Category: Soccer America Daily

[WORLD CUP 2010 QUALIFYING] For the sixth straight time — and the third time on the road — the USA qualified for the World Cup. In surely the wildest qualifier the USA has ever played, it came back after going 1-0 down seconds into the second half to beat Honduras, 3-2, at the Estadio Olímpico Metropolitano in San Pedro Sula. The second half featured five goals — two on free kicks — and at least a dozen clear chances for both teams, but the game wasn’t decided until Carlos Pavon — the former L.A. Galaxy striker and Catracho elder statesman — skied a penalty kick over the bar in the 87th minute. The surprise U.S. hero: Conor Casey with the tying and brilliantly taken go-ahead goals — his first two at the senior national team level …

U.S. Player Ratings

COLLEGE:
Men’s Weekend Scoreboard
Women’s Weekend Scoreboard

[UNDER-20 WORLD CUP] All four quarterfinals at the 2009 Under-20 World Cup in Egypt were decided by one goal — three in overtime — and when the dust settled Brazil, Costa Rica, Ghana and Hungary advanced to the final four. The Ticos completed the quartet when Marcos Urena scored in the 120th minute to give them a 2-1 win over the United Arab Emirates in Saturday’s late game.

[USL-1] The visiting Montreal Impact defeated the defending champion Vancouver Whitecaps, 3-2, on Saturday at Swangard Stadium to take the lead in the USL First Division championship series.

[COLLEGE] No. 1 Stanford remains the nation’s dominant team with another big win on the road — 5-1 at No. 25 Oregon. The Cardinal (13-0-0) got a hat trick from Kelly O’Hara and a goal and two assists from Lindsay Taylor. In ACC action, No. 17 Maryland beat No. 6 Virginia Tech, 3-1. Top 25 teams to fall to unranked teams included No. 11 St. John’s (1-0 at West Virginia), No. 13 Connecticut (2-1 at South Florida), No. 20 Santa Clara (1-0 at San Diego) and No. 2 Purdue (1-0 to Minnesota). For all the Sunday action …

* SUNDAY’S RESULTS:
Top 25
Pac-10: No. 25 Oregon 1 (Thompson 25) No. 1 Stanford 5 (O’Hara 17, 20, 58, Taylor 23, Press 61).
Pac-10: No. 4 UCLA 3 (Bywaters 55, Cheney 68, Barnes 104) Arizona State 2 (Elston 15, Williams 80) (OT).
ACC: Duke 0 No. 5 Florida State 0.
ACC: No. 17 Maryland 3 (Hubka 9, Grove 33, Kaplan 68) No. 6 Virginia Tech 1 (Harvey pen. 31).
ACC: No. 7 Boston College 1 (Knowlton 94) Virginia 0 (OT).
SEC: No. 8 South Carolina 2 (Mattern 12, 13) Alabama 0.
Big East: Seton Hall 0 No. 9 Notre Dame 2 (Henderson 23, Knaack 86).
Big Ten: No. 10 Michigan State 0 Michigan 0.
Big East: West Virginia 1 (Lewis 8) No. 11 St. John’s 0.
Big East: No. 12 Rutgers 2 (Anzivino pen. 58, Lancos 95) DePaul 1 (Sandora 7) (OT).
Big East: South Florida 2 (Pacheco 56, Klotz 81) No. 13 Connecticut 1 (Fugowski 28).
Pac-10: No. 14 USC 2 (Davila 30, Johnson 32) Arizona 0.
SEC: Vanderbilt 1 (Lukens 21) No. 15 LSU 2 (Rutledge 51, 100) (OT).
SEC: No. 16 Georgia 2 (Hooker 75, Eddy 82) Mississippi State 1 (Walsh 17).
Pac-10: Oregon State 0 No. 19 California 2 (Omarsdottir  61, Morgan 79).
WCC: San Diego 1 (Zinke 87) No. 20 Santa Clara 0.
Big Ten: No. 22 Purdue 0 Minnesota 1 (Rouse 23).
No. 23 Texas A&M 2 (Skelton 55, Hooper 97) Loyola (Ill.) 1 (Trevillian pen. 19) (OT).
SEC: Tennessee 1 (Imgram pen. 82) No. 24 Mississippi 1 (Johnson 2).
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America East
Vermont 0 Stony Brook 2
UMBC 1 Hartford 0

Atlantic-10
Saint Louis 1 Dayton 2 (OT)
(Unbeaten Flyers win on Mandi Back’s golden goal.)
Xavier 0 Charlotte 3

Big Ten
Illinois 0 Wisconsin 1
Ohio State 1 Northwestern 0
(Buckeyes improve to 10-2-1.)
Penn State 4 Iowa 0

Big 12
Kansas 0 Colorado 1
Nebraska 5 Oklahoma 2
(Freshman Morgan Marlborough’s hat trick gives her 19 goals.)
Oklahoma State 1 Texas 0
(Cowgirls snap four-game losing streak.)
 
Big West
Cal State Northridge 1 UC Davis 0 (OT)

CAA
Delaware 1 VCU 0

Conference USA
Ric 2 Memphis 1
(Junior Kate Edwards scores a pair of goals.)
Tulsa 4 Marshall 1
UCF 4 Colorado College 1

MAAC
Manhattan 1 Fairfield 1

Mid-American
Buffalo 2 Northern Illinois 0

Northeast
LIU 0 St. Francis (Pa.) 1
(Red Flash improves to 4-1-0 in conference play.)

Patriot
Navy 2 Holy Cross 0

SEC
Florida 4 Auburn 0

Southern
Chattanooga 0 Furman 1

Sun Belt
Denver 4 South Alabama 0
FIU 5 Louisiana-Monroe 1
(Sophomores April Perry and Deana Rossi each has two goals.)

WAC
Boise State 2 Nevada 0

* EARLIER TOP 25 RESULTS:
Saturday, Oct. 10
WCC: No. 2 Portland 7 (Foxhoven 23, 27, 44, 59, Enyeart 36, Kreminski 76, 86) Gonzaga 0.
Mountain West: UNLV 0 No. 18 BYU 1 (Shumway 5)

Friday, Oct. 9
Pac-10: Oregon State 0 No. 1 Stanford 3 (Press 55, Levin 83, Taylor 85).
ACC: No. 3 North Carolina 5 (Jones 5, Klingenberg 8, Hawkins 10, McDonald 60, Rich 64) N.C. State 0.
Pac-10: No. 4 UCLA 2 (Larsen 5, Cheney 63) Arizona 0.
(Lauren Cheney is now second all-time UCLA scorer with 141 points.)
SEC: No. 8 South Carolina 1 (Diaz-Matosas 98) Auburn 0 (OT).
Big East: No. 12 Rutgers 0 No. 9 Notre Dame 1 (Fowlkes 84)
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Big East: Pittsburgh 0 No. 11 St. John’s 1 (McConnell 12).
Big East: Marquette 3 (Vasos, Sawicki 43, Sloan 108) No. 13 Connecticut 2 (Dakin 15, Busque 20) (OT).
Pac-10: No. 14 USC 1 (Ohai 57) Arizona State 0.
SEC: Kentucky 1 (Lopez 43) No. 15 LSU 0.
(Wildcats end four-game losing skid with first SEC win.)
———————————————————-
SEC: No. 16 Georgia 0 No. 24 Mississippi 1 (Johnson 60).
Pac-10: No. 25 Oregon 1 (Bowns 48) No. 19 California 2 (Morgan 2, Kevorkian 49).
Big 12: Oklahoma State 0 No. 23 Texas A&M 1 (Skelton 12).

Thursday, Oct.  8
ACC: No. 21 Wake Forest 0 No. 5 Florida State 3 (Fountain 42, Hutchinson 57, 77).
ACC: Virginia 2 (C.Miller 58, Rostedt 90) No. 17 Maryland 2 (Baker 56, McDowell 79).
Mountain West: San Diego State 2 (Crowson 4, McQueeny 89) No. 18 BYU 2 (Ringwood 53, Shumway 65).
Big Ten: Indiana-No. 22 Purdue (postponed)

Soccer America Women’s Top 25
TEAM (RECORD) LAST WEEK
1. Stanford (13-0-0) 1
2. Portland (11-1-0) 3
3. North Carolina (10-1-1) 2
4. UCLA (11-1-1) 4
5. Florida State (10-2-1) 5
6. Virginia Tech (10-3-0) NR
7. Boston College (11-2-0) 6
8. South Carolina (13-0-1) 7
9. Notre Dame (10-3-1) 8
10. Michigan State (7-1-4) 9
11. St. John’s (10-3-1) 12
12. Rutgers (10-2-3) 13
13. Connecticut (9-5-0) 17
14. USC (10-3-0) 19
15. LSU (9-3-2) 20
16. Georgia (11-2-1) 21
17. Maryland (10-2-1) 22
18. BYU (11-2-2) 24
19. California (8-3-1) 10
20. Santa Clara (8-5-1) 11
21. Wake Forest (10-2-1) 18
22. Purdue (7-3-3) NR
23. Texas A&M (9-4-1) NR
24. Mississippi (9-3-1) NR
25. Oregon (8-3-1) 14

Get the latest college news Monday-Friday in Soccer America’s College Soccer Reporter.

[WORLD CUP 2010 QUALIFYING] With three current or former MLS players in the starting lineup, New Zealand moved closer to a berth in the World Cup finals Saturday when the Oceania champion held Asian playoff winner Bahrain to a 0-0 tie in front of a soldout 35,000-seat National Stadium in Manama.

[COLLEGE] No. 2 UCLA got another goal and assist from Kyle Nakazawa, giving him eight goals and four assists in the last seven games, but the Bruins were held to a 2-2 draw at San Diego State on Sunday. For all the Saturday action and Sunday Top 25 schedule …

[MLS] Chivas USA clinched a playoff spot with a 2-0 win over Kansas City to join Columbus, Houston and Los Angeles and set half of the postseason field. Toronto FC’s postseason hopes took a blow by tying with already-eliminated San Jose while New England fell to defending champ Columbus.

[HONDURAS-USA REPORT CARD] Soccer America’s Ridge Mahoney grades the U.S. players in their 3-2 win over Honduras that clinched a spot in the 2010 World Cup for the Americans.

[WORLD CUP 2010 QUALIFYING] All three of Concacaf’s direct berths in the 2010 World Cup finals could be claimed on Saturday night, or all three could remain up for grabs until Wednesday. The USA or Mexico alone can claim a ticket to South Africa. But if Honduras clinches on Saturday, that means the USA will be celebrating along with the Catrachos at the Estadio Olimpico in San Pedro Sula. Here’s what’s at stake on Saturday …

[WORLD CUP 2010 QUALIFYING] Once considered in danger of not qualifying for the World Cup finals, Mexico takes a three-game winning streak into Saturday’s Hexagonal match against El Salvador (TV: Telemundo, live, 6 pm ET). The Tri, which welcomes back Rafael Marquez but will be without young star Giovani dos Santos, will clinch a berth in the finals for the fifth straight World Cup if it beats El Salvador or does better than Costa Rica does against Trinidad & Tobago.

[MLS PREDICTIONS] Of the six teams in action Saturday, only the Quakes are out of the playoff chase, yet they can dent the hopes of D.C. United. New England sorely needs a win in the first of two late-season meetings with the Crew, but even more desperate are the Wizards, who are at Home Depot Center to face a Chivas USA team that can still capture the Supporters’ Shield. For details on this weekend’s matchups, all of Soccer America’s predictions, as well as TV viewing information.

[WORLD CUP 2010 QUALIFYING] The winners of six European groups will earn World Cup berths on Saturday or Wednesday, and eight teams will clinch spots in November’s playoffs as the best (of nine) runners-up. Saturday’s highlights include four top-of-the-standings clashes. For a look at Denmark-Sweden, Slovakia-Slovenia, Russia-Germany and Italy-Ireland …

[WORLD CUP 2010 QUALIFYING] Following three straight losses, Argentina finds itself in danger of missing out on the World Cup for the first time in 40 years. If qualifying ended today, Argentina would be forced to play Concacaf’s No. 4 team in a playoff. Much of the blame for Argentina’s troubles rests with Coach Diego Maradona, who insists on, among other things, afternoon-only practices because he sleeps in mornings.

[WORLD CUP 2010 QUALIFYING] Not for the first time, the U.S. players and Coach Bob Bradley have talked about starting a game aggressively during their preparation for a vital Hexagonal match against Honduras Saturday (10 p.m. ET, closed-circuit) in San Pedro Sula. Such is rarely the case for playing a potent, dangerous team on its soil in front of roaring, frenzied fans, and the Americans know that the fast, pressuring Honduran attackers feed on that enthusiasm.

SATURDAY’S WORLD CUP QUALIFYING:
CONCACAF: Mexico is first to qualify
EUROPE: Four teams clinch
SOUTH AMERICA: Argentina wins in wild finish
AFRICA: Drogba leads Ivory Cost into finals

[UNDER-20 WORLD CUP] Brazil, Germany and UAE completed the quarterfinal field with wins Wednesday at the 2009 Under-20 World Cup in Egypt. For the quarterfinal schedule with viewing information …

[WORLD CUP 2010 QUALIFYING] Given its choice, the USA would rather not go into the final day of Hexagonal play with its 2010 World Cup fate still in doubt. Unless it can beat Honduras Saturday in San Pedro Sula, the Americans – despite sitting atop the Hexagonal with 16 points — will likely take the field at RFK Stadium against Costa Rica Wednesday for its 10th and final Hexagonal match needing at least a tie to clinch a spot in the 2010 competition.

[MLS] Three wins in a row, two more games to go. The improbable charge of FC Dallas toward an MLS playoff spot continued Wednesday as goals by Jeff Cunningham and David Ferreira downed San Jose, 2-1. A third straight victory and fourth in the last five games lifted FCD’s record to 10-12-6 and into a ninth-place tie in the overall standings with D.C. United at 36 points.

[WORLD CUP 2010 QUALIFYING] New Costa Rica coach Rene Simoes is relying on experience for the Ticos’ must-win World Cup qualifier against Trinidad & Tobago on Saturday at Saprissa Stadium (TV: Gol TV, live, 10 pm ET). He brought defender Luis Marin, captain of Costa Rica’s last two World Cup teams, out of international retirement and called up 35-year-old Rolando Fonseca, the Ticos’ all-time leading scorer. No longer with the team is 30-year-old defender Gilberto Martinez, whom Simoes kicked out of training camp.

A Pennsylvania woman who last year made national news for bringing her loaded handgun to her 5-year-old daughter’s soccer games and practices was found dead in her home along with her husband in what AP reported was an apparent murder-suicide.

[COLLEGE] In a Big East battle of Top 25 teams, No. 11 Louisville edged No. 5 South Florida, 1-0, on Colin Rolfe‘s late goal. Connor Burt‘s goal in the 104th minute gave unranked Butler a 2-1 win at No. 15 Indiana on Wednesday night. The other Top 25 teams to fall to unranked teams were No. 17 Boston University and No. 23 George Mason, which both blew 1-0 leads and lost to New Hampshire and Towson, 2-1, respectively. For all the Wednesday action …

[BOLIVIA] Marco Etcheverry, arguably MLS’s greatest player, has been named head coach of Bolivian first division club Oriente Petrolero. Etcheverry was D.C. United’s playmaker from 1996 to 2003 when it won three MLS titles, a U.S. Open Cup, and two international titles.