s routine. Get ready for long lunches and weekend doubleheaders by following the Confederations Cup action from South Africa on ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPN360.com, as well as on Spanish-language  Univision’s family of network. For the complete schedule …

[CONFEDERATIONS CUP] The Confederations Cup, which begins Sunday in South Africa, is a sneak preview of how the 2010 World Cup shapes up. Spain, which opens play on Sunday against New Zealand, is the early favorite to win the World Cup, having won Euro 2008 and boasting an embarrassment of riches, most notably a nucleus of players from the great Barcelona team that won the 2009 UEFA Champions Cup.

[CONFEDERATIONS CUP] Americans fans will be familiar with many of the players at the Confederations Cup. Kaka of Brazil and Fabio Cannavaro of Italy are two former European and World Players of the Year competing at the Confederations Cup. New Zealand boasts six players who attended U.S. colleges and four of them are playing in MLS. For the complete numerical rosters of the eight entrants …

[CONFEDERATIONS CUP] There should be more pressure on the U.S. national team to get results in the next two months, but there really isn’t. On Monday, Coach Bob Bradley’s men begin Confederations Cup play. As will be the case during the Gold Cup later this summer, determining which players will best serve the World Cup campaign will be of most interest.

[CONCACAF CHAMPIONS LEAGUE] D.C. United and the New York Red Bulls will open play in the 2009-10 Concacaf Champions League when they face Chalatenango of El Salvador and W Connection of Trinidad, respectively, in the preliminary round.

[WPS] The first-place Los Angeles Sol looks to complete a sweep of its three-game series with struggling Sky Blue FC when it travels to New Jersey on Saturday. For a look at all the weekend action …

[MLS PREDICTIONS] Teams bunched closely together in the standings — or by geography — highlight several matches during the 13th weekend of league play, with Eastern Conference leader Chicago hosting second-place D.C. United, and the Wizards and the Revs – two of four Eastern teams locked together with 16 points – set to play at CommunityAmerica Ballpark. For all of Soccer America’s predictions, as well as TV viewing information, and to see how we’ve fared so far this season. …