Category: Story

[WPS] Women’s Professional Soccer faces its first week of play without many of its foreign stars on international duty abroad. Marta and four other WPS Brazilians are in Europe. They drew a European women’s soccer record crowd of 44,825 fans Wednesday in Frankfurt for their 1-1 tie with Germany and play Sweden on Saturday. For a look at this weekend’s WPS action …

[WORLD CUP 2018/2022 BID] The USA Bid Committee received positive responses from public officials and executives representing 58 major U.S. stadiums confirming interest in playing host to World Cup matches in 2018 or 2022. Three new candidates — Las Vegas, Nev., Raleigh-Durham, N.C., and Salt Lake City, Utah — also reached out to the USA Bid Committee to express their interest.

[MLS] Ahead by a goal and up a man for nearly the entire match, host Kansas City squandered several chances to put the game away yet maintained the status quo and beat New York, 1-0, Thursday at CommunityAmerica Ballpark in front of 10,385 fans. The Red Bulls’ Carlos Johnson‘s red card in the second minute was the fastest in MLS history and the second in two games for the Costa Rican MLS newcomer.

[MEXICO] U.S. product Edgar Castillo was named to the first training camp roster called in by new Mexico coach Javier Aguirre.

[UNDER-17 CONCACAF CHAMPIONSHIP] Jack McInerney continued where he left off in the opener, scoring two more goals — the first on the penalty kick in the 2nd minute and the second on a bomb from 30 yards on the half-hour mark — to lead the USA to a 4-2 victory over Canada Thursday at the Under-17 Concacaf Championship that clinched a berth in the 2009 Under-17 World Cup in Nigeria. It keeps alive the U.S. record of being the only country to played in every U-17 World Cup since its launch in 1985. The USA faces Honduras, a 6-0 winner over Cuba, Saturday and then moves next week into the Concacaf tournament’s knockout phase.

[MLS PREDICTIONS] Defending champ Columbus aims for its first win of the season when it hosts undefeated Chicago. New England defends an undefeated record in Salt Lake. Los Angeles, the only other winless team besides the Crew, hopes to break the futility run in Colorado. For all of Soccer America’s predictions, as well as TV viewing information, and to see how we fared last week …

[U.S. OPEN CUP] Defending cup champ D.C. United downed FC Dallas, 2-0, on Wednesday in a play-in thanks to goals by Fred and Brandon Barklage. D.C. United will play the winner of the April 29 San Jose-New York for a spot in the U.S. Open Cup proper.

[UNDER-17 CONCACAF CHAMPIONSHIP] The USA, which faces Canada Thursday, opened its campaign to qualify for the U-17 World Cup with a 5-0 win over Cuba on Tuesday. For video of the Cuba win …

[AMERICANS ABROAD] Iran has its third national team coach in less than a month — and its Afshin Ghotbi, an Iranian-born and U.S.-educated coach who has mostly recently been coaching in Iran for Persepolis in 2007 and 2008.

[UNDER-17 CONCACAF CHAMPIONSHIP] Mexico, winner of the Under-17 World Cup in 2005 but unable to qualify for the final two years later, very much means business at the 2009 Concacaf U-17 Championship, opening with a 7-0 over Trinidad & Tobago before 13,333 fans.

[ENGLAND] In a preview of next month’s FA Cup final, American Tim Howard was again in fine form for Everton as it held Chelsea to settle a 0-0 tie that all but knocked the Blues out of contention for the Premier League. Chelsea manager Guus Hiddink admitted as much after the result, along with leader Manchester United’s 2-0 victory over Portsmouth, left Chelsea six points behind United, which has a game in hand.

[CONCACAF CHAMPIONS LEAGUE] Atlante is on course to its Concacaf title since 1983 and a place in the 2009 Club World Cup  in the United Arab Emirates thanks to a 2-0 win over Mexican rival Cruz Azul on the road in the first leg of the CONCACAF Champions League final.