Martin O'Neill, Aston Villa's ever-eloquent manager, declared Monday that his club simply could not compete financially with the so-called "Big Four" clubs in English soccer. "We are in the same league as Manchester United, who have gates of 75,000 and are a different entity. We are in there against Arsenal, who house 60,000 fans every […]
Category: Story
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Gerrard Out for Key Stretch In Liverpool’s Title Push
Liverpool coach Rafa Benitez fears Steven Gerrard won't return to action for almost two weeks, leaving the captain with just four more games to play in the league. The England midfielder was already ruled out of today's game against Arsenal because of a groin injury. But Benitez now says it will be "difficult" for him […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
MLS ‘Eye Candy’ in CosmoGirl Gallery
Major League Soccer and CosmoGirl.com unveiled an online photo gallery where readers can check out MLS “hotties.” The site offers “serious dating dirt” on the players’ likes and dislikes — Columbus’ Robbie Rogers on kissing on the first date, “If you’re feeling the vibe, why not?” — and it encourages readers to leave their comments […]
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
USA faces tough U-17 opponents
[SCOUTING REPORT] Wilmer Cabrera‘s Americans open against Caribbean champion Cuba Tuesday at the Concacaf U-17 Championship in Tijuana, Mexico. Canada, loaded with players from the Toronto FC and Vancouver Whitecaps youth systems, and Honduras, featuring 15-year-old phenom Anthony Lozano, also stand in the way of the USA’s bid to keep intact its record of being only country to have qualified for every U-17 World Cup since FIFA initiated the tournament in 1985.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Wembley surface under attack
[ENGLAND] The turf at the old Wembley Stadium was considered the model of the perfectly manicured surface. The turf at the new Wembley Stadium has been relaid five times and was called “laughable” after a weekend of FA Cup play.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Good week for thirtysomething players
[MLS TEAM OF THE WEEK] Chicago’s Cuauhtemoc Blanco, 36, got his first start of the season and provided one of Week 5’s best performances. He helped 36-year-old teammate Brian McBride notch a pair against Kansas City. Ben Olsen, 31, who played just one game last season because of injury, has started four so far in 2009 and was the hero of D.C. United’s 1-1 tie with New England. Soccer America’s Ridge Mahoney picks the top performers from last week’s action.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Playing time for MLS rookies
[MAKING A LIST] After five weeks, 12 rookies have played more than 200 minutes. Three rookies — Chris Pontius (D.C. United), Omar Gonzalez (Los Angeles) and Darrius Barnes (New England) — have played ever minute for their respective teams.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Seattle top draw; Dallas near bottom
[MLS] Expansion club Seattle leads the league in attendance while the biggest disappoint is in Dallas, where Pizza Hut Park is drawing fewer than 10,000 per game. Leaguewide attendance is slightly down from last season’s 15,437 average at this point last year.
Posted inSoccer on TV., Story
Soccer on TV
Midweek action: An all-Mexican Concacaf Champions League final, Copa Libertadores, South American U-17 Championships, English Premier League (Liverpool-Arsenal) and Coppa Italia. The MLS Game of the Week is on Thursday as Kansas City hosts New York, but there’s also a game on Wednesday: Toronto-Chivas USA. Catch the USL opener on Friday as Miami FC Blues hosts the Montreal Impact. On Sunday, WPS continues as FC Gold Pride hosts the Washington Freedom. Look for Mexican league and other updates in Wednesday’s and Friday’s Soccer on TV.
Posted inSoccer America Confidential, Story
Specter of Beckham looms over struggling Galaxy
You can’t blame Coach Bruce Arena, the Galaxy players, and the rest of the organization if they’d rather not talk about David Beckham
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Inquiry On ‘Financial Doping’ at Top English Clubs
Heavily indebted Premier League clubs Manchester United, Chelsea and Liverpool were accused of “financial doping” in a British parliamentary report Monday. The report, which came after a year-long inquiry, claims that the worldwide economic meltdown should serve as a warning to clubs operating risky business models. Legislators urged English soccer authorities to curb “ludicrous levels […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Montero Wants to Use MLS as Spring-Board
Fredy Montero, the 21-year-old Colombian striker playing for FC Seattle Sounders on loan from Deportivo Cali, has dazzled defenses early in the season, scoring three goals in his first four appearances. Montero suggests that playing in the MLS will help him grow as a player: "This will be important for me and my career and […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
AFC Chief Continues to Accuse OCA of Buying Votes
Asian soccer Confederation chief Mohamed bin Hammam continues to maintain that officials of the Olympic Council of Asia tried to buy votes for his rival, Shaikh Salman bin Ebrahim Khalifa, in a campaign for a seat on one of the key decision-making bodies in soccer. The OCA has threatened legal action and denies Bin Hammam’s […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
In-Form Milan Pull Level with Juventus
Filippo Inzaghi‘s hat trick helped AC Milan thrash lowly Torino 5-1 at the San Siro on Sunday. The win puts Milan in joint-second place with Juventus, which managed a last-minute equalizer against Inter. Inter remains 10 points ahead with just six games left in the season. Beckham, returning to the starting lineup after two games […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Fowler to Make Australian Debut Against Sydney
Former Liverpool and England striker Robbie Fowler, who had been rumored as an MLS candidate, will make his Australian debut for expansion team North Queensland Fury against Sydney FC in Townsville in August. The draw for 2009-10 season was unveiled Monday. With the league now expanded by two, including the Fury and a Gold Coast […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Boca Coach Thinks Team Deserved More in Superclasico
Carlos Ischia, the coach of Boca Juniors, believes his team "should have won" the Superclasico, for having created "more opportunities" to score than River Plate. Despite dominating their archrival for long stretches in the second half, Boca managed only a 1-1 draw. "I always say that in these types of matches playing better doesn't mean […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Successful English Clubs Not Very English, says Ranieri
The success enjoyed by Premier League clubs in Europe has more to do with imported skill and cash than English superiority, Juventus coach and former Chelsea boss Claudio Ranieri said on Friday. “There are very few English people in the English teams, what with the (foreign) owners, coaches and players,” he said. While no Serie […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Mexico’s Biggest Rivalry
“Club America, from urbane Mexico City, is the team of the nation’s elite. Owned by billionaire television mogul Emilio Azcarraga Jean, who inherited his fortune from his father, it is arguably the richest soccer team outside Europe, a wealth it flaunts by regularly signing big-name foreign talent.That stands in stark contrast to Chivas, based in […]
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Howard saves two PKs, Gooch scores a pair
[AMERICANS ABROAD] Goalkeeper Tim Howard helped Everton reach the FA Cup final by saving two penalty kicks against his former club, Manchester United. Defender Oguchi Onyewu scored twice for Belgium’s Standard Liege. In Scotland, Maurice Edu scored the gamewinner for Glasgow Rangers. But it didn’t go so well for Michael Bradley in Germany.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Islanders get their revenge
[USL-1] The Puerto Rico Islanders gained revenge for their loss to the Vancouver Islanders in last year’s USL-1 championship with a 2-1 victory on Saturday at Juan Ramon Loubriel Stadium. Nicholas Addlery, who played the Whitecaps last season, scored both goals for Puerto Rico. Carolina took the early lead in the USL-1 with its second win, a 1-0 victory over Rochester. In its debut, expansion Austin tied Minnesota, 1-1, at home, while Cleveland, with Real Salt Lake keeper Chris Seitz playing on loan in goal, fell in its USL-1 debut at Miami FC, 3-1.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Marta’s Sol remains perfect
[WPS] Starting her first game of the season, two-time Olympic gold-medalist Aly Wagner set up Brazilian star Marta for the only goal to lead the Los Angeles Sol to a 1-0 win over FC Gold Pride for its third consecutive shutout victory of the season.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
MLS Results
The defending champion Columbus Crew and Los Angeles Galaxy are the only winless MLS teams after five weeks and find themselves in the Eastern and Western Conference basements, respectively. For all the game summaries, standings, leading scorers and next weekend’s schedule …
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
International Weekend Results
Lyon’s hopes of winning its eighth straight French league title are fading. Porto maintained its four-point lead in Portugal. Only one point still separates in Celtic and Rangers in Scotland. For all the weekend results and standings in Europe’s major leagues and Mexico …
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Three strugglers get their first wins [VIDEO]
[MLS NAMES & NUMBERS] Houston, FC Dallas and New York finally won, leaving defending champ Columbus, which had a bye, and Los Angeles, the league’s only winless teams. The Chicago Fire is undefeated after five games for the first time in club history. Jaime Moreno hit another milestone. Chivas USA remained undefeated by handing Seattle its second straight loss.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Chivas takes Super Clasico in Ramirez’s debut
[MEXICO] Playing for its third coach in a month, Guadalajara defeated Club America, 1-0, Sunday at the Jalisco Stadium to win the Super Clasico, the biggest game of the Mexican league season.