Category: Soccer America Daily

[CONCACAF CHAMPIONS’ LEAGUE] USL teams continue to outshine MLS clubs in this year’s regional championship as they remained undefeated thanks the Puerto Rico Islanders’ upset of Mexican champion Santos Laguna, 3-1, in Bayamon, Puerto Rico on Wednesday in Group D play.

Rather than jam its postponed Concacaf Champions’ League match into an already crowded schedule, the Houston Dynamo will instead delay it as long as possible. Hurricane Ike forced the Dynamo’s first of six CCL matches last Wednesday against Salvadoran champion CD Luis Angel Firpo to be rescheduled, and on Monday the team announced the new date: Nov. 26, three days after MLS Cup. The Dynamo is in Panama City to play its first CCL match against league champion San Francisco FC on Tuesday (8 p.m. ET, Fox Soccer Channel).

It will be a busy week for the Montreal Impact with a Concacaf Champions League game against Atlante of Mexico in Montreal on Wednesday. The Impact then heads to Seattle to face the USL First Division defending champion Sounders in the first round of the USL-1 quarterfinals on Friday and concludes the week with the second leg on Sunday at Saputo Park. The top seed Puerto Rico Islanders, the USL-1’s other Concacaf Champions League representative, has a bye. For all the USL-1 quarterfinal pairings …

[ARGENTINA] Reigning champion River Plate has made a stumbling start to the new Argentine season. On Sunday, it lost to unfancied opposition, while its main rival, Boca Juniors, fell at home for its first defeat of the season.

[MLS] By notching four points in two matches it has played without the assist catalyst, Guillermo Barros Schelotto, Columbus ended a three-year playoff drought. For a playoff race update …

[ENGLAND] This weekend’s big game in the English Premier League ended, predictably enough, in a stalemate. But Manchester United’s visit to Chelsea was never less than absorbing.

[GERMANY] It was a wild weekend in the Bundesliga. Not only were there goals aplenty, but champion Bayern Munich was hammered 5-2 on its own turf by longtime rival Werder Bremen.

[ITALY] Relief for AC Milan as it finally won its first game of the season on the back of a sumptuous goal from Kaka. Ronaldinho only came off the bench once the game was effectively won.

[SPAIN] All those chances that Barcelona missed in its first two games of the season were just warm-up shots. On Sunday the Catalans quit showing mercy and hit Sporting Gijon for six, with Lionel Messi scoring twice.

[U.S. WOMEN] The U.S. women’s national team swept its three-game series against Ireland with a 2-0 win on Saturday at Toyota Park to set a record for wins in a calendar year with its 29th victory of the year. Perhaps even more remarkable was defender Kate Markgraf scoring her first-ever international goal — in her 193rd cap! as she pounded home a penalty kick in the 31st minute.

The Puerto Rico Islanders won their USL First Division regular-season title thanks to a 0-0 tie with the Montreal Impact — their fellow participant in the Concacaf Champions League — on the final day of the season. Minnesota’s 3-1 win over Montreal had clinched the Thunder the final playoff spot. For all the USL-1 results, the final standings and leading scores …

[MLS NAMES & NUMBERS/VIDEO] Coach Bruce Arena finally celebrated a win with the Los Angeles Galaxy thanks to an explosive performance by Landon Donovan. Real Salt Lake finally fell at home, and Jeff Cunningham added to his plus-100 career scoring tally. For the weekend’s MLS highlights. …

[AMERICANS ABROAD] Michael Bradley made his German Bundesliga debut. For more on how Americans fared in foreign leagues last weekend. …

[AMERICANS ABROAD] Three weeks ago, Standard Liege came within two minutes of earning a shootout with Liverpool in UEFA Champions League qualifying. On Thursday, Oguchi Onyewu and his Standard teammates returned to Merseyside, where they held Tim Howard‘s Everton to a 2-2 tie in the first round of the UEFA Cup. Meanwhile, their U.S. teammate, Carlos Bocanegra, scored the winning goal for Rennes in its 2-1 home win over Twente.

Loser of its first two games in Serie A, AC Milan earned its first win of the 2008-09 season with a 3-1 win over FC Zurich in the first leg of the first round of the UEFA Cup. For all of Thursday’s UEFA Cup results and goal scorers …

The New York Red Bulls could have made a statement playing the league’s best team lacking the league leader in assists; unfortunately, the message that came across was, “We’re not ready.” New York took a slap in the face Thursday night, losing, 3-1 to the Crew in Columbus. Sigi Schmid‘s boys got yet another jolt of confidence as they steadily rectifies missing the playoffs the past three seasons.

[ENGLAND] Chelsea and Manchester United United meet Sunday in London at Stamford Bridge in a rematch of the 2008 UEFA Champions League final (TV: Fox Soccer Channel, live, 9 am ET). United, the EPL and Champions League winner, is off to a slow start in part. It will need a result on Sunday to keep the Blues within its sights. Here’s a position-by-position breakdown of the two teams …

Two teams aiming to enter the playoff zone — Toronto FC and Kansas City Wizards – clash on Saturday when Wizard Davy Arnaud aims to score in his fourth straight game. … Houston-San Jose has been canceled because of Hurricane Ike. … Chivas USA hopes to break Real Salt Lake‘s season-long home unbeaten streak. … Colorado, at the bottom end of the playoff race, hosts New England, which is second in the overall standings. … Coach Bruce Arena, whose most glorious MLS days came with D.C. United, looks for his first win at the Galaxy helm when it hosts his former club. … On Sunday, Chicago, winless in its last five games (0-4-1), hosts FC Dallas.